Giving Master Gu her gentle evil smile, Zhi Wei grabs his hand and guides him to touch the child’s silky smooth face “Touch, see, this is a child…the child smells nice and is warm.” 

Still dazed, Master Gu jerked involuntarily when his finger touched the child’s face as if he had been zapped by lightning. Grinning with a twinkle in her eyes Zhi Wei continues “Doesn’t it smell good? And soft? You were once this fragile and soft in your mother’s arms. You probably heard your mother singing a lullaby to you and were caressed like this by your father.” Gu Nan Yi gave another slight tremble, seemingly lost in a vision of another world where there was color, music, and smiling faces, things he would never have in this life. 

The tiny delicate body in his arms is making him so uncomfortable as if he was walking around naked. He should dislike this, he should just throw away the “thing” like he does everything else but listening to her soft gentle words he can sense something is different. He can’t name the feeling but he instinctively knows that he can’t reject it, he can’t throw it out. There is hope and wish in her voice. Hope that his world is no longer confined to 8 pieces of meat, no longer a blanket of coldness and rejection, hope that he can have more color, more emotions, more…life. Hope that he understands tears, bickering, joyful shouts can exit in life. 

Amused as she looks at Master Gu who is standing stiffly with a bundle in his trembling arms, Zhi Wei thought he looked quite cute but finally takes pity on him and frees the poor guy by taking the child. Master Gu lets out the first audible sigh of relief in his life and in a flash has dived into the tent at the far side of the dock. 

After grinning with amusement for a bit, Zhi Wei found Yan Huaishi and asked him to find a nursemaid for the child before entering into Ning Yi’s tent. Ning Yi was still awake, sitting by the oil lamp in deep thoughts, looking slightly fatigued. Hearing the noises, Ning Yi looks up and asks “What are you searching for this late at night…” Ning Yi’s words were cut off when the child suddenly lets out a cooing sound. Her heavy mood from today lightened considerably after being able to shock two men in one night, Zhi Wei grinned and asks “Ah? What did Your Highness want to ask? Go on.” 

“Where did the baby come from?” Ning Yi asks as he pulls her to him. 

Zhi Wei explained what happened but left out the part about the gold necklace. Ning Yi reaches out a hand to touch the child’s face. Seemingly unafraid of strangers, the baby giggled.  His expression turned thoughtful, Ning Yi suddenly laughed and said “Just now, for a moment there, I almost thought we had been transported forward ten years.”

“Eh?” 

“I am working and you brought our child in to keep me company.” Ning Yi’s expression was one of teasing mixed with a trace of seriousness. 

With a soft laugh, Ning Yi continues “Then I didn’t pay attention to you and you flipped over my table.” 

A laugh escaping out of her mouth, Zhi Wei thought: this guy is flirting in his roundabout way again before replying with a smile “Your Highness sure has a great imagination.” 

Ning Yi reaches out a hand, gently caresses her face and murmured softly “Is it impossible?” 

A gentle cool night breeze swept into the tent, causing Ning Yi to lightly use his finger to press on the letters that were laying on his desk. 

Zhi Wei sits herself upright “Who knows what will happen in ten years?” She is smiling but the smile didn’t reach her eyes, instead, there were confusion and melancholy that is so uncharacteristic of her “Perhaps by that time we would be strangers who would only nod politely to each other, or things would still be as it is right now, I am kneeling while you are up above. Or… we could be enemies.” Both of them trembled when the last four words were finally said out loud. Zhi Wei averted her face while Ning Yi was silent for a long time until he finally asked “The reason?” 

Zhi Wei smiles “They were just examples.” Standing up with the child in her arms, Zhi Wei says “I am going to go see if the nursemaid has come yet.”

 Ning Yi listened quietly as her steps became further and further away, his face devoid of any expression under the candlelight. After a long moment, he slowly moved the elbow that had stayed on the desk the whole time to pick up the letter that had been pressed under. It was a letter that had been wax sealed, expedited through thousands of miles, stamped with the secret code of his information network- all to signify how important this letter is. 

Ning Yi’s finger traced the outline of the letter again and again. He doesn’t need to open the letter because the content is already etched deep into his heart. After a long time he finally holds the letter up to the candle. The flame licked the envelope until white ashes floated down to make a pile on the desk. The letter finished burning and so did the candle but he made no move to light another candle. After a long while, in the darkness, came a long sigh. 

After coming out of Ning Yi’s tent, Zhi Wei found Yan Huaishi to discuss the matter of sending the children who had been orphaned because of the dock explosion to the orphanage operated by Yan clan. “This is a perfect opportunity for Yan Clan to earn some goodwill.” Keeping her eyes on the child who is contently drinking milk, Zhi Wei tells Yan Huaishi “The people of South Sea are against establishing a Maritime department here. While it is not wrong for you nobles to have taken the opposite stance but it is not always the best method. Once you have demonstrated your mastery in controlling the economy then it would be better to start taking a softer approach so as not to cause everyone else to join up to fight against you.”

Yan Huaishi completely agrees but there was an obvious hesitation in his expression. 

Zhi Wei asks “What is it?”

“Two things.” Yan Huaishi replies “One, the People of South Sea has always been fierce and have long harbored animosity against the noble families so it won’t be easy to change their feelings. The noble families have tried to set up stands to help the poor but the people would rather go line up at the government agencies instead of coming to us.”

“That’s easy.” Zhi Wei says “Take this child to your orphanage along with all the other children who lost their parents from this incident. After what happened tonight, the people of South Sea will have many complaints against the local government officials. You all will need to use this opportunity well. I will help if the local government tries to stop you.”

Very grateful, Yan Huaishi says “I don’t know how to thank you…”

Waving her hand, Zhi Wei laughs “You are wrong. You were the one who helped me first. If it wasn’t for you, I would not have been able to go into the academy in the first place. At the Capital, all of my and Master Gu’s expenses, including our manor and servants were all taken care of by you. Not to mention the vast expense that comes with dealing with other court officials. If it wasn’t for your generous support, I would not have been able to do all that. We are friends, so there is no need to count every favor. What is the second thing?”

Yan Huaishi sighed “The second thing is a difficult issue. I am afraid I will not live up to your trust…”

Looking at Zhi Wei’s surprised expression, Yan Huaishi continues “It’s too difficult to explain, you will find out soon… The elders of the Yan Clan is seeking an audience with you. Would you be willing to go meet with them?” 

Frowning as she watched Yan Huaishi rushed out, Zhi Wei took a sip of the tea and wondered what difficulty Yan Huaishi has encountered. Yan Huaishi is sharp and capable, plus with what he has done for the Yan Clan who in the clan would be able to make trouble for him?

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

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