42: Chapter 42 Cai Wenjing confessed her feelings!
Zhao Zilong and Cai Wenjing went to the Fuzheng Division, but there was nothing going on at the office.
Furthermore, because they had drunk quite a bit of flower wine the night before, Li Kai and some of the others were feeling dizzy and weak in the knees; it was clear they couldn't get much done today.
Zhao Zilong was quite broad-minded. Since everyone had been happy and indulged in their cups the night before, he decided to treat today as a day off for them, though he couldn't let them leave the Fuzheng Division at will.
He did not yet have that authority.
At noon, the two arrived at the Princesss Residence.
Princess Zhu Yunxi was in the pavilion, reading with Caiwei and Zhao Xiaotian.
Seeing such a scene, so warm and gentle, Zhao Zilong couldn't bear to disturb them, so he stopped and watched quietly.
"If only the Princess were my wife."
Princess Zhu Yunxi was gentle, virtuous, and had an excellent personality; she would absolutely make a good wife.
At this moment, watching the Princess teach Zhao Xiaotian to read, Zhao Zilong couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.
"Zhao Zilong, what did you say?"
Although Zhao Zilong's voice was very soft, Cai Wenjing was a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, and almost on the verge of breaking through to the Seventh Rank, so she still heard him.
She wasn't angry because Zhao Zilong had offended the Princess; rather, she was jealous.
She had to admit that although she hadn't known Zhao Zilong for long, he possessed a temperament unlike any other man in the Daye Kingdom.
Furthermore, his outstanding ability fascinated her, and she had begun to develop feelings for him.
Now that Zhao Zilong actually had ideas about the Princess, how could she be happy?
"Ah, nothing."
Zhao Zilong hurriedly explained.
"Zhao Zilong, I heard everything. Do you believe I'll go tell the Princess right now?"
Cai Wenjing threatened him directly. At this moment, her cold and aloof image was long gone, and she seemed more like an ordinary young woman.
"Cai Wenjing, aren't you being too much? Do you know how long I've been putting up with you?"
Zhao Zilong hadn't expected this woman, Cai Wenjing, to be so difficult. Why did she always have to target him? He couldn't take it anymore.
Besides, he now held clues about the murderer. He figured that even if he lost his temper, there wasn't much Cai Wenjing could do to him.
A fool would be one who didn't use the cards they held.
He, Zhao Zilong, would not suffer any more grievances.
Cai Wenjing was being unreasonable right now, and he certainly wouldn't indulge her any further.
Cai Wenjing stared blankly at Zhao Zilong. The other party actually dared to lose his temper with her? Had he gotten carried away?
Zhao Zilong stared fixedly at Cai Wenjing and snapped, "I may have said some things that offended you that night, but I have already apologized. There's no need for you to keep targeting me like this, is there?"
"You wouldn't let me go drinking with my brothers, and when I stayed at the Princesss Residence, you threw me into the woodshed."
"If that were all, and you just had some anger in your heart, I would have just swallowed it and moved on."
"But isn't this going too far? Do I have to let you control everything I say? Is everything I do here wrong? Am I not allowed any freedom?"
By the end, Zhao Zilong couldn't help but mutter, "Why did I have to go and fall for you? How unlucky."
Cai Wenjing heard this, and she heard it very clearly.
Just a moment ago, because Zhao Zilong had lost his temper and dared to use such rough language in front of her, Cai Wenjing had been furious and wanted nothing more than to slam him into the ground. But upon hearing that final mutter, all her anger vanished in an instant.
"So he thought I was targeting him?"
After her anger dissipated, Cai Wenjing also felt a bit wronged. She had absolutely no intention of targeting Zhao Zilong; at most, it was just her venting because he hadn't realized her feelings, but she hadn't expected Zhao Zilong to misunderstand it this way.
After his outburst, Zhao Zilong also felt a bit of regret.
Regardless, Cai Wenjing was the Deputy Director of the Fuzheng Division. Completely offending her was not a good thing for him.
Zhao Zilong softened his tone and said, "Deputy Director Cai, it's not that I want to lose my temper with you, but can we please stop this?"
Cai Wenjing lifted her gaze and stared intently at Zhao Zilong. "Zhao Zilong, since we've said what we needed to say, fine. I'll ask you, what exactly are you thinking?"
"Thinking about what?"
Zhao Zilong was taken aback.
Cai Wenjing said, "Do you or do you not like me?"
Zhao Zilong was stunned. Why was Cai Wenjing being so direct?
"Zhao Zilong, think carefully before you answer. I will only ask you this once."
Cai Wenjing continued to stare fixedly at Zhao Zilong; while she appeared calm on the surface, she was incredibly nervous inside.
Zhao Zilong's expression turned solemn. After a moment, he nodded gently.
A smile couldn't help but overflow from the corners of Cai Wenjing's mouth. She said, "Then why didn't you say so?"
Zhao Zilong said, "I wanted to, but I was afraid of making you angry."
Cai Wenjing huffed, "If you don't tell me, how would you know whether I'm angry or happy?"
Zhao Zilong was stunned, then looked at Cai Wenjing seriously. At this point, even a fool could tell whether Cai Wenjing was angry or happy.
"Cai Wenjing actually has feelings for me too."
Suddenly, Zhao Zilong wanted to slap himself.
No wonder Cai Wenjing was always targeting him.
He should have just told Cai Wenjing that he liked her that night.
Instead, he had told her that those words were just for self-preservation and weren't true.
To someone who doesn't like you, that might pass as an apology, but to someone who does like you, that is a form of hurt.
Damn!
It turned out to be a misunderstanding; this had blown way out of proportion.
Zhao Zilong couldn't help but recall something. Why had Cai Wenjing been so angry when he muttered just now that it would be good if the Princess were his wife? It wasn't because he had offended the Princess, but because Cai Wenjing was jealous.
"Cai, cough, that... Wenjing, I didn't think about all this. I apologize."
Zhao Zilong said, looking a bit foolish at this moment.
He truly hadn't thought that Cai Wenjing would also have feelings for him.
She was the daughter of Marquis Wulie and the Deputy Director of the Fuzheng Division. With his low status, what right did he, Zhao Zilong, have?
Perhaps in the future, he would hold enough power to rule the world and be qualified to marry a princess or an empress, but not right now.
"Then you better think carefully about how to apologize to me. Hmph!"
Cai Wenjing wrinkled her nose at Zhao Zilong, huffed, and then walked toward the pavilion.
However, seeing Cai Wenjing angry now, Zhao Zilong actually found it extremely cute.
At this moment, it felt as if something had bumped into his heart.
A smile overflowed from the corners of Zhao Zilong's mouth; he suddenly felt as if he had grown several years younger.
"Wenjing, what are you so happy about?"
Seeing Cai Wenjing walk over with a slight flush on her cheeks and a smile on her lips, Princess Zhu Yunxi was a bit surprised.
Caiwei also noticed and couldn't help but tease, "Miss Wenjing, have you met your beloved sweetheart?"
"No way, I'm just happy about something else."
How could Cai Wenjing admit it? It was embarrassing, wasn't it?
However, hearing Cai Wenjing refer to herself as 'I', Princess Zhu Yunxi and Caiwei, who were familiar with her, were both stunned.
Cai Wenjing had never used such a coy way of referring to herself, and with this girlish demeanor, it was undoubtedly because she had met a man she liked.
However, since Cai Wenjing wouldn't say, Princess Zhu Yunxi wasn't about to ask. In her heart, she had actually already guessed who Cai Wenjing's beloved was. Princess Zhu Yunxi glanced toward Zhao Zilong, who was not far away.
Her eyes dimmed inexplicably, and her mood became slightly downcast.
Caiwei, meanwhile, was still wondering who Cai Wenjing could like, and who was so outstanding that they could move Cai Wenjing's heart.
Zhao Zilong walked into the pavilion and paid his respects to Princess Zhu Yunxi.
Princess Zhu Yunxi said, "Mr. Zhao, have you heard that in three days, the Qingyang County Literary Society will be holding a poetry gathering?"