The Double-Chapter 621 - 183: True Name

The entrance of the Duke Residence was also soaked, with lanterns drenched by the rain. Zhao Ke brought the carriage to a halt, and Tonger opened an oiled paper umbrella, assisting Jiang Li to alight from the carriage as they made their way into the Duke Residence together.

Amid the resplendently colorful Duke Residence, the flowers in the garden, nurtured by the incessant drizzle, bloomed even more luxuriantly and tantalizingly. It seemed that the frost of winter was also washed away hastily, revealing their vivid beauty. Walking among them felt like being in another world.

In the birdcage at the entrance, Xiao Hong perched on a branch, eyes half-closed, head nestled within its feathers, sound asleep. For this reason, it did not start shrieking noisily at the sight of Jiang Li.

Wen Ji stood outside Jih Heng’s study. Upon seeing Zhao Ke accompanying Jiang Li, he said to her, "The master is in the study."

Jiang Li nodded, Bai Xue and Tonger stayed outside, and Jiang Li pushed the door open to enter.

The windows of the study were closed against the rain, and a lamp was lit within. The rain pattered outside, while inside, the lamp flickered softly. Jiang Li shut the door behind her, and the last wisp of cool air vanished entirely from the room.

Jih Heng sat at the desk, his posture relaxed. His red robe spilled onto the floor, revealing an intricately embroidered corner that under the light of the lamp resembled flowing jewels. His eyes, however, were more captivating than any gem, slightly narrowed with a languid sentiment.

After Jiang Li entered the room, his gaze flitted over to her, and he paused momentarily.

Today, Jiang Li was dressed very differently compared to her usual attire. Normally, she was the picture of a pure and ethereal girl, but now, she donned a vibrant and seductive allure, unfamiliar in dress and makeup, she seemed like a stranger.

She was no longer reminiscent of the freshly bloomed white pear blossoms of March with their subtle sweetness, but instead, she evoked the concealed peach blossoms of April’s deep mountains, resplendent with enchanting charm.

Yet the clarity and persistence in her eyes seemed unchanged from beginning to end.

He stood up and, raising an eyebrow, said, "You are dressed very differently today."

Jiang Li smiled, "Am I?"

She had dressed with intention. Going to meet Princess Yongning to settle past debts, she could not do so as Miss Jiang the Second; she had to become Xue Fangfei. The mistakes made back then were committed by Xue Fangfei, and hence it was only right that Xue Fangfei concluded them. She conversed with her soul as Xue Fangfei, and whatever shock, fear, and nightmarish entanglements Princess Yongning suffered after her departure would have nothing to do with Jiang Li.

"The Duke had Zhao Ke send for me. Is there something the matter?" Jiang Li inquired.

Jih Heng had summoned her so late, perhaps to honor their arrangement, but Jiang Li faintly felt that Jih Heng was not a man in a rush. At the least, he would wait until after the execution of Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong before bringing up this matter.

Jih Heng approached her, a tall figure whose shadow fell upon Jiang Li. Looking at their silhouettes cast from the window, they seemed intimately close.

He asked, "You have just come from the Ministry of Punishments’ Heavenly Dungeon; did you see Princess Yongning?"

Jiang Li replied, "Yes." Since Zhao Ke was waiting outside for him, he must have already been aware of the situation, likely having come specifically to wait for her. Therefore, Jiang Li was unsurprised that Jih Heng knew.

Jih Heng nodded. His hands were distinctively boned, slender and fair, fiddling with a folding fan. He lowered his gaze towards Jiang Li, his eyes liquid and captivating, his lips curved in a seductive, light smile, yet his voice was utterly clear.

He asked, "Why did she call you ’Xue Fangfei’?"

Jiang Li jolted, her head snapping up. He had heard it!

Were Jih Heng’s people hidden in the Heavenly Dungeon, listening to her conversation with Princess Yongning?

The young girl’s eyes widened slightly; her eyes were so clear that the flickers of panic and confusion within could not hide. The young man, as beautiful as a Spirit Demon out of a play, had an allure of elegance in his every move. He used the fan to gently prop up her chin, forcing her to lift her head and look directly into those amber eyes that seemed to penetrate the soul.

He watched Jiang Li, smiling softly, and with a low sigh that was intoxicating yet unnerving, he said.

"You’re truly not Jiang Li."

You’re truly not Jiang Li.

As the echo of his words dissolved into the air, he pressed closer. Jiang Li stepped back until she bumped into the desk behind her, with nowhere else to go. She involuntarily leaned back but was caught by Jih Heng’s hand, which reached out to support her waist and prevented her from falling.

He had found out after all. Even if he had been indulgent, helpful, and even shown a friend-like care and consideration towards her recently, his suspicion of her never ceased in his heart. Others might think he was caught up in the role, and perhaps there were moments when he indeed was, but he could also detach himself at any moment, being calm, sharp, and shrewd.

Perhaps from the very start, he had never truly believed or trusted anyone.

Just as his stance was ambiguously intimate at that moment, his lips bearing a gentle smile, his eyes, however, were chillingly indifferent.

Jiang Li closed her eyes, and she heard her own calm, gentle voice fill the room, "The Duke once made an agreement with me. Now that the matter is settled, it’s time you fulfill the agreement. This life is ready to be returned to the Duke."

She did not answer Jih Heng’s question, but instead insisted on having him fulfill his promise. At this moment, it sounded like a provocation, the blatantly undisguised kind.

Jih Heng’s eyes darkened. His smile at the corner of his mouth became even more enchanting, as the handle of the fan gently moved from Jiang Li’s chin to rest upon her throat.

She was delicate and weak in appearance, even her throat was slender, like a white crane that had its neck grasped, exuding a tragically fragile beauty in an instant. Yet, she was fearless. Her expression was calm, without a trace of panic, as if she was resolutely heading towards death.

Jih Heng was not one to ask "why". He had figured out the answers to many things right from the start, and did not like events that unfolded beyond his control. If in the end the matter remained unclear, he would not dwell on it but would discard it instead.

So if the solution to a problem could not be found, the problem itself would be eliminated.

Thus, the hand holding the fan handle slowly tightened its grip. That white, slender hand which seemed to belong to someone who should be holding chess pieces or a teacup, graceful and genteel, was slowly clenching.

Jiang Li felt the icy touch on her neck and seemed to smell the scent of death. The scent of death was much like that of Jih Heng, carrying a cool and fresh fragrance, slightly astringent.

Jih Heng’s gaze fell upon the fan pendant dangling below the handle.

The fan pendant was vivid red, like blood, with a butterfly poised as if to take flight. The red butterfly against her fair skin struck a strangely harmonious note. Watching it, Jih Heng’s eyes showed a slight movement.

Suddenly, Jiang Li felt the cold fan handle still pressed to her throat, but then she heard a deep, husky voice near her ear, "I do not want your life anymore."

A tickling sensation came from her ear, breathing so close she could hear it. Amid her surprise, Jiang Li quickly opened her eyes to see his face slightly turned to the side.

The profile of this man was flawless. Every time she looked at him, his beauty seemed to take her breath away. After he spoke, he did not increase the distance between them but instead continued to watch her with a smile, tilting his head from his superior position. With just a slight movement, perhaps a mere millimeter, Jiang Li’s lips could brush against his face, or maybe even his lips.

She was terrified and dared not to move. Yet, her appearance was like a deer startled by a hunter in the depths of the mountains, standing stock-still in shock, bewildered and tense, her earlier shrewdness nowhere in sight.

"As an exchange," he said, "tell me the truth, no lies. How about it?"

He stared intently at Jiang Li, and she almost couldn’t withstand it. Beneath such a gaze, even the most hard-hearted person could hardly resist being moved. She knew well that he exuded danger from head to toe, yet she was still enchanted by his momentary tenderness, like a moth to a flame, recklessly plunging into ashes.

"I..."

"I’ll take it as your agreement." He smiled and retracted the fan handle, then casually brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen in front of Jiang Li’s face.

Jiang Li felt extremely uncomfortable, her cheeks burning. She focused on the gold button on Jih Heng’s robe, the edge of which was carved with intricate patterns, ornate and cool to the touch.

"I can tell the Duke everything he wants to know, but I fear the Duke will not believe me and might think I am lying," Jiang Li raised her eyes to look at him.

He looked back with an earnestness that was almost naive, his gaze tender as if he would unquestionably believe everything she said, slowly responding, "No, I won’t. I will believe everything you say."

Jiang Li was slightly taken aback.

His gaze was so serious, the closeness so intimate, she could see his long eyelashes and the small red mole by his eye. She even felt an impulsive desire to touch them. But she quickly suppressed the urge. She did not know if her heart fluttered because Jih Heng was too beautiful or too gentle in that moment, but she realized that once she left the room, the little deer in her heart would stop its frantic beating, returning to its sensible and calm self.

"If you believe, then I will tell you." She tried hard to make her tone sound no different from usual.

Jih Heng watched her for a while, then slowly relaxed his grip, allowing Jiang Li to breathe a sigh of relief and straighten up. He gestured with his fan towards the desk with a pot of tea and two tea cups on it, saying, "Sit."

He was back to that seemingly nonchalant composure he had before.

He was always quick to disengage.

Jiang Li steadied herself, walked over to the desk, and sat down. Perhaps due to some nervousness, she poured herself a cup of tea before Jih Heng could. She took a sip from the cup.

In the rainy night, the hot tea quickly soothed her nerves, which had been rattled since she entered the room, and she became calm once again.

Jih Heng watched her with a smile and took a seat opposite her. Jiang Li’s eyes almost blurred from the golden threads on his bright red robe.

He asked, "What is your name?"

Jiang Li: "Xue Fangfei."