I was really afraid that you peeps will drop this novel cause XJX choked our Empress… So happy you are still reading and glad to tell you that some of your wishes came true!!!
Edited by Tnyhy
Chapter 88: Soft-hearted (Part 1)“Do not look at me, I will not be able to bear.”
Time suddenly stopped strangely in that moment and everything seemed to have lost its sound. The entire room of burning torches, it was less comparable than that person moving eyes. It was clearly an intimate appearance, a lover whispering ambiguously but in a twinkling of an eye, it was filled with a thick intention to kill.
Xie Jing Xing’s eyes looked down and there was a slight warmth feeling on his palm, one seemingly was able to feel the eyelashes moving like butterfly wings, fluttering away but unable to fly away.
“Gao Yang, go out.” Xie Jing Xing said.
Gao Yang frowned, “What do you mean?”
“Go out first.” Xie Jing Xing calmly said.
Gao Yang glanced at him and did not say anything before picking that thing that was wrapped with cloth and walked out. After the footsteps had disappeared, Xie Jing Xing then slowly let go.
When unfolding his hand, on the fair palm, there seemed to be crystals under the light of the torch.
Just now, Shen Miao seemed to have cried.
Xie Jing Xing lazily spoke, “It is just death. Cry for what.” He wanted to say more but he suddenly shut up when he saw the look of the young female in front.
Shen Miao’s brows were clear and there was a bit of childishness on her face, but today the coldness covered her face till nothing else could be seen. Her eyes were as clear as water but there was no look of sadness at all. Just now was most likely a fake-out as she was not scared at all. Xie Jing Xing heart flashed but he saw Shen Miao suddenly raised her hand and headed to his chest. This vicious and ruthless attack, if it was anyone else, she would have startled them. But Xie Jing Xing only slightly moved and his hand gripped onto Shen Miao’s left arm. Shen Miao was pulled by him and almost fell into Xie Jing Xing’s embrace. But he saw her taking out something from her sleeves and stabbed it into Xie Jing Xing’s arm without hesitation.
That hairpin was very small and one would not see it if one did not pay attention. Shen Miao’s action was ruthless and did not hesitate when she attacked, so the hairpin was buried in the arm of her capturer. Xie Jing Xing’s eyes darkened and with the wave of a hand, Shen Miao was thrown to the front of the stone wall again.
Xie Jing Xing hand was holding onto Shen Miao's delicate neck, it seemed that with just a little more force, her neck could be easily broken. His voice was slightly deep and there was an undetectable anger, “Worthy to be General residence’s people. Learnt completely how to mount a sneak attack.”
When Shen Miao’s eyes fell onto Xie Jing Xing’s arm, half of the hairpin was stabbed in and blood was flowing out staining his sleeves red making them stuck onto his arm. Xie Jing Xing looked towards Shen Miao’s eyes and smiled in a not concerned way, “It is alright even if there is poison as I will definitely kill you before that.”
Hi eyes were extremely beautiful which would make one feel fascinated by watching them. If that smile but not a smile was seen by the Ding capital’s young lady, it probably would cause a ruckus. But in Shen Miao’s eyes, it had hidden an indifference.
What kind of person was Xie Jing Xing? He seemed to be very complicated and his image in the Ding capital was that he had ability but trifled without respect, and his rebellious temper made him unable to be controlled by anyone, and also unable to flex his muscles in his career. But at this moment Shen Miao was doubting if the Xie Jing Xing in everyone’s eyes was the real Xie Jing Xing? He was extremely aggressive and this kind of person hid themselves so deep, was he intentionally scheming for the country?
Xie Jing Xing did not seemed to be dissatisfied with her lack of attention and approached bullying as he stared at her, “Shen Miao, if I kill you today, there would be no one protecting your Shen family.”
Shen Miao’s eyes moved and saw Xie Jing Xing laughing evilly, “Shen Yuan has returned to the capital and with the Second and Third households allying together, what is the possibility of Shen Xin winning?” His palm slowly tightened and each sentence he said was poking at Shen Miao’s fatal weakness, “Fu family is eyeing the Shen family like a tiger watching his prey, thus Shen Xin will have problems progressing in the future. The matter that you wanted and had schemed for would now end in my hand. If you want to take revenge, then wait till the next lifetime.”
The fiercer he was, the more indescribably handsome he became (translator and editor roll eyes again). As if one could see people’s heart, his words attacked the most worrisome things in Shen Miao’s heart. In this rebirth lifetime, Shen Miao only seek that the Shen family's first household would be safe and sound, and all of her schemes were just nothing more than revenge. If one were to die here at this place, everything will be stopped abruptly. Xie Jing Xing’s eyes did not have any trace of sympathy and compassion, no matter what identity she had, even if she was a Royal Princess, as long as she discovered Xie Jing Xing’s and Gao Yang’s relationship, there would not be any safe way out. This is why she desperately gambled else with her cautious temperament, she would not have used such a dangerous method till the last moment.
Suddenly Wan Yu’s and Fu Ming’s smiling faces of the past lifetime appeared in front of her. Shen Miao’s eyes widened and before she noticed, two streams of tears had flowed down her cheeks.
If she were to die here, she would not be resigned to it.
Xie Jing Xing saw her tears and squinted his eyes as he looked at her. He had not forget Shen Miao’s ruthless attack just now. Tears used by females to win sympathy would not work on him.
However Shen Miao just stared as her tears and fell silently. There was no weakness in her eyes or expression as her tears fell woodenly, but it make one’s heart sour. As if before this happened, one had experienced the pain that no ordinary people had before, and that sorrow was as if one had reached the dead end. Tears were loyal to the body and flow out first.
Xie Jing Xing frowned at her and the hand that grabbed Shen Miao’s throat gradually relaxed.
But Shen Miao not in the least noticed it. Finally Xie Jing Xing let go and had a small expression of helplessness. His physique was large and keeping the little girl at the corner made him feel weird, like he was bullying a little child. Even though Xie Jing Xing was well aware that Shen Miao and ‘little child’ would never be comparable.
After a moment he finally pulled out the hairpin in his arm. It was painful to pull it out and Xie Jing Xing’s brow slightly wrinkled and played with the hairpin that he pulled out. Seeing Shen Miao staring at him, he suddenly felt an inexplicable awkwardness. “Do not cry, I will not kill you.” Pausing, he then added, “Just to scare you.”
Shen Miao was slightly relieved in her heart as she knew that Xie Jing Xing was not scaring her at all. That sharp killing intent a moment ago meant that other person had truly wanted to kill. But at the end had gotten soft-hearted just because of the few tears she shed. As for what moved Xie Jing Xing, Shen Miao was not clear about it.
Xie Jing Xing said, “How did you discover here?”
“Saw Third Shu touching a copy of Liu Yuan’s night banquet painting and when touching it, one inadvertently found this chamber due to curiosity and did not expect to see you all inside.:
Xie Jing Xing looked at her with a smile but yet a smile, “Shen Wan?”
Shen Miao lied without changing any expression, “Yes.”
“Little girl, I am not the Chen brothers. Do not use the tactic of attacking others using the strength of another on me.” Xie Jing Xing lazily said. Shen Miao was one who appeared genuine but was actually devious to the bones, even at such a moment she still wanted to implicate Shen Wan.
“I did not see anything today and also did not hear anything. If you do not make things difficult for me, naturally I will not make things difficult for you.” Shen Miao looked at him, “Let us be like well water and river water that does not intrude to one another.”
“You cannot make things difficult for me.” Xie Jing Xing’s tone made one grit their teeth. He said, “Today I will spare you a life but if the matter is leaked the slightest bit, do not complain to me when your Shen family fall into misfortune.”
Shen Miao replied at lightning speed, “I will not divulge it.”
Her character of quitting while one was ahead made Xie Jing Xing feel satisfied. He was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Shen Miao, do you have enmity with the Fu family?”
He mentioned ‘Fu family’ and not ‘Heavenly family’, the meaning in his words were somewhat intriguing. Shen Miao turned her head and looked at him. Her heart was slightly moved but she still said plainly, “What Little Marquis thinks is, then it is how it is.”
Xie Jing Xing raised an eyebrow, “So it is as expected.” He looked at Shen Miao, “Since the matter is settled, you should leave first. If one stay here for too long and lead others over, I will not be able to save you.”
Shen Miao did not speak and just turned to leave. Today’s face to face encounter with Xie Jing Xing made her to vaguely understand some things. At least this little Marquis of the residence of the Marquis of Lin An, was definitely not as simple as one see on the surface. This kind of person, one could not afford to use or offend. If Xie Jing Xing’s enemy was the Imperial family of Ming Qi then naturally it would be to her advantage but if not, then one must not devise a plan on him.
Shen Miao only took two steps when Xie Jing Xing followed. His legs were long and he was able to quickly catch up with Shen Miao as he threw a small bottle to her, “Do not say I bully you till you cry.” Afterwards, he strode on and left before Shen Miao.
Under the dusky light from the torch, Shen Miao's face suddenly reddened a little as she took a risky action. In her previous life when she returned from Qin country and was fighting with Mei Furen for favour, she had a stubborn and unyielding temperament and had heard other beauties advice, “Your Ladyship put up a dignified and compose appearance all day, even though it is to be the mother of the land but His Majesty may not like it. Look at that Mei Furen, gentle, soft and tiny, and knows how to act coquettishly. It is said that only kids who cry would have sweets to eat and the love in relationships also uses this logic. Males of all persons have tender and protective feelings for the fairer gender and females must be like water.”
But at first she turned up her nose at this logic and felt that this kind of action could not be seen in public. How could a dignified Empress’s actions be discussed with those female’s flattery tricks. But just now under Xie Jing Xing’s killing intention, she suddenly remember that beauty words of ‘only kids who cry would have sweets to eat’.
Now she was still a young female who looked naïve and immature, and did not have the robes and body of an Empress thus if one were to have some spoilt actions, it should be acceptable. Shen Miao had never thought even when dreaming that with such a strong character like she has, she would be able to cry like a ‘pear blossom bathed in rain’ to a guy. But she was surprised at the results since she doubt that with Xie Jing Xing’s aggressive temper, he would actually let her go.
But in this confrontation, she after all had used a very disgraceful method.
Walking out of the secret chambers, she did not know how did Xie Jing Xing and Gao Yang left as there was not a single person in the tea room. When she walked out of the tearoom, Mo Qing was still guarding outside. Shen Miao questioned him, “Just now did anyone came out?”
“Anyone?” Mo Qing was surprised for a moment, “Is not Young Lady the only one inside? Did Young Lady saw someone inside?”
“No.” Shen Miao smiled gently and said, “Just asking casually.” But in her heart she put Xie Jing Xing’s ability higher a level again.
“After staying for a long time, why is Eldest Brother not here? Let us go and search for Eldest Brother.” Shen Miao said.
Mo Qing was somewhat puzzled. He did not know why did Shen Miao changed her mind in a moment, as she had agreed to wait for Shen Qiu in the tea room and now she did not want to. But he naturally would not refute Shen Miao’s standpoint so he complied and followed Shen Miao out.
When Shen Miao left, she looked back at the closed doors of the tearoom, not knowing if Xie Jing Xing and Gao Yang were still there. Today she came over for that ‘thing’ but who knew that that ‘thing’ actually landed in Xie Jing Xing’s hands. Shen Miao was unable to make heads or tails out of it in a moment of time, accordingly to the vestige of the past life, at this time Xie Jing Xing should not have discovered the secret chambers. Could it be that there were changes in this lifetime and even Xie Jing Xing’s fate was also changed? Or perhaps in her short and tragic life, there were some truths that were overlooked.
This question was not solved even until she saw Shen Qiu and returned back to Shen residence in the evening. However when Shen Qiu saw Shen Miao dazed after coming out of Prince Yu residence, he thought that Shen Miao was scared at the bloody scene and told the kitchens to make soup to calm her nerves, and was even scolded well by Luo Xue Yan for bringing Shen Miao to such a calamitous place. Shen Qiu felt very wronged but Shen Miao was totally unaware of it.
At the other end, there was someone who was coming to Xie Jing Xing’s aid for justice.