Chapter 102 - 101: To Pursue a Woman, You Must Be Thick-Skinned! (First Update)

Chapter 102: Chapter 101: To Pursue a Woman, You Must Be Thick-Skinned! (First Update)

Chen Hu and Cheng Xianbai, standing outside, were momentarily wide-eyed in disbelief.

What did they see!

No, but given that Miss Xu had difficulty walking and their lives were in danger, Vice Minister Xiao’s actions were merely a desperate measure.

As the woman’s soft, fragrant body fell into his arms, Xiao Yi was momentarily stunned, a surge of indescribable emotions rising within him.

The sound of fighting nearby quickly pulled his thoughts back, and he immediately, in a calm voice, said, "Xiang You, take Mr. Cheng and Mr. Chen to gather in Jingning County!"

"Yes!"

After issuing the instructions, Xiao Yi proceeded to stride forward with Xu Jing in his arms. He went straight to a black steed, skillfully yet cautiously placing Xu Jing onto it. He then glanced at the still-dazed Xu Jing, seeing she was not uncomfortable, and mounted the horse himself, tugging the reins, saying, "Go!"

The steed beneath them began to move forward slowly.

Xu Jing frowned slightly, wondering if it was inappropriate to question Xiao Yi at this moment when she heard his low voice at her ear, "In a moment, the horse will speed up. I might need to hold your waist. If you’re afraid, you can hold onto the horse’s neck."

Xu Jing: "..."

Did she have the right to say "no"?

Just as the man’s words fell, a hot, large hand reached over, firmly holding her waist. His hand was so large that Xu Jing felt he could encircle her waist with less than two hands.

Soon, the horse picked up speed, and Xu Jing was fully occupied with the discomfort of being jolted, her backside sore from the bumping.

The wind rushing at her face felt like knives, deterring her from opening her mouth for fear of gulping down the wind.

Thrown around to the point of disorientation, she attempted to lean forward and hold the horse’s neck, but found the horse’s skin and fur were so soft that she kept slipping down. If she pulled on its fur too hard, she feared hurting it.

Throughout the journey, Xu Jing was indescribably embarrassed, feeling nearly like she was hanging onto the horse. If not for the man’s hand tightly gripping her waist, she felt she would have long slid off.

What kind of torment was this!

She didn’t know how long it lasted, but the horse finally slowed down a little, allowing Xu Jing to sit up and barely steady her mind as she looked around.

The sky had completely darkened, but by the faint light coming from the houses on both sides, she realized they had entered a county town.

The man’s voice timely sounded in her ear, "This is Jingning County. We’ll rest here for the night."

With nothing else clear, all they could do was comply with the arrangement.

Xu Jing muttered, "Oh..."

Noticing the woman’s dejection in his arms, Xiao Yi couldn’t help but glance down at her, only able to see the top of her head and a slender, fair section of her neck.

His heart, which had barely calmed, began racing uncontrollably again. Xiao Yi awkwardly averted his gaze, unconsciously tightening his grip on her waist, his voice suddenly husky as he said, "Your injury hasn’t healed. Why did you leave suddenly?"

He hadn’t expected the woman to leave Anping County, at least not so soon.

In the past few days, he had hooked several fish, and just as other fish sensed the deception and refused to come out, he was about to reel in the net.

But she unexpectedly ran out at this time.

Reflecting on the rush to reach her...

Xiao Yi closed his eyes abruptly, the veins on the hand holding her waist bulging, barely restraining the urge to hold her tightly in his arms.

That feeling was something he never wanted to experience again.

Xu Jing pondered the emotions in the man’s words, oddly detecting a hint of reproach, raising her eyebrows with some discomfort, "Are you blaming me for running out?"

"No."

Xiao Yi was slightly startled, his gaze lowering intently on her as he softly said, "I’m blaming myself."

He was too arrogant, thinking he knew her well enough, which led to the current crisis.

If he hadn’t arrived in time, she might already be gone.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yi felt a dull, oppressive sensation once more.

The latter part of his sentence was so softly spoken that if not for Xu Jing being close to him, she might not have heard it.

She remained silent for a moment, just about to ask about those people from earlier and their connection to him when suddenly a troop of riders came rushing up from not far away, stopping behind them.

A man, resembling a commander, rode forward and saluted, saying, "Lord, those who ambushed us are either dead or have committed suicide. Our men have searched the area thoroughly, and there should be no omissions."

Xiao Yi nodded and said, "Go find a good inn and book a few superior rooms."

"Yes!"

The man rode forward, and soon he returned, saying, "Lord, Jingning County is a small town with only two relatively good inns. Among them, Tongfu Inn is fully booked, but Xinghua Inn still has two superior rooms available. I have already reserved those rooms. You and Miss Xu can go directly there."

Xiao Yi responded with an "hmm" and was about to pull on the reins.

Xu Jing quickly asked, "What about the two men who came with me?"

Just as Xu Jing finished speaking, a vigorous voice from behind came from Chen Hu, "Miss Xu, Da Bai and I are fine! You and Vice Minister Xiao go stay at Xinghua Inn. Da Bai and I, being rough fellows, can find a place with the guards. Tomorrow morning, we’ll come find you."

Only then did Xu Jing’s heart settle. She headed toward Xinghua Inn with Xiao Yi.

When dismounting, it was still Xiao Yi who helped her down, but afterward, she firmly walked on her own.

Earlier, he picked her up directly due to the urgency of the situation. Now that the enemies were gone, why did he need to hold her?

To train his arm strength?

With her small build, it wouldn’t be enough for his training.

Xiao Yi’s half-extended hand froze in mid-air, and he glanced deeply at the woman beside him, ultimately saying nothing. He simply advised, "Take it slow, no need to rush," and then turned to lead the way into the inn.

The group of guards following them: "..."

Oh, Lord, pursuing a woman shouldn’t be done so gentlemanly!

Thinking that the woman in front of them might be their future lady, the guards cautiously followed behind the limping Xu Jing, worried she might fall with every unstable step.

This Xinghua Inn also offered food and accommodation. The ground floor served as a dining area for guests, and the rooms were all on the second floor.

As it wasn’t too late yet, several tables were occupied in the main hall on the first floor. Upon seeing the striking appearances of Xu Jing and Xiao Yi entering, people couldn’t help but take a few more looks.

But due to the guards following them, most people only dared to glance twice before lowering their heads to continue eating.

These noble people, no matter how good-looking, weren’t for them to ogle.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

It was the first time she appeared without a veil or a face cover in front of so many people and wasn’t worried about any trouble.

Is this the taste of power? Tsk tsk, no wonder so many heroes and beauties in the world are so eager to pursue it.

Seeing them, the inn’s attendant immediately rubbed his hands and approached, saying, "Are you the distinguished guests who sent someone to book rooms not long ago? The rooms have been prepared. Please let me show you the way."

Saying this, he led them upstairs.

What happened next left him somewhat surprised.

That woman, as beautiful as a celestial being, apparently had an injured leg. Holding onto the staircase railing, she hopped up the steps like a little rabbit, one step at a time.

The lord accompanying her, steady, handsome, and exuding an extraordinary aura, walked beside her, matching her slow pace step by step.

Now, since these two were traveling together, their relationship must be extraordinary. The lady was injured, shouldn’t the lord offer some assistance? Even though that lady’s hairstyle suggested she wasn’t married yet, in this situation, wouldn’t it be acceptable for the lord to lend a helping hand?!

It’s not that the lord didn’t care for the lady, otherwise, he wouldn’t progress at a tortoise’s pace waiting for her.

The inn attendant scratched the back of his head, baffled.

Could this be the latest flirting style between urban men and women?

It must be his own naivety as a small-town attendant!

Just then, someone came down the stairs. Even though Xu Jing and Xiao Yi were advancing at almost the same pace, there was a large gap between them.

The man coming down seemed drunk, walking unsteadily, and went right in between them. His shoulder, as hard as a rock, bumped into Xu Jing.

Xu Jing, focusing intently on hopping up the stairs, was caught off guard and nearly fell, but luckily she quickly grabbed onto the railing. She frowned and looked up.

Before her was a young man dressed in royal blue brocade, his face flushed, with thick eyebrows and a broad nose, glaring at her angrily. He slurred his words, speaking harshly, "You... are you blind?! How dare you block this lord’s way! If you don’t need those eyes, you can pluck them and feed them to the dogs!"