The next morning, when Xiao Jinyan awoke, the Su family's small courtyard was already empty.
Su Hong and Su Cai, the two brothers, had left before dawn, joyfully heading to town with the hundred-tael banknote Feng Xiao had given them to make purchases.
Su Xiao had gone with her parents to the Qinhuai River to fish, leaving the small courtyard so quiet that not even a rooster's crow could be heard.
Xiao Jinyan recalled what Su Xiao had told him the night before—that the only chicken had already been eaten by him—and a wave of shame washed over him.
He had overthought things.
Miss Su had not yet undergone her Ji-pin ceremony; it was still too early to consider taking her as a concubine.
Her birth parents were still unknown, so it was best to keep her in the mansion for now and wait until she grew older before making any decisions.
On the Qinhuai River, a bamboo raft drifted with the current.
Su He and Xu Shi, the husband and wife, cast their nets to fish, while Su Xiao, taking advantage of her parents' inattention, quietly slipped off the raft and dove underwater to search for river clams.
This time, she was lucky. Right beneath the raft, she indeed found a large river clam.
"Father, Mother, I found one! I caught a big river clam!"
She scooped the clam up with her net and joyfully surfaced from the water.
The girl was pure and beautiful, her delicate face glistening with water droplets, like a lotus emerging from the water, radiating a captivating glow.
Xiao Jinyan arrived at the riverbank and immediately spotted the playful, elfin-like girl.
His heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
The frustration of not finding anyone in the courtyard vanished in that moment.
"The river water is cold. Come up quickly."
Xu Shi, fearing her daughter would catch a chill, quickly reached out and pulled her onto the raft.
"Mother, look…"
Su Xiao climbed onto the raft and proudly held up the large river clam. "It's so big, even larger than my palm."
"It really is…"
Xu Shi praised with a smile. "I've never seen such a large river clam before…"
"I hope there are pearls inside."
Su Xiao cheerfully took a small cleaver from the fish basket and tried to pry open the clam with the tip of the blade.
River clams are resilient; the more you try to pry them open, the tighter they clamp shut.
She struggled for a long time but couldn't open it.
"Ouch…"
A while later, she accidentally exerted too much force and cut her finger.
Xiao Jinyan's breath hitched. Without thinking, he leaped forward, skimming across the water's surface as he rushed over.
Su Xiao had just put her bleeding finger in her mouth when he arrived before her.
She looked up in confusion at the person who had suddenly appeared on the raft.
Wasn't he injured?
Why wasn't he resting properly in bed? What was he doing on the raft?
Even an iron body couldn't withstand such strain!
"Give me the clam…"
Xiao Jinyan withdrew his gaze from her lips, which were sucking on her finger, and extended his hand toward her as if it were nothing.
Su Xiao was stunned for a moment before realizing he wanted to pry open the clam.
Feeling embarrassed to lick her finger in front of him, she pulled it out of her mouth and licked her lips instead.
Her red lips, stained with blood, looked even more bewitching and alluring.
Xiao Jinyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze gradually deepened.
Su Xiao met his eyes, and her heartbeat faltered for a moment.
She understood the meaning behind that intense gaze.
In her past life, when their passion was at its peak, he would look at her like this, holding her tightly in his arms as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Back then, she had given herself to him to seek revenge on Lin Wanru.
Now it was different. Her parents and loved ones were still alive, she was still the daughter of a respectable family, and she had the chance to marry into a good household as the legitimate wife.
She didn’t want to compromise herself as she had in her past life.
She refused to become a concubine, to rely on her looks to please others, to endure the humiliation and bullying from other women, or to live a life not of her own choosing.
Xiao Jinyan’s outstretched hand hung in the air for a long moment without receiving a response, leaving him awkwardly frozen in that position.
“Xiaoxiao, what are you standing there dumbfounded for?”
Xu Shi grew anxious and discreetly tugged at her daughter’s sleeve, signaling her to hand over the river clam.
Su Xiao used the motion of passing the clam to feign shyness, lowering her head to avoid his intense gaze.
Xiao Jinyan narrowed his eyes slightly.
With his vast experience in reading people, how could he not see that she was intentionally keeping her distance?
His annoyance lasted only a second before he quickly let it go.
Miss Su had not yet undergone her Ji-pin ceremony. This was the natural reaction of a young girl untouched by the world.
For someone skilled in martial arts, prying open a river clam was effortless.
In his hands, the clam had no means of self-defense. With just a tap of the knife’s back against its shell, it trembled and opened on its own.
Su Xiao stared in disbelief.
So the clam had been bullying her, but when faced with a truly formidable person, it cowered.
This thing must have gained sentience!
It even knew how to judge people and act accordingly!
“Heh.”
Xiao Jinyan watched her round, angry eyes and smiled faintly.
So the young lady had this side to her too?
Her puffed-up expression was like a bristling little wildcat.
Her lively expressions were far more amusing than the feigned flattery she had shown when she needed something from him.
This version of her was even more captivating.
“Is there a pearl inside the clam?”
Su Xiao felt somewhat vexed by his laughter.
It was as if all her thoughts had been laid bare, leaving her nowhere to hide.
She didn’t like this feeling and used the topic as a diversion.
“Yes.”
Xiao Jinyan used the tip of his knife to make a small incision in the clam’s flesh, squeezing out two perfectly round, gleaming white pearls the size of beans.
As for the clam, since it had been sensible enough to open its shell on its own, he showed mercy and tossed it back into the river instead of finishing it off.
“There really are pearls!”
Su Xiao couldn’t contain her joy at the sight of the pearls. “Brother Hesheng didn’t lie to me. There really are pearls inside river clams.”
Xiao Jinyan’s brows furrowed slightly. Hearing another man’s name from her lips felt inexplicably grating.
Unaware, the young woman continued chattering, “Brother Hesheng exchanged one pearl for two bags of rice. I have one more pearl than he did, and mine are bigger too. I’m sure I can trade them for even more good things. Next time I see him, I’ll have to thank him properly. If he hadn’t told me this great way to earn money, I’d still be clueless. Who knew there were so many treasures at the bottom of the river?”
“Who is Brother Hesheng?”
Xiao Jinyan’s face darkened. Ever since having that alluring dream, he had subconsciously come to see her as his woman.
How could he allow others to covet what was his?
“He Sheng is the nephew of this humble woman’s elder sister…”
Seeing his displeased expression, Xu Shi hurriedly explained, “He’s somewhat related to our family. The two households aren’t far apart—just in the neighboring village—so we often visit each other. That child has a good temperament and gets along well with my two sons. He treats Xiaoxiao like a younger sister and has always been very…”
Noticing Xiao Jinyan’s expression growing darker with each word, she hesitated briefly, forcefully changing the word “fond” to “caring.”
“Brother Hesheng has always been very good to me…”
Su Xiao suddenly spoke up, feigning shyness with a sweet smile: "I like him very much too."
Xiao Jinyan's face darkened completely, his cold, sharp gaze falling on her face like a tangible blade.
Su Xiao's heart raced chaotically. To avoid further entanglement with him, she forced herself not to show the slightest hint of fear.
Xiao Jinyan stared at her for several seconds, then angrily flicked his sleeve. Using his unparalleled lightness skill, he stepped across the water without leaving a trace and returned to the shore.
Seeing him leave, Su Xiao felt as if all her strength had been drained. She collapsed onto the bamboo raft.
It must be said, Xiao Jinyan's presence was truly terrifying.
She knew him well—he had a strong desire for control and would not tolerate defiance.
For a moment, she genuinely sensed his killing intent, thinking he would erupt on the spot and strangle her with his own hands.