The scene before his eyes was preposterous and inconceivable. However, Yue Jiefei was completely devoted to his duties and held his responsibilities in high regard. It may have seemed unbelievably similar to a dream, but even so, it was an undeniable fact that Rong Zhi had violated the Princess. He ought to take action.

He was a few strides away when Chu Yu caught sight of Yue Jiefei coming over. He bent over and grabbed Rong Zhi’s shoulder, resulting in him loosening his grip on her. Instantly, Yue Jiefei took advantage of this to bend and twist Rong Zhi’s arm backward.

Crack!

Soon after that, Chu Yu heard a terrifying sound which was akin to that of bones shattering. Then, she noticed that Rong Zhi’s arm was bent at an abnormal angle.

Yue Jiefei pulled Rong Zhi upright and rammed his bent knee below his rib. Another frightful snapping sound resounded as Rong Zhi’s body was thrust diagonally almost like a kite.

Chu Yu’s hands and feet went numb swiftly. She sat up and turned around, her gaze involuntarily following Rong Zhi’s figure. She watched as his body was thrown backward, hitting an apricot tree three meters away. Some of the branches broke due to the impact, but they also somehow managed to catch his fall. His body stalled for a while before falling to the ground just like the riotous profusion of the petals floating down.

‘Is Rong Zhi still alive?’

Chu Yu’s mind went blank. When she summoned Yue Jiefei over, she originally intended for him to help hold Rong Zhi back. She never expected him to be so ruthless when he engaged in physical combat. It was almost like he did not treat Rong Zhi as a living person. Even with Rong Zhi’s detached position in the Imperial Residence, it did not make him soften his blow.

‘Doesn’t Rong Zhi hold a very influential position in the Imperial Residence? Doesn’t he garner much of the Princess’s doting and bestow many favors? Then, why did Yue Jiefei cast his sentiments aside?’

Just a moment ago, Rong Zhi was wantonly imprisoning Chu Yu unscrupulously, but now he lay unconscious on the ground. The fallen apricot blossoms were strewn all over his motionless body, on his snow-white clothing, and jet black hair.

While Chu Yu examined Rong Zhi’s deathly still body for signs of life, she could not help but hold her breath. It was only when she detected the weak movement of his chest rising that she let go of the heavy burden that was weighing her heart down and her mind resumed its regular thinking process.

She may have been vexed at Rong Zhi for pulling her clothes off, but it was never her intention to send him to death’s door. The forcefulness of Yue Jiefei’s strike surpassed her expectations.

Rong Zhi moved gingerly and used his good arm as leverage against the ground to slowly turn and prop himself up to a sitting position. His hair had come loose and the petals on both sides of his pallid face slid over the gap between the strands of his black hair, slowly fluttering downwards.

As he sat up, he leaned his back against the tree trunk. His eyes were no different from before, and he stared fixedly at Chu Yu’s exposed shoulder. Only then did it dawn on her that her clothing was still askew and she was not properly dressed. With a snort, she hastily stood up to straighten her clothing.

A multitude of expressions crossed Rong Zhi’s face, and they seemingly interweaved together, leaving a very complex expression. Chu Yu definitely did not misinterpret it though. His expression was very unexpected as if he had been relieved of a heavy burden.

A man, who used to go to extremes, once said, “Everyone is wearing a mask.” In this case, the mask Rong Zhi constantly wore showed calmness and light smiles. Chu Yu had never seen him with any other expression aside from these. However, now that his tranquil indifference had been shattered, the image he portrayed was much livelier. It was comparable to setting off fireworks that remain undispersed in the night sky.

Yue Jiefei could not care less about such matters. Seeing that Rong Zhi could still sit upright, he stepped forward, wanting to land another blow on him. However, Chu Yu shouted at him to stop and redirected her gaze at Rong Zhi. “Now, do you believe me?”

A short while after the visible change in his countenance, Rong Zhi put on his mask again and smiled indifferently. His expression was peacefully calm and serene. “Today, before this, I already expected the worst consequence that my actions would bring and I’m fully prepared to face the punishment for my actions.” His words precisely implied that he would accept his punishment regardless of what it was.

The manner in which he spoke was calm, yet it gave Chu Yu a piercingly cold and resolute misconception. She could not help pointing out, “You sure have guts. You knew perfectly well what kind of consequences awaited you if you failed, yet you still went ahead and did it anyway. What actually motivated you to make such a bold move and be so reckless?”

With a faint smile, Rong Zhi responded, “I’ve always had guts. Princess, you ought to have known since three years ago.”

Seeing that she was stalling to mete out his punishment, Rong Zhi chuckled. “Since you don’t intend to press me further or seek atonement, then I shall take my leave.” He lowered his head as he said this, using his hand to hold the upper part of his injured arm. He proceeded to forcefully re-attach the dislocated part. The sound of the interlocking of joints rang out. Then, his smiling expression suddenly burst forth, exhibiting a brightness that was never seen on his face before. His expression was so bright and brilliant that it made Chu Yu’s heart turn cold!

Subsequently, he also did the same for his twisted upper arm and rib.

Chu Yu already thought that Yue Jiefei’s strike was very harsh, but she did not expect that Rong Zhi would be even more unrelenting. Yue Jiefei was harsh towards someone else’s body since he would not feel pain striking it. However, in Rong Zhi’s case, the body he roughed up in an unperturbed manner was his own injured body!

The way he treated his own body was similar to treating something lifeless. However, what invoked terror in her was actually the smile on his face. The radiance of his smile remained unchanged and did not display the slightest shred of endured anguish or tolerance of pain. It gave her the impression that getting a fracture was something to rejoice over.

What kind of people had the Princess Shanyin been raising in her backyard? One appeared normal, lovable, yet was resolved to being a male companion. One was a human poem-composing machine who could chant out dozens of poems within a short period. Another had exceptional swordsmanship and was an aloof chronic invalid. Meanwhile, another had his head piled up with green hats and possessed acting skills worthy of an Oscar [1]. The Prince Consort was another, then, of course, one could not forget the fellow who, at present, treated his body as if it were building blocks.

She would never know what other specialties or exceptional attributes the other male companions that she had released from the Princess’s Imperial Residence had. She considered it quite an achievement that Princess Shanyin managed to keep them under control with no overly problematic troublemakers stirring things up.

Chu Yu looked helplessly at Rong Zhi, who had a smile plastered on his face, as he finished re-attaching his bones. He then slowly rose up to his feet. Holding onto his wounded midriff, he weakly shuffled towards the outer forest. She did not stop him or ask him anything.

As soon as Rong Zhi left, Chu Yu admitted to Yue Jiefei, “Your blow was very harsh.”

She said that casually and it was supposed to be taken as an offhand remark since she had no intention of pressing the matter any further. After all, Yue Jiefei was only fulfilling his duty. However, after hearing her words, he immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “My apologies. I acted on his own without referring to you, Princess. Please punish me, Princess.”

Surprised, Chu Yu stretched out her hand and self-consciously drew her collar tighter while heaving a sigh. Then, she answered, “You protected me. What fault is there to be punished?”

Yue Jiefei was unwilling to stand up and let his head hang low while he admitted, “I originally didn’t intend to land such a harsh blow on Rong Zhi, but due to a personal grudge, I intentionally did so. Princess, do you still recall that matter of the past about…Please pardon me, Princess.”

He uttered that casual remark so thoughtlessly, yet unexpectedly elicited matters from the past. It was definitely more than she bargained for, and she did not foresee this. However, just when he reached the crux of the matter and the most riveting part of the gossip, Yue Jiefei suddenly stopped. Chu Yu’s interest was piqued as she was very curious as to what had actually happened in the past. However, Yue Jiefei apologized and sought to be pardoned instead.

Chu Yu was extremely curious, but it was not appropriate for her to query any further. Otherwise, Yue Jiefei might perceive something as amiss, so she interrupted his apology and said with a definite ring of finality, “There’s no need to deliberate further or to say anything else. Thus, this matter is considered settled. I’m tired and I want to return.”

Argh, how hateful! She hated having incomplete gossip that only told half of the story!

Translator’s Note:

[1] Oscar – Oscar Academy Award, a coveted award that many regard as a benchmark in the film industry