Jiang Yao saw they were about to continue with the polite formalities, so she stepped sideways, placing herself between the two of them. Smiling brightly, she said, “It’s so sunny out here, Big Sister. Why don’t we get on the carriage first to avoid the heat?”
Jiang Ying’s heart clenched, fearing Prince Jin would be displeased by this. She quickly reached out, gently pulled Jiang Yao behind her, and softly admonished, “Yao’er, you must not be rude to His Royal Highness Prince Jin.”
Xiao Wuheng’s face didn’t show the slightest hint of annoyance. “No matter. Miss Yao’er is naturally pure and innocent, which this Prince greatly admires. Since this is our first meeting, this is a gift from this Prince for Miss Yao’er.”
“Yao’er” is what you call me?
Jiang Yao pouted, silently scoffing to herself.
Her gaze then fell upon the tray held by the attendant.
Gold… Gold!
Taking a step back, Prince Jin hadn’t done anything wicked yet.
The carriage wheels rolled softly over the flagstone road. Sunlight dappled the carriage as it filtered through the tree canopy, and Jiang Yao felt a long-lost sense of ease.
Jiang Ying and Jiang Yao chatted quietly, while Xiao Wuheng rode his horse alongside the carriage, occasionally interjecting a remark. The atmosphere was pleasant.
The carriage gradually slowed. Jiang Yao curiously lifted the curtain and saw a beautifully decorated carriage parked opposite them. The nameplate on the front eave of the carriage displayed the name of the Xie manor.
“Yao’er, it’s the Xie family’s carriage,” Jiang Ying also noticed.
Jiang Yao forced a smile. “Yes…”
She’d nearly forgotten about Xie Yunian.
Xie Yunian lifted his own curtain at that moment, his eyes meeting Jiang Yao’s.
Unlike their last meeting, Xie Yunian’s complexion, though still a bit pale, carried an extra air of nobility.
His dark hair was neatly pinned up with a white jade crown, making him look both tidy and sharp.
His dark, close-sleeved, collared shirt made his face appear even more refined.
Their eyes met without a word. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, and the surrounding commotion paused briefly.
Jiang Yao took a deep breath, then forced a look of absolute surprise: “Master Xie!”
Xie Yunian glanced away and uttered a soft “Hm.”
The news of his amnesia had already spread, so Xiao Wuheng was naturally aware. “Master Xie, I hear you’ve lost your memory. You can have your servant take this Prince’s token to the palace and invite the imperial physicians to see if there is another way to recover your memory.”
Xie Yunian’s gaze landed on Xiao Wuheng. “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, my father is the Earl Chengbo.
The implication was that he could afford to hire the imperial physicians himself; Xiao Wuheng needn’t bother.
Still the same mouth.
Xiao Wuheng’s gaze was calm. Although he hadn’t interacted much with Xie Yunian before, he had heard that Xie Yunian’s mouth was like it was dipped in poison.
“This Prince is truly impressed by Master Xie’s optimistic attitude.”
“Hah,” Xie Yunian twitched his lips.
He has amnesia, he has amnesia.
Xiao Wuheng took a deep breath, silently comforting himself that Xie Yunian had amnesia and was now a blank slate. He couldn’t hold a grudge against someone with no memory.
“Haha… then let’s continue on our way,” Xiao Wuheng let out two dry laughs, breaking the awkwardness.
The carriages continued, and Jiang Yao recalled their conversation outside, unable to stop a soft chuckle from escaping.
Although she tried to keep her voice down, her slightly trembling shoulders couldn’t fully hide her amusement.
A trace of a smile appeared in the corner of Jiang Ying’s eye, but seeing Jiang Yao’s reaction, she gently warned, “Yao’er, if they hear you laughing like that, it won’t be good.”
Jiang Yao nodded, trying her best to compose herself, but the smile on her lips still refused to fade completely. “I just feel that Master Xie absolutely must not lick his own lips.”
“Why?” Jiang Ying was puzzled. What did his lips have to do with anything?
“Because I’m afraid he’ll poison himself, hahahahaha…”
Jiang Ying pointed a finger at Jiang Yao. “You really are something.”
“Hiss, that’s strange. Why is it suddenly a little cold?” Jiang Yao shivered abruptly, her brow furrowing slightly.
In the carriage next door, Xie Yunian’s grip tightened. The teacup in his hand let out a faint creaking sound.
He had trained in martial arts since childhood and possessed excellent hearing. Since the two carriages weren’t far apart, he naturally heard everything Jiang Yao said.
The two carriages slowly left the clamor of the capital. The air began to fill with the summer scent of dirt and foliage.
When they reached the vicinity of Cui Ping Mountain (翠屏山 – Emerald Screen Mountain), the carriages slowly stopped on a relatively flat area.
Xiao Wuheng was the first to dismount. He held out his arm to Jiang Ying, ready to help her alight.
His movements were natural, and his eyes held a gentle concern.
Since the two were already engaged, this action was not considered inappropriate.
Jiang Ying straightened her skirt slightly inside the carriage, then reached out and lightly placed her hand on Xiao Wuheng’s arm, stepping down.
Her skirt swayed gently with her steps, occasionally brushing the grass and stirring up a faint breeze. It was as if the air around them softened because of the pair.
Once Jiang Ying was safely on the ground, Xiao Wuheng turned and offered his arm to Jiang Yao.
Xie Yunian, who had already gotten down, stood not far away. Watching the scene, he glanced at Jiang Yao, who was still in the carriage.
However, he had no intention of stepping forward to help her, choosing only to watch with a cold eye, hands folded.
Anyway, he was currently using the excuse of amnesia.
Jiang Yao waved her hands repeatedly at Xiao Wuheng’s outstretched arm. She didn’t want any unnecessary contact with the Male Lead.
She did not want to stand in the draft of this ‘Central Air Conditioning’ (referring to the ML’s indiscriminate kindness).
She opted instead to simply jump down from the carriage.
As Jiang Yao jumped, the safety bell on her ankle swayed in the breeze, emitting a crisp, pleasant ringing.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling onto her skirt, adding a touch of vitality and radiance to her figure.
Xie Yunian’s gaze lingered on the striking red string.
Undignified.
“Master Xie, what are you looking at?” Jiang Yao noticed his stare and asked.
“A flying insect just landed on your shoe,” Xie Yunian shifted his gaze.
Without waiting for Jiang Yao to react, he strode away.
Jiang Yao was infuriated but helpless.
The group headed toward a pavilion not far away.
To their right was a small lake, with several blooming lotuses floating on the surface. The tender pink petals glowed faintly in the sun.
The lotus leaves were lush and green, swaying gently in the breeze and making a rustling sound, as if whispering the secrets of summer.
“Miss Jiang, look over there…” Xiao Wuheng walked beside Jiang Ying, pointing to the flowers by the pond.
He had specifically chosen this location for their spring outing.
“Big Sister, look! That flower is so beautiful!”
Jiang Ying was momentarily startled, then subconsciously followed the direction of Jiang Yao’s pointing finger.
“It truly is… very beautiful.”
“But no matter how beautiful it is, it’s not as beautiful as Big Sister in my heart!”
After saying this, Jiang Yao didn’t forget to innocently blink at Xiao Wuheng. “Your Royal Highness Prince Jin, I’m here. I hope you aren’t unhappy?”