The Zhu family's daughter repays kindness
After finally rushing down the mountain, Yuanyi didn't see Su Mei by the horse carriage. His heart skipped a beat as he felt something was amiss. Suppressing his shock and worry, he asked the several women guarding the carriage: "Have you seen Su Mei?"
Predictably shaking her head, Yuan Yi's heart sank a little, disregarding her dignity, she hastily lifted her skirt and fled in the direction of Su Mei.
As expected, in a secluded place, the faint sound of Zhang Zhonghuan and a group of men's flirtatious laughter came through, interspersed with women's cries and sobbing sounds. Yuan Yi's eyes turned red with rage, and unprecedented anger and hatred surged up in his heart. He picked up a wooden stick as thick as an arm from the ground and rushed in to fight those scoundrels without hesitation.
Just a few steps away, a horizontally stretched arm blocked her path, and it was Xiao Heng who had been following behind. With anger burning in his head, Yuan Yi didn't have much rationality to speak of, pointing the wooden sword at his neck, saying in a cold voice: "Get out of my way."
Xiao Heng's sword-like eyebrows rose, and he used his folding fan to push open the wooden stick, shaking his head in disapproval. "This elegant matter of risking one's life for a beauty is not something that should be done by a mere woman like you, lest it tarnish my reputation. Fourth Young Miss only needs to wait for a moment, I will definitely rescue your maid completely unscathed."
Finally, he threw a glance at Yuan Yi before swaggering inside.
Until Xiao Heng's back disappeared from view, Yuan Yi's lost sanity gradually returned, the wooden stick in her hand fell to the ground with a loud crack, rolled several times, and finally got stuck between the trees without moving again. Such a nightmare was like a chronic illness that clung to her bones, even if she were reborn, it was still branded deep within her soul, never freed.
Her slender fingers stroked her face, sharp fingernails scratching the delicate skin, bringing a slight stinging sensation. This visage that had haunted her for two lifetimes made her feel an urge to destroy it.
"What are you doing!" A low male voice suddenly sounded, and when she came to her senses, she found that her hand was tightly grasped in Xiao Heng's. His usual frivolous peach blossom eyes now looked exceptionally deep and mysterious, as if filled with the vastness of the night sky. But this gaze only lasted for an instant, his peach blossom eyes quickly filling with flowing light, the corners of his eyes hooking up into a smile: "Fourth Lady's actions just now were truly misleading." His line of sight paused on the faint red mark on her face, becoming subtly darker.
When he heard the title of "nose on face", Yuan Yi frowned, but didn't say much. He broke free from his grip and quickly walked to the person behind her, checking her all over to see that she was only disheveled and hadn't come to any harm. He let out a sigh of relief, but still asked anxiously, "Su Mei, are you okay?"
Su Mei's face, still bearing tears, flashed a hint of fear and lingering fright, then she looked at Xiao Heng with gratitude and choked out: "Fortunately, Master Xiao arrived in time, I'm fine, no need for Miss to worry."
He felt a pang in his heart, and pulled her into his arms, saying hoarsely: "Foolish girl." As he sensed the gentle tone of his own girl's voice, Su Mei suddenly burst into tears.
Xiao Heng stood quietly by the side, watching them with a deep master-servant relationship, folding his fan slowly and knocking it against his palm, his eyes quiet and still, lost in thought.
After the master and servant finished tidying up, Yuan Yi led Su Mei to bow to Xiao Heng, "Thank you, Mr. Xiao, for your rescue. This kindness will be remembered by Fourth Madame, and she will definitely repay it in the future."
