Chapter 15 – Watching the Fireworks

Tian Shi was both furious and flustered after hearing the little girl’s description.

She had always been proud and had never lost face in public. Yet today, such an embarrassing scene had played out—entirely because of this stinky little brat named Yaoyao!

Her way of referring to Yaoyao had changed from “little vixen” to “little jinx.” She hadn’t even bothered to wipe the chicken feces from her face before she limped out of the chicken coop, reaching to grab Yaoyao’s arm.

Just as she was about to catch her, a sturdy woman with a black mole at the corner of her mouth yanked her sleeve, pulling her back hard—almost causing her to fall again.

The woman held her in place with one hand and placed the other on her waist, snapping angrily, “You broke my chicken coop! All my chickens ran off. How are you going to pay for that? Some of them were egg-laying hens!”

Tian Shi glanced at the woman—dark-skinned and sharp-eyed. She looked like someone always trying to take advantage of others.

Unwilling to argue with such a person, she prepared to settle things with money.

But when she reached for her money pouch, her face instantly froze.

Her money was gone.

She yanked the flattened pouch from her waist and saw that the bottom had torn open.

Seeing that Tian Shi couldn’t produce any money, the woman immediately changed her tone, threatening, “If you don’t pay up, we’ll go to the magistrate!”

“No, we mustn’t go to the magistrate!”

Tian Shi cared most about saving face. As she was about to remove her jade hairpin to offer it as compensation, the moment she pulled it out—it snapped clean in two.

Staring at her beloved hairpin now broken into two pieces, she was baffled. What bad luck had she stepped into today?

Left with no choice, she took off the sheep-fat jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it over.

The woman gave it a glance and scoffed coldly, “Trying to fool me with a fake? Do you think I can’t tell the difference?”

“How could it be fake? This was bestowed by the Emperor!”

Just as Tian Shi protested, the woman snapped the bracelet in half right before her eyes, revealing cheap jade fragments inside—clearly a low-grade counterfeit.

Tian Shi was dumbfounded and speechless.

In desperation, she noticed the golden bell on Yaoyao’s head and had a wicked thought.

Yaoyao had intended to sneak away, but a sudden influx of carriages and horses surrounded her, trapping her in place.

Just as Tian Shi reached out her hand, a flash of cold light sliced across her cheek—faster than the wind. Before she could react, a sharp dagger appeared on the back of her hand.

In an instant, blood spurted out, splashing onto Yaoyao’s face.

Tian Shi screamed in pain, horrified by the sudden injury. She stumbled back several steps in fright.

Pain shot from the back of her hand through her nerves, flooding her entire body. The blood wouldn’t stop.

Just as she regretted not checking the almanac before leaving home, a cold figure swiftly passed in front of her eyes.

When she looked up and saw the youth’s chiseled face, her heart dropped.

Why was the young heir here?

Xie Yixing walked directly over to Yaoyao. Seeing the two spots of dirty blood on her face, his lowered gaze instantly filled with icy hostility.

He took out a clean handkerchief. The moment his white, slender fingers brushed Yaoyao’s cheek, he noticed something was off.

Yaoyao had been so frightened by the earlier scene that she was stunned, her pink lips drained of color.

A sharp chill deepened in Xie Yixing’s dark eyes. He immediately grabbed her hand and carefully checked for injuries. Only after confirming she wasn’t hurt did his cold gaze soften slightly.

The moment Tian Shi recognized Xie Yixing, she forgot about her bleeding hand and tried to run.

But before she could take a step, the woman demanding compensation blocked her path again.

With no way out, Tian Shi, reeking and miserable, used her uninjured hand to pluck off the jade and pearls embedded in her luxurious gown. Under the woman’s greedy stare, she even handed over the pearl hair ornament from her head before the matter was finally settled.

Just as she was about to flee again, she was seized on the spot by a shadow guard from the marquis’ residence.

Xie Yixing held Yaoyao in his arms, standing before Tian Shi.

His flawless, jade-like face gleamed coldly in the moonlight. His thin lips parted with a quiet, emotionless voice:

“You touched her with both hands.”

His gaze dropped to the small dagger still lodged in Tian Shi’s hand.

The dagger was delicately crafted, with a ruby embedded in the hilt.

As Yaoyao slowly regained her senses and saw the dagger clearly, she immediately recognized it—it was hers.

Because she was always losing things, she had entrusted her belongings to Xie Yixing for safekeeping. She never expected he’d actually carry them with him.

Tian Shi had just started to wonder how the dagger could have come flying through the air—it had to be someone’s doing.

The next second, Xie Yixing held out his hand. “Return it.”

Tian Shi shivered.

Not only was she guilty, but the person she had offended was the young heir of the Chengming Marquisate.

Even though she was technically his elder and injured, she didn’t dare scold him. Instead, she forced a smile and tried to appease him: “If you like playing with daggers, dear nephew, I’ll have your uncle send you a whole chest of them someday.”

Xie Yixing’s black eyes were deep and unreadable, like ink.

His graceful and noble posture only added to Tian Shi’s unease.

“No,” he replied coldly. “I want the one in your hand. Now.”

In all her years, this was the most Tian Shi had ever heard him speak.

She looked down at the dagger, her anxiety reaching its peak.

If she pulled it out, her hand might be ruined.

If she didn’t, she’d be offending her nephew.

Everyone knew the young heir of the Chengming Marquisate was born a favored child of heaven—good family, good looks, but a…

She suddenly remembered that when Xie Yixing was just a child, she once stayed at the Marquisate and casually remarked that the boy was a reincarnated demon.

That very night, she found poisonous snakes and scorpions inside her bedding.

Since then, she never dared spend another night at the Chengming Marquisate.

But unwilling to give up the connection, she sent her daughter into the household instead.

Xie Yixing sensed her hesitation and grew impatient.

He lowered his head and gently placed his hand over Yaoyao’s eyes.

Yaoyao obediently stayed still.

With just a look from Xie Yixing, the nearby shadow guard knew exactly what to do.

Even though the target was the Marquisate lady’s family—his own blood relative—the guard understood clearly: if the young heir was unhappy, even the emperor couldn’t pacify him.

To prevent Tian Shi from screaming and drawing a crowd, the guard thoughtfully stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth and swiftly pulled the dagger out.

Tian Shi’s body collapsed like a pile of mush, her wide eyes losing focus as she fainted completely.

Xie Yixing stared at the blood on the ground, his face expressionless.

His calm composure suggested he was used to scenes like this.

The crowd began to stir again, and someone shouted, “They’re about to light the fireworks!”

“Fireworks!”

Yaoyao’s tense mood instantly eased at the sound.

Seeing her finally calm down, Xie Yixing’s expression softened slightly as well.

But when his gaze returned to the unconscious Tian Shi, he gave a look of disgust and ordered, “Take her back. Lock her in the woodshed.”

He had followed Yaoyao from the high building, tracking the direction she had run.

Seeing the scene just now, he knew immediately that Tian Shi had bullied her.

Letting her shed a bit of blood was far too lenient.

After he watched the fireworks with Yaoyao, he would return to settle the score.

As for that bloody dagger, it must be soaked in hot water.

Once the guards finished cleaning up, Xie Yixing finally removed his hand and let Yaoyao open her eyes.

Her blurry vision gradually cleared, and when she saw the pristine, jade-like face in front of her—her nose suddenly tingled.