Chapter 47

The room still carried the scent of plain noodles.

Sang Yao clutched the bedding, lying curled up on Xie Yun’s bed. The summer weather was sultry, and she was already sweating lightly, with her long hair sticking to her face, making her uncomfortable, but that was the least of her concerns.

Though her body was still on Xie Yun’s bed, her heart was already dead.

Xie Yun stood by the bed and said softly, “Your noodles are getting cold.”

After a while, the small lump on the bed finally moved. The edge of the blanket was lifted, revealing a furry little head.

The redness on the girl’s face spread down to her collarbone. Her eyes seemed misty, and she asked pitifully, “Will the noodles still be cold in such hot weather?”

Her black hair stuck to her cheeks, her lips were moist, plump, and enticing. When she was unhappy, her cheeks would puff up lightly, which was very cute.

Her clothes had been slightly ruffled earlier, and from Xie Yun’s angle, he could see inside— porcelain-white with a hint of pale pink, symmetrical collarbones protruded, and further down, at the edge of her clothes, on her tender and fair skin, there was a small dark red mole.

It looked imposing in his eyes.

Sang Yao didn’t know where Xie Yun was looking. She was still immersed in sorrow, feeling like she might never face anyone again.

After feeling miserable for a while, Sang Yao suddenly raised her head and looked at Xie Yun.

Xie Yun averted his gaze and turned away.

Sang Yao sat up from the bed, her messy black hair making her look disheveled. She had a wooden expression as she questioned Xie Yun, “Why didn’t you stop him just now?”

Sang Yao threw off the blanket completely, then got out of bed and walked aggressively towards Xie Yun. Her face was still flushed, pointing at him she said, “You… you could have stopped him just now, couldn’t you?”

Sang Yao realized at this moment that if this man really didn’t want Chen Ke to see him, he could have chosen not to meet Chen Ke directly. At the very least, the two of them could have gone outside to talk. And worst case, when Chen Ke approached the bed just now, he could have stopped him with just a few words. But he didn’t say anything! He didn’t do anything!

Xie Yun leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Sang Yao. He nonchalantly responded with a hum and then asked softly, “But why should I stop him?”

This question left Sang Yao at a loss. Countless answers flashed through her mind in an instant, but she couldn’t grasp any of them. After stuttering for a while, she said, “…He would think too much.”

And obviously, he already did.

Xie Yun said matter-of-factly, “So what if he thinks too much? Is that really important?”

She couldn’t find a way to refute him for a moment.

It seemed that Xie Yun had always been like this, he didn’t care how others saw him. Just like last time at the princess’s mansion, he was very calm.

But Sang Yao couldn’t be so calm. She was frustrated and said, “But if this gets out, how can I get married?”

At that moment, she deliberately hid her face with her hair, not knowing if Chen Ke recognized her. If he didn’t recognize her, that would be fine. But if he did, and this got out, what would become of her reputation?

When Xie Yun heard the words “get married” from Sang Yao’s mouth, it seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him.

He furrowed his brows slightly, “Who are you going to marry, your brother, Yang Wenchuan?”

Why did he suddenly mention Yang Wenchuan? Sang Yao frowned and said, “…It’s none of your business who I marry.”

Right.

It really had nothing to do with him.

Xie Yun no longer wanted to discuss this unimportant matter with her. He kindly reassured her, “Chen Ke won’t spread it around.”

At most, he would just say a few words to his father, and he wouldn’t expose Sang Yao’s identity. In that case, he was the one who should be worried.

He didn’t care, so why should she?

Sang Yao said, “How do you know he won’t spread it? Are you a worm in his belly?”

That was indeed difficult to prove. Xie Yun glanced at the door and said, “Then shall I call Chen Ke over to give you a written guarantee? Would that satisfy you?”

“…”

Sang Yao remained silent for a long time. She felt that something was not right. Even if Chen Ke didn’t talk about it, she still felt something was off.

Squeezing her palm, she stared at him for a long time before finally concluding, “I know now. You did it on purpose.”

In this way, if this matter spread, she wouldn’t be able to get married. That would suit him just fine. He was probably secretly happy about it, so why bother stopping it?

She was careless just now.

Xie Yun had never thought about it from this angle. He was speechless for a moment and asked, “…Your thoughts are quite unique, but why would I do it on purpose?”

With things having come to this point, Sang Yao thought painfully. She couldn’t really ask Chen Ke for a written guarantee, could she? Moreover, Chen Ke seemed even older than her father, and being a senior court official, he was very composed. He shouldn’t be the kind of person who gossiped.

After saying this, Sang Yao turned around in anger, ignoring him. She sat back opposite Xie Yun and picked up her chopsticks again.

Xie Yun looked at her.

He was tired of explaining and didn’t think it was a big deal. He didn’t think it was worth his effort to stop her. Besides, he had some thoughts already. When Chen Ke reached out, he had thought about speaking up to avoid Sang Yao’s embarrassment. But by then, Chen Ke was already about to lift the blanket, so he didn’t bother.

Sang Yao was too angry to pay attention to him for the moment.

She lowered her head to eat noodles, the fragrance of the noodles momentarily covering up her embarrassment. She took several bites and then silently thought that Xie Yun was lying again; the noodles weren’t cold at all.

Xie Yun didn’t say anything else.

Sang Yao was still hungry. She had never thought that a bowl of plain noodles could be so delicious.

However, as she ate, she suddenly remembered something very important.

But by now, her anger had subsided a bit. Calming down, she gradually realized that she was a guest here and had to be polite.

She couldn’t stay stubborn now. After hesitating for a long time, she asked, “Can I ask you something?”

Xie Yun: “Go ahead.”

Sang Yao glanced at the door of the room and asked tentatively, “Where will I sleep later?”

Xie Yun said indifferently, “Aren’t you going to the main hall to chant scriptures?”

Sang Yao bit her lip.

Although that was the plan, she certainly wanted to avoid it if possible. People there knew all the scriptures by heart, but she didn’t know any. If she went, she would be exposed.

But since Xie Yun said so, he probably didn’t intend to help her. Sang Yao lowered her head and muttered, “Oh.”

Xie Yun said, “What, are you planning to sleep in my bed?”

After finishing the noodles, Sang Yao put down her chopsticks and said, “Of course not, I was just asking.”

She added, “Then just point me in the right direction, and I’ll go by myself.”

Since she had to leave, she couldn’t just stay here with him forever.

After saying that, Sang Yao silently stood up. Her hair was a mess from diving into the blankets.

There’s still a bit of disorder here.

Thinking that she couldn’t sleep later made her unable to feel happy. She forced a smile and thanked him, “Your noodles were delicious. When I return to the capital, I will repay you.”

Xie Yun also stood up. He walked in front of Sang Yao and opened the door.

The night became even quieter, with no one outside the courtyard, only occasional bird calls.

A gentle breeze lifted Sang Yao’s clothes. She thought the main hall shouldn’t be far away, but the darkness was a bit scary.

She shrank back and said, “You just need to tell me which direction to go.”

After coming out, Xie Yun closed the door. Sang Yao watched him and said, “You don’t need to accompany me.”

Xie Yun glanced at her and said, “Follow me.”

He walked ahead, his tall figure blurred in the darkness. Sang Yao followed his footsteps and said, “You really don’t need to accompany me.”

The two of them left the courtyard. Xie Yun led Sang Yao through a corridor and stopped in front of a meditation room. He pushed the door open and lit an oil lamp.

The dim candlelight rose, gradually filling the dark room with light, revealing the girl’s face clearly.

She had been hesitant and anxious, but now that she was here, a glimmer of hope rose in her heart. She didn’t speak but looked at him expectantly.

Those eyes, full of affection, once again exerted their power, conveying joy, anticipation, and a plea.

Under such a gaze, Xie Yun said as she wished, “You’ll sleep here.”

Sang Yao was extremely touched. She excitedly grabbed his sleeve. Although Xie Yun had made her angry just now, she now thought he was a really good person. She had thought she would really have to go chant scriptures tonight, but she didn’t expect to be able to sleep instead.

She temporarily forgave Xie Yun for not stopping Chen Ke earlier and said, “Thank you, thank you so much.”

She couldn’t help but continue, “If you ever need anything in the future, I’ll definitely be your servant.”

Xie Yun mercilessly replied, “Thank you, but I probably won’t need you.”

Sang Yao thought about it and whispered, “Then can I have my father be your servant?”

Anyway, her father’s dream for the past two years had been to curry favor with Xie Yun. This was also helping her father fulfill his wish.

Xie Yun didn’t want to entertain her. He asked, “Didn’t they arrange a room for you?”

Thinking about this, Sang Yao felt wronged. She said, “I was kicked out.”

Xie Yun thought, Why is she always bullied by others?

He bit his lip and after a while asked, “Who kicked you out?”

This was something that could only be said to Xie Yun and no one else. Sang Yao quickly turned back, closed the door with a bang, and then eagerly approached Xie Yun, speaking mysteriously, “It was Ming Rong.”

She leaned closer to Xie Yun, and the familiar scent of jasmine enveloped them once again.

Sang Yao lowered her voice, “You know, they are really outrageous. Ming Rong kicked me out for something with someone else!”

“She kept asking me how I managed to come here. After I told her, she kept urging me to go to the main hall to chant scriptures. But I actually didn’t have to go. Originally, she’s my sister–“

She stopped abruptly, suddenly feeling guilty, and glanced at Xie Yun, saying, “…and then I was kicked out.”

Xie Yun asked, “What about your sister?”

…She regretted it. If she had known, she wouldn’t have said anything earlier.

How could she answer this? She couldn’t just say her sister was involved in something she shouldn’t be.

In order to create an opportunity for her to interact with him, she was intentionally made to stay here, right?

Sang Yao couldn’t say such words even if she died.

She bit her lip and quickly thought about how to lie so that it sounded more plausible.

The man’s gaze was too oppressive. She thought for a long time but still couldn’t think of how to answer.

After a moment, she could only slowly lift her head, silently meeting his gaze, silently begging him not to ask anymore.

The dim candlelight cast a warm glow on Sang Yao’s face. Her eyes were like autumn water. She was fair-skinned, so her lips appeared even more rosy and moist, small and plump.

His gaze dimmed slightly.

That strange, silent attraction began to spread towards him again.

She seemed to be accustomed to using such expressions, appearing weak but actually possessing an indescribable strength.

Sang Yao noticed Xie Yun’s gaze. She whispered, “Do I have something on my mouth?”

Xie Yun didn’t look. She hadn’t realized she had eaten noodles earlier and hadn’t wiped her mouth. Could she have something on her face? She couldn’t be that embarrassing, right?

Xie Yun simply made a low sound of acknowledgment.

Sang Yao’s heart sank. She couldn’t help licking her lips and then hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her body, wiping it randomly, before asking him, “Is it gone?”

Xie Yun remained unchanged and said, “No.”

Suddenly, he raised his hand, using one hand to hold her chin. He lowered his gaze and said without hesitation, “Let me help you.”

Sang Yao was forced to tilt her head up to look at him.

Xie Yun’s gaze was cold, and his handsome face showed no emotions. Even though his actions could be considered somewhat offensive, Sang Yao didn’t stop him.

She thought to herself, Xie Yun is really kind to her today.

Xie Yun’s thumb finally landed on the rosy lips before him. His finger pressed lightly, causing the soft flesh to sink. His hand moved from the corner of her lips to the most plump and tender part in the center. He gently caressed it but felt that something was missing.

If he moved a little further forward, he could enter her mouth.