Chapter 43: Angry

Xia Tong felt a chill run down her back. She hesitated and glanced at the male lead, unsure of what to say. Wasn’t the villain supposed to return to the manor? Why was he here now? Had he abandoned the heroine?

Seeing the newcomer, Xiao Jing still stepped forward to greet him politely, with a smile on his face, “It’s rare that the Regent is in such a good mood to come out to enjoy the lanterns. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought that the Regent only knew how to handle government affairs.”

The crowd jostled around them. Gu Qin casually swept his gaze over the man, his voice low. “Unlike Your Highness, I am merely a humble minister. But given Your Highness’s recent marriage, why isn’t the Crown Princess by your side to enjoy this beautiful scene?”

Xia Tong stood nervously, feeling uneasy even with the slightest movement. It seemed that the villain and the male lead were naturally at odds. But why did she feel so guilty?

Xiao Jing’s expression didn’t change. Just as he was about to respond, a sword suddenly emerged from the crowd, slicing through the air toward him!

“Ah! There’s an assassin!”

“Help!”

The once-bustling street erupted into chaos. The crowd scattered in every direction, screams ringing out. Out of nowhere, a group of men wielding sharp swords surged toward Xiao Jing, each one looking fierce and determined.

With the crowd pressing in around her, Xia Tong nearly lost her balance, but a strong hand caught her around the waist, quickly pulling her to a secluded spot.

Holding her breath, she glanced around, her heart racing as she saw the male lead surrounded by assassins. Suddenly, he leaped onto a stall, then launched himself into the air, landing in an empty area, while the assassins relentlessly pursued him. The townsfolk screamed and fled in all directions.

“Master!”

Just then, Xifeng and others appeared, scanning the chaotic scene with heightened alertness.

Xia Tong’s eyes were glued to the male lead. He truly was remarkable, just like the heroine—both seemed to possess an innate ability to attract trouble. Thankfully, this time, she wasn’t caught in the crossfire.

Noticing her intense focus, Gu Qin’s expression turned cold as he tightly grasped her arm, his tone low. “Do you want to save him?”

At his words, Xia Tong quickly turned to him, noticing his displeased expression. Startled, she shook her head. “I… I just wanted to see if he would be okay.”

“Is that so?” Gu Qin looked down into her flustered eyes, a predatory gleam flickering in his gaze. “If you want him dead, I can help you.”

As he spoke, he discreetly flicked a small stone from his fingers, which flew through the darkness and struck Xiao Jing’s arm. The latter paused momentarily, just as a long sword slashed across Xia Tong’s shoulder, leaving a gaping wound.

Xiao Jing glanced toward the direction of the attack, furrowing his brow as he swiftly dispatched an assassin, then jumped onto another stall, continuing to evade his pursuers.

Gu Qin’s lips curled into a smile, but Xia Tong felt an undercurrent of malice emanating from him. Fearful, she lowered her head and stayed silent.

Meanwhile, patrolling soldiers surged through the crowd to provide assistance. The once lively lantern festival had transformed into a scene of panic, with citizens either huddled in fear or frantically running away.

In an abandoned teahouse, a man, bow in hand, peered through the window with cold eyes, fixated on the lone figure of Xiao Jing. With a narrowed gaze, he released the taut bowstring, and an arrow shot through the darkness with a whoosh.

“I… I only bumped into him by chance earlier, we barely spoke,” Xia Tong thought as she stole a glance at the angry man beside her. Surely, he couldn’t be upset because she had intentionally diverted his attention?

Just as she was about to say something else, she was suddenly yanked aside. A strand of hair fluttered down beside her, and a cold wind rushed past.

Holding her breath, her face paled as she saw Gu Qin gripping a long arrow, its tip just inches from her head.

“Master!” Xifeng quickly stepped in front of them, his sharp gaze scanning for the direction of the attackers.

Glancing at the distant teahouse, Gu Qin snapped the arrow in half without a word and walked toward the end of the street. Xia Tong hurried to keep up with him.

By now, the assassins had all been subdued by the patrol soldiers, but each one had committed suicide with poison, showing no hesitation—clearly, they were well-trained. Xiao Jing had sustained an injury to his shoulder but seemed otherwise unharmed, while the captain of the guards was panicking as he offered his apologies.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, for my late arrival!”

Xiao Jing tossed aside his bloodied sword and fixed a fierce gaze on the approaching regent, speaking cryptically. “You move quickly, Regent. I was hoping to see if there was trouble, but it seems my worries were unfounded.”

At this, the crowd held its breath, stunned by the sight of the regent attending the lantern festival alongside the crown prince.

Gu Qin’s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the regent’s wounds, his tone calm. “I also wanted to save Your Highness, but unfortunately, I lack the strength to do so.”

With that, his gaze sharpened as it landed on the captain kneeling on the ground. “A bunch of useless fools.”

“Your Highness… Please forgive us. We rushed here as soon as we received the news.” The commander trembled in fear.

Gu Qin glanced at the desolate streets as he walked ahead, his tone slightly cold. “Go to Shuntian Prefecture to receive your punishment.”

Upon hearing this, the commander’s face went pale, and he knelt there, terrified.

Xiao Jing remained silent, frowning as he looked toward Xia Tong, who obediently followed behind him, not saying a word.

This time, Xia Tong didn’t feel sorry for the unfortunate guards. The city’s curfew patrols occurred roughly every fifteen minutes, and with the Lantern Festival taking place, there should have been more personnel. Yet, it had already been over half an hour without anyone showing up. Either they were slacking off, or there was something else going on.

Once they returned to the royal residence, the man in front didn’t even spare her a glance. Xia Tong was puzzled about what she had done to upset him again and hurriedly tried to catch up.

“Your Highness, actually—”

“Throw her into the snake pit.”

His icy tone left Xia Tong pale with fear. As she watched him walk farther away, Xifeng truly summoned a few men to pull her along, and even Fang Yu grew anxious.

“Princess, you should just go with me. It’s better to just pretend. Everything will be fine once the master’s anger subsides.” Xifeng came over and advised in a low voice.

In the dark, the regent’s residence was eerily quiet, with no sign of anyone walking around. Xia Tong felt like crying. The villain must have known she had deliberately drawn his attention away. Now, she was truly in trouble.

Deciding to trust Xifeng just this once, she trembled as she was led toward the bamboo grove behind the courtyard. However, as they approached the snake pit, she resolutely refused to go any further.

The whistling evening wind passed by. Looking at the princess who still didn’t know what she had done wrong, Xifeng also sighed. The princess thought she had done everything perfectly, but how could her little cleverness fool the master? If the master really wanted Shen Xin to die, how could she still be alive at this moment? Moreover, she dared to get so close to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. How could the master not be angry?

Xia Tong wanted to use her connections, but Xifeng left without saying a word. She was delighted and secretly sighed that Xifeng was the best. However, looking at the darkness around her, she suddenly realized that she didn’t have a lantern. How could she go back?!

“Xifeng! Wait a minute!”

Her voice echoed through the bamboo grove, and it felt chilling. She could faintly hear the sound of snakes hissing nearby, making her heart race. She was too scared to wander around, afraid of stepping into the snake pit.

With the cold wind howling, she nervously picked up a stick from the ground, feeling her way back step by step. She stumbled and fell a couple of times, looking quite pitiful. It was only when she passed through the garden that she ran into Fang Yu, who had come looking for her. Xia Tong followed her back as if she had found a family member.

The night was cold enough to turn her nose red, and her head felt dizzy. Qing’er quickly prepared a bowl of ginger soup to warm her up, leaving her bewildered about what had happened that day. Wasn’t the master supposed to be out enjoying the lanterns with the prince?

Hongxue still wore her poker face, but her gaze toward Xia Tong was less friendly now, clearly indicating that the heroine had truly been rescued.

After a night’s sleep, Xia Tong still felt dizzy. Fang Yu said she had a fever and made her drink a herbal concoction, but she still felt disoriented.

Not knowing whether the other party had calmed down, she ignored Fang Yu’s advice and headed to the study, only to be stopped.

“The master said he doesn’t want to see the princess again,” Xifeng lowered his head, a long sword blocking Xia Tong’s way.

Fang Yu quickly supported her, appearing hesitant to speak. Xia Tong gritted her teeth and said nothing. She turned around and walked back. If he didn’t want to see her, so be it. She could live without him.

As she walked through the long corridor, her head still spinning and the cold wind stinging her face, Xia Tong pressed her lips together and quickened her pace. Fang Yu couldn’t help but comfort her, saying, “The prince is just a bit upset. He’ll be fine in a few days. Otherwise, he might have really thrown you aside last night.”

Xia Tong remained silent. Indeed, she shouldn’t have conspired with the second male lead to rescue the heroine. To the villain, it felt like betrayal, and it was only natural for him to be angry. Besides, he hadn’t done anything to her yet; she should be grateful.

Just then, the butler approached her, followed by several alluring women with curves that accentuated their figures.

“Your servant greets the princess.” the steward said, bowing as he could no longer avoid her.

Xia Tong tightly wrapped her cloak around herself. Her face was flushed from the fever, but upon seeing the stunning women before her, she furrowed her brows and asked, “Who are they?”

The butler hesitated for a moment, seemingly troubled, before answering respectfully, “These are women from the Western Regions brought back by Lord Zhang from the border, specially offered to the prince.”

Although the women before her were beautiful, they appeared youthful and innocent, with their heads slightly tilted and smiles on their faces.

“Master…” Fang Yu tugged at her sleeve, as if wanting to say something.

Xia Tong glanced at the seductive women, her lips pursed in annoyance. What kind of expressions were those? Did having larger chests make them special?

Taking a deep breath, she redirected her gaze to the butler, her voice calm. “Has the prince accepted them?”

Upon hearing this, the steward bowed his head even lower, his voice hesitant. “The… the prince has accepted them.”