Chapter 41: Shamelessness

Yao’s face stiffened, her lips tightly pressed together: “Did the Marquis say anything?”

“Say anything,” the voice was calm.

Yao’s tone was already a little impatient: “Does returning to the mansion require a prior notification?”

The calm in his eyes began to crack, revealing a hint of coldness.

An invisible pressure came down, making Yao’s entire body shiver.

He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and asked.

Yao’s face changed, she never expected him to dare to mention it, she glared at him: “Handkerchief!”

She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, her expression distant: “This handkerchief was lost, I didn’t realize it until yesterday when the Marquis sent a letter. Since the Marquis picked it up, he should return it. Just pretend that the Marquis personally returned the handkerchief to me, and that the Marquis also has no loss, just pretend that nothing happened yesterday, nothing happened.”

“Since you pretend that nothing happened, why are you hiding?”

Yao glared at him.

He stared at her, his black eyes like bottomless whirlpools, radiating a chilling coldness: “Since you pretend that nothing happened, you should act accordingly. Why did you deliberately avoid asking for permission from this old man? You even took the back door to return to the mansion, taking a detour. Jiang Yao, this is what you call pretending that nothing happened?”

She retreated, her heels already against the wall, she had nowhere to retreat. And this man, without any intention of letting her go, continued to press forward.

Her entire body trembled, she angrily shouted: “Ling Xiao! Stop!”

His eyebrows slightly raised, his footsteps paused.

He stared at her, his words a warning: “You are my elder brother’s wife!”

He lowered his eyes, looking at her porcelain face, his black eyes tinged with greed: “…”

Yao’s mind buzzed, her face turned pale.

“How can you be so shameless!”

She avoided his gaze, no longer entangled with him, she forced herself to remain calm: “Let’s go back first.”

The forced calmness in her eyes concealed a hint of fear, the surging restlessness in her chest suddenly dissipated a little, her voice also softened a little.

“There’s nothing here, it’s too secluded, and it’s far from the courtyard. Don’t come here next time.”

He raised his head, his lips tightly pressed together as he spoke.

Silence for two breaths, his sleeves tightened in restraint, finally he took a step back.

Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief, she turned and hurriedly left, as if afraid that he would change his mind.

Ling Xiao followed her, keeping a distance of half a step behind her.

Pressing too hard would only make her feel like a hunted animal.

“My brother has only been gone for half a day, you should give him some time. We have a long time to come, there’s no need to rush.”

Yao heard the familiar footsteps behind her, they were coming, the footsteps were getting closer and closer, no matter what, he always easily followed, as if he had her under his control, she couldn’t escape.

She had already reached the Xuan Courtyard, Yao didn’t even bother to greet anyone, she went straight in.

His deep voice rang out behind her: “Jiang Yao.”

Her heart clenched, her footsteps stopped, she turned around with a hint of vigilance.

Compared to her tension, Ling Xiao was relaxed, he walked towards her: “In a few days, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Prince’s Palace will hold a banquet, and there will be a dragon boat race.”

His casual tone, as if nothing had happened between them.

Yao, however, was still tense, her tone perfunctory: “…”

She turned to leave, but was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled back.

Her pupils constricted, her face turned pale, his black eyes were like whirlpools, staring at her deeply.

“Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

“I didn’t sleep well last night, I closed my eyes and my face was pale, I was so scared I didn’t dare to sleep.”

But this question was too presumptuous!

“What does this have to do with you?”

His eyebrows slightly raised: “It has nothing to do with me?”

Yao choked, her face flushed with embarrassment, “Why are you asking!”

“Go back and rest, don’t tire yourself out.”

His thin frame, unable to withstand even a slight breeze.

He smoothly handed a box to her: “I didn’t return the handkerchief properly, this is a token of apology.”

He didn’t stay long, he turned and left.

Yao was stunned, she lowered her head to look at the exquisite pear wood box in her hand, she opened it, inside lay a string of crystal clear red beads, the quality was warm and smooth, yet they were like pearls, although not expensive, they were definitely valuable.

A string of beads as a token of apology?

Yao froze in place, suddenly feeling that the box was unbearably hot.

Yao didn’t sleep well last night.

She had slept poorly last night, and she had decided to deal with this matter, she would simply avoid him from afar, pretending that nothing had happened.

Ling Xiao obviously didn’t think so, from the moment he woke up today, his eyes were filled with undisguised covetousness, which made her flesh crawl.

The next day, Yao simply didn’t get up.

She asked her maid to tell her father that she was sick.

The maid agreed, and hurriedly went to the Longevity Garden.

When the maid arrived, Ling Xiao was already having breakfast with Mrs. Lin.

The maid bowed respectfully: “Old Madam, Marquis, Madam is not feeling well today, she really wanted to come and greet you, so she asked me to come and ask for leave.”

Mrs. Lin frowned: “What’s wrong with her? Wasn’t she fine yesterday? This child, she’s sick again.”

“Perhaps she’s been too busy lately.” The maid said.

“Forget it, let her rest well. Besides, she’s pregnant, she really shouldn’t be working too hard.”

“Thank you, Old Madam.” The maid received the instructions, then bowed respectfully and retreated.

Ling Xiao’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything, he simply accompanied Mrs. Lin to finish breakfast before leaving.

He came from the Longevity Garden and passed by the Xuan Courtyard, it was quiet inside.

“How is she?”

The sword-wielding guard replied: “Just now, the maid said that Madam was not feeling well yesterday and only got up today.”

Ling Xiao’s expression was calm, according to his temperament, even if she was not feeling well, she would not delay greeting Mrs. Lin. Her coming today was simply to see him.

The sword-wielding guard sensed his master’s growing pressure, and also lowered his head.

Ling Xiao remained silent for a moment, then sighed heavily: “Forget it.”

“Let her be.”

Pressing too hard would only make her feel scared and anxious, what if she really got sick?

As the saying goes, a strong attack is easy to backfire, a strategic retreat is more effective.

After all, there was no hurry in this Marquis’ mansion, taking a step back would also give her some time to recover.

Yao was sick, she stayed in her room, and Ling Xiao didn’t appear again.

Could it be that he had forgotten?