Chapter 82 Relaxing and Waiting for Her to Act Cute

At midday, when the sun is high, the snow on the eaves melts and drips from the roof tiles with a crisp sound, as light and delicate as dew.

The snowfall wasn't cold, but the melting snow was. The early spring chill was even more intense than before the New Year. The old lady, considerate of the servants, ordered the kitchen to stew mutton early in the morning and distribute it to everyone to ward off the cold. As a result, the entire mansion was filled with the rich aroma of mutton.

Having grown tired of mutton in southern Jiangxi, Cui Ying felt nauseous at the smell of mutton and struggled to suppress the acid reflux in her stomach.

She was dressed in a royal blue men's suit, the color of which made her face appear even paler. She lingered furtively inside the high wall of the northeast corner gate of the Marquis's mansion, bending over and feeling around among the withered grass roots and damp bricks, muttering to herself, "Something's not right. I clearly remember there was a dog hole here, where did it go?"

Just as she was completely focused, a clear, cold voice rang out from behind her without warning—

"I filled it in."

Cui Ying was so startled that her back stiffened. She turned around abruptly and saw that Xiao Qiyu had been standing silently behind her without her noticing.

The young man stood tall and straight like a pine tree in the cold winter, under an old plum tree where the snow had not yet melted. The red plum blossoms were bright and the icicles on the branches reflected the cold light, making his expressionless profile appear even more handsome and aloof.

"What trouble are you planning to cause this time?" Xiao Qiyu asked, frowning as he looked at her.

Cui Ying immediately straightened up and retorted defiantly, "What do you mean by causing trouble? It's so stuffy at home, is it illegal for me to go out for a walk?"

Xiao Qiyu glanced at her men's clothing: "Going for a walk dressed like this? Cui Ying, do you think I'm stupid?"

He stepped forward, his gaze sharp: "Don't think I don't know, you just want to sneak out and see if Third Sister-in-law will cause trouble for that Jingnu again."

Having her thoughts exposed, Cui Ying's eyes flickered briefly, but she didn't feel particularly angry; she just found it boring.

How annoying! Is he a mind reader? How come he can see through everything?

Cui Ying pursed her lips, snorted, and turned her head away, displaying a stubborn look that said, "Since you've found out, I'm too lazy to hide it anymore."

“Cui Ying,” Xiao Qiyu’s voice deepened as he walked to her side, “You should no longer concern yourself with this matter. This is a private matter in Third Brother’s room, and he will handle it himself.”

Cui Ying turned around abruptly, her brows furrowed tightly, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction: "Third Brother is always at the Northern Garrison Command. By the time he finishes his official duties and finds out about this, Jingnu will probably have been sold to some brothel by Third Sister-in-law! I don't want to care, but who else can care besides me?"

If she hadn't stumbled upon it that day, a vulnerable woman being held hostage would have known what was going to happen.

She didn't care about the love and hate between Jingnu and her third brother and sister-in-law. All she knew was that if someone could be easily erased from the world simply because they had power and influence, wouldn't that be terrifying?

Meeting those bright, energetic eyes, Xiao Qiyu remained calm, his gaze cold and hard.

Seeing that he was unmoved by her words, Cui Ying steeled herself, raised her chin, and threatened, "I don't care, you have to let me out today."

After thinking for a moment, she pulled out her trump card: "Otherwise, I'll go tell Grandma that our relationship is fake and that we'll be getting a divorce in a year!"

"Whatever you say." Xiao Qiyu didn't even twitch his eyebrows, silently watching her.

When the threat failed, Cui Ying immediately deflated.

Like a little puppy drenched in the rain, she looked pitiful and reached out to tug at Xiao Qiyu's sleeve, shaking it gently. Her almond-shaped eyes looked at him expectantly, her voice so soft it could drip water, pleading in a drawn-out tone: "Please, I'll just go out for a little while. I promise I'll be back before sunset. I promise I'll come back as soon as I'm sure Jingnu is safe. I promise I'll be good and won't cause any trouble, okay?"

Despite this series of "guarantees," Xiao Qiyu remained indifferent.

A thin, burning red glow quickly rose behind her ears, almost burning into her neck, and making her entire fair face feel incredibly hot.

He maintained his expressionless face, his face flushed red, and let Cui Ying shake his sleeve, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Just as Cui Ying's patience was about to run out and she was about to loosen her grip on his sleeve, he said in a deep voice, "Okay."

Cui Ying's eyes suddenly lit up, thinking she had misheard: "You promised me you'd go out?"

Xiao Qiyu's tone remained unchanged as he continued, "But I want to go out with you."

Cui Ying's bright smile froze instantly, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, as if trying to convince herself to accept the fact, before reluctantly and slowly saying, "Oh, that's fine too."

After saying that, he walked openly towards the back door, showing no intention of waiting for Xiao Qiyu.

Xiao Qiyu glanced at the empty sleeve, his brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again as he tried to suppress the displeasure in his heart.

Restraint, restraint...

After a brief moment of restraint, he strode after her and said, "Explain yourself! What do you mean by 'okay'? What's with that troubled look on your face? Is it embarrassing for you to go out with me? Cui Ying, say something!"

...

As the snow melts, the streets are bright and clean, and the lively atmosphere, filled with the aroma of various foods, wafts through the air.

Cui Ying held a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts in her hands, peeling and eating them as she went. Her eyes sparkled as she lingered among the various stalls, occasionally turning back for a second look.

Xiao Qiyu followed beside her, his aloof and solemn demeanor standing out from the bustling and lively surroundings.

Seeing that Cui Ying looked relieved, he said calmly, "Are you at ease now?"

Cui Ying popped a round chestnut kernel into her mouth, the sweet taste spreading across her tongue. She squinted her eyes contentedly and nodded, "I'm relieved."

They didn't make a big fuss about going to Cangjing Pavilion to inquire about Jingnu's recent situation. They only subtly revealed their identities and asked the gatekeeper a few questions. When they learned that Jingnu was safe and sound and there had been no further trouble recently, Cui Ying was completely relieved.

"Can we go back now?" Xiao Qiyu asked.

Cui Ying immediately changed her expression, her narrowed eyes suddenly widening. She first looked up at the sky, then turned to look at Xiao Qiyu with a huff: "It's still early before the sun sets."

She hasn't had enough of shopping yet.

"Oh?" Xiao Qiyu raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on the chestnut crumbs stuck to the corner of her mouth. He subconsciously raised his hand but then lowered it again. "Who said that we would go back once we confirmed Jingnu's safety?"

Cui Ying pointed behind him: "Oh! Plum blossom cake!"

Xiao Qiyu: "Don't interrupt me. Don't think that I'll—"

Cui Ying: "And crispy chicken!"

She pretended not to see Xiao Qiyu's dark expression and casually patted his shoulder: "How about this, you go buy some crispy chicken, and I'll buy some plum blossom cake. After we're done, we'll find a place to have a little wine to warm up, okay?"

Xiao Qiyu's brow twitched slightly.

He wasn't interested in food or alcohol, but for some reason, after hearing Cui Ying's description of the scene, he felt a faint sense of anticipation.

The roast chicken shop was doing very well, with a long queue outside and the rich, smoky aroma of roasted chicken wafting across half the street.

Xiao Qiyu was about to step forward to join the queue when he suddenly stopped.

"I'm not going." Xiao Qiyu abruptly stopped in her tracks and uttered these three simple words.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he was secretly circling Cui Ying's hand, hoping that she would, as before, gently shake his sleeve and plead softly.

He was waiting for her to act coquettishly.

"Go if you want, don't go if you don't!"

Cui Ying's face fell, and she rolled her eyes at him without any politeness: "I'll go buy it myself!"

Xiao Qiyu was stunned.

She wasn't like this just now.

Was there something wrong with his behavior this time?

Without time to think, Xiao Qiyu took a long stride, quickly grabbed Cui Ying by the back of his collar, and pulled him back like a cat chasing a mouse, saying irritably, "Come back!"

Cui Ying struggled in dissatisfaction, turning her head to glare at him: "What are you doing!"

Xiao Qiyu blushed, but her tone remained assertive. She strode up to her and said without turning her head, "I'll go. You go buy the plum blossom cake. Don't try to take it from me."

Cui Ying was baffled by his fickle behavior. She glanced suspiciously at his reddened ears and pouted, saying, "What's wrong with you?"

She turned around and happily ran towards the plum blossom cake stall.

A stall selling plum blossom cakes was set up at the entrance of the bustling market. A number of hungry children surrounded the steaming bamboo steamers, chattering incessantly.

Cui Ying finally managed to squeeze in, surrounded by children, which already annoyed her. Then, a chubby boy with a sturdy face suddenly shoved her from behind, causing her to fall heavily towards the center of the street.

Just then, the sound of hooves approached from afar. A fast horse almost grazed past her fluttering clothes. The burly man on horseback pulled hard on the reins, and the horse reared up with a neigh. Its large iron hooves landed dangerously beside Cui Ying, splashing up a cloud of snow and mud.

Cui Ying slumped to the ground, her palms aching from the rough pebbles. Her heart pounded, but she wasn't angry; she was mainly stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Before she could even react, the man coldly rebuked her: "Which unruly brat is this, acting so recklessly? Are you looking for death?"

Cui Ying originally wanted to explain a few words, but upon hearing this, she immediately became angry, and her non-existent anger suddenly flared up.

She looked up and saw a middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth, tall and strong, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a full beard. He was covered in dust, but his sharp and capable air was still evident.

He was followed by five or six men, all dressed smartly, riding tall horses, with sharp eyes.

This group of people, standing silently on the street, exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay, unlike ordinary people.

Cui Ying was never one to swallow her anger, and immediately shouted, "I'm blocking your way? I haven't even complained about you nearly trampling me to death with your horse! I'm already being lenient by not lying down and trying to extort money from you, so why are you being so arrogant with me!"

The burly man was clearly taken aback by her quick wit. He paused for a moment, then frowned and scolded, "You pretty boy, all greasy hair and powdered face, but you've got a sharp tongue. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with you. Get out of the way right now and don't block my way!"

"Pretty boy? Slick-haired and powdered?"

Cui Ying got even angrier. She patted her clothes, stood up, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him: "You're big and burly, with a face as dark as charcoal, and you can't even say that others are naturally beautiful? If you're jealous, just say so, stop with this sarcastic tone!"

Upon hearing this, a lean, middle-aged man with a sharp face standing next to the burly man couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Cui Ying was already furious, so she immediately turned her attention to him, glaring at him and saying, "And you! What are you laughing at! You have shifty eyes, you don't look like a good person at all!"

Before she could finish speaking, her wrist was grabbed.

Xiao Qiyu rushed over and hurriedly helped Cui Ying up. He quickly scanned her from head to toe to make sure she was unharmed before asking in a cold voice, "What happened?"

With his powerful backer in the air, Cui Ying's arrogance instantly soared. He pointed a long finger at the men on horseback and complained like a child tattled, "They're bullying me! They almost trampled me while riding their horses, and they even cursed at me!"

As she spoke, she glanced at the group of people, clicked her tongue, and blurted out, "You lot, so murderous and sneaky, are you perhaps bandits who just fled to the capital from somewhere? Let me tell you, the man next to me specializes in dealing with bandits. You just wait and see!"

Xiao Qiyu didn't bother to ask about the details. Upon hearing that Cui Ying had been bullied, his face turned cold, and he glared angrily at the burly man in the lead.

However, the moment their eyes met, the anger on Xiao Qiyu's face suddenly froze.

The surrounding noise seemed to vanish instantly, leaving an almost eerie silence.

Xiao Qiyu suddenly stepped forward, bowed his upright back, and greeted the burly man on horseback with a respectful bow, saying, "Nephew Qiyu greets Uncle."

He then bowed to the thin man beside him, saying, "Greetings, Second Uncle."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Mei Bao: Wait? What did you call them?

The second uncle is Xiao Heng and Xiao Shu's father. The eldest uncle is the Marquis of Dingyuan, who inherited the title. Because his wife and children live in a mansion on the border, there have been no scenes involving their family in the past.