But now that the person had arrived, how could she refuse to see him?
Suppressing the unease rising in her heart, she descended the stairs slowly and walked toward the man.
The man in brocade robes was looking around. When his gaze swept toward the staircase and he saw a stunningly beautiful woman approaching, he was instantly captivated!
This must be her.
He also stepped forward and asked, “Are you Miss Shen?”
Shen Qingyao nodded. “Yes, I am. And you are…?”
The man in brocade robes replied, “I am a guard from General Liu’s villa. General Liu sent me to escort you there.”
Liu Hui had two wives, one of whom was Lady Ying. She held the status of a secondary wife.
But she was indifferent by nature, neither competing nor contending. She did not live in the Liu residence but resided alone in the villa. Liu Hui valued her greatly and loved her deeply.
Shen Qingyao knew about this and had even visited the villa to brew tea for Lady Ying. However, she had never seen this man before.
After a moment of thought, she asked, “Usually, it’s Guard Yang who comes to fetch me. Are you… new here? Where is Guard Yang?”
The man in brocade robes was slightly taken aback, then looked puzzled. “Guard Yang? Wasn’t it usually He Yong who came to fetch you?”
“…” Alright, he had a point.
Could he really have been sent by Uncle?
Shen Qingyao quickly smiled and said, “Oh! Look at my memory. Yes, it was Guard He. So why are you here today? I haven’t seen you before.”
The man in brocade robes curled his lips, then took out a token from his pocket. “He Yong had something to attend to today, so I came in his place. Take a closer look—isn’t this General Liu’s token? There are over a hundred guards at our villa. Have you met all of them?”
Shen Qingyao examined it carefully. It really was his token.
As for the over a hundred guards… she certainly hadn’t met all of them, nor even many of them.
Lost in thought, the unease in her heart eased slightly.
If this was genuine, then perhaps she should go?
She immediately put on a smile again. “Oh! My apologies, I was overthinking things.”
Then she changed the subject. “May I ask why Uncle Liu has invited me this time? Is it to teach Lady Ying to sing again?”
“Sing?”
The man in brocade robes looked puzzled. “Since when has Lady Ying enjoyed singing?”
Shen Qingyao’s eyes flickered briefly.
Alright, no trickery here.
It seemed this wasn’t a ruse.
She quickly lied, “Oh, haha! She sang a few times. You wouldn’t know about it.”
The man in brocade robes looked suspicious but turned around and went outside to wait.
“Get ready.”
Shen Qingyao watched him, thought for a moment, and then called Xiao Mei. “Come, let’s change clothes.”
To visit Lady Ying, she naturally had to dress appropriately. After all, Lady Ying was the wife of a third-rank general and came from a scholarly family.
In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, she had tidied herself up and brought Xiao Mei out. The man in brocade robes turned to look at her and was once again captivated.
Tsk!
This woman had merely changed into a purple dress and looked like an entirely different person, as if a celestial being had descended to the mortal realm!
“Please board the carriage.”
Shen Qingyao looked at the carriage, her eyes flickering.
She had ridden in this carriage before—it indeed belonged to her Uncle Liu’s household, and she recognized the coachman.
This put her mind at ease once more.
Xiao Mei helped her into the carriage. After she settled inside, the carriage slowly began to move.
But after the time it took for an incense stick to burn…
Where was he taking her?
Along the way, Shen Qingyao lifted the curtain to look outside. This was definitely not the road to the villa!
Involuntarily, the unease in her heart surged once more.
Now she was completely panicked!
It was over—she had been tricked.
“Miss, this isn’t the way to the Dongxiang Villa, is it?” Xiao Mei asked anxiously from beside her.
Shen Qingyao lowered the carriage curtain, her brows furrowed, the tension in her eyes nearly overflowing.
What to do, what to do?
After a moment’s thought, she simply shouted out loud.
“Stop the carriage.”
The leading man in brocade robes, riding on horseback, turned back and then reined in his horse, signaling the coachman to halt the carriage. He rode over to the side of the carriage.
“What’s wrong?”
Shen Qingyao lifted the curtain and said, “I suddenly have a stomachache and need to relieve myself.”
She needed to slip away quickly and find her uncle—this guy was definitely not a good person.
The man in brocade robes eyed her suspiciously, then sneered threateningly, “You’d better come with me quietly, or General Liu won’t be able to protect you.”
With that, he turned his horse around and went ahead to lead the way.
Shen Qingyao froze, her hand loosening, and the curtain fell back into place.
If she had only suspected before, was there any need to guess now?
“Miss, what should we do?” Xiao Mei wasn’t foolish either and already understood what was happening.
Shen Qingyao swallowed hard, her face somewhat dazed, her mind in utter chaos.
Her eyes darted around, her heart racing like thunderous drumbeats.
Then, she shook her head, forcing herself to calm down.
Don’t panic, don’t panic—there’s always a solution to everything.
First, that prince only wanted to meet her and get to know her; it didn’t necessarily mean he would take a liking to her.
Second, even if he did take a liking to her, there would be a formal announcement, and she could come up with any excuse to refuse.
Like having been pregnant before, or having miscarried, or something like that.
Ancient men were different from modern men, especially someone of his noble status. The primary requirement for choosing a woman was purity and chastity.
Next came appearance and character.
Her appearance couldn’t be disguised, but her character could be fabricated, couldn’t it?
So, there was still room for maneuver; she could act according to the situation.
Thinking this, Shen Qingyao let out a deep sigh, then curved her red lips into a smile. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I have my own clever plan.”
Xiao Mei wasn’t entirely convinced. “Really?”
“Don’t worry!”
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a mansion. The man in brocade robes had already dismounted and was walking toward the carriage.
Shen Qingyao, holding Xiao Mei’s hand, was stepping down from the carriage. Once she stood steady, she looked up.
Above the grand and solemn entrance hung a plaque with the two characters: 【Xiao Residence】.
Huh?
Suddenly, her pupils contracted, and she hurriedly looked toward the approaching man in brocade robes.
“Is this Lord Xiao’s residence?”
He… he wasn’t the Southern Prince’s man after all? Could he be Lord Xiao’s man instead?
But how was that possible?
Wasn’t Lord Xiao the Southern Prince’s future brother-in-law?
Did he dare to secretly meet with a woman?
Or was there something else… he wanted from her?
The man in brocade robes didn’t answer her. “You don’t need to ask. Just follow me.”
Shen Qingyao’s lips twitched. Xiao Mei held her arm tightly, her grip firm.
Both of their feelings were indescribable.
Well, let’s go. Face the soldiers with a shield, and the flood with earth.
Shen Qingyao steadied her breathing and followed the man in brocade robes into the mansion.
Along the way, they saw some servants, but the mansion didn’t seem like a permanent residence—it was likely an empty villa.
Before long, she and Xiao Mei were led into a refined and secluded courtyard.
“You stay here.”
The man in brocade robes pointed at Xiao Mei, then said to Shen Qingyao, “The main room straight ahead. Go in by yourself. Don’t worry, my master is not the villain you imagine.”
Shen Qingyao bit her lip. If I believed you, I’d be a fool.
But since she was already here, she might as well go take a look. No matter who wanted to see her or what they intended to do, screaming her lungs out wouldn’t save her.
Shen Qingyao took a deep breath, patted Xiao Mei’s hand, and after her arm was released, she walked over on her own.
Xiao Mei bit down on her handkerchief, her heart leaping into her throat.
The man in brocade robes gestured for her to follow him. Timid as she was, she had no choice but to obey.
Miss, may heaven protect you!
Shen Qingyao had already entered the house and reached the door of the study, but she didn’t go in directly. Instead, she cautiously peeked inside.
The study was elegantly decorated, yet exuded luxury in every detail. Behind the large golden nanmu desk sat a young man.
Dressed in white with dark hair, his appearance was peerlessly refined, and his kingly aura was unmistakable.
Seeing this, she quickly pulled her head back.
Is that… the Prince of Nan?