Chapter Six
The group arrived at the Captain's residence shortly. The guards were startled to see Xia Jingshi himself arriving and hurriedly announced his presence.
Ignoring Ning Fei and Xiao Weiran following closely behind, Xia Jingshi strode swiftly through the garden toward the small pavilion—so familiar and natural. This estate was one he had bestowed upon Yixiao, and she had never altered a single brick or tile here.
In his memories, Yixiao was always as forthright as a man, swift and keen as a beast unleashed on the battlefield. Yet her blunt nature and inability to read others' moods had led to countless clashes with Generals in the army, which was why he had always kept her by his side. But their final meeting four years ago—her wounded expression when struck by an arrow, the solitary figure standing silently gazing at the sky as described by Xiao Weiran—was utterly foreign to him.
At this thought, Xia Jingshi's heart rippled with pain like a stone cast into water. Four years—long enough for those shocked, pained eyes to sear into his heart, long enough... He suddenly froze. Yixiao lay half-reclined on a chaise lounge, her damp hair loose, her delicate toes peeking out from beneath a voluminous robe. Before he could take it in, she rose and walked toward him step by step, her body exuding the fragrance of recent bathing. Every inch of her skin, every breath she took, carried an intoxicating allure. "Your Highness, it's been a long time."
Xia Jingshi responded with a calm "Hmm," but took half a step back, nearly bumping into an embroidered stool by the table. "You still remember to return?" Yixiao curled her lips into a mocking smirk. "After so long apart, Your Highness remains as cold as ever. Could it be you resent me for not dying at the foot of that cliff?" Xia Jingshi smiled faintly. "If thrown among wolves, you'd undoubtedly be the last one standing. I learned that years ago."
"What a unique welcome," came a voice. Xueying, who had been eavesdropping from the inner room, could no longer contain herself and stepped out, eyeing Xia Jingshi up and down. "His looks are passable at best, but his character is utterly lacking—Yixiao, your taste is truly questionable." Ning Fei's face darkened the moment she emerged, and now he nearly jumped up. "Is this how a lady of good breeding behaves? Eavesdropping on your host is bad enough, but your insolence knows no bounds. Do you even realize who you're criticizing?"
"My father taught me to treat different people differently. Before true gentlemen, I am every bit the refined lady. But for the likes of you, I can't spare a single kind word! As for him, all I know is that four years ago, he drove Yixiao to leap off a cliff—what does his rank or status matter? Dead, he'd be just as much rotting flesh as anyone else. Is he really so different from you or me?!" She pressed her challenge right into Ning Fei's face, leaving him speechless and fuming.
Xia Jingshi's gaze shifted to Xueying. "And who is this?" Xiao Weiran quickly bowed and replied, "Your Highness, this is Ling Yuguang's only daughter, Ling Xueying." Xia Jingshi's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So this is Elder Brother Ling's beloved child.""Hey!" Xueying immediately turned her ire toward Xia Jingshi, "Who's your elder brother? Don't presume such familiarity!" Xia Jingshi chuckled softly, "This prince has no desire to argue with you. Whether it's true or not, you can ask your father when you return. Strictly speaking, by seniority, you should be this prince's niece..." Xueying let out an infuriated shriek, cutting him off, "I don't believe it! I'm writing to Father to ask!" With that, she stomped her foot, lifted her skirts, and ran off.
Watching her leave, Ning Fei exhaled in relief and laughed heartily, "Your Highness is truly brilliant. Had I known claiming seniority would drive her away, I would have..." But Xia Jingshi frowned, turning to Fu Yixiao, "Everything this prince said was true—yet why was I unaware that Yixiao was with Elder Brother's daughter?" Yixiao looked at him innocently, "No wonder Uncle Ling always told me to learn to let go. So even Uncle Ling knew about Your Highness's heartlessness!"
At these words, Xia Jingshi's breath caught momentarily before he gazed deeply at her, his tone calm, "Does wounding me with your words bring you joy?" His quiet question struck her like a heavy blow, draining the color from her face.
Observing her distress, his voice grew even more composed: "Speaking such words—do they not pain you as well?" In an instant, Yixiao's expression smoothed over, "The heart that could feel pain turned to rot four years ago with that Yixiao, lying underground with maggots. This heart now, no matter how wounded, will—like my name—laugh it off and let it vanish like smoke."
"Vanish like smoke?" Xia Jingshi's gaze drifted over her head toward the window. Unnoticed, dusk had fallen. The golden sunset stretched sword-like rays into the room. Ning Fei and Xiao Weiran had quietly withdrawn, leaving only him and Yixiao.
Turning, he picked up the Silver Bow resting on the table and asked lightly, "Since you're no longer the Yixiao of before, why return?" "I returned for you, naturally," Yixiao lifted her head, lips quirking in a half-smile, "I wanted to know—four years later, if I confessed my feelings again, would you still reject me?" Xia Jingshi watched her silently, "And if I did?"
Yixiao met his gaze, her clear spring-like eyes seeming to pierce straight through him, "If you refused again, I'd return to Pingling. We'd part forever—I'd marry a man who cherished me, learn to love him, bear his children. Years later, I might mention you casually—telling him you were a mistake of my reckless youth, a joke in my life. I'd forget you, wouldn't recognize you again... Your Highness, is this the answer you wanted to hear?"
With each word, Xia Jingshi's heart throbbed, yet distantly he heard himself reply calmly, "Indeed. Exactly so."
This was good.
Yes, this was best—wasn't this what he wanted?
Contrary to his expectations, Yixiao didn't get angry. Matching his composure, she said, "Very well, I'll pack and leave now—this Silver Bow was your gift. Today I return it to you."Gritting his teeth hard to suppress the strange feeling in his heart, Xia Jingshi forced a smile. "Won't you stay a few more days?" Yixiao walked toward the inner chamber without turning back. "Would staying longer change your mind?"
He had no reply.
Yixiao's luggage was simple—just a small bundle. As she passed by him, she paused and asked with a sigh, "Your Highness, could you tell me... in these four years, did you ever miss me, even just a little?"
Xia Jingshi's mind buzzed. He bit his tongue, trying to hold back, but in the end, he couldn't resist the surge in his heart and blurted out weakly, "Xueying is visiting Lucheng for the first time. If you're not in a hurry, why not stay and accompany her for a few days on my behalf?" Even as he said it, he knew how forced it sounded. Lowering his head to avoid Yixiao's gaze, he hurried out.
Yixiao sat down beside Xueying and tugged at her worriedly. "Won't you feel suffocated lying like this for so long?" "Are you really set on him?" Xueying didn't move, still sprawled inelegantly and listlessly on the couch. She had maintained this position for nearly an hour since receiving her father's reply.
Even the most oblivious person would have noticed—Xia Jingshi had no intention of letting Yixiao play hostess for him. Ostensibly, he had Ning Fei and Xiao Weiran accompany her on outings, but in reality, he was isolating her in secret. Her father's reply only deepened her frustration—Xia Jingshi was actually her father's close friend despite their age difference. If Yixiao ended up marrying Xia Jingshi, wouldn't that make Yixiao her aunt...
Damn it, she refused to be demoted a generation for no reason. So...
"Yixiao, let's go back to Pingling. Actually, Young Master Lu is quite nice, and his family is wealthy. If—" Her words died in her throat as she spotted someone entering the hall, instantly switching to indignation. "Why is it you again!" Ning Fei's face was equally stormy, snapping back faster, "I don't want to be here either!"
"Don't want to what?" a voice asked from behind. Ning Fei froze—in his argument with Xueying, he'd forgotten about the person behind him. "Nothing, Your Highness. I'll take Miss Ling now," he said, striding to the couch and roughly hauling Xueying up. "Let's go. Today, I'm taking you shopping!"
Before Xueying could struggle, she was already dragged out.
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