Edited by Tnyhy

“What happened?”

Shen Miao blanked out a little. In her view, this kind of slightly frivolous actions should be stopped with a stern voice, but she did not know why she actually replied honestly, “Just now when escaping, one was injured by a dagger.”

Xie Jing Xing swept a glance at her and threw her a porcelain bottle that he took out, “Apply the medication.”

Shen Miao received it without speaking more, she wanted to apply the medication but because she was entirely sitting on the floor, and because she had soaked in the ice cold lake for a long time, she was unable to employ any energy at all. Not to mention applying medication, even sitting up was difficult.

When Xie Jing Xing saw this, he walked over to her side and held shouldered her to the small couch in the cabin. Shen Miao had lived for two lifetimes and was not a little young lady who had her first awakening of love, so naturally she would not feel embarra.s.sed when they were alone. However she was wearing Xie Jing Xing’s large clothes and her fair shoulders were exposed, thus when the cold wind blowed, one was unsure if it was the cold or the discomfort, but a layer of gooseb.u.mps rose.

Without waiting for her to say anything, a warm thing covered her face and it practically buried her head. Shen Miao shook her head before discovering that what was on her body was Xie Jing Xing’s fox coat. That fox coat was warm and Shen Miao unconsciously wrapped it tighter around her, and only her small face was exposed as she looked at Xie Jing Xing without speaking. She truly looked somewhat like a little furry fox .

Xie Jing Xing felt somewhat funny, he got up and walked to the other side to take something unknown before squatting in front of Shen Miao, reaching out his hand to hold Shen Miao’s leg.

“What are you doing?” Shen Miao evaded and asked.

“If your injury is not treated, it will fester tomorrow.” Xie Jing Xing said, “You better not take advantage of me.”

Shen Miao, “…” This person’s words were really too annoying. What taking advantage of him? And to still say those words with a serious look, making Shen Miao want to simply ignore him. She said, “I will do it myself.”

“Alright.” Xie Jing Xing stood up without a second word, leaned against the counter and folded his hands around his chest as if he was watching the commotion from the side, “I will watch you do it.”

Shen Miao bent her body down but her hands were unable to hold the medicine bottle firmly. Previously when she was quarrelling with those two, she was thrown by the skinny tall one a few times so her whole body felt sore, thus at this moment her hands were trembling and could barely open the bottle and almost spilled everything out.

After struggling for half the time, she finally gave up but did not want to admit defeat to Xie Jing Xing, so she sat on the snow white fox coat and did not speak a single word as she stared at Xie Jing Xing.

Xie Jing Xing laughed out loud with a ‘chi’ sound and s.n.a.t.c.hed the bottle off Shen Miao"s hands before squatting down again. He held Shen Miao’s calf and casually said, “I am not a good person. If you want to act in a rage, one fear that you will have to gamble with your leg.”

Shen Miao stayed silent and did not utter a word.

Xie Jing Xing held her leg and slowly lifted the trousers up. His hands were cold and slender and they seemed to have the shallow callus that people who practiced martial arts had. When they rubbed against the soft and delicate skin, Shen Miao had a kind of an uncomfortable feeling, as if that piece of skin also started to heat up . In the next moment, because the clothes" materials were suddenly pulled off, it was so painful that Shen Miao almost cried out.

“The wound is somewhat deep.” Xie Jing Xing scrutinised it and said with a frown, “Why did you not say it before?”

“I did not think that you will be this good hearted.” Shen Miao said. She really did not think that Xie Jing Xing would be so kind hearted to apply medication for her. With their relations.h.i.+p as it was, it was considered as very thankful for Xie Jing Xing to have saved her life today. Such a profound thinking person was not one who was good, thus Shen Miao was unable to think of any reason for Xie Jing Xing to save her. That was why she was thinking to only deal with the leg injury when she get back to the Shen residence.

Xie Jing Xing got up and picked up the teapot from the side table, and poured out all the water inside before stretching his hand out of the boat to fill up a pot of water to boil at the furnace. He said, “Indeed I am not that good hearted but seeing that you have loyalty, one will be a good person.” Speaking till here, he raised his head and looked towards Shen Miao before saying, “People always said that Shen Xin is loyal and righteous, one did not expect that a little girl of the Shen family also understood loyalty and righteousness. Many thanks for not selling me out.”

He was half joking and half serious and Shen Miao did not explain that he had misunderstood it. At that time in such a situation, if one were to immediately say that the person in the secret chambers was Xie Jing Xing, then the two persons would immediately kill her. Who did not know about the stratagem of delaying the enemy, but since Xie Jing Xing thought that she did not say it due to loyalty and to make Xie Jing Xing felt that he owed her a personal favour, what was there against it? Thus Shen Miao did not intended to clarify the misunderstanding.

However, as Shen Miao thought with her head bowed, even if she had truly sold Xie Jing Xing out, with Xie Jing Xing’s ability, he could still retreat unscathed. Just now she had clearly heard that that two persons definitely had comrades around the vicinity, but now there was no movements at all. One could imagine whose hands had made it possible.

After a brief silence, the water in the pot started to boil. Xie Jing Xing tore a piece of cloth from the robe and soaked it with some hot water, and with one hand holding Shen Miao’s calf on his knee, his other hand was wiping the blood stains around the wound.

Shen Miao’s leg was almost in Xie Jing Xing’s embrace and was able to touch his ice cold lapel. The material was also cold and stiff as if it was his cold heart under the frivolous appearance. Shen Miao felt some discomfort and turned her head aside and her toes could not help but curled up. In the previous life, other than with Fu Xiu Yi, she had never been this close interacting with other males. Even with Fu Xiu Yi, upon recollection, there was more reservations as most of the time Fu Xiu Yi only left a ‘sovereign’ image with her, thus there was almost no males that she met during her youthful days.

Feeling that it was somewhat quiet, Shen Miao found a topic of conversation and asked, “Who were those people?

The ‘those people’ she was referring to were naturally the skinny tall one and his entourage. Even after hearing this, Xie Jing Xing did not say anything and after he wiped the dirty blood of her calf, he sprinkled the medicine powder and took out a handkerchief to bandage it for her. When he was doing all this, he had his head down and was very serious. His actions were also very proficient, as if bandaging a wound was a simple and familiar matter to him. The light in the boat was flickering and the lanterns in the Wan Li Lake shone brightly on his face. The youth’s handsome brows were so incredible that with such a l.u.s.trous short period, made one have a gentle illusion.

Even Shen Miao could not help but be slightly stumped for words. However this gentle illusion did not last very long as Xie Jing Xing put her leg down, and suddenly his hands were at Shen Miao’s side as he approached bullying. His face was so close in proximity and the peach shaped eyes were as if they were intoxicated as they looked over in a faint smile. It was clearly a casual move but was so forceful that it made one feel breathless.

Shen Miao calmly stared face to face at him, and Xie Jing Xing after staring at Shen Miao for a while, then let go of her hands and said lightly, “Knowing too much would not be good for you.”

“I do not want to know anything.” Shen Miao said, “Only hope that you will not implicate me.” When she said it, she felt somewhat vexed in her heart. She did not what was going on today, perhaps the incident was too sudden or perhaps because of her injury she felt irritated. Thus when facing Xie Jing Xing, it actually incited some of her little temper that was originally buried in her bones. Unknowingly, those venting of one’s anger at will and bickering temperament had been drawn out by Xie Jing Xing.

“As long as you know proper restraint, no one can implicate you.” Xie Jing Xing said. He tidied up the messy clothes on the boat and found a long pole to hang Shen Miao wet clothes to lightly dry.

“When can I leave?” Shen Miao asked.

“There are people outside watching so it would attract criticism if one were to leave now. Moreover with you and me together, one may falsely accuse me.” Xie Jing Xing’s words could still make one mad as before, “So for my innocence, when the boat dock, I will bring you to the Princess" residence. The Princess" residence’s people would send you back.”

Shen Miao was slightly startled, “Princess residence?”

“Princess Rong Xin.” Xie Jing Xing fiddled with the piece of charcoal, “She will help.”

Princess Rong Xin was also borne by the Late Emperor’s concubine, and even though she was not as doted as Princess Yu Qing, she was also one of the Late Emperor’s favourites. Among the children of the Late Emperor, Princess Yu Qing and Princess Rong Xin had the deepest sister relations.h.i.+p. When Princess Yu Qing married to the Marquis of Lin An, Princess Rong Xin married to the then Top Scorer of the Imperial Examinations, but unfortunately that Top Scorer died of an illness after a few years and Princess Rong Xin never remarried. She moved back to the Princess" residence and had been living as a widow for many years.

Thinking of Princess Yu Qing’s and Princess Rong Xin’s relations.h.i.+p, she would help Xie Jing Xing on this.

Shen Miao gratefully glanced at Xie Jing Xing. He actually thought longer term. Even if one were to think of ways to get the Shen family over, upon seeing them, a female and male alone with untidy clothes, one would inevitably thought more. With the Shen and Xie families relations.h.i.+p, who knew if it would be even more complicated in the future. With Princess Rong Xin stepping forth, it would be considered a good idea.

Hearing the sound of fireworks, Shen Miao was originally leaning against the boat window and looked out at the sound. In the dark skies of the Ding capital, the multiple colours on it were actually bright fireworks. As what Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang mentioned, the fireworks would not stop for the entire night and the mood was different when one watched with the surging crowd as when one watched on the quiet lake.

“You like to see these?” Xie Jing Xing raised his brows.

“I do not like it.” Shen Miao replied.

In Ming Qi’s Royal family"s annual banquet, the Emperor and concubines would have fun together and set off numerous fireworks in the Imperial Gardens. At that time she had just returned from the Qin country, and suddenly there was an additional Mei Furen in the Palace who had an unfailing of the Emperor. On the night of the banquet, Mei Furen and Fu Xiu Yi were at the Imperial Gardens drinking and having fun, while Shen Miao sat at Ku Ning Palace with Wan Yu and Fu Ming in company. When she alone saw the fireworks being discharged and disappear, that was the coldest fireworks she ever saw. But after that, she did not liked these things anymore.

“What so good to look at things that disappear in a fleeting moment. Visually attractive but useless appearance.” Her tone had a touch of extreme anger but her gaze was somewhat sad.

Xie Jing Xing glanced at her astonished and after some thought, got up and took something out from a cupboard. He walked over to Shen Miao’s side and handed something over to her.

“One do not know how long it would take for the boat to dock. Since today is the Jade Rabbit Festival, you should also make a lantern.” Xie Jing Xing said.

Shen Miao looked at the lanterns in her hands. Most likely it was left behind by the people who were having fun on the boat before, as candles had not been not place inside and it was folded flatly down. Looking towards the window, the surface of the Wan Li Lake was filled with lanterns and looked as if their boat was navigating a sea of night lights and the lake was the galaxy.

Without waiting for Shen Miao’s reply, Xie Jing Xing arranged one lantern first and after he was done, he placed it into the water. His action was indeed very casual. When Shen Miao saw it, she asked, “Why do you not write a note?”

A note is usually placed in the lanterns, and what was written was usually the wishes of the person who wrote it. As such the G.o.ds would be able to hear the prayers of the people, and would bless the person who set off the lantern to accomplish their wishes.

“I do not believe in G.o.ds.” Xie Jing Xing said lazily, “It is not worth the mention to write.”

Shen Miao thought for a moment and could not imagine with Xie Jing Xing having such a proud and domineering temperament, what kind of scene would it be if he were to seriously pray to the G.o.ds. She unfolded two lanterns but did not write any notes and also did not placed any candles on them, but instead lit the topmost petals up before placing them onto the lake.

The two lanterns burned from top to down, looking like two b.a.l.l.s of fire on the lake"s surface. Xie Jing Xing was startled as he asked, “This are lanterns to offer sacrifice to the dead. What are you doing?”

Lighting up the lanterns was providing an offering to give the death a lantern. In such a lively and bustling festival, Shen Miao actually came here to wors.h.i.+p the dead.

She did not care about Xie Jing Xing’s words, and only looked at the lanterns that were gradually swallowed by the flames and after a while, there were no more signs of the two lanterns.

With her rebirth, there were things that could be redone, but there were things that could not. For example Wan Yu and Fu Ming. In this lifetime, it was goodbye and farewell. There would not be a gentle and magnanimous Princess and a sensible and composed Crown Prince. (Translator heart aches for our Empress T.T) (Editor: )

A handkerchief was handed to Shen Miao. When she raised her head, Xie Jing Xing impatiently said, “Why cry again?”

Shen Miao touched her cheeks, unknowingly her cheeks had become wet. Most probably she was so overwhelmed with emotions that she did not know that her tears fell.

She took the handkerchief as Xie Jing Xing said, “You have some code of loyalty so in the future if one were to have any difficulty, one can come to look for me.”

The words without any rhyme or reason made Shen Miao stunned for a moment before she looked at Xie Jing Xing. The youth’s side profile was very serious and tall under the lights from the lake. He leaned against the window and looked towards Shen Miao and there was a complex look that flashed by but he said indifferently, “I do not like owing anyone favours. Today since you did not sell me out, I will not ill-treat you. Seeing the numerous trouble that you have stirred up, perhaps there will be a day when you will need my help. When that time comes, taking into consideration of today’s matter, I will lend a hand to help.”

Shen Miao said, “Then many thanks to Little Marquis.”

Xie Jing Xing smiled and suddenly turn his head to look at her and said with a ridiculing tone, “But helping is only helping, you better not fall in love with me.”

Shen Miao immediately laughed in anger as she said, “Little Marquis is thinking too much.”

“Really?” Xie Jing Xing walked over from the window and looked down condescending at Shen Miao who was sitting on the couch. He suddenly plucked the hairpin from Shen Miao’s hair and said thoughtfully, “Then why do you wear the hairpin ‘I’ gave you ?”

He actually emphasised the word ‘I’.