Chương 38: Xiao Qi
In the Carriage the atmosphere was on the awkward side. But those inside didn't seem to be aware of it. Zhao Xing felt sleepy but adrenaline was too much, she couldn't sleep. She stared out the window, deep in thought as she hugged the bag Zhang Zhengyang gave her in her arms. This was the normal Zhao Xing. When she wasn't talking she would become one with her thoughts, the outside world didn't matter anymore. Heavens know what she spent her time thinking about. Or was she even thinking? Was she just in constant fascination of her environment?
Xiao Qi, who sat opposite Zhao Xing, had a cold expression, and didn't bother with Zhao Xing at all.
Well, it went on like this until Zhao Xing eventually fell asleep.
Xiao Qi watched the girl sleep, with creased brows. He had never seen someone like this. One party didn't talk it didn't mean she shouldn't talk right? She was really something!
Xiao Qi lifted up the curtain in the carriage and looked out the window, thinking back on what he had witnessed. The prince was actually paying much attention to this girl. He couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.
Her features were nothing much. At most she could be called cute. Why so much attention? Who was she exactly? She even ignored him!
The night went on as such, with the two people completely ignoring each other.
The next day Zhao Xing woke up with a sore neck. "Eh?" She looked around and saw no sign of Xiao Qi, the carriage had also stopped.
Zhao Xing opened the curtain at the entrance of the carriage, to check. There she saw the horseman seated under a tree.
Just as she was about to ask him about Xiao Qi, someone came from the other side of the carriage.
"You…who are you?" How come another person came again? Did Xiao Qi leave, and have a lady take his place?
The lady didn't answer, and threw a small bag her way. "Here take and eat, it's nothing much, but it should do."
The woman was tall and very beautiful, she wore a bright red that accentuated the paleness of her skin. One look and one would be mesmerized.
'Xiao Qi really left me here?' she opened the bag and found some food in it. She was used to the plain food around here, after the days she spent in the city, so she wasn't surprised. "Thank you." She said and began to eat.
The lady gave her a side look. "We'll be leaving in a bit so get ready."
Zhao Xing nodded. They probably work that way, the Crown Prince had indeed said that they had to be discreet, so they probably liked to be quiet about their identities, didn't like revealing much. She understood.
The recommenced their journey, it was as quiet as the night before. Zhao Xing thought about what she had to do to convince the old man when she got there, and how she would explain the situation to him.
The lady couldn't take the silence, and turned to Zhao Xing, "Say, you really like keeping silent, don't you? Or do you feel I'm too low of a person to talk to."
Zhao Xing didn't hear what she was saying since she had been absentminded again. "Um?" She turned to face her.
The lady was speechless. "Eh, this little miss sure is haughty, are you pretending that you weren't listening to me?"
Zhao Xing was lost, "This lady, do you mean me?"
The question annoyed her. But Zhao Xing had not finished. "So you do talk!" Zhao Xing exclaimed, she didn't know this lady would be interested in having a chat from how cold she had been when she had first met her, then as if she had just remembered something she asked, "What about Xiao Qi ge1?" (brother, used to address males related or not related)
'Xiao Qi ge? What's with that mushy appellation?'
"My name is Xiao Qi, I'm a woman, call me jie1 instead." (Elder sister)
Zhao Xing's eyes widened, so the person she had been with through the journey, was actually a girl? "You…" she shook her head in disbelief.
It was all Zhang Zhengyang's fault, she had told him that she needed to know who she was going with to be prepared. Now look what happened.
She thought it would be more convenient to go with a female indeed.
Zhao Xing decided to start a conversation. "Why did you disguise as a male?"
"Confidential, cannot say." She responded plainly. Zhao Xing nodded. "Have you seen the Poison Master yourself?"
Xiao Qi just stared at her.
"I just wanted to know since I'm the one who would be meeting him..."
"I've not only seen him, I've also had discussions with him in passing. He's a difficult man, negotiation won't be easy."
"You spoke with him?"
Xiao Qi nodded. "I was in disguise at that time."
Zhao Xing nodded in understanding. Turns out this lady was adept in the art of disguising.
Well she said it won't be easy to convince the old man. But Zhao Xing has promised to return to the Crown Prince's side on time. So she was ready to go all out. She didn't have time.
"Xiao Qi, where are we headed now, is it far from here?"
"It is a bit far, it would take three to four days to arrive."
Zhao Xing sighed, things might have been different if technology had been more advanced here. In her world there were cars, buses, trains and planes.
How long would she spend there after arriving she didn't know.
The journey continued and Zhao Xing was bored out of her mind. She didn't have much to say to Xiao Qi, neither did the other party and so the carriage remained silent. She looked at the bag in her arms.
'What did this guy give me? He wants me to open it when I arrive is it poison? No, it shouldn't be…' While she was busy with her weird thoughts as she felt the bag trying to figure out what might be in it, Xiao Qi was staring at her, as if she was some crazy person.
'Grand Tutor? Tch, she doesn't even have the bearing of a refined lady, and they call her 'Grand tutor'? What's so good about her?'
"You, must come from a renowned family, or clan, right? How come I've never heard of a Zhao Family that had such a powerful miss?"
Zhao Xing who was still trying to guess the contents of the bag looked up at her when she heard the question. "How come there isn't a powerful family that's surnamed Zhao?" If she remembered correctly she appeared in a certain Zhao Family's ancestral hall, it didn't look shabby.
That was not the point. "Of course there is, but I've never heard that there was someone like you." Xiao Qi answered annoyed.
"But then if you have heard of me then my identity should have been exposed, the Crown Prince wouldn't use me then." She answered thinking what she said was quite reasonable. How would the Crown Prince take to himself people whose names were well known? His plan was a taboo, no one should easily know about it. It would be dangerous if they even got the slightest evidence that he wanted to rebel.
Xiao Qi felt like she had been slapped in the face. She had wanted to shame the girl, who would have thought this girl was not as stupid as she looked, she actually countered her attack!
But Zhao Xing hadn't finished talking. "I'm not from this place, so it would be impossible to get news about me no matter how hard you tried." Zhao Xing felt this Xiao Qi was hostile towards her for some reason. When she addressed her she was either being sarcastic or cold. She didn't know why, and she wasn't interested in asking. It would be better not to get too involved with her, when the task was complete she probably wouldn't see her again. She was at least the Crown Prince's person, so she wouldn't because of whatever she had against her foil the Prince's plans.
Just then the carriage began vigorously shaking.
"Ah"
The people inside the carriage could no longer balance themselves, Zhao Xing hit her shoulder on the carriage's walls and exclaimed in pain, she wondered what was going on, and turned to the window.
Xiao Qi's eyes became hostile, and she quickly stopped Zhao Xing's actions.
"Bandits!"
"Ah?"
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