Knowing that this thing would just get more embarrassing for Xiliang the longer it dragged on, the Regent immediately started heading for the Dragon River Post with hundreds of officials in order to personally welcome the envoy team.

While the regent’s ceremonial team was still a ways away, the Tiansheng envoy team had already received word of it. Feng Zhi Wei ignored the urging of her two deputy envoys and leisurely taught Master Gu how to draw. 

“What do you want to draw?” She spread out the paper roll, held a brush in her mouth, and asked the young master in a rather arrogant manner, “Landscapes or palaces? People, flowers, or birds?” Animal, insects, or fishes? Freehand brushwork? Waterpaint? Simple sketches?” 

Ning Cheng was squatting on a wall somewhere in the distance, spying blatantly, with a bit of admiration in his eyes as he peered at Feng Zhi Wei. Aye, she looks to be an expert! If she paints well, it should be worth a lot if he steals and sells it off right? 

“Walnut.” Master Gu answered calmly. 

Feng Zhi Wei “……….” 

Squatting on the wall, Ning Cheng almost tumbled off it and was immediately furious— of all the things you can paint, you want to paint a walnut?! No matter how well you paint a walnut, it is still a walnut. How much can it be worth if he steals it and sells it off? Why can’t you paint beautiful women? Or at the very least, you can paint me, Ning Cheng, it would then still be worth collecting….

Feng Zhi Wei and Gu Nan Yi had always turned a blind eye to a certain guard who had obviously been exposed since a long time ago but refused to walk around openly and instead, insisted on sneaking around pretentiously every day. Feng Zhi Wei licked the brush and said, “Okay, walnut.” 

With that one lick, the tip of her tongue and the corner of her lips were instantly stained with ink. Master Gu, who is quite particular about cleanliness, immediately felt something was amiss when he saw it. Whenever he feels something is wrong, he always takes immediate action. Therefore, he grabbed Feng Zhi Wei and said, “It’s dirty.” 

Feng Zhi Wei said, “Ah?” but Master Gu was already saying, “I’ll lick it off for you.” Then he lifted his veil and came close. 

His powerful thought process which is beyond the comprehension of normal people, has always been the most challenging of one’s ability to react instantaneously. As expected, before Feng Zhi Wei could react, her vision went dark as he suddenly pressed close. The next thing she saw was a flash of red lips, like a full and fresh pomegranate, followed by a tall nose, jad-like skin, and a beautiful jawline that dazzled one’s eyes. Then her lips were covered with softness, soft and slightly cool, like a piece of soft jade. The touch seemed to send a warming comfort right to her heart. Those lips seemingly were trying to capture her tongue. Feng Zhi Wei subconsciously closed her mouth immediately, leaving those lips gently gliding around her lips, quickly and lightly, licked the corner of her lips slightly. 

It was like the spring rain accompanied by the spring breeze dancing past 30,000 miles, damping the swaying flowers in front of a small pavilion. That slight damp feeling rushed into her mind. Feng Zhi Wei instantly realized what was happening and her face flushed bright red as she leaned back while making an “ah” sound. She looked up to see Master Gu standing as if he was rooted to the spot, a bit stunned, a finger still on the edge of the veil, seemingly still unable to snap to attention…and the cheek slightly exposed at the edge of the veil was also slightly red. 

Is Master Gu…blushing?

With her face half-raised, and her body leaning back, Feng Zhi Wei was zoning out in a rather awkward body position. As for Master Gu, his body was slightly leaned forward and his veil half lifted, looking as if he was about to fall…while still in a daze. 

No one saw his expression behind the veil, which was a little…confused. 

Just now, he was simply instinctively trying to clean up the ink, but when their lips touched that rich and cool fragrance penetrated deep into his bones. Even if it was just such a brief moment, his calm mind suddenly was thrown into turmoil, just like last time. In fact, it was even more fierce this time, so fierce that he could seemingly hear his heart pounding in his chest as if it had lost control and was about to burst out of his chest. 

This was a feeling he had almost never encountered before, but he wasn’t as panicked as before, thinking that he had somehow become seriously ill or that something was amiss with his internal energy. He had a vague feeling that this was probably the same feeling he had when he touched her last time, but it was more exciting, deeper, and more difficult to control. If it was a river with splashing waves before, it was now a sea with huge waves, and they were both hitting the same embankment. 

But what exactly is this feeling? 

Gu Nan Yi wanted to ask and get a clear answer but he intuitively felt that Feng Zhi Wei would not tell him the answer. She will tell him clearly regarding all things but she gets strange every time he gets close. If he asked her, she would probably lecture him about “Men and women should not be close to each other.” (It is an ancient teaching in China that the two genders should keep their distance from the age of 7.) 

Gu Nan Yi is a studious and preserving child. According to his previous credence while learning martial arts– if you can’t get through, then just force your way through. Don’t be afraid of the obstacles. Try a few more times and it will eventually work. 

So he decided to not waste time being confused anymore and just try a few more times. 

So he reached out a hand, deciding to grab Feng Zhi Wei and try again.

But by this point, Feng Zhi Wei was already fully alert so the moment he moved his hand, she immediately flipped upright, her eyes glanced over quickly at the red peeking out of the corner. (I think that’s referring to his lips.) Her heart was also feeling a bit jumpy. She recollects that he had licked the wine on the corner of her lips previously but at that time he was calm and seemingly didn’t think anything of it. It was just an action required to taste the wine, so she just laughed it off. However, this now…seems a little bit different? 

So she none too gracefully jumped over the table to the other side and laughed dryly, “Walnut…let’s paint walnut…” 

Gu Nan Yi glanced at her, estimated the distance across the table, and thought that while he could grab her across the table, but it might be difficult to do so without knocking over the inkstone since Feng Zhi Wei’s reflex and speed had been improving quite a bit. He was suddenly a bit annoyed, feeling that he had been giving Feng Zhi Wei too many pointers on her martial arts. 

In an instant, Master Gu made a decision, feeling that Feng Zhi Wei’s martial art was good enough at this level, and there was no need to improve anymore. After all, as long as she needed him, he would be there to protect her. 

Feng Zhi Wei had no idea that Master Gu had made a rare selfish decision about her at that instant. Sheepishly, she lowered her head and dipped the brush into the ink to hide the blush on her face. While putting the brush onto the paper, she was pondering how to talk to Master Gu to change his increasingly frightening little actions. 

Clearing her throat while her brush sketched on the paper, she tried to say in her most gentle voice, “Nan Yi, this is how you draw a walnut, a circle, not too round, just a normal circle will do…”

“Walnut kernel.” Master Gu reminded her to draw his favorite part to eat of walnuts. 

“Oh.” Feng Zhi Wei was thinking while she drew mindlessly another circle inside the first circle. Master Gu stared at it with some dissatisfaction, thinking that this circle did not seem to be the same as the walnut kernel he ate every day. 

As she drew, Feng Zhi Wei suddenly got an inspiration and quickly said, “Well, Nan Yi, if you want to eat walnut kernel, you have to crack its shell, but people are not walnuts, you can’t do whatever you want. You have to protect and respect other people’s shells. You can’t crack or peel them for no reason, okay?” 

“Didn’t crack, didn’t peel.” Master Gu expressed his difference of opinion. 

“This is a metaphor, a metaphor!” Feng Zhi Wei sighed, thinking that such a difficult question could not be explained to Master Gu in such a short time. Since she can’t get herself to say it directly, she can only be more on alert. Resigned, she finished the painting in a few more strokes, put the brush down, and said, “It’s done, walnut.” 

Ning Cheng who was drinking in the distance, heard Feng Zhi Wei’s words and poked his head out to take a look. With a puff, the wine in his mouth came spewing out three feet. 

Master Gu also looked over and took out a walnut from his pouch to compare. He felt that there did seem to be some similarities but something also seemed off. He turned his head to look at a melon on the table and felt that the melon seemed more similar to the painting. 

Just as he was about to express his opinion, there suddenly came some sounds from outside. There was a faint commotion, then it became quiet, followed by the sound of a person’s footstep walking towards their direction. The footsteps were not very loud, but rather well-mannered and restrained. The pace was neither fast nor slow, but neat and light, with no drag between raising and lowering. It made people feel that the person who took such steps must be energetic, decisive, and had the aura of having everything in control. 

Feng Zhi Wei raised an eyebrow, thinking that there were not many people who walked with such grace and control. 


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