Yi Yancheng got the only long sword he wanted and then eagerly headed towards the back garden.
She would be going to Ninghe again soon, and he didn't know when they would meet next, so any moment more spent together was precious.
The bitterness and stuffiness brought by Song Ze were, for now, cast to the winds.
This was Yi Yancheng's first time visiting Xie Jiang's residence, and he proceeded unhindered into the courtyard where Xie Jiang lived.
"Young Master Yi," Aunt He stepped forward to greet him.
"Is she asleep?"
"Not yet, Young Master Yi, please come in."
Aunt He opened the door and, after Yi Yancheng entered, immediately closed it.
Yi Yancheng walked into the inner room, turning past the screen. The scene that met his eyes made him numb from the inside out.
How could she, she actually…
He should have turned away at the very first moment!
But his feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground! His eyes wouldn't turn away either.
Xie Jiang, drowsy and leaning in the bathtub, suddenly sensed something unusual and casually glanced over.
"Geng Geng!"
The sleepiness vanished instantly. Xie Jiang sat up in surprise, leaning on the edge of the bathtub and smiling as she asked him.
"Do I look good?"
Beautiful.
She was the only light in all the vastness of heaven, earth, and all things.
If she looked good, then he should look at her properly.
Xie Jiang pushed herself up from the bathtub.
Yi Yancheng's mind exploded. The moment Xie Jiang moved, he surged forward like a tiger released from its cage, pressing her head down and forcefully submerging her entirely into the bathtub.
Xie Jiang was stunned, completely caught off guard. Moreover, Yi Yancheng's strength was so immense it was practically murder; her neck was almost broken.
Only when she was completely submerged in the water did Yi Yancheng's heart, which had leaped into his throat, finally settle down.
Yi Yancheng gasped for breath, his entire arm trembling.
He also worried that she might be suffocating in the water.
But if he let go, she would surely…
How could she!
Aunt He was truly wicked and unforgivable! Bringing him in when she knew she was bathing!
And her too!
What did she think he was here for!
She had never seemed so happy to see him before!
Yi Yancheng was somewhat flustered, somewhat at a loss.
Not daring to delay too long, fearing something might truly happen to her, he loosened his grip and hastily turned his head to flee.
The door was quickly pulled open and then slammed shut with great force.
Aunt He, who was happily gazing at the sky in the courtyard, was startled.
She looked back.
Young Master Yi was holding the door shut with all his might, panting heavily, as if some venomous insects or fierce beasts were chasing him from inside.
Aunt He truly couldn't understand.
Young Master Yi actually came out?
And it looked like he had escaped!
What was there to escape from!
It was his good fortune from eight lifetimes that her mistress fancied him, yet he was so ungrateful!
If it were Young Master Su Yang or Young Master Xing Mian, or any of those others, and their mistress had even hinted at such a thing, they would have eagerly cleaned themselves up, willingly climbed into bed, and waited for their mistress's favor.
That was before, when their mistress was still young and hadn't awakened to such matters.
Did Young Master Yi know what a great opportunity he had just missed!
And he still dared to run!
Yi Yancheng took a deep breath.
He couldn't stay here tonight. He couldn't face her so casually anymore. His mind was now filled with…
From inside the room came the sound of something breaking through the water, water splashing everywhere.
"Yi Yancheng—"
Yi Yancheng truly feared she would chase him out and drag him back in. He feared he wouldn't be able to resist again, so he fled almost in panic.
Aunt He watched his retreating figure disappear over the wall.
She had never seen anyone so ungrateful.
Aunt He entered the room. "Young Master, Young Master Yi ran away."
Seeing Xie Jiang's face and hair covered in water, Aunt He quickly grabbed a dry towel to assist her.
Xie Jiang's face was flushed red with anger, she could have eaten Yi Yancheng alive!
"Regarding Spring Scenery Courtyard and Miss Lan Meng, didn't you train a batch of quite decent individuals who haven't served guests before? Would you like to call a couple over to relieve the boredom?"
Aunt He also knew that those people weren't even fit to carry shoes for her master. Yi Yancheng and Young Master Xu were barely qualified. But Yi Yancheng had run off without a trace, refusing to be appreciated.
It would be good to summon a few kittens and puppies to amuse her.
The night was long, and her master had to endure this hardship.
Xie Jiang frowned. "Not interested."
With someone as exceptional as Yi Yancheng, and someone as perfect as Xu Hengyan, no matter how sought after the people from Spring Scenery Courtyard were, they were merely mud on the ground.
Xie Jiang didn't even have the inclination to look at them.
Aunt He could understand her master's pickiness.
Originally, she thought that Young Master Su Yang and the others each had their own merits, and if her master ever awakened to such matters, she would likely take all of them as her consorts.
Who knew that upon arriving in Da Yu's capital, she discovered there were also individuals like Young Master Yi and Young Master Xu!
Her master's taste was already quite discerning, and with her own beauty, how could she not be picky?
Now, after being enlightened by Young Master Yi and Young Master Xu, her master's standards could only rise higher, and it would be difficult to even take Young Master Su Yang and the others as concubines.
"Master, what's with the men in Da Yu? They all value their chastity more than anything. Are they afraid they won't be able to marry wives if they lose their chastity?"
"They've been driven mad by their studies."
Xie Jiang lay lazily on the edge of the bathtub, letting Aunt He rub her back and massage her shoulders.
"Indeed, the more they read, the more they tend to overthink."
After suppressing her anger, thinking of Yi Yancheng's reaction just now, Xie Jiang curiously asked, "You just said Yi Yancheng ran away, how did he run?"
Aunt He said, "As soon as he heard you call out from inside the room, Young Master Yi scaled the wall and fled. It looked like he was quite scared."
Xie Jiang imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh.
Yan'er came in from outside and stood obediently outside the screen. "Young Master, Nie Tong just came to say that Spring Scenery Courtyard is in an uproar."
"In an uproar?"
Princess Qing Yuan and the Yongjia Marquis's estate should be busy looking for people everywhere at this time.
Even if they were to hold Spring Scenery Courtyard accountable, it should be after they found the person.
Why was there an uproar now?
"Call Nie Tong over."
Xie Jiang put on her clothes and came to the outer room. Nie Tong was already waiting. "Young Master."
"What's the situation?"
"Young Master Meng found Princess Le'an in Chunhe's room."
Noticing Xie Jiang's furrowed brow, Nie Tong knew that his master detested such matters and quickly tried to find an excuse for his own people.
"Originally, they planned to find a forest and just leave her inside, but it just so happened that the Sixth Young Master of Pingliang Marquis's estate was also here tonight and got drunk before the bidding even started."
Xie Jiang had a blacklist, and the Wang family of Pingliang Marquis's estate was on it.
As a trusted subordinate of Xie Jiang, how could he not know about this blacklist?
It wasn't a secret that Wang Liu coveted Princess Le'an. Since that was the case, why not conveniently pull Wang Liu into it and let the two families fight like dogs?
Thus, Princess Le'an, who was supposed to be abandoned in the mountains to experience the nightlife, was kept at Spring Scenery Courtyard to experience the nightlife.
She didn't know which she preferred more herself.
But that didn't matter.
Whether she liked it or not, she had no choice.