Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: That’s Two Different Things

Rong Zhi smiled leisurely but did not show the anxious and embarrassed expression Chu Yu had hoped for; he simply asked with great ease, “What else does the Princess desire?”

Chu Yu sighed helplessly, “Can’t you be a bit dumber and not guess my thoughts?” She wasn’t being stingy; it was just that since Rong Zhi now had a request, she wanted to take this opportunity to gain more control over other things.

It’s called seizing the opportunity to loot a burning house, no waiting once the time passes.

And the difficulty she had just deliberately presented was merely a small act of willfulness, desiring to see a different expression on Rong Zhi’s ever calm and collected face.

Rong Zhi continued to smile leisurely, “It’s my fault for disappointing the Princess.” Despite his words, his demeanor was very comfortable, showing no sign of guilt.

Chu Yu pouted unhappily and held up three fingers, “Three things.” She looked down at Rong Zhi, “You do three things for me, and I’ll give you what you want. How about that?”

Rong Zhi smiled slightly, “Do I have the option to refuse?” Beneath the shade of the greenery, his pale face was strikingly white, almost the same color as the snow-white clothes on his body, while his eyebrows and eyes were as black as ink, seemingly bottomless.

He slowly stood up.

The two were originally very close; it was only evident when one was standing and the other sitting, a distance becoming apparent with their postures. But with Rong Zhi standing up, he nearly collided with Chu Yu—faces so close, their breaths almost intertwined.

Chu Yu’s eyes widened slightly as she watched his feather fan-like eyes flutter, his soft hair nearly brushing past her nose.

Chu Yu instinctively took a step back.

Rong Zhi, tall and upright, composed himself and asked solemnly, “Does the Princess have any instructions?”

Though Chu Yu had taken a step back, they were still very close, and she had to look up to face Rong Zhi properly. She took two more steps back, and without a change in expression, repeated what Huan Yuan had said, “With your intelligence, you should know what I want you to do.”

Rong Zhi thought for a moment and then responded with some helplessness, “Isn’t the Princess making things difficult for me? I’ve been staying indoors recently, how would I know who the thief is?”

However, Chu Yu gave no quarter, smiling calmly and looking steadily at Rong Zhi, “You know. Don’t beat about the bush.” Despite the lack of evidence, Chu Yu had a crystal-clear feeling that Rong Zhi knew everything.

What he held wasn’t just material power.

Although it was absurd to have such strong confidence in a person she didn’t know well, Chu Yu had never had such definite and strong feelings before—it felt absolutely natural.

Rong Zhi pursed his pale lips then smiled again, “If the Princess really believes so, then I shall endeavor to try.” He bowed slightly, “The thief would unlikely act immediately and needs time to wait. Please grant me some guards, Princess; within three days, I will give you an answer.”

Seeing that he was willing to cooperate, Chu Yu was naturally very satisfied. She nodded her approval of his requests, but unexpectedly, Rong Zhi’s voice came through, “Then Princess, what are the second and third matters? Please tell me all at once so I can handle them together.”

Chu Yu sneered and replied, “You take care of this matter first, then we’ll talk about the second. If you can’t handle this one, I’ll chop up the Seven-leaf Snow Ganoderma and feed it to the fish.”

After dropping this line, which essentially blackmailed Rong Zhi with the promised ganoderma, Chu Yu turned away, her heart racing. What second or third matters? She hadn’t even thought of those yet, and even the first was a last-minute addition—though she had brought Huan Yuan with the intention of getting Rong Zhi to work on it, the ease of her success was unexpected.

Chu Yu beckoned to Huan Yuan to follow her as she left, quickening her pace, when she heard Rong Zhi’s voice leisurely call from behind, “In that case, I will not see the Princess out. But Princess, the punishment you devised for the little girl seems a bit too light.”

It was just a matter of starving for three days; at most, it would only scare You Lan.

Chu Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and her steps halted, but she didn’t turn around, only asking aloud, “Then what do you suggest?”

His voice was as gentle as snow, but his words shone with the cold and decisive glint of execution, “Beating to death. Drag her to the most visible and crowded place and administer corporal punishment. Don’t kill her with a single blow, continue for three full days, so everyone can see.” This way, the power to deter would manifest, instilling fear in everyone, leaving them chilled to the bone, as if a sword dangled over their heads.

Chu Yu coldly said, “Don’t you think such a way of ruling is too harsh and severe?”

Rong Zhi gave a faint smile and settled back on the soft couch, carefully lying down so as to not aggravate his injuries, “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. If we do not resort to extreme actions, it is difficult to achieve swift success within such a short time.”

Chu Yu stood still, her back straight, not moving or leaning in the slightest.

Huan Yuan, standing by Chu Yu’s side, overheard Rong Zhi’s words and couldn’t help but glance at Chu Yu, noticing her elegant face shadowed by a layer of gloomy clouds, her clear eyes turbulent with a storm.

“You’re not wrong,” Chu Yu said after a while, smiling faintly—the tiniest grimace reflecting from deep within the clouds, clearing the glumness from her face, partly resigned but also somewhat proud, “Indeed, that would be the best method.”

Yet, the last sentence lay unsaid in her heart: But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Chu Yu knew that the actions she now wanted to undertake would require a great amount of effort and likely encounter significant resistance. If she wanted to achieve her goals more swiftly, discarding compassion and acting decisively would be the best choice.

Rong Zhi probably also had a vague sense of what she wanted to do, hence his reminder, and Chu Yu understood that what he said was correct—

But she couldn’t do it.

If she could, she wouldn’t be Chu Yu anymore.@@novelbin@@

Thus, she preferred to abandon the easiest path, take a more winding and indirect route instead, cautiously approaching the goal that she wasn’t sure when she could touch, even as the sounds of history edging closer buzzed in her ears.

Chu Yu lifted her chin, the smile on her lips stubborn. When she turned back around, her eyes shone brilliantly, “What you just said isn’t quite right; You Lan is being punished because of you.” By saying so, he was undercutting his own position.

Rong Zhi laughed nonchalantly, “That’s a different matter; the two are separate issues.”

Chu Yu also laughed, “You’re right; they are two separate matters.”