Confirming that no one was following them, Hua Jinzhi landed and put Leng Jiu down on the ground. He found a clean rock to sit on, evidently feeling a bit overwhelmed after using his inner strength just now.
After resting for a while, he looked up and saw Leng Jiu still standing there, staring blankly into space. Unable to help himself, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you scared just now?”
Leng Jiu was brought back to reality by his words. She took two steps and sat down beside him, then lowered her head to fiddle with the wild grass in front of her, pulling them out one by one, seemingly venting like a child.
Hua Jinzhi was stunned by her actions for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you would be dignified and steady as the empress dowager, but you’re still so childish!”
Leng Jiu’s hand paused, and she turned to look at the young man. “Do you know me from before?”
Hua Jinzhi’s smile turned into a sneer at her words. “No! How could a servant like me know the empress dowager?”
Leng Jiu instantly understood that something was wrong. She spread her hands helplessly. “Last time in the Weiyang Palace, I was hit by the emperor and fell to the ground, bleeding a lot from my forehead. When I woke up, I forgot many things. At first, I even forgot who I was. Recently, I’ve been able to remember some things vaguely, but there’s still a lot I can’t recall. It’s not my fault if you blame me. I didn’t deliberately forget!”
Hua Jinzhi’s mocking expression disappeared at her words, replaced by a hint of nervousness. “He hit you? Who gave him the right to hit you?”
Seeing his worried look, Leng Jiu felt amused. He truly was a naive little guy, who had just been angry a moment ago; now he was worried. It made Leng Jiu feel happy. However, while she felt happy in her heart, her face still showed a troubled expression. She raised her hand to touch the scar on her forehead, which had been treated with good scar cream and was almost healed, but still left a faint mark.
“Yes! It’s not completely healed yet!”
Hua Jinzhi’s eyes flashed with distress, then turned away angrily. “Serves you right! Who told you to pester him? I knew there was something wrong when you showed him attitude today. So, it was because he hit you. You’re sad!”
Leng Jiu was speechless. What kind of logic was this? Besides, she didn’t seem to have offended him, so why was he suddenly angry?
Trying to please him, she asked, “Hey! You said you knew me before. Why didn’t you recognize me at the beginning today? When you heard my identity, you seemed so surprised, as if you didn’t know me at all!”
Hua Jinzhi moved away disdainfully. “You entered the palace three years ago, and I went to the border with my father five years ago, so I haven’t seen you for five years. You’ve changed a lot, so it’s normal not to recognize you!”
“Five years? How old are you now? You still look underage!” Leng Jiu sighed.
Hua Jinzhi glared at her and looked like he was going to bite her. “I’m eighteen this year, I’m already an adult!”
“Oh! You’re only eighteen! You’re younger than me. Come on, call me big sister!” Leng Jiu looked at his angry appearance and the mischievous cells in her body immediately emerged. She looked like a rogue elder sister teasing a child.
Hua Jinzhi was first shocked, then his face turned red. “Do you know shame? You’re the empress dowager, how can you say such things!”
Leng Jiu smiled wickedly and leaned closer. “Then tell me what I should say?”
Hua Jinzhi watched as she got closer and closer, his heart pounding like a drum. Where was the mature attitude he had just now? He completely looked stunned, “You… you…”
Hua Jinzhi, after hearing the last few words, felt his heart almost burst out of his chest. He suddenly flipped over and tried to escape, but he forgot that Leng Jiu was leaning over him. With only two fingers between their lips, his movement caused their lips to touch, which he couldn’t reach before.
The indescribable feeling on his lips made his body stiffen, and he stared blankly at Leng Jiu’s face, forgetting to react, while Leng Jiu was also stunned. She had only wanted to tease him, but now it seemed… something had gone wrong!