Chapter 94
When Gu Zhi returned to the courtyard, he subconsciously stopped as he passed by Sang Li's room.
The candlelight inside was flickering, and Sang Li was clearly not asleep yet.
He curved his lips slightly and went over to knock on the door.
The door opened quickly.
"Sister..." Gu Zhi's slightly low voice came through.
Seeing Gu Zhi, Sang Li was happy, but she did not show it on her face. "What's the matter? Is there something?"
Gu Zhi unabashedly took her hand directly. "Let's go out and walk around the streets, okay? The streets are very lively tonight."
Sang Li looked at his hand. Her rationality told her, take your hand back!
But she also felt it was quite nice being held by him like this.
She hesitated for a moment before finally not pulling her hand back.
Anyway, Gu Zhi had cast a love spell on her, so these behaviors of hers were the love spell at work!
Yes, that's right!
Seeing her stare at his hand, Gu Zhi lowered his eyes slightly, not letting go, but holding her hand even tighter instead.
"Sister... I feel... you shouldn't dislike me holding your hand. After all... I did cast a love spell on you..."
Sang Li looked up at his eyes but did not refute Gu Zhi's words. "Didn't you say to go for a stroll on the streets? Let's go..."
Gu Zhi imperceptibly curved the corners of his mouth and pulled Sang Li out of the Gu residence.
The streets were extremely lively, decorated everywhere with all kinds of lanterns and ribbons.
Holding Sang Li's hand, Gu Zhi came to a lotus pond. In the middle of summer, the green lotus pond was filled with blooming pink and white lotus flowers, a feast for the eyes.
By the pond, many young ladies and gentlemen were together releasing wish lanterns.
"During the Flower Mountain Festival in Li City, there is a custom where sweethearts exchange tokens, then release wish lanterns together, implying that they will never be separated."
Gu Zhi looked at Sang Li, his eyes brimming with love. "Sister, let's go buy a wish lantern..."
Sang Li paused, then turned to look at Gu Zhi. "Isn't tomorrow your 20th birthday?"
"Yes, 20 years old, meaning I can get married and have children now." Gu Zhi said.
"Do you know... how much older I am than you?" Sang Li let go of his hand and looked towards the distant lotus pond.
"I don't care."
"I'm already 25. As far as I know, girls here are supposed to marry around 14 or 15, right?" Sang Li smiled. "Someone my age is commonly called an 'old maid'!"
Gu Zhi stepped forward. "So what if you're 25? Even if you were 30, I would still like you!"
"Pfft..." Sang Li laughed at his words.
She turned to face him, the defenses in her heart seemingly shattered by him. She suddenly reached out and pinched his fair-skinned face.
Gu Zhi's heart skipped a beat, seeing the restraint in her eyes.
Sang Li smiled gently at him. "Gu Zhi, actually... I quite like you too."
Gu Zhi covered her hand with his own. "I knew you liked me, sister. Wait until I deal with the Miao ethnicity's matters, then I will follow you, to the ends of the earth if needed."
Sang Li looked at him but didn't say anything for quite a while.
This trip to Miao Territory had made her heart not as firm as before.
But... what about Gu Zhi after she left this world in the future?
"Sister, don't reject me anymore!" Gu Zhi suddenly pulled her into his embrace and said solemnly, "You've been enchanted by the love spell I cast on you. You can only be with me this lifetime! If you marry another man, you will die!"
"Is this what you call liking someone?" Sang Li didn't seem angry at all. Whether Gu Zhi had cast a spell on her or not, her feelings for him were now a fact.
"I don't care. I just want you to be with me!" Gu Zhi murmured, "Sister... you can only be mine..."
He greedily breathed in Sang Li's scent, drawing near her and uncontrollably covering her lips with his.
His slender fingers held her chin as he lingered on her lips.
Sang Li didn't expect Gu Zhi to be so bold when doing such intimate things.
Back when he didn't have his memories, just touching her made him nervous.
Moonlight spilled down. The people around had mostly left already.
For some reason, whenever Gu Zhi kissed her, she would become indulged in it, with no thoughts of pushing him away at all.
Could it be the effect of the love spell?
So that's why she enjoyed the intimate contact with Gu Zhi?
After quite a while, Gu Zhi finally released her. Naturally he was elated that Sang Li didn't push him away.
Even his brows and eyes were tinged with joy.
"Sister... you like kissing me too, don't you?"
Sang Li was a bit embarrassed. She calmly said, "Didn't you... cast a love spell on me? This should be a normal reaction, right?"
Gu Zhi chuckled lightly and kissed her on the lips again. "Right, what you said makes sense. This is the normal reaction of the love spell... Sister, you'll always be this cooperative with me from now on."
"..."
Sang Li felt something was off about Gu Zhi's words, but she couldn't detect exactly what was wrong.
She felt her mind was a little unclear.
Women really do get dumber when they fall in love!
Although Gu Zhi had disrupted her heart, she didn't forget the purpose of staying at the Gu residence.
Sang Li broke away from his embrace and said, "Gu Zhi, there's something I want to ask you about."
Gu Zhi was rather interested, wondering what Sang Li would ask him.
"What is it?"
Sang Li looked at him. "Regarding the treasure map, I heard there's one among the Miao ethnicity. Do you know about it?"
Gu Zhi was stunned. "Sister, why are you asking about the treasure map?"
"Well... Shadowless actually wants to find it, so I'm helping ask." Sang Li said.
"Then you don't need to worry. I already promised to give the map to him." Gu Zhi said.
Sang Li was surprised. "You gave it to him?"
"Not yet, but I met with him today and asked a favor of him. He wanted the treasure map in exchange. I agreed."
"You... agreed so readily?" Sang Li probed.
"It's just a legend. I never cared about it. To me that map is useless."
"..."
The so-called useless map that Gu Zhi spoke of concerned the life and death of her and the other three.
"Sister, I'd also like to ask a favor of you." Gu Zhi suddenly said.
"What is it?"
"Tomorrow was supposed to be my engagement day, but Cai Na is locked up now. There should at least be a saint girl to have the engagement ritual with me, right?"
Sang Li was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Gu Zhi smiled. "I mean... sister, please pretend to be the saint girl and go through the engagement ritual with me. No need to show your face, it's just to trick Cai Na's father.
Sang Li paused. There would surely be a change happening in the Miao ethnicity tomorrow, but she would definitely stand on Gu Zhi's side. Since Gu Zhi needed her help, she had no reason not to.
"Then... what do I need to do?" Sang Li asked.
Gu Zhi grabbed her hand, gazing at her with burning eyes. "Sister, you don't need to do anything. Just dress up nicely and wait... to become my future wife!"
"..."
Why did that sound a bit off?