Ten Thousand Books, But Only One You

28 All Warfare is Based on Deception

Chapter 28: All Warfare is Based on Deception

When Ji Kai and I returned back to the The Eighth Verse's universe with secrets that only we share, I found that no time had passed at all. We were back in Ji Kai's room at the Yi Residence in Hua City at dinnertime. But as we made our way back to the main hall for receiving guests, we found an unexpected visitor sauntering in with a cheery expression on his face.

"Yo, long time no see, Xiaoyu," Ruijie greeted me with an excited wave. "To be precise it's been a few hours for me and a couple of weeks for you." He sounded almost too happy, as if relishing our misfortune of not being able to leave this realm yet.

"Why are you back?" I asked flatly.

Ruijie looked from me to Ji Kai and back to me again before wiggling his brows with a teasing smile. "Why—Are you tossing me aside now that you have Kai by your side?"

I looked at him unimpressed. I was about to scold him for behaving childishly when Ji Kai took a step forward and inserted himself between us. "Get straight to the point, Ruijie."

Ruijie's smile slipped and he sighed dejectedly. Muttering something under his breath about how no one treats him with respect, he walked past us and headed towards Shuzhen who was sleeping at the table. Fu Wanxi was nowhere in sight.

"Yan Shuzhen, wake up. It's time for you to go home." Ruijie rapped his knuckles against the table. His loud voice caused Shuzhen to stir.

As she caught sight of Ruijie's sudden appearance, her eyes immediately shot wide opened. She leaped up from her seat and stood up with a stiffened spine. "You-you-you—you gave me a shock! What are you doing here?"

"That's what I should be asking you, Yan Shuzhen. What are you doing here without any permission?"

"Can't you let me stay on? I promise that I won't meddle with the plot. I've not made a mess so far," Shuzhen said in a wavering voice. She turned in Ji Kai's direction with pleading eyes. But Ji Kai casually glanced away at the exact moment that she looked over.

"Your father said that if you don't return now, he will sell off your house and send your godbrother to fetch you back to Beijing." Ruijie continued to smile gleefully, immune to Shuzhen's display of cuteness. "He's quite furious with you for breaking the rules of the Association."

Shuzhen paled. "Is he using Meng Qingshan to threaten me?"

"Believe it or not, at this moment as we speak he is already on the road to Shibao Ge. If you follow me out now, you can escape before he arrives. Otherwise, I can leave now and in a few hours return with him in tow. You can consider and give me your decision."

"Who is this godbrother that Shuzhen seems terrified of?" I whispered to Ji Kai as we stood by the side and watched on. She seemed to fear him more than any punishment that she may be dealt with for breaking the Association's code of conduct.

Dipping his head, Ji Kai whispered in my ear: "Mr. Yan's most distinguished disciple—and also his right-hand man. He is usually tasked to watch over Yan Shuzhen, but in recent years she's been trying to get rid of having him on her tail. He's actually a good person, though."

"But I'm not hindering them from doing their mission," whined Shuzhen as she swung her arms about in frustration, seeing that no one was standing by her side and persuading Ruijie to let her stay. "I don't want to leave yet."

"Alright then," Ruijie threw his hands up, symbolising his "defeat"; and with an indifferent shrug he turned around to leave. "I'll leave without you then. But the next person who comes in here to drag you out will be Meng-dage."