Hearing the beauty's cold words, Huan Guanbin understood her dissatisfaction with the carriage being replaced by an ox cart. He explained, "We must now travel by land to leave Jingzhou. Only when we reach a suitable place can we take a boat to Chizhou. A carriage is too conspicuous, while an ox cart makes it easier to exit the city."
Smelling the earthy odor on her body, identical to the straw mat beneath her, Mi Yao guessed that during the day, Huan Guanbin had likely hidden her in damp hay to avoid detection.
At this thought, Mi Yao's expression turned grim.
"Leaving Jingzhou for Chizhou—what then? Do you have high-ranking relatives in Chizhou, or are you, Huan Guanbin, exceptionally capable, secretly a wealthy merchant with businesses spanning Daxing, owning dozens of shops in Chizhou to support your every need?"
"Commerce is a lowly profession. How could E'e think I would engage in trade…"
"Because I never imagined anyone could be so foolish. My aunt is merely the wife of a county magistrate. How long do you plan to freeload off her through me? You have no talent and no family backing. If your waterlogged brain thinks I'm infatuated with you and can't live without you, fine—but can't you consider how you'll survive once we reach Chizhou?"
Her throat irritated, Mi Yao grew angrier as she spoke. "The food I eat daily, the drinks I consume, the creams I apply to my face, the jewelry I wear—can you afford any of it? Did you ask for my opinion before abducting me?"
"For six months, you avoided me and returned all the gifts I sent. What part of that didn't you understand? And you claim I'm marrying for your sake? Yes, I am doing it for your sake. How could a pauper like you deserve the favor of a beauty like me? The gap between us is as vast as a chasm. Your ancestors must have blessed you with extraordinary luck for you to have been with me for a few days, yet you remain unsatisfied, audaciously dreaming of keeping me forever."
"E'e…"
Huan Guanbin wasn't entirely shameless. After reflecting on Mi Yao's words from earlier, he realized he might have been presumptuous—perhaps Mi Yao had truly changed and no longer saw him as the one who understood her best.
Already aware that his rescue plan might have been self-indulgent, hearing Mi Yao's heart-wrenching words brought tears to his eyes.
He was not an evil man, merely someone from a family that had once been prestigious. His elders had taught him to uphold their status and not disgrace the family's honor.
In the past, Mi Yao had adored his aloofness, his distinction from the common crowd. Now, however, it had become the very reason she scorned him.
Seeing his tears, Mi Yao felt no sympathy, only increased impatience.
"If you lack the means to support me, you should have the self-awareness to let me return instead of weeping helplessly here. Only a three-year-old would cling to something that isn't theirs and cry endlessly."
"E'e, do you truly wish to marry Xiao Mang?"
Tears streaming down his face, Huan Guanbin asked again through his pain.
"Why shouldn't I?"
Sensing the air grow colder, Mi Yao looked up and saw it was indeed snowing.
Jade-like snowflakes fell from the dark sky, light as bird feathers. Apart from the sound of ox hooves on the road, only the gentle patter of snow could be heard.
"If not for you, I would be lying on a soft couch in the posthouse, with fragrant charcoal warming the room. In the cozy warmth, I'd lift the window lattice to admire the first snowfall since I arrived in Jingzhou."
After saying this, Mi Yao turned to Huan Guanbin. "Take me back, or else kill me. I'd rather die than suffer by your side."
Huan Guanbin wept uncontrollably. After a long while, he finally stepped down from the ox cart to speak with the driver.
Yet returning to the posthouse was not so simple.
The bitter cold froze the earth, making the oxen unwilling to take another step. Even reaching the planned farmhouse for lodging proved arduous, let alone returning to the city's post station.
"You didn't even plan something as crucial as sneaking someone away, only capable of whimpering like a child… Is that an earthquake?"
Just as Mi Yao was getting into her stride of scolding, she felt the ground tremble. Stunned, she gazed into the distance, where in an instant, the darkness parted, and leaping flames stretched like a fiery serpent slithering across the land.
The other party had clearly spotted her before she noticed them.
As the fiery serpent drew near, dozens of fine steeds—with dragon-like heads, bulging eyes, and hooves stacked like coiled dough—surrounded the oxcart. The soldiers astride them were clad in black armor, their faces obscured by wind-blocking veils, and horizontal swords hung at their waists. They stood silently and indifferently around the cart like emissaries from hell.
The man at the forefront, mounted on his horse, wore a gilded blue gemstone crown, the lower half of his face concealed by a leather mask. His amber eyes, glowing in the orange-red firelight, resembled a golden python disturbed in its winter slumber—narrow and icy.
His gaze swept over the panicked coachman and the delicate, fair-skinned man beside the cart before finally settling on the osmanthus-pink floral satin skirt visible through the torn, yellowed canopy. "The Yu family's daughter?" he asked.
"Are you the Jiannan Army?"
Huan Guanbin hadn't expected their pursuers to catch up so quickly. Recognizing the embroidered insignia on their attire, he stepped in front of Mi Yao.
"Yes."
The man who had spoken met Huan Guanbin's eyes, noticed the tear stains at their corners, and sneered, "So, you're the one trying to steal my woman away?"
"You're Xiao Chu!"
Trembling under the imposing presence of the Jiannan Army, Huan Guanbin nonetheless stood his ground in front of Mi Yao, glaring furiously at Xiao Chu. "You're nothing but a brute who seized an official post by taking advantage of the chaotic times, covered in mud and foul blood. How dare you aspire to E'e!"
"E'e?"
Xiao Chu savored the woman's pet name mockingly. Amid Huan Guanbin's startled cry, he drew his sword. A flash of cold steel arced over the heads of the two in the cart, slicing open the obstructing canopy.
The woman seated behind Huan Guanbin had skin even fairer and more delicate than the white fox fur she wore—like snow or ice. Her palm-sized face was mostly exposed to the biting wind, cheeks tinged with a faint blush reminiscent of the most beautiful hibiscus in Shu. Beneath eyelashes as delicate as butterfly wings, her almond-shaped eyes sparkled like autumn waters, clear and luminous.
Truly, the number one beauty of Jiangnan.
Her beauty lived up to its reputation.
Watching the man's brown eyes brazenly scrutinize Mi Yao, Huan Guanbin itched to seize a blade and strike him down from his horse.
"You barbaric, unreasonable savage! You and E'e are as different as clouds and mud. For E'e to marry you would be no different from tainting the pure, bright moon with filth! E'e would rather die than wed a butcher like you!"
Just as Mi Yao was about to speak, having heard Huan Guanbin speak on her behalf, the man on horseback let out a derisive laugh. His deep, magnetic voice, muffled slightly by the leather mask, carried a husky thickness.
As the beauty, shivering on the damp straw, looked up at him, Xiao Chu did not avert his gaze. Their eyes locked, and he sneered, "Fools don't understand that wealth and power are the finest nourishment for a beauty."
Only the accumulation of gold and silver could sustain a rare, delicate bloom, filling it with subtle fragrance even in harsh cold.
A exquisite flower like her could draw no nourishment from this dilapidated oxcart—it would only wither gradually.
"You—"
As Huan Guanbin prepared to retort, a soft, gentle voice came from behind him: "Xiao Lang, you speak so wisely."
Having spoken, Mi Yao raised her hand and reached out toward Xiao Chu.
"I was abducted by a villain. Fortunately, you came to my rescue, my lord."
"E'e!"
Huan Guanbin's eyes welled up with tears again. "You've seen this brute with your own eyes. Do you still wish to marry him?"
"Xiao Lang is majestic and handsome. Seeing him only brings me greater joy. Why would I not wish to marry him?"
These weren't empty words from Mi Yao. The book had never described the male lead as handsome, only mentioning his ape-like arms, wasp waist, eight-foot stature, and a face the original host disliked and found repulsive.
Yet this very face commanded immense respect from his subordinates.
Such descriptions had led her to imagine Xiao Chu with a square jaw, thick eyebrows, and a bearded appearance. But seeing him in person, he was far better than she had expected.
His skin wasn't pale but not dark either, resting between a light wheat shade and yellowish-white. His forehead was full and broad, with upturned phoenix eyes that resembled exquisitely carved legendary swords—sharp and penetrating.
Though the lower half of his face was obscured by leather, it clearly had nothing to do with a broad-cheeked square jaw.
Different from the elegant beauty praised in this era, Xiao Chu's features were profound and carried a fierce, aggressive edge. No wonder the original host, with her preference for Wei-Jin era refined aesthetics, would dislike him.
Her hands exposed to the bitter wind, Mi Yao developed goosebumps from the cold within moments. Just as she contemplated withdrawing them, Xiao Chu urged his horse forward and grasped her hands.
His rough, large palms felt like furnaces, making Mi Yao shiver with warmth.
While Mi Yao marveled at the temperature of Xiao Chu's palms, Xiao Chu was astonished by the sensation in his hands.
The jade-like delicacy of her hands made him feel they might melt like soft snow if squeezed too hard.
Running his calloused thumb over the soft jade in his palm several times, Xiao Chu genuinely feared he might crush her hand. So he extended his other arm to grasp her waist and lifted her onto his horse.
Her hands were soft, and her body was as light as rainbow-feathered plumage. A warm, musk-like fragrance assailed him, causing Xiao Chu to narrow his eyes slightly and tighten his grip on Mi Yao's waist.
With her vision suddenly elevated, Mi Yao leaned back against Xiao Chu without any hesitation.
Clad in black sable fur and possessing a robust physique, his body temperature was several degrees higher than hers. Only by staying close to him did she feel she could survive the night.
"Do what you will! Kill me or cut me to pieces—I'm at your mercy!"
Seeing Mi Yao's intimate posture with Xiao Chu, Huan Guanbin felt as if his heart were being sliced by knives. Knowing he couldn't escape Xiao Chu's reckoning tonight, he straightforwardly demanded a decisive outcome.
"What does E'e think?"
The deep voice approached her ear, bringing not only vocal vibrations but also moist, warm breath.
Mi Yao's body shrank back unconsciously. Xiao Chu thought she could no longer maintain her act in front of her lover, but then he heard her weary tone: "Since Xiao Lang has already said he kidnapped your woman, and thus offended you, naturally you should decide how to deal with him. I'll follow your lead."
Mi Yao showed no intention of pleading for Huan Guanbin.
In the book, after the male lead found the original host, he didn't kill Huan Guanbin but instead scarred his face in front of her.
Only after the original host fainted from fear did she assume the male lead had killed Huan Guanbin, thus developing thoughts of revenge.
Later, even when she learned Huan Guanbin was still alive, she couldn't revive Xiao Chu's deceased child.
How much affection the original host held for Huan Guanbin didn't concern her. She was here on vacation. Whether Xiao Chu disfigured Huan Guanbin's face or killed him made no difference to her.
After all, they were all just paper characters. As long as it didn't interfere with her enjoyment, who cared about the fate of paper characters?
Thinking this, a cold glint flashed past. Blood droplets flicked up by the sword blade merged with the snowflakes sprinkling down from above. Amid Huan Guanbin's agonized screams, Mi Yao touched the warmth splashed on her face, staring at the crimson on her hand as her head grew faint.
Whether from fright or prolonged exposure to the snow, the biting cold seeped into Mi Yao's bones until her head spun and she fainted.
Feeling the body in his arms go limp, Xiao Chu curled his lips slightly. Holding her securely, he turned his horse around without a backward glance at the man kneeling on the ground—his face mutilated, wailing in endless agony, tears streaming like rain.