Volume 1 Chapter 29 Contradiction, a very big contradiction

  I tidied up my clothes and found that most of them were made of silk, satin or velvet, including shirts and long skirts. In the past few days, I haven't seen what trousers look like, but I know that Jin Niang helps me wear a kind of leggings under my skirt every time, which can barely be considered as trousers, but they have no waist or crotch and can only cover my calves, making it very awkward to walk. I've been speechless about this for a long time and have refused to wear them several times. Anyway, now that it's early summer, the skirts are so long that it doesn't matter if you add another pair of trousers underneath.

  Wearing this cumbersome skirt, even with the most complete rock climbing equipment, I'm afraid I won't be able to conquer the cliff on the back mountain. If I accidentally step on the hem of my skirt, I'll have to go report to the King of Hell ahead of schedule.

  I told Jin Niang that in my time and space, if you wear a skirt, you don't wear pants, and when wearing pants, it's even more impossible to wrap a long skirt outside. Jin Niang looked at me with a strange expression for a while, completely not understanding what I meant by "pants". I had an idea and asked her to go find some fabric, and I taught her how to make pants.

  This commotion also attracted Yufei, and the three of us were busy in the house with a piece of fabric, but most of the time it was them two moving the needle and thread, while I was just gesturing on the side.

  As I put it on, what was probably the first pair of women's pants in this time and space, Jin Niang and Ruo Wei both looked at me with a stunned expression. I proudly twirled around in front of them, only to hear Jin Niang frowning and saying: "Miss, can you really wear this? This is men's undergarments!"

  They all recognized this thing, I was puzzled and said: "Can't women wear it?"

  Jin Niang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't speak up. Ruo Wei, however, innocently said: "A woman's legs should be together, it's not decent to have them apart. These pants can only be worn at home."

  Jin Niang looked at Ruo Wei, not saying a word. I frowned in annoyance. Even this empty space had such strange moral constraints, making it hard for women to survive. I gritted my teeth and said, "In winter, if you don't wear pants, won't people freeze to death? Then I'll just wear them at home."

  Thinking of my upcoming fugitive career, these convenient and practical pants are absolutely indispensable. I pestered Jin Niang and Ruo Wei to make two more pairs for me, along with a pair of shorts with a tie-up front, which looked just like the judo uniform I used to wear to the gym. Only when I was finally satisfied did I nod my head and let them off.

  I've been planning for the past two days to get two more sets of men's clothing, and once Lu Qi finishes making my grappling hook and pulley, I'll wait for a stormy night with strong winds, and then sneak out quietly.

  That day, after lunch, I didn't go back to the Wu Institute. Instead, I changed into my judo uniform, tied up my curly hair with a silk ribbon, and had Jin Niang and Ruo Wei lay out a mat under the big banyan tree in the courtyard. I began practicing gymnastics. My body was too weak, and I didn't have the strength to tie a chicken. However, transforming it wouldn't happen overnight. I started training gradually.

  Jin Niang has been coming up with all sorts of absurd and bizarre things lately. I guess it's because she knows I'm a soul from another time and space, so even the most outrageous ideas don't faze her.

  But Ru Wei looked at me splitting legs on the blanket. Astonished and wide-mouthed: "Miss, what are you doing?"

  "Let's exercise! Let's go together, Ruiwei. The more people, the more motivation." I looked at her with a sly smile.

  I thought Yuwei would be shocked and surprised, but instead she and the other suddenly stood up with serious expressions. Yuwei timidly said to someone behind me: "Master..."

  I don't need to turn around to know what's going on. This person walks without making any sound at all?

  I slowly pulled my legs back. I stood up and turned around to look at him. He was covered in dust, but his eyebrows were still spirited. His tall and straight figure stood under the tree canopy at the end of the courtyard. He should have just entered the inner courtyard gate. The green shirt on his body had a bit of dust on it, probably just rushed back.

  He frowned and looked me up and down, with a growing sense of discontent in his eyes.

  I had expected him to react like this, so I smiled calmly and said, "You're back."

  He didn't answer me, but slowly walked over, his gaze falling on my scroll, his expression becoming inscrutable.

  "Ru Wei, go and summon the servants to prepare for Master's bath and change of clothes. Also, have the kitchen prepare food." I turned my head to instruct Ru Wei.

  Ru Wei hastily bid farewell and left, while Jin Niang also tactfully excused herself. I turned around, neither servile nor arrogant, to face him, preparing for his thunderous wrath.

  He unexpectedly remained silent, quietly watching me for a while before walking over to sit down on the stone bench under the tree. I stood still on one side, looking at him.

  After having a few conversations with him, I gradually figured out his temperament. He is not as cold-blooded as I imagined when I first entered this world; at least after feeling his deep affection for Gu Qingying, I think this man has a very deep sadness hidden in his heart, which separates him from the calm and majestic image of the castle owner. A person who can be so nostalgic about emotions cannot have an evil nature. There is one thing that he and I are similar to, that is we are both very stubborn people, but also both eat soft not hard. For Gu Qingying, he was extremely tolerant of me, but it was precisely because of my repeated provocation and uncompromising attitude that made him look at me with a different eye, even feeling a little guilty towards me. However, this different gaze does not necessarily mean that he will let me off the hook, but it is very beneficial to me. After figuring out this point, I clearly understood how to deal with him.

  I smiled faintly and walked to the stone table, sat down, picked up the tea that had been brewed earlier on the table, poured it into a cup, handed it to him, and then asked softly: "Was the journey smooth?"

  He paused, looked up at me with a puzzled and surprised expression in his eyes, which replaced his original dissatisfaction. After a while, he slowly calmed down, and his emotions hid deep within his eyes. He lowered his head after a long time and said softly, "It's okay."

  "I smiled faintly: 'Then go take a bath and change your clothes, get some rest. If you have any dissatisfaction with me, we can talk about it later, okay?'"

  He looked up at me again, his eyes widening in surprise, and hesitated, saying: "You......"

  I nodded and said slowly: "I know what you want to say, but this isn't urgent, is it? Just got back, don't quarrel with yourself yet."

  He didn't say anything more, pursed his lips, stood up and walked towards the house opposite the study.

  As I watched him walk away, a tinge of sadness suddenly emerged in my heart. A man who was rich beyond measure and could stir up storms with just one move, was actually so humble in the face of love.

  I let out a soft sigh and shook my head, subconsciously raising my hand to stroke my face. By now, the image of Gu Qingying in his eyes must have been completely distorted, and perhaps from now on, he would never be able to see Gu Qingying looking at him with her original appearance again.

  A young servant-like person I had never seen before came in, suddenly interrupting my thoughts. I was taken aback, but then I saw Ruo Wei following behind him. Several people had empty hands, and I couldn't help but ask: "Weren't you told to prepare water and food? Why did you come back like this?"

  Rouge looked at me strangely and said, "Miss, the food has been ordered to be prepared in the kitchen. That, that backyard has a bathroom, the castle owner always goes there to take a bath."

  "Uh", I was embarrassed, all along I thought bathing meant having several maids bring a wooden tub and water into the room, stubbornly thinking that's how ancient people bathed, never expecting there to be a bathroom.

  I smiled awkwardly, "It's my fault, never mind, Yvette you go ahead."

  She rushed back to her room, closing the door behind her before she could calm down. Fang Ning Xi, what are you doing? Are you sympathizing with him, pitying him? Just because he yielded to you and tolerated you? Is it not him who captured your soul, changed the trajectory of your life, and trapped you in this predicament where you can neither advance nor retreat? Have you forgotten all about it? I shook my head desperately. No, I won't accept this emotion. Although I don't resent him, that's because I don't want to let this established fact become a burden on me. But I will never easily forgive and tolerate him, no!

  I recited the sutra to myself a few times, and I felt less depressed. After washing my face and changing into proper clothes, I transformed back into the dignified image of the castle's mistress. My preparations were not yet complete, so it was best not to go against his will too much.

  Before I could even tidy up, the door was pushed open. I turned around in surprise to see Ling Yi walking in, her freshly washed hair tied back with a ribbon, wearing a thin black silk shirt that fluttered gently in the breeze caused by the closing of the door.

  I furrowed my brow, when did he become so casual, not even knocking on the door before coming in? But I didn't say it out loud, instead I silently turned back, could it be that he wants to investigate my actions over the past few days already?

  He sat down behind me and also didn't speak for half a moment, the atmosphere was strange, making me feel uneasy all over, so I turned around and said: "Is there something on your mind, Lord?"

  He was staring at something in a daze, and when I asked him this, he suddenly looked up at me: "You've been going to the Guiwu Temple these past few days?"

  Who's so quick with their mouth? I was stunned for a moment, could it be Jin Niang?

  He seemed to see through my thoughts and said lightly: "It was Pingyang True Man who told me."

  "Huh?" The old Taoist priest isn't always at the altar, how did he know my whereabouts so clearly? And why did he tell Ling Yi so quickly? Turning his head to think again, it's not surprising. After Ling Yi went out for a few days, the first thing he did when he came back was to check on Gu Qingying's soul-gathering situation. That old Taoist is indeed loyal to him. But it wasn't Jin Niang who told him, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

  "Yes, what's wrong with that?" I said calmly.

  He frowned and stared at me: "You like staying with them so much?"

  "We get along, so we're friends." I shrugged indifferently.

  "Getting along?" Ling Yi smiled slightly, leaving me bewildered.

  "Are you afraid I'll reveal your identity?" I asked him tentatively.

  "You think people are so simple." He looked at me with a hint of helplessness in the corner of his mouth.

  "Aren't they all from Fushou Fortress? Is there a problem?" I looked at him in puzzlement, this person was hinting at something, but among the people I knew in Guiwu Courtyard, I didn't think there was any issue. Could it be that Du Naha? My first reaction was to think of him, this person was mysterious and had a deep mind, if there was a problem, it must be him.

  "Don't go there again." Ling Yi said calmly.

  "Why?" I glared at him, "What's the matter, tell me." What I hated most was this kind of ambiguous situation, without a reasonable reason, I would never casually listen to others.

  Ling Yi's mouth curved slightly, just about to speak, when someone outside the window called out softly: "Reporting to the castle master, everyone has arrived."

  Ling Yi heard this and put away his words, stood up and said: "Alright, I'll be right there?"

  I let out a dejected sigh and rolled my eyes, why is it that every time I'm having a conversation, someone always interrupts me at the crucial moment? Whether it's Jin Niang or Ling Yi, they're all like this, it's infuriating!

  His eyes caught my expression, and he was taken aback for a moment before breaking into a gentle smile: "Follow me, you'll know why soon enough, but don't make a sound."