Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 252: Chapter 230 I’m Not Asking You Chapter 252: Chapter 230 I’m Not Asking You It wasn’t Rong Zhi.

Chu Yu lowered her head, unable to determine if her current feelings were of disappointment or relief, or perhaps a mixture of both.

What she had glimpsed hastily outside Baima Temple that day could be said to have been a mistake, yet it could also be said she hadn’t been mistaken.

After the young man entered the room, he found himself a brocade cushion and sat down facing Guan Canghai. His features were very similar to Rong Zhi’s, whether it was the picturesque eyebrows and eyes or the beautiful facial outline; almost identical to Rong Zhi’s. If one glanced over from a distance and considering the effect of the light, it would be very easy to mistake him for Rong Zhi.

But he wasn’t.

With just one look, Chu Yu had made out the differences between him and Rong Zhi.

It wasn’t a slight difference in appearance. Even if this young man had a face that was exactly identical to Rong Zhi’s, Chu Yu could confidently distinguish the two of them–it was a fundamentally different distinction in temperament.

Rong Zhi was composed, Rong Zhi was serene, even if he harbored a fierce killing intent within, he always maintained an appearance of elegance and gentleness. However, this person was different; his brows and eyes always lacked Rong Zhi’s knack for restraint. He made no attempt to hide his indifference, and he carried an imposing aura that warned others not to get too close.

Yet, these were just minor details. Chu Yu could differentiate them with one look because of another reason.

Even when physically at his weakest, Rong Zhi always gave her a sense of strength that did not show itself often but only emerged hintingly at the most desperate times. He was an immovable mountain; he was an everlasting ocean… But this young man, despite the dignified and noble features, showed a vulnerability resembling fragile ice and thin blades within the imposed strength, easy to be shattered.

This young man… wasn’t strong enough,
Or to be more precise, his strength wasn’t essential.

Even though he was surrounded by powerful martial forces for protection, these were merely external. Rong Zhi’s strength was always from within.

This young man bore a remarkable resemblance to Rong Zhi, there might be a significant connection between them, but no matter what, he wasn’t Rong Zhi. Realising this first and foremost allowed Chu Yu to breathe a sigh of relief.

Now she understood what Guan Canghai had said; whether the young man was Rong Zhi or not could only be confirmed by her own eyes from up close, it was useless to take anyone else’s word for it. And his having them dress up as attendants to stand behind him wasn’t just for fun, but to provide them with a good vantage point. If they had only observed from afar, due to the physical resemblance, it would be easy to confuse the two men.

With her mind at ease, Chu Yu began to ponder the identity of the other party. Judging from his entourage, the person should hold a high and powerful position, and the rigorous protection around him indicated that his status might place him in a very dangerous situation, having to be on guard against attacks and assassination.

Nobility, coupled with danger, when considering the change of emperors that took place last year, Chu Yu could faintly detect some of the underlying scents, although she could not yet identify this young man’s identity, he was likely related to the Northern Wei regime, perhaps even to the Northern Wei Imperial Family.

Upon this understanding, Chu Yu’s attention diverted to Hua Cuo at her side. She felt helpless seeing Hua Cuo’s face, which seemed as if wanting to devour the young man whole, eyes intently locked on him as if to peel a layer of skin from his body.

It was as if Hua Cuo’s face read “I am not an ordinary person”, and the young man seemed to possess great composure. Despite being closely watched by Hua Cuo, he acted as if nothing was amiss. He ignored Hua Cuo’s presence and politely asked Guan Canghai some questions.

Chu Yu initially wanted to listen carefully to the questions the young man was asking Guan Canghai. But after a few sentences, she gave up. The two of them spoke in such a roundabout manner; they said nothing straightforward, persistently dealing in insinuations.

Anything that could possibly be used for metaphors, birds in the sky, horses on the ground, mountains and rivers, spring flowers, autumn leaves, they all came out of their mouths, yet they refused to speak directly about people.

Chu Yu could vaguely discern that they were speaking in a coded language; the birds, horses, landscapes, flowers, and leaves likely all had hidden meanings. However, she wasn’t aware of the context of their conversation, so she couldn’t deduce the real situation. She just followed along, confused, forgetting nine out of ten things she heard, eventually deciding not to delve deeper.