Chapter 183 True Name
At the gate of the Duke's Mansion, the lanterns were also wet. Zhao Ke parked the carriage, Tong'er opened the oil-paper umbrella, helped Jiang Li get off the carriage, and walked towards the Duke's Mansion together.

The flowers in the flowerbed of the Duke's Mansion were so colorful that they became even more beautiful after the drizzle. It seemed that the white frost in winter was also washed away, revealing their original beauty. Walking among them, it felt like you were not in the human world.

In the birdcage at the door, Xiaohong was standing on a branch, squinting her eyes, hiding her head in her feathers, sleeping soundly. It was for this reason that she did not scream when she saw Jiang Li.

Wen Ji was standing outside Ji Heng's study. When he saw Zhao Ke bringing Jiang Li in, he said to Jiang Li, "The master is in the study."

Jiang Li nodded. Bai Xue and Tong'er stayed outside while Jiang Li pushed the door and walked in.

The window in the study was closed and the light was on. There was the sound of pattering rain outside and the flickering lights inside. Jiang Li closed the door, and the last bit of cool breeze disappeared from the room.

Ji Heng sat at the table, lazily. His red robe reached the ground, revealing a corner embroidered with intricate patterns. Under the light, it looked like flowing jewels, and his eyes were more moving than gems. His long eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing his passion.

After Jiang Li walked into the house, he glanced at Jiang Li and was slightly startled.

Jiang Li's dress today is very different from before. She used to be a plain and pure girl, but now she is wearing bright and delicate colors, unfamiliar clothes and makeup, and has become a strange woman.

It is not like the snow-white pear blossoms that first bloom in March, with a hint of sweetness, but like the peach color hidden in the deep mountains in April, with a charming style.

But the clarity and stubbornness in those eyes seemed to have not changed from beginning to end.

He stood up and raised an eyebrow, "You are dressed very differently today."

Jiang Li smiled: "Really?"

She dressed like this on purpose. She went to see Princess Yongning to settle this grudge, so she couldn't use the identity of Miss Jiang Er, she had to become Xue Fangfei. Xue Fangfei had made the mistake that year, so it was Xue Fangfei who should make up for it. She used Xue Fangfei's soul to talk to Princess Yongning. As for Princess Yongning's shock, fear, and nightmare-like entanglement after she left, it had nothing to do with Jiang Li.

"The Duke asked Zhao Ke to let me come here, but what's the matter?" Jiang Li asked.

Ji Heng asked her to go so late, perhaps to fulfill the agreement, but Jiang Li felt that Ji Heng was not such a hasty person. At least he would wait until Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong were executed before he would take the initiative to bring up this matter.

Ji Heng approached her. He was very tall, and the shadow he cast fell on Jiang Li. Judging from the shadow reflected on the window, it looked like the two of them were in an intimate posture.

He asked, "You just came out of the prison of the Ministry of Justice and went to see Princess Yongning?"

Jiang Li said, "Yes." Since Zhao Ke was waiting for him outside, he must have known about this a long time ago and came to wait for her on purpose. Therefore, Jiang Li was not surprised that Ji Heng knew about this.

Ji Heng nodded. His hands were slender and white with distinct joints. He played with the folding fan in his hand and looked down at Jiang Li. His eyes were charming and there was a seductive smile at the corner of his lips, but his voice was very clear.

He asked: "Why does she call you 'Xue Fangfei'?"

Jiang Li was shocked and raised his head suddenly. He heard it all!

Could it be that Ji Heng's people were hiding in the Heavenly Prison and heard the conversation between Princess Yongning and her?

The girl's eyes slightly opened. Her eyes were so clear that even the panic and helplessness in them for a moment were visible. The young man was as beautiful as a fairy in a play, and even his manners were bewitchingly elegant. He gently touched her chin with the fan, forcing her to raise her head and look directly into those amber eyes that could see through people's hearts.

He looked at Jiang Li, smiled, and sighed softly, his tone intoxicating and creepy.

Ji Heng said: "You are indeed not Jiang Li."

You are not Jiang Li after all.

As the last sound of this sentence disappeared into the air, he pressed on step by step, and Jiang Li slowly retreated until her back touched the desk behind her, and there was no escape. She leaned back unconsciously, and Ji Heng stretched out his hand to hold her waist to prevent her from falling backwards.

He still knew that even though he had indulged her, helped her, and even cared for her like a friend during this period, his suspicion of her had never stopped. Others thought he was into the play, and maybe he was into it for a moment, but he could always pull himself out of it, calm, sharp, and shrewd.

Maybe he never trusted anyone or gave trust to others from beginning to end.

Just like his ambiguous and intimate posture at the moment, the corners of his lips are smiling and gentle, but his eyes are so cold.

Jiang Li closed her eyes. She heard her own calm and gentle voice echoing in the room: "The Duke once made a promise with me. Now that it is done, you can fulfill the promise. It is time to return this life to the Duke."

She did not answer Ji Heng's question, but asked Ji Heng to fulfill the agreement, so at this time, it sounded like a provocation, or something that was not concealed. Ji Heng's eyes darkened, and the smile on his mouth became more seductive. The handle of the fan in his hand moved gently from Jiang Li's chin to Jiang Li's throat.

She was born slender and weak, even her throat was thin, like a white crane being strangled by the neck, and for a moment she had a kind of poignant and beautiful fragility. But she was fearless, her expression was calm, and there was no trace of panic, she was determined to die.

Ji Heng is not a person who likes to ask "why". He has figured out the answers to many things at the beginning. He doesn't like accidents that are out of his control. If something is not figured out by the end, he will not be obsessed with it, but give up on it.

The so-called if there is no solution to a problem, just solve the problem.

So the hand holding the fan handle, that white and slender hand that seemed to be holding chess pieces and teacup, slowly tightened.

Jiang Li felt the coldness of her neck, and seemed to smell the breath of death. The breath of death was roughly the same as the smell of Ji Heng, with a cool and astringent fragrance.

Ji Heng's gaze fell on the fan pendant hanging below the fan handle.

The fan pendant was as red as blood, and the butterfly spread its wings ready to fly. The red butterfly and the fair skin had an inexplicable fit. Ji Heng looked at it, and her eyes moved slightly.

Then, Jiang Li felt the cold fan handle still against her throat. Suddenly, a deep and hoarse voice rang in her ears, "I don't want your life anymore."

There was a slight itchy touch beside her ear and her breathing was so close that she could hear it. Jiang Li opened her eyes hastily in surprise and saw his slightly turned face.

This man's profile was flawless, and every time he looked at it, he felt it was breathtakingly beautiful. After he finished speaking, he did not distance himself from Jiang Li, but continued to smile and look down at her from the side. It only took a little bit, maybe just a millimeter, for Jiang Li's mouth to touch his face, or perhaps his lips.

She was horrified and dared not move, but she looked like a deer in the mountains that was startled by a hunter, standing there in shock, dazed and nervous, all her past alertness gone.

"In exchange," he said, "tell the truth and don't lie, how about that?"

He stared at Jiang Li so hard that she could hardly resist. Under such a gaze, even a heartless person would be tempted. She knew that he exuded danger from head to toe, but she was still tempted by his gentleness for a moment, like a moth flying into a flame, rushing headfirst into the ashes without hesitation.

"I……"

"I'll take that as your agreement." He smiled and retracted the fan handle, reaching out and tucking behind a strand of Jiang Li's hair that was hanging in front of her eyes.

Jiang Li felt very uncomfortable and her cheeks were burning. She could only focus on the gold button on Ji Heng's robe. The edge of the button was engraved with intricate patterns, gorgeous and cold.

"I can tell the Duke everything he wants to know, but I'm afraid he won't believe what I say and will think I'm lying." Jiang Li looked up at him.

He then said slowly, with a serious, almost innocent, gentle tone, as if he would believe everything she said without hesitation, with such affectionate eyes: "No. I believe you in everything you say."

Jiang Li was slightly startled.

His eyes were so serious, and the distance was so close that she could see his long eyelashes and the red mole at the corner of his eye. She even had an impulse to touch it. However, she quickly suppressed it. She didn't know that the reason why she was so moved at this moment was because Ji Heng was so beautiful and behaved so gently that she was confused for a moment, but she knew that once she left this room, the little deer in her heart would stop fluttering and become rational and calm again.

"If you believe it, I'll tell you." She tried hard to make no difference in her tone.

Ji Heng looked at her for a while, then slowly let go of her hand. Jiang Li breathed a sigh of relief and stood up straight. Ji Heng pointed to the desk with his fan. There was a pot of tea and two teacups on it. He said, "Sit down."

He returned to his previous carefree and relaxed state.

He always withdraws very quickly.

Jiang Li calmed down, walked to the table and sat down. Perhaps because she was a little nervous, she poured herself a cup of tea without waiting for Ji Heng to make a move. She picked up the teacup and took a sip.

On a rainy night, the hot tea quickly soothed her panic, discomfort, excitement and hesitation that had been building up since she entered the house, and made her calm down again.

Ji Heng looked at her with a smile and sat down opposite her. Jiang Li stared at his bright red robe, her eyes almost dazzled by the golden silk thread on it.

He asked: "What's your name?"

Jiang Li: "Xue Fangfei."

(End of this chapter)