Chapter 100: "You Calm Down!

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: "You Calm Down!

It’s just that fate never gave him a chance. That was all.

If fate had given him a chance, then on the very day of her rebirth, Xie Jinbai wouldn’t have appeared outside the carriage, overheard her words, and become suspicious of her identity.

If fate had given him a chance, she would have held onto her hatred for how he’d paraded his new concubine—the act that led to her own tragic death—and would never, ever have forgiven him.

Instead of what was happening now.

Their engagement was already set.

And yet they still had to...

To find hope after despair, only to be plunged back into despair after a moment of joy—the feeling was just too agonizing.

The atmosphere inside the carriage grew heavy.

Cui Lingyao felt uneasy as well.

She felt a pang of guilt.

’She shouldn’t feel guilty, though.’

’But perhaps it was because he was too sincere, too good.’

’Or perhaps it was because he had always treated her with the utmost respect.’

His attitude put her at ease, which in turn made her feel guilty.

Amid the silence, the carriage passed through the city gates and onto the smooth main road. At the rear of their procession, another carriage followed discreetly.

When the sun reached its zenith, the carriage stopped at an inn.

They hadn’t been long out of the Capital City, so the areas along the road were still prosperous enough for them to dine at an inn. After a few more days of travel, they would likely have to make do with a simple lunch on the road.

Even so, the inn’s fare was incredibly coarse, a far cry from the refined cuisine of the Duke Mansion.

Cui Lingyao entered the inn, completely unaware that the carriage at the rear of the procession had also come to a halt.

Both she and Shen Tingyu were strikingly attractive. Though they had deliberately dressed in simple, low-key attire, they couldn’t conceal their inherent noble air. The other patrons in the inn, having rarely laid eyes on such personages, could only stare in awe.

The moment Xie Jinbai stepped out of his carriage and looked up, he saw them ascending the stairs side by side.

The admiring whispers of the other patrons filled his ears.

Praising what a perfect couple they were, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

Hearing this, Xie Jinbai’s jaw tightened, and he ground his teeth with an audible CRUNCH.

’What in the world was he thinking? He’d watched her share a carriage with another man, and now here he was, tailing them like some pathetic fool.’

’And now he had to watch her and that man head to a private room for a meal, all while accepting the admiration of onlookers.’

A wave of bitter agony twisted Xie Jinbai’s expression for a fleeting moment.

Behind him, Liu Yue and Liu Rong exchanged a glance.

Liu Yue stepped forward and spoke in a low voice, "Your well-being is paramount. Please, do not get angry. How about... I go and..."

Liu Yue had spent the entire morning watching his master, who was beside himself with rage yet dared not make a single rash move, forcing himself to endure it through gritted teeth. Liu Yue was shocked that his master had finally found a woman who caught his eye, but he also found the situation utterly baffling.

’With his master’s status, why did he need to put himself through such misery?’

’If he’s taken a fancy to a woman and she refuses, he should just take her by force.’

’Whether she becomes a wife or a concubine, it would only take a single command from him.’

’She’s merely a young lady from the Duke Mansion. If he were to take her, would Duke Shen actually dare to demand justice? As if!’

’And even if he did, what did his master have to fear?’

Liu Yue was about to suggest taking action himself, but Xie Jinbai cut him off.

’He had wronged her, and she still hadn’t forgiven him.’

’He had finally gotten her to agree to call off the engagement once she returned from Pingzhou. Everything was gradually improving.’

Under these circumstances, Xie Jinbai was truly unwilling to do anything that might displease her.

Taking a person by force was simple. But having tasted the sweetness of mutual love, he wanted her heart along with her.

’Even if her love for him was but a faint whisper.’

’He still wanted it.’

...

Cui Lingyao was completely unaware of what was happening below. She and Shen Tingyu entered a private room and had a simple lunch.

After a brief, fifteen-minute rest, they would have to set off again.

Everything was on a tight schedule. If they didn’t want to end up sleeping in the wilderness, they couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.

The servants bustled about—some relieving themselves, some grabbing a meal, and others feeding the horses.

Having been cooped up in the carriage all morning, Cui Lingyao felt stiff and sore. She decided to walk around a bit to stretch her legs.

With something on her mind, she stretched her arms and legs while carefully surveying her surroundings.

Her gaze finally settled on the carriage at the rear of their procession.

It was a very ordinary, unremarkable carriage.

There were countless carriages just like it in front of the inn.

What made Cui Lingyao’s eyes fix on it was the person standing beside the carriage.

Liu Yue.

He used to be one of Xie Jinbai’s personal guards, just like Li Yong, and his martial prowess was unfathomable.

Later, when Xie Jinbai took charge of the Yulin Guards, he had, with a wave of his hand, installed Liu Yue in the position of Deputy Commander.

’It’s been three years since I’ve seen him,’ she thought. ’I wonder if he’s been promoted from deputy to full commander yet.’ ℯℯ𝑙.

In any case, this was one of Xie Jinbai’s most trusted men, someone who was normally so busy he never stopped moving. Yet here he was, back to his old job as a bodyguard.

’It just goes to show how severe his injuries must be, for him to need Liu Yue protecting him personally.’

Cui Lingyao knew that with the old Emperor’s health failing and the struggle for succession reaching a fever pitch, a man of his status should not have left the Capital City so easily.

Especially after three years of campaigning across the land, he had become a thorn in the side of the various border tribes, a major threat they were desperate to eliminate.

Recuperating in the Capital City, right under the Emperor’s nose, no one would dare to make a move against him.

But the moment he left the capital, he was exposing himself to danger.

There were far too many people who wanted to take advantage of his injury to end his life.

And yet, despite such a severe injury, he had insisted on leaving the capital to accompany her to Pingzhou.

The instant Cui Lingyao’s gaze fell upon him, Liu Yue suddenly whipped his head around to look at her.

Upon seeing it was her, the sharpness in his eyes softened for a moment. He tilted his head, said something to the carriage beside him, and a corner of the curtain was quickly lifted.

A familiar, stern face appeared in the opening.

The sunlight was harsh, and he was a long way off.

But somehow, Cui Lingyao could still make out the deep darkness swirling in his eyes.

He was unhappy.

Very unhappy.

And yet, for some reason, he was suppressing his anger and hadn’t approached her.

He had only looked over after she had spotted him, as if seizing the opportunity.

Cui Lingyao froze for a second. Just as she was about to pretend she hadn’t seen him and turn away, a voice called out from behind her.

Liu Yue had approached without her noticing. He bowed with his hands clasped and said, "Miss Pei, my master requests your presence."

Cui Lingyao was speechless.

She glanced at Liu Yue, then at the carriage behind him, its curtain now lowered. After a quick mental calculation of their remaining rest time, she lifted her foot and swiftly boarded the carriage.

She had barely leaned inside when a hand cinched tight around her waist, and in the next instant, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

"Finally decided to remember I exist?"

The man’s voice, low and simmering with displeasure, erupted by her ear. "How does it feel, riding alone in a carriage with him?"

He held her too tightly, too desperately. Caught off guard, Cui Lingyao instinctively tried to push him away. Her hands were already pushing against him when the thought of his injuries flashed through her mind, and her movements inexplicably halted.

She steadied herself, placed her hands on his shoulders, and gave a gentle push. "Let go of me first."

"No," Xie Jinbai paid her no mind, burying his face in her neck and madly drinking in her scent. He spoke through gritted teeth, "If you hadn’t come up just now, I was about to resort to kidnapping."

’He absolutely would have done it.’

’He was at his limit.’

The way his head moved against the crook of her neck felt like he wanted to devour her alive.

She was wearing a cross-collared top for travel, but in the summer, the fabric was thin and light...

Remembering the reason why she hadn’t been able to wear a single chest-high gown out of the house during their three years of marriage, the color drained from Cui Lingyao’s face. She grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him back. "Get a hold of yourself!"