"The hour is still early, why the rush?" Eager to see Ruan Ziji?
As Xie Jiang opened her mouth to say something, Xu Hengyan took a pastry and stuffed it into her mouth, silencing her.
"You're hungry, have a pastry."
Xie Jiang stopped talking about returning and comfortably rested her head on his lap, eating the pastry.
Xu Hengyan had finally opened up, and accepted reality with ease.
Then she would endure the hunger.
Guang Bai also noticed that his young master had changed. Previously, it was Xie Gongzi who unilaterally clung to the young master, and the young master merely didn't mind such clinginess. But now, the young master was actively being clingy?
Looking at the two of them interacting so intimately and at ease, a thought suddenly struck Guang Bai: if it were Miss Shen clinging to the young master's side, the Madam Dowager and the Madam would surely be overjoyed.
But why did he feel that if Miss Shen replaced Xie Gongzi in his current position, it would be a cause for universal celebration?
Guang Bai's mind was struck by lightning. Many questions that had been unclear to him for a long time seemed to find their answers in that instant.
The young master and Xie Gongzi…
Guang Bai, who was about to withdraw, was so terrified by this thought that his soul almost left his body.
Xu Hengyan suddenly raised his head, his gaze deep and fixed on Guang Bai.
Guang Bai immediately lowered his head and retreated.
Standing in the corridor, the night wind blew, and Guang Bai shivered, realizing he was drenched in sweat.
The young master actually…
The reason the young master had avoided Xie Gongzi some time ago was because he had already realized his own problem, hadn't he?
But now…
After a month of calm reflection, coupled with Xie Gongzi's disappearance last night, the young master had likely understood what he truly desired.
What the young master desired…
Sweat dripped from Guang Bai's forehead, and he felt as if he had just been pulled out of water.
Guang Qing, who had come to report matters, approached and saw him, asking in surprise, "What's wrong? Did something happen, or are you not feeling well?"
Guang Bai wiped his sweat with his hand, shook his head, and remained silent.
His mind was still filled with the young master's deep gaze from earlier.
Guang Qing ignored him and stepped forward to knock on the door.
A voice came from inside, "Come in."
Guang Qing entered and closed the door.
Guang Bai remained absent-minded, lingering in the corridor.
~
A short while after Guang Qing left, Xie Jiang yawned and got up, "I need to go back to sleep. You should also rest early, staying up late every day will kill you."
Xu Hengyan said, "Aren't you staying the night?"
Xie Jiang glanced under him, "I'm afraid if I really injure you, the Duke of Wei will come looking for me to settle the score?"
Xu Hengyan's scalp tingled.
Xie Jiang put on her shoes and went out.
Xu Hengyan called out, "Guang Bai, escort Xie Gongzi back."
Xie Jiang waved her hand behind her without looking back, "No need, it's not my first time here."
Since Xie Jiang had said so, Xu Hengyan didn't insist further. Guang Bai didn't necessarily need to escort her.
But today, for some reason, Guang Bai still chased after them until he saw Xie Jiang enter the Xie residence gate.
Upon returning, he immediately reported to Xu Hengyan, "Young Marquis Ruan has been waiting at the Xie residence. He hadn't left when Xie Gongzi returned."
He didn't know if the young master was doing the right thing, but the young master was his master, and the young master's attitude was his attitude.
Xu Hengyan did not look up, his tone flat, "I know."
Guang Bai lowered his head and retreated.
~
As Xie Jiang stepped into the small sitting room, "What are you doing here so late at night? I have no late-night snacks to offer."
"I'm not here to freeload. I heard that Xie Gongzi single-handedly pursued the Winged Tiger and was trapped in the forest for an entire night, and it was Young Master Xu himself who found Xie Gongzi. I was worried that Xie Gongzi might be injured, and I wouldn't be at ease without seeing for myself. Is Xie Gongzi alright…"
Ruan Ziji, who was drowsy, immediately became alert. As he spoke, he stood up and moved closer to Xie Jiang. Xie Jiang walked to the window and sat down, and Ruan Ziji also sat next to Xie Jiang.
It was a pity Ruan Ziji didn't have a tail, otherwise he would have wagged it for Xie Jiang to see.
"Do I look like I'm alright?" Xie Jiang reached for the teacup, but put it down when she touched it and found it hot. She said reluctantly to Aunt He, "Can't you give me something cold? It's such a hot day, and you're making me drink such hot water?"
"Where is it hot? It's lukewarm, perfect for moistening your throat."
Aunt He was not going to indulge her young master. She hadn't forgotten that her young master was actually a girl, and while drinking something cold occasionally was fine, drinking something ice-cold late at night would surely lead to suffering in the future.
The young master was young and didn't understand these things, but she couldn't be ignorant.
Xie Jiang cast a glance at Aunt He, who pretended not to see it.
Ruan Ziji's eyes were only on Xie Jiang. As long as he could see Xie Jiang, he was very happy. "Xie Gongzi doesn't seem to be injured. I'm relieved that Xie Gongzi is not injured, but why did Xie Gongzi return so late…"
Xie Jiang finally looked up and glanced at Ruan Ziji, her eyes a little cold.
Ruan Ziji knew he had said the wrong thing. He shouldn't have assumed he had the right to question Xie Gongzi's whereabouts. Ruan Ziji immediately glossed over that sentence, "I, I actually came about the Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits."
When it came to suppressing the bandits, Ruan Ziji's gaze towards Xie Jiang became somewhat reverent.
"Xie Gongzi, your speed in suppressing bandits is truly astonishing. The Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits didn't even have time to react before Xie Gongzi cornered them in their lair and killed them all."
Xie Jiang said, "Speed is of the essence in warfare. Why let the Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits react? The Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits were destined to have only one outcome, and that was death."
Although Ruan Ziji was a well-known young dandy, he had a brain and it wasn't just for show. Xie Gongzi spoke of suppressing bandits as if it were effortless, but if the Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits were so easily dealt with, they wouldn't have been rampant for so many years.
"The Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits weren't dead, lying on the ground waiting for Xie Gongzi to kill them. Xie Gongzi launched a surprise attack, catching the Yellow Orchid Mountain bandits off guard in their lair and annihilating them all in just half a day. No one else could have done it."
"You waited here specifically late at night just to praise me and flatter me?"
Unable to budge Aunt He, Xie Jiang could only drink hot water, which made her face darken.
Ruan Ziji couldn't help but glance at Aunt He, thinking that Aunt He, as a servant, was being too overbearing. Xie Gongzi just wanted to drink something cold, and such a small matter couldn't be fulfilled for Xie Gongzi.
"It's late, and Gongzi has been tired for two days and should rest. If Young Marquis Ruan has nothing else, please leave."
Aunt He saw Ruan Ziji's look of indignation and thought, what did he know to be so worried about her young master?
"Xie Gongzi just returned, and I still have something to say."
Ruan Ziji dared not worry anymore. He couldn't afford to offend Xie Gongzi's people.
Xie Jiang said, "If you have something to say, say it. Don't beat around the bush."
Ruan Ziji wasted no more time, "I wanted to say that Cao Mian saw the scene of the bandit suppression and was so excited, as if he had drunk chicken blood. He repeatedly inspected the three lairs of the bandits."
Remembering that Xie Jiang might not know who Cao Mian was, he added, "Oh, Cao Mian is the general sent by my uncle on orders to assist Xie Gongzi in suppressing the bandits. After inspecting the scene, Cao Mian insisted that Xie Gongzi possessed extremely powerful weapons…"