Chapter 132 - 131: Not So Gentlemanly (Second Update)

Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Not So Gentlemanly (Second Update)

Xu Jing was slightly taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed under Xiao Yi’s gaze, and couldn’t help but lower her eyes, giving a soft cough.

What kind of words were those? It was as if he was blaming her for being disdainful of this place.

Although, she indeed felt somewhat, no, very disdainful.

Seeing that she didn’t refute, Xiao Yi seemed to finally confirm that she was indeed going to stay. He turned to Xianyun and said, "Quickly prepare a guest room for Miss Xu."

Xianyun couldn’t hide the excitement and said, "Yes!"

After saying that, he left quickly with a heart almost soaring with joy.

Preparing the room would take some time, so Xiao Yi thought for a moment and then sat down opposite Xu Jing, rolled up his sleeves, lit a small stove on the table, and began to brew tea with a teapot.

These tea sets were brought over by Qiushui to help them sober up after they had had their fill. Before the Holy Emperor and others left, Xiao He was the one responsible for brewing the tea. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi started brewing tea again at this moment.

If the feeling Xiao He gave when brewing tea was one of elegance and charm, gentle and refined, with every move exuding an air of nonchalance, then Xiao Yi’s tea brewing was far more dignified and steady. His expression was serious and focused, yet there was a thread of relaxed and casual elegance in his every move, like a refreshing breeze blowing through the mountains, soothing yet carrying the weight of the hills.

Xu Jing glanced at Xiao Yi and said, "It’s getting late, Vice Minister Xiao, you don’t have to stay on my account, go and rest."

Xiao Yi, as the host, couldn’t just leave her, the guest, like this, so he stayed behind.

Xiao Yi continued to brew tea unhurriedly. Seeing the water boil, he took a small spoon of the unused tea powder, scooped with a delicate yellow rosewood spoon, and slowly stirred it into the boiling water. He said, "I’d like to have a few more sips to sober up, I did drink a bit too much earlier."

At this point, a barely audible sigh escaped from Xiao Yi’s throat.

The Holy Emperor had been trying all night to get him drunk, probably as a form of retaliation for stopping him from egging on the matter of remarrying Xu Siniang.

Although he knew the Holy Emperor didn’t really mind the matter, he did defy the Holy Emperor, so he drank all the wine the Holy Emperor urged upon him without any resistance.

He usually had a good tolerance, but even so, he found it hard to resist the Holy Emperor’s onslaught tonight, and even now, his head was still spinning.

Seeing the woman across from him not speaking, Xiao Yi paused in his actions, slightly raised his eyelids, and his black eyes, soaked with the swirling steam, looked at her and softly said, "Does Miss Xu not want me here?"

He wouldn’t mind having a few more cups of tea, but more than that, he wanted to stay and keep her company.

Knowing that she would be staying here tonight, he couldn’t suppress a feeling of restlessness in his heart and didn’t want to go anywhere but stay by her side.

If Xiao He and the others knew his thoughts, they would definitely tease him again, saying that this millennium-old iron tree hasn’t bloomed for so long, and once it did, it acted naive and immature like a lovesick fool.

Xu Jing was taken aback; she was just thinking about everything that had happened tonight. Did he think she was unwilling to deal with him?

She unconsciously looked into his eyes, only to find that the normally deep, unreadable, and imposing black eyes were now, under the influence of alcohol and steam, seemingly pure and innocent. She almost had the illusion of facing a big dog accusing its owner of neglecting and not caring for it.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish, lowering her eyes, she gave a slight cough and said, "Vice Minister Xiao, this should be something I say, right? After all, this is your home, and I’m the uninvited guest."

Xiao Yi looked at her for a long time before softly saying, "No."

Xu Jing was slightly stunned.

No to what? That this wasn’t something she should say, or that she wasn’t an uninvited guest?

However, the man before her had already lowered his head, picked up the already brewed tea, poured a cup and placed it in front of her, saying, "Miss Xu can try it and see if it suits your taste."

Then, he poured himself a cup, picked it up, and began to taste it slowly.

Xu Jing glanced at him several times but ultimately did not continue the earlier nonsense topic. She picked up the cup in front of her and took a sip.

When Xiao He and the others were around, the atmosphere was always lively, never a dull moment.

Now, with only her and Xiao Yi, it wasn’t exactly a cold silence, just much quieter compared to before; beneath such stars and night, being with others would make Xu Jing enjoy such quiet, but knowing the one opposite her was Xiao Yi, something seemed amiss.

She wasn’t a tea connoisseur, finding only that Xiao Yi’s tea seemed milder than Xiao He’s, which suited her taste, reaching the shallow conclusion after a couple of sips. She put down her cup, trying to find something to say, "Speaking of which, the Song Erniang that Zhao Liulang mentioned today, I also happened to have encountered her twice, she indeed is a very nice lady, very pure-hearted. If Vice Minister Xiao chooses her, for Chang Xiao’s sake..."

Xiao Yi’s hand suddenly stopped, as if a boiling boulder had been thrown into his previously calm and comfortable inner lake, making it momentarily difficult for him to breathe.

Unconsciously, he gripped the teacup tightly; the veins on the back of his hand stood out, yet his expression remained calm. He took a deep breath and looked at her intently, interrupting her by saying, "I have no intention of marrying again."

Xu Jing’s words were abruptly cut off, and she looked at him somewhat in surprise, "But..."

"No buts."

Xiao Yi tightened his hold on the teacup, his lips pressed into a line, his voice solemn and measured as he said, "My wife will not be anyone else, Chang Xiao’s mother will not be anyone else."

Xu Jing looked at him somewhat dazedly, seeing for the first time this strong side of him before her.

Even at the beginning, when he really didn’t like her, he never had a moment when he gave her no room like this.

Should I say, Xiao Yi had always been so obliging before her, she almost forgot he was a decisive and powerful official on the court, a formidable figure.

This topic must have touched his taboo.

The original marriage between them was schemed by the original one through underhanded means. Him having a shadow about it, and hence resisting marrying again, was normal.

Xu Jing pretended not to notice the shadow in his eyes, smiled and playfully said, "Is that so? Luckily, I didn’t agree to what Xiao Erlang and the others said earlier, or Vice Minister Xiao might be put in a difficult spot."

Xiao Yi was momentarily startled, feeling a bit of a headache.

Do women’s thoughts always change so rapidly? Just a moment ago, she was talking about him and another woman, and now she jumped to their topic.

He nonchalantly picked up the teapot, refilled Xu Jing’s almost empty cup, his voice lightly detached, seemingly with a hint of nonchalance, "Jingchen and the others’ proposal, I never said I was unwilling."

Xu Jing: "..."

Must your thoughts change so quickly, sir!

Xiao Yi looked up at her, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a charming smile, one not at all in line with his usual demeanor, "After all, what Jingchen and the others mentioned isn’t really to remarry, right? Since it’s fake, why care?"

This proposal, it wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted, on the contrary, he was tempted to the point of madness.

He just didn’t want to use this to manipulate her feelings.

However, being too much of a gentleman seemed only to push her further away. Now, she was already matching him with other women.

If that’s the case, he shouldn’t be blamed for being a little less of a gentleman.