Caught off guard, Shen Yunjiao was pushed to the ground. She let out a muffled groan and finally looked up at the cook. "I'll just pick it up and give it to you. Why are you being so unreasonable?"
"Oh my, you're going too far! You speak so elegantly, do you think you're some noble lady?" The cook slowly walked up to her, winking and saying, "Don't think we haven't inquired. You were punished and sent here by the Empress Dowager. Without the Empress Dowager's word, no one could have brought you out."
"I love bullying a despised vixen like you, so what?"
The cook, her broad back bent, rolled her eyes and laughed mockingly, "So what if I bully you? Go ahead and tell everyone! Let's see if they believe me, an honest cook, or you, this vixen from Qingxin Pavilion?"
Shen Yujiao was shocked by what she heard. Her body trembled slightly, she bit her lower lip, and stared at the two of them with red eyes.
Unfortunately, this appearance did not evoke the slightest pity from the cook; instead, she laughed even more heartily.
"How about this: I'll let you go if you let me burn your hair as firewood?"
"Auntie, that's a great idea! Let me help you!" Upon hearing this, the helper beside her rubbed her hands together excitedly and stretched out her dirty hands, intending to grab Shen Yunjiao's head with ill intent.
Suppressing her urge to vomit, Shen Yunjiao closed her eyes, thinking to herself, "Xiao Huaijin, if you don't make a move soon, I won't be able to resist taking matters into my own hands."
Xiao Huaijin stood at the back, observing the whole thing with a cold eye.
Yan Shiman stood beside him, her heart filled with inner turmoil.
He was hoping that Xiao Huaijin would step in and play the hero to save the damsel in distress, and perhaps in the process, awaken Xiao Huaijin's memories.
Seeing that his cousin seemed to have no intention of helping him, Yan Shiman couldn't help but say, "Where did this uncouth servant come from, bullying a weak woman like this?"
Xiao Huaijin stared coldly ahead, while at the same time feeling the surging anger within him.
Why?
Why did he feel an urge to kill everyone with a single sword strike when he saw this woman being bullied?
Is it because this woman looks too pitiful?
No matter how much Xiao Huaijin tried to control himself, when he saw Shen Yunjiao's smooth, black hair being roughly grabbed by a peasant woman, his reason vanished completely.
With a light tap of his toes, he used his lightness skill to fly directly in front of Shen Yunjiao and kicked the peasant woman away.
When the cook saw the young nobleman who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere glaring at her menacingly, her legs went weak with fear. She stammered, "My lord, you...you've misunderstood—"
Halfway through her plea, Xiao Huaijin kicked her again, sending the burly cook flying right under the blazing stove, her hands still resting on the scorching fire.
"Aaaaaah!" the cook screamed in pain. "Oh my god, it hurts so much!"
Looking at the two people's agonizing expressions, Xiao Huaijin's eyes remained indifferent. "Weren't you very arrogant just now?"
Yan Shiman ran up to the two people, and a thought flashed through his mind.
He drew his curved sword from his waist and called out, "North Wind! Come out!"
Upon hearing this, the North Wind, which had been silently staying on the roof, immediately jumped down.
"Cough cough, North Wind." Yan Shiman cleared his throat and said deliberately, "You and I will each take one and go to the Taoist priest of Xuanqing Temple to argue with him and see where he found these low-class things."
He winked at the North Wind, and although the North Wind didn't know what he wanted to do, it obediently answered yes.
The two men each grabbed a cook and walked inside.
After Yan Shiman went inside, Xiao Huaijin looked at Shen Yunjiao with an impatient expression, "What are you still doing sitting on the ground? If someone sees you, they'll think I'm bullying you."
Upon hearing Xiao Huaijin's cold and sharp tone, Shen Yunjiao suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, and a sense of grievance surged up.
That damn emperor, he would never have spoken to me in such an infuriating tone before.
Seeing that Shen Yunjiao kept her head down and remained motionless, Xiao Huaijin opened his mouth in displeasure and angrily rebuked, "How dare you! Do you even take my words as a joke?"
Shen Yunjiao no longer wanted to listen to his scolding with her head down. She stood up with difficulty, her delicate eyebrows and eyes filled with anger. But when she faced Xiao Huaijin's unprecedentedly cold expression, her eyes suddenly stung.
She couldn't hold back her tears in front of him after all.
Xiao Huaijin was shocked. He hadn't expected that she would be so heartbroken after he had only said one sentence to her. He hadn't expected that Shen Yunjiao would sob and cry, saying between sobs, "I won't listen to you. If you're so capable, then kick me away!"
The tearful lament, filled with deep grievance, made Xiao Huaijin's chest tighten, and he suddenly lost his voice, unable to utter another word.
He wanted to reach out and embrace this heartbroken girl, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
But just as she was lost in thought, Shen Yunjiao wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her hand.
Her nose was red as she stared at Xiao Huaijin, her lips pursed, and she said, word by word, "Your Majesty saw it too, they bullied me, why didn't you help me up, and why did you scold me?"
As Shen Yunjiao cried, her originally fair complexion instantly turned rosy, and the remaining redness at the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose made her look extremely delicate.
Xiao Huaijin frowned. "Who are you to me? Why should I protect you?"
"you!"
Shen Yunjiao was truly angry. She glared at Xiao Huaijin and said angrily, "Xiao Huaijin, you'd better remember what you said today!"
Xiao Huaijin's expression became even more inexplicable. This woman first climbed into his bed, then cried and made a scene at him, and now she even dared to call him by his full name. It was simply extremely rude!
His face darkened, and just as Shen Yunjiao turned to leave, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of him.
"You! What are you doing!" Shen Yun puffed up her cheeks in a coquettish manner, looking quite adorable. "A gentleman uses words, not fists. Don't you understand such a simple principle?"
Xiao Huaijin looked at Shen Yunjiao with a calm gaze, yet there was a sharp and intimidating feeling in his eyes.
"Shen, Shen Yunjiao, is that right? Lord Shen's younger sister, the former wife of the Duke of Dingguo. Do I need to pretend to be a gentleman when dealing with someone like you?" Xiao Huaijin said in a calm tone.
Shen Yunjiao felt a lump in her throat.
What a despicable scumbag who kicks people when they've already used them!
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has already punished me. Are you still not satisfied?" Shen Yunjiao asked, her eyes red, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt, which was crumpled in her fists.
When she's angry, her clear eyes light up with a hint of displeasure, giving her an indescribable charm.
Xiao Huaijin had no idea that he had developed such a perverse sense of humor, actually enjoying watching beautiful women get angry.
Seeing that he remained silent, Shen Yunjiao continued, "Could it be that Your Majesty wishes for me to make some kind of tangible compensation to you?"
Shen Yunjiao was very beautiful, and her eyes shone brightly when she asked the question, making Xiao Huaijin's heart skip a beat.
"How is that possible!"
Xiao Huaijin found this very funny. He suddenly let go of her hand, his eyes full of mockery. "No matter how unpicky I am, I would never be interested in a woman who willingly climbs into my bed."
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