Chaрtеr 2: Lifting Неr intо His Arms
“Mingshu, whаt’s wrоng with you?”
Jiаng Xun cоuldn’t bеаr it аnу lоnger аnd rеасhed out tо cover her fingеrtiрs, which wеrе still wаndеring rеstlesslу оvеr his chest.
Не loоked down at hеr, his gazе so deeр it seеmed bоttоmless.
She hаd always bееn аfrаid of him befоrе, аlwаys avоiding him.
Why wоuld she… aсt like this todаy?
Upоn hearing Jiang Хun’s wоrds, Shеn Mingshu’s mind wаs fillеd with another thоught.
Hе wаsn’t in pain, whiсh meant…
Shе had trulу bееn rebоrn.
Shen Mingshu blinkеd, but the effесts оf the aphrodisiac surged baсk аt that moment.
Unablе tо control hеrsеlf, she curled up slightly, her teeth chattering as she endured the torment with great difficulty.
“Brother, I… I’ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac…”
Jiang Xun lowered his gaze.
Her voice trembled, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as if the slightest touch would make them fall.
Her slender, pale fingers curled unconsciously, and a faint blush spread across the side of her neck.
Now, nestled in his arms, she looked up at him with an unconscious allure.
Jiang Xun stiffened all over, forcing himself to look away.
He wanted to change his position—holding her like this was truly improper.
But Shen Mingshu’s legs were so weak that the moment he loosened his grip slightly, she began to slip down.
Helpless, Jiang Xun lifted her into his arms.
Her slender frame settled into the crook of his arm. Having practiced dance since childhood, her shoulders and waist were delicate.
Now, cradled horizontally in his arms, she resembled a willow branch, seeming as though she might slip through his fingers with the slightest movement.
After placing her on the chaise lounge, he immediately released his hold, tucking his hands into his sleeves.
Jiang Xun poured a cup of cold water and sat beside her, feeding it to her.
“Drink a little.”
Shen Mingshu’s mind was still somewhat hazy, and she instinctively parted her lips at his words.
After drinking some water, the fiery redness on her cheeks faded slightly, and the sweat on her forehead gradually subsided.
She clearly felt better.
Shen Mingshu opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Jiang Xun’s face, so close it seemed within reach.
His features were sharply defined, his cool, pale complexion tinged with a faint glow from the warm lamplight in the room, his expression as aloof as ever.
Seeing that she was awake, Jiang Xun commanded, “Someone, come here.”
A voice immediately responded from outside the door, “Your subordinate is here.”
“Fetch Dr. Meng quickly.”
The attendant acknowledged the order and hurried away. Immediately after, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
“I say, this is truly amusing—to dare act so recklessly in the Fourth Prince’s residence! We must have a good look today!”
“Hurry, hurry! Which room is it? Who has the nerve to be so shameless?”
Outside the room, several young masters tried to enter, but the courtyard gate was firmly blocked by attendants who refused to let them take even a single step forward.
However, these men were accustomed to arrogance, and having drunk a little today, they paid no heed to the attendants, reaching out to push the door open. “Get out of the way! How dare a lowly servant block us? Do you know who my father is?”
It was them again! Shen Mingshu gritted her teeth in anger.
In her past life, it was these very men who kicked open the door, saw her with Xiao Zheng, and ruined her reputation…
They had said of her, “Drunk and throwing herself onto a man’s bed—her face is thicker than a city wall, yet she still dares to pretend to be a chaste young lady!”
“Calling herself a noble lady? More like a little harlot who’s run wild outside, putting on an act of propriety by day but knowing how to seduce men by night!”
“Someone like her, wanting to marry into the Xiao Marquis’s household? Aren’t you afraid of sullying their doorstep?”
Jiang Xun frowned, about to order the men to be driven out, when he suddenly heard a soft creak from the side of the door.
The door was half-open, and a slender figure stood there. The young woman wore a peach-pink ruqun, the hem of her skirt lifted slightly by the breeze. A few strands of hair hung disheveled by her temples, clinging to her pale cheeks.She gripped the doorframe tightly with one hand, her knuckles turning white from the force, while the other hand clutched the hem of her garment.
Shen Mingshu had always been extremely well-protected by Jiang Xun and had never dealt with such unreasonable, frivolous young nobles before.
Naturally, she was afraid.
But having lived a second life, she now understood that endless tolerance and retreat would lead to no good end.
She still remembered how they had insulted her in her previous life.
Shen Mingshu took a deep breath, suppressing the fear and shame in her heart, barely managing to restrain herself from trembling with nervousness.
“This is the Fourth Prince’s residence. Is this a place for the likes of you to barge into recklessly?”
“And to make such a commotion at the doorway, showing no regard for rules—what kind of behavior is this!”
After speaking, she let out a soft, panting breath.
The young nobles were taken aback and immediately dropped their frivolous smiles.
How… how could it be Shen Mingshu?
Of course, they knew her—she was the most striking among the noble ladies of high-ranking families, all because of her exceptional beauty.
But her heart belonged to General Xiao, and the young nobles who admired her had no choice but to give up their pursuits.
Moreover, she was the only daughter of the Shen family, orphaned at a young age and raised single-handedly by her adoptive brother, Jiang Xun.
Jiang Xun now held the position of Deputy Grand Secretary in the Grand Secretariat, wielding immense power. Although their relationship was not particularly close, it was still one that others could not compare to.
Why would she appear here alone?
And with her clothing perfectly intact, she did not look at all like someone who had engaged in improper conduct.
Scolded by her, the young nobles felt their faces burning with embarrassment. They exchanged glances among themselves.
One of them mustered the courage to speak up. “Why is Miss Shen here? And why are you in such a state—your face flushed and your steps unsteady?”
“We were merely concerned that someone might have tarnished the Fourth Prince’s inner courtyard, so we came to investigate. Clearly, we were only trying to uphold propriety!”
As soon as he finished, the others chimed in with noisy agreement.
“Yes, yes! We meant well! Since Miss Shen is here, why not clarify the matter to avoid idle gossip?”
Jiang Xun’s gaze fell on her face. The corners of her eyes still carried a faint redness from earlier, but now they shimmered with unshed tears of anger.
She was clearly afraid—so afraid that her eyes had reddened—yet she forced herself to speak.
“I drank too much and developed a fever. Feeling unwell along the way, I borrowed a room to rest. How could I have become the subject of your gossip?”
Her voice was soft, gentle as raindrops falling on peach blossoms, but her words were merciless.
“Who gave you the audacity to slander a woman’s reputation so recklessly! Are the people of my Shen family ones you can casually judge and criticize?”
Her eyes grew even redder, as if she had suffered an immense injustice. “I will have the Fourth Prince come and see for himself—is this how guests are humiliated at the banquet he hosts?”
At these words, the young nobles’ expressions changed in unison.
“Miss Shen, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding…”
“We merely acted on rumors in a moment of impulse, with no ill intent…”
Finally panicking, they began to explain themselves in a flurry.
Jiang Xun’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. In the past, Shen Mingshu had been like a gentle little rabbit without a temper—if someone so much as reached out, she would perk up her ears and scurry away in a fluster.
Only now did he realize that even a rabbit would bite when pushed too far.
And not only would it bite—it would bite fiercely.
But why was she still so prone to tears?
Even when biting, her eyes were red.
At the doorway, the young nobles, intimidated by her, were about to slink away when suddenly one of them, sharp-eyed, glanced into the room and immediately jumped in alarm.
“Wait! That room… why is there a man’s figure inside?”As soon as these words were spoken, the men immediately perked up again, stepping forward eagerly.
“Miss Shen, you cursed so fiercely just now that we all thought you were truly innocent. But now, in this situation… tsk.”
“After all this talk, who knows who really broke the rules.”
Their tones were filled with undisguised mockery and lewd insinuations.
Shen Mingshu’s ears flushed red with anger, her eyes wide open. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a shadow fall over her.
A tall figure had silently drawn close beside her at some point, wordlessly enveloping her entirely within the protective shelter of his embrace.