Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

As soon as he said this, he realized that he had said the wrong thing. Feeling nervous, Gong Ziyu hurried to see Gong Yunzheng, fearing that she would be angry.

Unexpectedly, the woman in front of him showed no signs of anger and remained gentle and calm.

Sometimes he wondered what could have made Sister Ayun angry.

"I'm not trying to compete with Brother Yuanzheng, I just..." A bitter feeling welled up in her eyes, Gong Ziyu's nose felt sore, and her voice couldn't help but drop.

He was just envious.

He originally thought that Sister Ayun treated him and Gong Yuanzheng equally well, but today he found out... that was not the case.

His mother had treated him coldly since he could remember, and his father had been strict with him since his mother passed away, always scolding him without a word. Rather than saying that Gong Zishang was his sister, the two of them played and got into trouble together, so it was better to say that he regarded her as a relative like a brother. His brother doted on him, and his aunt treated him like her own son. But the only one who truly took on the responsibilities of a sister in the palace, cared for and loved him as if he were a younger brother, taught him the obligations of a member of the Gong family, did not despise him for being a useless person, and taught him with more patience than his brother was the only one who took on the responsibilities of a sister in the palace, cared for him like a younger brother, taught him the duties of a member of the Gong family, did not despise him for being a useless person, and taught him with more patience than his brother.

Since he was a child, he regarded Sister Ayun as his own sister, but Sister Ayun had her own younger brother.

The discomfort in his heart was real, he couldn't fake it, and he didn't want to fight for anything, he just... hoped that Sister Ayun wouldn't be so obvious, at least not show it in front of him.

He couldn't help feeling lost, envious, and sad.

Humans are not plants or trees. He cannot remain calm, not feel lost or sad when faced with the huge disparity between the way Sister Ayun treats him and Gong Yuanzheng.

He and Gong Yuanzheng are at loggerheads with each other, and Sister Ayun must be in a difficult position being caught in the middle, right?

"I just……"

He didn't know how things turned out like this?

Everything changed after my father and brother died.

"……only……"

"I'm just sad." His words were taken over by Gong Yunzheng.

Gong Ziyu looked up in surprise. His sister standing opposite him had a gentle expression, and the flickering light and shadow between them made her look even more gentle.

Gong Yunzheng continued, "With such a huge disparity in comparison, it's inevitable that you'll feel down. I know that."

"Yuan Zheng and I are of the same blood, and we are close relatives. I went to see him first because he and I have been dependent on each other since our parents passed away. He only has me and Brother Shangjiao, but I only have him. I gave him the cloak because I didn't want him to suffer in the cold in the cell."

"I know." Gong Ziyu said bitterly, "It's human nature, it should be like this."

If he were asked to choose between his brother and Sister Ayun, he... he didn't know what the outcome would be.

"I have a father, a brother, my aunt, Zishang, and Ayun... Even if my father and brother are gone, I still have my aunt's love, Zishang's support, and Ayun's care... I really am asking for too much, too greedy."

Gong Yunzheng shook his head: "Besides Yuanzheng, you are also my family, brother Ziyu, brother Shangjiao, sister Zishang, and the still young brother Jingshang. You are all my family, and I treat you all equally."

"In contrast, you should do the same."

In addition to being treated as his own brother, Brother Zi Yu should also treat all the members of the Gong family as his relatives, not to mention that he is now in a position of wielding a sword, so he should put the safety of his clan members first.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Gong Ziyu forced a smile on her lips: "I understand."

Sister Ayun treats all the relatives in the palace as her family, and does the same to him.

...He is the same as everyone else in Sister Ayun's eyes.

Seeing that he understood, Gong Yunzheng softened his tone slightly. "Not giving you the cloak isn't because I don't care about you, but... your internal skill, the Snow Melting Heart Sutra, requires extreme cold to cultivate. The dungeon is a harsh environment, freezing cold, making it the perfect place to practice the Snow Melting Heart Sutra."

Bitterness was replaced by joy, and Gong Ziyu's eyes lit up: "Then why did Sister Ayun come here..."

"Brother Shangjiao is in charge of Chajia. No one will come here to disturb you tonight. I came here to tell you not to waste the opportunity of time and place."

"I'll practice now!"

Sitting in meditation on the cool tiles, before circulating her inner energy, Gong Ziyu looked at Gong Yunzheng who was about to enter the corridor and suddenly called out to her, "Sister Ayun."

"What?" Gong Yunzheng turned around.

"Sister Ayun, do you believe me?" Gong Ziyu asked, "Believe that I didn't change the medicine, and believe that I have no intention of harming you."

"I believe you." Gong Yunzheng said affirmatively.

Then she asked him, "What about Brother Ziyu? Manager Jia framed you. Do you believe Yuanzheng was also framed?"

Gong Ziyu hesitated.

It was really the death of his father and brother... He didn't think that Manager Jia would have any reason to harm his father and brother if there was no one behind the scenes directing him.

Seeing him so hesitant, Gong Yunzheng knew that he did not take her previous words to heart.

"You should practice well." After saying that, she turned and left.

When Jin Fan arrived at Manager Jia's room, the guards under Gong Shangjiao had already begun searching.

Seeing this, Jin Fan hurriedly joined the search, and his eyes never left Gong Shangjiao.

Knowing that Jin Fan's role was to be a witness, Gong Shangjiao remained calm and pretended not to see his secret surveillance.

Several guards turned Manager Jia's room upside down. Just when Jin Fan thought they could not find anything, one of the guards discovered a secret compartment in the drawer.

After ordering the guards to leave, Gong Shangjiao took out a token from the secret compartment of the drawer.

Jin Fan was shocked. Although the room was dimly lit, he could still see clearly the words on the token and the meaning of the words.

After Gong Yunzheng returned to Zheng Palace, he drank a bowl of thick ginger soup and some medicine to dispel the cold before he dared to go to bed.

In the morning, Gong Shangjiao handed the token engraved with the word "Mei" to the Council of Elders. Since the token turned out proved the identity of Manager Jia, the Council of Elders ordered the release of Gong Ziyu and Gong Yuanzheng.

The two men met at the exit of the dungeon. One was a noble young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and the other was a handsome young man with fresh eyebrows and green eyes. They looked at each other, and the corners of their lips curled up into a sarcastic smile.

Gong Ziyu said loudly and pointedly, "Brother Yuanzheng doesn't look well. He needs a fox fur coat to keep warm after spending the night in a place like this. Be careful, don't become a delicate little girl."

Tightening his cloak, Gong Yuanzheng boasted innocently, "This cloak my sister gave me. Even if I'm healthy and not afraid of the cold, I still have to wear it. Otherwise, I'd be letting my sister down."

He said with surprise: "Look at me, I forgot that Brother Ziyu also stayed in prison for a night. No one even brought you anything to keep warm. How pitiful."

"I do not need."

"Is it because it's not needed or because no one is giving it to you? The meanings are completely different."

Being told this, Gong Ziyu gritted her teeth and said, "Since Sister Ayun gave you a cloak, you should wear it well."

Sister Ayun wanted him to practice martial arts, and he also wanted to practice martial arts, so he didn't want to be disturbed by this kind of "sweet place" on the way to practice martial arts!

Gong Yuanzheng smiled and said, "Of course, otherwise I'll give it to you."

The two people's childish behavior left the people who came to pick them up speechless.

"Hold the blade." Jin Fan took a few steps forward and went up the stairs, then put the cloak in his hand on him.

"I don't need it." Gong Ziyu waved Jin Fan away with one hand and said to Jin Fan, but looked at Gong Yunzheng with aggrieved eyes: "From now on, I will practice hard."

Gong Zishang said "Oh~" with an expression as if he had just eaten a big piece of melon.

"Oh." After taking back the cloak, Jin Fan felt confused.

Zhiren, who has always been afraid of the cold and hates practicing martial arts, actually wants to practice martial arts... Is he confused by the cold?