The group traveled in a carriage for an hour before arriving at the horse farm on the outskirts of the capital.
Jiang Chengxiao was already waiting outside, looking on with great anticipation, but when he saw that several carriages had arrived, he immediately frowned.
He only invited his wife and his third brother's wife. Even if each of them had their own carriage, there should only be two carriages. The fact that four carriages came at once clearly means there were other people present, and more than one.
Moreover, the number of attendants and servants who followed him was clearly more than double.
He sensed a threat and immediately ordered the steward to greet him, while he himself avoided the situation, wanting to assess the situation before making a decision.
After Cen Ying and her group got off the car, they did not see Jiang Chengxiao. After they changed their clothes and came out, only the manager was there.
"Where are the two elders?" Cen Ying asked directly.
The steward couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply said respectfully, "Second Master said he has something to attend to, so he asked you all to continue. The horse handlers are all specially trained and experienced; they won't—"
“Let him come over. I haven’t seen him for days. Today I finally got a chance to see him, his mother. What’s wrong with him? Did he do something bad and he’s too ashamed to show his face?”
Before the manager could finish speaking, Cen Ying interrupted him, her tone still leaving no room for argument.
The manager dared not say anything more, could only bow and leave to quickly deliver the message.
None of them mounted their horses; they all seemed to be waiting for him.
Jiang Chengxiao did not leave. He hid in a lounge and saw this scene through the window. He was so anxious that he was sweating. When he heard the manager's message, he knew that he could not avoid this. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and come out.
"Mother, you've come too. Let your son lead the horse for you."
After exchanging greetings with the group of women, he immediately and diligently led the horse, displaying the utmost filial piety.
Cen Ying did not make things difficult for him, but mounted her horse directly. This scene was very loving and filial.
Xing Xiaoya's gaze was still following Jiang Chengxiao, but before she could take a few more glances, Jiang Jinyu grabbed her arm.
"Sister Xing, let's go, let's ride a horse!"
She had no choice but to go with them.
Jiang Chengxiao led the horse around half a circle, making sure they were far away from the crowd, before he couldn't help but speak.
"Mother, what are you doing? I just wanted to bring Madam and Third Brother's wife out for a stroll. Xing Xiaoya came along too, and I was trying to avoid her. Why did you specifically ask me to come out? Isn't this a direct confrontation?"
Cen Ying gave him a cold glance, and Jiang Chengxiao immediately stood up straight and automatically became obedient.
"Didn't you just greet Xing Xiaoya? Is something wrong? You seem perfectly fine, and you even have the energy to come here and settle scores with me," Cen Ying retorted.
Jiang Chengxiao, who had been feeling uncertain all along, calmed down instantly upon hearing these words, as if he had suddenly realized something.
He belatedly realized, "That's right, I not only met her, but I also bowed to her face to face. Right now, nothing's wrong with me, I don't have any messy thoughts in my mind, and my heart isn't churning."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but raise his hand and place it on his chest. His heartbeat was perfectly normal, showing none of the violent and agitated state he had displayed earlier.
Before, when he couldn't let go of Xing Xiaoya, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest, almost deafeningly so. But now he was very calm. Even if it was a little faster than usual, it was still out of worry. It was a complete contrast to his previous agitated state.
"Hehehe, really, I didn't feel anything at all!" He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
“Go back and check on her, then verify it again.” Cen Ying breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he really didn’t have any major reaction.
Actually, there was an element of gambling involved in her calling Jiang Chengxiao out.
After all, Xing Xiaoya is already in the mansion. No matter how much the men of the Jiang family try to avoid her, they will eventually meet again. Moreover, according to what the system said, running away is useless. This world will not allow it, and it will control everyone to advance the plot when necessary.
In short, avoidance is the least effective approach; you must face challenges head-on.
Fortunately, the result seems to be not bad.
Jiang Chengxiao didn't hesitate. He wasn't one to drag things out, so he turned around and stared straight at Xing Xiaoya.
Xing Xiaoya was wearing a light green silk dress today. Because she was going to ride a horse, she had changed out of her hair ornaments and hair tresses, and only used a jade hairpin to hold her hair up, making her look incredibly fresh and lovely.
Before, when he looked at her, he would have thought that this woman was a celestial being, radiating holy light, and was an inviolable yet irresistible presence.
But looking at him now, the holy aura was gone. He just looked prettier than other women. Most importantly, his physical reaction wasn't as strong anymore; he was no longer in that state of lustful urgency.
Because the men of the Jiang family were avoiding her, Xing Xiaoya felt uneasy, as if things were spiraling out of control.
She had clearly met Master Jiang a few times before, and Master Jiang had not only rescued her as a damsel in distress, but also...
Jiang Chengxiao's rare appearance today naturally prompted her to observe him discreetly, hoping to find out what had happened.
When she looked up again, Jiang Chengxiao happened to turn his head and look at her. Their eyes met, and Xing Xiaoya subconsciously raised the corners of her lips and smiled.
Jiang Chengxiao's eyes widened, and he subconsciously wanted to turn his head away, but then he realized that he was not as crazy as before, so he immediately forced himself to stay in place and stared straight back, as if to show his indomitable spirit.
When Xing Xiaoya met his earnest gaze, she felt her cheeks burn and immediately lowered her head, looking completely shy and timid.
Seeing her stance, Jiang Chengxiao was not moved at all, and even shivered.
"Mother, I'm really not afraid anymore, but please don't remind me to look over there, lest this Miss Xing misunderstands and it causes some awkward situation."
Seeing his performance, Cen Ying's face lit up with joy; he had actually broken free from Xing Xiaoya's spell.
She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "It really is possible to break free. The artifact said before that the world revolves around Xing Xiaoya, that she's the most popular female lead, and that all the men in the Jiang family revolve around her. Now it seems that this statement isn't insurmountable..."
Jiang Chengxiao glanced back and saw Cen Ying with a joyful expression. She wasn't looking at him as she spoke, but was instead immersed in a state of ecstasy.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. After Xing Xiaoya's incident, the whole family was in a panic, but his stepmother remained calm and kept trying to find a solution. She was as steady as a mountain, even more composed than the Marquis.
But seeing her expression now, what is there not to understand? It's not that she's not flustered, she's just been suppressing her emotions. Now that she sees hope, she can no longer contain herself and can no longer control her pent-up feelings.
"Mother, what the artifact says isn't necessarily all true. Given the current situation, we can't just believe everything it says. It probably doesn't even realize that I'm no longer under Xing Xiaoya's control," Jiang Chengxiao couldn't help but remind her.
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