Chapter 12 Jade Plaque
Startled by the charging man, the four horses were pulled on the head by their groom, and crashed in different directions.
One of the horses reacted the most, barking and breaking its reins, galloping towards the direction where Xiao Yuxuan and the others were.
The horse was about one and a half times as tall as Xiao Yuxuan. It galloped at high speed and made a great splash, causing the surrounding crowd to scream and scatter in all directions.
Bi Sui tried to pull Xiao Yuxuan along, but in her panic, she was pushed aside by the other running people. She and the girl in red were swept together, and the two of them searched around. Bi Sui was so anxious that she broke out in a cold sweat.
"Girl, girl, where are you?"
If something happened to the young lady… She still had the jade earring she had just received in her arms. Bi Sui was so frightened that she almost burst into tears. If something really happened to the young lady, she would not live either.
At this moment, Xiao Yuxuan was only a few steps away from them, but because she fell to the ground, her view was blocked by others.
She watched the horses charging towards her and sat on the ground, unable to move.
She couldn't ride a horse and had never faced such a crazed horse before.
In her previous life, she feared the feeling of being unable to stand firmly on solid ground, so she didn't learn to ride a horse. In this life, she has only been reborn for a few days and hasn't had the chance to train yet.
Is she going to die here today?
The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, the dense clattering echoing from the bluestone slabs to her palms, ignoring even the pain from the pebbles digging into her hands and buttocks.
Suddenly, a figure in dark robes rushed over like the wind; it was an extremely handsome young man.
In a daze, Xiao Yuxuan felt her body lighten, and she was actually lifted up horizontally in someone's arms!
The other person held her so tightly and steadily that with a few leaps, the frantic sound of hooves receded into the distance.
Someone stepped forward and knocked the horse unconscious, and the chaotic crowd finally calmed down.
The boy's arms held a faint scent of incense. Xiao Yuxuan heard her heart pounding like a drum, and she realized that her feet were dangling in the air, and the tension of not being able to stand on solid ground followed.
She clutched the expensive collar of the garment in front of her, and belatedly felt a surge of relief at surviving a close call.
"Thank you so much, young master..." she said, trembling like a leaf in his arms. "I... I'm afraid of heights, please put me down quickly..."
Qi Jun was slightly taken aback, not expecting anyone to be afraid of heights. He subconsciously let go, and the little girl in his arms lost her strength and fell back to the ground.
She was covered in cold sweat, her expression one of fear and uncertainty.
"Young lady! Young lady, how are you?"
Bi Sui finally saw Xiao Yuxuan and rushed over from a short distance away, her face covered in tears.
Bi Sui suppressed the urge to hug Xiao Yuxuan and burst into tears, took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe her sweat, and helped her stand up.
The girl in red who had just intervened also came over. When she saw Qi Jun standing next to Xiao Yuxuan, whose expression was concerned but whose noble air was not hidden, she raised an eyebrow.
Qi Jun noticed the newcomer and suddenly glanced at the Princess's carriage, which had already stopped beside him.
Upon seeing this, the girl in red stared wide-eyed for a moment before nodding solemnly, respectfully clasping her hands in a fist salute, and running off in the opposite direction without hesitation.
Just kidding, if we don't run now, the dean will catch us and ask about our studies, and that would be terrible.
"Young lady, the horses of my carriage were startled and nearly injured you. I apologize. If you experience any discomfort in the future, please use this token..."
"Who wants your worthless token?!"
Bi Sui glared at Qi Jun, but seeing that although his tone was humble, his face was imposing without anger, clearly indicating that he had been in a high position for a long time, and worried that he was some kind of high-ranking young master she couldn't afford to offend, she didn't say anything more unpleasant and just focused on wiping Xiao Yuxuan's sweat.
Xiao Yuxuan caught her breath and finally felt better. She could hear the boy's words clearly now. Her face was as white as paper, but she still managed to force a smile:
"Thank you for saving me, young master. The runaway horse was also caused by that thief stealing my purse. We weren't watching her properly, so she crashed into it. It's partly my fault too. This jade pendant is too valuable, so please don't bother with it."
Only then did she get a clear look at the boy. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a delicate and handsome face, a tall and straight figure, and an air of nobility that resembled a dragon and a phoenix.
However, why had she never seen or heard of such a person in her previous life?
The jade plaque he handed over had only a single character engraved on it, but the jade was translucent and had excellent clarity.
Just then, the window of the spacious carriage beside him was suddenly flung open, and a gentle, refined noblewoman extended an exquisite purse, asking him:
"Miss, is this the purse you're talking about? That little thief didn't hold it properly and it fell into my carriage."
Xiao Yuxuan: "Indeed, thank you, madam."
She appeared calm on the surface, but was terrified inside.
The person sitting in the carriage was none other than Her Highness the Eldest Princess!
She almost said "Thank you, Princess," but then, remembering that she had never formally met her before, she changed her address to "this lady."
What kind of fate led her to choose a different path, only to encounter pickpockets, two chivalrous heroes, and finally, the eldest princess?
"Whose embroidery is this? It's so exquisite and unique. I want to buy a couple to wear too."
Xiao Yuxuan lowered her eyes, trying her best to make her voice sound calm and gentle:
"Madam is too kind. I just embroidered it for fun when I had nothing else to do."
The princess toyed with the purse in her hand, examining it several times. The stitches were fine and the embroidery lifelike; a butterfly on it seemed almost alive, ready to take flight. She couldn't help but admire it.
"You are truly skillful and clever. I see that you are dressed elegantly, so you must be from a high-class family. Which family do you belong to? I have never seen you before."
“My father was Xiao Su, the Minister of Personnel, and I was the fifth child in my family.”
Xiao Yuxuan did not look directly at her elder sister, the Princess, who was respected by the emperor, and thus missed the fleeting surprise in the other's eyes.
The princess truly didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment. The protagonist of the rumors she had just heard was now standing right in front of her, a gentle, polite, and skillful girl.
"How about this, we exchange our tokens for your purse, and consider today's incident with the startled horse as a way of forging a good relationship between us, shall we?"
Qi Jun glanced at his aunt, who always had some whimsical ideas, and he couldn't quite figure out what she meant.
Xiao Yuxuan looked up: "Madam, this is inappropriate..."
"Take it if you want, but it's not convenient for me to introduce myself today. If we meet again someday, you'll know who I am."
"Then I will respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, Madam, and thank you, young master."
She took the jade pendant from the boy's hand, and her fingertips unexpectedly touched his palm, which was so cold that she shivered.
It's clearly a man's hand, and it's already late spring, so why is it so cold?
Xiao Yuxuan didn't think much of it and gave a slight curtsy.
She knew she had gotten a good deal this time. The jade pendant didn't look like an ordinary ornament. The young man seemed to have something else in mind, so he must have another purpose. Even if he didn't, she could still get a considerable sum of money by pawning it as an ordinary jade pendant.
As the carriage disappeared from sight, Bihui, still shaken, supported her and whispered:
"Miss, that young master and lady seem to be quite important. Have we offended them?"
After all, it was their fault for not keeping a close watch on the thief, which caused the thief to startle the other person's horse. If they were to really investigate, they might be able to hold those unreasonable nobles accountable.
"That hateful little thief! She bumped into the horse and ran away without a trace. Otherwise, I would have definitely turned her over to the authorities!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com