004 Saved by My BrotherThe space was cramped, Su Niao pressed against the carriage wall, her legs pinned by the man's bent knee, unable to move an inch. She could only glare at him with hatred.
The man offered a brief apology, then spoke in a cool tone: "Miss seems not to value her life much."
Su Niao was startled, frantically shaking her head.
The carriage interior was dimly lit. Behind his mask, the man's cold eyes observed the young woman before him, her cat-like eyes wide with terror.
So she knew fear now—just moments ago, when she'd aimed her hand crossbow at him, those eyes had been fierce indeed…
"There will be no next time," the man said flatly.
Su Niao nodded hastily.
She knew she was no match for him, and feared that angering him further might truly get her killed. Cursing him silently in her heart, she nevertheless had no choice but to raise her voice to Lichun outside: "Take me outside the city."
Lichun let out a surprised sound, clearly taken aback: "Outside the city?"
But at that very moment, Lichun spotted two figures approaching from across the street. One she recognized—it was Third Prince Xie Yongze. The young man beside Xie Yongze wore a dark black brocade robe, his bearing cold and extraordinary.
The cold-faced man raised a finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture toward Lichun, then pointed at the carriage and mouthed silently: "Someone's in there."
Lichun was confused for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. Her eyes flew wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth, hurriedly waving to the coachman to move aside.
No wonder her mistress's voice had sounded strange, and no wonder she suddenly wanted to go outside the city.
These two men were here to rescue her mistress…
Third Prince Xie Yongze looked at Shu Xuanqing with some concern, asking in a low voice: "Can you manage?"
The street was crowded with passersby—if anything went wrong, it would be a disaster…
Shu Xuanqing raised a hand to signal him to be quiet, then approached the carriage without a sound… Without the slightest warning, he flung open the carriage curtain and delivered a vicious palm strike.
Inside the carriage, before Su Niao could even react, she was hurled outward by a tremendous force.
The man shoved her out of the carriage, then with a backhanded strike smashed open the carriage wall, leaping up to the rooftop of a nearby building and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Su Niao stared blankly at the person who had caught her and landed with her on the street. The next moment, her eyes suddenly reddened.
Brother…
Shu Xuanqing's purpose was to rescue her, so after catching her in his arms, he made no move to pursue. But to his surprise, the young woman in his embrace stared at him with reddened eyes.
Since his youth, he had spent his years stationed at the border with his father, rarely returning to the capital. One could say he had grown up in the military camps, and naturally he was not the type to be soft with women. Yet at this moment, looking at this astonishingly beautiful young woman before him, he found himself unexpectedly mustering a measure of patience.
"Miss, are you injured?"
Su Niao shook her head, but instinctively still clutched at the front of his robes.
The next moment, Ye Lingxi came rushing over from the Treasure Pavilion: "Cousin! She's that Su Niao who's been infamous these past few days—the one who stole credit for her own sister's achievements! Throw her down—throw her hard onto the ground!"
Su Niao: …
Shu Xuanqing's expression did not change. He asked Su Niao: "Can you walk?"
Su Niao felt a little embarrassed and nodded: "Yes."
Only then did Shu Xuanqing set her down.
Su Niao spoke softly, shyly: "Thank you, brother… thank you, kind sir."
Seeing how Su Niao's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Shu Xuanqing, Ye Lingxi was alarmed: "You dead bird—don't tell me that since you couldn't become a prince's consort, you've now set your sights on my cousin? Let me tell you, my cousin would never fancy a pretty vase like you."
Ye Lingxi grabbed hold of Shu Xuanqing's sleeve: "Cousin, don't let her fool you. She's arrogant and vicious on a normal day—she's just putting on an act in front of you right now!"
Su Niao was overjoyed and a little shy at seeing her brother, but she hadn't expected Ye Lingxi to keep chattering away at her side. She immediately turned her head in irritation and snapped back, "Jumping around and yelling like that—are you some kind of female monkey from Mount Emei?"
Ye Lingxi flew into a rage. "You—"
Shu Xuanqing couldn't help but speak up. "Lingxi."
Ye Lingxi immediately shut her mouth, but couldn't resist muttering quietly, "I'm telling the truth. Just look at that sharp tongue of hers. Cousin, you've only just returned to the capital, so you wouldn't know—if you don't believe me, ask the Third Prince."
Xie Yongze wore a helpless expression, clearly unwilling to wade into this muddy water.
Shu Xuanqing, meanwhile, looked toward Su Niao across from him and said with a smile, "Miss Su faced danger just now yet remained calm and composed—she even dared to fight back. That shows considerable courage."
Su Niao immediately felt embarrassed again. On one hand, she felt she shouldn't have done it, but on the other, she couldn't help stealing glances at her tall, graceful brother standing across from her.
Her brother was still alive—how wonderful that was…
Just then, a voice rang out. "Su Niao!"
Xie Qinglan had originally come to accompany Su Xuan on a shopping trip, because Su Xuan had said that Su Niao was going to be sent away, and she was so consumed by guilt that she wanted to pick out a nice gift for Su Niao.
But she hadn't expected that just moments ago, from the second floor of the Bright Moon Pavilion across from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, she would witness Shu Xuanqing's rescue with her own eyes.
Now, seeing Su Niao staring at Shu Xuanqing with such longing, Xie Qinglan's expression darkened slightly. She patiently greeted the Third Prince, then thanked Shu Xuanqing, and said she would take Su Niao home.
Su Xuan, meanwhile, tugged at Su Niao's sleeve with a worried look. "Niao Niao, are you alright?"
Su Niao shook off her hand without hesitation, and Su Xuan's face immediately filled with hurt.
Shu Xuanqing watched the faint hostility in Xie Qinglan's eyes and suddenly smiled.
Of course, he had already heard about the matter that had been the talk of the capital these past few days—the affair between the Fifth Prince and the two Su sisters. Now, seeing Xie Qinglan accompanying the elder sister while keeping an eye on the younger one, he spoke with a knowing, half-smiling tone.
"His Highness the Fifth Prince must be quite busy, trying to look after two young ladies all on his own."
The Shu family was a powerful house built on genuine military merit, so Shu Xuanqing had no need to humble himself before princes. His words were blunt and to the point.
Xie Qinglan's tone was heavy. "Young General Shu, His Majesty has placed the Northern Imperial Guard under your command, yet now there are ruffians attacking people in broad daylight. You should mind your own affairs."
Shu Xuanqing nodded. "Thank you for your admonishment, Your Highness."
Xie Qinglan withdrew his gaze and said to Su Niao, "Come home with us."
But unexpectedly, Su Niao answered without hesitation, "I don't want to… Can't you two just stay by yourselves and stop dragging others into your mess?"
With that, paying no heed to Xie Qinglan's darkened expression, she turned to Shu Xuanqing with pleading eyes. "Brother Shu, would you escort me?"
Shu Xuanqing smiled. "I could, but I'm accompanying Third Prince…"
Su Niao immediately cut in, "I don't want him!"
Third Prince Xie Yongze was also on her list of most despised people.
Being so blatantly rejected, Xie Yongze couldn't very well quibble with a young girl over such a matter. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and took his leave of Shu Xuanqing.
Ye Lingxi was so angry she could stamp her feet. She had no desire to escort Su Niao, but she was even less willing to leave that seductive little wretch alone with her cousin. In the end, she was reluctantly brought along by Shu Xuanqing into Su Niao's carriage.
Watching Su Niao leave together with Shu Xuanqing, Xie Qinglan's brows were tightly knit and his expression was foul.
Su Xuan glanced at him, then spoke in a gentle voice. "I noticed my sister seems rather fond of Young General Shu… And the young general treats her with special regard. If a fine match could be made between them, I might feel a little less guilty."
Xie Qinglan sneered coldly. "A fine match? Shu Xuanqing knows full well that His Majesty intends to betroth my Ninth Sister to him, yet here he is toying with Su Niao. Clearly he's no good."
He laughed derisively. "That just shows Su Niao's taste—shallow!"
Su Xuan looked at the anger burning in his eyes, paused for a moment, then lowered her gaze and changed the subject. "Your Highness, now that the two of us are… what are Your Highness's thoughts?"
Xie Qinglan's brows furrowed slightly. He instinctively looked up, only to meet Su Xuan's timid, timid eyes.
That gaze was weak and harmless, like the softest and purest place in all the world, and it made Xie Qinglan's heart suddenly turn warm and tender, surging with a deep sense of protectiveness.
Su Xuan's voice was soft. "My mother is angry. She says I should become a nun."
Xie Qinglan immediately frowned. "Su Niao was only sent to Yunzhou to cultivate her character. Why would she force you to become a nun?"
Su Xuan lowered her eyes. "The matter between Your Highness and me has already spread. My mother fears it won't end well… I know that even if my sister has now withdrawn, Your Highness still has her in your heart…"
"Who says I still have her in my heart?"
Thinking of how Su Niao had just treated him like something to be avoided at all costs, Xie Qinglan sneered. "It's over between her and me."
He looked down at Su Xuan. "Don't worry. I'll have my mother petition for an imperial decree of betrothal."
A girl who devoted herself to him so wholeheartedly, who was so kind and pure—he absolutely could not let her down!
Su Xuan looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes, as if her entire world consisted of only Xie Qinglan. "I knew Your Highness was someone with a sense of responsibility, someone I could entrust my life to… someone worth giving everything for."
Xie Qinglan reached out and drew her into his embrace as the carriage rolled onward.
In the other carriage, Su Niao kept chatting with Shu Xuanqing—first asking when he had returned to the capital, then asking whether guarding the frontier city was very hard… Then she suddenly remembered something. "I have a set of Gold-thread Soft Armor. I'll have someone deliver it to your residence."
Were all the young ladies in the capital this enthusiastic?
Shu Xuanqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That's far too precious."
Su Niao hurriedly said, "Brother Shu saved me—I must repay such a life-saving grace as deeply as a spring welling forth…"
Seeing that the girl was about to cry from anxiety if he kept declining, Shu Xuanqing had no choice but to reluctantly agree, planning to send a return gift another day.
Ye Lingxi finally couldn't hold it in any longer: "Su Niao, you're not actually thinking of setting your sights on my cousin, are you? If you know what's good for you—"
Before she could finish, Su Niao cut her off in astonishment: "How are you here?"
Ye Lingxi, who had been grinding her teeth the entire way: …
Su Niao turned to Shu Xuanqing and spoke earnestly: "Brother Shu saved me, and the moment I saw you, I felt a great closeness—there is absolutely no other intention on my part. Please don't misunderstand, Brother Shu."
The girl's gaze was sincere, and the hint of familiarity in it was clear as crystal. Shu Xuanqing himself did feel that this young lady looked rather kind, so he smiled and said, "Miss Su is innocent and pure at heart—I naturally would not misunderstand."
Even as he spoke, Shu Xuanqing couldn't help but think that if his younger sister were still alive, she would be about this age by now.
When they arrived outside the Duke's Mansion, the carriage came to a stop, and Shu Xuanqing and Ye Lingxi stepped down.
Su Niao lingered reluctantly, yet could only suppress her feelings with great effort, gazing at Shu Xuanqing with longing eyes: "Brother Shu, until we meet again…"
Having said that, she still couldn't hold back: "Once I go to Yunzhou, will Brother Shu come to see me?"
Su Niao knew she was overstepping her bounds a little, but seeing her brother—who had given everything for her in her past life—standing right there before her, hale and whole… it was already considerable self-restraint that she hadn't simply thrown her arms around him and refused to let go.
Shu Xuanqing found it both amusing and exasperating—this young lady was a bit too forward for someone she'd just met.
He could only reply with warmth tinged with distance: "If it's convenient and my path happens to take me that way, I shall pay you a visit, Miss."
Ye Lingxi clicked her tongue from the side: "You're about to be chased off, Su Niao. In half a year when you come back, your sister will be marrying a prince, and the families who used to court you won't want you either. By then you'll be ruined with a bad reputation and no one to marry you—how tragic~"
Shu Xuanqing frowned: "Lingxi."
The next instant, however, Su Niao—who had just been looking at him like a pitiful little kitten—threw a verbal punch straight at Ye Lingxi: "Then I wish you a happy marriage to one of them."
Thinking of those arrogant second-generation wastrels who paraded through the streets on horseback putting on airs, Ye Lingxi flew into a rage: "Who would marry them! Su Niao, you're too vicious!"
But Su Niao had already waved her hand and paid her no further mind.
Ye Lingxi fumed: "Cousin, see how wicked she is."
Shu Xuanqing curved his lips: "I rather think Miss Su is simple and carefree by nature—quite endearing…"
Ye Lingxi: …