Ji Feihua said, "Now I'm rather confused."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Why don't we look at it another way? I wager that Your Excellency cannot throw this plum branch into the vase from ten feet away." He walked over, picked up the vase, and retreated several steps, setting it on the floor about ten feet from Ji Feihua.
With a casual flick of Ji Feihua's hand, the plum branch traced a red arc through the air and landed squarely in the vase.
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "I lost."
Ji Feihua laughed. "There really is no need to overthink everything in life. Sometimes, a casual touch produces wonders you never expected." The red plum branch stood at an angle in the vase, its red blossoms contrasting with the white porcelain. Passion shone through its elegance, delivering a powerful jolt of beauty. Naturally, he understood that Hu Xiaotian was not foolish enough to wager against him. The young man had merely used this method to help him make a choice. Beneath his little tricks lay genuine wisdom.
Hu Xiaotian placed the vase, now holding its flowers, back on the small table.
Ji Feihua's gaze remained on the red plum blossoms. "Ma Liangpeng was one of my men," he said quietly.
"I didn't know," Hu Xiaotian said. This was entirely your own doing, Ji Feihua. You didn't trust me, so you planted a spy to watch me. Ma Liangpeng's death was no injustice.
"Ignorance excuses an offense," Ji Feihua said. "What concerns me is knowingly committing one."
"Your Excellency doesn't trust me?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
Ji Feihua shook his head. "What I sent him to do in Bright Moon Palace was different from your task. I don't know what he did to provoke you."
"He was eavesdropping outside my room," Hu Xiaotian said. "I feared