Chapter 71 World Three (Twenty-Two)
Xiao Yujing's usually calm brows trembled slightly. He looked at Zhao Shu, his face flushed with excitement, his eyes gleaming like stars, and his whole body exuded confidence.
Zhao Shu came today, and seemed to be confident about asking for the precious fan.
Xiao Yujing's lips curled up slightly, and an extremely cold and hard sneer fell into Zhao Shu's ears.
Seeing this, Zhao Shu quickly demonstrated his sincerity. He discovered how much Wang had spent bringing the precious fan to Lin'an City. He then spent that money, multiplying it tenfold, intending to redeem the fan from the Xiao residence. Zhao Shu had already made plans: once he left with the fan, he would fabricate a false identity for her, find a minor official, register her as his adopted daughter, and then propose marriage and marry her... no one would question the fan's original identity.
But Xiao Yujing clearly didn't want to go along with Zhao Shu's idea. His eyes were filled with coldness, and his words were full of wit: "Mr. Zhao, you are being too fanciful."
Zhao Shu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on him when he heard this. His heart sank slightly. "You refused to give Miss Baoshan a title, and you forcibly stopped me from giving her one. I used to hear that Xiao Yujing was a gentleman, gentle and considerate. Now it seems that it was just an empty reputation.
You have a wife who manages your household affairs at home, and a delicate and soft concubine who lives outside, and yet, for your own selfish desires, you refuse to let the precious fan go free.
If you say I am just a fool, it is better to say that Lord Xiao is very calculating and wants to take all the good things in the world into his own hands."
The more Zhao Shu spoke, the more indignant he became, and a blush surged on his face and neck.
From beginning to end, Xiao Yujing just looked at him coldly, without any anger of provocation on his face. His calm attitude made Zhao Shu look like a juggler who built the stage and performed by himself.
Xiao Yujing's face was as cold as ice, but he was not completely unresponsive in his heart.
Just by listening to the scene described by Zhao Shu, that he would take the treasured fan out of the Xiao Mansion, give her freedom, and then promise to give her the position of the legal wife, Xiao Yujing's heart moved slightly, as if there was a foreign object across her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Baoshan was a bird carefully raised in a cage. In the past, Xiao Yujing wanted to let her out of the cage.
But Baoshan was used to being kept as a pet, so he hid in the cage and refused to come out.
Now, another bird flew to the cage and wanted to take the treasured fan away, but Xiao Yujing didn't want to do as they wished.
Xiao Yujing looked at Zhao Shu again. Marquis Dingyuan doted on his youngest son and asked him to marry the treasured fan. Zhao Shu must have put in a lot of effort before he dared to come to the Xiao Mansion so openly.
Xiao Yujing frowned and thought deeply. Zhao Shu's behavior would surely make the Marquis and the Marquis' wife angry. Baoshan was the young lady who had seduced away the soul of their young son before they even met.
Even if the precious fan really entered the Marquis's mansion, it would probably be tortured in every way and would have to live on thin ice.
As if he had found a reason for his dissatisfaction, Xiao Yujing thought to himself: It's not that he doesn't want to let Baoshan go free, but Zhao Shu is not a good man, and Dingyuan Marquis Mansion is just a bigger birdcage.
There is nothing Xiao Yujing cannot refuse.
Therefore, he only said a few words and made Zhao Shu, who was still excited when he came, leave with a lonely face.
When Zhao Shu left the Xiao Mansion, he looked back at the gate, as if he could glimpse the treasure fan through layers of red walls.
When Xiao Yujing arrived at the pavilion, Baoshan was leaning against the railing, gazing leisurely at the bottomless lake. Her slender white hands pinched the soft petals and threw them into the lake one by one.
The petals fell onto the lake, causing only tiny ripples, and then floated calmly on the surface of the deep lake.
The lake water is like a polished diamond-shaped mirror, shining brightly.
Across the clear lake water, Baoshan saw Xiao Yujing's figure.
Like a pine or a cypress, tall and graceful.
They stared at each other from a distance, their eyes meeting. In the end, Bao Shan was the first to look away and hurriedly stood up.
Bao Shan wore a lake blue, floor-length dress that was crossed at the neck and slightly tightened at the waist, which made her waist look even slimmer, not even thick enough to be held in one hand.
The hem of her skirt was adorned with gemstone pendants of the same color strung together with silver threads. When she moved her feet, the gemstones collided with each other, making a clear and crisp sound.
The sunlight pours down on the gem pendants, which do not make them look gaudy or overly gorgeous, but instead make them appear delicate and unusually beautiful.
Xiao Yujing stood in front of the treasured fan, looking at the person in front of him with his head lowered and a distant look, and felt a little sad.
Normally, she would be around him, trying to get close to him, but why was she retreating now?
Xiao Yujing said indifferently: "Do you still remember Zhao Shu?"
Bao Shan raised his head slightly, his eyes blank. After a moment of thought, he nodded and said, "I remember."
She carefully considered her words: "Mr. Zhao is quick to speak, so he must be easy to get along with."
Her original intention was to show concern for Xiao Yujing. After all, Zhao Shu was Xiao Yujing's colleague. People who spoke frankly were always easier to get along with than those who were taciturn and had a lot of calculations in their hearts.
But as soon as Baoshan finished speaking, he sensed the aura around Xiao Yujing, and it became even colder and harder.
"That's the case. Do you know why he came to your house just now?"
Bao Shan was slightly startled and shook her head, saying, "I don't know."
"He came here specifically to ask to marry you."
Bao Shan's gaze narrowed slightly, her large, innocent almond-shaped eyes trembling slightly, filled with bewilderment. She had only met Zhao Shu twice before, so why would Zhao Shu suddenly ask her to marry him? Besides... Bao Shan raised her eyes slightly, taking in Xiao Yujing's face, thinking to herself: Besides, she was already Xiao Yujing's, so how could she possibly marry Zhao Shu?
Baoshan's weak voice sounded, panicking and bewildered: "I don't know..."
Xiao Yujing's voice was cold: "Zhao Shu is not a good man. I have already rejected him."
If you fall in love with him, then...
As soon as this thought came to Xiao Yujing's mind, he suppressed it fiercely.
Since he has had physical contact with Baoshan, if he gives her away to someone else, wouldn't he be considered a heartless person?
Bao Shan's porcelain-white face was still a bit dazed, as if she hadn't recovered from the news just now. Hearing Xiao Yujing's words, Bao Shan said meekly, "I will obey Xiao Lang."
Xiao Yujing tightened his grip, looked up at her, and asked with confusion, "Why?"
Why did she trust him so much and reject Zhao Shu's request? Even if Xiao Yujing tried to find excuses, he could not deny that he had selfish motives.
That selfish motive was hard to explain, like chains that bound Xiao Yujing's body and forced him to leave the treasured fan behind.
Bao Shan's eyes were as clear and pure as the lake beneath the pavilion. She said softly, "Because I believe Xiao Lang will not lie to me."
Her soft and gentle voice echoed in the silent courtyard.
"I know that I have nothing of value, nothing worth coveting.
Being protected by Xiao Lang is the greatest blessing in my life."
Baoshan has a delicate figure, like a willow swaying in the wind, and looks very endearing.
There is nothing about her that is worth others' attention. Just with this body and this beautiful face, she can make men in the world worry about her and be willing to live and die for her.
Xiao Yujing's obsidian eyes looked over Bao Shan's body deeply. He had measured every inch of her skin with his own hands, and the memory was still vivid.
"Go back early."
Xiao Yujing left a word and turned to leave.
Baoshan's eyebrows slightly frowned, as if she suddenly thought of something. She opened her lips and called out "Xiao Lang". Her jade feet shifted slightly, making a slight sound of bones cracking.
The pain in his feet made Bao Shan frown. He seemed to have suddenly lost control of his feet and fell towards the deep lake.
Bao Shan slightly lowered her brows to hide the expression in her eyes. She had planned so much just waiting for the right time today.
She grew up in Yangzhou City. If Xiao Yujing could not jump into the deep lake to save her, she could also protect herself.
Xiao Yujing turned around and saw only the hem of a lake blue dress, which was instantly submerged by the lake water.
The precious fan fell into the lake and the body fell straight down. Only then did he realize that the lake was really as bottomless as everyone said.
Through the thin surface of the lake, she could still see Xiao Yujing in the pavilion.
For a moment, the memories that were deliberately buried in childhood resurfaced in Xiao Yujing's mind.
He suppressed the hunger and pain and jumped into the moat.
As the river water flooded his head, a feeling of suffocation filled his whole body.
The instinct of survival made Xiao Yujing open his arms and call for help.
However, no one came to save him, including the mermaid he had been hoping for.
There was complete silence at the bottom of the moat, with only the pounding of Xiao Yujing's heartbeat.
After thinking for only a moment, Xiao Yujing jumped into the deep lake without any hesitation.
Xiao Yujing stirred the lake water, looking for the treasure fan, and a lake blue dress appeared in Xiao Yujing's sight.
Bao Shan's body seemed to merge with the lake water. Her black hair spread out, connecting and entangled with each other in the clear lake water.
Xiao Yujing quickly swam to Baoshan's side and held her waist tightly with his hands.
Baoshan's eyes were tightly closed, and her dark eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she was having difficulty breathing due to drowning.
Xiao Yujing held her slender waist tightly with one hand, and with the other hand he tucked her hair behind her ears, then leaned over and breathed in with her.
Warmth and cold breath entangled with each other, this was a kiss without any ambiguity or lingering feelings.
However, Xiao Yujing was more cautious than ever before. What he held in his hands was a fragile glass bottle that needed careful care to last.
Under the lake, Baoshan's thick and long eyelashes became clearer and clearer.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. There was a hint of coolness on her soft lips, and she gently opened her lips with a precious fan.
Xiao Yujing, who was holding Baoshan tightly, could feel Baoshan's movements most clearly and saw that she had woken up.
Instead of letting go of the delicate body in his hands, he hugged her even tighter, and the peck that was originally meant to comfort her suddenly changed its meaning.
The sandalwood mouth and soft tongue are originally used to taste delicious food, but now they can be used for other purposes.
Not until both of them became breathless did Xiao Yujing let go of the treasured fan and half-hugged her as they swam upwards.
Waves rose on the surface of the lake, and two figures, snuggling closely together, walked out of the deep lake.
Xiao Yujing placed the precious fan on the armchair, and their clothes were soaked with water.
Baoshan's lake blue dress clung tightly to her delicate body, revealing her exquisite outline.
Crystal clear water droplets were still hanging on her three thousand black hairs. She raised her beautiful eyes with a fan, and her wet eyes seemed to have been washed by lake water.
Her appearance is indeed confusing.
Xiao Yujing's clothes were completely soaked by the lake water, but he had no time to care. His eyes were dark and deep as he looked at the treasure fan.
She really suits the color blue very well, with a lake blue dress and azure gems. It seems as if she was born for the precious fan and was destined to be worthy of such a color.
The tie at the neck had been soaked and turned dark, sticking to Baoshan's slender white neck, and round drops of water rolled down the neck to the ravine.
She looked like a water monster, the legendary mermaid.
It was as if a hole was pried open in Xiao Yujing's heart, and a warm breath seeped in through the crack.
In the past, he believed the legend and waited anxiously for the mermaid to come find him, but to no avail.
Now, the mermaid, who has been late for decades, finally comes to find him.
She is so weak and pitiful that she cannot help those who pray to her realize their wishes and needs protection from others.
Xiao Yujing thought to himself: What a useless little mermaid. But after all, she was his "little mermaid" alone.
Xiao Yujing stroked Baoshan's cheek with his palm, pressed her soft back against the railing, and leaned over gently.
The land of pleasure is not only the burial place of heroes, but also the place where literati and scholars cannot escape.
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