Chapter 153: But I Am Different (Part 2)

Inside the imperial palace, within the princess's quarters to the left of the Hall of Two Paragons.

"Ouch, it hurts... hurts. Linlang, go a little easier..." While feigning pitiful wails, Li Lizhi cast sideways glances toward the courtyard doors to check whether Emperor Taizong and Empress Changsun had followed her inside.

After waiting for a brief moment, she saw only Li Yi lingering outside the threshold, with no sign of the imperial couple approaching. Anxious, Li Lizhi cast a worried look at Linlang.

"Linlang, hurry and invite Master Li inside to examine me."

First darting another glance at Li Yi outside the door, Li Lizhi slowly collected herself. With a beaming expression, she leaned close to Linlang and whispered instructions in her ear. "Also, keep watch by the door for me. The moment His Majesty or Her Majesty arrives, come and report to me immediately."

"..." Linlang was momentarily startled, her brow furrowing as she gazed at Li Lizhi.

At this moment, Li Lizhi's eyes were not only gleaming with the triumph of a wish fulfilled, but her face was also radiant with smiles. Only then did Linlang suddenly realize that Li Lizhi's ankle wasn't sprained at all.

All of this was merely an act she had put on on purpose!

Without needing to use her brain—relying purely on her toes—Linlang could easily guess that Li Lizhi had faked a sprained ankle solely to spend more time chatting with this fellow, Li Yi.

Linlang simply could not understand it.

How could someone like Li Yi—a loose-lipped, despicable, and shameless rogue who constantly loved to tease people—be worthy of Li Lizhi's affection?

At the thought of Li Yi, Linlang could not help but mentally curse him as utterly base and shameless.

However, since Li Lizhi had given the order, despite her extreme displeasure, Linlang obediently nodded, murmured her acknowledgment, and stepped outside to stand before Li Yi.

"You scoundrel, the Princess tells you to go inside and treat her illness!" Throwing a hostile glare at Li Yi, Linlang stood rigidly to the side like a wooden post to keep watch.

Faced with Linlang's sudden icy expression and her gritted-teeth insult, Li Yi was somewhat taken aback.

He recalled that over the past few days, he hadn't done anything to offend this girl Linlang. Why had her attitude turned so frosty the moment she laid eyes on him today?

Could it be that her monthly visitor had started dropping by today?

At this thought, Li Yi couldn't help grinning, though he didn't advance an inch. Instead, he smilingly stretched his neck forward and stared straight at Linlang.

"Miss Linlang, has your relative come to visit?" Li Yi suddenly asked aloud.

"???" Linlang blinked in utter bewilderment on the spot, rolling her bright, expressive eyes, completely failing to grasp the meaning behind Li Yi's words.

Pondering for a brief moment, Linlang frowned slightly and asked with an extremely detached expression, "What do you mean by that, you scoundrel?"

"Oh, nothing." Li Yi waved his hand with a grin, then casually tucked his hands behind his back and walked into the room.

Yet at the same time, a soft murmur escaped from his lips: "No wonder this girl didn't ask me what I was up to today; turns out her relative is visiting..."

Squinting slightly, Linlang remained silent and deep in thought as she tried to guess what "relative is visiting" could possibly mean. When she suddenly heard Li Yi's muttered words, she instantly woke up to the teasing intent hidden within them.

*Clang!*

Abruptly, Linlang drew her treasured sword halfway out of its scabbard. Gritting her teeth, she glared daggers at Li Yi's retreating back as he entered the room, wishing she could swing her blade and cleave him straight in two.

"Scoundrel!"

"Shameless!"

"Despicable!"

"Base!"

A continuous stream of curses was gnashed out from between Linlang's pearly white teeth.

All the vocabulary she could possibly muster was hurled unconditionally at Li Yi.

If glares alone could kill, Linlang swore she would have already hacked Li Yi into a pile of minced mud!

Yet Li Yi remained entirely oblivious to Linlang's tirade.

By now, he had reached the beaded curtain hanging outside the bedchamber.

Halting his steps abruptly, Li Yi offered a slight bow and cupped his fists toward Li Lizhi behind the beaded curtain, greeting her, "This humble official pays his respects to the Princess."

Upon seeing this, Li Lizhi instantly felt displeased.

"Li Baoan, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and come in to examine my injury; my foot hurts so much..." Li Lizhi pouted in dissatisfaction, glaring at Li Yi as she shouted.

"... Your Highness." Li Yi raised his brows slightly, glanced at the beaded curtain before him, and spoke with hesitation, "Your Highness, propriety dictates that men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving. If this humble official were to rashly enter the Princess's private chambers, I fear it would be inappropriate."

However, Li Lizhi immediately let out a huff, her brows arching stubbornly as she retorted, "Li Baoan, you are an imperial physician of the Bureau of Medical Services. I told you to come in, so come in! What are you afraid of?"

"Uh..." Li Yi was momentarily rendered speechless. Reminded by Li Lizhi's words, he finally remembered his identity as a "physician."

"This humble official obeys!" Li Yi chuckled awkwardly, then lifted the beaded curtain and slowly walked inside.

He saw that Li Lizhi was still lightly beaded with sweat, her face flushed like a colorful sunset. Moreover, her delicate hands gently rested near her ankle, and she pouted with a furrowed brow, looking somewhat in pain.

Seeing this, Li Yi collected his thoughts, cast a glance at Li Lizhi's injured spot, and said with an earnest expression, "Your Highness, please remove your shoe first so this humble official can take a look and see how severe the injury is."

"Ah?" Li Lizhi was startled on the spot, blinking her eyes curiously as she asked in utter incomprehension, "Do I have to take off my shoe as well?"

"..." Li Yi twitching his facial muscles in speechlessness, looked at Li Lizhi and said with a wry smile, "Your Highness, since it is your foot that is injured, if you do not remove your shoe to let this humble official inspect the wound, I'm afraid even with heavenly skills I wouldn't be able to treat it!"

A flash of embarrassment suddenly crossed Li Lizhi's face.

But before long, she offered a shy smile, lowered her head slightly, and whispered softly, "Li Baoan, then... then you help me take it off. It hurts so much I honestly don't have the strength."

"..." Li Yi was left speechless.

It was her foot that was sprained, not her hand. Besides, what did foot pain have to do with her hands?

Was she intentionally acting coquettishly toward him?

"This humble official obeys." Taking a helpless, deep breath, Li Yi walked over, squatted down, and gently removed Li Lizhi's right shoe and sock.

Instantly, a jade-white, slender, and beautifully proportioned foot—smooth as sheep-fat jade and akin to a baby's skin—gradually came into view before Li Yi's eyes.

Though Li Lizhi was lightly perfumed with sweat, there was no unpleasant odor whatsoever.

The natural fragrance of a maiden emanating from Li Lizhi, mingled with the faint scent of sweat and the delicate fragrance of her foot, drifted all at once into Li Yi's nostrils.

Dazed by the sight, Li Yi involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then gently gripped Li Lizhi's jade foot.

"Ah—!" Li Lizhi let out a startled cry on the spot, her foot recoiling by reflex like a frightened, wounded bird.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Li Yi raised his brows slightly and asked, "Could it be that this humble official used too much force and hurt Your Highness?"

"N... no..." Li Lizhi stammered.

Yet at this moment, her shyly lowered face had already turned as red as a ripe apple on Mount Fuji. Pulling her feet back and resting her chin upon her drawn-up knees, she muttered petulantly, "Li Baoan, actually... actually I didn't sprain my ankle at all."

Li Yi smiled without exposing her, instead feigning ignorance as he asked, "Then why did Your Highness fake a sprained ankle?"

"You—" Li Lizhi let out a huff, just about to raise her head to glare angrily at Li Yi, but realizing her face must be burning red, she managed to suppress the impulse.

"I just wanted... wanted to talk to you." Li Lizhi pouted with a grievance-laden tone.

Hearing this, how could Li Yi fail to understand the underlying meaning of her words?

However, knowing full well that "an emperor's daughter is not to be trifled with," and having already betrothed himself to Du Xiaomei, Li Yi deliberately feigned ignorance and steered the conversation elsewhere, smiling, "Your Highness, how about... this humble official tells you a story?"

"Ah?" Li Lizhi was stunned. Suddenly lifting her head, she glared at Li Yi with a pair of wide, aggrieved eyes.

*Li Baoan, you big jerk! Clearly I summoned the courage to confess my true feelings to you, yet you're still playing dumb and offering to tell me a story!*

Li Lizhi pouted in displeasure.

Yet upon hearing that Li Yi was going to tell her a story, her interest was instantly piqued, though she maintained an indifferent expression on her face.

Giving a light huff, Li Lizhi demanded indignantly, "What story?"

"The story of Houyi shooting the suns," Li Yi said with a smile.

"Houyi shooting the suns?" Li Lizhi immediately felt a sense of disappointment. She clicked her tongue slightly, shot Li Yi a reproachful glare, and remarked, "What's the point of telling that? Everyone knows it!"

Li Yi smiled faintly. "If Your Highness listens to this humble official tell it, you'll find this story is different from the others."

"Fine, go ahead," Li Lizhi nodded.

Without further ado, Li Yi stated directly, "As the saying goes, when Houyi shot the suns back then, was he shooting the actual sun or the moon? Does Your Highness know?"

"Shooting the suns means shooting the sun, of course!" Li Lizhi blinked as if it were a matter of course.

"Incorrect." Li Yi shook his head, then chuckled warmly and said, "What Houyi shot was not the sun, but arrows!"

"..." Li Lizhi was instantly rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Li Yi continued, "Has Your Highness ever considered whether Houyi's legendary pursuit of Changheng and his shooting of the suns were truly for the sake of the common people? Could it be that Houyi did not do it for Chang'e?"

"I don't need you to shoot the sun, nor do I need you to do anything so unreachable," Li Lizhi declared with an earnest expression. "I will go ask His Majesty and Her Majesty, and they will surely agree."

"..." This time, it was Li Yi's turn to be speechless, unsure of what to make of Li Lizhi's train of thought.

Was her logic too refreshing, or was she just a little abnormal?

"Ahem, ahem..." Coughing dryly a couple of times, Li Yi continued with a straight face, "Your Highness, back when Houyi shot the suns, although he ultimately succeeded in striking them down, in the end he still couldn't defeat the heavenly court and perished, failing to bring Chang'e down from the lunar palace."

After a moment of thought, Li Lizhi shook her head and said, "Li Baoan, what you're saying is wrong!"

"How is it wrong?" Li Yi asked in surprise.

"If Houyi couldn't bring Chang'e down, it must have been because Chang'e's heart changed and she grew fond of someone in the heavenly palace. But I am different!" Staring intently at Li Yi with an earnest expression, Li Lizhi declared solemnly, "For your sake, even if I have to abandon the entire world, I, Li Lizhi, am willing!"

"..."

This chapter... well, personally, I feel it was written brilliantly, and I hope everyone enjoys it.

(End of this chapter)