Dan Xiaoye was not giving up and quickly walked a few more steps to catch up with Zhao Yeqing. With a fawning smile, she said, “Young Master, have you thought about it? Just tell me! I can see you’re a good person, so please be good to the end and tell me, don’t let me lose sleep over this. This matter has been bothering me for a long time.”
Zhao Yeqing suddenly turned around and grabbed Dan Xiaoye’s right wrist, saying angrily, “Enough! Don’t test my patience. I don’t want to hear such words again, do you understand?”
Dan Xiaoye looked at him in fear, her eyes fixed on the corner of the bracelet exposed by his grip. Her heart was racing, wondering what to do. She swallowed hard and said, “Young Master, can’t I just stop asking? It’s just one question, don’t take it so seriously! A gentleman uses words, not force. You are a gentleman. Just let it go!”
Zhao Yeqing frowned and released her hand. Dan Xiaoye quickly covered the exposed part of the bracelet with her left hand and pulled back her right hand. She swiftly pulled down her sleeve to cover the bracelet. She had hoped to discover a way to remove the bracelet while near him, but it seemed she couldn’t find the answer by staying close to him.
It wasn’t safe to stay near him for long.
She said, “Young Master, I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble. I’m sorry! I’ll leave now and won’t bother you anymore, truly! I’ll repay the life-saving kindness from yesterday. Great kindness needs no words of gratitude. We’ll meet again.” She lifted her foot to walk away.
Zhao Yeqing watched Dan Xiaoye leave, frowning. The impact of his presence was indescribable. Last night, the fire of desire within him couldn’t be extinguished. He had left the inn and gone to the first pagoda tree in Ancheng but returned disappointed. His heroic spirit had vanished, and despite provocation, he couldn’t muster any interest. His internal turmoil was intense, like someone desperate to urinate but unable to when seeing a chamber pot.
Perhaps his departure was correct, and he could escape from this absurd fantasy. Zhao Yeqing suppressed his heartache and said to Dan Xiaoye’s back, “Xiao Dan, take care! If you encounter any difficulties, you can find me at Ming Jian Mountain Manor.”
Dan Xiaoye turned back, waving at Zhao Yeqing. “Young Master, you’re a good person. I’ll remember you. Goodbye!” She smiled and left without hesitation.
Zhao Yeqing felt his heart aching as he watched her leave, as if losing something, feeling a terrifying emptiness. The reluctance and impulse to call her back grew gradually…
He reached out, wanting to stop him, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Reason told him not to do this, that short pain was better than long pain, and such inappropriate feelings should be cut off early. This struggle between rationality and emotion wrestled in his heart… Until Dan Xiaoye was out of sight, he closed his eyes forcefully, his outstretched hand tightly clenched into a fist, slowly drawing back…
Chapter 064
Dan Xiaoye unexpectedly discovered that his male-dressed portrait was plastered all over the streets. He hadn’t noticed the surrounding events while focusing on extracting information from Zhao Yeqing. Now he saw groups of General’s guards searching for him everywhere. However, they hadn’t recognized him in his current disguise. Ancheng was now sealed, easy to enter but difficult to leave, requiring the General’s approval to exit.
Standing near the city gate, he looked at the citizens being carefully checked. It seemed he couldn’t leave Ancheng recently. Their only reason for doing this was him. He couldn’t understand why Hu Yan Nan was making such a big fuss when they currently owed each other nothing.
Shan Xiaoya heard her stomach rumbling. She touched her belly, which felt empty, and a curved smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Jing Wang sat at a window seat on the second floor of a teahouse, holding a tea cup in deep thought. Since last night, the entire An City had been in a state of panic. Rumors spread that the General’s Mansion was searching for an important person, with posters of a handsome young man plastered everywhere. But he had recognized her at first glance – the woman who had been on his mind…
At this moment, a guard from the Wang’s mansion approached. “This subordinate greets the Wang.” Jing Wang withdrew his gaze, put down his tea cup, and looked at the newcomer with a hint of anxiety. “Have you found her?”
“Reporting to the Wang, neither the General’s Mansion’s people nor our men have found her. She should still be in An City…”
“Understood. Continue searching. Make sure to find her before General Hu Yan does.”
“Yes!”
The guard retreated. Jing Wang picked up his tea cup, gazing blankly out the window, troubled by love and losing appetite…
Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye – a petite woman in a gray outfit, her hair covered by a black headscarf. In An City, no man would be this small, except her…
Jing Wang put down his tea cup and stood up abruptly, his eyes never leaving her. Just as he was about to approach her with joy, he unexpectedly saw her hand quickly reach into someone’s embrace and extract a money pouch, which vanished in the blink of an eye.
What was she doing?
If not for his keen eyesight, he would never have noticed her swift theft. Jing Wang leaped out the window, coming up behind her, eager to confirm if she was the woman he had been thinking about. He impatiently reached out and tapped her shoulder, blurting out, “Stop!”
The person was clearly startled and turned around, causing Jing Wang to be shocked himself. In his entire life, he had never seen someone so dark, so ugly. He didn’t want to look a second time.
Disgustedly turning away, he waved his hand. “I’ve mistaken you. You can go.”
Shan Xiaoya frowned, looking Jing Wang up and down. His attire suggested he wasn’t an ordinary person, and he seemed somewhat familiar. For a moment, she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.
His guards suddenly approached, standing behind him. Then she remembered – he was the one who had saved her in front of Zhao Yeqing. It was better to avoid trouble. She nodded at him and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Jing Wang caught a whiff of a delicate feminine fragrance – light and memorable, a scent he had once known on her. He quickly looked around. Apart from the ugly person who just left, no one else had passed by.
This fragrance – he could never mistake or forget it…
Catching a glimpse of her snow-white neck, his heart stirred. It was indeed her. He quickened his steps, caught her arm, and declared, “I know it’s you.”
King Jing looked at Shan Xiaoya’s resolute expression, sighed and hesitated. “Ah! Since that’s the case, take this.” He took out a golden token from his chest and handed it to Shan Xiaoya. Shan Xiaoya curiously accepted the token, examining it front and back. It was entirely golden, with a ‘Ling’ character carved on both sides, written in a powerful, dynamic style…
Shan Xiaoya looked up in confusion. “King Jing, you…”
“This is a token bestowed by the previous emperor. With it, you can freely enter the imperial palace. I’m giving it to you, hoping you’ll stay safe.”
Shan Xiaoya looked at King Jing in disbelief, secretly blaming herself for misjudging his intentions. She declined, “No! King Jing, this gift is too precious. We have no relationship; how can I accept such a significant gift? Please take it back!” She held the token with both hands, extending it back to King Jing.
King Jing did not take the token, his face turning from slightly red to dark. For the first time, he genuinely wanted to give something to someone, yet they did not appreciate it. How could he bear this?
The sword at his waist suddenly emerged, pressing against Shan Xiaoya’s neck. King Jing’s gloomy expression was unreadable…
