Xu Hengyan stared at her for a long time without speaking.
Xie Jiang gave him a sidelong glance, "You worry about too much, don't you? You even care about who I make friends with. Am I a three-year-old child?"
If only she were a three-year-old child, then she would be much less of a worry than she was now.
"Is your family at ease with you staying in Da Yu alone? Won't they send a brother or uncle to help you?"
What use were more subordinates if they couldn't control her? She needed an elder to keep her in check.
Xie Jiang asked, "Do you doubt my ability?"
Xu Hengyan put on his outer robe, "If I didn't trust your abilities, I wouldn't have asked nothing about it." He let her do as she pleased.
He had been a complete hands-off manager for this matter, not having to worry about anything. Yet, while she never made mistakes on major issues, she managed to cause him a headache with every trivial matter.
"You and Young Master Yi seem to be quite close."
Speaking of the friends she had made since arriving in Da Yu, one couldn't avoid mentioning Yi Yan Gen, who was closest to her.
Xie Jiang said, "You mean Yi Yan Gen? We get along alright. Yi Yan Gen looks like that, so how could I not?"
Xu Hengyan no longer knew what to say, "You are so close to me because my appearance is also quite pleasing to the eye?"
Then Ruan Ziji could still approach her because, in her eyes, Ruan Ziji's appearance was also acceptable?
Xie Jiang said smugly, "What do you mean 'also quite pleasing to the eye'? It's very pleasing! You and Yi Yan Gen are both made according to my aesthetic."
Xu Hengyan: "..."
Xie Jiang laughed, "Yan Yan is the most likable! Yi Yan Gen has a terrible temper and his face turns dark at the slightest provocation!"
Xu Hengyan stared at her without a word. With her being so mischievous, how could Young Master Yi not get angry?
The fact that Young Master Yi only got angry with her meant he was very restrained.
The two chatted as they walked out of the bedroom. Xu Hengyan took a bamboo cup and poured two glasses of water.
While drinking water, Xie Jiang asked, "Is Yi Yan Gen red or black?"
Xu Hengyan pondered for a moment, "Currently, Young Master Yi is naturally red."
Xie Jiang's eyes darted around, "You mean he will blacken?"
Xu Hengyan replied, "I don't interact much with Young Master Yi, so I don't understand him well. It's not appropriate for me to comment rashly."
Glancing at the sun outside, which was still blazing, Xu Hengyan asked if she had any plans. They had only slept for an hour, and it was still early.
Xie Jiang stood in the courtyard and stretched, indicating she wanted to go for a walk, "I need to find more mugwort. Otherwise, if this continues, you'll be disfigured by mosquito bites."
Xu Hengyan glanced at her, "You've never cared about your own appearance that much."
Xie Jiang replied, "I don't look in the mirror, so what does it matter what I look like? But I have to see you every day. How can I not care?"
Xu Hengyan wanted to ask her why she had to see him every day, what was so special about him, and why she looked at him.
But the words that came to his lips turned into, "If I get old, sick, or disabled, will you still be good friends with me?"
Hearing his words, Xie Jiang seemed to recall something. She looked at his long, fluttering eyelashes, then stepped forward and took Xu Hengyan's hand, raising her other hand with three fingers extended.
Xu Hengyan was a bit stunned by her sudden action.
Xu Hengyan wanted to pull his hand away. It wasn't proper for two grown men to hold hands like this. But seeing her suddenly solemn expression, Xu Hengyan froze, not daring to move.
Xie Jiang spoke slowly, solemnly, and word by word, "On this special day, under the witness of heaven and earth, I give you my promise. Xu Hengyan, I promise that in the future, whether in good times or bad, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in joy or sorrow, I will always be by your side as your good friend."
Xu Hengyan's heartstrings were deeply stirred.
Even among good friends, who spoke so directly?
He had just said it in jest. He didn't doubt that their friendship was so superficial and weak; she didn't need to...
Xie Jiang still looked at him with utmost solemnity, "I promise to love and cherish you without reservation, to always be proud of you, to always respect you, to protect you to the best of my ability, to comfort you in sorrow, to accompany you in loneliness, and to grow with you spiritually. I promise to be forever loyal to you and protect you forever."
Xu Hengyan's breathing quickened, his chest heaving deeply. He stared at her, unable to speak.
"Xu Hengyan..." Xie Jiang gazed at him tenderly.
Did he always think she was so easily coaxed?
In fact, he was the easiest to coax. He believed anything and took everything to heart.
She had just copied and pasted some vows, and his heart was so moved that he lost all composure?
He couldn't be like this.
He was so easily taken advantage of by her, leaving nothing behind.
"Xiao Xie... you... I..."
Since he was so moved, "Then don't get married. Come with me..."
Xu Hengyan's mind raced, and he almost blurted out "Okay," but then said, "I... cannot..."
If he couldn't, why was he squeezing her hand so hard? Xie Jiang's face contorted in pain, and she tried to pull her hand away but couldn't.
A fiery heat surged in Xu Hengyan's chest, and he wanted to promise her something in return, but felt that words were insufficient to express it.
Xie Jiang let out a disappointed "Oh," her eyes welling up with tears, her lips pouting, "Then I'll go find some mugwort. You stay home, okay?"
Her claws were already imprinted, it hurt so much. If he didn't want to be with her, why get so excited?
Alas.
Xu Hengyan, such a big fool, so easily deceived, and yet he was already in his twenties and still not taken. The girls in the capital were no match for her.
The word "home" sent a tremor through Xu Hengyan's heart.
They had only stayed for one day, and she already considered this place home.
He knew it wasn't because of this dilapidated little courtyard. What was so memorable about this small courtyard itself?
Even if they moved to another courtyard, or lived in a cave, it would be the same for her, wouldn't it?
Her pitiful gaze made him unbearable, making him want to agree to anything. But did she know what she was saying? Her habit of talking nonsense had struck again!
Xu Hengyan quickly released her hand, but as her hand withdrew, he unconsciously tightened his grip.
As if wanting to hold onto something.
Xu Hengyan himself was startled.
He held her fingertips, releasing them after only a moment.
Xu Hengyan dared not look into her eyes. Only after she walked out of the courtyard did he lift his gaze to her retreating figure.
The surging heat in his chest had not subsided for a long time.
Only when Xie Jiang's figure disappeared from view did Xu Hengyan notice a coolness on his back. He didn't know when he had started sweating profusely.
Xu Hengyan's mind gradually cleared a bit.
Were the words she spoke just now, expressing her feelings, spoken casually to coax him?
Who could tell the truth from falsehood in her words? But her solemn expression was still before his eyes. Did she make friends with such fervor?
Xu Hengyan scooped half a bowl of water from the vat and placed it in the cage under the shade of the tree.
The legs of the two little rabbits were untied, and they could move freely in the small cage.
At this moment, their situation was somewhat similar to his.
Xu Hengyan sat under the shade of the tree, looking at the rabbits in the cage, "Let's wait for her to come home together."