Wondering if he would slowly get used to having someone around after getting married.
Xu Hengyan, already in a light sleep, somehow thought of marriage.
He remembered her asking him worriedly if he would neglect her for his new wife after marriage.
Xu Hengyan couldn't help but find it amusing even in his sleep.
Where did she get so many absurd and strange ideas?
How could he possibly ignore her?
~
After an unknown period of sleep, Xu Hengyan suddenly woke up.
Sensing that the moving boat had stopped, Xu Hengyan carefully shifted his body, reached out, and pressed Xie Jiang's shoulder, nudging her a few times.
"Xiao Xie, wake up."
He then realized her leg was somehow resting on his.
As Xu Hengyan was contemplating how to move his leg, he saw Xie Jiang stir awake. Perhaps forgetting where she was, she moved and tumbled out of the bed towards the floor.
Xu Hengyan's attention was focused on his leg, and he didn't have time to grab her.
Xie Jiang, dazed by the fall, let out a cry of pain and sat up, clutching her head.
Xu Hengyan got off the bed and crouched in front of her, asking, "Are you... are you hurt anywhere?"
Recalling that the moment she opened her eyes, she saw Xu Hengyan sprawled on the bed, looking at her with a guilty expression.
Although the light was dim, Xie Jiang swore she saw it clearly.
Xie Jiang looked at him suspiciously, "Xu Hengyan, you actually kicked me out of bed!"
This statement sounded very ambiguous! Moreover, he hadn't kicked her; she had been pressing on his leg, so why would he kick her out of bed!
Xu Hengyan quickly denied it, "I didn't!"
Xie Jiang believed her judgment and saw no reason for him to be guilty, "Don't think I'm still half-asleep, I know everything."
Xu Hengyan: "I really didn't! Why would I kick you?"
She was sure she knew everything?
Xie Jiang couldn't help but suspect, "Did I have a dream and bully you? You got angry and kicked me out of bed?"
She had no memory of it at all!
Xu Hengyan: "No, you didn't do anything, you didn't bully me."
How could she bully him while sleeping?
What she said was strange.
Xie Jiang said, "Tell the truth, I promise I won't hit you, after all, it was my fault first."
"..."
What was her fault first? Xu Hengyan helplessly supported his forehead, realizing this matter was impossible to clarify.
*Knock, knock, knock-knock—*
There was a knock on the door.
The knocking sound was hesitant and awkward.
The guard hadn't expected to overhear such things.
What bullying or not, Young Master Xu had kicked the person surnamed Xie out of bed.
The person surnamed Xie was not to be judged by their appearance; even the aphrodisiac couldn't suppress their romantic intentions.
Young Master Xu was also not to be judged by his appearance.
Such a noble person was actually the one being bullied!
"Young Master Xu, it's time to disembark."
The guard tried to maintain his composure, pretending not to have heard anything.
Inside the cabin.
Xie Jiang and Xu Hengyan exchanged a knowing glance in the darkness.
Xu Hengyan replied to the outside, "Understood."
Then the cabin door was opened, and a guard carrying a lantern walked in, politely saying to Xu Hengyan, "Young Master Xu, please."
Xu Hengyan pulled Xie Jiang to stand up. As he stood, he pretended to lose his balance, staggering and only managing to stabilize himself with difficulty.
Xie Jiang also remembered they had been affected by the aphrodisiac. Leaning on Xu Hengyan, she swayed and complained somewhat unhappily to the guard, "What are you doing in the middle of the night? Can't we disembark after dawn?"
Xu Hengyan chuckled inwardly.
It was perfectly in line with her prickly persona.
As they passed the table, Xu Hengyan stopped, "Wait a moment."
The guard, who had just reached the door, stopped again, holding the lantern and waiting, not daring to rush.
Xie Jiang's wet clothes from earlier were spread out by Xu Hengyan on the table. After several hours, they had dried somewhat, but the cabin had been closed, and they were still damp to the touch.
He was a head taller than her, and his clothes were too large for her; her own clothes were more suitable.
The conditions would likely not be good for some time.
She wouldn't have new clothes to wear, so her clothes needed to be taken along, washed, and dried to be worn again.
If he were alone, he probably wouldn't pay attention to such details, but with her accompanying him...
Young Master Xie, accustomed to comfort, was already going to suffer on this journey, so he had to do his best to treat her even better.
Xu Hengyan carefully folded the clothes, wrapped them in her outer robe as a bundle, and then tied them to his back with his sleeves.
The guard couldn't help but glance at Xu Hengyan a few more times.
As Xu Hengyan led Xie Jiang out of the cabin, other guards approached with two black cloths, "You must have your eyes covered to descend."
Xie Jiang understood their concerns but couldn't help but mock them, "Is this really necessary? How can we walk with our eyes covered? If we fall and get hurt, can you afford to pay for it? Or are you planning to carry me?"
The guards replied expressionlessly, "We will lead the way."
Xu Hengyan said to Xie Jiang, "I'll hold your hand and lead you."
Seeing Xu Hengyan speak, the guards dared to step forward.
Xie Jiang then cooperated and had her eyes covered, "If I fall or bump into anything, I'll break Lu Baohong's dog legs!"
Lu Baohong, hearing this, merely snorted heavily, considering it the last bit of arrogance from the person surnamed Xie before their demise.
The riverbank was covered in all sorts of rough stones. Even though Xu Hengyan, who was leading and holding her, reminded her multiple times, Xie Jiang still stumbled several times.
"Lu Baohong, are you your father's biological son? Then why did you inherit a mouse's cowardice? Blindfolding us in the dark, are you that afraid we'll remember the route?"
"But I have no interest in this damn route. You'll have to carry me out in a grand sedan chair sooner or later."
Lu Baohong scoffed, "You're talking nonsense right after waking up! You're not old, but your face is quite thick!"
Xie Jiang's mouth couldn't stop moving, "How pitiful is your Lu Baohong's timidness, it's not even as thick as my skin. Does your father know about your relationship with mice?"
Lu Baohong was almost driven mad by this sharp-tongued person. He turned and shouted, "If you talk any more nonsense, I'll stuff your mouth shut!"
Xie Jiang said, "If you have people carry me, I'll stop scolding you."
Lu Baohong sneered, "Do you also want to be served?"
Xie Jiang said, "That can be arranged. Little grandson, kowtow first."
Lu Baohong said, "Go to hell!"
Xu Hengyan turned to check on her feet, but his vision was completely dark. He then remembered they had been blindfolded.
He quietly said to Xie Jiang, "Do you want me to carry you?"
Xie Jiang said, in a rather annoying tone, "I'm just bored and scolding them for fun, it's not like I can't walk."
She didn't deliberately lower her voice. In the dead of night in the silent mountains, everyone could hear clearly.
Lu Baohong's temper was almost worn out. Once his Lu clan members had safely evacuated, he would definitely skin this little beast alive!
Stumbling through the wilderness, after about fifteen minutes of walking, the group suddenly stopped.
Then, Lu Baohong's malicious voice was heard, "The road ahead is not good. For now, let's remove the blindfolds from these two."