Chapter 1817: [Secret of the Heart Sutra] (Part I)

Qiqi's gaze fell on his body; seeing this guy's underpants tightly clinging to his body, the part between his legs that makes one blush and heart race, she, as if startled, hastily turned her gaze elsewhere, but her ears had already completely turned red.

Hu Xiaotian realized something from her reaction, feeling it improper himself, he picked up the prepared bathrobe nearby and put it on, then picked up another and came behind Qiqi to drape it over her shoulders, but Qiqi screamed as if bitten by a snake.

Hu Xiaotian also let out a shout.

Qiqi angrily said, "What are you shouting for?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "It's not like that; you suddenly shouted and scared me."

Qiqi gave him a sideways glance; seeing him put on the bathrobe, her heart began to relax. She also put on the bathrobe, and Hu Xiaotian handed her a cotton towel to wrap her wet hair. Liang Da Zhuang was summoned; seeing the Yongyang Princess in this attire, he secretly sighed, this willful princess must have been led astray by Hu Xiaotian—this young master really is troublesome.

Hu Xiaotian whispered a few words to Liang Da Zhuang, who turned and left; shortly after he returned with a crystal cup filled with orange-yellow iced orange juice, with two reeds inserted.

Qiqi had thought they were chopsticks; after Liang Da Zhuang left, she disdainfully clicked her tongue and said, "A cup and a pair of chopsticks—you're really stingy."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You haven't seen the world; this isn't a chopstick, it's a straw—come try the iced fresh juice." He handed Qiqi a straw; although she outwardly showed displeasure, despite being a princess she had never tried such a novelty, she imitated Hu Xiaotian by placing the straw in her lips and taking a gentle sip; the sweet-tart orange juice entered her mouth, making every pore feel refreshed. They shared one cup, you sip, I sip, and Hu Xiaotian dazedly felt as if he had returned to his previous life, gazing at Qiqi like a lotus emerging from water, he secretly sighed, if only he could dress this girl in a bikini, what a charming flavor it would be, though her small chest would likely diminish the effect.

Qiqi saw him staring blankly at her, glared and said, "What are you looking at?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I only look at what's nice to look at; if you were born looking like a big monkey, I wouldn't bother looking at you."

Qiqi spat, "You're the big monkey!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "You and a big monkey playing mandarin ducks in the water, sharing a cup—your taste is quite heavy."

Qiqi said, "Meeting someone shameless like you, I have nothing good to say."

At this moment Liang Da Zhuang again brought in a fruit platter; Qiqi watched him warily, and Hu Xiaotian said, "He's always followed me; you've seen him—if you're worried he'll spout nonsense, we could just silence him."

Liang Da Zhuang set down the fruit platter, frightened, he knelt with a thud and said, "I'm just a blind man; I can't see anything."

Qiqi gave Hu Xiaotian a white-eye glance and said, "Who said we'd silence him? Why scare him for no reason?"

Liang Da Zhuang then raised his sleeve to wipe sweat, but heard Qiqi say again, "Worried he'll talk nonsense—just cut off his tongue."

Liang Da Zhuang, terrified, hurriedly kowtowed, "Princess, spare my life! Princess, spare my life!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily, "Go on, the princess is just joking with you; without my order, no one may enter."

Liang Da Zhuang then scrambled up and fled in panic.

Qiqi looked at Hu Xiaotian and said, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Hu Xiaotian picked up a banana, peeled it, and forcibly stuffed it into Qiqi's mouth: "Eat something; you've been talking so much, you need to replenish your energy."

At this moment the sky gradually darkened, sunlight being slowly covered by dark clouds; Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows, it seemed a storm was approaching—indeed, midsummer weather changes as soon as it's said.

Qiqi, however, recalled the jade pixiu she had given him, and softly said, "You didn't bring the thing I gave you?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "One can't possibly carry it around all the time."

Qiqi bit her lower lip, showing displeasure.

Hu Xiaotian then shifted his tone: "Although the pixiu can't be with me all the time, I constantly keep you in my heart—I fear that in this life and the next, you won't be able to get rid of me."

Qiqi's pretty face flushed crimson; she spat, "Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, who knows how many women you've said that line to—do you think I'm that easy to trick?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "If a woman went through life without any man wanting to deceive her, that would be a kind of sorrow; you're so strong-willed, even if I wanted to deceive you, you'd surely make me fall hopelessly in love with you, unable to extricate myself, willing to die beneath your pomegranate skirt."

Qiqi said, "You really think you're a treasure."

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "At least I have some self-awareness; if someone else treated you like this, no number of heads would be enough for you to chop off, and only I could make you this tolerant, right?"

Qiqi secretly thought, "You do understand somewhat; I've been so good to you, yet you abandon me and marry another—thinking of this, my heart turned cold again."

Hu Xiaotian, from the subtle changes in her expression, already guessed her mood, and softly said, "Don't say it's just you—there were many things I myself didn't understand before; only after experiencing them did I learn what's worth cherishing, right?" His hand lightly covered the back of her hand.

Qiqi did not pull her hand away, staring into his eyes and said, "Your words indeed hit my heart, but I also understand that when you often say such things to move me, it's usually to trick me into helping you with something—speak, what do you now want to use me for?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed, pointed at Qiqi and said, "At a time like this, you actually say such things—it really hurts me, it disappoints me."

Qiqi pinched a grape, fed it into Hu Xiaotian's mouth, and softly said, "You're a cheat to the bone; those involved are confused while outsiders see clearly—telling too many lies often deceives even oneself; I just like speaking the truth; actually I haven't finished speaking, although you've deceived me a thousand times, I have never held a grudge against you in my heart, so no matter what you ask me to help you with, I think I still won't refuse."

Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, felt his heart swell—is this a confession to me? No matter how you torment me a thousand times, I still treat you like my first love, little girl, you're amazing! You're also a cheat; even I, this old driver, am moved by you.

Hu Xiaotian reached out and grasped Qiqi's delicate hand again; Qiqi looked at him, smiling, waiting for him to make a demand, thinking inwardly, "Put on an act! Go ahead and act hard, but in the end you'll still show your fox's tail."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Then I won't hide it from you—how about you stay tonight and keep me company?"

Qiqi's pretty face flushed crimson; she never expected this guy to make such a request, she forcefully shook off Hu Xiaotian's hand, grabbed grapes from the fruit platter and hurled them at his face.

Hu Xiaotian raised his hand to block: "It's clearly you who made me say that."

Qiqi said, "Hu Xiaotian, you're clearly doing this on purpose to humiliate me, aren't you?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily, but his laughter was cut off by a muffled thunder; in this moment, the sky was already overcast with dark clouds.

A thunderclap burst from the flat ground, startling Qiqi to her feet.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Looks like it's really going to rain; let's go back inside to talk."

Qiqi nodded, also stopped horsing around with him; the two returned to the room together. Just as they entered, outside poured a torrential downpour. Hu Xiaotian seemed to recall something: "Oh no, I forgot to bring your clothes inside."

Qiqi said nothing, inwardly thinking he did it on purpose.

Hu Xiaotian asked her to sit, then ordered the servants to prepare dinner; Qiqi originally hadn't intended to stay that long, but after arriving here, time was no longer under her control—now even heaven seems to want to detain her, yet she also realized that while she can manage the imperial court, when she's with Hu Xiaotian she is completely passive.

She whispered, "I will definitely have to go back tonight."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "You're overthinking; I was just joking earlier." He handed Qiqi a cup of hot tea; at this moment, rain threads drifted in through the wind, Hu Xiaotian went to close the window, the room instantly grew dim, he came to the table and lit the candles, then softly said, "Today I went to the Great Imperial Temple."

Qiqi gave an "oh", the shyness on her face instantly faded, her whole person returned to reality in an instant; Hu Xiaotian after all still had proper business to discuss.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Do you still remember when we previously went there, Yuanmu smashed the pagoda right before our eyes?"

Qiqi nodded; this matter has continually troubled her— that old monk must know many inner details, yet extracting the truth from his mouth is not easy. She also didn't know what happened after that day when she followed Quan De'an away, but since Hu Xiaotian asked this way, he must have discovered something.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Yuanmu is Minghuai's disciple; he should have some knowledge about the affairs of the crown princess back then."

Qiqi's expression grew solemn; the crown princess was her mother Ling Jiazi, and what exactly happened back then is also what she most wants to know; she whispered, "It seems I need to go meet him in person."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head, "Even if you go see him, he might not be willing to speak, but he has put forward a condition."

"What condition?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "He wants the Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing; he also agreed with me—if I can deliver the hand-copied Heart Sutra of Emperor Taizong from back then to him, he will tell me what he knows."

Qiqi furrowed her brows slightly, paced a few steps slowly, and said softly, "The Banruo Boluomiduo Xin Jing? The hand-copied Heart Sutra of Emperor Taizong is a unique copy, long destroyed—yet I don't know why he's certain it's with me."

Hu Xiaotian hearing her say that couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed; if it truly is as Qiqi said, it seems the only viable option left is to forcefully break into Heavenly Dragon Temple. He whispered: "I also don't know why he would think that, but he said the Lingxi Buddha Bone is in the palace; wherever the Lingxi Buddha Bone is, there must be the Heart Sutra!"

Yesterday that Single Chapter almost caused Lao Zhangyu to suffer internal injury from holding back; in the early hours, the Three More plus Single Chapter effect seems not significant; then another First Update, as a token of sincerity, those with tickets, hurry to vote—I'm not afraid you won't vote, I'm afraid you'll forget! Zhangyu went down to type; there will be more tonight! (To be continued~^~)