Chapter 133: Disturbed Heart

As Chen Xi came to his senses, his right hand was already touching the little girl's cheek, which made him feel a bit embarrassed. However, he quickly regained his composure. When had he ever been so infatuated with a woman?

Since he had already touched her, Chen Xi didn't want to show whether it was intentional or accidental. Trying to remain calm, he said, "Zhen Mi? You indeed have a good face."

Zhen Mi blushed. Though young, she understood that her appearance shouldn't be touched by others. She was a noble daughter of the Zhen family, and the most favored one of her generation. Being so lightly taken advantage of by Chen Xi naturally angered the other members of the Zhen family, who immediately rushed forward, no longer as composed as before.

"Zilong, go easy on them," Chen Xi said without turning his head, hearing the footsteps behind him. With such a gap in strength, capturing Zhao Yun was simply a joke.

"Do that expression again," Chen Xi said, staring at Zhen Mi.

"Huh?" Zhen Mi looked at Chen Xi, puzzled.

"Do that expression again," Chen Xi repeated, ignoring Zhen Mi's confused look.

Zhen Mi had no idea what Chen Xi was talking about.

"Do I need to say it again?" Chen Xi asked, somewhat impatiently. "Hurry up, do it again!"

Zhen Mi was frightened by Chen Xi's agitated demeanor. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back, not letting them fall.

Chen Xi slowly closed his eyes. He didn't want anyone to see this other side of him. When he opened his eyes again, he had regained his calm. He took out a white silk handkerchief and tossed it to Zhen Mi. "Luck and misfortune are intertwined... Zi Zhong, get a chair and let her sit."

Soon, Mi Zhu had someone bring a chair and place it beside Chen Xi, then invited Zhen Mi to sit.

"My mother said that sitting should have proper posture. Chen Gongzi, your current posture doesn't resemble that of a noble young master," Zhen Mi said calmly, looking at the chair Mi Zhu had brought without moving towards it. She spoke with a natural grace, completely lacking the previous fear. She could clearly sense that the man before her harbored no malice towards her.

"Get a sitting mat and take away the chair," Chen Xi said calmly, then stood up to let the servants remove the chair. Soon, a sitting mat was brought in, and Chen Xi ceremoniously kneeled on it in the center of the Zhen family's hall.

"Separating guest and host isn't proper etiquette," Zhen Mi remarked as she looked at Chen Xi. Although he now appeared elegant and polite with the wooden folding fan placed on his right side, kneeling in the center of the hall was improper.

"Such a similar temperament and actions!" Chen Xi's eyes showed a trace of nostalgia as he looked at Zhen Mi. It was as if he didn't hear her, and soon the nostalgic look faded, leaving only clarity. Sighing, he said, "Tell your mother, in consideration of you, the Zhen family will avoid this calamity. This matter is over. Zi Zhong, leave that box of deeds and IOUs. We're leaving."

With that, Chen Xi stood up and prepared to leave with Zhao Yun and Mi Zhu. As he reached the door, he couldn't help but look back at Zhen Mi, but he didn't see the expression he hoped for—only a look of confusion. He sighed and strode out of the Zhen family mansion.

"Zi Chuan, what are you doing!" Mi Zhu asked frantically once they were outside. He had held back his questions while inside the Zhen family home but now felt completely bewildered. "We finally had this opportunity in our grasp. Just as we were about to close the net, why did you suddenly let go? This won't make the Zhen family grateful; they'll just think you're foolish!"

Zhao Yun also looked at Chen Xi with confusion but remained silent. He had witnessed Chen Xi's miraculous decisions too many times.

"It's nothing. We've done what we needed to do, and the rest doesn't matter," Chen Xi said indifferently. "Regarding the situation, everything necessary has been done. The final step is inconsequential."

"I mean you! You've let yourself be blinded by infatuation!" Mi Zhu said angrily. Although Chen Xi had orchestrated this, Mi Zhu had put in a lot of effort. Now, with Chen Xi saying they should give up, all of Mi Zhu's hard work seemed wasted.

"Blinded by an eight or nine-year-old girl?" Chen Xi retorted disdainfully. "I've seen your sister, Mi Zhen. Did you see me show any interest? The important thing is not Zhen Mi herself but her demeanor and expression. In terms of beauty, Zhen Mi is only on par with your sister."

"Speaking of which..." Mi Zhu frowned, recalling that Chen Xi had shown no interest in beauties before. During the New Year banquet at the Mi family home, even when Mi Zhu's sister served tea, Chen Xi had remained indifferent, not even offering a comment.

"It's not what you think. This matter is settled," Chen Xi said, shaking his head. He had no desire to return to Jizhou or see Zhen Mi again. The memory of that expression was too hard to forget.

"Madam," a servant approached Zhang Shi as she was about to return Zhen Mi's dowry. "Lord Ju requests an audience."

"Ju Gong..." A cold glint flashed in Zhang Shi's eyes. Compared to Chen Xi, the actions of the Yuan family and the Hebei nobility filled her with disgust. But now that the crisis had passed, Zhang Shi didn't mind settling accounts with all the families in Jizhou. This time, the Zhen family was not at fault.