Xia Rong understood his meaning and was overjoyed, saying, "I'm waiting!"
Minghe stood there serving, not even lifting her eyes.
Xiao Jingying glanced at him, unsure if he had understood what he was saying. Seeing his indifferent expression, she frowned slightly.
An Song reminded him, "Jingying, it's your turn."
Xiao Jingying threw down the chess piece and said, "I'm tired, you can all leave!"
An Song and Xia Rong exchanged a glance.
Just as Xia Rong was about to say something, Xiao Jingying looked directly at him, and with just that one glance, he silenced Xia Rong's words.
As Xia Rong left, she complained to the Fourth Prince, "Xiao Jingying, tsk tsk!"
The fourth prince smiled but said nothing.
After the two of them left, Minghe tidied up the chessboard.
Xiao Jingying just sat there, watching him the whole time.
"My lord, would you like to take a nap?" Minghe asked him.
Xiao Jingying gestured for him to sit on his lap and said, "Come here."
Minghe was stunned for a moment.
This is in the yard; someone might walk by at any time.
But he still did as Xiao Jingying instructed and went towards him.
Unlike when she was indoors, Minghe, who was usually very relaxed, became somewhat reserved, and her eyes kept involuntarily glancing to the side.
Xiao Jingying put his arm around his waist and asked, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"
Minghe: "...Hmm."
"So you know how to be afraid now..." Xiao Jingying said, his eyes narrowing deeply.
Minghe looked confused, as if she didn't know what he was talking about.
Xiao Jingying, however, couldn't stand his behavior and directly opened his mouth, biting his collar and tearing it open.
Minghe was startled and quickly said, "Sir, we're outside!"
Xiao Jingying liked his innocence, and seemingly wanting to tease him on purpose, she tightened her grip on his waist even more, showing no intention of stopping.
"No!" Minghe felt this was too absurd. For the first time, she refused him, grabbed his hand, and buried her face in his shoulder to prevent him from making any further moves.
"Can't handle it?" Xiao Jingying laughed. "Minghe, you can't even stand it?"
Minghe called out to him tremblingly, "...Young...Young Master..."
The more afraid he was, the happier Xiao Jingying became, and he even wanted to make him even more afraid.
“Minghe,” Xiao Jingying looked at him with those affectionate eyes, but the words he uttered were extremely wicked, “How about I give you away?”
Where Minghe couldn't see, a cold glint appeared in her eyes, but her voice was extremely weak, "Young Master... don't treat me like this..."
Xiao Jingying: "Why can't it be like this? Didn't you say that you are my slave and I can do whatever I want with you?"
"No," Minghe buried her face deeper into his shoulder, looking weak and helpless, but there was no emotion in her eyes, even a hint of mockery. "I only want to stay by your side, young master. I don't want to go anywhere else."
Xiao Jingying was very satisfied with what he said, but felt it wasn't enough. He asked again, his voice a little hoarse, "Why do you want to stay by my side?"
“…” Minghe let go of his hand and hugged his neck.
They were so intimate, like lovers.
"Of course... Minghe likes the young master."
Even though Xiao Jingying had already prepared for something, he still couldn't help but be stunned when he heard those words.
He felt happy, very happy, extremely happy.
Even when he was able to come to the capital back then, and rose through the ranks of the court time and time again, he had never been this happy.
But after the initial excitement, he began to look down on it.
The person who claims to like him is nothing but a lackey, like mud on the ground.
Ironically, he actually liked this servant.
Xiao Jingying laughed at himself, but then grabbed Minghe's neck and kissed her.
He didn't say again that he wanted to give Minghe away, nor did he say that he wouldn't give him away.
He carried him like that, walked into the house, placed him on the couch, and watched him peel off his clothes, then looked him over with a pair of interested eyes.
Minghe trembled slightly under his gaze, and this wasn't even an act.
He knew that Xiao Jingying could like him, but she could also easily destroy this relationship that he had already acknowledged.
For him, love was dispensable in the face of self-interest, and nothing could bind him.
He bent down and enjoyed his love.
Yet he retained a sliver of rationality throughout and never became deeply entangled in it.
Everyone in the Xiao family felt that Xiao Jinying was spoiling Minghe far too much, to the point that it was incomprehensible.
"When has the master ever shown favor to such a person!"
"Who says otherwise? Someone saw him behaving so inappropriately in the yard yesterday, and I heard that the adults even carried him into the house themselves."
"Yes, the adults only sent water in when it was dawn."
"..."
Xiao Jingying loves whomever he desires.
He paid no attention to the rumors circulating in his household, and the subtle inquiries from the Xiao family could not sway him.
"I remember you can read," Xiao Jingying said to Minghe on a whim. "Then can you understand these official documents?"
Minghe shook her head and said, "I dare not look."
Xiao Jingying smiled and said, "You know how to behave properly, that's what I like most about you."
Minghe smiled.
When Xiao Jingying had nothing to do, he asked Minghe what books he had read and discussed some ideas with him. He was surprised to find that Minghe's insights were quite unique.
To be honest, this person could even be considered intelligent.
“In a few days, there will be a preliminary examination for the imperial examination in the capital.” Xiao Jingying suddenly remembered this.
Minghe showed a hint of surprise.
Xiao Jingying hugged him, kissed his lips, and said with a smile, "I'll vouch for you, why don't you give it a try?"
Minghe couldn't quite guess what he was thinking.
He actually... wanted to take the imperial examination and enter officialdom.
“…Okay,” Minghe said.
It's really too abrupt for someone almost twenty years old to start among a group of kids.
Xiao Jingying naturally wouldn't send him off or embarrass himself alongside him.
Minghe went and came back by himself. He took the exam for two days. When he returned home after the exam, he found that Xiao Jingying had been waiting for him all along.
"Did you finish the exam?" Xiao Jingying asked, putting his arm around him.
"Yes, the exam is over," Minghe said hesitantly.
Xiao Jingying couldn't stand his attitude and frowned, asking, "How did the exam go?"
Minghe: "...I don't know."
Seeing his expression, Xiao Jingying figured he probably wouldn't pass the exam, and angrily pinched his thigh, saying, "How can you be so spineless!"
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