"Ah!"
She only had time to let out a short, startled cry.
The next instant—
"Oof!"
She felt herself crash into a firm and warm embrace, a crisp, pleasant scent of pinewood lingering at the tip of her nose.
The impact was so great that it left her dizzy and seeing stars, unable to process for a long moment what an awkward situation she was in.
When her dizzy mind cleared a little, she felt the sensation beneath her cheek…
It seemed… not quite right?
Not a hard chest, but… slightly resilient?
The temperature also seemed a bit higher? And the position didn't seem right either… it was off by quite a bit?
Dazed, Su Xiaoyu subconsciously nuzzled her face against it, trying to confirm.
Then, stiffly, she lifted her head bit by bit.
Her gaze first swept over his tightly pressed, elegantly shaped thin lips.
Further up, she met a pair of eyes filled with shock, astonishment, and a hint of incredulous, brewing storm!
Then, her gaze slowly moved down, finally landing on the place where her face was buried—
Right between Xiao Jingheng's legs… the crucial area!
BOOM!!!
Su Xiaoyu felt all the blood in her body rush to her head in an instant. Her entire face, right down to the base of her neck, turned so red it looked like it could drip blood.
As if scalded by boiling oil, she scrambled to get off him, but her limbs went weak from extreme panic and shame.
The more she struggled, the more clumsy she became, and she ended up rubbing against Xiao Jingheng's thighs a few more times!
"I-I'm sorry! Young Marquis! This servant didn't do it on purpose, it was the carriage! The carriage stopped suddenly!"
She was incoherent, her voice tinged with tears, on the verge of fainting on the spot.
[It's over! The sky is falling!]
[I'm definitely going to be silenced this time! My wonderful life has just begun! There are still two taels of silver I haven't spent hidden under the second layer of bedding beneath my pillow in my room, boohoo… o(╥﹏╥)o]
[So young, and I'm already going to meet my maker!!]
The moment she crashed into him, Xiao Jingheng's body had also gone rigid.
With his skills, he could have easily dodged her.
But the carriage bench was right behind him. If Su Xiaoyu had hit that, she would have been disfigured, if not killed.
Therefore, not only did he not dodge, but he also subconsciously reached out to steady Su Xiaoyu's… arm.
But he never expected her face to end up buried in such an awkward position.
The girl's soft body, carrying her unique, sweet scent, had crashed into his arms without warning, already sending a jolt through him.
And then, her cheek unconsciously rubbing against his most sensitive area through a layer of fabric was like a clap of thunder exploding in his mind!
An unprecedented, strange, and intense tremor instantly swept through his entire body.
Xiao Jingheng lowered his eyes, looking at the little maid in his arms who was scared out of her wits, her face flushed and tears welling up in her eyes. He once again felt a strange reaction somewhere in his body…
Xiao Jingheng's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the unusual reaction in his body. He reached out and grabbed her flailing arms, his grip a bit tight, his voice strained.
"Sit properly!"
Just two words, yet they seemed to have exhausted all his self-control.
Startled by his scorching temperature, Su Xiaoyu instantly froze. She remained stiff as he half-lifted her and pushed her back into the corner.
"Young Marquis, are you alright?"
Changfeng's concerned voice came from outside the carriage.
"I'm fine."
Xiao Jingheng's voice had already returned to its usual coldness, betraying no hint of disturbance.
"Continue on."
"Yes," Changfeng replied, and the carriage began to move smoothly again.
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was even more stagnant than before.
Su Xiaoyu buried herself in the corner, her eyes squeezed shut, her heart wailing:
[I have no face to show anyone! I really have no face to show anyone! How could I… how could I have pounced on that place! Will the Young Marquis think I did it on purpose? Will he think I'm a shameless hussy?]
[It's over, it's over. This time, I'll probably not only have to scrub the toilets but also be kicked out of the manor! My roasted chicken… If I had known, I wouldn't have taken the fall for the Second Young Master!]
The more she thought, the more desperate she became, and even her shoulders began to tremble slightly.
Listening to her chaotic yet incredibly real remorse, the agitation in Xiao Jingheng's heart strangely dissipated a little.
In its place was a trace of helplessness that even he himself hadn't noticed.
"Su Xiaoyu," he said suddenly. "What just happened was an accident. Pay it no mind."
His voice was still indifferent, carrying a business-like tone.
Su Xiaoyu's eyes flew open, and she looked at him in disbelief.
Was the Young Marquis… comforting her? Or was he just giving her a false sense of security, planning to settle the score once they returned to the manor?
Seeing her expression, Xiao Jingheng knew she must be overthinking again. His brow furrowed slightly, and he added, "However, for sneaking out of the manor today and frequenting a gambling den and an inn, you will still receive your punishment upon our return."
Hearing this, Su Xiaoyu actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, thank goodness. The punishment was for what happened before. It seemed he wasn't going to pursue the 'accident' just now.
"Yes! This servant accepts the punishment! Thank you, Young Marquis, for your mercy!" she replied hurriedly.
Xiao Jingheng said no more, closing his eyes again to feign rest.
The carriage continued onward in a subtle and strange atmosphere.
Meanwhile, as soon as Xiao Jingxuan returned to the manor, he had a premonition of impending doom.
His eyes darted around. Before his elder brother could pass judgment, he rushed directly to his mother Liu Shi's Yilan Courtyard and knelt on the ground with a "thud."
Before he could speak, tears were already streaming down his face.
"Mother! Your son knows he was wrong! Please save me, Mother!" Xiao Jingxuan cried, his face a picture of remorse and misery.
Liu Shi was startled by his dramatic display. "What trouble have you gotten into this time?"
Xiao Jingxuan immediately downplayed the serious parts, mentioning his trip to the gambling den and the Drunken Immortal Inn. He heavily emphasized that he had been provoked by Li Mo and had been forced into it.
He also described how arrogant and domineering the other party was, how he had insulted the Hou Manor, and how he, Xiao Jingxuan, had been forced to 'accept the challenge' to defend the manor's dignity. In the end, thanks to his own brilliance and martial prowess, he had luckily won, preserving the Hou Manor's reputation.
When Liu Shi heard that it involved Li Mo, the son of the Minister of War, and concerned the Hou Manor's reputation, her attention was indeed mostly diverted. Her anger toward her son turned into a mix of pity and dissatisfaction with the Li family.
"That Li family boy is truly outrageous," Liu Shi frowned, feeling a bit angry herself.
The Minister of War's Li family and the Yongning Hou's Xiao family were sworn enemies in the imperial court. The Li family was loyal to the Third Prince, while the Xiao family had always followed the Crown Prince.
Since childhood, Xiao Jingxuan and Li Mo had never gotten along, bickering every time they met.
She sighed and looked at her younger son kneeling on the floor. "Although you were at fault, there were reasons for it, so it's understandable… Forget it. Since you know you were wrong, just…"
"Mother."
Just then, a cool and steady voice sounded at the door.
Xiao Jingxuan and Liu Shi turned to look. Who else could it be but Xiao Jingheng?
He had already changed out of his official robe and was wearing a simple, black brocade robe. It made him look even more tall and elegant, like a clear breeze under a bright moon.
Xiao Jingxuan's heart immediately dropped with a "thump"!
This is bad!
How did Big Brother get back so quickly?