Thinking of what Pei Lang said, Shen Miao could not help but smile. However the smile was somewhat miserable. Which female did not want a male to love one another and lived till old age? It was just that in her past life she was used to seeing the rise and fall in the world and at the end the so called admiration between her and Fu Xiu Yi was nothing but her own wishful thinking. She also had not experience the feeling of having mutual love of a couple. However she understood that once something happened, one's thoughts were not of oneself. She was not willing to be like the last lifetime, foolishly give one's lifetime happiness to others. Currently it was good. From the beginning she had controlled her heart thus it was much easier than retrieving one's heart that was already given away.
It was just that she did not feel very comfortable at the bottom of her heart.
She sat under the lamp for a while but she was not thinking about anything. After a while, she blew out the light and climbed onto the bed to sleep.
The wind and snow in the residence of Prince Rui was exceptionally big.
One entire type of guards were trembling as they stood in the wind and even the somewhat strong white tiger was thrown outside the bed chambers as punishment. Today everyone was not pleasing to Prince Rui's eyes and everyone in the residence of Prince Rui was punished. Even Ji Yu Shu and Gao Yang were locked in the tower prison to face the wall.
What kind of place the tower prison was? The people who were locked up were the most evil and when dealing with these evil people, torture was necessary. As the cruelest place of the Mo Yu Army, there were so many kinds of torture there that if there was no eighty-one types, there would be at least forty-nine types. Many men with unswerving determination would guard the tower prison and wail like ghost and howl like wolves after a few days. The first time Tie Yi went in, he was bedridden for a long time and vomited whatever he ate for an entire month.
Ji Yu Shu and Gao Yang looked like attractive and tender young masters that the guards in the residence of Prince Rui were secretly pitying them as they entered the tower prison.
Ye Ying quietly tabbed Nan Qi's arm and asked, "What is with Master? Who had made him angry?"
Nan Qi made a hush sound and see that there was no moments in the room before whispering, "Gentleman Gao and Young Master Ji did not report that the Palace wanted to bestow marriage upon Fifth Shen Young Lady, thus Master got angry."
Ye Ying covered her mouth and her eyes widen, "Gentleman Gao and Young Master Ji are truly daring to even hide Fifth Shen Young Lady's matter. No wonder they are being locked in the tower prison." After finish speaking she then looked at the white tiger that was trembling in the cold wind and said in pity, "So pitiful. On normal days, it would eat, drink and live well. One had thought that it was different from us but did not expect that matters erupt, everyone are all punching bags."
Huo Long flipped her long hair and sighed, "It is the beauty that cause the fury."
In the room, Xie Jing Xing passed the letter that was written to Tie Yi and after Tie Yi took a glance at it, he hesitated, "Master, if His Majesty know that there is changes to the plan at this end…"
Xie Jing Xing looked at him and Tie Yi immediately shut up. It was not a good idea to object to Master's decision now when Master was not in a good mood.
Xie Jing Xing put the other letter inside the letter and said, "What is going on at Pei Lang's side? Go and inquire." After a pause, he then said, "And also Feng Zi Xian and Su Ming Feng." His brows slightly writteled and suddenly thought about something, "How about the matter about the medicine herbs?"
Tie Yi quickly said, "One had already send people to search and upon finding it, it would be sent to the medical hall." Princess Rong Xin's heart illness had frequently occurred in the past and in the medication there was one herbs that was in scarcity as it would only be available during spring. All the available herb in Ding capital's medical halls would be bought by the Princess residence and these days there were no new shipment for Princess Rong Xin, thus she could only endure. Xie Jing Xing instructed people to purchase it from outside with great value before 'smoothly' selling it to the medical hall.
"As quickly as possible." Xie Jing Xing pursed his lips. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly stood up and put on his coat before heading out.
Tie Yi was slightly startled, "Master still want to go out?"
"Have not yet finished calculating the accounts." Xie Jing Xing snorted coldly before walking away with a brush of his sleeves.
The outside of the Shen mansion was already quiet and Shen Miao's room was a cloak of darkness. It was obvious that one had slept for some time.
When Xie Jing Xing reached, Cong Yang was sleeping on the tree and when he saw him walking over, he almost fell off the tree in shock. He quickly got down and stood at attention to greet Xie Jing Xing.
Xie Jing Xing took a glance at the window and Cong Yang quickly said, "Young Madam has already gone to rest."
When Xie Jing Xing walked to the front of the window, he saw that there was a jade like ring and there was a pendant placed at the window still. Xie Jing Xing looked at Cong Yang with questioningly gaze and Cong Yang said, "After Young Madam went to rest, Luo Ling secretly place the safety pendant on the window still. Young Madam have yet to discover it."
When Xie Jing Xing heard it, his gaze moved slightly and he used his sharp dagger to pick up that safety pendant and threw it at Cong Yan, "Keep it well."
Cong Yang was startled and heard Xie Jing Xing continued speaking, "The pet at home is missing a pendant."
Cong Yang, "…"
At the time of Cong Yang's speechlessness, Xie Jing Xing had already lightly and quickly opened the window to enter.
On the bed, Shen Miao was sleeping soundly.
Xie Jing Xing walked to the side of the bed and crossed his arms for a while before raising his eyebrows, "To sleep this sounding, it seemed that one did not take my words to heart. Really have such nerves."
The young female did not have the usual dignified and calm look when sleeping and without all the different things to conceal her appearance, her original appearance was shown. Under the moonlight, her eyes were delicate, making one remember that she was just a sixteen year old young female and one could not ignore that because of her situation and the means that she had shown to be capable of.
Thinking of how Shen Miao was enduring her tears when he was holding her chin, Xie Jing Xing was a little guilty in his heart.
He reached out to move the messy hair on Shen Miao forehead to the back of her ears but saw that Young Lady's eyelashes trembled. Xie Jing Xing's hands paused and his gaze went down and saw that the body that was wrapped in the quilt was slightly trembling.
She actually was fake sleeping.
Xie Jing Xing raise his brows and simply sat closer a little before placing both hands at either side of Shen Miao's and lean forward and whispered in a magnetic voice.
"After helping so many times, why not repay me once by devoting one's life?"
He stared at Shen Miao's eyes and slowly leaned over.
Shen Miao's body was so stiff and that breathing sound seemed to be just beside one's lips with the feeling of oppression coming from the top was nearing her, she ferociously pushed Xie Jing Xing and sat up before speaking in anger, "What do you want to do?"
Her voice was however somewhat frenetic.
Xie Jing Xing pressed her back down to the bed.
Shen Miao struggled in unease and Xie Jing Xing had to subdue here a few times before laughing out, "What do you think I will do to you?" Then he gave her a critical look, "In your dreams."
Shen Miao was so angry that she wanted to call Mo Qing over to beat Xie Jing Xing up.
Because she only wore the middle clothes when she sleep at night, after struggling with Xie Jing Xing just now, her middle clothes opened up, revealing a snowy white shoulder, seemingly one could see the plum blossoms on the tudou (aka olden undergarments). Xie Jing Xing was slightly stunned when he saw it and Shen Miao discovered where he was looking and became so upset. Just as she was about to scold, she saw Xie Jing Xing showing over the quilt and covering her up.
Shen Miao revealed her head from the quilt and said angrily, "You are sick."
Xie Jing Xing ignored her and quickly wrapped her tightly in the quilt like a silkworm cocoon before pressing her onto the bed. Shen Miao could not move at all and Xie Jing Xing looked at her as he supported his head with a head.
Shen Miao finally got frustrated with struggling and asked, "What are you here for?"
"Shen Miao, behave yourself a little." Xie Jing Xing frowned, "With this Prince here, who would dare to force you to marry?"
Shen Miao was so angry, she started laughing, "You will not stay in Ming Qi for thousands of years and there will be a day that I will need to marry. You can protect me today but not tomorrow. Even if you protect me tomorrow, there will be a day were you will not be able to protect."
"If one can protect?" Xie Jing Xing asked.
Shen Miao was startled and did not speak.
Xie Jing Xing, "You do not care about marrying others or just want to marry?"
"What does it got to do with you? You asked too much." Shen Miao had taken Xie Jing Xing's rudeness during the day to heart and did not plan to talk to him nicely. But upon thinking about it, how was she like a person who was an Empress? She instead looked like those embarrassed young females on the streets. Thinking of how she was pestered by this person in front now, Shen Miao was very dissatisfied with herself.
Her temperamental appearance was seen by Xie Jing Xing and he was unable to make head or tail of it. He flipped over and press Shen Miao down and propped Shen Miao's head before asking lowly, "Who do you want to marry?"
"Luo Ling, Su Ming Feng, Feng Zi Xian or Pei Lang?"
He was getting closer and that handsome facial features were magnified in front of Shen Miao and one could smell the fragrance of the bamboo scent on the other party. His eyes were exceptionally pretty but currently also had some overbearing manner, as if it could force out one true thought. When being looked at by this pair of eyes, it seemed that all of one's secret thoughts had nowhere to hide.
Shen Miao's heart suddenly felt panicked.
This distance was just too close. It was so close that she could hear the thumping of the heart, just like the sound of drums, but she could not differentiate if it was hers or Xie Jing Xing's.
Not wanting to lose control of her feelings and do expected things, Shen Miao suddenly shrank back. Her back was against the beam of the bed and Xie Jing Xing reached out to protect so that she would not hit her head.
"This has nothing to do with you." Shen Miao quickly said, "We only have the relations of allies and allies are of mutual cooperation. Prince Rui still wants to control my lifelong matter? Not to say marriage, even in the future when one give birth, separate, disposed, all of that does not have half a relation with you."
Xie Jing Xing was originally rather angry upon listening to the first half of the sentence but upon hearing the latter half, he was betwee laughter and tears, "What nonsense. You really want to be a disposed Empress?" He had already heard her mention about disposed Empress for an unknown times. Xie Jing Xing did not understand how Shen Miao not be confident with herself that she must imagine such a miserable ending for herself. She did not seem to be a person of low self-esteem.
Shen Miao was so mad that she was speaking incoherently, "It has nothing to do with you. We are only allies. On what basis do you manage my affairs."
Xie Jing Xing stared at her as the anger that she provoked slowly raised up. He was also a proud person and to be repeatedly dismissed like this, one could not mention how uncomfortable his heart would feel.
He asked, "Allies?"
Shen Miao nodded her head.
"Allies cannot manage your affairs?"
Shen Miao continued to nod her head.
Xie Jing Xing said balmily, "Good." He quickly leaned over and gave Shen Miao's lips a peck. Shen Miao was momentarily stunned and saw that purple clad youth using an extremely harsh tone, "Now we are no longer allies."
"You!" Shen Miao could not speak as there seemed to be a gentle feeling that remained on her lips.
He laughed frivolously, "Now one can manage your affairs." Finishing, he then got up from the bed and looked at Shen Miao condescending manner and threatened, "Remember, in the future marriage, giving birth, separate, disposed, all these would require this Prince's agreement."
After finishing, he looked coldly at the window still and disappeared.
Outside the room.
Cong Yang was forced to listen to everything from the tree till his face and ears turn scarlet but he dared not depart without orders. When Xie Jing Xing came out, Cong Yang greeted him and Xie Jing Xing said, "In the future when someone gift things, just throw it away." He took the safety pendant that Cong Yang gave him and walked away with annoyance on his face.
Translator note: Pffff… SM maturity always goes back in decades when dealing with XJX. That is why I enjoy translating their interactions first before the rest of the scenes. Due to her past lifetime experiences, SM has experience everything except for the romance part of life so it is good that XJX could make her feel the 'frustration' of dating. LOL