Chapter 428: Tempted (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Chu Yi stopped in his tracks and picked up the headband with his two slender fingers. Only then did Gu Yanfei realize that the end of the headband had been tied into a knot.
“Don’t move.” Chu Yi’s fingers deftly untied the knot on his headband. Even if his slender fingers did such a simple action, it was still quite pleasing to the eye, giving off a gentle and powerful feeling.
Soon, Chu Yi untied the knot on the headband and casually tucked it behind Gu Yanfei’s fair ear. He smiled slightly. “Done.”
In the morning light, the handsome and tall young man’s black hair was like ink, his eyes were like bright stars, and his posture was elegant. Against his gentle temperament, like the spring breeze, even the brilliance of the rising sun was overshadowed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gu Yanfei’s heart was beating a little fast. Her right index finger casually curled around the headband.
“Let’s go.” She walked forward briskly, and the smile on her face became brighter.
Chu Yi walked side by side with her. He lowered his eyes and stared at her well-defined side profile and the shallow dimple beside her lips. He said, “My Imperial Father likes to raise birds and parrots. Recently, he has also encouraged An Le to raise a parrot. He said that two parrots are good companions.”
“A few days ago, a small country in the Western Region just paid tribute with a few peac.o.c.ks. Father was worried that the peac.o.c.ks wouldn’t adapt to the environment, so he temporarily raised them in the sparrow forest. He will send them to the palace in a month.”
Peac.o.c.k? Gu Yanfei’s eyes immediately lit up. She said energetically, “I’ve never seen a peac.o.c.k before.”
The middle-aged eunuch smiled and pointed in a direction. “Your Highness, Miss Gu, the sparrow forest is in the northwest.”
“Not only do they have peac.o.c.ks in the forest, but they also have other birds. Myna, rooster, parrot, sparrow, magpie, mountain sparrow, swallow, pigeon… All of them.”
This manor was neither big nor small. After walking for about half a cup of tea’s time, the few of them entered a garden through a small door. Hundreds of flowers were blooming in the early spring garden, and the fragrance was overflowing. The fragrance of peaches, spring flowers, magnolias, and other fragrances mixed together.
The middle-aged eunuch led the two of them to an octagonal pavilion. A few plates of fruits and tea had already been placed on the stone table in the pavilion.
He was about to say something when he heard a high-pitched and strange cry suddenly come from behind a few half-sized bushes. “Whoa—Whoa!”
“Little ancestor, don’t run…” Another servant shouted helplessly, his voice sharp.
In the next moment, a colorful blue peac.o.c.k with an emerald feather crown on its head jumped out of the flowers. Its strong and powerful claws ran up. Occasionally, it would spread its wings and fly low over the flowers. It barged towards Gu Yanfei and Chu Yi, its gorgeous feathers dazzling.
The sharp beak let out a cry like an old crow that wasn’t pleasant to the ears.
“Little ancestor.” Behind him, a green-robed servant bowed and quickly chased after the blue peac.o.c.k. He staggered slightly, and his body was stained with a few remnant leaves and flowers. He looked a little disheveled.
The little eunuch was about to fly over and catch the blue peac.o.c.k when he saw Chu Yi and Gu Yanfei by the pavilion. His entire body froze, afraid that he would offend someone important.
This was a peac.o.c.k! Gu Yanfei sized up the blue peac.o.c.k in front of her without blinking. She couldn’t help but think of the favorite mount of her Eldest Senior Sister in the Bright Spirit Realm.
It was a divine bird called the Imperial Bird. It was even better-looking and stronger than this blue peac.o.c.k, especially with its long tail.
“Meow-”
The calico cat poked its head out curiously from the hood of the cloak behind Gu Yanfei. Its eyes were wide open, and its green eyes were shining under the sun.
Imperial Bird! It looks like an Imperial Bird!
The cat recognized it too and was thrilled.
While in the Bright Spirit Realm, Qing Guang liked the tail feathers of the Imperial Bird and kept chasing after it. However, the Imperial Bird was arrogant and disdained Qing Guang. It even pecked it a few times.
“Meow!”
Qing Guang nimbly jumped onto Gu Yanfei’s shoulder. Then, it kicked its hind legs and pounced excitedly at the blue peac.o.c.k.
Its series of movements were as smooth as flowing water. It jumped through the air and landed lightly on the back of the peac.o.c.k.
Gu Yanfei was caught off guard by the crazy cat and staggered back half a step.
“Be careful.” Chu Yi held her slender waist horizontally, his voice as gentle and elegant as usual.
He looked thin and weak, but his arms, hidden in his wide sleeves, were very firm. Even through the sleeves, one could feel the smooth lines of his arms.
The faint fragrance of snow and green bamboo floated in the air. It was very familiar and smelled good..