Chapter 100 - 99: Messing With Your People (First Update)

Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Messing With Your People (First Update)

Earlier the same day.

Xiao Yi, Xiao He, and Zhao Jingming, as usual, sat in the pavilion in Xiao Yi’s courtyard.

On this rare day off, the two had come to Xiao Yi’s house early in the morning. After playing with Little Point, they dragged Xiao Yi, who was intent on going to the study to work, to the pavilion and refused to leave.

Xiao Yi expressionlessly watched the two opposite him, chatting animatedly, persuading each other to drink tea as if it were fine palace wine. He had to suppress the urge to have Xiang Zuo throw these two guys out.

He rubbed his temples secretly, unable to understand why, even though he had never welcomed their visits, these two kept coming over with enthusiasm.

Zhao Jingming could easily see what Xiao Yi was thinking. He shook the cup in his hand and said with a bitter face, "Among the three of us, you’re the only one living outside. Think about it, Jingchen and I have a whole bunch of people at home. A visit means being interrupted and watched by countless people, it’s so annoying.

When you were married, every time you came to my house, my mother would openly or covertly use you to lecture me, urging me to get married early. Now your wife is gone, and when you come over, my mother lectures both of us. Would you like that?"

Xiao Yi frowned slightly in silence.

He recalled Madam Cen’s sharp words at the Zhao family’s banquet a few days ago, unsure of what to say.

It was unquestionably the decision he regretted the most in recent years.

Xiao He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, "Your mother’s tongue is indeed sharp. At the last banquet, the three of us were inundated with prospective brides, unable to refuse, and the girls, too, were innocent. We couldn’t just leave them, it was truly unbearable."

Among the three of them, Xiao He was undoubtedly the most gentlemanly.

Zhao Jingming wore his emotions on his face, and while he wouldn’t directly leave people behind, he handled interactions impatiently. Only a girl with a thick skin would dare to continue socializing with him.

Xiao Yi had no patience for these interactions, often leaving the crowd behind without a trace.

Zhao Jingming amusingly looked at Xiao He, "I heard Minister Tian’s sixth daughter went to the military camp yesterday for a ’chance’ encounter with you? For a girl to muster such courage disregarding her dignity is rare. You shouldn’t let her down."

Xiao He sighed.

If he didn’t have feelings for her and still responded, that would indeed be letting her down.

He usually didn’t attend such gatherings but made an exception this time for Yanci’s sake.

Unexpectedly, Yanci vanished somewhere right away. Madam Cen had asked him to escort a group of girls around, and after looking for him all afternoon, asking him and Chang Yu several times, they couldn’t find him and had to leave angrily.

They finally found Yanci in a pavilion behind the lotus pond.

Surprisingly, when they found him, he was with Song Erniang from the Song Family. Song Erniang, blushing, stood in front of him, offering him a blue pouch embroidered with white cranes. Yanci looked at it for a moment, seemingly pondering something, before saying, "Sorry," and leaving.

Leaving Song Erniang looking heartbroken.

On the way back, he subtly inquired about Yanci’s feelings for Song Erniang, but Yanci remained expressionless and uninterested in engaging, only lowly saying at the end, "She’s still a girl. Forget what you saw today and don’t speak nonsense outside, ruining her reputation."

Seeing him finally respond, Xiao He immediately asked, "Do you really have no feeling for Song Erniang? She’s such a good girl, beautiful, gentle-natured, and most importantly, she doesn’t mind that you have a child. If you married her, with her character, she wouldn’t treat Chang Xiao poorly..."

"Xiao, Jing, Chen."

Xiao Yi gave him a patient sideways glance and articulated each word: "I’ll say it again, pretend you didn’t see that incident."

Xiao He choked back his words, reluctant to speak further, finally conceding, "I have no idea how you developed this personality. Since childhood, any girl who approached you was either ignored or scared away by you.

Tell me, how many girls have given you a pouch? What kind of girl must give you a pouch for you to accept it?"

His greatest fear was that he wouldn’t accept any of them.

Because that’s precisely the dangerous mindset he held before.

What kind of girl must give him a pouch for him to accept...

Inappropriately, an image of a bright, cheerful face flashed in Xiao Yi’s mind. His heart suddenly thumped heavily, leaving him feeling slightly uneasy all over.

He quickly closed his eyes, suppressing the absurd thought.

How could she possibly give him a pouch? She wished for nothing more than for him to quickly vanish from her life.

But if she truly gave him one...

Would he accept it?

Xiao Yi tightly gripped the cup in his hand, his eyes slightly lowered.

This inexplicable question had occupied his mind until now.

In fact, he vaguely had an answer, but he didn’t dare to think about it.

Xiao He had been silently observing Xiao Yi from a distance. Seeing the complex expression on his face and his drifting thoughts, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly.

After hearing Dongli mention Xu Siniang’s matter that day, he couldn’t let it go and sent someone to Anping County to inquire about the woman.

The news that came back made him wonder if he had heard it wrong.

That woman had indeed changed completely as Dongli had said. Not only did she open a medical hall on her own, but she also developed two medicines that caused a sensation throughout the county.

Moreover, she seemed to be closely affiliated with the county government, but he couldn’t figure out what she was doing there, no matter how hard he tried.

The only person capable of sealing off information about that woman’s activities in the county government was his cousin, who had once served as acting County Magistrate in Anping County.

Xiao He couldn’t help but squint at Xiao Yi, contemplating whether to talk openly about this matter with him.

Suddenly, the man who hadn’t looked at him even once from a distance placed down his cup and said in a slightly cold voice, "Xiao Jingchen, just because I don’t mention some things doesn’t mean I don’t care. Withdraw your people from Anping County."

Xiao He was taken aback but not too surprised. With a helpless smile, he said, "You found out?"

Although he was a year older than Xiao Yi and always called himself the elder cousin, he never underestimated the abilities of his cousin. To be honest, this cousin had always been the most outstanding among their peers in many aspects since they were young.

Zhao Jingming froze for a moment and quickly glanced at both men before him, utterly bewildered.

What on earth had caused this sudden change in atmosphere?!

When did Jingchen send people to Anping County?

Xiao Yi slightly raised his gaze and looked at Xiao He with a cold stare.

Although Dongli sometimes acted out of line, he never dared to hide important matters from him. On the day Xu Jing was mentioned to Xiao He, he had confessed it all to him from the start.

What Xiao He would do next, Xiao Yi could easily guess.

Resigning himself, Xiao He raised his hand slightly, saying, "Alright, it was wrong of me this time for moving..."

After a pause, he said calmly, "Your people."

Xiao Yi’s lips tightened, and his gaze instantly grew colder as he looked at him.

Xiao He had been observing Xiao Yi. Seeing his reaction, he internally sighed that it was over. The woman’s influence on Yanci had reached this point. On the surface, however, he gently smiled and said, "But when my men were gathering information in Anping County, they discovered some extraordinarily skilled people following Xu Siniang.

Although Dongli didn’t specify, I guess Xu Siniang assisted you in solving the Zheng Shouyan case. If the people behind Pang Rui find out about your past relationship with Xu Siniang and learn about her involvement in the Zheng Shouyan case, there might be speculation whether the booklet Pang Rui took from Zheng Shouyan is with Xu Siniang, or perhaps she knows something.

Those people following Xu Siniang are most likely Prince Xing’s people. Aren’t you worried they might harm Xu Siniang?"

Zhao Jingming: ???

Why is Prince Xing suddenly involved in this matter again?

He couldn’t help but murmur, "I say..."

But he was utterly ignored by the two men in front of him.

Xiao Yi looked at Xiao He, speaking coldly, "I’ve already made arrangements for Anping County. As long as she remains within the county, she will be safe."

Not leave Anping County?

Xiao He furrowed his brows slightly.

When his men sent him a message last night, they mentioned that Mr. Cheng, who co-owned the medical hall with Xu Siniang, was set to deliver medicines pre-ordered by the Song Family to the Western Capital early today.

He secretly sighed at this strange predestined relationship.

But since Xinglin Hall depends entirely on Xu Siniang, she likely won’t go along, right...

His thoughts hadn’t yet taken shape when out of the void, a man in black suddenly leaped down, quickly dropping to one knee before Xiao Yi, his voice tense, "Lord, something’s wrong! Early this morning, Miss Xu unexpectedly left Anping County with Mr. Cheng, heading to the Western Capital. The situation took us by surprise, and the subordinates were uncertain whether to stop her. They could only send others to follow and protect Miss Xu, while I rushed back as fast as possible to report this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Yi’s expression changed, and he suddenly stood up, his voice sinking to an intimidating tone, "Prepare the horses immediately! Find out Miss Xu’s location and go quickly!"

Without finishing his words, he turned abruptly and strode forward.