Before Jiang Xuanjin could process his thoughts, someone knelt before him.
“Your Highness, please forgive me!” the Tiger Ben General stammered, trembling. “It was my negligence in guarding the spirit, and I’ve put you in danger…”
Jiang Xuanjin snapped back to reality, looking at him. “There’s no need to apologize to me; the emperor will have his judgment on this matter.”
Upon hearing this, the general broke out in a cold sweat. “Your Highness…”
“I was just passing by and have other matters to attend to. I’ll leave this to you.” He waved his sleeve, adjusting the prayer beads on his wrist, preparing to leave with his companion.
“Wait.” Li Huaiyu called out from behind the coffin. “Those people have all run away! Aren’t you going to send someone to chase them?”
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her but didn’t respond, continuing to walk forward. His companion, however, sheathed his sword and approached her, cupping his hands. “Miss, my master invites you to the teahouse for a discussion.”
Li Huaiyu was taken aback, glancing between Jiang Xuanjin’s retreating figure and the guard. “How do you know your master wants to speak with me when he hasn’t said anything?”
The guard pressed his lips together. “It’s the master’s intention.”
When did he convey that intention? She hadn’t heard anything! Li Huaiyu found it quite curious, but after a moment’s thought, she decided to follow him, lifting her skirt.
The official road was in disarray, the fire gradually being extinguished, and the thieves had vanished without anyone pursuing them, easily disappearing into the capital.
Li Huaiyu followed the guard up to the second floor, entering a quiet and elegant private room.
Jiang Xuanjin was pouring tea from a kettle, and upon hearing the noise, he asked without looking up, “What do you want?”
Li Huaiyu was startled, feeling as if she could hardly breathe.
Did he recognize her?
“You’ve blocked my way to the palace and then helped me. If you say you have no ulterior motives, that would be hard to believe.” He placed the filled teacup in front of her and finally raised his eyes to meet hers. “Let’s get straight to the point.”
Hearing this, Li Huaiyu understood. He hadn’t recognized her; he merely suspected her intentions.
Letting out a huge sigh of relief, she laughed, tossing her robe as she sat across from him. Without hesitation, she took a couple of gulps from the teacup and wiped her mouth. “What happened today was mostly a coincidence.”
“Coincidence?” Jiang Xuanjin replied with a half-smile, leisurely pouring himself a cup and inhaling its aroma. His dark eyes fixed on her, clearly skeptical of her explanation.
Li Huaiyu felt a shiver under his gaze, her eyes darting around as she sighed helplessly. “It seems it’s not easy to deceive you. Let me tell the truth.”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded slightly. “Go on.”
“It’s like this.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she stared at him intently. “I’ve taken a liking to you.”
Jiang Xuanjin: “…”
“What’s with that reaction?” Seeing his face suddenly freeze, Li Huaiyu couldn’t help but laugh, feeling delighted as she patted her thigh. “You’re the one who forced me to say it!”
Jiang Xuanjin’s temples throbbed. He lowered his gaze, suddenly realizing that inviting her to speak was unnecessary. This person was utterly shameless, not a single honest word to be found; it was pointless to ask her anything.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up from the table.
“Hey?” Li Huaiyu stood up as well. “Where are you going? I haven’t apologized for being so forward with you.”
Forward? What a term! That word was typically used by young masters to tease young ladies. Who had ever seen a woman reverse the roles and tease a man?
He said coldly, “No need for an apology; let’s part ways here!”
With that, he took a step to leave. However, as he did, someone grabbed his sleeve.
“Are you foolish?” The person behind him tugged at his sleeve, twisting her waist and stamping her foot, speaking in a delicate tone. “When a young lady says she wants to apologize, it means she’s interested in you. Who cares if she needs to apologize?”
“…”
Jiang Xuanjin had been taught by esteemed masters since childhood, adhering to propriety and decorum, surrounded by well-mannered individuals. Even when encountering rough characters, they would behave respectfully in his presence.
He never expected to meet someone so utterly shameless today!
“You.” He looked back at her in disbelief, frowning. “How can you, a young lady, speak so shamelessly?”
Raising an eyebrow, Li Huaiyu replied, “What’s shame? I truly don’t know. I just think you’re handsome, and when you helped me on the official road, your unique charm caught my eye. I admire you and want to get to know you better. What’s so strange about that?”
Jiang Xuanjin was taken aback, while the guard beside him was equally stunned, both staring at her as if she were a monster.
“What? Don’t you like directness?” Li Huaiyu smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Then let me be more subtle.”
With that, she casually picked up a teaspoon from the table and tapped it against the lacquered wooden table, singing:
“Spring banquet, a cup of green wine, and a song.
“Again, I bow and make three wishes:
“First, may my lord live a thousand years; second, may I remain healthy; third, may we meet like the swallows on the beams, year after year.”
Her voice was as sweet as a nightingale, each line laced with a charming allure that made one’s heart flutter. After finishing the song, she turned to him, her smile enchanting.
“I want to see you every year.”
Jiang Xuanjin’s face turned ashen.
“What’s wrong?” She set down the spoon and winked at him. “Still not interested?”
Seeing her audacious demeanor, how could he possibly be interested? Jiang Xuanjin sneered, “Chengxu, let’s return to the residence.”
“Yes.” Chengxu complied, following him as he stepped away, casting a respectful glance at Li Huaiyu.
In the capital, many young ladies expressed their affection for Prince Ziyang, and he saw one or two every day. However, he had never encountered anyone who could provoke his master’s anger like this.
What a remarkable woman!
The remarkable woman in the private room watched their retreating figures, feeling the timing was right, and stepped out of the teahouse to follow them.
Jiang Xuanjin walked briskly, noticing someone trailing behind him, his expression darkening. He waved for Chengxu to fetch a carriage, intending to shake her off.
However, as soon as he sat in the carriage, he felt a weight on the yoke.
“Miss,” Chengxu said helplessly from outside, “you can’t sit up here.”
Li Huaiyu shifted her position on the yoke, looking innocent. “Why not?”
“This is the carriage returning to the Jiang family.”
“How coincidental! I’m also going to the Jiang family.”
After holding back for a moment, Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t restrain himself any longer. He pulled back the curtain and looked at her coldly. “What are you going to the Jiang family for?”
Li Huaiyu turned back, smiling brightly, her lips red and teeth white. “To apologize, of course! We’ve already hugged and kissed, so there has to be some…”
“What nonsense!” Jiang Xuanjin interrupted, his face darkening. “Who hugged or kissed you?”
Li Huaiyu’s eyes widened. “Are you trying to deny it?”
When she jumped down earlier, she had thought her lips had hit the stone, but she realized later that they had collided with his teeth. Jiang Xuanjin’s originally pale lips had been stained with her blood, turning them a vivid red. Wasn’t that considered a hug and a kiss?
Pausing slightly, Jiang Xuanjin frowned and lowered his gaze, recalling what had happened under the wall. His expression darkened even further.