Chapter 16: The Scent of Grass on Her Body

The mayor’s wife pouted slightly. This was the first time her husband had ever spoken to her in such a tone. She snorted coldly.

“Hmph, I’ve already ordered the servants to start packing. I just came to ask—can you send someone to inform my family?”

The mayor’s eyes flickered, and he replied, “I already had the steward send someone to notify your parents. Don’t worry—they should be joining us soon.”

“You should go pack as well. Don’t waste time. Prepare as much dry food as you can, bring all the grain. We leave in three hours.”

“Alright, alright, I understand. Even if you didn’t say it, I know what to do,” the mayor’s wife responded with a proud tilt of her chin before turning and leaving the study.

She let out a long breath of relief in her heart. Thankfully, her husband hadn’t forgotten her parents. Otherwise, she couldn’t imagine how they’d scold her later.

The mayor’s gaze dimmed. If this weren’t such an urgent situation, where lives were at stake, he honestly wouldn’t want anything to do with his wife’s family.

They were just too frustrating to deal with. And his wife—she had no backbone. Any good things they had would always end up being given away to her maiden family.

If not for the fact that she had borne and raised children, he would’ve divorced her a long time ago.

Her habit of favoring her own family at the expense of her husband’s was something he truly despised.

Worst of all, her family didn’t even know how to be grateful. Instead, they were greedy—always trying to squeeze more out of him.

Meanwhile, Meng Guangping drove the carriage back to the residence.

An Xiyan quickly called out loudly, “Xiao Di! Aunt Meng! Girls! Qingzhu! Have you all finished packing? We have to leave right away!”

“Coming, Miss! We’re done packing!” Tangyuan’s voice came from the kitchen.

Hearing the reply, An Xiyan strode into the kitchen and saw the four of them packing up steamed buns, fried flatbreads, and a few types of pastries.

She hurried over to help. Once everything was packed, she stored it all directly into her space.

Her space had a preservation function—nothing would spoil inside.

She then looked around the kitchen, storing away the pots, pans, jars of pickled vegetables, cured meats, and vegetables.

Even the firewood in the corner was packed into the space. Within moments, aside from some trash, the entire kitchen had been emptied.

Everything in the kitchen had now been stored inside her spatial space.

Tangyuan grinned and said cheerfully, “Miss, with you around, we really don’t need to worry about moving at all. We just throw everything into your space, and it’s done.”

An Xiyan smiled and threw an arm around Tangyuan’s shoulder. “Girls, you’d better stick close to me. If you lose me, you’ll have nothing to eat and will end up starving.”

“Heehee… Miss, even if we lose ourselves, we won’t lose you,” Tangyuan said with a bright smile, hugging An Xiyan’s slender waist tightly.

“Hey, hey, hey…” An Xiyan quickly pushed her away, protesting, “Girl, my waist is precious, okay? You nearly snapped it in half!”

“Hehe…” Tangyuan scratched her head and laughed sheepishly. “Miss, I didn’t mean to—it’s just that you smell so nice, I couldn’t help myself.”

An Xiyan’s forehead twitched with exasperation. “I’m not some sweet pastry, nor some imperial concubine with magical perfume. Why are you so obsessed with hugging me?”

Tangyuan giggled and said, “Miss, you really do smell amazing. Before, it was just a light feminine fragrance, but ever since you came back, there’s this faint grassy scent on you. It’s so refreshing—it makes people feel calm and happy.”

“And I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like since I’ve been around you more, my body’s been getting healthier.”

He Lianrong nodded in agreement. “Miss, I feel the same. It’s like that grassy scent on you has some kind of healing effect.”

“After giving birth to Qingzhu, I often felt tired. But these past few days, after being around your scent, I haven’t felt nearly as fatigued—and I’ve had so much more energy.”

An Xiyan: “……”
Oh my god… don’t tell me I really have turned into a walking magical pastry?!

But truthfully, she knew exactly why she smelled like fresh grass—it was because of her wood-type supernatural ability. That ability naturally gave off a subtle herbal scent.

And that power also had the effect of healing wounds and restoring bodily functions.

After thinking it over for a moment, she warned them seriously, “It’s fine that you all know—but do not tell anyone else. Otherwise, I’m afraid people might capture me and treat me like a living elixir.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. With someone like her around, it was basically like having an extra life.

Tangyuan quickly covered her mouth, looking a little nervous and frightened.

She promised earnestly, “Miss, don’t worry—I won’t say a word. From now on, I’ll even try not to—”

“…let anyone get too close to you. As long as they stay at least a meter away, they won’t be able to smell the herbal scent on you.”

Tangyuan had made up her mind—she was going to become Miss’s personal bodyguard. She absolutely couldn’t let any lecherous men get too close.

What if… someone discovered Miss’s unique physique? That would be a huge problem.

He Lianrong’s expression grew solemn. “Miss, our whole family is loyal to you, and you can rest assured—we would never betray you. But…”

An Xiyan noticed Aunt Meng’s hesitation and spoke up. “Aunt Meng, whatever it is, just say it. There’s no need to hide anything between us.”

“Sigh, then I’ll speak frankly,” He Lianrong nodded and advised seriously, “Miss, you must never let your guard down. Aside from our family, you should keep your distance from everyone else—whether man or woman. No close contact.”

“In case someone notices something unusual about you… If they develop any wicked intentions, we’ll have no choice but to eliminate them completely—cut the weeds and dig out the roots, to prevent future trouble.”

She looked at An Xiyan and, seeing no signs of disagreement on her face, continued, “Miss, if such people appear, you must not show mercy. You must not let them off.”

“If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, just leave it to me and my husband. We both know martial arts—we can handle a few people.”

An Xiyan: “???”
Dear Aunt Meng… you might have misunderstood something—I’m not exactly a softhearted little flower.

“Alright, Aunt Meng, I understand.” An Xiyan’s lips curled into a faint smile, her eyes flashing with a trace of coldness.

She wasn’t some weak little girl who couldn’t take care of herself. If anyone dared mess with her, she’d make sure they regretted it deeply.

In short, she was petty and vengeful—never forget a grudge, always pay it back in full was her life motto.

“That’s good to hear, that’s good.” He Lianrong patted her chest in relief and let out a long sigh.

As long as Miss took her advice to heart, she could rest easy. Sigh… Miss had such a kind and gentle heart—it was worrisome.

Not that kindness was a bad thing, but being too kind made one easy to deceive.

Anyway, she would keep a closer eye on Miss from now on—to make sure she wouldn’t be taken advantage of.

An Xiyan: “……”
Aunt Meng, I suspect the person you’re describing isn’t actually me.

Also… when it came to the word “kindness,” she only ever bothered writing half of it.