Si Hongjing quickly returned to the Dongping Pass city gate.
Even with just a quick scan from the electric baton’s built-in flashlight, Si Hongjing keenly spotted the gauze skirt corner behind the small tree by the wall.
The identity of the person was obvious.
Si Hongjing’s heavy mood eased slightly.
After the soldier opened the city gate, he deliberately rode his horse slowly through.
As expected, when the soldier tried to close the gate, a hint of doubt appeared on his face:
“Why does it seem like someone is pushing on the door?”
He stuck his head out to take a look.
It was dark outside, with no one in sight, giving him the creeps.
Vice General Guo and the others had been guarding near the city gate, and they were completely relieved when they saw Si Hongjing return unharmed.
After they returned to the camp, Si Hongjing instructed:
“Qi Nange, write a letter back to the capital, and ask if there’s been any movement in the imperial city.”
“Guo Bing, investigate if anything has happened to Xu Jing’s family.”
“Zhong Yi hasn’t sent back any news about scouting the grain supply? Send another team, I fear something has happened.”
The men accepted their orders.
No one asked why.
But they knew it must be related to the conversation tonight.
When Si Hongjing arrived in the modern era, it was late at night again.
Yuan Ying leaned back in the recliner, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time, her eyes unfocused, her face full of sleepiness.
Si Hongjing couldn’t help but smile and said, “I’ve come to let you know I’m safe, no need to worry too much.”
“With my artifact here, you’ll definitely be fine, what do I have to worry about?”
Yuan Ying sounded a little guilty when she said this.
Actually…
She risked going to the Great Qian today to watch the confrontation between Si Hongjing and Xu Jing, wanting to learn something.
Who would have thought that the two of them would secretly run so far for a rendezvous!
But her appearance in Si Hongjing’s eyes wasn’t the same.
She was clearly worried about his safety.
His usually cold eyes were filled with a smile, and he said:
“It’s late, you should rest early.”
…
August was the rainy season in Wannan.
After Yuan Ying received a red alert for heavy rain for the next three days, she quickly found workers to build a shed in the villa’s yard.
Because she offered a high price, there were still masters willing to take the job.
However, this big order came suddenly, and the master’s team was short on manpower, so the shed was being built from the time they measured and got the materials in the morning until the evening.
She bought some food for the masters outside, and by the time they finished eating and doing the final work, it was already past seven in the evening.
Si Hongjing had only come once at Xu Shi (7-9 PM), and he should be busier after seeing Xu Jing yesterday, so Yuan Ying didn’t expect him to come so early today.
The moment the yard door was pulled open from the outside, she was overwhelmed.
She saw a man in ancient costume walking in from outside the door, first stunned, then his gaze shot like a blade towards the masters, his hand already on the dagger at his waist.
“What are you doing?”
His tone was light, but it sent a chill down people’s spines.
Yuan Ying knew at a glance that he had misunderstood, and quickly winked at him:
“Isn’t there a heavy rain tomorrow! I hired masters to build a shed, they’ll leave after they’re done. Did you finish filming?”
“Yes.”
Si Hongjing received the hint, but his expression remained unfriendly.
Once Yuan Ying dragged him into the living room, he looked her up and down, and asked: “Are you alright? How could they be so rude!”
Huh?
These masters were quite polite.
It wasn’t until her eyes followed Si Hongjing’s gaze to the masters’ bare arms that she suddenly realized:
“Over here, it’s common to take off your shirt when it’s too hot to work.”
Si Hongjing was instantly speechless.
He looked at the men with a complex expression, unable to accept the future culture, and after a long while asked:
“If they have malicious intentions, what should be done?”
“So it’s best to have other people at home, it’s safer, but I’m alone.” Yuan Ying explained.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?” Why was he suddenly apologizing.
“If I could come over at any time, that would be great.”
Yuan Ying always felt that these words sounded strange, but she still politely said:
“It’s not your fault, it’s already very good that you come to see me every day despite being so busy.”
However, after Si Hongjing heard her words, he seemed a little moved?
She was confused, and just as a master outside called her, she planned to go out.
“I’ll go, you rest.”
Si Hongjing walked straight out and asked the master what was the matter.
Yuan Ying was a little worried and secretly watched them from the window.
She saw Si Hongjing take two steps back and look at the shed, nodded, and then Yuan Ying heard him say:
“The night wind in the mountains is cool, it’s better to put on your clothes.”
The three masters obviously paused, and in the next second, as if they had suddenly understood, they put on their short sleeves and started talking to Si Hongjing:
“Are you a model?”
“Or an actor?”
Si Hongjing didn’t understand ‘model’.
But he understood ‘actor’, it was Yuan Ying’s profession.
He nodded, as if answering.
The masters saw that he was so aloof, so they didn’t continue to talk, packed up their tools and waste materials, and left after Yuan Ying settled the final payment.
But…
Before leaving, the master also glanced at Si Hongjing and teased:
“Your husband is really jealous, he reminded us to put on our clothes as soon as he came out, no wonder his face was so ugly when he went home.”
After everyone left, Si Hongjing asked in confusion: “Your husband?”
“It means my husband.”
Si Hongjing’s face instantly turned red, he was at a loss, and said:
“How can they talk like that! How can they tarnish your reputation!”
As he said that, he was about to go find them.
In the end, Yuan Ying stopped him:
“No need to explain, it’s good for everyone to know that there’s a man in my house, it’s safe.”
“But your future…”
“It’s okay, it’s normal to have a man for fun when you’re bored, no one will care.”
“…”
Si Hongjing tried to understand Yuan Ying’s words.
But he found that he couldn’t understand.
Find a man to play with? Is it like some men there go to prostitutes?
Si Hongjing asked directly.
“No, prostitution is illegal here, you’ll go to jail.” Yuan Ying explained: “We have freedom of love, freedom of marriage, no need for parents’ orders or matchmakers, you can be together if you like each other, and separate if you don’t, no need to tie your whole life to one person.”
That… is good.
Si Hongjing suddenly thought of his mother.
If his mother lived in this era, she should be able to escape the dark and dayless cage life of the palace.
Yuan Ying saw that his expression was bitter and a little worried, and knew what he was thinking, so she patted him on the shoulder and said:
“Once the Dongping Pass matter is settled, maybe there will be a chance to return to the capital.”
“At least your mother is safe now.”
As long as Si Hongjing is a border general for a day, his mother’s life will be guaranteed.
She also remembered the things she bought at the pharmacy, and quickly took them out and handed them to Si Hongjing:
“This medicated patch, can you send someone to the capital to deliver it? If your mother insists on applying a few patches, the pain should be relieved. When you return to the capital in the future, I’ll think of other ways.”