Chapter 43

“When will we arrive in the capital city?”

Shen Yao Xing asked, munching on a coarse grain cake bought from a town not long after they set out, without turning her head.

They had been on the road for six or seven days now. As they got closer to the capital, they encountered more and more large and small towns. It seemed they would reach their destination in a day or two.

Jiang Ming Yue, who had been feigning sleep, opened his eyes slightly. His pitch-black pupils moved gently, glancing at the increasingly unrestrained figure of the young woman. For the first time, he allowed someone, a woman no less, to act so freely in front of him.

Not only did he not feel offended or displeased, but he even felt a secret joy in his heart.

Jiang Ming Yue himself had not even realized that he enjoyed it more than her.

Jiang Ming Yue sat up, elegantly brushing aside the black hair that had fallen in front of him, and said calmly, “We’ll arrive before nightfall.”

“So fast!” Shen Yao Xing turned back in surprise, but then thought it wasn’t strange, after all, this carriage was faster than ordinary ones.

She could only sigh that it was good to be rich; even the horses were sturdier than others’.

“Come and eat some pastries.” Jiang Ming Yue took out the tea snacks placed in a hidden compartment and put them on the low table next to the soft couch.

At some point, the two had become more natural in their interactions, so natural that Shen Yao Xing almost forgot that this person was a cold-blooded killer. She took a piece of pastry and stared at the man while eating.

He was indeed handsome. If only he were a woman, they could have been good sisters.

Jiang Ming Yue was unaware of the young woman’s thoughts. He only knew that her unabashed gaze made his heart flutter. He lowered his eyes and took small bites of the pastry, his long, jade-like fingers slightly tense.

“Um…” the young woman hesitated.

Jiang Ming Yue looked up, his long, thick eyelashes curled upwards, his alluring eyes questioning, a hint of blush on his face.

Shen Yao Xing scratched her face, feeling that what she was about to say shouldn’t be said, but after holding back for a while, she couldn’t help but ask softly, “You eat desserts like this, do you eat meals like this too? Don’t you get hungry?”

Watching him take such small bites made her anxious. How did he manage to eat such large portions!

The light in the man’s eyes gradually faded, the smile at the corner of his lips disappeared, and his face was covered with coldness again. His voice was thin and cold: “Miss Shen seems to be increasingly fond of meddling in others’ affairs. What does it matter to you how Ming Yue eats?”

Shen Yao Xing shrugged. Indeed, it was none of her business. She was just curious.

The carriage returned to silence. The journey was indeed as the man had said. They arrived in the capital just after noon. Looking at the familiar shops along the street, Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but sigh.

This trip out had only been about a month, returning earlier than expected.

As soon as they entered the city gates, the carriage stopped. Shen Yao Xing looked back at the man reclining on the soft couch with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. His unspoken intention for her to get off the carriage was obvious.

It seemed he was still holding a grudge for what she had said not long ago.

Since they had already arrived in the capital, Shen Yao Xing no longer persisted. She got off the carriage sensibly and walked along the street towards the Shen residence.

In fact, she rarely wandered the streets when in the capital before. Each time she went out, it was either accompanying Mother Shen to Yu Bao Zhai or going to the jade shops with Chu Yi. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really explored the street stalls in the capital since she came of age.

Now, along the way, there were all sorts of new food stalls, with everything one could want. Shen Yao Xing was feeling peckish, so she couldn’t resist buying some to eat as she walked.

In the end, her two hands weren’t enough to hold everything, and she was afraid of getting oil on her clothes. Shen Yao Xing could only hold the oily paper bags at a distance. Not paying attention, she bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction. She instinctively apologized, but unexpectedly, that person wouldn’t let it go.

“What filthy thing dares to touch this young master!” The man in green clothes wore a face veil, his brows full of disgust as he wiped the place that had been touched with a handkerchief.

Shen Yao Xing glanced at the place he was wiping. There wasn’t even any oil on it. Was such a big reaction necessary? “I’m sorry,” she apologized again, intending to continue walking past him.

“Stop right there!” The man in green clothes called out. The servant beside him stepped forward to block the young woman’s path.

Shen Yao Xing frowned, turning back with a puzzled look.

The man in green clothes was still wiping the touched spot, persisting: “Dirtying this young master’s clothes can’t be resolved with just an apology!”

After saying this, Situ Chang Qing raised his eyes, and when he clearly saw the young woman’s face, he was so scared that his voice cracked: “It’s you?!”

Shen Yao Xing’s confusion deepened. She eyed him suspiciously, but his face was covered and she couldn’t see his features clearly. “Do we know each other?”

“You…” Remembering the embarrassing incident during the lake tour last time, Situ Chang Qing’s face turned red with anger. He bit his lower lip, stomped his foot in irritation, and cursed, “This young master hasn’t settled accounts with you for the lake tour incident, and now you dare to dirty this young master’s clothes!”

The lake tour incident?

Shen Yao Xing frowned, trying to recall the scene from the lake tour with Chu Yi. Could this person be the little lover that Chu Yi brought onto the boat at that time?

“What? Have you remembered now?” Situ Chang Qing snorted coldly.

So he came to pick a fight. Shen Yao Xing felt a bit annoyed and said impatiently, “I did nothing wrong during that incident. Just now, when I bumped into you, your clothes weren’t even stained. I’ve already apologized to you. What more do you want?”

Thinking back, she should have been the one to get angry. She saved him and not only did he not appreciate it, but he even slapped her. It was already merciful of her not to throw him into the river.

“You-” Situ Chang Qing was so stunned by the young woman’s words that he couldn’t find a retort for a moment. His face turned red with anger.

It was the servant beside him who took over, his tone sharp: “Do you know who our young master is? Touching and bumping into him is not something you can afford. If our master finds out, you might not even have a place to stay in the capital!”

“Shut up!” Situ Chang Qing silenced the foolish servant, his gaze glancing at the expressionless person, secretly pondering.