Chapter 50 Your Highness, please stop pinching me! [15]
Achu seemed frightened by Si Jinye, her eyes brimming with tears as she shook her head, her voice trembling with sobs, "Your subject... Your subject dares not..."
"After returning to the manor, I informed my father that I voluntarily wish to become a nun..."
Si Jinye curled his lips and chuckled again.
He simply couldn't believe that Ah Chu would be willing to become a nun.
Si Jinye released his grip on A Chu's chin and distanced himself from her.
However, his gaze remained fixed on Achu.
Then he noticed that Ah Chu's chin had turned red from being pinched.
He didn't even use much force.
Si Jinye was somewhat disgusted. How could someone be so fragile?
If she were to experience the pain of headaches and tinnitus, she probably wouldn't even last a day before wanting to kill herself.
Wait, headache and tinnitus...
Si Jinye then realized that, without him noticing, his headache and tinnitus had disappeared!
Just like last time at Yi Yuan!
But soon, he felt his headache and tinnitus return.
It just felt much lighter than before, so light that his tolerance level could be negligible!
Si Jinye's sharp, gloomy gaze fell on A Chu, who was sitting in the corner of the carriage.
She seemed terrified, whether by him or by the sounds of fighting outside, it was hard to tell.
She wrapped herself in his cloak, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string.
Her originally pale face flushed red from crying.
This reminded Si Jinye of crabapple blossoms being drenched by spring rain.
If anyone else saw such a stunning beauty shedding tears, they would surely feel pity.
But Si Jinye only wanted to find out what was wrong with A Chu.
He tentatively reached out and pinched Achu's cheek.
Achu was so shocked that her eyes widened as she looked at Si Jinye with a mixture of bewilderment and fear.
"Your Majesty... Your Highness?"
Si Jinye ignored her and instead focused on feeling his own body.
Sure enough, his headache and tinnitus disappeared.
Si Jinye released his hand from A Chu's cheek and distanced himself from her again.
The headache and tinnitus returned, though still milder than before.
Si Jinye reached out again and pinched A Chu's cheek.
The headache and tinnitus disappeared.
Released, then restored.
It was pinched, then disappeared...
pinch……
Achu could no longer bear it and raised her hand to cover her face.
Si Jinye met A Chu's eyes, which held a mixture of anger and resentment.
He didn't say anything, and Achu had already lowered his hands in fear.
She cried and pleaded, "Your Highness, please stop pinching me!"
Si Jinye noticed that although he felt he hadn't used much force, both of A Chu's cheeks were red from being pinched.
He was speechless for a moment.
But he quickly retorted confidently, "I saved you, so can't I even pinch you a couple of times?"
Achu's wet eyelashes trembled, her lips trembled, and she choked out, "Your Highness saved me... I am deeply grateful..."
Si Jinye snorted coldly, but ultimately didn't pinch A Chu anymore.
The bandits outside were dealt with, but a few were left alive.
The guards came to ask Si Jinye what he meant.
Si Jinye said calmly, "Take him back and interrogate him properly."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Si Jinye looked at A Chu again and asked her, "Why are you here?"
His eyes held a mixture of inquiry and suspicion.
Si Jinye didn't believe those people were real bandits.
What a coincidence!
As soon as Achu appeared, he encountered an assassin.
"I...this humble woman...this humble woman, along with my mother and fifth elder sister, were on our way to Guanghua Temple to offer incense when we were ambushed by bandits..."
“They…they kidnapped me. On the way, I sprinkled chili powder on the face of the bandit who kidnapped me and stabbed him with a hairpin.”
"Then, I rode my horse and fled here."
After listening to what she said, Si Jinye raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you carry chili powder with you?"
Achu replied somewhat embarrassedly, "Mother said we should have a vegetarian meal at Guanghua Temple before returning... I love spicy food... I was afraid Guanghua Temple wouldn't have any chili peppers, so I brought some with me..."
Si Jinye then asked, "So how did you come up with the idea of sprinkling chili powder on the bandits?"
Achu: "I just happened to touch it at that moment..."
It really does seem like a coincidence.
Si Jinye didn't say anything more.
After a moment of silence, A Chu cautiously looked at Si Jinye: "Your Highness, would you... escort me back to my residence?"
Si Jinye ignored her, but said to his subordinates outside, "Go to the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence."
He paused, then added, "Go quickly to the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence and inform him."
A guard outside responded with "Yes," followed by the sound of a fast horse departing.
Achu looked at Si Jinye gratefully: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Si Jinye closed his eyes and ignored her.
His headache and tinnitus had finally subsided considerably, and he felt a bit sleepy.
Seeing that Si Jinye seemed to be asleep, A Chu also quieted down.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of horses' hooves and wheels rolling on the road.
The rain stopped sometime during the day.
Inside the city, at the residence of the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness.
Rong had just gathered all the guards in the manor to go and rescue Achu.
Someone came to announce that Ah Chu had been rescued and would be able to return home soon.
"That's wonderful! May Buddha protect us! May Bodhisattva protect us!"
Rong was overjoyed and didn't notice the disappointment that Shen Jingya couldn't hide in her eyes after her initial surprise.
Ah Chu was actually saved!
A luxurious carriage stopped at the back gate of the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence.
When Rong rushed over after receiving the notification, she saw Achu getting off the carriage wearing a black cloak.
Shen Jingya followed behind Rong Shi.
"Tan'er!"
"Sixth Sister!"
When Achu saw Rong Shi, she excitedly called out, "Mother!"
She ran over and threw herself into Rong's arms.
Rong hugged her tightly: "It's good that you're alright! It's good that you're back!"
She looked up, wanting to thank the kind person who had saved her daughter, but the carriage had already left.
All Rong could see were the imperial bells hanging on the carriage, which seemed to belong only to royalty...
A slight stirring ran through her heart, but she remained impassive.
"Let's go, Tan'er, let's go inside first."
Rong Shi embraced A Chu as they entered the house and returned to her courtyard.
Shen Jingya also followed along.
Just before entering, she glanced back at the direction the carriage had gone.
Rong recognized the imperial bells on the carriage as belonging to the royal family, and Shen Jingya naturally recognized them as well.
I just don't know which member of the royal family it is?
Upon returning to Achu's courtyard, Rong immediately ordered hot water and ginger soup to be prepared.
He then asked Achu if he was injured.
Achu shook his head: "Mother, I'm fine."
She told Rong how she escaped.
After hearing this, Madam Rong breathed a sigh of relief: "That's really all thanks to you, Tan'er, who loves spicy food and brought chili powder..."
Shen Jingya was speechless. She never expected that A Chu would carry chili powder with him!
But she was concerned about another question: "Who brought Sixth Sister back? We must thank him properly!"
Achu glanced at Shen Jingya and replied, "It is His Highness the Crown Prince."
Both Rong Shi and Shen Jingya looked surprised and exclaimed in unison, "Your Highness the Crown Prince?!"
Achu lowered her eyes and nodded.
At this point, the hot water was ready.
Rong helped Achu take off her cloak, only then did she see that her clothes were torn to shreds.
Rong was greatly alarmed.
Unable to contain her joy, Shen Jingya exclaimed, "Sixth Sister! Who tore your clothes?!"
It must be those bandits!
Achu blushed and explained, "It was His Highness the Crown Prince... He accidentally tore my clothes when he saved me."
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