Chapter 28 Heavy Rain

Chapter 28: Heavy Rain

Fu Quan took the order and hurried off, returning shortly with a green jade crown.

The jade crown was crystal clear and exquisitely carved, clearly worth a small fortune.

Zhou Mingqi took the crown and slowly rose to his feet. Cheng Ge, still clueless about what he was about to do, wore a dazed expression.

He walked up to Cheng Ge, reached out to smooth his hair, and placed the jade crown on his head.

Cheng Ge felt his scalp tighten and froze completely, not daring to breathe.

Cheng Ge was blown away by the favor, never expecting the Dog Emperor to do something like that.

Feeling the emperor’s fingers brush against his scalp every now and then, the warm touch made his heart skip a beat.

Zhou Mingqi looked at Cheng Ge, now wearing the jade crown, and nodded. "This jade crown is yours. Once you enter the Eastern Palace, you need to keep your attire proper and not be so casual again."

Cheng Ge snapped out of it and quickly knelt to kowtow. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I’ll remember your advice."

Zhou Mingqi gave a slight wave, signaling him to get up. "You may withdraw."

Cheng Ge struggled to his feet, his legs totally numb, and shuffled out of the hall bit by bit.

He let out a big sigh, touched the jade crown on his head, and suddenly broke into a grin.

Score! Score!

This thing was obviously not cheap. If he ever quit his official post, selling it would probably be enough to coast through life.

No wonder so many people liked to be friends with the wealthy—just a little scrap from them could set you up for life.

He silently vowed to latch onto these big shots’ coattails from now on, and he’d never have to worry about food or drink.

Maybe then he could ride their coattails and not even be afraid of Zhang Qinghang, let alone his father.

No more worrying about someone coveting his little flower, wahaha…

Cheng Ge stood at the palace gate, hands on his hips, laughing at the sky.

He pointed one finger at the sky, covered his mouth with his right hand, and shook his head, and his mind started to party.

"Once as dark as the night!! Every… single… morning! Once blocking every dream, every single door!"

"Boom—" A thunderclap went off, exploding right next to Cheng Ge’s ear.

"Damn! Which asshole is swearing an oath?" Cheng Ge covered his ears and took off.

Cheng Ge scurried through the palace, totally lost, when suddenly it started pouring.

Thunder boomed in his ears. When he arrived, a palace attendant had guided him, but in his hurry, he’d gotten lost in the vast palace.

Seeing the rain get heavier, he decided to find a place to take shelter first.

Cheng Ge looked around in the rain and suddenly spotted a pavilion not far away.

He sprinted over as fast as he could, sliding into the pavilion like a dragon diving into the ocean, his pose totally cool.

But when he turned around, there was already a guy sitting there.

The guy wore a dark black robe, his features sharp as if chiseled by a knife, and he was now turning to look at Cheng Ge.

Time stood still in that moment…

If time could rewind, Cheng Ge wished he could drown in his mom’s amniotic fluid.

Cheng Ge’s eye twitched. He straightened the robe that was half-hanging off his head, stood up, and slowly walked to the railing, pretending to enjoy the rain.

Cheng Ge pretended to be calm as he stared at the rainy scenery, but his feet nervously scratched the ground, and he couldn’t help stealing a glance at the guy.

Cui Ji, being a military officer, had exceptionally sharp senses; no slightest movement escaped his notice.

The moment Cheng Ge entered his sight, he recognized him.

It was the little one who had barged into his carriage days ago, teased him, and then run off. He hadn’t expected to meet him again in the palace.

He had heard people say that fate comes from the right time and place, missing by a hair’s breadth leads to emptiness.

Cui Ji hadn’t really believed in so-called destiny, but fate’s tricks seemed to confirm it all.

Perhaps some things in this world were preordained, impossible to escape.

Calamity, fortune—he had to endure them all.

Cheng Ge glanced at Cui Ji and saw him staring blankly at the rain.

He seemed to have some trouble with his legs, sitting quietly in a wheelchair with a thin blanket over his knees.

The rain was too heavy, and the wind blew sideways, wetting the floor.

In this era, wheelchairs weren’t as convenient as modern ones; they relied entirely on external force to move, and he couldn’t shift on his own.

Cui Ji was sitting close to the edge of the pavilion, and the slanting wind and rain had soaked half his body, making him look a bit pitiful.

Cheng Ge scratched the pillar with his fingertip. As a young man born in New China, he had learned from childhood to emulate Lei Feng.

After a moment’s thought, he turned and pulled Cui Ji’s wheelchair back to a drier spot.

Cui Ji was lost in thought when a sudden tug interrupted him. He turned to see Cheng Ge pulling his wheelchair backward.

Cui Ji was tall and muscular, so his weight was naturally heavy; it wasn’t easy for an ordinary person to move him.

"Thank you," Cui Ji said softly.

Cheng Ge paused, then smiled and patted his shoulder. "Ah, no trouble at all."

After this small incident, the two didn’t speak again.

The rain fell urgently, and as the sky grew dark, the palace gates were about to close. If he didn’t leave soon, he’d be stuck.

Cheng Ge thought about the good fortune he’d received today and wanted to go back and buy a roast chicken to celebrate, but the weather had other plans, delaying him with this sudden downpour.

If he waited any longer, he wouldn’t even get a scrap of chicken, let alone a feast.

Still, the rain had lightened a bit now. If he ran a stretch out of the palace and bought an umbrella, it should be fine.

He decided to plunge into the rain, but after just two steps, he quickly turned back.

"Hey man, do you live in the palace?"

Cui Ji didn't think he'd come back, but his face stayed blank. "No."

Cheng Ge saw him sitting alone in the pavilion, no one around, and the guy was disabled—looked pretty pitiful.

"So, is anyone coming to get you? The palace gates are gonna lock soon."

Cui Ji just looked at him, unreadable. His fingers curled a little as he turned to look outside, not saying anything.

Seeing that, Cheng Ge figured he was right.

"How about I walk you out of the palace?"

Cui Ji didn't expect him to say that. He stared at Cheng Ge, wondering how this guy, who hadn't even figured his own stuff out, was gonna help him.

Seeing his face, Cheng Ge figured the guy was just a little shy.

He casually put a hand on Cui Ji's shoulder. "Don't worry, meeting you is fate. I'll make sure you get out of the palace safe and sound."

With that, he put both hands on the wheelchair and gave it a hard push. It was fine on normal days, but in the rain, it was troublesome.

It was slow, and any little step or threshold made it a pain to move.

Forget it—if he brought this thing, they'd never make it out before dark.

"Have someone come back for the wheelchair when you get a chance."

Saying this, he took off his outer robe and draped it over Cui Ji's head, then grabbed his wrists and firmly placed them around his own neck.

Bending down, he slid one arm under Cui Ji's knees and the other around his back, lifting him straight up.

Cui Ji: "???"

The hidden guard lurking in the shadows: "!!!"