Chapter 28

Time rewinds to half an incense stick’s time before.

The once elegant and exquisite room was now in shambles, dimly lit by a flickering candle. Despite being tidied up somewhat, there were still remnants of broken porcelain glass on the floor.

Prince Lu, known for his courtesy and gentle demeanor, was forcibly bound to a round chair.

From initial anger and disbelief to now being utterly humiliated, he was drained. A profound sense of powerlessness engulfed him as he stared fixedly at Xie Yun, saying, “Is this what you wanted? To trap me here, are you satisfied?”

Xie Yun’s complexion didn’t look much better than his.

The failed conversation with Sang Yao just now not only failed to make her see reason, but she also slandered him out of thin air, which infuriated him. At this moment, he was somewhat inclined to vent his anger on anyone he saw.

Right now, he didn’t even bother with saving face; he just said, “You caused such a commotion all afternoon just to tell me this?”

Prince Lu tried to move his arms, but the ropes were tied tightly. He gave up struggling, saying, “Have you ever thought about the consequences of treating me like this? Xie Yun, you should know, this won’t affect me at all.”

Leaning back in his chair, Xie Yun looked somewhat weary. To him, such meaningless threats were a waste of time to even listen to.

Xie Yun ignored him.

In fact, he didn’t need to come to see him, nor did he intend to. He had just come here to vent his frustration after being provoked by that little apple just now.

The silence at this moment seemed to highlight the uselessness of these words.

Prince Lu stared at Xie Yun’s face. He knew he couldn’t go on like this; he needed to calm down.

Rationally, he knew that Xie Yun couldn’t completely ruin him with this military silver matter. At most, the Emperor would dismiss him from his position and temporarily exclude him from political affairs. What he had painstakingly built over the years wouldn’t be destroyed in one fell swoop.

As long as the green hills remained, he could endure patiently for two years, and then things would blow over.

But he had a bad feeling.

He had long heard that Xie Yun wasn’t someone to be trifled with. Once he made a move, it would surely hit the target.

But aside from this matter, how else could he deal with him?

Prince Wu couldn’t figure it out.

And the unknown was what scared him the most.

He stared at Xie Yun and said quietly, “This was your plan from the beginning, wasn’t it? I blocked your path from the start, so you would rather support that useless crown prince than assist me.”

Xie Yun finally spoke slowly, “Firstly, I am here today on orders. Your Highness should focus on how to make up for the shortfall in military silver, rather than worrying about these things.”

“Secondly, His Highness the Crown Prince was appointed by the Emperor. If you have any objections, you might as well discuss them with the Emperor in the Taiji Hall.”

Prince Lu chuckled. “Xie Yun, I’ve merely shaken up a few branches of your Xie family. Was it really necessary for you to go to such lengths?”

His words sounded light, but in reality, Prince Lu had secretly eliminated quite a few individuals who were once promoted by Elder Xie. Whether those people were important or not, it still reflected poorly on Xie Yun’s reputation.

Prince Lu thought he was being subtle, but in truth, it wouldn’t take much effort to uncover his actions if someone wanted to investigate.

Xie Yun said, “As long as Your Highness understands.”

Talking to Xie Yun was like punching cotton; it seemed like nothing could be gained from it. His knuckles turned slightly white. The pride of the royal family made him reluctant to bow to Xie Yun, but without realizing it, his tone had taken on a tone of supplication.

“But they… they’re not important figures at all.”

“Why do you keep harping on about this?”

Xie Yun furrowed his brow, his patience worn thin. He stood up, looking down at Prince Wu, and said calmly, “Your Highness, if you can’t change the situation, then don’t ask why.”

Besides showcasing his incompetence, there was nothing else he could do.

But just as he turned to leave, intending to go out, Prince Lu mentioned an unexpected name.

At the same moment, Sang Yao arrived at the door.

Prince Wu stared at Xie Yun’s back and said, “Did you come because of Sang Yao?”

He knew that Xie Yun had long been secretly involved with Sang Yao. Xie Wei knew that Sang Yao was coming to plead with him today, so he deliberately arranged all this today.

This statement puzzled Xie Yun, but he didn’t intend to waste time with Prince Lu in this meaningless verbal dispute. He simply said, “All you need to know is that those who interfere with what they shouldn’t will pay the price.”

Xie Yun opened the door.

Along with the cool moonlight, there was the little apple that had made him so annoyed just now.

Sang Yao’s arm was still hanging in the air, and she hadn’t recovered from the immense shock yet. Unexpectedly, she came face to face with Xie Yun like this, catching him off guard.

With just a gentle poke of her hand, through this thin window paper, Xie Yun’s thoughts would be laid bare. They could have an open discussion about this matter, but then what?

She reasonably conjectured, “Did you follow me here on purpose?”

Xie Wei didn’t know what internal struggle Sang Yao was facing, he just looked at her for a moment.

Sang Yao faced the turmoil in her heart. He pounded her with reasonable conjecture, “Did you come here willingly?”

Sang Yao didn’t respond. No one could understand the storm raging in her heart at this moment.

She felt like she couldn’t bear this heavy burden of love. So much so that she didn’t even care about the offense in the man’s tone anymore.

She really didn’t expect it.

Xie Yun turned out to be even more secretive than she imagined. So, that day, did he actually agree to her request?

But such things must have been planned for more than just a day or two. Xie Yun’s ability to come today must have been part of a plan that started a few days ago.

In other words, from the day when Prince Wu troubled her, Xie Yun had already taken action.

The door behind her closed gently, and Xie Yun stood with his hands behind his back, silently watching her.

As he waited for her response, his gaze involuntarily began to scrutinize the beautiful face before him. Honestly, her appearance was quite pleasing to the eye. Pleasing enough for Xie Yun to remember her.

But Xie Yun didn’t think of this as any special treatment. Just like last time when he accidentally caught a glimpse of her skin hidden under the thin fabric, it wasn’t that he wanted to look, but his gaze was unconsciously drawn to something different.

Just like now, his gaze was drawn to this uniquely beautiful face.

Perhaps it was because she had slept for a while, her hair wasn’t tied up, and her jet-black long hair was simply gathered together.

The expression on her small face was one that Xie Wei couldn’t understand, her striking eyes staring directly at him, her lips slightly parted with a glossy sheen, the red mark on her chin faded away, making her look much more pleasing.

Her face was no longer flushed; she had once again transformed from a little apple to a little pear, her lips curled up, with a clear lip line, her delicately milky complexion slightly plump.

She looked very soft.

But would her cheeks be as soft as her lips? Or like her waist?

Xie Yun inexplicably began to ponder this question. But he was destined not to know the answer to this question unless he reached out now.

It seemed plausible, and it would be a way to repay that kiss.

Just as Xie Yun was contemplating the feasibility of this matter, the girl who had been silent for half a day finally spoke, her gaze complex as she stared at him, softly calling his name, “Xie Yun…”

Xie Yun responded with a simple “Hmm.”

Sang Yao hesitated again.

She didn’t know whether she should directly address the issue or not. Xie Yun didn’t rush her.

After a while, she still couldn’t bring herself to say it.

The girl averted her gaze, lowered her head, and just said, “Xie Yun, I’m tired.”

She lied. She felt like she might stay awake all night tonight.

Xie Yun: “So?”

“I want to sleep.”

Xie Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, she was indeed becoming bolder.

Now she was taking it further, wanting to share a bed with him.

“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

What did he mean, not even letting her sleep?

Sang Yao took a step back, perhaps because she was somewhat moved by Xie Yun, who had just revealed a truth that surprised her. At this moment, her tolerance towards him was unusually high.

“I’m just saying I want to sleep.”

Without waiting for Xie Yun’s response, she continued, “Then I’ll go home first.”

Seeing that Xie Yun didn’t respond, Sang Yao was already used to it. She lifted her skirt and jumped down the steps. The moonlight was bright, like the gentle snow of a warm winter, shining on her.

After a moment of thought, she turned back and waved to the man on the steps, saying, “Thank you anyway for today.”

After saying this, she turned around and disappeared into the night, along with the faint scent of jasmine. So Xie Yun was destined not to know the answer to that question tonight.

She didn’t need him to arrange for someone to escort her. The carriage that brought her here today had been waiting outside all along. Moreover, it was getting late, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to send someone openly.

After standing in place for a while, Xie Yun finally walked down the steps. After the scent of jasmine dissipated, the night suddenly became dim.

Jinglian quietly followed behind Xie Yun, saying in a deep voice, “Master, it’s late. Should I arrange for someone to secretly protect Miss Sang?”

Xie Yun didn’t refuse verbally, and Jinglian understood that as consent.

The night was quiet, and after making arrangements, Jinglian followed Xie Yun again.

He was still pondering over everything that had happened recently.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Jinglian was probably the person who knew Xie Yun best aside from the members of the Xie family.

His status wasn’t that of an ordinary servant; he had been raised as a retainer in the Xie family since childhood. He wouldn’t enter officialdom in his life but would stay by the side of the head of the Xie family, becoming his most trusted aide.

So Jinglian had long thought about how to deal with the problem of “the head of the Xie family ending up lonely and childless.”

Now that his master suddenly seemed to be enlightened, he found it difficult to adapt.

In fact, many men and women had pursued Xie Yun before, no matter how directly he refused, there would always be someone bothering him.

Until half a year ago, a beautiful maidservant kept approaching him many times.

After failing to seduce him, she secretly drugged his tea and then stripped naked, lying on his bed.

He sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered and didn’t drink the tea. The maid didn’t even see Xie Yun’s face.

But this incident truly angered the young master.

The maid’s fate was rumored to be extremely tragic, and Xie Yun never set foot in that room again. Whether the maid lived or died is still unknown to this day.

Since then, the people attempting to get close to Xie Yun inexplicably decreased.

Nowadays, Xie Yun is even more aloof than before, and most people choose to keep their distance to avoid embarrassment. Even Li Yaoge, who was once known to admire Xie Yun, has quieted down since the incident at the countryside private garden.

So after all the turmoil, is the master really guarding Sang Yao’s chastity?

Lost in thought, the master, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke.

He still wore that perennially cold expression, as if giving an extremely important order: “Have someone check if Sang has used fragrance on her body.”

“Pay special attention to jasmine,” he added without changing his expression.