Just then pain had taken hold of all her senses. So when Xiao Xu carried her up, she still hadn’t returned to her senses. In the blink of an eye, she was already sitting on horseback.
The night wind carried a trace of coolness and refreshingness as it blowed by, drying the tears on her face.
Sticking to the chest of the person behind her, separated only by the garment, she could feel his warmth. She properly settled her little heart that was just startled, but now she didn’t want to face him.
Xiao Xu sensed her little moodiness, and his brows wrinkled. On the battlefield, he could see the other party’s every arrangement and scheme at one glance. But he had no way of understanding a child’s thoughts. After all, a child’s world wasn’t easy to understand.
And just at this time, several fine horses rushed over in a hurry. They also attracted Chu Qing-Yan’s gaze.
One could see at the front a youth wearing a brocaded clothing taking the lead. His white, moist face was full of worry until he saw the two people nestled against each other on the horse’s back before he released a breath in relief.
Eldest Royal brother, nothing happened to Qing-Yan right?
After the two groups neared each other, that youth in brocaded clothing looked at Chu Qing-Yan who had turned her head away. He couldn’t see her expression clearly, so he turned his head toward his Royal brother to ask this.
Nothing.
Xiao Xu lowered his head to take a glance at the person in his arms before faintly replying.
Then that’s good.
Brocade clothed youth rubbed his head, then turned his head toward Chu Qing-Yan whose back of her head was facing him all along. He turned the horse around to turn to the other side, smiling happily to say to her.
Smelly girl, you are bound for good fortune after surviving a great disaster.
Chu Qing-Yan already saw Xiao Ran since earlier, but when she saw him, she recalled the assassination attempt today. She couldn’t help but want to take her anger out on him. If it was not for him, would she still suffer this senseless absurd calamity?
Once she heard his words, Chu Qing-Yan’s belly was full of fire, without thinking she retorted back.
Are you certain I will have good fortune afterwards? I would rather not have this great catastrophe!
Xiao Ran never thought this smelly girl would actually dare to talk back in front of him. For a split second he couldn’t return to his senses, but the attendants behind him had already taken a step forward to angrily rebuke her.
Audacious, this is the stately Fourth Prince. How could he allow someone like you, this lowly wild girl, to offend!
Hearing ‘wild girl’ – these two words, Chu Qing-Yan was just about to retort when she heard a light reprimand coming from over her head.
Making trouble.
Chu Qing-Yan immediately ceased, with her little cheeks puffed up, biting her lips full of indignation. She kept silent, not resisting doesn’t mean she gave up or feared him. Rather, this meant she knew that a genius adapts to circumstances!
Xiao Xu saw her fuming expression and felt this was much more full of life than her spiritless aura from before, then turned his gaze to that attendance with his chin lifted up high.
That attendant originally was still arrogant and despotic, but when he received His Highness Prince Ying’s cold and ice shard like gaze, he immediately lowered his head and retreated from fear that almost make him piss in his pants.
Xiao Ran was somewhat annoyed by Chu Qing-Yan talking back to him. Having grown to this age, he had always sailed smoothly with the current for so many years, until he met the girl in front of him who always made him kick into an iron plate. He was about to get angry at her, but when he saw her pair of watery eyes, that had a layer of bleakness and an expression of having been wronged floating on its surface, the berating words that had arrived at his mouth suddenly choked in his throat.
He couldn’t help but recall that whether it was the matter of being poisoned from last time, or this time’s unsuccessful assassination attempt, if it was not linked to him in countless ways, then it came aiming for him. And Chu Qing-Yan was always an innocent being implicated; she almost lost her life and went to the underworld. Both times were at the front line of life or death. It couldn’t be helped to say that he harmed her in these circumstances. However, it had been instilled in him since childhood that the people at his side were only born to protect him. Achieve glory together and loss all together, about these people’s lives he very would rarely care about it. However, when he saw the grievance appear on Chu Qing-Yan’s face, he suddenly became absent-minded.
While Xiao Ran was absent-minded, Xiao Xu took a glance at the color of the sky and looked at Chu Qing-Yan’s ankle that had become more and more swollen. He couldn’t continue to tarry as he was afraid the swelling would become more serious. As a result, he said to the imperial bodyguards behind Xiao Ran.
Time is late, send Fourth Prince back to the palace.
After he finished handing over this matter, Xiao Xu finally nodded slightly toward Xiao Ran, then raised his whip, brought his own people and disappeared into the dust that was sent flying.
This time the assassination attempt was premeditated. Maybe there were still other assassins hidden in secret places. Therefore, in order to ensure Fourth Prince’s safety, and in order to safeguard their own heads, one after another of these imperial bodyguards persuaded Xiao Ran to return to the palace.
Right now Xiao Ran was still stunned in place, with his pair of quick-witted eyes full of moodiness that was hard to describe with words.
A moment full of water, affection that couldn’t be said.
In his mind, a verse that the Imperial Tutor instructed him yesterday suddenly flashed by. He finally understood the meaning of what the Imperial Tutor said ‘can only be understood but not described.’
Hearing the persuading imperial bodyguards, he remotely saw that pear colored figure being wrapped around in that mysterious black color, getting more and more distant.
Afterwards the following first time, second time and countless times, he would always look at this scene from the distance. His whole heart carried disappointment and frustration as if he had lost something precious. Only, the feeling was deeper every time and so was the pain.
Is your heart content?
The grim faced Highness on the horse’s back suddenly asked.
Chu Qing-Yan had been immersed in her own sad world all along, and thought she had imagined the voice. Still, she couldn’t help but raise her head. At this moment she just so happened to meet his pitch-black as the night sky’s eyes. First she was stumped for words, then immediately after, she sulkily flung her head away.
Don’t need you to control!
Chu Qing-Yan gnashed her teeth.
Still angry?
Although he used a questioning sentence, in fact his tone was full of certainty.
Hehe, I’m merely a wild girl, what qualification do I have to get angry at you princes that were born with a golden spoon in your mouths?
Everytime she recalled that shiny blade that was about to land on her neck and the horse carriage that rushed horizontally and almost knocked against the city wall that was within reach, her heart would tremble slightly. She returned his look with cold eyes.
Xiao Xu’s cold eyebrow rose, in his heart he wondered if recently he was too indulgent toward her, leading to her now daring even to get angry with him.
However looking at the person shrinking into his body and trembling slightly, more than half of the anger in his heart disappeared.
Nothing must happen to Xiao Ran.
Chu Qing-Yan gave a cold humph.
He was telling her, Xiao Ran’s life was more important than hers! She as a peasant had little value?
Sensing her anger that was rushing up layer by layer, the corner of Xiao Xu’s mouth hooked up helplessly. He lifted his large hand and placed it on her head, lightly stroking her.
This king will make it up to you.
Chu Qing-Yan’s pair of hands cluched the clothes in front of his chest. Hearing his words, her heart finally became balanced. That was more like it!
Maybe it was because the authorities were confused.
Chu Qing-Yan didn’t discover that the her right now wasn’t complaining that Xiao Xu paid no heed to her. This was not his fault because he had already arranged Gu Yi to protect her. In fact what she cared about was that Xiao Xu’s care and concern for Xiao Ran far surpassed his care and concern for her.
She hadn’t discovered that in fact, she had already unconsciously brought Xiao Xu into her own territory.
Maybe she would put on a thousand faces in front of outsiders, but she would only reveal her true mood in front of people she cared about. For example, people like her parents, best friends as well as Xiao Xu when she was completely unaware of it.
The yellow smoke rolled on, the whole journey the dust would not vanish.
In a high place.
A figure’s back reclined against a stone pillar. The posture was free and at ease. The appearance was picturesque. When smiling, he was like an enchanting rose. When not smiling, he was as mysterious as the deep sea. His whole body was dressed in purple, charming and seductive, if you didn’t see his Adam’s apple, you would definitely mistaken him for a female.
If Chu Qing-Yan was present, afraid she would cry out in surprise. What a ‘born as male with feminine appearance’ that made him an exceptional beauty.
And at this time, a person knelt behind the mysterious male to report.
Pay my respect to Young Palace Master.
Why did you appear here?
His tone carried a touch of a smile, but for no reason at all, it made people feel cold.
Someone offered ten thousand taels to assassinate Western Xuan’s Fourth Prince.
The black clothed person’s body even had wounds, and he resisted the pain with great difficulty to respond.
Looks like coming to Western Xuan is getting more interesting.
The mysterious male looked at the horse disappearing in the dust, and exposed a smiling expression that was not quite a smile.
