Chapter 46 Chapter 46 is so interesting.

She'd better not lie to him.

Xie Yun's downcast eyes said it all; his patience with her was limited.

The birds, cats and foxes locked in the cages were all looking at her quietly, waiting for her answer.

Zhang Jingxian was trapped in a shadow, his presence permeating every direction. She gasped for breath several times due to difficulty breathing before saying, "My dear, I just want to live a peaceful life."

"But you frighten me."

As soon as these words came out with a faint cry, Xie Yun's pupils shrank, and one hand was gently raised and then lowered.

"Are you afraid of me? But I didn't do anything to you."

Xie Yun's voice regained some warmth. He sincerely felt that the initial deception was harmless and she should forgive him after being angry for two days.

And then, exploiting human nature to push her to the forefront was simply to take her out of her cage and into the wider world. How could it be called cruel to let her be begged and pampered?

Revealing Wang Buluixing's existence and then abandoning her, leaving her to be besieged by the villagers, was the real calculation.

"Because our worlds are different, a grain of sand that my husband casually throws becomes a mountain upon my head." Zhang Jingxian took another breath and tried to straighten herself. "I don't want to end up with nothing left, so I must stay away from my husband."

Rejecting him and saying those words to Gong Chengyue were all done to draw a clear line between us.

"When Mr. Gongcheng called me "Little Madam" that day, I was terrified. I could only explain to him in even more decisive words that there was no possibility for a relationship between me and my husband."

It is a human instinct to want to survive. It seems understandable that she said the wrong thing and did the wrong thing because of fear.

Xie Yun stared at her stiff reaction for a long while, then raised his hand to wipe away a tear that was about to fall. He sucked it away without hesitation, and the sweet taste made him feel a little better.

The anger of being trampled on subsided a little, and he said to a peasant girl in a gentle voice, "I allow there to be a possibility between us, Ah Xian, you don't have to be afraid."

Zhang Jingxian froze and didn't respond to him.

Why would she step into the wrong path, knowing it was a fork in the road? Of course, one cannot make promises that one cannot keep.

So, she just explained to ease his anger.

But Xie Yun seemed to think that she was frightened and that was why she failed to respond in time. The tall figure moved closer, held her in his arms, and patted her back soothingly.

With every beat, Zhang Jingxian's breathing became more difficult.

"Now, can you let Xiaoli and the others go?" She spoke with difficulty, her eyes only able to see the dark patterns on his robe.

"I want to eat the fish that Ah Xian caught, and the wild fruits and vegetables that she picked herself." Xie Yun acted as if he didn't hear her request, and stated his request with a smile.

A tear and a cry of fear may be of some use, but they are still a long way from making him forget what she said that day: "It will never happen."

"Okay, I'll catch fish for you, and pick wild fruits and vegetables. As your guest, this is what I should do." Zhang Jingxian's tone was sincere. As soon as Xie Yun let go of her, she couldn't wait to lower her head and bend down.

They are now in a valley, where spicy vegetables are easy to find, and if you don't care about the taste, wild fruits can be found everywhere.

In a short while, she picked a lot of them.

It was just a little troublesome to catch the fish and it took quite a bit of time.

Gong Chengyue had already had lunch and had only caught two fish. Fortunately, they were of decent size, proving that guest Zhang Jingxian was not a useless person who only ate for free.

After the fish is cooked and stewed into soup with spicy vegetables, it is not until the afternoon that you can really enjoy it.

But Envoy Xie said nothing, so who could say anything?

Gong Chengyue waved his feather fan and placed a bug in front of the oriole in the cage, but the bird flapped its wings and dropped the bug.

"You have a big temper and a tough character, but you have to endure hardships." The young strategist laughed immediately, put the insect back, and said something with a double entendre.

"My dear, please enjoy your meal." Zhang Jingxian knew that Gong Chengyue was reminding her. She paused and took the initiative to place the fish soup next to Xie Yun.

She is not stupid, so she naturally understands the principle of being able to bend and stretch.

"Yeah." Xie Yun glanced at Gong Chengyue coldly and picked up the soup spoon.

As the familiar taste entered his mouth, his expression relaxed a lot, and he ordered the woman opposite him to have lunch with him.

Zhang Jingxian looked at the fish soup she made herself and the barbecued wheat cakes and other food cooked by her subordinates, silently chose the latter, and then put two large pieces of barbecued meat into the cage.

With the fragrant barbecue in front of it, and since it was given by his human friend, the hungry black cat stretched lazily, pounced forward immediately, and took big bites.

The red fox took the barbecue to the corner of the cage and started eating with its back to the humans.

Seeing that the cat and the fox were eating, the yellow warbler hesitantly took the insect given by Gong Chengyue and cried at him after finishing it.

Human, one more!

Seeing this, Gong Chengyue stopped waving his feather fan and sighed softly, "How interesting."

Not only this peasant girl, but even the bird, cat and fox she "raised" aroused his great interest.

Don't cry, don't make a fuss, don't toss and turn, and don't put yourself in a difficult position. Run when you see the chance, and eat and drink when you know you can't run away. Your expression changes faster than the weather in the mountains.

So interesting.

-

After lunch, Xie Yun still did not agree to let the little raccoons in the cage leave.

Zhang Jingxian was very disappointed and even harbored a hint of hatred towards him, but her attitude became more positive. She took the book and learned to read the words, and asked Xie Yun what the book meant.

He looks like he is studying seriously.

At night, the carriage stopped in a forest. She jumped out in a hurry, raised her bow and arrow, and looked around vigilantly. She seemed to be another reliable and good subordinate.

"My dear, everything is normal, you can get off the car." After confirming that there was nothing unusual, she respectfully asked Envoy Xie to get off the car. In the eyes of Yi Yu, Xie and others, it seemed quite absurd.

Madam Zhang was thinking about escaping not long ago, but now she immediately enters the role of a guest?

But then I thought, since I can't escape, why not just be a guest of the envoy? The envoy has always treated his guests well, so it seems reasonable.

When Xie Yun stepped out of the carriage, he saw the girl standing in front of him with a stern face. Under the bright moonlight, she also had a cold temperament.

An inexplicable feeling lingered in his heart. He raised his thin lips and said lightly, "Leave this matter to Yi Yu and the others."

Xie and others lit a fire. Zhang Jingxian raised her head, and her profile was filled with a warm orange color.

"I listen to my husband and do whatever he tells me to do."

After saying this, she put away her bow and arrow and stood quietly aside.

The evening meal was vegetable soup and meat patties, prepared by the servants.

Zhang Jingxian also fed the black cat and red fox in the cage. She didn't need to worry about the oriole. Gong Chengyue used a branch to pick up several insects and put them in.

The fire crackled, dispelling some of the chill in the mountains. A wolf howled from somewhere in the distance. Under the full moon, a group of people sat together, and there was a certain tranquility in the air.

Even if a pack of wolves came, this team of dozens of people would not be afraid at all.

"Envoy, we have bypassed Wuyang County. Two days' walk ahead will bring us to Wuling County. I have already told them to wait in the city." Only a small half of the people Gong Chengyue brought to Wuyang County were still here. Most of them were sent to explore and clear the way ahead. Finally, they decided to meet up in Wuling County.

Compared to Wuyang County, an inconspicuous little place, Wuling County is much more prosperous, and the scale of the city is also worth mentioning, which is just right for them to rest and recuperate.

"Yes, stay in Wuling County for a few more days." Xie Yun ordered in a cold voice that after arriving in Wuling County, there was no need to conceal his whereabouts, but instead he had to publicize his identity.

"I have understood your intention, the news will be delivered to Jiankang City in time." Gongcheng Yue nodded. The most important thing was to let Prime Minister Xie know.

Zhang Jingxian listened to their conversation quietly, a strange feeling slowly growing. In her previous life, she had spent most of her time in the carriage, because her status had changed from a peasant girl to the "honored" Mrs. Zhang, and she needed to stay away from the outside world.

But now, Madam Zhang or Envoy Xie's guests don't need to do this. She can listen to what they say and watch what they do openly.

Why is that? No matter how noble or humble she is, she is still herself. What is the difference?

Zhang Jingxian couldn't understand it, and in the eyes of others, she looked dull. She didn't even notice the sparks flying onto the hem of her skirt.

Gong Chengyue was the first to see it, but before he could say anything, a slender hand pulled the dazed peasant girl up and away from the fire.

"There's fire, but Ah Xian can't see it?"

In the darkness, Xie Yun frowned and pinched the woman's wrist to force her to come back to her senses, using considerable force.

Zhang Jingxian lowered her head and saw that the sparks had long since gone out, leaving only a small hole in her skirt. She smiled indifferently.

"Don't worry, my dear. It's just a small hole. I'll fix it tomorrow."

When she was in the mountains, she would sometimes climb trees and accidentally tear a big hole in her clothes. If it could be mended, she would mend it. If not, she would use it for other purposes.

As long as there were no emotional connections, Zhang Jingxian's mentality remained stable. For the past four years, she had been alone, living a lonely life with no one to hear her cry or see her smile. She had to be indifferent in order to survive.

Xie Yun looked at her in the moonlight, and the dull anger in his heart had disappeared more than when she cried and said the word "fear" during the day.

"Ah Xian may not care, but I can't." He chuckled softly and asked her if she had forgotten her current status. "Ah Xian is not only my savior, but also a guest I have recruited. You are showing off in tattered clothes. Guess whose face is being lost?"

"...Then I'll change, my dear, please don't be angry." Zhang Jingxian pursed her lips and answered very good-temperedly.

"Xie, give her the clothes from that day."

"yes."

Not long after, Xie took out a box and handed it to Zhang Jingxian.

She was silent for a moment, and when she opened it, she found a brand new dress, turquoise in color, covered with a thin layer of plain gauze.

Is it for her? It feels a bit strange.

"Go inside the carriage and change." Xie Yun ordered her in a low, hoarse voice.

"Oh, okay." Zhang Jingxian didn't hesitate and went into the carriage with the new clothes. It was just a change of clothes, so why would she refuse?

Before helping the little foxes escape from the cage, she would be as gentle and try to please him as possible.

A quarter of an hour later, the car door opened again. Xie Yun raised his eyes and breathed heavily.

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The author has something to say: Muah, I really won’t torture Ah Xian~