Chapter 66 He raised his hand and gently stroked the tip of her nose...
Xiao Che frowned as he looked at her, overwhelmed with self-reproach: "Yan Yan, why is it you?"
Yan Jiarou sat sideways on his lap, feeling both scared and aggrieved: "Xiao Wenqi, you almost strangled me to death..."
It's no exaggeration to say that she really experienced the feeling of being on the verge of death just now.
When Xiao Che was with her, he always treated her gently, which gradually gave her the illusion that Xiao Che would always be like that.
Who would have thought that just now, when he didn't know her identity, he was a completely different person. The look in his eyes was one of disgust and indifference that came from the bottom of his heart, making one's hair stand on end and sending chills down one's spine.
Their actions were ruthless.
If she hadn't mustered all her strength to make a sound and let him know it was her, she really suspected that Xiao Che would have strangled her to death.
How terrifying! It turns out that he could crush her as easily as crushing an ant. I will never dare to hide my identity and sneak up on him again.
It was through this incident that she realized how much he had always indulged her.
Even when they didn't get along, he would never retaliate and hurt her.
This is the first time I've ever experienced something like this.
The suffocating feeling of the restraints still lingered around her neck. Yan Jiarou, still shaken, gently patted her chest and said, "That scared me to death..."
Xiao Che kissed her repeatedly, his words gentle and comforting: "I'm sorry, Yan Yan, I didn't know it was you..."
The fear had not completely dissipated, and Yan Jiarou flinched, instinctively turning her head away from his kiss.
Xiao Che felt a pang in his heart, and his voice trembled slightly: "Yan Yan, don't be afraid of me..."
Yan Jiarou came to her senses. She wasn't entirely unreasonable. Xiao Che had treated her that way because he probably thought she was some kind of malicious person. That's why he treated her that way: "I know you didn't mean it. I don't blame you..."
Xiao Che was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised by Yan Jiarou's understanding. He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead, saying, "Good girl."
Yan Jiarou also obediently clung to his shoulders and neck, just like before, nestled in his arms: "Brother..."
Xiao Che gently stroked the top of her head, then casually put his arm around her slender waist. As he looked down, he caught a glimpse of a faint red mark on her snow-white neck.
His brow furrowed deeply, a tight web of heartache and self-reproach binding him, making it hard for him to breathe.
He exhaled in frustration, feeling an intense loathing for himself for the first time in his life.
No one in this world can hurt her, not even himself.
He gently traced her wound with his fingers, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice trembled slightly: "Does it hurt?"
"pain……"
The little girl looked up, her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes reddening, looking utterly pitiful.
After her initial fear and lingering apprehension subsided, Yan Jiarou seized the opportunity to ask him for something: "It hurts so much... so, brother, can you give me some compensation?"
After she finished speaking, her gaze fell on the hidden veins in his neck, and she couldn't help but lick her lips.
Her longing for Xiao Che is growing stronger, and her body seems to be in a state of constant agitation. Only when she sees Xiao Che and feels his presence and touch can she find some peace.
However, that was all. Now, even drawing blood seemed unable to completely soothe her. So much so that even though she had just drawn blood yesterday, she couldn't help but shed tears again when she saw Xiao Che.
Although it can't completely calm the restlessness, it always makes me feel a little better after the blood is drawn.
She approached him impatiently, her soft tongue lightly teasing his Adam's apple, as if in a flirtatious manner. Her white teeth were already slightly protruding, but she subtly moved them aside, aiming at the bulging veins. Just as she was about to bite down, her forehead was blocked by fingers that had grown outwards.
Yan Jiarou had no choice but to stop what she was doing, and looked up at Xiao Che with a pitiful expression: "Waaah... Brother..."
Xiao Che glanced at her indifferently, raising one eyebrow slightly.
Oh? You dare to have other thoughts now, I guess you're no longer in pain and are no longer afraid.
He had been momentarily flustered by concern, but now that he saw she was alright, his reason gradually returned. He looked at her with an almost interrogative scrutiny in his eyes, his voice slightly deep, giving her a natural air of authority: "What are you doing here?"
Yan Jiarou was taken aback. He had apologized and kissed her in a comforting way, so she thought he wouldn't hold her accountable for following him without permission. She was secretly pleased and wanted to pretend that nothing had happened.
Caught off guard by his sudden attack, I felt a little guilty and stammered, "I...I..."
After stammering for a while without coming up with a coherent explanation, she gave up, raised her head, and declared defiantly, "Can't I come?!"
"You...you can't leave me...you know I can't live without you, I'm sick...you knew all that, and you still did this...you're so mean..."
As she continued talking, she became increasingly aggrieved and eventually cried.
Xiao Che sighed softly: "I didn't abandon you."
He reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, softening his tone as he said, "Didn't I tell you, I'll take care of it?"
Yan Jiarou reached out and hugged his waist, burying her face in his chest, and said in a muffled voice, "I don't believe any of these arrangements. Only having me by your side is the best arrangement. Xiao Che, don't send me away..."
"But Yan Yan, I'm not going on a sightseeing trip. It won't be easy. I have things to do, and I won't be able to take good care of you then."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiarou lifted her head from his embrace and looked at him steadily with her eyes: "I know, I know you have your important matters to attend to, matters concerning the country and the people. I am not the kind of person who does not know what is important and what is not. I can tell what is important and what is not. Don't worry, I will never cause you any trouble."
"But the disaster area is in turmoil, you..."
Yan Jiarou quickly said, "I will stay in the room and wait for you to come back. I won't run around, okay?"
The little girl looked at him with bright, expectant eyes, and he couldn't bring himself to refuse. However, letting her come along was something that was not originally in his plans. Xiao Che frowned and looked at her with a headache.
Yan Jiarou observed his expression and saw his reluctance. Her heart sank. Her cheeks puffed out, whether from anger or grievance, it was hard to tell. Seeing that her gentle approach wasn't working, she simply said, "You...you can't expect to send me back..."
She threatened him fiercely, "We're already out of town! If you send me back now, everyone will know! It'll definitely cause unnecessary trouble..."
“Besides, I can’t ride a horse. How am I supposed to get back? Are you going to turn around and take me back? Wouldn’t that mean I’m delaying our business?” Jia Rou pursed her lips and gave a flattering smile. “Brother, I know you can’t, right?”
"You know you'll mess things up?"
Xiao Che raised his hand and slowly pressed it against his brow, asking only, "Does Father know you've come out?"
“I told my grandmother, and she said she would speak to my father on my behalf. Going out of the palace to relax is not a big deal, and my father will not pursue the matter.”
"Who helped you get ahead, Xiao Yan?"
Yan Jiarou lowered her head and twisted her fingers, as if unwilling to implicate anyone else: "I..."
He's actually quite loyal...
Xiao Che glanced at her: "If you want to stay by my side, then answer me obediently."
Yan Jiarou's eyes lit up for a moment. Xiao Che's implication was that as long as she answered obediently, he would let her stay by his side.
A bright smile immediately bloomed on the girl's lips: "Brother, I'll tell you, I'll tell you," she confessed without hesitation, "It was Second Brother who helped me. I told him I was sick, that the medicine was with you, and that I couldn't be separated from him..."
Xiao Che: "And then he believed it?"
"Hmm..." Yan Jiarou thought back for a moment. Xiao Yan had just smiled meaningfully at the time and hadn't asked any more questions before readily agreeing.
She nodded and replied truthfully, "Yes, brother."
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow.
Tsk, I just praised her for being loyal, and then she turned around and betrayed Xiao Yan.
It was indeed Xiao Yan. He had always known Xiao Yan was absurd, but he never expected him to be this absurd.
It was one thing to bring all the beautiful women from the manor disguised as servants, but to bring my younger sister along as well was another.
Ha, I really want to crack open his head and see what's inside.
——
In another carriage, Xiao Yan was embracing a beautiful maid, Yi Lan. The maid was half-undressed, her two snow-white thighs forced apart and hanging down on both sides, swaying gently with the bumps of the carriage. Just at the crucial moment, Xiao Yan suddenly stopped. Yi Lan was caught in an awkward position, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
She weakly pushed him away, her face flushed, and asked repeatedly, "Hmm... what's wrong, Your Highness?"
Xiao Yan touched his nose, suddenly sneezed, and frowned, saying, "Tsk, why do I feel like someone is cursing me?"
Xiao Yan's household was filled with beauties, each with a different temperament. Some were as gentle as her, while others were spoiled and arrogant, prone to throwing tantrums.
Even when a beautiful woman is cursing, it has a unique charm, and Xiao Yan usually doesn't get angry, taking it as just a bit of fun.
Therefore, when he said he felt someone was scolding him, Yilan assumed that he had suddenly fallen for some beauty again. So she lifted her eyelids, gave him a flirtatious glare, and deliberately scolded, "Your Highness, how can you think of someone else when you're with me?"
Xiao Yan narrowed his long, phoenix-shaped eyes and deliberately lifted his waist to tease her: "My beauty, please don't wrong me. What I'm thinking about now is how to make you suffer."
Yi Lan was startled by Ding Zhuang's voice, and cautiously looked at his arm: "Uh... Your Highness... you..."
While holding her tightly, Xiao Yan said, "Yilan, how dare you talk to me like that? Speaking of which, when my third brother came out just now, you stared at him with wide eyes, looking like you wanted to pounce on him. What, do you want him to sleep with you?"
Yi Lan was taken aback, her gaze becoming somewhat unnatural: "Your Highness, what nonsense are you talking about? I am Your Highness's person..."
"Come on, I know what you're thinking..." Xiao Yan sneered, "But give up on that idea, he wouldn't even look at you."
Yi Lan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the blush on her cheeks, flushed with desire, seemed to fade: "Yi Lan is merely of average appearance, naturally unworthy of the Third Prince's attention..."
"Why should a beauty belittle herself? If you were merely of average appearance, why would I be so captivated by you? My third brother's disdain for you is not because you are not beautiful enough; even if you were celestial beings, he would still not consider you worthy of his attention..."
"Why? Is it because he is abstinent and doesn't get close to women?"
"Pure and abstinent, and abstaining from women?"
Xiao Yan chuckled, as if he had heard a joke: "He has half Lanling blood in him, do you think that's possible? Haven't you heard that the people of Lanling are the most lustful?"
"Why is the Third Prince..."
“Him,” Xiao Yan smiled mysteriously, leaning close to her ear and saying, “He has someone in his heart. For so many years, he has remained chaste for her. People in Lanling are often promiscuous and dissolute. Now it’s my third brother’s turn. Who would have thought that such a romantic would emerge from him?”
Yi Lan widened her eyes slightly, as if she were quite surprised: "Your Highness would actually do such a thing for a woman?"
She murmured, "I wonder which woman made him go to such lengths... It must have been very difficult to fight against one's own nature..."
"Which woman? The one he raised himself, of course. She's spoiled, demanding, and incredibly clingy, requiring constant pampering. She'd be fine as a younger sister, but as a woman, I can't stand her..."
"As for whether it's hard to endure?"
He glanced at her and said mockingly, "What, are you feeling sorry for her?"
"You don't need to feel sorry for him; his younger sister will take good care of him."
Remembering how Jia Rou had pleaded with him that day, wanting to go south with them, looking so reluctant to part with Xiao Che, he smiled and said, "Endure? I think he won't have to endure it anymore from now on."
However, wasn't Xiao Jiarou always very close to that good-for-nothing Xiao Jue? For the past few years, she's been following him around like a little tail, never giving her third brother a good look. They always bicker whenever they meet, one being jealous and sarcastic, the other having an unrestrained temper. When the two clash, they're like oil and water.
Now, Xiao Jiarou has suddenly fallen for someone else and abruptly changed her attitude, which is quite unexpected for him.
But then again, he wasn't surprised at all that she would fall for Xiao Che.
Although his statements were contradictory, that was what he truly believed.
The thought of Xiao Jiarou falling in love with someone else and losing her made Xiao Jue feel quite pleased.
Xiao Jue is a good-for-nothing; he doesn't deserve anyone's love.
With such a sickly body, how could she possibly get up in bed? Little Jia Rou chose Xiao Che; she'll know the benefits later.
However, she was young and inexperienced. It was uncertain whether her delicate body could withstand her third brother's extraordinary abilities.
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of heat throughout his body. Just as Yi Lan's demons were descending to the shore, he said, "My beauty, why are you so worried about my third brother? He has someone who cares for him. You should worry about me first."
Yi Lan looked towards his shoulder, and as he prayed for blessings, tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision until she could no longer make out the face of the person in front of her.
When my vision cleared again, another face seemed to appear before me.
His extremely beautiful eyebrows and eyes were captivating, yet his temperament was cold and aloof, his eyes were detached, as if nothing in this world could stir any emotion in him.
But at this moment, her face was stained with blood. She vaguely thought that even celestial beings could be dragged into this mortal world.
This extreme contrast is all the more captivating.
Xiao Yan suddenly hissed, pinched her demon hard, and said in a hoarse voice, "Why are you suddenly biting so tightly?"
"Beautiful lady, did you just die?"
Yi Lan didn't speak, but just staggered westward, her gaze already shifting. Finally, relying on the pitiful illusion before her, she leaned on Ji Le.
On the other side, Xiao Yan was also completely forced out by her.
Thus, the affair involving Ini on the carriage finally came to a temporary end.
——
Meanwhile, Yan Jiarou had completely betrayed Xiao Yan.
Xiao Che raised his hand, gently stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, and said with a half-smile, "Your second brother helped you, and this is how you treat him?"
Yan Jiarou blinked and rubbed her hand against his ingratiatingly, "Although I like Second Brother too, compared to Third Brother..."
The girl smiled brightly, and her clear black and white eyes looked at people with utmost sincerity, as if they were filled with the deepest truth: "Of course, my third brother is more important."
The implication was that she preferred Xiao Che and naturally listened to him more. If he asked her to tell the truth, she would obediently do so—even if it meant betraying Xiao Yan.
Xiao Che swallowed hard. Although he knew she was only being so ingratiating by wanting to stay by his side so he could easily draw blood, and that she was betraying Xiao Yan for him, her words still sounded really good.
He gently patted her head, and his heart softened as well.
He wanted to ask, how does that compare to Xiao Jue?
But I'm also afraid that the answer I hear won't be what I want, and that it will ruin the atmosphere for no reason.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Yan Jiarou slowly approached him, touched her forehead to his, and cautiously asked, "I answered obediently, so can I stay?"
Xiao Che looked at her and finally hummed in agreement: "You can stay, but you have to be obedient, understand?"
"That's great!" the little girl cheered, excitedly kissing him on the cheek and looking at him with bright eyes. "I knew Third Brother was the best to me!"
Oh? Xiao Che raised an eyebrow with interest. She hadn't said that when she used to argue with him.
What was clearly said was: Xiao Wenqi is the most despicable person in the world, and he is the brother I hate the most!
However, in just one month, they changed their tune.
They do know how to change course depending on the wind.
He reached out and flicked the tip of her nose: "Smooth talker."
Despite this, the corners of her lips clearly and uncontrollably curled up.
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