Chapter 45: The Trickster

After the results were announced, Cao Xi and Qin Zhao felt a weight lift off their shoulders. They spent the next few days relaxing and exploring the provincial capital.

They wandered through the bustling main streets and quiet alleys, sampling local delicacies and purchasing specialty goods. It was the perfect embodiment of the philosophy that travel equals spending.

If anything left a particular impression, it was the clay figurine stall run by an elderly artisan. His craftsmanship was extraordinary, capturing even the most subtle expressions with stunning precision.

Faced with such mastery, Cao Xi was utterly captivated, staring at the artisan’s hands like a devoted fan, practically ready to kneel and beg to be his apprentice.

Cao Xi had the artisan sculpt two figurines modeled after herself and Qin Zhao. The tiny figures were lifelike and full of charm.

Cao Xi declared, “One for your room and one for mine.”

Initially intending to give one to each of them, she found the figurines so exquisite that she couldn’t bear to part with them.

Qin Zhao smiled indulgently. “Alright.”

Back at the residence, Cao Xi carefully placed the clay figure by her bedside, occasionally stealing glances and giggling to herself.

Cao Xi’s admiration for the artisan’s skills led to another visit. This time, she commissioned him to create clay figurines of their childhood friends from the village temple.

Cao Xi described the features while the artisan sculpted, and the results were astonishingly accurate, down to the smallest details.

Initially, Qin Zhao thought she was planning to gift the figurines to their friends. But it turned out they were all for Li Feng, which made him secretly burn with jealousy.

Suppressing his bitterness, Qin Zhao casually asked, “Are we ordering even more?”

A sudden idea struck Cao Xi. She quickly turned to the artisan and said, “Cancel mine. I don’t need one anymore.”

She raised her eyebrows at Qin Zhao, who couldn’t help but chuckle. Taking her hint, he added, “Cancel mine as well.”

Cao Xi traced circles on Qin Zhao’s palm with her fingertip and wrinkled her nose, pretending to sniff. “Smells like jealousy.”

Caught red-handed, Qin Zhao’s ears flushed red, and he avoided her gaze.

His handsome face and shy demeanor made Cao Xi want to tease him further. Yet, surrounded by the busy street crowd, she could only verbally take the upper hand.

“Shall I tell you a story tonight?”

That familiar gaze and teasing tone—Qin Zhao understood immediately. He glared at Cao Xi fiercely.

“Let’s hear it.”

Cao Xi couldn’t help but burst out laughing, inching closer to Qin Zhao.

Feeling their warmth so near, Qin Zhao’s face turned crimson. Though he knew it wasn’t appropriate, he quietly shuffled half a step closer to her.

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Cao Xi wasn’t one to play favorites. She had prepared gifts for everyone at the village temple. After several days of wild fun, they returned to Qizhou City.

Qi Qige didn’t leave with them, choosing to remain in the provincial capital for personal reasons.

Before their departure, Qi Qige pulled Qin Zhao aside mysteriously.

Glancing around cautiously, Qi Qige produced a book from his sleeve. “Take this. Read it carefully when you get back.”

“What book is this?”

As Qin Zhao reached out to open it, Qi Qige quickly stopped him.

With a sly grin, Qi Qige stuffed the book into Qin Zhao’s sleeve. “Read it in secret tonight, and make sure to hide it well.”

A flash of understanding dawned on Qin Zhao. He tried to retrieve the book, but Qi Qige held his hand down.

“Don’t be dumb. Take it. Don’t let that girl keep controlling you,” Qi Qige said, casting a knowing glance at Cao Xi.

From afar, Cao Xi’s curiosity burned. What on earth were they plotting?

On the way back, Cao Xi couldn’t hold back her questions. “What were you and Qi Qige talking about? Why so sneaky?”

Caught off guard, Qin Zhao’s ears turned red. He stammered for a while before managing, “He told me to seize opportunities.”

As he spoke, his entire face flushed, and his gaze wandered everywhere except toward Cao Xi.

Cao Xi’s thoughts raced. If your face weren’t as red as a tomato, I might’ve believed you. Qi Qige, always mingling with street smarts, must’ve handed him some wild idea.

Trying to steady his emotions, Qin Zhao looked at Cao Xi with sincerity. “Cao Xi, let’s get married when we return.”

The sudden proposal caught Cao Xi completely off guard. Seeing her staring at him silently, Qin Zhao’s initial enthusiasm dimmed, and the flush on his face faded.

By the time Cao Xi snapped out of her shock, Qin Zhao was pale and nervous, his eyes brimming with a thousand unspoken words.

Sensitive to her lack of immediate response, Qin Zhao feared he had scared her. But Cao Xi reached out to stroke his face, locking eyes with him as she spoke deliberately: “Okay. When we get back, we’ll marry.”

Joy and sorrow flashed across Qin Zhao’s face before relief took over. Only then did he realize his back was drenched in sweat.

He pulled Cao Xi into a tight embrace. “Cao Xi, you’re my everything.”

Squeezed so tightly that she could barely breathe, Cao Xi patted his back. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Qin Zhao softened his touch, gently rubbing the spot where she had patted him. “If you never leave, neither will I.”

Holding the one who meant the world to him, Qin Zhao resolved: there would be no one else for him.

Their engagement settled, they returned to Qizhou City. Along the way, they would stop at different spots to explore the local sights and enjoy peaceful, cozy moments together.

On this particular day, like any other, they left Li Fang at the inn and wandered the streets side by side. They planned to buy some local specialties to take home but hadn’t gone far when they spotted a crowd gathering by the roadside.

Curious, Cao Xi walked closer and saw a young woman kneeling beside a deceased person covered in a white cloth. The scene felt oddly familiar.

The girl’s cries were pitiful, though it was unclear what she was saying. Cao Xi dragged Qin Zhao along, squeezing through the crowd to get a better look. What came into view was a sign reading “Selling Myself to Bury My Father.”

It hit her then—wasn’t this the same girl who had been “burying her father” for countless days now? Surely the body must’ve rotted by this point.

The girl, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed the handsome, well-dressed Qin Zhao. She lunged toward him, clutching his leg tightly.

“Sir, please buy a coffin for my father! I’ll offer myself to you in gratitude!” she cried, leaning into his leg.

The “gentleman,” of course, was none other than Qin Zhao, dragged into this mess by Cao Xi’s curiosity.

Thrown off guard, neither Qin Zhao nor Cao Xi could react in time before the girl latched onto him.

Feeling her touch, Qin Zhao stiffened, disgusted as if bugs were crawling all over him. He struggled to shake her off, but the girl clung on tightly.

Qin Zhao’s expression turned icy as he spoke, his words as sharp as shards of ice: “If you don’t let go, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

With a swift motion, Qin Zhao pulled a short blade from his waist and aimed it toward the girl’s arm. The sight of the blade slicing through the air made her scream and immediately release him, stumbling back in terror. Just moments ago, he had seemed like a gentle and charming young man, but now, his icy demeanor made him appear like a vengeful ghost from the underworld.

Cao Xi had not expected this level of brazenness from the girl. To openly throw herself at someone in broad daylight was one thing, but to do it to her companion? That crossed the line.

Without hesitation, Cao Xi grabbed the girl by her hair, dragging her out of the crowd and toward the direction of the yamen (local magistrate’s office).

The girl, panic-stricken, clutched at Cao Xi’s arm, crying and pleading, “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

The onlookers began murmuring among themselves, some even criticizing Cao Xi.

“What a fiery-tempered woman. She doesn’t need to go as far as hitting someone, does she?”

“Indeed! Look at her—a jealous shrew if I ever saw one. Whoever marries her is doomed.”

Hearing this, Qin Zhao’s expression darkened further. He glared at the crowd with a steely gaze, silencing them. “Shut up. One more filthy word from any of you, and I’ll report you for slander.”

As if to emphasize his point, he plunged his dagger firmly into the “corpse’s” leg.

A blood-curdling scream followed as the supposed dead man suddenly sat up. The crowd erupted in shock, with some crying out, “A zombie!”

The man tried to flee, but Qin Zhao grabbed him by the collar, his grip like iron. He hauled the “corpse” upright and marched him toward the yamen, trailing closely behind Cao Xi.

Only then did the crowd begin to understand—this wasn’t some poor victim of misfortune. It was all a scam.

Since Qin Zhao was a scholar with official recognition and had successfully exposed a crime, the magistrate himself received him personally. Not only did they resolve the matter, but the magistrate also rewarded Qin Zhao with a monetary prize.

Feeling both vindicated and delighted by the reward, Cao Xi walked out of the yamen with a skip in her step.

She turned to Qin Zhao with a serious expression. “You did well today. Keep this up in the future. When we’re outside, always protect yourself and make sure no one takes advantage of you.”

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. “The only person who ever manages to take advantage of me is you.”

Cao Xi: “…”

That evening, Qin Zhao burned the clothes he had worn during the incident and scrubbed himself clean with an obsessive fervor, bathing three times in a row. His legs were raw and red from the relentless scrubbing.

Finally, he flopped down beside Cao Xi and whined, “Come feel my leg; it still doesn’t feel clean.” Cao Xi: “…”