"Fire! Quick, pack your things!"
“I just got a new piece of cloth a few days ago, and I haven’t had time to cut it into clothes yet. I can’t let it get burned.”
Xing Xiaoya was half asleep when she suddenly heard a series of noises. After realizing what was happening, she immediately jumped out of bed.
She put on her shoes and hurriedly ran out. There were originally two maids left to keep watch in the outer room, but now there was no one there. Obviously, the two maids had heard about the fire and rushed to escape, not taking her, a guest, seriously.
Looking at the empty outer room, her heart sank. This was the Princess's residence, and this was her first time visiting. She was a poor girl with no status, and she didn't even know where to run for her life.
Xing Xiaoya hurriedly went back inside to put on her coat. When she came out again, there was hardly anyone outside, as if she were the only one left there.
She pushed open the courtyard gate and looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, and immediately felt a chill.
The moon was obscured by dark clouds tonight, and the surroundings were shrouded in darkness. She couldn't even find a lantern, and the house she lived in was clearly in a remote location. The servants passing by couldn't see her, so she didn't know if they were busy putting out the fire or had simply forgotten about her.
Xing Xiaoya looked at the dark, narrow alley in front of her and dared not take another step. If a bad guy suddenly appeared, she would be finished.
Just as she was hesitating, a maid suddenly appeared.
She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the maid ran up to her and she realized how strange the maid was. She knew the maid was no good person and opened her mouth wide to scream.
Before he could even utter the word "help," the person who came over covered his mouth, preventing him from making a sound.
"Xiaoya, it's me."
A deep, pleasant male voice rang in her ears. Xing Xiaoya was slightly startled. She felt like she had heard the voice somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it.
"It's you! What are you doing here?" Xing Xiaoya obviously remembered her and immediately asked.
“By chance, I was investigating a case nearby when I learned you were here, and then a fire suddenly broke out. I was a little worried about your safety, after all, the servants of wealthy families are best at flattering the powerful and belittling the weak, so they probably wouldn't care about you. That's why I came to check on you. I didn't expect you to have been forgotten.” Jiang Chengxiao released her and said urgently.
Xing Xiaoya looked at him intently. The man in front of her had strange makeup on, but his concern for her was obvious, and her original worry and fear subsided.
"Hahaha." She even burst out laughing.
"There's a fire outside, and you can still laugh. Luckily, it's against the wind, otherwise the fire would have spread over here, and who would have noticed you, a guest living in the side courtyard?" Jiang Chengxiao said sternly.
"You're here now, aren't you? This is the second time you've saved me. You really have the demeanor of a hero!" Xing Xiaoya blinked and said excitedly.
Jiang Chengxiao's tone was originally cold, but after hearing her words, he instantly became radiant, and his eyes became much more eager.
"What heroic demeanor? This is what I should do," he replied cheerfully.
On the other side of the mansion, Jiang Chengzong led his secret guards to cause trouble. Just as the guards of the Princess's mansion had assembled and it was time to retreat, Jiang Chengxiao was nowhere to be found.
"Young Master, it's time to retreat. Shall we go find Second Master?" the head of the secret guards asked softly.
Committing sabotage at the Princess's residence is not an easy task; in fact, it is quite dangerous.
They certainly didn't act recklessly; they made ample preparations beforehand. Whether it was attacking and setting fires or retreating safely, they had contingency plans in place. A single misstep could have caused the plan to fail or even exposed their identities.
But Jiang Chengxiao didn't arrive at the scheduled time, which is a very bad sign.
"I'll go find them. You guys try to stall for time. When the time comes, they can retreat automatically without waiting for us." Jiang Chengzong waved his hand and made the decision directly.
Although he had never met Xing Xiaoya, he knew how formidable she was. If he brought people with him and the guards couldn't hold them off, causing a huge commotion and ruining things, he had no choice but to go alone.
“Princess Zhaoyang is the daughter of the Eldest Princess. Logically, she should only be granted the title of County Princess. However, the Eldest Princess holds great power, and Zhaoyang is highly favored. Therefore, she was granted the title of County Princess, just like the daughter of a prince. No powerful or wealthy young men in the capital dare to offend her. If you befriend her, your future will be bright.”
Jiang Chengxiao was speaking eloquently, carefully analyzing the pros and cons.
Xing Xiaoya's eyes lit up as she listened. She had transmigrated from another time and was originally quite proud of herself. However, she ended up in a poor and backward village, where she suffered every day and was almost sold by her cheap parents to a lame old man as his wife.
Therefore, her ambition to climb the social ladder was extremely strong. That's why she was so eager when she rescued the incredibly handsome Da Zhuang Ge, as if she were grasping at a lifeline.
As expected, her judgment was correct. She followed him to Wangjing, but Brother Dazhuang was injured and lost his memory. The jade pendant that proved his identity was also lost. He could only live in a small house on Wutong Street every day, which was far from her expectations.
Now, hearing Jiang Chengxiao mention Princess Zhaoyang, her heart burned with passion once more.
“But Princess Zhaoyang is spoiled and has a strange personality. She’s hard to please. If you upset her, it might be hard to get rid of her.” Jiang Chengxiao changed the subject.
"Second Brother Jiang, do you know the princess's preferences?"
Xing Xiaoya didn't take his warning to heart, because she and Zhaoyang hit it off immediately and she could clearly feel Zhaoyang's closeness to her. Their relationship would only get better and better, so how could she possibly upset the princess?
"The princess—"
He was about to say something when he suddenly felt a dull pain in his back.
"Hmm—" He frowned and gave a soft hum.
"What's wrong?" Xing Xiaoya asked immediately.
"It's nothing. This is the Princess's residence, and I can't stay any longer. I'm just glad to see you're safe and sound. I have to go now." Jiang Chengxiao waved his hand, making a move to leave.
"Wait, Second Brother Jiang, you haven't told us what the princess likes yet?" Xing Xiaoya pressed.
“The princess is a woman, and I, a grown man, have no way of knowing her. You should know once you spend more time with her. Be careful in everything you do while you are under her roof!” Jiang Chengxiao clasped his hands in a fist salute and then disappeared into the darkness.
Soon, the two brothers reunited.
Jiang Chengzong didn't say anything, but led the way to leave, with Jiang Chengxiao following closely behind.
Only after leaving the Princess's residence did Jiang Chengzong speak: "Second Brother Jiang? She calls you so affectionately, aren't you afraid something might happen?"
He had just noticed that his second brother and Xing Xiaoya were standing very close together, and fearing that Jiang Chengxiao had already fallen for her charm, he quietly moved closer, ready to knock him unconscious at any moment and take him away.
He never expected to hear such an intimate address, which made him feel uneasy. Fortunately, Jiang Chengxiao was not completely captivated. He was attacked from behind and followed, so he did not waste any time.
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