Time is Slow / Meet You in My Prime - Chapter 5 : Homecoming

"You were playing chess with me, and you actually fell asleep?" Chi Can asked calmly.

Qiao Zhao woke up with a start, and her chess piece fell with a crisp sound.

"You're seeing things." The girl's voice was soft and sweet.

She was just taking a nap.

"I saw that you had your eyes closed just now," Chi Can said with a smile, but his tone made people's scalps tingle.

"If you don't believe me, look and see if I made any mistakes." The girl's fingers were as white and tender as jade, and she tapped the elm wood chessboard lightly.

Time in seclusion was slow, and playing chess was a good way to kill free time. She, who could play against her grandfather, could play against the man in front of her without making any mistakes even with her eyes closed.

Thinking about it this way, it seemed a bit bullying.

Chi Can's eyes subconsciously followed where the girl's fingers fell. Seeing that he suffered heavy losses after the other party made that move, he doubted his own judgment for the first time.

It's impossible for this girl to be asleep just now, right?

"Let's get off. Pack up quickly. We'll be docking soon," Yang Er interrupted their conversation with a smile.

Soon the boat docked, and just as Yang Er said, they didn't enter the city.

Chi Can easily found a stable outside the city and selected three strong horses.

He patted the horse's back and said to Qiao Zhao, "It's not convenient for the three of us to ride with you. I'll take you into the city and find an inn to stay in later."

"I can ride a horse," Qiao Zhao said.

Chi Can was stunned for a moment, looking down at the little girl whose height was not even as high as his armpits, curled his lips, and picked out another horse: "Since you can ride, I'll take you with us."

"Thank you," Qiao Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, smiled widely, and walked towards the chestnut horse.

Yang Er couldn't help but whisper to Zhu Wu, "Why did Shi Xi suddenly become so easy to talk to?"

Zhu Wu glanced at Qiao Zhao's stature and guessed unkindly, "Maybe he thought the girl couldn't ride on it, so he wanted to make fun of her."

"I think Shi Xi will be disappointed. That girl is quite amazing. She can beat you in chess at such a young age. Maybe her horsemanship is even better than mine," Yang Er said.

Zhu Wu looked straight ahead with a strange expression.

Yang Er looked in the direction and saw that the big chestnut horse threw the little girl aside and ran away leisurely.

The little girl snorted a lot of dirt and started coughing violently.

"Her riding skills are superb indeed," Zhu Wu laughed.

Looking at the running horse, Qiao Zhao was a little confused.

She really could ride a horse...

"You wait for us at the inn," Chi Can smiled, not hiding the joy in his eyes.

This guy just wants to get rid of her, right?

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes and thought.

She wouldn't complain about anything.

She was just a chance acquaintance to the three of them, so she should be grateful that they were willing to lend a helping hand.

But this time, she could only repay kindness with enmity.

"I want to go with you guys. Brother Chi, give me a ride..."

"No, men and women shouldn't touch each other!" Chi Can flatly refused.

How can this girl be so shameless?

"I don't care."

Chi Can rolled his eyes and said unceremoniously, "Of course I know you don't care, but I do!"

Don't blame him for being harsh. If he had a gentler personality, he would probably not dare to go out in the capital.

Hearing Chi Can's straightforward words, Qiao Zhao chuckled instead.

That year, this man was so shameless in pestering her grandfather, and now it was her turn to pester him. It really felt like a cycle of cause and effect.

"What are you laughing at?" Chi Can frowned.

This girl was a little weird, and he couldn't treat her as an ordinary girl of twelve or thirteen years old.

"I am laughing because if you don't take me with you on this trip, I'm afraid you won't be able to get what you want."

Chi Can's eyes suddenly became sharp. He met the half-smiley eyes of the girl opposite him, laughed, and mocked: "Little girl, you like to be mysterious. Do you think I will take you there? Haha, I'll take you if you tell me where we are going."

"Shi Xi, stop teasing Third Miss Li," Yang Er couldn't bear it.

Zhu Wu followed up and said, "Yes, otherwise I'll take her with me."

Chi Can raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Wu was the Fifth Son of Marquis Taining. Not only was his status noble, but he was also very talented. He passed the imperial examination at a young age. He usually looks gentle, but in fact, he was quite arrogant.

It was really strange that he was willing to take care of a little girl.

Zhu Wu felt embarrassed by Chi Can's look, coughed lightly, and said, "Don't think too much; I just think it's okay to take her with me."

The character of a chess player was like their moves in a chess game, so a woman who could beat him with great force should not do anything to curry favor with the rich and nobles. Moreover, she was really just a little girl who had not grown up yet.

"The Qiao family of Xingzi Forest," Qiao Zhao opened her lips and uttered five words.

Three pairs of eyes suddenly looked at her.

"How do you know?" Yang Er blurted out.

Qiao Zhao felt slightly relieved.

The bet was right!

Chi Can had visited her grandfather more than three years ago, and although her grandfather had passed away, her father and brother had returned to Jiafeng.

She really couldn't imagine that the son of the Eldest Princess would go through all the hardships of traveling to Jiafeng just to have fun.

They were probably visiting their father. If she guessed correctly, Chi Can would definitely take her with him, whether out of curiosity or precaution.

If she guessed wrong...

If Chi Can and the other two were not going to her house, there would be no need for her to follow them.

After all, she had nothing to lose by making her shocking statement.

The expressions of those three people changed.

Chi Can even forgot about the saying 'men and women should not touch each other' and grabbed Qiao Zhao's wrist: "How did you know? Who are you?"

"I guessed," Qiao Zhao smiled. "I am the daughter of Li Xiu Zhuan from the capital. I live in Xingzi Alley, West Street."

At this point, Qiao Zhao herself was slightly stunned.

Xingzi Alley...

Her real home was in 'Xingzi' Forest, and the little girl Li Zhao's home... was in 'Xingzi' Alley.

What a coincidence.

"Don't say these useless things. You know, this is not what I'm asking," Chi Can looked at Qiao Zhao seriously again.

The first time he looked at her like this, he just felt that this little girl was quite clever.

But this time, he felt that this girl... was really quite evil!

Qiao Zhao blinked, showing the innocence of the little girl to the fullest: "It's not as complicated as Brother Chi thinks. I just..."

She paused, then continued, "I just admire Old Master Qiao very much, so I guessed that the three brothers came to Jiafeng to visit Old Master Qiao's home."

There was no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Old Master Qiao Zhuo, who was recognized as the first talent by scholars all over the empire decades ago, certainly deserved the respect of all scholars.

The three people could definitely understand what the little girl who had a high level of chess skills standing in front of them meant.

"Old Master Qiao... has passed away," Chi Can said in an inexplicable tone.

Qiao Zhao felt a pain in her heart, raised her eyes, and looked at him: "Yes, but Master Qiao is still here."

Master Qiao was her father, the former Left Censor-in-Chief.

After his grandfather passed away, he returned to Jiafeng with his family to observe mourning.

Different from her grandfather, who was carefree and unrestrained, her father had a serious temperament. When it came to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he was not as good as his daughter.

But no one knew.

"That's really how you guessed it?"

"Jiafeng doesn't have any famous mountains or rivers. The reason why the three brothers came here from the capital is not that hard to guess."

Chi Can stared at Qiao Zhao for a long time, then asked, "How can you be so sure that I can't get what I want without you?"

Of course, he came to Jiafeng for something.

Qiao Zhao smiled sweetly, tilted her head, and said playfully, "Brother Chi will know when we get to the Xingzi Forest."

Chi Can climbed onto the horse and extended a hand to Qiao Zhao: "Get on."

Qiao Zhao handed her hand to him and felt a strong force coming. She instantly flew into the air and landed on the horse's back.

As they rode at lightning speed, the sound of the wind whistled in her ears. The man's low and lazy voice came from above her head: "They are obviously easier to talk to than me. Why didn't you ask them to take you before?"

Well, although his handsome looks were the most important reason, he still hoped to hear something new.

Qiao Zhao smiled and replied, "Of course, I won't bother the two young masters with this problem."

She was a person who knew how to repay kindness. She had already remembered the favor she owed Chi Can, and she couldn't owe it to another one.

Chi Can's face darkened.

It turned out that he was the only one who was being ordered around!

He thought, this girl is not cute at all!