Chapter 25 The cloak cascaded down like a curtain, solemn and imposing…

Xie Chengyan withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping over her deliberately lowered eyes, pausing for a moment before asking, "Why aren't you with Wen Lang?"

Shen Xi blinked and said casually, "I'm late, I haven't seen Erlang yet, I was just about to go look for him."

"No need to look anymore."

Before the words were even finished, Xie Chengyan slightly lifted his eyelids and with just one glance accurately caught the figure mixed in with the crowd. His features were refined and elegant, and every little movement he made exuded nobility.

The corners of her eyes were gently pressed down, as if she was forcibly suppressing something.

Shen Xi secretly bit her lower lip.

She knew Xie Wenlang was nearby, of course, but Chu Yi was with him. If she were to bump into him rashly, it would only make everyone feel awkward, so it was better to avoid trouble altogether.

Therefore, when facing Xie Chengyan, she still tried her best to find an excuse, saying understandingly, "There are too many people right now, and it's all pushing and shoving. Why don't we go over later?"

"The more people there are, the more we should walk together."

Xie Chengyan's noise stood out clearly in the bustling city, cold and indifferent, exuding a chill. He rejected Shen Xi's refusal with just a simple sentence.

Seeing that she stood still and refused to move, he was not annoyed. He reached out from under his cloak with his long, slender fingers and gestured for her to come.

He may seem gentle, but when he speaks, there is an undeniable air of authority about him.

Shen Xi closed her eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

Meeting Xie Chengyan was truly the biggest calamity of the day; in his presence, all excuses seemed to have nowhere to hide.

Shen Xi was somewhat afraid of him, but she could only force a stiff smile and follow his lead, blending into the crowd and slowly walking towards Xie Wenlang.

But she was still reluctant, and Shen Xi walked very slowly, each step seeming like she was dragging out the time.

This little thought naturally did not escape Xie Chengyan's notice. He smiled slightly, but the smile vanished in an instant. He did not urge her, but instead followed Shen Xi at a leisurely pace, keeping her away from the bustling pedestrians.

When they got closer, and were only ten steps away from the two figures, Xie Wenlang's voice could be heard faintly.

"Do you know what things are fashionable among women in the capital lately?"

Chu Yi's eyes lit up: "Wangxianlou recently launched a new wine that's smooth on the palate. It's perfect for tonight, how about..."

Xie Wenlang shook his head and interrupted before she could finish, saying, "Wine? That won't do. Xi'er has a low alcohol tolerance; she'll get drunk after just one glass of fruit wine. How can we give her that?"

Chu Yi paused, blinked, and asked blankly, "What... are you talking about Shen Xi?"

Xie Wenlang replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, I wanted to give her some gifts but didn't know what to give. I happened to run into you, so I asked around to find out what your daughter likes these days."

Chu Yi gave a very faint snort, her voice filled with utter reluctance: "It seems you two have a very deep relationship."

Xie Wenlang, oblivious to Chu Yi's emotions, shyly stroked his neck, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said proudly, "My relationship with Xi'er goes beyond just friendship."

"What a pity, now that you mention it, I'd like to have a proper talk with her."

Chu Yi's smile vanished instantly.

Xie Wenlang did not understand the deeper meaning. He took the rabbit lantern he had won from the vendor and examined it closely.

“There’s nothing to regret, you’ll see her tonight. By the way, she’s still waiting for me to win this lantern back for her. I’ll go find her first, and we can talk later.”

Having said that, he waved his hand, carrying the exquisite rabbit lantern, and was about to leave.

Chu Yi immediately became anxious and hurriedly called out to him to stop.

"Oh, didn't Miss Shen tell you?"

Upon hearing that it was related to Shen Xi, Xie Wenlang indeed stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What did you say?"

Chu Yi moved gracefully, her expression unchanged, and said, "I just happened to see this Miss Chen when I came over, but she looked familiar and I didn't have a chance to speak with her. From her conversation with the maid beside her, it seems that something else has come up and she has to go back early."

"Why didn't Xi'er mention having anything to do today?"

Xie Wenlang was surprised to hear this, and subconsciously glanced around, his gaze naturally turning toward the direction where Shen Xi and Xie Chengyan were standing.

Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat. It didn't matter that Chu Yi's lie had been exposed, but how could she explain that Chu Yi was now traveling side by side with Xie Chengyan?

Just before she was discovered, Xie Chengyan took a step forward and stood in front of Shen Xi, turning his back to her. His cloak draped down his broad shoulders like a curtain, completely obscuring her.

In an instant, Xie Chengyan's aura surged forth with overwhelming force and extreme aggression, encroaching upon every inch of the surrounding space and tightly enveloping her.

Shen Xi instantly recalled him from her nightly dreams, and on the winter solstice, on Chengyang Mountain, he had once again helped her in an irresistible yet reassuring way.

There is depravity, there is restraint, there is alienation.

But every single one of them is Xie Chengyan.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked up and met his deep, dark eyes. He lowered his gaze, and the fiery lights reflected in them, twinkling with starlight.

However, the light did not reach deep within, and the depths of his eyes remained as dark as ink.

He was looking down at her, and only at her, his expression calm and undisturbed, as if he had done something as simple as serving tea or water.

Shen Xi was momentarily distracted, but subconsciously realized that Xie Chengyan seemed a little different tonight.

Over there, Xie Wenlang couldn't find Shen Xi, so he called over the servant he had sent to wait by her side to ask.

"What happened? Where is Xi'er?"

“Miss Shen just arrived, but she disappeared in the blink of an eye. She must have…” The servant was about to continue when he glanced at the Fifth Princess’s face and changed his words, “She did go back. Miss Shen has never liked such bustling places.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Wenlang was already 80% convinced. He was somewhat disappointed and reached out to tug at the rabbit lantern, only to see the light and shadow spinning leisurely in mid-air.

"Is that so? It seems I didn't think it through. Well then, I'll go to the Shen residence and give her this lantern first."

After saying that, she made a move to leave, but Chu Yi refused: "It's just a lantern, why do you need to deliver it yourself? Besides, Miss Shen has something to do when she goes back, and she may not have time to see you. Why don't we let the servants run the errand, and we can wander around some more?"

Xie Wenlang thought of the recent events in the Shen family. His elder brother was unwell, so Shen Xi probably wouldn't be in the mood. He didn't need to bother her anymore and make her waste her energy playing with him.

So he was persuaded and stopped insisting, handing the item to the servant: "Take good care of it, and tell Xi'er that I won it especially for her."

In the short time it took him to give instructions to his servant, Chu Yi gave his guard a wink.

Having served this little tyrant for so long, the guards naturally understood the meaning behind it. They moved at the sound in an instant, hiding in the crowd and starting to search for the person all over the street.

The person they were desperately searching for was currently being gently protected in Xie Chengyan's arms.

Hearing Xie Wenlang and Chu Yi's conversation fade into the distance, Shen Xi wanted to peek out, but was stopped by a whisper from above.

"Don't move."

Shen Xi looked up in puzzlement, while Xie Chengyan's eyes were calm, but his peripheral vision was slightly slanted backward.

Only after his reminder did she notice some menacing figures around her. Combining this with what Chu Yi had just said, she guessed what was going on and subconsciously hid herself inside Xie Chengyan's cloak.

Her gaze lowered, inadvertently sweeping over Xie Chengyan's wide sleeves, where a hint of red was faintly visible.

Bright and eye-catching.

The style didn't seem to belong to him, yet it looked strangely familiar.

A hint of doubt arose in her mind, but Shen Xi's attention was currently occupied with how to hide, so she didn't delve into it.

In this way, the two were less than half a step apart.

Shen Xi did not notice anything unusual.

Xie Chengyan could clearly feel her slightly rapid breathing due to nervousness, lightly brushing against his chest, and her Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.

His eyes darkened, and he immediately turned slightly to the side, completely obscuring her with his body.

After a long while, a deep voice came from above.

"Should we still go see him?"

Shen Xi's gaze was somewhat blank as she stared intently at the intricate and elegant patterns on Xie Chengyan's clothes, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

See?

Of course, they wouldn't see him, or perhaps they didn't dare to.

She hadn't forgotten how Chu Yi treated Chu Tingshuang at Chengyang Mountain that day. This fifth princess was spoiled and domineering, and if she treated her sisters like that, how much more so would she, a concubine's daughter from a humble family?

For her to appear before Chu Yi now is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, or a moth flying into a flame.

Ultimately, it was her own mediocrity and cowardice that made her unable to oppose the imperial power behind Chu Yi. She dared not stand up and expose Chu Yi, and could only hide in a corner protected by Xie Chengyan like a turtle in its shell, remaining indifferent.

Chu Yi's feelings for Xie Wenlang were too obvious, and Shen Xi could see it, of course. But Chu Yi was in love with Xie Wenlang, so what should she and he do?

Is it just because Xie Wenlang likes it?

But affection is too fragile, not even enough to withstand a lie from Chu Yi.

Shen Xi shook her head: "Gone..."

The voice was very soft, and it sounded quite pitiful.

But in Xie Chengyan's eyes, this expression looked like that of someone who had lost their soul, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, and a ripple of emotion suddenly appeared.

She could even suppress such resentment for Xie Wenlang's sake. Did she really like him that much?

But that person couldn't even tell whether a sentence was true or false, letting Chu Yi spout nonsense and humiliate her in front of her, and in the end, she was still oblivious and went to the lantern festival with others.

"I should go back now."

Shen Xi didn't notice Xie Chengyan's cold and indifferent expression. She turned away with mixed feelings, unwilling to stay any longer.

But before she could take a step, Xie Chengyan, taking advantage of his size, stepped forward and blocked her way.

Shen Xi paused, looking up in surprise. The dim light cast his shadow, vaguely enveloping her.

Without thinking much, she moved a few steps to the side, but Xie Chengyan followed closely behind and blocked her way again. After several attempts, she still couldn't get through.

Shen Xi frowned slightly, her tone softening, but still tinged with a hint of reproach: "Brother?"

Xie Chengyan's gaze pressed down heavily, showing no intention of yielding. Shen Xi took a deep breath, steadied herself, and said, "Thank you for your help earlier, brother. However, we should avoid suspicion between us right now..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Chengyan suddenly took a step forward, instantly shortening the distance between them.

He interrupted her without room for argument, staring at her with unusual calm, and asked, word by word, "Why do you say you want to avoid suspicion? There are so many people at the lantern festival. We just happened to meet and were walking together, that's all. If you're sincere, what are you afraid of?"

The tone is very light, but the strong sense of pressure within it cannot be ignored.

When he questioned her like that, Shen Xi belatedly realized what was happening.

She and Xie Chengyan only met by chance, so why should she avoid suspicion?

Why did she feel guilty when Xie Wenlang looked at her just now? Why did her first reaction be to avoid him?

Xie Chengyan took another step forward, his tall figure completely covering her, his brows lowered, silently exuding a chilling aura.

The gaze was so intense that Chen Xi's eyes trembled slightly. He took two steps back and turned his eyes away slightly: "Brother..."

“Brother? My mother never gave birth to a sister for me.”

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Author's Note: Starting tomorrow, updates will resume at 9 PM! [droopy-eared rabbit head]