The dog barked twice at Xie Jiang. Xie Jiang ignored it, so it circled her legs, feeling a sense of presence, and barked at her again.
Xie Jiang had no interest in responding. She nudged its chin with her toe, a gesture of greeting.
The dog whined a little in disappointment, then trotted over to the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin. Finding them unfriendly, it quickly moved away, finally settling at Xia Rongyu's feet.
Perhaps finding their conversation dull and boring, the dog soon got up, ambled around the flower hall, glanced at everyone, and then trotted out.
Seeing the dog leave, Xie Jiang thought for a moment and then also rose to leave, unable to stay any longer!
Every time she glanced at Xia Rongyu, the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin would become nervous. Either Marquis Yongxin would clear his throat as a warning, or the Duke of Qian would kick her calf.
They were more protective than if she were warding off a wolf! A living, breathing beauty sat before her, and she wasn't even allowed to look at her. Was that reasonable?
Rather than have the two old men gouge out her eyes, she might as well go for a walk with the dog.
Annoying.
Marquis Yongxin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her leaving. It was good she was gone, so her eyes wouldn't be constantly fixed on the Third Prince.
Xia Rongyu swept a subtle glance over her. He felt as if smoke was about to billow from the back of her head, and a strange smile appeared in his eyes.
How could Xia Rongyu not notice the small actions of the two elders and the young woman under his gaze? He simply played along, pretending to see nothing.
Every time the Duke of Qian kicked her, her small face would twitch in pain, and she would then endure the anger with a roll of her eyes. The same went for Marquis Yongxin's cautionary coughs; she would tell herself to endure it while displaying a myriad of subtle expressions.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she decided that out of sight was out of mind.
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were perhaps a bit too nervous. In reality, Xie Jiang had not displayed any rude behavior.
Her gaze was unusually clear and lively, incomparable to thousands of pearls. Although she stared at him without any pretense, he did not feel offended.
Her gaze was so open and generous that he couldn't muster any dislike.
It felt as if preventing her from looking was a transgression in itself.
Shen Chan, who was responsible for looking after the dog, waited outside the flower hall. As soon as the dog came out, he followed it, doting on it. The dog circled the yard once and then returned to Xie Jiang.
This time, Xie Jiang finally deigned to look at it more closely. After all, there was nothing else to see in the garden except the dog. She squatted down and stroked its fluffy head and neck.
"Woof woof..." The dog was very happy.
Shen Chan recognized Xie Jiang at a glance and exclaimed excitedly, "It's you! So, Young Master, you are the Marquis of Nanhai."
"You've met me before?"
Xie Jiang couldn't recall ever interacting with anyone from the Third Prince's residence.
Shen Chan said with a bit of excitement, "It was at the Flower Festival on Mount Xihua. The little ancestor ran off, and I was frantic looking for him. Later, I met you, Your Lordship, and you returned the little ancestor to me..."
He explained it so clearly, providing the time and place, that Xie Jiang had a slight recollection.
She scratched the dog's chin with her finger, "So it's you, little ancestor. What a coincidence that we meet again! Your father is the Third Prince."
Seeing the dog circling Xie Jiang, Shen Chan smiled and said, "The little ancestor seems to remember Your Lordship and likes you very much."
But why was the Prince the little ancestor's father?
No.
The dog was just a dog, not the Prince's son. Shen Chan wanted to clarify.
"I remember it was very small then, cute and fluffy. It's grown so much in just a few months. Does it have a name? Or is its name just Little Ancestor?"
Xie Jiang examined it carefully and found that the dog was quite good-looking, with clear features, pure white without a single blemish, and its fur was kept sleek and shiny.
"Its name is Xiao Bao."
Little Ancestor was the respectful and affectionate title given to it by the servants of the Third Prince's residence.
It wasn't Shen Chan who spoke.
Xia Rongyu's voice was easily recognizable.
Xie Jiang turned around and saw Xia Rongyu emerging from the flower hall and walking towards them.
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were also with him. It seemed their visit was coming to an end.
Xie Jiang hugged the dog and smiled, "So, my fate with the Third Prince was destined so long ago."
Xia Rongyu smiled distantly and said, "Fate is always rather mysterious."
Marquis Yongxin walked over quickly with a smile and, with Xia Rongyu's back to him, winked at her.
What was she saying about fate? After what happened the night before, she should say less of such things in front of the Third Prince. Did she want to make the Third Prince recall unpleasant memories and then settle old scores with new ones?
The Third Prince's magnanimity was due to his great tolerance, not a reason for her to frolic without restraint!
Xie Jiang's smile froze instantly. Was it necessary to be so jumpy, so easily startled by every rustle of the wind and shadow of the grass? With those two old men watching, any thoughts she might have had about Xia Rongyu were extinguished.
The Duke of Qian said, "We have troubled the Third Prince for half the afternoon. We should take our leave."
Xia Rongyu appeared gentle on the surface, but not overly enthusiastic. Upon hearing this, he instructed the butler to see them out.
Not long after Xie Jiang and the other two left, the people sent to gather information also returned.
A trusted confidant tactfully informed Xia Rongyu about the rumors circulating outside these past couple of days.
Xia Rongyu was taken aback.
No wonder the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were so solemn today, almost forcing the Marquis of Nanhai to come and apologize. Had the events of the palace banquet that night been distorted to this extent?
Preposterous.
Xia Rongyu listened as his confidant recounted the rumors, which were so detailed and vivid, as if they had been witnessed firsthand.
In reality, the Marquis of Nanhai had only grabbed him and pestered him for a while, rubbing his face haphazardly. Although the Marquis of Nanhai was somewhat lecherous, he wasn't a complete lecherous fiend.
No wonder the Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were so nervous, fearing the Marquis of Nanhai would stare at him for even a moment.
The Duke of Qian and Marquis Yongxin were also, given their fervent protection of the Marquis of Nanhai and their personal escort today, likely very close to the Marquis of Nanhai.
Then they should understand the Marquis of Nanhai's character. Why would they so easily believe the rumors outside?
The confidant felt it was not at all strange that the two old gentlemen believed the gossip.
"A while ago, the Marquis of Nanhai and Hao Wei of the Hao family got into a fierce fight over a courtesan. They were thrown into Shun Tian Prefecture Prison by Magistrate Fang and were only released on the morning of the palace banquet..."
Everyone knew the Marquis of Nanhai's dissolute and lecherous nature.
The confidant couldn't help but suspect that on the night of the palace banquet, the Marquis of Nanhai had truly been drunk when he pestered the Prince, or was he using drunkenness as an excuse to harass the Prince?
The more he thought about it, the more likely this possibility seemed!
"Can't I tell the difference between feigned drunkenness and real drunkenness?" Xia Rongyu saw the frantic suspicion in his confidant's distorted expression. Recalling the scene that night, Xia Rongyu shook his head with a wry smile.
"The Marquis of Nanhai doesn't seem like that kind of person, do you think?" Xia Rongyu asked, stroking the dog's head with a smile.
"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Your Highness, do not be deceived by the Marquis of Nanhai's appearance. The more unlike he seems, the more he can subtly bewitch people."
A servant rushed over, "The Duke of Qian and the other two just left, and they're about to fight at the entrance. Marquis Yongxin wants to kill the Marquis of Nanhai."
The confidant was dumbfounded. "Your Highness, do you want to go out and see?"
If the Marquis of Nanhai were to be killed at their doorstep, it would be another troublesome matter for His Highness.
Xia Rongyu chuckled at this. "They're just playing around. Marquis Yongxin won't actually kill him. We don't need to interfere."