Chapter 26 [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Contact.

Yu Jing felt she had overstepped her bounds and quickly withdrew her hand. Xie Xuan had told her not to make a sound, so she didn't say anything. Xie Xuan also felt a little awkward, straightened his hand holding the umbrella, and the two continued walking.

Perhaps because her skirt was wet and a little heavy, Yu Jing's steps were a bit slow, and Xie Xuan followed slowly beside her.

After a while, the light gradually came on. Through the gauze curtain, Yu Jing could vaguely see a small door with two lanterns lit underneath it, and someone guarding it.

Upon seeing him, Yu Jing felt inexplicably nervous and glanced at Xie Xuan through the gap in the gauze curtain. Xie Xuan stood beside her, holding an umbrella, his expression indifferent, which immediately calmed Yu Jing's heart.

A rustling sound came from the nearby bushes, but it was muffled by the sound of rain and not very clear. After a while, a dark, furry ball crawled out of the bushes.

Yu Jing's heart had just calmed down a little when she felt a movement near her left foot. Looking down, she saw a dark blob. Before she could think further, she jumped to the side in fright. Her movement wasn't big, but in her panic, she forgot that Xie Xuan was right beside her. The brim of her veil touched Xie Xuan's shoulder, causing her to stumble and the veil to fall to the ground. Yu Jing's hair also came loose, her long black hair hanging down. Seeing the veil fall, Yu Jing hurriedly reached out to pick it up.

In that instant, Xie Xuan saw the two guards at the small gate turn to look at the sound. Turning their heads, they saw Yu Jing bending down to pick up her veil. With a swift movement, Xie Xuan pulled Yu Jing into his arms with one hand.

When Xie Xuan's hand loosely embraced Yu Jing's waist, Yu Jing's mind went blank. She stood frozen in place, her nose filled with the fragrance of her own clothes and a faint, crisp scent of rain-soaked grass and trees. She couldn't tell if it came from her surroundings or from Xie Xuan. The space under the oil-paper umbrella was cramped and narrow. She could vaguely hear the patter of raindrops on the umbrella and the pounding of Xie Xuan's heart like a drum.

A soft "meow!" broke the silence.

"Don't be afraid, it's a cat." Xie Xuan whispered, knowing it was inappropriate to call Yu Jing by name in front of outsiders.

Yu Jing nodded gently, her breath tickling Xie Xuan's ear, making his ears turn bright red. He glanced down at the veiled hat lying on the ground; its veil was soaked, and even if he picked it up, he couldn't wear it anymore.

"You hold the umbrella for me," Xie Xuan's low, husky voice reached Yu Jing's ears.

"Okay." Yu Jing responded softly, lowered her head, took a small step back, and reached out to take the umbrella Xie Xuan handed her.

Xie Xuan took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "My apologies."

Yu Jing was caught off guard by these words and hadn't even had time to react before she was lifted into the air and lifted up. She was still in a daze, her hands unconsciously gripping the handle of the oil-paper umbrella tightly.

"Open the umbrella higher, and... move closer."

Xie Xuan's voice rang out above her head, and Yu Jing did as she was told. The sound of Xie Xuan's heartbeat became clearer and clearer. "Thump thump thump!" It was rapid and urgent, one beat after another!

When the two guards under the small gate looked over, they saw Xie Xuan whispering intimately with a woman, and then Xie Xuan picked her up and carried her towards them.

Xie Xuan and Yu Jing walked to the small gate. Yu Jing's hair was already loose, and now it was leaning against Xie Xuan's chest, so her face was completely hidden. Xie Xuan's face was also mostly obscured by the umbrella; they could only see half of his face, but his jawline was very distinct, and even from that half, they could sense a sharp and flamboyant air about him.

"My wife is shy, please open the door for me," Xie Xuan said.

"Oh, okay!" one of the guards quickly responded and went to open the door.

The door opened, and Xie Yi, who had been waiting outside, was surprised to see Xie Xuan carrying a woman out. He exclaimed in astonishment, "Young Master!"

"Thank you both, Xie Yi." Xie Xuan didn't respond, but just mentioned it. Xie Yi understood, reached into his sleeve and took out the silver from his sleeve, handed it over, and said with a smile, "Thank you both, brothers."

The two guards exchanged a glance, smiled, and took the silver Xie Yi offered, saying, "Not at all, it's just what we should do."

Xie Xuan carried Yu Jing straight to the carriage. As they were about to enter, Yu Jing was still holding her umbrella, making it inconvenient for Xie Xuan to carry her. Just then, Xie Yi returned after giving them the money and reached for the umbrella. Feeling another force, Yu Jing, unaware of what was happening, instinctively didn't let go.

Xie Xuan lowered his head and saw Yu Jing nestled in his arms, her hands gripping the umbrella tightly. He couldn't help but smile and said reassuringly, "It's alright."

Yu Jing came to her senses, let go of her hand, and recalled Xie Xuan calling her "wife" earlier, her face turning quite red.

Xie Yi took the umbrella and saw a woman wearing the clothes Xie Xuan had asked him to prepare. She was burying her head in Xie Xuan's chest, very intimately. Although he didn't know who this woman was, or why Xie Xuan was behaving so intimately with her, and why they were in the same carriage... he knew that this was not something he could ask.

Xie Xuan carried Yu Jing into the carriage. The carriage was spacious and lit, and as soon as they entered, all outside noise was shut out. Xie Xuan carefully placed Yu Jing on the carriage seat. There was no one else around, and everything was isolated. Yu Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

While feeling relieved, I also felt a little embarrassed, after all, just now...

After Xie Xuan and Yu Jing left, the two guards whispered among themselves.

"Hey, which important person do you think this is? They're being so cautious, I haven't even seen their face yet."

"If your clothes get wet, just ask the steward in the manor for another set. Why bother going through the back door and doing this? I bet it's some shady business!"

"You mean!" The other person's eyes lit up when he heard the other person say that, and he asked back.

“Hey, we’ve already taken their money, so it’s best not to say anything. Judging from that young master’s appearance, he must be rich or noble. If we offend someone important, we might be in deep trouble.”

“That’s true, that’s true.” The other person nodded in agreement.

Both of their faces turned red. Xie Xuan knelt down and whispered his apology, "The matter was urgent just now, and I overstepped my bounds. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"It's alright, get up," Yu Jing replied softly, turning her head slightly away.

Xie Xuan sat down in the seat next to him, and the carriage slowly began to move. The sound of the rain outside was muffled by the carriage. Although the carriage was large, the soft breathing of the two people could still be heard. With each breath, each rise and fall, Yu Jing felt as if time had frozen, passing extremely slowly.

Her clothes were quite wet, especially her calves. The wet clothes clung to her legs, cold and sticky, which was very uncomfortable. Suddenly remembering something, she glanced at Xie Xuan sitting in the corner. Xie Xuan's right side was mostly wet, the color a mix of dark purple and light purple, and the stray hairs at his temples were also wet and stuck to his temples. His jet-black hair, stuck to his temples, was very distinct.

Yu Jing hesitated for a long time, reaching into her sleeve to touch the handkerchief. Just as she was about to pull it out, she ultimately withdrew it. She was now the Empress Dowager; handing a handkerchief to Xie Xuan was ultimately against protocol.

The carriage swayed and rocked, and the sounds outside gradually rose up. It was probably passing the main gate of the Zheng residence. The noise started and then gradually subsided.

Finally, it was over. Yu Jing sighed deeply. After returning to the palace, Xie Xuan should also return to his residence. In a few days, he would go to Wanjiang Mountain to pray for blessings. Although he had been away from the capital for several months and the journey was tiring, it was better than this, filled with fear and anxiety.

After a while, the carriage slowed down. Yu Jing thought of something, reached into his sleeve, took out a token, and handed it to Xie Xuan.

Yu Jing had just touched the handkerchief to her sleeve. She was touching the token and didn't notice that the handkerchief had accidentally fallen to the ground.

Xie Xuan glanced at the token Yu Jing handed him, and accepted it without saying a word.

"Who goes there?" the palace guards asked sternly as they saw the carriage approaching.

Xie Yi calmly reined in his horse. Although he was not flustered, he didn't know how to explain it to the guards, as Xie Xuan had not given him any instructions.

"The palace gates are locked. No one may enter or leave without a token," the guard said warily, looking at Xie Yi who hadn't moved.

As soon as he finished speaking, a corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, and "thump, thump." The carriage shaft was knocked twice, the sound very crisp. Xie Yi turned around and saw something fly out from inside. Without thinking, he reached out and caught it.

Upon closer inspection, the token was made of pure gold, with a lifelike phoenix carved on it, its wings outstretched as if about to take flight. Xie Yi paused for a moment upon seeing the token, then handed it to the guard who had spoken earlier.

The night was dark, and the guard could not see clearly. He carried the oil lamp in his hand and walked closer. When he saw the token, he immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "It was my recklessness that offended you, sir. Please forgive me."

Xie Xuan did not respond. Xie Yi was also a sensible man. After the palace gates opened, he drove his carriage inside.

After the carriage had been traveling for a while, Xie Yi's voice came from outside: "Young Master, where are we going?"

Cining Palace.

Yu Jing left the palace without A Yu and the others knowing. If she were to return now, she would probably scare them to death. Thinking of this, Yu Jing softly called out, "Thank you, Your Excellency."

Xie Xuan turned around and met Yu Jing's gaze. The candlelight reflected in her eyes, flickering vividly. For some reason, Xie Xuan's heart stirred as well.

"Just take it to the corridor," Yu Jing continued.

Her voice was low, not as sharp as usual, but rather soft and gentle, like a sticky rice ball.

Xie Xuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he replied, "Okay."

Before he finished speaking, he said to the outside, "Just stop under the eaves."

"Yes," Xie Yi replied.

When the carriage stopped again, Yu Jing knew that they had probably arrived.

Xie Xuan opened his umbrella and helped Yu Jing down from the carriage. After Yu Jing dismounted, he said to Xie Xuan under the eaves, "Thank you, sir."

Having just seen the token, Xie Yi had roughly guessed who was inside, so when he saw Yu Jing, he bowed and greeted her.

"It is what this humble subject should do," Xie Xuan replied, then walked to Xie Yi's side, reached out his hand to Xie Yi, and Xie Yi handed the token to Xie Xuan.

Xie Xuan returned the token.

Worried about being seen, Yu Jing quickly said, "Sir, you may go back."

"Then this humble subject will take his leave." Xie Xuan bowed and climbed into the carriage.

Yu Jing watched the carriage disappear into the night, then stroked the token before her heart finally calmed down.