When Xiao Yuzhang found Xiao Jing, the latter was about to ride his horse back to the estate.
“Third Uncle! Why did you go save Jiang Fourth?”
Xiao Jing sat atop his horse, having already changed into clean clothes, though his hair was still wet. A few damp strands fell by his temples, accentuating his sharp, imposing aura.
Looking down at Xiao Yuzhang from his high vantage point, Xiao Jing replied indifferently, “Can’t I save her?”
Xiao Yuzhang was still quite afraid of his younger uncle. He scratched his head. “It’s not that you can’t. I’m just worried she might latch onto you. Third Uncle, you don’t know—these girls from minor families are the best at scheming and climbing the social ladder.”
He rambled on, completely oblivious to Xiao Jing’s darkening expression.
“Find some time to buy goji berries from the medicine shop to nourish yourself.”
With those words, Xiao Jing turned his horse and rode off. The horse’s hooves kicked back abruptly, splashing mud all over Xiao Yuzhang.
Xiao Yuzhang spat out the mud, not suspecting his uncle had done it on purpose, but he was puzzled by Xiao Jing’s remark.
He turned to ask his servant, “Why did Third Uncle tell me to buy goji berries? Do you know what they’re for?”
The servant also scratched his head. “I think… they’re for improving eyesight…”
“Improving eyesight? Maybe Third Uncle noticed I haven’t been resting well these past few days. Quick, look—are my eyes red?”
With that, Xiao Yuzhang stuck his head in front of the servant. The servant looked at his clear, bright eyes and nodded guiltily. “Seems a little red.”
He couldn’t help but feel that Third Master wasn’t actually concerned about the young master but was instead calling him blind as a bat.
However, such thoughts about one’s master couldn’t be spoken carelessly. The servant forcibly suppressed his opinion.
Xiao Yuzhang was deeply moved. “Third Uncle is so good to me. Besides Father and Mother, he cares for me the most. So, I absolutely cannot let Jiang Fourth latch onto him!”
The servant: “…”
That really wasn’t necessary.
…
By the time Jiang Fu and the others arrived home, the servants had already notified Madam Yan in the front courtyard.
News of Jiang Fu falling into the water hadn’t yet reached Madam Yan’s ears. On the carriage ride back, Jiang Yao had been relentlessly mocking her, and for the first time, Jiang Fu’s expression turned cold.
“How did it go, Yao’er? Did you see the Third Master of the Xiao family?”
As soon as they entered the room, Madam Yan pulled Jiang Yao aside to ask.
Jiang Yao had dressed meticulously today. Her looks took after Madam Yan, giving her a delicate, pretty appearance, though her mean-spiritedness was also a perfect match for her mother’s.
Hearing Madam Yan mention Xiao Jing, Jiang Yao shot a venomous glare at Jiang Fu.
“Mother might as well ask her. After all, everyone saw Jiang Fu seducing Third Master today.”
“What happened?” Madam Yan asked, her face tightening.
Bai Xing couldn’t stand to see her mistress wronged. “My young lady would never seduce Third Master! It was Second Young Lady who pushed my young lady into the lake. Third Master kindly saved her out of compassion. How does that become ‘my young lady seducing Third Master’ in Second Young Lady’s words?”
Jiang Yao wore an arrogant expression. “I pushed her? Did you see it?”
Her position at the time had been a blind spot; even Bai Xing hadn’t seen her push Jiang Fu.
Bai Xing trembled with anger. “Anyway, my young lady would absolutely never seduce Third Master!”
“Hmph, that’s hard to say. Now that she’s been rejected by the Xiao family, no one in the capital will marry her. Wouldn’t she seize this chance to try and cling to Third Master?”
Jiang Yao looked Jiang Fu and her maid up and down, her face full of disdain.
Jiang Fu clenched her fists and lifted her head stubbornly. “I wouldn’t!”
“Not everyone is like you, dreaming of marrying Xiao Jing.”
“You!”
Jiang Fu had voiced Jiang Yao’s secret desire, and Jiang Yao nearly slapped her.
“Enough.” Madam Yan called them to a halt.
No one understood her daughter’s temperament better than Madam Yan. Jiang Fu likely wouldn’t dare to openly seduce Xiao Jing, but her appearance was simply too striking. It would be best to keep her confined once more.
With this thought, Madam Yan turned her gaze to Jiang Fu.
“Don’t dwell on what isn’t meant for you. From now on, stay in your courtyard and recite sutras to pray for your parents’ blessings. Don’t go out and embarrass yourself anymore.”
……
“Miss, how could Madam Yan be like this? You didn’t fall into the water on purpose—it was clearly Second Miss’s fault!”
Back in the Second Household’s courtyard, Bai Xing couldn’t help but complain.
“You finally had a chance to go out, and now you’re trapped in the courtyard again. Who knows when you’ll be able to leave next time?”
“Perhaps it’s better not to go out.”
Jiang Fu’s tone was surprisingly calm. Staying indoors meant she wouldn’t encounter Xiao Jing. After meeting him twice in a row, she felt a deep-seated fear of him.
It was just a pity about her incense recipe. She had originally planned to buy ingredients to make calming incense, hoping it might alleviate her nightmares.
Now that she couldn’t go out, there was naturally no way to purchase them.
Sure enough, that night Jiang Fu dreamed again.
This time, the scene in her dream was Xiao Jing’s bedchamber.
She was kneeling over Xiao Jing, wearing the same dress from earlier in the day. Her cascading hair spilled down, brushing against the man’s neck.
Xiao Jing’s eyes were closed, likely deep in sleep. Jiang Fu held her breath as she stared at him.
The man who had been so cold and distant during the day now looked surprisingly gentle in his slumber.
Jiang Fu’s knees grew numb from kneeling, yet Xiao Jing showed no signs of waking.
A mischievous impulse seized her, and she reached out to poke his cheek.
The man’s skin was fair as jade, and the texture beneath her fingertip felt pleasant.
Seeing that he still didn’t wake, she grew bolder and poked him several more times. Finally, she sat astride his waist, using both hands to pinch and tug at the soft flesh of his cheeks.
“Hmph! You were so fierce during the day!”
The young girl’s voice was soft and gentle, making even her complaints sound like coquettish whimpers.
Xiao Jing nearly couldn’t resist waking up.
Perhaps it was because the sleeping Xiao Jing seemed so harmless that Jiang Fu treated him like a silent confidant. She spoke of how annoying Jiang Yao was, how unjust Madam Yan was for confining her to the courtyard, and how fierce and cold Xiao Jing had been during the day.
“You pinched me so hard in the water,” she murmured, her delicate hand drifting to her waist, her charming face slightly furrowed in a pitiful expression.
“And here, it still feels swollen.”
Her hand moved from her waist to her chest. Jiang Fu lowered her head to look at the two full mounds, completely unaware that the man had already opened his eyes.
This part of her had grown far too large.
She had never seen anyone else’s, but even Bai Xing’s two combined weren’t as big as one of hers.
Walking just a few extra steps during the day left her breathless and exhausted—it was truly a burden.
Xiao Jing’s gaze followed hers.
The young girl cupped herself in her palms, innocently voicing her complaints. His body grew tense with desire.
He had felt just how soft they were earlier that day—like fluffy cotton.
No, even softer than cotton.
Xiao Jing’s gaze was so intense that Jiang Fu looked up and met his eyes.
Her expression turned panicked, and she quickly covered his eyes with her hands.
“You’re not allowed to look!”
Just as Xiao Jing was about to speak, the dream suddenly faded into nothingness. He awoke to darkness.
The little girl had been frightened away by him again.
A cold aura emanated from Xiao Jing, chilling the temperature of the entire bedchamber.
A noise came from the inner chamber, startling the servant awake, who hurried over to ask.
“Master, do you need to get up?”
Inside, there was a moment of silence before Xiao Jing’s low, suppressed voice came through.
“Bring some water.”
The servant’s expression faltered. The Third Master actually wanted water?
Could it be… that his master was thinking of a woman?
This was truly unusual.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fu was so frightened that she couldn’t sleep for half the night.
Not only was the real Xiao Jing terrifying, but even the one in her dreams had become so frightening.
She absolutely must not go out!