Xiaobao swallowed hard, a grimace on his face as he turned to kneel and bow. "Lord
Shen, I had no idea you were here, my apologies, my apologies."
Back when the Shen estate organized a trade fair in their fiefdom, he had gone with
his father. He was only about fourteen or fifteen then. Lord Shen, lofty and
unreachable, would never have bothered with him. Back then, he thought the lord was
so heroic and impressive, the concubines by his side so beautiful and tempting, he
nearly idolized the lord. Now, the once awe-inspiring idol was initiating conversation
with him, and he couldn't feel less pleased, sensing nothing good would come of it.
Sure enough, after a brief "no need for formalities," Lord Shen's gaze didn't even
pause on him, instead circling around Huai En.
Xiaobao cursed the old lecher in his heart, but had to exchange pleasantries with
the lord who wouldn't even give him a direct look.
It didn't take long for Lord Shen to steer the conversation towards Huai En. "Young
Master Jin, it's been widely rumored in Suzhou that you've brought back a woman of
unparalleled beauty from somewhere. The news has even reached me in Qingzhou.
I've hurried here overnight without stop, partly for the final performance of the Joyous
Troupe, and also to catch a glimpse of the legendary beauty."
Xiaobao forced a smile. "You flatter me, Lord. I was just out on an errand when I
happened upon Miss Zheng being harassed by bandits. I rescued her without a second
thought. Miss Zheng was quite shaken, so she's been recuperating in Suzhou for a few
days. I plan to escort her home soon."
"Oh? And where might Miss Zheng's home be? I'll be staying in Suzhou for a few
days myself. If it's on the way, I'd be willing to escort Miss Zheng," Lord Shen said,
his words dripping with flirtation, which grated on Xiaobao.
"I couldn't possibly trouble you, Lord. I'll personally ensure Miss Zheng gets home
safely. My father always taught me to see things through to the end."
"In that case, I won't insist. Miss Zheng is refined and elegant, not only in
appearance but also in demeanor, surely from a family of scholars. Though I am but a
warrior, I occasionally indulge in the finer things. Perhaps Miss Zheng would honor
me with her company for a drink tonight? My residence in Suzhou is not far from
here."
Lord Shen extended his hand elegantly, his eyes gleaming, fixed unwaveringly on
Huai En, who had remained coldly detached from start to finish.
"Lord... Lord Shen, I fear it's inappropriate. Miss Zheng has been through a lot and
needs plenty of rest..."
At the slight raise of Lord Shen's eyebrow and a cursory glance, Xiaobao
immediately silenced himself, intimidated.
Huai En inwardly cursed the uselessness, glaring coldly at Zong Zheng Lihan,
wondering what trick he was trying to play. He spoke calmly, "Thank you for your
kindness, Lord, but I am indeed tired and wish to return and rest immediately."
"Tired? Well, that works out perfectly. My residence is much closer than the inn
where Miss Zheng is staying. Perhaps Miss Zheng could rest nearby…"
Xiaobao internally blasted Lord Shen for his shamelessness in attempting to steal
someone's love and even investigating where they were staying, clearly prepared and
utterly disgraceful. Unable to bear it any longer and not caring that he was offending
a true lord, he blurted out, "Lord Shen, I fear that's inappropriate. Miss Zheng and I are mutually in love and have already pledged ourselves to each other, merely awaiting my formal proposal.
For an unmarried lady to casually rest at your lordship's residence would tarnish Miss Zheng's reputation and also harm your lordship's esteemed name."
Instantly, the atmosphere froze to below zero, and everyone around didn't dare to
breathe too loudly. The onlookers exchanged panicked glances, not knowing what to do.
Huai En clenched his lips, holding back her anger, while Lord Shen's expressionless face hinted at an impending storm. Xiaobao, on the other hand,instantly sobered up, feeling as if he had plunged into icy waters, realizing the gravity of his impulsive words.
What to do, what to do, what to do—if he had offended Lord Shen, what could
possibly be done? It was said that Lord Shen was a martial arts master, capable of
squashing him like a fly, and even after his death, his family would be powerless to
avenge him.
Xiaobao, oh Xiaobao, where did you find such audacity? Although he always
believed that dying under a peony flower would be a romantic end, to actually die for
a woman who didn't even care for him seemed utterly worthless. After losing one
beauty, there were still millions more waiting out there.
...But this beauty was exceptionally beautiful...
What's the use of beauty, if she's so fierce, her gaze alone could kill, always throwing punches and kicks at him, and seriously at that.
Yet, her fiery temperament was so captivating, so sexy.
But if he really married her, there'd be no chance to flirt around anymore; he'd be
beaten to death alive.
Yet, to have such a celestial beauty, what more could one ask for?
But how could he possibly compete with Lord Shen?
But he truly liked her, in a way different from anyone else, different from all the
other beauties.
But...
But...
As Xiaobao was internally wrestling with these thoughts, a fierce battle raging
within, Lord Shen finally spoke.
"Given the circumstances, I won't insist. Miss Zheng, please take good care of
yourself, and allow me to extend my early congratulations to Young Master Jin and
Miss Zheng for a blissful union." With that, he left with a sweep of his sleeve.
Although it seemed the matter was resolved, Xiaobao was left sweating coldly, deeply worried about the future. But the thought of handing his wife over to someone
else was something he could never, ever accept.
Huai En turned and boarded the carriage, reaching under the seat cushion, he found his sword exactly where Zuo Ying had left it.
Gripping the sword hilt tightly, Huai En's eyes shimmered with a dark light, reflecting resolve.
Zong Zheng Lihan invited him to his mansion, but when negotiations fell through,
he knew a confrontation was inevitable. The old fox was known for his decisiveness, and it was uncertain how many men Zuo Ying could muster in such a short time...Already injured, he was in grave danger, yet he had to ensure Jin Xiaobao remained unharmed...
Huai En lifted the carriage curtain and ordered, "Stop the carriage."
The coachman obediently halted.
Xiaobao, leading the horse, turned around, "Miss Zheng, what's wrong?"
"Give me the horse, and you take the carriage back."
"What? Why?"
Huai En couldn't be bothered to explain. With a swift leap, he grabbed Xiaobao by
the collar with one hand and tossed him into the carriage, then firmly took hold of the
horse. His actions were smooth and executed with grace.
Xiaobao, initially disoriented from the toss, struggled to understand what he had
done to offend him. As he managed to get up, he saw Huai En riding away at full
speed.
"Miss Zheng!! Miss Zheng!!"
Watching his soon-to-be wife disappear right before his eyes was enough to drive any man to the brink of collapse. Xiaobao was both angry and anxious, stomping his
feet on the spot, "Zhaocai Jinbao!!"
"Young master."
"Chase after her, now!"
Zhaocai looked troubled as he glanced towards the direction Huai En had vanished,
"Young master, she's completely out of sight, where do we even start to chase?"
"You're wasting time talking when you could be chasing her."
"Young master, that Red Cloud of yours is a priceless steed, capable of covering
miles in the time it takes to say a word. Unless we could fly, what horse could possibly catch up?"
Xiaobao kicked him in frustration, yet he knew there was truth in his words. That
Red Cloud had cost him 200,000 silver taels. Its speed was unmatched, and no other horse could rival it. He had bought it without ever daring to experience its full speed due to his poor riding skills and fearfulness. This had frustrated the horse, as the stable hands told him that whenever someone else took it out, Red Cloud would run as if its life depended on it, faster and more eagerly the faster it went.
Such a wild horse, paired with such a reckless rider, was impossible to catch.
Xiaobao regretted his decision to ride out on Red Cloud, driven purely by vanity to
show off.
"Damn it! My wife has vanished, and who knows to whom she's off meeting under the moon and flowers. I'm so fucking pissed off!"
Xiaobao roared towards the heavens, startling the birds and beasts within several
miles into hiding.
Then, an idea struck him like a bolt of lightning, "Jinbao, go to the mansion and
fetch that tracker... what's his name..."
"Wuying Guai Molu."
"Right, right, that's the one. He always boasts about how great he is, mooching off
us day in and day out. It's about time he proved his worth. Get him on this, and make
sure he finds the young madam by tonight!!!"
"Yes, young master!''
( He's such a crazy idiot lmaoo)