16
“Get us closer,” Xiao Jingyao ordered at once, afraid he hadn’t seen clearly enough. “Move the boat forward a little more.”
A little closer… just a little closer…
Just then, the wind over the lake died down, and the sheer white veil of Yu Shu’s headpiece fell back into place, once again concealing her face completely without the slightest gap.
Qingli glanced back and immediately noticed the large boat drawing near. Her eyes landed on Xiao Jingyao and Wei Zhuo standing on deck.
She quickly tugged at Yu Shu’s sleeve and whispered, “Miss, look behind us.”
Yu Shu turned her head and, sure enough, saw Xiao Jingyao. He appeared to be speaking with Wei Zhuo.
Why was he here? Had he followed her? But why? Had she been exposed?
No… that didn’t seem right. If she had been exposed, Xiao Jingyao wouldn’t be keeping his distance he would have already sent his men to seize her.
Then why was he following them? Was he simply here for a boat ride?
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Ying Mountain Lake was breathtaking, surrounded by water on all sides. If someone wanted a private place to discuss matters or share secrets, a boat on the lake would be the perfect location—no risk of eavesdroppers. Given Xiao Jingyao’s personality, it was entirely possible that he was here for that reason.
But this time, Yu Shu’s guess was completely wrong.
She had originally planned to have the boatman steer them somewhere else, farther away from Xiao Jingyao’s boat. But no matter where they rowed, his boat followed, keeping a steady distance—not too close, yet never too far. It felt intentional, almost deliberate, and it completely ruined her mood for enjoying the lake’s scenery.
“We’re heading back,” Yu Shu said, instructing Qingli to tell the boatman to return to shore.
But the moment they turned back, Xiao Jingyao’s boat did the same, shadowing them all the way to the dock.
Once they reached land, Yu Shu had truly had enough. Even the most patient person had their limits, and she was no exception. What was Xiao Jingyao trying to pull by following her like this? If she was doomed either way, she might as well face it head-on!
Turning around, she fixed her gaze on Xiao Jingyao and Wei Zhuo as they stepped off their boat. With a mocking smile, she said, “Oh, so it was you tailing me this whole time? Last time, you told me not to follow you. Well, now I’m returning those exact words—stop following me! Or deal with the consequences!”
Having thrown caution to the wind, Yu Shu boldly confronted Xiao Jingyao, not caring how he might react. If this was the end for her, so be it—at least she wouldn’t go down cowering.
And to her surprise, it felt liberating. Unlike the first time she had lashed out at him at Fahua Temple—when she had been overwhelmed with nerves and fear—this time, she felt nothing but satisfaction, as if she had finally regained the upper hand. No longer would she let Xiao Jingyao intimidate her.
“We’re leaving.”
Yu Shu grabbed Qingli’s hand and strode off without sparing Xiao Jingyao a single glance. She didn’t look back, not even once.
Hurry! Faster!
The last thing she needed was for Xiao Jingyao to come to his senses and cause trouble. Pulling Qingli along, she quickened her pace, practically flying toward the carriage. The moment they climbed in, she ordered the driver, “Go! Don’t stop for even a second!”
“Master, should I follow them?” Wei Zhuo offered.
“No need,” Xiao Jingyao said, watching as the carriage disappeared down the street. He hadn’t ordered his men to stop them not because the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, but because he had bigger plans in mind.
The Ninth Princess of Xijiang was a walking enigma. Every time he left the palace in disguise, she somehow managed to “coincidentally” run into him. Then there was the strange symbol she had left behind, not to mention the glimpse of her delicate chin on the lake just moments ago. One coincidence could be just that—a coincidence. But too many? That was something else entirely.
True to his nature, Xiao Jingyao had already made up his mind. He would investigate the Ninth Princess and uncover exactly who she was working with. Until he caught the real mastermind, she was nothing more than bait. He wouldn’t act rashly and risk alerting the enemy. Instead, he would make her believe she had hooked him, that he was interested in her—so much so that he was falling into her trap.
And then, he would wait.
He wanted to see just how far she and her people were willing to go.
…..
The steady clop-clop of hooves echoed along the streets as the carriage moved farther and farther away from Ying Mountain Lake.
Yu Shu cautiously lifted the curtain and peeked out, scanning the road behind them. No sign of Xiao Jingyao’s carriage.
Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Yu Shu couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. That scolding she gave Xiao Jingyao just now had been so satisfying. If she had known it would feel this good, she would have cursed him out way more often in the past instead of holding back. Enduring it had only wronged herself!
“You seem to be in a great mood, Princess,” Qingli remarked, noticing the bright smile on Yu Shu’s face. Her dimples made her look even more charming.
Yu Shu’s lips curled even higher, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress her grin. “Of course! Today was a great day—I had fun, I ate well.” And she got to vent her frustration. What wasn’t to love?
Come to think of it, it had been ages since she had felt this carefree. Not since Dayan fell.
Life was hard—too many burdens to bear.
As the carriage passed Baiwei Zhai, Yu Shu suddenly remembered the pastries Lian Sheng had bought for her a few days ago. The flavors were exquisite, and sometimes, even waiting in line wasn’t enough to get them. Back when she was still the Ninth Princess of Dayan, she would often ask Xiao Jingyao to bring her pastries from outside the palace.
But Xiao Jingyao was such an infuriating, self-important man. Out of ten times she asked him to buy pastries, at least seven or eight times, he’d claim he was too busy—too busy to stand in line, too busy to listen to her requests, too busy to bring her anything at all. Every time, it made Yu Shu so mad her teeth itched with frustration. She wanted nothing more than to grab his arm and bite him—just a little payback for his indifference.
But anger was one thing. Actually biting him? She could never bring herself to do it. And besides, his arms were all muscle—she had tried once before. It was like biting into a rock.
Then, on the rare occasion that Xiao Jingyao did bring her pastries or did something to make her happy, all her frustration would instantly vanish. She’d forgive him completely, not holding a single grudge, and go right back to clinging to him. With a sweet smile, she’d call out, “Jingyao-gege,” pestering him for this and that, as if he had never annoyed her in the first place.
Of course, most of the time, he stuck to his usual excuse—he was too busy. If he wasn’t running errands for the Crown Prince, he was following his marquis father everywhere. He rarely had the time or patience to humor her.
So Yu Shu had no choice—whenever she got the chance, she would follow him around, chasing after his footsteps, always running after him. And no matter how much she tried, she never seemed able to catch up.
Later, when Dayan fell, it was Xiao Jingyao who led the army that stormed the palace. At that moment, Yu Shu felt as if the sky itself had collapsed.
The people she had known since childhood were no longer the same, and neither was she. She had thought about dying for her country—truly, she had. Those who served her had begged her to flee while she still had the chance.
But in the end, she was a step too late.
Xiao Jingyao captured her and placed her under house arrest in Anyi Palace…
**