However, in Xie Jingchen’s eyes, it was not that he wanted to admire this rare beauty, but…
Seeing the scene of Ying Xu drenched in snow at the first moment, the handsome young man immediately strode over, snatched the umbrella from the subordinate beside him who had little motivation to hold it, and before the other could react, quickly walked back to Ying Xu at the doorway, holding the umbrella for her, fearing she would catch a cold.
Besides, Pei Xingzhou holding the umbrella was not holding it properly; it was more useful for Ah Xu.
Naturally, even if he held the umbrella properly, he would still snatch it.
This scene inevitably made the person whose umbrella was taken open their eyes wide, open their mouth, then close it, words faltering, hesitant to speak, wanting to speak but stopping.
After holding the umbrella properly for Ying Xu, ensuring that the snow falling from the sky would no longer land on her, Xie Jingchen finally asked her, “Ah Xu… have you changed your mind?”
Thinking of her just now saying that he should not kill the emperor first, his tone was involuntarily filled with cautious and probing tension.
Was it because of old feelings, softening his heart? Actually, he always knew in his heart, Ying Xu had always been a particularly soft-hearted and kind girl, so she wanted to let go of this Sixth Prince, actually…
“Xie Jingchen.” Seeing him suddenly lower his head, his whole body covered with a layer of desolation, like a little dog abandoned by its master, Ying Xu called his name, a little disdainfully saying, “What nonsense are you thinking about?”
She, as if able to read minds, denied the thoughts in his heart, “How could I possibly spare the life of Xie Liu, this bastard who betrayed me?”
Hearing this, in an instant, the little dog’s eyes immediately lit up with hope. Crystal-clear, seemingly glowing eyes looked at Ying Xu, the gaze filled with inexplicable expectation.
However, Xie Jingchen had not been happy for long because Ying Xu wanted the emperor’s life, as soon his ears again heard Yun Wan’s voice.
Seeing him standing together with Ying Xu, so focused on her, as if in this world there was only Ying Xu, Yun Wan was almost furious—this was the male lead she had chosen, prepared to end happily with, how could he look so seriously at another woman? Clearly, his eyes should only have her, the heroine! She was the heroine! The only character with a halo in the book *“The Pet Concubine Becomes Empress”*!
So she could not help but, a little flustered and hysterical, confronted Xie Jingchen, standing with the girl like a painting, and questioned, “How can you be with her? How can you look at her? I am the one you should like!”
Hearing this disgusting sentence, the nauseating feeling Xie Jingchen had just suppressed immediately spread again.
But what made him feel most uneasy was that the girl holding an umbrella for him suddenly let out a cold laugh.
In an instant, Xie Jingchen’s mind went blank for a moment, then he hurriedly turned to the girl beside him to explain.
With a tone showing a little pitiful grievance, he said, “Ah Xu, don’t listen to her nonsense. I don’t even know her.”
Xie Jingchen felt that this emperor really deserved to be punished; at this point, he still had to mess with him.
What? You say this was not the emperor’s instruction? How is that possible? If not the emperor, why would his woman randomly say such absurd things?
And under Xie Jingchen’s pitiful helplessness, Ying Xu just looked at him coldly and said, “Fix yourself up and accompany me home.”
After the sentence fell, the beautiful girl directly turned and walked, not looking back, returning to the warm Weiyang Palace.
Hearing Ying Xu say this, Xie Jingchen’s eyes immediately lit up.
Then the obedient big dog threw the umbrella back to its original owner, and under the glaring eyes of the other, instructed him to watch the emperor and his little lover, but after saying this, he immediately corrected himself, “No, still keep Xie Liu detained. As for that demon woman, just kill her.”
Such a confusing, dizzying demon, even living one more moment is a calamity.
Too unlucky.
Thinking of the two absurd words this woman had just said, Xie Jingchen could not help but snatch a handful of exorcism powder from his subordinate, and took it nearby to find a palace to tidy himself up.
Weiyang Palace.
After returning to the hall, Ying Xu had the palace servants prepare hot water.
Just now, snow had fallen on her outside, and for Ying Xu, the outfit she wore was ruined.
After bathing, Ying Xu naturally had the servants redo her makeup. Seeing her completely unhurried manner, a small palace maid approached and whispered a reminder, telling her the Northwestern King was still waiting. But under the slight glance from her phoenix-like eyes, the words were only half spoken before the maid unconsciously shut her mouth, afraid to provoke the displeasure of the notoriously bad-tempered master of the palace.
After restoring her usual exquisite appearance, Ying Xu slowly walked toward the outer hall, where Xie Jingchen had been waiting for her for a long time. At the sight of her, he unconsciously smiled.
Ying Xu was momentarily stunned.
Just now, she hadn’t looked at him carefully, so now, suddenly raising her eyes, seeing that face full of youthful spirit, Ying Xu suddenly realized that Xie Jingchen seemed…
The extremely beautiful girl widened her gorgeous phoenix eyes, looking at his face, with a tone carrying a hint of disdain, saying, “Ugly.”
Hearing these two words from Ying Xu, Xie Jingchen’s mind once again went blank.
Immediately following was his entire body looking tense, his tone stammering a little, “R-really?”
At this moment, Xie Jingchen’s heart was truly anxious.
He knew Ying Xu liked beautiful things. Actually, “like” is not exactly precise. Ying Xu herself was extraordinarily beautiful, unparalleled, so absolutely nothing ugly should appear beside her to lower her style.
In Ying Xu’s own words, to complement her beauty, naturally, beautiful people must be used to complement her. Only standing behind her as a backdrop should be beautiful, so that the world would know how beautiful Ying Xu truly is.
Only plain or mediocre people need ugly people to act as their background.
So at this moment, Xie Jingchen really felt nervous and helpless.
Would Ah Xu no longer want him if he were ugly?
Was his current appearance very unpleasant to Ah Xu, very obstructive to the view?
Ah Xu…
Just as Xie Jingchen’s thoughts spread like this, Ying Xu, noticing him at the moment her words fell, saw him fidgeting, not knowing where to put his hands. She spontaneously gave him a reason for “becoming ugly” and made a suggestion, “I heard the northwest wasteland has strong winds and sandstorms. You probably became ugly in that environment, but your base is not bad, now that you’re back in Jinling, with some care you should still recover.”
Just like her father and elder brother used to be. Every time they went to the battlefield, their faces, which had been acceptable to her, would become rough, with stubble. But if they didn’t participate in battles and stayed in Jinling, leaving them to professionals to care for for a while, they would restore their past good looks. But her father was no longer alive, and her elder brother now…
Thinking of her elder brother’s disappearance, Ying Xu lowered her eyes, her raven-like thick lashes casting a fan-shaped shadow under her eyes, giving the beautiful girl an unintentional air of melancholy.
Xie Jingchen had always been able to notice Ying Xu’s mood changes immediately.
So sensing her sudden low mood, he could no longer care about his previously fragile heart in front of her, and hurriedly asked, “Ah Xu, what’s wrong? Who made you sad?”
Hearing this, her beautiful phoenix eyes immediately glared fiercely at him.
Then after one glare, she no longer looked at him and walked straight outside.
Seeing this, Xie Jingchen hurried to catch up, and while keeping pace with Ying Xu, did not forget to bring the umbrella the palace maid had handed him while waiting for Ying Xu, holding it over her to prevent her from getting snowed on again.
Even though the carriage had already been brought to the outer courtyard of Weiyang Palace by the servants.
After getting on the carriage, Ying Xu immediately closed her eyes to rest.
Xie Jingchen, however, could not help secretly looking at the face deeply imprinted in his heart since childhood, his gaze full of deep attachment. But he felt it improper to keep staring at Ying Xu, and his rationality made him look away.
But emotionally, he could not control himself. Thinking of what happened in the previous life, he could not resist the greed to look at her.
Finally, in the self-struggle in Xie Jingchen’s heart between “look at Ah Xu” and “don’t look at Ah Xu,” Ying Xu was annoyed by his repeated glances, opened her beautiful phoenix eyes, and tore off the fur trim on the collar and sleeves of her dress, specially arranged for going out, and threw it at the high ponytail young man opposite, hitting him.
She spoke impatiently, but the act of throwing the soft fur ball looked more like coquettishness, “Xie Jingchen, aren’t you annoying? If you want to look at me, just look at me openly. I’m not stopping you.”
Hearing this from Ying Xu, Xie Jingchen blinked his pitiful little dog eyes that had been peeking, obediently saying, “Then I… will look openly?”
“Whatever you want.” Ying Xu replied casually. Her body had never lacked attention from others, especially from Xie Jingchen.
Then the beautiful girl warned sternly, “But don’t make any sound again!”
Xie Jingchen immediately sat upright, nodding, saying, “I am very obedient.”
Hearing this, Ying Xu lightly closed her beautiful eyes again. Leaning sideways against the soft fur of the carriage wall, she looked serene and beautiful.
And looking at Ying Xu’s sleeping face, Xie Jingchen, sitting opposite, could not help but smile slightly.
If possible, he truly wished time could stop at this moment, so that he could look at Ah Xu continuously, until death ended him.