Xie Yanlai’s shoulders and back were straight, making him look no different from anyone else, but his steps were actually very slow—it was just that because his legs were long, when he took a stride, it wasn’t so obvious.

Did it hurt?

Xie Yanlai thought to himself, What a stupid question—

Before he could say it aloud, the female voice behind him already gave a self-deprecating laugh: “Stupid question, of course it hurts.”

Xie Yanlai sneered inwardly.

“That’s right,” he said, turning his head. “Miss Chu should hurry up and send me more medicine, and properly look after this injured person.”

Chu Zhao made an agreeable sound, but didn’t say any more pleasant words.

How boring. Xie Yanlai suddenly lost interest in talking too, and strode forward.

Chu Zhao followed behind, silently lost in thought about something.

Seeing that neither of them was speaking anymore, A’Le also followed silently.

Step by step, Xie Yanlai walked slowly, and the short alley finally came to an end. When he turned the corner along the main street and the girl behind him still followed, he couldn’t bear it any longer. He stopped and turned around.

The girl behind him, completely unaware, crashed right into him.

He was also caught off guard—who would have thought this girl would crash into him? She looked thin and small, but her strength was quite substantial. Crashing into his chest, he straightened his body to avoid stepping backward, which caused his back injury to—

He let out a hiss.

Chu Zhao lifted her head, startled, and quickly asked: “Did you break open the wound?” Then complained, “Why did you suddenly stop?”

Xie Yanlai said angrily: “You’re the one not watching where you’re going!”

Chu Zhao smiled: “I was thinking about something, my mind wandered.”

Xie Yanlai was so annoyed he almost lost his temper entirely, looking at this girl and not knowing what to say: “Why are you thinking about things while following me!”

Chu Zhao said: “I was thinking about many things—tomorrow’s literary gathering, there will surely be many troubles waiting for me. But I’m not afraid, after all I’ve always been targeted, I’m used to it—”

She actually answered him! Who was asking her? That remark was sarcastic, for heaven’s sake. Xie Yanlai looked down at the girl who only came up to his chest. Her face was tense, her cheeks puffed out, looking angry and indignant, yet her brows and eyes had an expression of defiant fearlessness—

Come to think of it, this girl had indeed stirred up quite a bit of trouble. From the time he’d known her, it had been continuous, yet she’d been able to continuously make it to today.

The words at Xie Yanlai’s lips were swallowed back down. He turned around: “Stop following me.”

Chu Zhao made an acknowledging sound, then asked: “What are you coming out for? If you don’t have to go out, you shouldn’t—your injury hasn’t been healing for nearly long enough.”

“Don’t worry.” Xie Yanlai didn’t turn his head back, saying, “Even if it heals, I still won’t deliver letters for you. And if it doesn’t heal properly, you don’t need to care either.”

Chu Zhao smiled and moved in front of him: “Don’t say such heartless things. What if after it heals, you want to help me again?”

Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Fine, then you can wait slowly.”

Chu Zhao extended her hand toward him with the letter: “How about you take it first, and then we wait slowly together?”

“Do you think I’m easy to bully?” Xie Yanlai looked at her, leaning forward slightly and asking in a low voice, “Because of Xie San, I wouldn’t dare tear up your letter?”

Chu Zhao said with utmost seriousness: “How could that be? Don’t I know you well enough? Whether or not there’s Xie San, you’ll tear up whatever you want to tear up!”

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help but laugh with a snort.

When he laughed, his eyes sparkled like scattered starlight.

Chu Zhao was just about to speak when a voice called from behind: “A’Zhao?”

Chu Zhao turned her head and saw a carriage stop on the street. The curtain lifted, and Qi Leyun and two other girls crowded together staring at her.

Their expressions were astonished as they looked at her, then their gazes shifted to Xie Yanlai and stayed fixed.

Who is this?

How can he be so good-looking!

Qi Leyun couldn’t help herself and blurted out: “Who is this?”

Fortunately, she held back the second sentence.

Chu Zhao should have walked over to speak with them, but she was worried that Xie Yanlai would take the opportunity to leave—Xie Yanlai would definitely do that!

“This is Young Master Xie, Xie Yanlai,” she said, turning her head to address Qi Leyun while standing in place. “I have some matters to discuss with him. You should all go home quickly.”

Actually telling them to leave! Qi Leyun glared—what a case of prioritizing beauty over friends! She didn’t want to leave at all. She still wanted to look. That young man wore all black, yet seemed to radiate light like snow.

This is Xie Yanlai?

The other two girls also stared at the young man, unable to look away.

Actually, they had seen him before, but that was on the street being beaten and punished. In that state, no one had looked twice.

Who would have thought that this Xie family son was even better looking than Xie Yanfang, and with a completely different aura. Xie Yanfang was warm and gentle as jade, while this young man was like a blade or sword—cold light and aggressively compelling—

“What he said wasn’t actually wrong,” one girl murmured. “Liang Qin isn’t as good-looking as he is.”

Chu Zhao could also see that the girls had taken root here and refused to leave. There was really nothing to be done.

“Then you should go back first,” Chu Zhao could only say to Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanlai glanced at her. When did he need her to bid him farewell? They were each going their own way anyway. Just as he was about to lift his foot, another voice came.

“Xie. Yan. Lai?”

This time it came from behind, one word at a time. Xie Yanlai turned his head and saw in the alley he’d just walked through, a young man slowly approaching.

When he had just entered the alley, Xie Yanlai had already noticed someone watching him—

No matter. Whoever wanted to stare at him could stare.

Xie Yanlai paid no attention and withdrew his gaze. The girl in front of him peered over: “Young Master Liang.”

Young Master Liang?

Xie Yanlai looked back at the young man again—seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing plain clothes, his temples somewhat disheveled, as if he had run out from somewhere—

Though he didn’t recognize him, he immediately knew who it was: the Liang family members who had been exiled to the border commandery.

Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze and looked at Chu Zhao, suddenly smiling.

Chu Zhao noticed and looked up: “What are you smiling at? That gloating expression again!”

“Smiling at you—all your troubles are self-inflicted,” Xie Yanlai said with a smile, lowering his head slightly.

Seeing this scene, Qi Leyun was nearly pushed off the carriage. The two girls beside her leaned even further out in their excitement. This young man looked so good when he smiled—

Chu Zhao looked at Liang Qiang and asked: “Young Master Liang, why have you come?”

Wasn’t the Liang family being escorted out of the capital by now?

Liang Qiang looked at the young man and woman standing side by side. How to put it—his heart felt even more sunken than when the Liang family was convicted.

When his uncle was convicted, he’d already had a vague premonition in his heart.

When the boulder fell, he was sad and desperate, but he wasn’t without the will to live. Being released from the prison and escorted to the border commandery, when he walked out of the capital, he suddenly wanted to come back for one more look.

It wasn’t attachment to the lost prosperity and wealth, but wanting to see that girl once more.

At home, his aunt and cousin were all cursing Chu Zhao, saying she had ruined the Liang family. Of course, he wouldn’t think that way. His uncle’s downfall was due to court power struggles—the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, the Yang and Zhao family rivalry. This girl merely provided them with one reason—and just one among many reasons at that.

He came back to see Chu Zhao without any particular thought, just to give her a self-deprecating smile and say she had thought too highly of him—in truth, he wasn’t any brave young warrior.

But he hadn’t expected that after going to such lengths to escape his guards and come to the capital, he would see this scene.

He saw that girl. Just as he was about to call to her, she had already rushed toward a young man.

He watched her meet that young man with joy, watched them talk with unrestrained expressions, watched them walk together in silence yet at ease, watched her smile at the young man, watched the young man gaze intently at her—

Xie Yanlai.

He hadn’t just now recognized him.

Unlike the girls, when he was being whipped on the street earlier, he had stared hard at Xie Yanlai’s face and memorized it.

At that time, he saw Chu Zhao run out to shield this Xie family son. At that time and later when Chu Zhao entered the Xie family gate, he told himself this was Chu Zhao’s method of approaching Xie Yanfang—

Approaching Xie Yanfang was nothing. What girl in the world didn’t want to become acquainted with Xie Yanfang? He wouldn’t mind. It was perfectly normal for Miss Chu to admire such a person. Everyone could admire excellent people. After all, he too was someone Miss Chu had praised as brave and martial in her heart.

But now, all those self-explanations had shattered.

When that girl ran out at that time, recklessly blocking the flying whip, it wasn’t for Xie Yanfang—it was just to protect this person, Xie Yanlai!

So the rumors were all true.

“Miss Chu,” Liang Qiang looked at Chu Zhao. “So it really was my Liang family that blocked your good marriage match. I, Liang Qiang, have come especially to offer you my apologies.”