Chapter 55 You're Not Allowed to Go

The day my cousin Song Heng arrives is fast approaching.

On this day, the Tang mansion was bustling with carriages and horses. A young man dressed in a blue robe and with a refined appearance walked in, surrounded by servants.

He carried an air of composure and experience from his time in officialdom; he was none other than Tang Xiaoning's cousin, Song Heng.

Tang's mother was naturally delighted, pulling Song Heng close and showering him with concern, her eyes and brows beaming with smiles:

"Oh dear, Heng'er, did you have a long journey? You look a bit thinner. You must stay longer this time and make sure you eat well!"

Tang Xiaoning also curiously looked at her cousin whom she hadn't seen for many years. She found him to be well-mannered and eloquent, much clearer than the somewhat blurry image of the boy in her memory.

She couldn't help but turn her head slightly and whisper to Xiao Cui behind her, "Xiao Cui, look at your cousin, isn't he much more mature than when he was little?"

Li Minghua, like the most vigilant guard, stood silently half a step behind Tang Xiaoning, holding his sword.

She specially changed into that brand-new moon-white outfit today.

This was made by Tang Xiaoning herself, who selected the fabric and forced the tailor to make it according to her "design".

Her hair was neatly tied up, her posture was as upright as a pine tree, and her face was calm and expressionless. Only her sharp eyes scanned Song Heng from head to toe, as if scanning for enemy positions.

Upon hearing Tang Xiaoning's question, Li Minghua's gaze did not leave Song Heng. He merely gave a very slight "hmm" in response, his tone so calm that it was almost imperceptible.

Hmm, he's thin and frail, with an unstable lower body, and no martial arts foundation.

Her appearance... is acceptable, but not even one ten-thousandth as good as Xiaoning's.

Her demeanor... is too weak and frail.

Conclusion: Threat level: low.

However, vigilance is still necessary.

She mentally checked the assessment results again.

After exchanging pleasantries with Tang's mother, Song Heng's gaze naturally fell on Tang Xiaoning, his eyes filled with a gentle smile:

"Cousin Xiaoning, it's been so many years, you've grown even more beautiful."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Minghua, who had a very strong presence beside her, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"This must be the Miss Li, who is highly skilled in martial arts, whom my aunt often mentions in her letters. I've heard so much about her."

Holding his sword, Li Minghua's jawline seemed to tighten for a moment before he nodded slightly in return, saying succinctly, "Young Master Song."

Her voice was cold and devoid of any warmth.

Afraid of an awkward atmosphere, Tang Xiaoning quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness:

"Oh, cousin, you must be tired from your journey! Minghua, she..."

Before she could finish speaking, she seemed to remember something, glancing at Li Minghua with a flicker of her eye. Seeing that Li Minghua remained focused on her, she continued:

"...She's rather quiet and doesn't talk much, please don't mind her."

As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously and gently pinched her cuff.

Song Heng smiled, unconcerned: "It's alright. People of the martial world have their own integrity. I understand."

His gaze swept over Li Minghua's posture holding the sword and her calm and composed demeanor, and he genuinely praised her, saying, "Miss Li is indeed extraordinary and heroic."

The group moved to the flower hall to chat.

When he sat down, Song Heng naturally wanted to sit in the empty seat next to Tang Xiaoning, which was the seat closest to the head of the table.

However, as soon as he took a step, he felt a shadow flash past him like a gust of wind.

Upon closer inspection, Li Minghua had already silently taken up his seat, as if by magic.

She didn't even make a sound when she sat down, as if that spot was made for her and she was meant to sit next to Tang Xiaoning.

Song Heng: "..."

His foot froze in mid-air, caught in a dilemma. The smile on his face froze for a moment, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

Tang Xiaoning: "..."

Secretly chuckling to herself: Minghua's jealousy... is adorable!

She quickly lowered her head to cover it up, pretending to adjust her skirt, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Tang's mother: "..."

She looked at Li Minghua with some confusion, then at her slightly embarrassed nephew, and finally just smiled gently to smooth things over:

"Heng'er, sit here, it's closer to your aunt." She pointed to the seat on her other side.

His gaze lingered thoughtfully between Li Minghua and his daughter for a moment longer.

Li Minghua seemed oblivious to the various gazes from the crowd, his expression unchanged. He even turned to the side with remarkable ease, raising his hand to tidy up Tang Xiaoning's actually not messy sideburns.

Her fingertips brushed lightly against her delicate earlobe, her tone intimate: "Sit tight." As if this were just part of her daily duties.

Song Heng was taken aback by her nonchalant attitude, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

He had no choice but to sit down at the spot indicated by Tang's mother, a little further away from Tang Xiaoning, his smile becoming somewhat forced.

The maidservant served tea and snacks at the right time.

Song Heng picked up his teacup, composed himself, and was about to turn to chat with Tang Xiaoning when he heard Li Minghua's clear, cold voice beside him. It wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the subtle sounds in the flower hall:

"Xiaoning, the tea is too hot, drink it slowly." As she spoke, she very naturally stretched out her slender fingers and steadily swapped her cup of tea, which had been cooled to the perfect temperature, with the steaming cup in front of Tang Xiaoning.

The movements were fluid and natural, as if they were perfectly natural.

After doing all this, she withdrew her hand, her fingertips seemingly brushing against the back of Tang Xiaoning's hand resting on her knee.

Tang Xiaoning felt a fleeting warmth on the back of her hand, and her ears turned a faint blush.

She turned her head to look at Li Minghua, her eyes gentle, and nodded obediently, replying, "Okay, Minghua."

The voice was so soft it seemed to drip water.

Song Heng's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air, and he even forgot to bring it to his lips.

He looked at Li Minghua's matter-of-fact and meticulous way of taking care of him.

Looking at Tang Xiaoning's natural, sweet, and shyly dependent expression, the vague sense of unease in his heart finally took shape and became incredibly clear.

The tacit understanding and intimacy between these two girls goes far beyond a simple bodyguard and employer relationship!

The warmth in their eyes, the protective gestures... it was as if an invisible barrier filled the air, perfectly isolating him, their "cousin," from the outside.

He lowered his head and took a sip of tea, which seemed to have an indescribable astringent taste.

During their conversation, Song Heng recounted interesting anecdotes from the capital and stories of officialdom, which were quite amusing.

Tang Xiaoning listened with great interest, leaning forward slightly, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity, occasionally asking, "Really? What happened to that Vice Minister afterward?"

Her clear voice carried the gentle warmth unique to the water towns of Jiangnan.

Whenever Tang Xiaoning was amused by Song Heng's words and covered her mouth to laugh, or when she looked at Song Heng intently and listened to his story, Li Minghua, who was sitting next to her, would unconsciously become more composed.

She didn't interrupt, but her hands, with their distinct knuckles and habitually wielding a sword, were now meticulously doing something else:

He silently pushed the plate of snacks on the table a little closer to Tang Xiaoning's hand, his fingertips inadvertently tracing the smooth surface of the table.

Then, she picked up a plump autumn pear, took a small silver knife in her other hand, and focused on peeling it.

The peeled pear flesh was crystal clear, and Li Minghua handed it to Tang Xiaoning's rosy lips.

Tang Xiaoning was listening to Song Heng mention a key point when she subconsciously opened her lips to take the bait, gently biting it with her pearly teeth, and the sweet juice overflowed in her mouth.

After chewing a couple of times, she belatedly realized what was happening and met Li Minghua's deep, focused gaze, causing two blushes to instantly rise on her cheeks.

"Minghua..." she whispered reproachfully, with a hint of shyness.

Meeting her gaze, Li Minghua not only didn't back down, but instead gently touched the pear flesh to her lips again, his eyes seemingly saying silently, "Focus on eating."

His expression, though frank, held a hint of stubbornness that made Tang Xiaoning's heart skip a beat. She had no choice but to obediently open her mouth and accept, her ears turning blush.

Song Heng took it all in, his smile remaining gentle and refined, but the fingers holding the teacup tightened unconsciously, his heart already churning with turmoil.

Such intimate feeding, such uninhibited eye contact... even if he were slow to understand, he would have figured it out completely.

The atmosphere between these two beauties was far more than that of ordinary close friends; it was clearly... an intense and inseparable affection!

He had seen this kind of relationship quite a few times in the capital.

He glanced at his aunt. It seemed that his aunt didn't think there was anything wrong with the two girls' behavior and probably just considered them close friends.

He took a deep breath without making a sound, using the action of putting down his teacup to conceal the turmoil in his heart.

He tried to steer the conversation back on track, and said gently to Tang Xiaoning:

“Cousin, I came in a hurry this time and didn’t bring any special gifts. I only brought some rouge and face powder from the capital and a few bolts of fashionable fabric. I hope you won’t find them too much.”

He paused, observing Tang Xiaoning's expression, and added, "In addition, my mother specifically asked me to ask if you would be interested in coming with me to stay in a neighboring province for a while."

The scenery there is quite different from the water towns of Jiangnan; the grasslands are vast, perfect for galloping on horseback, and I've heard there are also unique hot springs. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Invite Xiaoning to stay in a neighboring province for a while?!

Li Minghua's silver knife suddenly stopped, and a soft but clear "snap" was heard. The thin peel that was originally connected in a line was cut off and floated lightly onto the table.

She suddenly raised her head, her gaze piercing Song Heng!

Although he didn't utter a word, the chilling coldness in his eyes and the silent warning made the temperature in the entire flower hall drop several degrees.

Song Heng felt a chill run down his spine under her sharp gaze, as if a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows had locked onto its prey.

Tang Xiaoning was also startled by the sudden invitation, and her cherry lips parted slightly. Almost instinctively, she turned to Li Minghua and met his eyes, which seemed to be bursting with the words "You are not allowed to go!"

Her heart tightened, and she quickly waved her hand, her voice tinged with urgency:

"No need, no need! I appreciate your kindness, cousin!"

On a sudden impulse, she grabbed Li Minghua's free arm: "I've been learning swordsmanship from Minghua recently! The swordsmanship she teaches is exquisite, and you can't slack off in your daily practice, you can't give up halfway! Right, Minghua?"