ITF Chapter83

That evening, a cargo vessel glided into the harbor at the northern tip of Urdan Island and pulled up steadily alongside the dock, watched eagerly by the gathered crowd. A squad of young people walked down the gangway one after another, bathed in the orange glow of the sunset, led by a tall woman in military uniform.

She wore light armor without a helmet, and her waist-length hair was casually tied into a high ponytail, giving her a heroic and capable appearance.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Bai Heting could just barely make out her features. Before Luo Congye could introduce her, he had already identified her on his own.

It was a face that was unfamiliar, yet not entirely strange.

He rarely paid attention to the children of high-ranking officials and nobles at court banquets. The reason he noticed Zhong Xiao was partly because her grandfather was one of the earliest great nobles to support Bai Yi’s rebellion, owning vast tracts of land in the south, and partly because—she was a rather uncommon female Alpha.

That the Urdan people would establish a secret connection with such a family was something Bai Heting had never expected.

The instant she set foot on solid ground, another woman hurried up to greet her. Looking at the petite figure, Bai Heting hesitated before asking, “Is that…?”

The woman wore a dark green, cinched-waist long dress with her snow-white shoulders exposed to emphasize her long, beautiful neck. Her braided hair was meticulously coiled into a low bun, secured by a light gray tulle hairband.

“No need to doubt your eyes.” Luo Congye lowered his head and leaned close to his ear, his tone casual, sounding as if he had long grown accustomed to such scenes. “Lin Qian said that we aren’t worthy of her spending time to dress up for.”

Bai Heting’s gaze remained fixed in the distance. He could not hear what they were saying, but he keenly sensed something unusual from the intimate behavior of the two. They held each other for a long while before Zhong Xiao, as if performing a magic trick, produced a small cluster of pure white jasmine flowers. She tucked them into Lin Qian’s hairband, then lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

He asked in surprise, “They are lovers.”

Luo Congye did not deny it, only offering a reminder, “When you see them later, don’t doubt your ears either.”

“What do you mean?” Bai Heting turned his head to look at him.

“She also said,” Luo Congye shrugged at him, “that we aren’t worthy of her gentleness.”

Bai Heting froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. He turned back and saw Zhong Xiao talking with several young people; both sides seemed quite familiar with each other.

“How did you come to be so close with the Zhong family?” He asked in puzzlement.

“Is it so strange?” Luo Congye’s tone was flat. “Their fathers fought side by side over twenty years ago.”

Bai Heting suddenly saw the light.

Over twenty years ago, during that long and drawn-out war of attrition, the person whose status was second only to Bai Yi was precisely Luo Congye’s father. Pei Ming’s personal influence was still there; it was just that smart people knew how to assess the situation.

Seeing that he was completely absorbed in watching the scene, Luo Congye reached up and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him toward his chest. As they walked, he said in a low voice, “I actually envy Zhong Xiao a little.”

“You like Physician Lin too?” Bai Heting glanced at him.

Luo Congye was suddenly choked up and looked down at him. The person in his arms had a calm expression, even carrying a touch of nonchalant arrogance.

This stone-hearted… no, this heartless guy. Luo Congye took a deep breath.

Seeing him call his mount over, Bai Heting asked curiously, “Are we going back already?”

“They haven’t seen each other for over a month. It would be very impolite to disturb them now,” Luo Congye said with a stiff face. “Days of separation are very hard to endure.”

How hard it was, no one knew better than him, he thought.

He fell silent for a few seconds, softening his attitude slightly under Bai Heting’s increasingly serious gaze. “Besides, there’s nothing we can do right now anyway. We can only wait.”

“Wait for what?” Bai Heting asked.

Luo Congye did not answer directly, only saying, “The palace should be in utter chaos by now.”

Zhong Xiao was in no hurry to see him, which meant everything was going according to plan. He patted the horse’s back, signaling for Bai Heting to get on. Once he was securely seated, he added cryptically, “Let me tell you a secret.”

Bai Heting looked down while asking with little interest, “What secret?”

Luo Congye lowered his voice mysteriously. “Bai Jiashu still owes me quite a lot of money.” Seeing Bai Heting’s puzzled expression, he smiled and explained to him, “I bought some of the public bonds issued by the government.”

Bai Heting gazed at him intently.

He knew that Luo Congye was vastly different from three years ago, but this was the first time he felt it so vividly—the innocent kid in his memory, who once possessed nothing but a heart full of loyalty, had grown up silently during the three years of their separation.

“Though, there’s no need for him to pay it back now.” The smile gradually faded from that handsome face as Luo Congye looked toward the sinking red sun in the west, his tone remaining casual. “Just consider it… money for their journey to the afterlife.”

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