Chapter - 432 The Brides Pale Arms Parts the Red Clothing (7) (1/2)

”No, no!” Zhang Wuji kept saying, ”If I have the least bit of desire to be the Emperor, let the Heaven punish me and the Earth swallow me, let me die a wretched death.”

Listening to his determination, Zhou Zhiruo's expression changed slightly, she turned her gaze outside the window and no longer said anything.

Four people talked a bit more, and then after dinner, Zhang Wuji said, ”Peng Da Shi and I are going out to inquire information about Yifu.” He thought that Han Lin'er was hot-tempered, if he saw any injustice, he would certainly not hesitate to let his fists do the talking and thus inviting some unwanted disaster; thereupon he said, ”Han Xiongdi, you and Zhiruo better stay in the inn tonight. Have a good rest.”

”Yes,” Han Lin'er said, ”Jiaozhu, please be careful!”

Zhang Wuji and Peng Yingyu made an agreement right away that one of them would go to the west, and the other to the east. They would meet again at the inn to discuss their findings.

Zhang Wuji paid no attention to all these unfounded comments by simple people; he wandered aimlessly until the path he took started to get quieter. Suddenly he looked up and realized that he had reached the small inn where he had a drink with Zhao Min the other day. He was startled and mused, ”How did I get here? Could it be that in my heart I still cannot let her go?”

He saw that the door of the inn was ajar, and noticed that it was very quiet inside, apparently there was no guest drinking inside that night. He hesitated for a moment then he pushed the door open and walked in. He saw the attendant was dozing off on the counter table. On a table toward the corner, there was a lone candle flickering weakly in the dark. Next to the candle sat a guest. This table was precisely the table they used both times Zhao Min and he had a drink. Other than this single patron, there was nobody else in sight.

As that guest heard the footsteps approaching, the guest stood up. The candlelight swayed and shone on that person's face. To Zhang Wuji's surprise, that person was Zhao Min.

Neither of them expected to see the other. ”Ah!” they both exclaimed in shock. ”You …” in a low voice Zhao Min said, ”Why are you here?” Her voice trembled, revealing her exceedingly excited heart.

Zhang Wuji replied, ”I was passing through, and came in to take a look. I don't expect …” while talking, he walked toward her table, and saw that there was another set of cup and chopsticks on the seat opposite hers, thereupon he asked, ”Are you expecting someone?”

Zhao Min blushed, ”No,” she said, ”It was because twice we had a drink here; you were sitting over there, so … so I told the attendant to set another set of cup and chopsticks.”

Zhang Wuji's heart was touched. He also noticed that the four dishes of food and wine on the table was exactly the same as the food and wine Zhao Min prepared the first time she invited him over. From the bottom of his heart he knew the depth of Zhao Min's feeling; he could not stop himself from reaching out to grab her hands in his. ”Miss Zhao!” he said, his voice shaky.