Of course, he would never force Zhao Luoning into a physical relationship when she was not willing.
There was a simpler way to verify if Zhao Luoning was that woman - to see her natural face without makeup.
That was why he came up with today's plan.
He pretended to leave to let Zhao Luoning lower her guard, and then came back in the middle of the night when she was sound asleep.
Yu Chi's reminder made Ji Shisu calm down.
He was so provoked by Zhao Luoning that he almost forgot his main purpose.
"Yu Chi, let's go!"
——
This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
It was already late at night. Everyone in Furongyuan was extremely tired and had turned off the lights early. The yard was deathly quiet.
But at this moment, the tightly - shut courtyard gate was pushed open.
Two men tiptoed in.
They were none other than Ji Shisu and Yu Chi, master and servant.
Yu Chi whispered, "My lord, why do we feel like thieves?"
Ji Shisu gave him a disdainful look. "If you dare to wake up Luoning, you'll be in big trouble."
Yu Chi stuck out his tongue and didn't dare to say another word. The two tiptoed into the main wing - room.
Just as they were about to push the door open, Ji Shisu, who was in the lead, stopped.
"Do you think what we're doing is not quite right?"
"My lord, wasn't this your own decision?"
"But Luoning doesn't want me to see her natural face. Am I being offensive to her like this?"
Yu Chi: "..."
The decisive Second Young Master Ji in the business world had turned into a fool in Furongyuan.
He rolled his eyes and said, "My lord, you've made so many mistakes in front of the Second Young Mistress. One or two more won't matter. Just get this over with, and then you can slowly make amends to the Second Young Mistress later."
Ji Shisu: "..."
Although the words weren't very pleasant, they seemed to make sense.
While the two were chattering at the door, they didn't know that inside the room, Caixue, who had been lying in the outer room keeping watch and couldn't fall asleep because she was worried about her own background, had already heard the commotion.
She pressed her ear against the door and heard the conversation between the two outside. She was terrified to learn that Ji Shisu had returned in the middle of the night.
This Second Young Master Ji was really sinister!
Caixue didn't even put on her shoes and quickly ran into the inner room to wake up Zhao Luoning.
However, Zhao Luoning hadn't had a good sleep for several days and nights. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she was fast asleep. No matter how much Caixue shook her, she wouldn't wake up.
Seeing that the Second Young Master Ji was already pushing the door open, Caixue was so anxious that she had to leave Zhao Luoning.
She pulled the quilt over Zhao Luoning's face and let down the curtain. After thinking about it, she still felt it wasn't enough.
It was definitely too late to put makeup on the young mistress now.
She had to think of a way to make Ji Shisu and the others give up their plan.
...
On the other side, in Pingshui Tower, Ji Shihan, who had been pulled by her mother to talk for half the night, was finally allowed to return to her own room.
Xiaozhou was lighting the incense in the room. When she saw Ji Shihan come in, she threw the vanilla in her hand into the incense burner and then came over to pay respects to Ji Shihan.
"Miss, it's time to go to bed."
Ji Shihan nodded and simply said,
"You've been busy all day. You must be exhausted. Just let Hongshao come in to serve me."
Xiaozhou was the maid bought by Madam Ji after the incident of Hongshao stealing money. She was about the same age as Caixue, only fourteen or fifteen years old, but much quieter than Caixue. She never said an extra word or did an extra thing. She always adhered to her duties and never overstepped the mark.
Although this way she wouldn't make mistakes, it was also difficult for Ji Shihan to open her heart to her.
She couldn't pour out her feelings to a puppet who only knew how to follow orders. So, it was still Hongshao who guarded outside at night.
To Ji Shihan, Xiaozhou was a personal maid in name, but in fact, she was no different from an ordinary maid.
Xiaozhou still silently retreated. Soon, Hongshao came in with clean clothes in her hand.
"Miss, it's cold. Go to bed quickly."
Seeing Ji Shihan standing in the main hall in thin clothes, Hongshao quickly urged her to go to bed.
Ji Shihan smiled, pulled Hongshao to the bedside, and wanted to have a heart - to - heart talk with her.
"Hongshao, he came today. Did you see him?"
Hongshao naturally knew who Ji Shihan was referring to. While helping Ji Shihan tidy up the quilt, she replied,
"Of course I saw him. Miss, if you really like Young Master Ning, you might as well ask the Second Young Mistress. I heard that the Second Young Mistress and Young Master Ning have been on good terms since childhood and they are also in - laws. If you ask, she will surely not refuse."
Ji Shihan sighed and said softly,
"I'm afraid it's like the goddess is in love, but the prince is not interested."
During the drinking game, she had only had eyes for Ning Huainan, while Ning Huainan's heart had been on Zhao Luoning.
Ji Shihan was so delicate - minded that she quickly understood.
Hongshao looked at Ji Shihan in confusion, not understanding why she suddenly became sad.
"Miss?"
Ji Shihan lifted the quilt and got into the bed. Different from her high spirits just now, she now looked extremely sleepy.
Hongshao thoughtfully let down the curtain for Ji Shihan, snuffed out the candle, and then left with the candlestick in her hand.
Ji Shihan watched Hongshao's back and slowly closed her eyes.
Go to sleep. When she fell asleep, the troubles would disappear.
...
"Brother Ning!"
The man under the peach tree slowly turned around and gave her a faint smile.
"Last night's stars, last night's breeze; west of the painted pavilion, east of the cassia - scented hall."
The man spoke softly, his voice like the purest celestial music in the world.
Ji Shihan's heart started pounding. Brother Ning had feelings for her too. Her face blushed brightly, but she didn't want to leave. She wanted to finish listening to the poem, wanted to hear that line...
"Though I have no wings like the colorful phoenix, yet our hearts share the mysterious rapport."
Someone continued Brother Ning's poem behind her?!
Ji Shihan turned around and found that Zhao Luoning was wearing the light - yellow dress that she often wore. Without makeup, she made the world pale in comparison and all things feel ashamed.
"Ning'er, do you know that I've been waiting for you all this time?"
Ning Huainan smiled at Zhao Luoning and walked towards her step by step, not noticing Ji Shihan's presence at all.
So, the smile on his face was for her second sister - in - law; so, the tenderness in his eyes and brows was because of her.
Ji Shihan panicked. She shouted at Ning Huainan, trying to stop him.
"Brother Ning, how could you do this? She's my second sister - in - law!"
Ning Huainan finally noticed Ji Shihan. When he saw her, there was no longer a smile on his face, only grief and despair.
"If only I could have come back earlier. Or, I should never have left in the first place. Ning'er would have been my wife long ago. No, it's you who stole someone's love interest, your second brother, and all of you in the Ji family!"
...
"Miss, Miss."
Hongshao called several times before waking Ji Shihan up from her dream. When Ji Shihan opened her eyes, she found that all the questions and accusations had just been a dream.
Looking at the sky, she found it was still pitch - black. She looked at Hongshao in confusion, not understanding why she had woken her up so early.
But before she could say a word, she felt her eyes were wet. She reached out and touched them, only to find they were full of tears. Even the pillowcase was soaked.
"What's wrong with me?"
Although she was heart - broken in the dream, she didn't shed tears.
"Miss, you must have had a nightmare. I saw you crying all the time, so I thought something had happened. Come, Miss, let this servant change a clean pillowcase for you. Go back to sleep."
Ji Shihan shook her head, stood up, sat still for a while with her hand on her head, lifted the quilt, and was about to get up.
"Miss, you've only just dozed off. Aren't you going to sleep anymore?"
Ji Shihan had already stood up at this time. Hongshao had no choice but to help her put on her clothes and called a few maids in to serve her wash up.
At this moment, Xiaozhou suddenly rushed over in a hurry.
"Miss, something bad has happened, something bad."
"What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?"
"Fengtixuan is on fire."
"What?!"