Jiaohua

Chapter 1652 Nie Huimo's Visit

Coincidentally, Xia Zhaoyi was also going to find him.

Half an hour ago, a package meant for Zhili was unexpectedly delivered to her.

Xia Zhaoyi hadn't even opened the package when she saw Zhili arrive, and Xia Zhaoyi handed it to him.

The package was heavy. After unwrapping the outer cloth, a long wooden box was revealed inside. Pushing open the board on the box and pulling it out, a thick stack of drawing paper was squeezed inside.

Zhi Li suddenly remembered: "It's the painting Wen Baixi was talking about!"

The drawing paper is divided into two parts: one part is for Wen Baixi's customers, and the remaining majority is for Wen Baixi's customers' bills.

Each drawing also includes annotations of physical characteristics, such as height, weight, and build.

Zhili continued, "I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot about what he mentioned. Luckily, it arrived in time. Otherwise, once I leave tomorrow, these paintings would have gone through several hands before reaching me. If I were to send them to you, Junior Sister, it would probably be early October before you even see them."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Yes."

As she flipped through the paintings, she indeed spotted Pang Yi.

It's really a coincidence.

Back then, Pang Yi went to Beijing with her, Lao Tong, and Zhi Changle, and then Pang Yi left without saying goodbye.

Later, she went to Youzhou, where Kang Jian unexpectedly saved someone, who was none other than Pang Yi.

Pang Yi remembered Kang Jian's appearance, and later asked Wen Baixi to draw Kang Jian's face, which was then posted by Yang Liulou.

Scrolling down a few more pages, she saw Nangong Qiuming, Ling'er, and Liao Yi, who had attacked her with a knife that day.

Suddenly, Xia Zhaoyi's fingers stopped, and her gaze fell on a portrait.

The person in the portrait has an ordinary appearance, a long and thin face, and eyes that are neither too big nor too small, but very bright, with a gentle gaze.

A fragmented head peered closer: "Hmm? Who is this person?"

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Look at this line of small print."

Looking closely, he read aloud, "The fingers are long, much longer than normal, a deformity."

After reading it, Zhili suddenly froze and looked at Xia Zhaoyi: "Ah! Feng Qingang?!"

The most distinctive feature they currently know of Feng Qingang is his long fingers.

"So this is what he looks like! I've never seen him before! Senior Sister, it seems Wen Baixi is really useful. By the way, quickly flip through the pages again and see if there's anything else useful!"

"Ah."

They flipped through the pages one by one when Yan Ziyan suddenly knocked softly on the door: "General."

"Enter."

Yan Ziyan entered with a visiting card: "General, someone has delivered a visiting card."

“Who is it?” Zhi Li said. “The people in Yunbo should all know that my senior sister is leaving tomorrow.”

Xia Zhaoyi opened the envelope, took out the letter, and said, "It's Nie Huimo."

Zhili immediately gasped, "Ah!"

Xia Zhaoyi looked at him, stammering awkwardly, "Senior sister, then, are you going to stay for him? After all, he specifically issued a challenge to Jin Hongkang in order to relieve the pressure on Hejing..."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "My schedule is tight. If I stay tomorrow, I will definitely not leave until the day after tomorrow, and it will rain the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I was going to say, it's going to rain the day after tomorrow! So, I'll prepare a backup gift for him, some local specialties and antiques, so he won't make a wasted trip tomorrow!"

Xia Zhaoyi nodded: "Yes, that's fine."

Zhi Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Before he could even catch his breath, Feng Ping rushed in: "General, a man surnamed Nie has come to see you. He said he has presented a visiting card."

fragmented:"……"

Xia Zhaoyi: "..."

"No!" Zhili exclaimed, "What's wrong with him? Wasn't he supposed to come tomorrow?"

Xia Zhaoyi looked down at the letter, paused, and said, "His letter...did not mention tomorrow."

This tomorrow seems to be what she and Zhili subconsciously thought.

Zhili frowned: "Then..."

Xia Zhaoyi looked at Feng Ping: "Please invite General Nie in and serve tea."

"Yes!"

Nie Huimo stood with his hands behind his back in the lobby downstairs. He was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and had a tall and upright figure. Beside him were a man and a woman, who happened to be a married couple, Ji Liang and Jiang Yang.

Ji Liang occasionally glanced up at Nie Huimo. Nie Huimo's brows were deep and his dark eyes were like a pool of deep ink. Ji Liang couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he knew that Nie Huimo was in a bad mood. From vaguely noticing that something was wrong to gradually confirming that Nie Huimo had really fallen for Ali, the process surprised Ji Liang. However, what shocked him even more was that the general's feelings had actually taken root to this point.

The general is clearly a smart man; he should know that there's no way he and Ali could possibly be together.

Feng Ping came downstairs and respectfully approached Nie Huimo, her attitude gentle and polite, inviting them to go upstairs.

Ji Liang and Jiang Yang followed behind.

When Feng Ping met Ji Liang's gaze, she smiled at her, but Ji Liang coldly looked away.

Feng Ping wasn't angry; she'd seen plenty of girls like Ji Liang.

Inside the study, Xia Zhaoyi and Zhili had already put away all the drawing paper. When Nie Huimo came in, he saw the two of them standing in front of the desk, discussing fingers.

Nie Huimo raised his eyebrows slightly as his gaze fell on Xia Zhaoyi's face, surprised that she had gotten so tanned.

But her features have matured and become much more refined. Although she has gotten tanned, her contours have become clearer, and her eyes are dark, lustrous, and crystal clear.

Even Ji Liang was surprised. She was much older than Xia Zhaoyi and thought that girls of this age would love beauty and be a bit spoiled. She didn't expect that Xia Zhaoyi would actually be willing to tan herself.

Xia Zhaoyi looked over generously and gestured, "General Nie, please sit down."

Feng Ping led several soldiers in and served them tea.

Ji Liang and Jiang Yang did not sit, but stood behind Nie Huimo.

Nie Huimo moved his lips, wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say. He continued to scrutinize her face, his gaze so deep it seemed he wanted to dig a hole in her skin.

"General Nie, is there something important that you are visiting at this time?" Xia Zhaoyi asked first.

Nie Huimo collected his thoughts, paused, and said, "Jiang Yang."

Jiang Yang nodded, stepped out from behind him, and presented a red silk gift box with both hands: "General Ali, this gift is to congratulate you on your victory in taking Yong'an."

Xia Zhaoyi took it, but didn't open it in a hurry. She looked at Nie Huimo and said, "Thank you, General Nie."

Nie Huimo was a little unaccustomed to her speaking to him so gently—

In the blink of an eye, Nie Huimo felt that he was being a masochist. It would be better to talk nicely than to argue or fight every time they met.

At the same time, Nie Huimo knew that her friendly attitude was due to the challenge he had sent to Jin Hongkang.

“…General Nie?” Xia Zhaoyi asked.

Nie Huimo frowned slightly and said calmly, "No need to be so polite."

Even though he was caught daydreaming, he remained composed as if nothing had happened.

Xia Zhaoyi said, "General Nie, I still owe you a promise. Do you have any thoughts on it?"

Nie Huimo said, "Not for now. I have plenty of troops and supplies. If I want to kill someone, I can do it myself."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Alright, then I'll just have to keep this promise."

Nie Huimo looked at her.

She didn't say a word about his challenge.

But if she doesn't remember his "merits," she won't speak to him politely.

However, Nie Huimo would not mention Weng Enhou's head...

Although she mentioned in her letter that the severed head would not negate her promise, Nie Huimo felt guilty.

The promise she "owed" had long become the only bond between the two of them, and Nie Huimo was afraid that this promise would disappear.

"Then, General Nie, is there anything else?" Xia Zhaoyi broke the silence again.

Before coming here, Nie Huimo had a lot of ideas in his mind, but after sitting down, it was as if he had swallowed them all; he couldn't remember them at all...

He then realized that he had done things "by some strange impulse" every time he met her.

For example, that cheesy love letter he wrote while in Ha-kyung—thankfully, she didn't read it.

For example, on a sudden impulse, he might ask her how he can marry her.

For example, when the spy returned and said that she was in Guzhou, he immediately rushed over, thinking that she was so close.

Usually, Ling Yang and Xiang Shan would accompany him, but he couldn't even wait for Ling Yang and Xiang Shan to return from their errands, fearing that they would leave after a short stay, so he rushed over immediately.

Nie Huimo quickly racked his brains, and oh, he thought of a topic.

"General Ali, what are your plans regarding Jin Hongkang?"

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Not yet."

"none?"

“If war breaks out, the people will suffer. Jin Hongkang dares not act rashly now. If he doesn’t act, I won’t act either.”