Chapter 412: Forgetting Him
“Yes!”
As soon as Chi Jincheng’s subordinate left, Ye Jiamei, who had been preparing to send her daughter off, nudged Yu Luo’s arm with an amused and knowing look in her eyes.
“Xiao Luo, Chi Jincheng personally invited you to go with him… just the two of you, a man and a woman alone…”
Hearing her mother’s deliberately suggestive tone, along with the teasing glint in her eyes, Yu Luo was utterly speechless.
“Mother, you should focus on taking care of your pregnancy instead of entertaining these thoughts. At most, Chi Jincheng and I are just friends. You haven’t even given birth to your second child yet—why are you in such a hurry?”
Her words were a clear reminder for her mother not to be too eager about marrying her off.
Without waiting for any further teasing, Yu Luo quickly made her escape, worried that if she stayed any longer, her mother would keep pushing the topic.
When she arrived at Chi Jincheng’s courtyard, his carriage was already waiting. Yu Luo had brought only Chen Yu with her and had also prepared two horses.
“Xiao Luo plans to ride there? Why not take the carriage? It’s still snowing.”
Yu Luo had actually wanted to use her lightness skill, considering the snow outside was already a foot deep. A carriage would be even more cumbersome than a horse.
“There’s no need. Chi Gongzi can take the carriage.”
Chi Jincheng was already seated inside, so there was no way Yu Luo would join him. If she were to ride in a carriage, it would be one from the City Lord’s residence. While she wasn’t overly concerned about social conventions, as someone now living in an ancient setting, she knew when it was appropriate to observe propriety.
“In that case, I shall ride as well.”
Yu Luo
“Chi Gongzi, that’s unnecessary.”
Yu Luo genuinely felt that Chi Jincheng, someone accustomed to a life of comfort, didn’t need to endure hardship just to accommodate her. Whether it was out of courtesy or some other reason, she didn’t see the need for him to force himself to match her pace. However, Chi Jincheng had already ordered his horse to be brought over.
“How could I bear to sit comfortably inside while letting a lady ride through the wind and snow alone?”
Hearing this, Yu Luo forced out a smile.
“Chi Gongzi, there’s no need for that. I am a wanderer of the martial world—I don’t mind such things.”
Chi Jincheng brought two attendants along, and together, they rode out of the city. Today, a great number of people were leaving as well. Despite their dissatisfaction with Fengcheng’s restrictions, the excitement of witnessing a battle between top martial artists was too strong to resist, so they flocked toward Fengcheng.
Upon arrival at Fengcheng, as Yu Luo had expected, long lines had formed at the gates, waiting to enter.
One of Chi Jincheng’s attendants stepped forward, presenting a VIP token. Immediately, the guards opened a special passage for them.
Yu Luo also had a VIP token from Fengcheng, and since she wore only a simple veil, she preferred to avoid drawing attention to herself. She followed Chi Jincheng’s group and smoothly entered the city.
Snowflakes drifted down heavily, covering the already dilapidated Fengcheng in a thick white layer. Not only were the rooftops blanketed, but even the streets had accumulated deep piles of snow, which, when trodden upon, turned into slick ice, making walking treacherous.
“Fengcheng has always been indifferent to small matters. No matter how heavy the snowfall, they never bother to clear the streets. In this regard, Fengcheng is far inferior to Luocheng, which is one of the reasons I chose to settle there.”
“Then I must thank Chi Gongzi for his preference.”
Between her and Chi Jincheng, there wasn’t much to talk about, yet he kept finding ways to make conversation. Yu Luo, of course, could only respond out of politeness.
Under the guidance of Fengcheng’s attendants, they arrived at the competition grounds.
Naturally, entry required a fee, and just as Yu Luo was about to instruct Chen Yu to handle the payment, Fengcheng’s Third-in-Command personally came out to greet them. He clasped his hands in a polite salute toward Chi Jincheng, though his gaze lingered on Yu Luo for a moment longer than necessary.
“Chi Gongzi, it is an honor to have you here. And this must be… Miss Yu?”
Hearing his tone, Yu Luo could hardly keep from laughing.
She was quite certain that both the Third-in-Command and the Second-in-Command—perhaps even all of Fengcheng—resented her. They resented Luocheng.
Even if they had previously dismissed Luocheng as beneath their notice, they would undoubtedly hold a grudge now. After all, Luocheng had turned the tables on them.
Yu Luo returned the salute, bowing slightly.
“I received Fengcheng’s invitation—how could I not personally come to offer my congratulations? I had originally planned to arrive earlier for the opening matches, but matters in Luocheng kept me busy. I hope Third-in-Command will not take offense.”
“Haha! Miss Yu’s arrival is already a great honor. How could I possibly blame you? Besides, with Chi Gongzi personally accompanying you, I am even more flattered and delighted.”
They exchanged formalities, both fully aware of their mutual disdain, yet maintaining a veneer of politeness.
The Third-in-Command then led them to the VIP seating area.
The VIP section was nothing more than a row of ten grand armchairs placed at the very front of the spectator stands.
Just as Yu Luo was about to take her seat, a familiar figure approached with a beaming smile.
“Xiao Luo! I spotted that silhouette from afar and had a feeling it was you! I didn’t expect to actually find you here.”
Seeing Ye Lü, whom she hadn’t encountered in a long time, Yu Luo was momentarily caught off guard.
“What a coincidence. I didn’t expect you to be here either… but knowing how much you love excitement, I suppose it makes sense.”
In truth, Yu Luo had completely forgotten about him.
“I only returned recently. I arrived in Fengcheng just today, planning to watch the finals before heading to Luocheng. I didn’t expect to find you traveling with Chi Gongzi.”
As he spoke, Ye Lü glanced at Chi Jincheng with a smile, though Yu Luo sensed an undercurrent of tension between them—like two men pretending to be cordial while secretly eyeing each other like rivals.
“Ah, enough talk for now. Let’s sit down—the match is about to begin.”
Yu Luo merely nodded politely at Ye Lü without further comment. She worried the situation might grow awkward, so she quickly tried to steer the conversation.
However, as Ye Lü watched Yu Luo settle into a VIP seat, his expression froze.
“Xiao Luo, do they know who you are? How do you have a seat here?!”
Seeing Ye Lü’s surprised reaction, Yu Luo finally realized something—wasn’t he supposed to have a VIP seat himself?
“Aren’t you sitting here too?”
Looking at the remaining empty chairs, Yu Luo was genuinely puzzled.
Was Ye Lü’s status not high enough to warrant a VIP seat in Fengcheng?
Given how they had met, she had always assumed his standing was considerable.
Was Fengcheng truly so indifferent to even a prince of Dongfeng? Or was it that Fengcheng, as a force within this continent, simply didn’t regard the royal families of various nations as significant at all?
“Miss Yu is an honored guest and came with me—why wouldn’t she have a seat here?”
Chi Jincheng, who had remained largely quiet, suddenly spoke in a soft yet unmistakably pointed tone.
Ye Lü’s smile stiffened further, and his suspicion toward Chi Jincheng only deepened.
(End of Chapter 412)
