62.3

The eyes shifted from the report to Ji Yunhe again. Ji Yunhe was very well-behaved and orderly today. She took a bite of rice and a bite of vegetables, then slowly chewed them with no rush. Something felt strange to him, but he could not tell what.

After Ji Yunhe finished her food, Changyi put away his report and got up. Usually, she would urge him to leave right now because she saw his presence as surveillance on her, and Changyi knew that very well. But today, Ji Yunhe called out to him.

"Changyi." She stopped him in his tracks.

He turned around and saw her smiling with a slight blush. He suddenly felt like he was looking at the girl back in the Ten Square Formation, next to the sinking pool. There, she held his hand with a smile when she jumped, looking so brave, beautiful, and full of temptation. And now, he was seeing the same smile with the same mystery behind it.

"Changyi, you are the best, and most beautiful person I have ever known..." His fingers tightened around the paper report.

She continued, "Also the most gentle and kindest person. Six years ago, if it hadn't been due to the circumstances, I probably would have liked you very, very much." She pretended to be relaxed.

"And perhaps, I would have wanted to be that one and only companion of a jiaoren."

They stared into each other's eyes without any passion or aggression. Their silence was like a current deep under the sea, carrying their emotions away into an endless abyss.

The candlelight flickered, and Changyi thought he saw a glimmer of a tear inside her eye. Then a blink restored the blackness of her pupils.

He calmly looked at her and said, "Considering the way things went, what's the point in saying this now?"

"I just wanted you to know."

"Okay, now I know." Without further ado, Changyi turned and left.

The room fell into silence again. Ji Yunhe sat in her chair and quietly waited for the maids to bring the red charcoal.

After a long time, the maids finally came. They put down the charcoal, cleaned up some more, then asked her, "Miss, is this enough charcoal?"

The red charcoal looked as attractive as the blushing cheeks of a sweet young lady. Even though it was winter, Ji Yunhe felt as if spring had just come and brought with it a sea of flowers in bloom. Good enough, she had said what she wanted to say.

"This is good, this is enough..."