Chapter 150 Young Phoenix I really like your name
"Just kidding, of course I know." Mei Xiaojing turned around and grabbed Xiao Ma's wrist. Xiao Ma was slightly taken aback, looked down at it but didn't pull away. Mei Xiaojing didn't care that there were still people watching, and said with a reproach, "Let's go."
As if bewitched, Xiao Ma followed her steps, glancing sideways at the way Feng Shisan and Ji Fang looked at Da Sha, his handsome face flushed red.
Feng Shisan sniffled and tapped Ji Fang's shoulder with the hilt of his sword. "That doesn't make sense."
Ji Fang stood there dumbfounded. After being in Rongdu for almost half a year, he was no longer the naive young man from Canglang Island who had never seen the world. What was wrong with him today? Mei Xiaoqing was indeed pretty, but why did he feel so uneasy?
"Hey," Feng Shisan yelled behind Ji Fang's ear, "What does she see in Xiao Ma? Shouldn't all women like...?" Feng Shisan said, showing off the bulging muscles in his arms, "like that?"
Ji Fang looked disgusted. "Ask Guan Ye if she likes this kind of thing."
Feng Shisan retorted stubbornly, "On the island, in your yard, the way we all looked, Guan Ye would have a nosebleed just by looking at us. Ajiu's muscles are bigger than Xiao Ma's, right?"
If Ji Fang continued to argue with him, he feared he would become increasingly foolish. Ji Fang pointed his sword at Feng Shisan's dark face, but swallowed his words and turned to head towards the foundry, leaving Feng Shisan alone, bewildered in the wind.
Stepping out of the neighborhood gate, Mei Xiaojing continued walking, pulling Xiao Ma around the carriage. Xiao Ma looked back at the large cart parked outside the neighborhood, "Yinzi, do you still want me to escort you?"
Mei Xiaojing gripped Xiao Ma's wrist tightly and jogged towards the market. Weaving through the bustling crowd, her steps were as light and graceful as a pink butterfly. Xiao Ma followed her steps as if mesmerized, his eyes following the rise and fall of the pink ribbons in her hair. If… if none of this had happened, if he were still the young master of the Ma family, without injustice, without hardship, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, even being a playboy would be fine, how happy he would be with Mei Xiaojing…
Mei Xiaojing said that her father died on Eagle Ridge Road, and her distant uncle took pity on the orphaned girl and brought her to Rongdu to take care of her. If none of this had happened... Xiao Ma's steps suddenly became heavy, and Mei Xiaojing would have stayed in her hometown far away in the mountains and rivers, and would never have appeared in Rongdu in this life.
If, but there are no ifs... The present moment is the most precious thing to hold onto. Xiao Ma gripped Mei Xiaoqing's hand tighter. Mei Xiaoqing smiled and looked back, but seeing Xiao Ma staring intently at her, her cheeks flushed. She suddenly stopped, and Xiao Ma abruptly halted, panting softly, "Why aren't you running anymore?"
Mei Xiaojing's gaze slid to the hand that Xiao Ma was holding tightly. Xiao Ma was startled and let go, realizing that he had gripped too tightly, leaving large red marks on the girl's delicate hand. Xiao Ma quickly lifted Mei Xiaojing's soft palm, breathed warm air on it, and gently rubbed it, asking, "Does it hurt?"
Mei Xiaojing nodded and then shook her head violently, "It hurts, but it doesn't hurt."
"Does it hurt or not?" Xiao Ma looked helpless. "I don't know what to do after what you've said."
Mei Xiaojing's eyes gleamed with a hint of slyness as she bit her lip and said, "It's fine as it is now. Keep going, don't stop."
Xiao Ma knew he was being teased, and he suddenly enjoyed the feeling, this... deep sense of being relied upon. "Where are you taking me?"
Mei Xiaojing abruptly pulled her hand away. "I haven't even asked you yet. It's been quite a while, why haven't you come to find me?"
"I..." Xiao Ma rubbed his hands, "I don't need to save money either..." As soon as he said it, Xiao Ma regretted it. He had just said that the present moment was the most precious time to hold on to. Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma, why did you go back on your word?
Mei Xiaoqing blushed with anger and put her hands on her hips, saying, "Yes, you have so much money that my family can't even save it all. If you don't want to save money, then leave."
Women change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book. No matter how smart Xiao Ma is, he can't keep up with the changes in a woman's mind. He scratches his head and walks around thinking, "Why don't I just do what she says?"
"Little Ma!" Mei Xiaoqing called softly, "Go away, and don't come back!"
This... Xiao Ma is having a hard time figuring it out. Should he leave or not?
"Miss Mei?" Luo Yichen appeared out of nowhere, pushing through the crowd. He brandished his sword and looked around. "Who's the fool who offended you? Watch how I deal with him."
"Chief Luo?" Xiao Ma stared at the man in front of him, bewildered.
Although Luo Yichen hadn't spoken many words to this young swordsman, he had met him several times and knew that he was from Xingguofang. He seemed to be surnamed Ma, but no, he didn't know his surname or given name, so he was just called Xiao Ma.
"It's you?" Luo Yichen awkwardly tucked his sword behind his back, then his expression suddenly darkened. "Have you offended Miss Mei?"
Xiao Ma hurriedly waved his hands, "I didn't, I didn't, you misheard me, who would dare to mess with her?"
"That's true." Luo Yichen nodded in agreement. "Only someone with a death wish would dare to mess with her. No, wait, Miss Mei just called your name, Xiao Ma, get out of here! She's telling you to leave." Luo Yichen pointed at Xiao Ma, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Xiao Ma flicked his nose, knowing that Luo Yichen was someone close to the Crown Prince and could not be treated carelessly. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Mei Xiaojing jumped in front of him, opened her arms and said, "Who told you to really leave? Xiao Ma, are you smart or stupid?"
Luo Yichen couldn't figure it out, but before he could finish speaking, he chuckled and said, "Men, they're always trying to be smart but end up being stupid, and trying to be stupid but then acting smart. I think this Brother Ma is just trying to be smart with you."
"It's not your turn to say that." Mei Xiaojing glared at Luo Yichen, grabbed Xiao Ma with one hand, and said fiercely, "I'll only say it once, Xiao Ma, you better listen carefully."
"Hi?" Luo Yichen became interested. Even when Miss Mei got angry, she was so cute. Luo Yichen pricked up his ears to listen carefully.
"I'll only say this once, Little Ma, from now on you have to stay with me. I won't allow you to leave, not even for a moment. Even if I tell you to leave, it's just to scare you. You still can't leave. Do you understand?"
"I didn't understand." Luo Yichen's ears were ringing. "Say it again."
"Xiao Ma, did you understand?" Mei Xiaojing stared directly into Xiao Ma's dark eyes.
Xiao Ma exhaled, reached out his hand to Mei Xiaojing, and seeing that Mei Xiaojing was stunned and didn't move, he simply took her hand and said, "Let's go."
"Brother Ma, did you understand?" Luo Yichen vaguely felt that this was not the case.
Xiao Ma glanced at Luo Yichen with a smile, then took Mei Xiaojing's hand and disappeared into the bustling crowd in the street.
"I understand, but what you just said isn't entirely reasonable."
"What's unreasonable about it?"
"You can't even leave for half a step? Then I need to go back to the neighborhood. Even if I don't have to go back, I still need to practice my sword and go to the outhouse. Are you going to come with me to the outhouse? That... isn't a good idea."
"You little pony, then you just...hold it in."
—"Hahahaha..."
Outside Rongdu City, on Phoenix Perch Mountain, as the setting sun sank smaller and smaller like an egg yolk being bitten off piece by piece, the boy who had been clinging to the sun was still reluctant to get up and leave.
"Little Ma." Mei Xiaoqing framed the sunset with her fingers. "I wish the sun would never set. I don't want to go back. I don't want to be separated from you."
"You're so silly." Little Horse hugged her tighter. "If the sun doesn't set, we'll never wait for tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow's sun will be even brighter?"
Mei Xiaojing's eyes suddenly reddened. "You won't come to find me tomorrow either, so I'll stop today and stay together so we won't be separated."
“Who said I won’t come to see you?” Xiao Ma pressed against her round nose, his thin lips lightly touching hers. “I was busy presenting the sword to the Emperor and didn’t have time before. There’s less work at the end of the year, so I’ll come to see you tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. I’m just afraid you’ll find it annoying if I come too often.”
Mei Xiaojing smiled with satisfaction and snuggled against Xiao Ma's neck, saying, "Your cousin also wants to see you. He'll be happy if you go."
"Is he feeling any better?" Xiao Ma asked in a low voice. "It's not that I don't want to see him, but Young Master Mei is frail. Every time I go back, I'm covered in dust and grime, which might worsen his condition."
Mei Xiaoqing chuckled and said, "You have no idea, last time you two recognized each other, my cousin was like he took a super tonic, his health improved day by day, and these past few days he's been able to go to the courtyard by himself. If you go to see him, I guarantee he'll get better even faster." Mei Xiaoqing remembered something, frowned and added, "Also, my cousin said that in Lingnan... someone went to Lingnan to inquire about your parents."
"How did Young Master Mei know?"
Mei Xiaojing continued, "My cousin also secretly sent someone to Lingnan. He said the fake copper coins attracted the Shadow Guards, and they couldn't find anything by following the clues. They might start with the Ma family. Since your parents were exiled to Lingnan, they would definitely go there to inquire. Sure enough, the officials in Lingnan who were in charge of the refugees were afraid of being accused of negligence and insisted that you fell off a cliff and died. But my cousin said he didn't believe this nonsense, and the people behind the Shadow Guards would never believe it either."
Seeing that Xiao Ma was listening intently, Mei Xiaojing shook his hand and said, "My cousin also said that when Xingguofang arrived in Rongdu, counterfeit copper coins also appeared. Someone with ulterior motives will definitely connect the two, and it's not impossible that they will guess your identity one day. At that time... I'm afraid there will be a big disaster."
"Is he scared?"
“You underestimate my cousin,” Mei Xiaojing thought. “He’s the least afraid of disaster. My cousin said he’s been sickly since childhood and every day he lives is a bonus. Since our uncle passed away, his belief in living has been to wait for you to come back and fulfill our uncle’s last wish. Now that it has been fulfilled, he has nothing to be afraid of.”
"He wanted to..." Xiao Ma's heart pierced as if by a needle, "to take the blame for me?"
"My cousin asked me to ask you if it's okay..." Mei Xiaojing hesitated, not daring to continue.
Xiao Ma took out the hidden jade buckle, rubbed it and pressed it into his palm. "Mei Shiyu wants me and you to leave Rongdu and go to a place where no one knows us... to take my family's wealth and live well with you... But he..." Xiao Ma gazed at the setting sun struggling in the distance, "He will stay in Rongdu and use the power of the Mei family to force out the truth of the copper coin case. If the sky falls, he will hold it up for me."
"That's not what my cousin said..."
“That’s what Mei Shiyu planned.” Xiao Ma put away the jade clasp. “Why should he shoulder the burden of my family’s affairs? People who are not in good health should stay at home and rest. I, Ma Lin, can withstand even if it’s raining knives from the sky. I don’t need him to do anything for me anymore.”
Mei Xiaojing stared at Xiao Ma, whose expression was grim. "Force out the truth? Why not find out the truth? You and your cousin... do you already know...?" Last time at the money exchange, Mei Xiaojing didn't quite understand what they were talking about, or perhaps she simply didn't want to understand. She was overjoyed that the person her cousin was waiting for was the nameless Xiao Ma, and overjoyed that she finally knew Xiao Ma's name: Ma Lin. The name sounded invincible, and Mei Xiaojing liked it very much.
"Now that you know who harmed the Ma family, why don't you go and seek justice from them?" Mei Xiaoqing pressed.
Xiao Ma gently stroked the girl's hair in his arms, picking up a strand and deeply inhaling its fragrance. If he could, he too would want to recklessly succumb to it, running away with Mei Xiaoqing and living happily ever after. He hadn't been unaware of another path, though; the tinder he had collected on Canglang Island was for his departure...
Canglang Island is isolated from the world, and no one has entered or left for a hundred years. But if no one can enter or leave, where did these teenagers come from? After lying low for several years, Xiao Ma had already figured out the pattern of Hu Xian's big ship. Every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Hu Xian would sail his big ship to Canglang Island. In years when no teenagers came to the island, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, his ship would still appear and disappear in the morning mist, as if he was watching something.
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