The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 115 Sneaking Out

The brook gurgled, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting a shadow on Cen Jiexiao's body. However, this couldn't dispel the gloom in her heart. The sudden departure of Chen Zigui left Cen Jiexiao stunned.

"What's wrong with this man? He changes his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book! He was so sweet and affectionate one second, and so cold and wooden the next!" Cen Jiexiao cursed in a low voice, her heart full of grievance and confusion.

In the distance, Xiaozhi and Yulan were walking towards them, arm in arm, talking and laughing. Cen Jiexiao saw them at a glance, and a warm feeling suddenly rose in her heart.

"Xiaozhi! Yulan!" Cen Jiexiao shouted in their direction.

Xiaozhi and Yulan heard Cen Jiexiao's voice and immediately looked in the direction of the sound. They saw Cen Jiexiao sitting alone by the stream. The smiles on their faces disappeared instantly and they hurried over.

"My dear Dean, why are you here alone?" Xiaozhi's voice arrived before he even showed up, his tone filled with anxiety. "Where's Inspector Chen? Why isn't he with you?"

Although Yu Lan didn't say anything, her furrowed brows and worried eyes showed her mood at the moment.

Cen Jiexiao forced a smile and said lightly, "Oh, the eldest brother has something to do and has to go back first. I'll sit here for a while, alone and quiet. Why are you here?"

"What else can I do? I'm just worried about you!" Xiaozhi said, looking Cen Jiexiao up and down, as if he wanted to find a hole in her. "Your foot injury hasn't healed yet. What if you bump into it again?"

"I'm fine, I'm just a little tired of sitting and want to move around." Cen Jiexiao said as she was about to get up.

Yu Lan was quick to support her and said angrily, "You... why are you trying so hard? Come, let me help you up."

Cen Jiexiao couldn't persuade them, so she had to let them help her sit in the four-wheeled wheelchair.

"Oh, by the way," Xiaozhi asked curiously as she pushed the wheelchair, "I thought I saw Inspector Chen hurrying away from a distance just now. Did something happen?"

Cen Jiexiao's eyes flickered for a moment, and she said vaguely, "Nothing. Someone from the palace came and said they wanted to see him, so he went back first."

"Oh, so that's it..." Xiaozhi obviously didn't quite believe what Cen Jiexiao said, but didn't ask any further questions.

Yu Lan also noticed that Cen Jiexiao was a little depressed, so she changed the subject and said, "Dean, are you hungry? We brought some cakes and fruits. Would you like to have some?"

"No," Cen Jiexiao shook her head, "I don't have much appetite."

Seeing this, Xiaozhi stopped forcing him. He just pushed the wheelchair and asked softly, "Dean, which way should we go? How about we go see that peach orchard? That peach orchard is the experimental fruit and vegetable base of the Agricultural Engineering Department. It's so beautiful. I heard it's in full bloom right now!"

Cen Jiexiao was not in high spirits and simply replied calmly, "Whatever, it's up to you guys to decide."

Seeing that Cen Jiexiao was in a low mood, Yu Lan held her hand and said softly, "Don't worry, Dean. After all, Inspector Chen is facing the emperor, and sometimes it is inevitable that he will make some difficult choices."

Cen Jiexiao forced a smile and nodded, but said nothing. Along the way, Xiaozhi and Yulan chatted with each other, trying to cheer Cen Jiexiao up, but Cen Jiexiao was always absent-minded, only occasionally responding perfunctorily.

After returning to her room, Cen Jiexiao couldn't shake the image of Chen Zigui leaving. She couldn't shake the emotion. She couldn't understand the so-called "principles and rules" of her senior brother Chen Zigui. He was so close to her one minute, but the next minute, when she received the emperor's summons, he seemed like a different person, a little unfamiliar.

"Is he really only treating me well out of responsibility? Is all his tenderness towards me fake?" Cen Jiexiao murmured to herself, her voice full of bitterness and confusion.

As night fell, a single dim oil lamp lit the room, illuminating Cen Jiexiao's tossing and turning figure. Her mind was filled with Chen Zigui, his gentle eyes at one moment, his stern face at another. The two contrasting images intertwined, leaving her feeling utterly bewildered.

"Squeak-"

With a slight sound, the door was gently pushed open, and Xiaozhi walked in with a bowl of steaming medicine.

"Dean, it's time to take your medicine." Xiaozhi put the medicine bowl on the table and said softly.

Cen Jiexiao rubbed her brows, sat up, took the bowl of medicine, but did not drink it. She just stared at the medicine in the bowl in a daze.

"Dean, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Xiaozhi asked with concern when he saw Cen Jiexiao's pale face.

Cen Jiexiao shook her head and forced a smile: "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Dean, if you have something on your mind, just say it out loud. Don't hold it in." Xiaozhi walked over to Cen Jiexiao, gently patted her shoulder, and said softly, "Although we don't have your ability, Dean, at least we can do our best."

Cen Jiexiao was silent for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Xiaozhi, tell me... someone spoke softly to you one moment, and then suddenly became cold as ice the next. Why is that?"

Xiaozhi was stunned for a moment, as if he understood something, but he didn't directly answer Cen Jiexiao's question. Instead, he asked, "Dean, do you think Inspector Chen is that kind of person?"

Cen Jiexiao shook her head. She didn't believe Chen Zigui was that kind of person, but his actions left her confused and uneasy. Just then, a slight noise suddenly came from outside the window, like someone tapping gently on the window paper. Startled, Cen Jiexiao sat up abruptly, and pricked up her ears to listen carefully to the noise outside.

Cen Jiexiao and Xiaozhi exchanged a glance, each filled with vigilance and unease. Who would knock on their window in the middle of the night? Could it be...

"Dean, I'll go take a look." Xiaozhi said, and was about to go forward to open the door.

"Wait!" Cen Jiexiao grabbed Xiaozhi and said in a low voice, "Be careful, there's a scam. Let me see who it is first."

As she spoke, Cen Jiexiao walked gently to the window and looked out cautiously through the gap in the window.

In the faint moonlight, Cen Jiexiao saw a tall figure standing outside the window. The man was dressed in black and had a veil covering his face, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.

Cen Jiexiao was shocked. Who was this person? Could he be an assassin?

"Who?" Cen Jiexiao asked in a low voice.

"It's me." The man said in a low voice. The voice sounded familiar, but Cen Jiexiao couldn't remember who it was for a moment.

"Who are you? Why are you here so late at night?" Cen Jiexiao asked, her tone full of vigilance.

The man was silent for a moment, then slowly took off the veil on his face, revealing a sharp-edged face.

"Senior Brother?" Cen Jiexiao covered her mouth in surprise. She never expected that the person who visited her late at night was Chen Zigui.

"It's me." Chen Zigui smiled innocently at Cen Jiexiao, but the smile seemed a little forced under the moonlight.

"Senior Brother, why are you here? It's the middle of the night, and you..." Before Cen Jiexiao could finish her words, she was interrupted by Chen Zigui.

"Shh! Keep your voice down and don't disturb others." Chen Zigui said, then jumped into the room.

"Senior Brother, what are you doing..." Cen Jiexiao looked at Chen Zigui in surprise, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Chen Zigui looked at Cen Jiexiao and Xiaozhi, and said in a low voice, "You didn't expect it, Sister Cen, I sneaked out."

Xiaozhi looked at Cen Jiexiao, and when he saw her nod, he tactfully retreated and considerately closed the door for them.