Xiao Qingyin replied with two words: "Secret."
When she left the villa, she learned from Wei Yan that the Southern Five Camps under the command of the Marquis of Yong'an's heir were located near the villa.
The Fengling bandit stronghold was wiped out by the Southern Fifth Battalion.
The man who went on a killing spree in the bandit stronghold that night, and who might be an advisor to some general, naturally made Xiao Qingyin think of the heir of the Marquis of Yong'an.
Yi Shuihan thought for a moment and decided not to press the matter further.
Yi San and his group lived next door to the Han family and were craving Xiao Qingyin's cooking. If they spent too much time with her, their identities would be exposed sooner or later.
Among the prominent families in the capital, only the Yong'an Marquis's family bears the surname Yi.
Xiao Qingyin could easily guess whose people they were.
This conjecture is very advantageous, as it allows him to appear before Xiao Qingyin under different identities and see more facets of her.
Yi Shuihan simply accepted it.
"Since you've guessed it, I won't hide it from you anymore. My name is Yi Jiu, and I'm a confidant of the heir of the Marquis of Yong'an."
At that moment, he had no idea how deep a hole this decision had dug for him.
"Did the heir of the Marquis of Yong'an send you to approach me?"
Xiao Qingyin got straight to the point.
"Yes," Yi Shuihan said without changing his expression, "The young master wants to know more about you."
"I don't think so."
Xiao Qingyin suddenly reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Yi Shuihan's ear.
"The young master probably doesn't want this marriage either, otherwise why would he send such a handsome man to approach me instead of sending so many other people?"
Yi Shuihan: "???"
"I bet this is a honey trap," Xiao Qingyin chuckled. "The young master wants you to coax me into eloping, doesn't he?"
Yi Shuihan: "..."
You're the one who thinks, not me.
He took two steps back to create some distance.
"Miss Xiao, please have some self-respect."
"What's the point of saying this now?"
Xiao Qingyin sighed.
"The first night I saw you, I was captivated by your beauty."
"You must have feelings for me too, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't always send me home."
"Your prince should be an enlightened person, right? He'll grant our request, won't he?"
Yi Shuihan almost couldn't handle it.
This woman always does things unexpectedly, making it impossible to guard against her.
Before he could figure out how to respond, Xiao Qingyin chuckled.
"You're not serious, are you? You're kidding, how could I dare to steal a man from a living devil?"
Yi Shuihan was furious and didn't say a word to her for the rest of the journey.
The rain came down suddenly.
The carriage stopped in front of the mansion gate, and Xiao Qingyin asked Yi Shuihan, "Do you have an umbrella?"
"No."
Yi Shuihan glanced at the rain outside and handed her the cloak folded beside him.
"Use this to block it."
Xiao Qingyin didn't answer, but simply lifted the curtain and walked out.
"Never mind, it won't rain for long anyway."
She jumped off the carriage and ran a few steps in the rain when suddenly an umbrella appeared above her head.
Xiao Qingyin turned her head, and a familiar, handsome face came into view.
They stopped in their tracks.
"Xiao Xiao, it's been a long time."
A man dressed in white, with a gentle and refined demeanor, took two steps closer so that the umbrella could completely shield the person in front of him.
Xiao Qingyin frowned. "What are you doing here?"
If I said I was just passing by, would you believe me?
Bai Musheng smiled.
Xiao Qingyin naturally didn't believe it.
"Then you can continue with your business. I'll head back home now."
Xiao Qingyin turned to run away.
Bai Musheng grabbed her arm and laughed loudly, "Xiao Xiao, do you really not want to see me?"
"We have nothing to do with each other anymore, so please don't bother me, Young Master Bai."
Xiao Qingyin looked at him expressionlessly.
The smile on Bai Musheng's face faded.
Looking at the misty rain outside the umbrella, he said wistfully, "Xiao Xiao, do you remember? The first time we met was also on a rainy day like this."
Xiao Qingyin certainly remembered.
She had just transmigrated to this world not long before, and went to the city to sell medicinal herbs. It started raining as soon as she left the pharmacy.
She happened to have brought an umbrella, and leisurely strolled around the city with it in hand.
Before you know it, you've walked into a dead end.
Just as I was about to turn around, I suddenly saw a person lying at the end of the alley.
She went over to check and found that it was a young man who seemed to have just been beaten, with broken arms and legs.
He lay motionless on the ground, letting the raindrops fall on his face, radiating an aura of despair.
Xiao Qingyin walked to his side, squatted down, and asked, "Do you need any help?"
If time could turn back, and she could go back to that day, Xiao Qingyin might choose to ignore it and leave the alley directly.
"Sorry, I almost forgot."
Xiao Qingyin broke free from Bai Musheng's hand.
She had long since thrown those memories into the trash.
This time, Bai Musheng did not stop her. He simply took out a black bead with white patterns from his pocket and placed it in front of her.
Xiao Qingyin immediately put her raised foot down.
Her heart suddenly started racing.
After a long pause, he took the bead from Bai Musheng's palm.
She stroked it for a moment, feeling the familiar patterns, then looked up and asked Bai Musheng, "Where did you find it?"
"From a friend who likes to collect unusual stones."
Is this the only one?
"We've only found one so far; I've asked him to keep an eye out for the others."
Bai Musheng said calmly.
He did not tell Xiao Qingyin how much effort he had put into finding the Serpent Pearl.
Xiao Qingyin had long since severed all ties with Bai Musheng and never wanted to see him again for the rest of her life.
But... Bai Musheng is too good at winning hearts and minds.
If you offered her anything else, she wouldn't even glance at it.
But dzi beads are different.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
