Chu Lian held up the cup of mead and took a small sip. Just like the swirling of the golden mead within the snow white porcelain cup, Chu Lian’s heart also slowly lost its calm.
She had a faint inkling that what happened just now seemed a little strange.
Why would Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly have a stomachache? They had clearly eaten the exact same foods. However, Royal Princess Duanjia’s expression hadn’t seemed fake.
It felt like she had unknowingly landed in someone’s net.
The more she thought about it, the faster Chu Lian’s heart beat. Her face suddenly turned pale. She turned to Xiyan, who was standing next to her, and was about to mention leaving a little early. However, the moment she turned around, her eyes met with the gaze of Xiao Bojian.
Chu Lian’s pupils abruptly shrunk and she was stunned for a moment. Why would Xiao Bojian appear here?
Xiao Bojian hadn’t expected to meet Chu Lian’s gaze the moment he passed the screen at the entrance of the room. The coincidence made it seem like their thoughts were connected. With that thought in mind, his heart couldn’t help but melt.
“Lian’er!”
Chu Lian: ……
How could she have such rotten luck?! Darn it!
Chu Lian inwardly snapped curse after curse to the high heavens.
Nothing good ever happened when she ran into Xiao Bojian. Previously, she had managed to escape him at the Dingyuan Estate. But evidently, that luck didn’t last for long. She just had to bump into him here. Was the story ever going to let her live her life in peace? She wasn’t the original ‘Chu Lian’! Deceptively pretty, carnivorous Venus flytraps weren’t her type.
It was too dangerous to like someone like Xiao Bojian; you wouldn’t know when you’d be sold for his own selfish benefits.
Although Chu Lian was completely frustrated and unhappy on the inside, after she got over the initial shock of seeing Xiao Bojian here, her heart slowly regained its inner calm.
She wasn’t the original ‘Chu Lian’, who might have gotten flustered over this guy’s appearance. Judging from the situation, Royal Princess Duanjia’s sudden departure must have had something to do with him.
Xiyan’s soul almost left her body when she heard Xiao Bojian’s sweet call of ‘Lian’er’.
She turned and stared dazedly at the tall gentleman standing by the screen.
Xiyan had a stronger reaction than Chu Lian; her entire body stiffened. She couldn’t believe that Mister Xiao had appeared here at Defeng Teahouse of all places. Furthermore, in Third Young Madam and Royal Princess Duanjia’s private room!
Chu Lian had already stood up by now. Xiao Bojian’s greedy eyes were locked onto her.
After so many days apart, he eagerly looked at his ‘lover’: she was dressed in a light yellow dress with a light blue outer layer embroidered with flowers. She carried a small green pouch at her waist, together with a thousand blessings jade amulet. Her fingers looked long and slender.
There was a jade green hairpin with gold inlays nestled in her hair, and a ruby headband on her forehead. The peach blossom pattern of the lining suited her complexion well. Xiao Bojian’s eyes roamed greedily over her red lips, curved nose, almond-shaped eyes and rounded cheeks. His fingers stroked the inside of his sleeve, as if he were touching the face of the person before him.
Unfortunately, he was only looking at what Chu Lian was wearing, and didn’t notice the guarded look in her wide, moist eyes.
Chu Lian remained standing in silence as she waited for Xiao Bojian to speak. She wasn’t trying to act calm; she knew clearly that she couldn’t leave now, no matter how much she wanted to!
With how tricky Xiao Bojian was, she highly doubted that he wouldn’t have a backup plan.
Perhaps Xiao Bojian had finally noticed that the atmosphere was a little tense. He lowered his head, shifting his gaze away from Chu Lian’s body. Then, he walked up to Royal Princess Duanjia’s vacant seat and sat down without so much as a by your leave.
He realised that Chu Lian was still standing a little stiffly. His brow wrinkled slightly and he called out in a gentle tone, “Lian’er, come. Sit down.”
Wouldn’t she have sat down already if that was what she wanted?! If she had a choice, she would have long left already without turning back!
Though these were her true thoughts, Chu Lian still obediently sat down anyway. She lowered her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes that were surely different from what he would expect from ‘Chu Lian’.
“Lian’er, I’m so glad you came today. You must have heard my song, ‘The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate’, just now. What do you think?”
Xiao Bojian’s tone was full of tenderness, and his eyes were soft with affection.
However, his words stirred up a wave of emotion in the heart of the woman sitting opposite him.
What was going on!
Why… Why was Xiao Bojian talking as if the two of them had made plans to meet here at this teahouse? She hadn’t received any sort of communication from him though!
Was Xiao Bojian pulling a bluff on her, or had something happened without her knowing?
Also, he had been the one playing the song that almost put her to sleep?!
Bro, you played it well, but I don’t even know how to appreciate music like that!
Chu Lian wanted to cry. If she had known that something like this would happen, she wouldn’t have agreed to go out with Royal Princess Duanjia.
Chu Lian’s head lowered even further. Her voice was as tiny as a mosquito’s as she said, “It was passable.”
Upon receiving an evaluation like this, Xiao Bojian’s disappointment was clearly reflected in his eyes. However, he immediately put on a warm smile again and placed a small brocade box he had been carrying onto the table. Pushing it towards Chu Lian, he said, “Lian’er, it’s your birthday today. This is a birthday present that I’ve prepared for you. Open it and see if you like it.”
Chu Lian shot a glance at the plain brocade box on the table. She tried her hardest to hold back the twitching of her face. What was going on here? Her legitimate husband didn’t mention her birthday at all, and had probably completely forgotten about it. However, this outsider came all the way up to her just to give her a present… Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes at the heavens.
She took a deep breath and tried her best to let him down gently. “Thank you for your kind thoughts, Mister Xiao, but I can’t accept this gift.”
Xiao Bojian’s breathing slowed. There was a storm whirling in his eyes as he furrowed his brows. “Lian’er, Brother Xiao has spent a lot of effort to prepare this especially for you.”
Xiao Bojian stared tensely at the woman sitting across from him; with her head lowered, he couldn’t read her expression at all. He fisted his hands under his wide sleeves, feeling his fingernails pierce into the skin of his palms.
“Lian’er, why are you so afraid? Why haven’t you looked at me yet?”
For the second time already, Chu Lian felt like crying. Who wanted to look at this darn pervert! If she could, she would have escaped already!
The pressure of facing the book’s original male lead, Xiao Bojian, was too much for her. It was much easier to face her crazy husband!
“Lian’er, since you’ve come here today, aren’t you implying that you still have me, your Brother Xiao, in your heart? I know you were forced into these circumstances. Don’t worry, leave it all to Brother Xiao. Someday, Brother Xiao will get you out of this.” Near the end, Xiao Bojian’s voice held a hint of ferocity.
The way the vicious expression contorted his handsome features could send chills down anyone’s spine.
Xiyan had only caught a glimpse of it; she was so frightened that she ducked down and didn’t dare to move again.
Chu Lian wanted to knock herself out with a block of tofu. Her heart was full of frustration from her suffering. If she had known that this idiot would be here at Defeng Teahouse, she wouldn’t have come here even if they beat her to death!
Bro, don’t be like this. Could you be a little more normal? I’m already married. Although my husband isn’t really all that sane and even likes to act out, I have no intention of cheating at all! What’s up with you, coming over here all sneaky and silent? Why are you so obsessed with trying to make me commit adultery?
Chu Lian pursed her lips and decided not to say anything in the end. She had a hunch that if Xiao Bojian discovered that she wasn’t the real ‘Chu Lian’, he might go even crazier. Her life could very well be in danger. Thus, it was better to keep a low profile…
What kind of mess had the original ‘Chu Lian’ left for her to clean up?!
Xiao Bojian suppressed the sourness in his heart and forced his face into a gentle, kind expression. Since Chu Lian didn’t even want to reach over and accept the gift, he pulled it back towards himself, opened it up, and placed it in front of her again.
He put on his warmest, most persuasive tone of voice and said, “Lian’er, take a look. It’s the golden hairpin with jade inlays that you were eyeing for so long back then. Do you like it?”
Chu Lian swept her gaze over it. The hairpin was covered in exquisitely engraved flower patterns. Both the hearts of the flowers and their petals were decorated in high quality jade. On the head of the hairpin were five small sapphires glimmering in the light, forming the largest flower of them all. This accessory was indeed of high value, and it was certainly beautiful; no wonder the previous ‘Chu Lian’ had yearned over it.
Xiao Bojian’s expression softened a little, perhaps due to sensing Chu Lian’s admiration of his gift.
Since his Lian’er didn’t want to speak, then he could be the one to fill the silence. He had to let Lian’er understand the true depths of his sincerity. That damn He Changdi wasn’t good enough for her!
“Lian’er, it’s Brother Xiao who was wrong. I should have bought this hairpin for you earlier. After making you wait for so long, why don’t you let Brother Xiao put it on for you now?”
Chu Lian: ……
She was already at her limit just trying to keep up her calm facade! What was this guy trying to do now?!
What the two of them didn’t know, was that their whole conversation had been heard by Prince Jin in the private room next door.
Waves of emotion rippled across the calm lakes of Prince Jin’s azure eyes.
Xiao Bojian?
He hadn’t expected Miss Chu to be so daring. Prince Jin instantly felt gratified that he had chosen to follow Miss Chu here. He was also starting to understand why He Sanlang had asked him to keep a watch on this newlywed wife of his.
His azure eyes glimmered and the corner of his mouth raised; all this was going to be even more fun now.
Chu Lian hurriedly waved away the offer. For the sake of placating Xiao Bojian’s anger, she could only say in a small voice, “There’s no need for that. I’ll just bring it back.”
After saying so, she picked up the plain brocade box from the table and passed it to Xiyan, who was waiting behind her.
Seeing Chu Lian accept the gift, Xiao Bojian seemed to finally relax and stopped trying to put it on for her.
“Lian’er, wait a little longer for Brother Xiao, won’t you? Trust Brother Xiao. It won’t take too long.”
Xiao Bojian stared at the tender, fair little hands that Chu Lian had placed on her knees. He had the urge to take them and cover them with his own large palms so that he could massage them. The more he thought about it, the more tempting it was. He unconsciously kneaded his palms with his fingers.
Chu Lian had to resist the urge to glare back at him with all her might. Could this damned Xiao Bojian stop pushing his one-sided feelings on her? Had he ever considered her feelings in the matter? As expected, he was extremely hateful, and even more annoying than He Changdi!
Xiao Bojian was about to continue speaking when a loud bang resounded from next door. Chu Lian suffered a fright– what followed was the clanging sound of a fight.
Chu Lian’s expression immediately turned serious as she looked at the wall separating her room from the one next door.
Xiao Bojian sat up in his seat, clearly startled by the noise as well. He was more sensitive than Chu Lian.
At that exact moment, a man dressed in grey came out from the shadows and walked up to Xiao Bojian. He whispered into Xiao Bojian’s ears, seemingly reporting something.
The furrow between Xiao Bojian’s brows grew more pronounced. He reached out to grab Chu Lian, who was just a short distance away, but the man dressed in grey held him back.
The man said, “Master, there’s no time, we have to leave quickly. If those people discover us, the consequences will be dire.”
“But, Lian’er…”
“Miss Chu is not their target; she’ll be fine! Come with me, quickly! If you don’t leave now, all the years of preparation will be ruined in an instant!”