Chapter 40

Shen Yao Xing was momentarily speechless, after all, she was the one who said those words first, and now they were thrown back at her.

“Well… not exactly…” She stammered, trying to smooth things over. Her gaze drifted behind him, and her face lit up. With sparkling eyes, she pointed to the spot next to the man in black, “I can just sit there. You can give me a ride for a while, and once we find a place to buy horses, I won’t trouble you anymore.”

Jiang Ming Yue’s expression remained unchanged, his cold gaze falling on the young girl’s upturned lips. He had expected her to be somewhat embarrassed and angry, but the girl’s level of optimism exceeded his expectations.

He glanced lightly at the spot next to the corpse servant, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes, his tone ambiguous: “Miss Shen has helped Ming Yue before, wouldn’t this be a bit unfair to you?”

I wouldn’t mind if you let me rest in the carriage occasionally, Shen Yao Xing swallowed the words that almost burst out, and laughed dryly while waving her hand, “It’s not unfair. I’m already very grateful that you can give me a ride for a while.”

The young man cast a cold glance at her and stepped into the carriage.

He hadn’t agreed verbally, and Shen Yao Xing stood there, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, the curtain at the carriage window was lifted, revealing the young man’s handsome profile. His brow showed slight impatience, his tone icy: “What’s the matter? Has Miss Shen changed her mind?”

The girl was startled, realizing that he had agreed. She happily sat down at the front of the carriage, bid farewell to the innkeeper’s wife, and they set off.

This carriage was completely unlike her bumpy one. The wheels seemed to be wrapped in cotton, with almost no vibration felt. Except for the ghastly pale face of the person beside her, it was much more comfortable than her own carriage.

Shen Yao Xing yawned. She hadn’t slept well last night, and now that she was idle, drowsiness overcame her.

She hugged her arms, curled up her knees, and leaned against the position outside the carriage door. With the subtle vibrations of the carriage, she tilted her head, unable to resist the sleepiness, and fell into a light sleep.

This sleeping posture was not comfortable. Shen Yao Xing constantly changed her position. Taking advantage of the spacious seat, she simply stretched out her feet, allowing her ankles to dangle outside the carriage, swaying with its movement.

She didn’t know how long she had slept when Shen Yao Xing was awakened by the gradually cooling breeze. When she opened her eyes groggily, she almost thought she had slept for a day. The sky was as gloomy as dusk, with rumbling thunder in the distance.

It seemed a heavy rain was coming.

Shen Yao Xing stretched lazily, glanced at the canopy above her head, and reassured, turned to her side intending to continue sleeping.

Shortly after closing her eyes, she felt a fine drizzle carried by the wind on her face. Shen Yao Xing casually raised her sleeve to wipe it away, keeping her eyes closed as she turned to the other side.

The sound of rain in her ears grew louder, accompanied by strong winds blowing against her. Shen Yao Xing could no longer sleep. She raised her bundle to barely shield her face, while the rest of her body had to endure the rain’s baptism.

How unlucky.

Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but complain. She wiped the rainwater from her face and her gaze fell on the man in black clothes beside her. Goodness, the rain was beating down on his face like needles, yet he didn’t even blink!

This must be the most dedicated coachman ever.

But remembering that he might be that… whatever, Shen Yao Xing was no longer envious. Besides, she could barely take care of herself now, with half of her body already soaked.

Out of desperation, she quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and was stunned by the scene inside.

The interior of the carriage was brightly lit, as spacious as a bedroom, with everything one could need. The young man was reclining on a comfortable couch inside, one hand propped up by his ear. His three thousand strands of dark hair were spread out on the couch, his jade-white features as if carefully carved by heaven, beautiful as a painting.

The raging wind and rain outside seemed to have nothing to do with him, and he paid no attention to it.

Their situations were like heaven and hell. Shen Yao Xing, placed in hell, felt a bit sour.

Feeling the cool dampness on her body, she reached in and lightly knocked on the sandalwood wall beside her, lowering her voice to call out to the person inside who seemed to be asleep: “Young Master Ming Yue?”

The girl’s voice was too soft, completely drowned out by the sound of rain.

Jiang Ming Yue, who had long anticipated this, opened his beautifully shaped eyes. There was no trace of drowsiness in them. He stared directly at the girl who had poked half her head in, his thin lips lifting ever so slightly, his heart, which had been annoyed all day, finding some relief.

His cold voice carried a hint of pleasure: “What is it?”

“Can I come in to shelter from the rain?” Shen Yao Xing asked quickly.

Jiang Ming Yue slowly sat up, casually agreeing with a light sound. He then opened a small compartment in the carriage and took out a box of pastries, placing them on the low tea table beside him.

Having received permission, Shen Yao Xing hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. Her body was already quite wet, and afraid of dampening other places, she huddled in a corner of the carriage, which happened to be the farthest spot from the young man.

The hem of her clothes was still dripping water. Shen Yao Xing moved to the door, wrung out the hem of her clothes outside before sitting back in her original position. She glanced at the person leisurely eating pastries, unable to help but swallow.

Her bundle was soaked through, not to mention the clothes inside. As she put the bundle aside, suddenly a handkerchief fell in front of her.

Shen Yao Xing looked up at him, confused.

“Wipe yourself off, don’t dirty the carriage,” the young man said flatly.

Tch, Shen Yao Xing felt a bit annoyed, but being under someone else’s roof, she could only lower her head for now. She picked up the handkerchief and roughly wiped her face. The cloth was so small, it could only wipe that much.

With her body damp, she no longer felt like sleeping. Shen Yao Xing yawned, leaned in the corner, and closed her eyes to listen to the sound of thunder and rain outside the carriage.

The girl was curled up in the corner, some damp hair sticking to her slightly pale face. Her rain-soaked clothes clung even more tightly to her body, and water droplets could even be seen falling from her clothes.

Jiang Ming Yue watched with cold eyes, his recently soothed heart growing increasingly annoyed. His fingers unconsciously tightened, causing cracks to appear in the wine cup he was holding.