Chapter 12: Flirting without seduction, yet tempting everywhere. ...
Xiao Yunqi turned his head and glanced at her, but she lowered her head and did not receive his gaze.
Xie Heng asked, "Miss Xue, did you meet the Prince of Lin'an alone, or were there others accompanying him?"
"He had four or five people accompanying him, but I didn't know the prince's identity at the time. I just thought he was an ordinary guest coming to the embroidery workshop, and the people following him were his attendants."
"Do you remember what those people looked like?"
The one who asked this question was Xiao Yunqi.
There was not much room for him to move where he was sitting, and he did not move at all, so his knees were still touching the girl's legs.
Xue Zhiying glanced at his serious face and saw that he didn't seem annoyed by her proximity, but he also had no excitement in getting close to a woman.
It's so cold, as if he has no feelings or desires.
"Because I looked at them at the time, I remember them roughly."
It was actually very rude to look at the distinguished guests, but that group of people seemed a little strange to Xue Zhiying at that time. She looked at each of them vigilantly, and she didn't expect that it would be useful at this time.
“Describe the characteristics of each one.”
Xie Heng couldn't help but speak up: "Wen Yu, there's no need to question Miss Xue like you're interrogating a criminal. Don't scare her."
Xiao Yunqi ignored him and did not change his way of asking questions.
There was silence at the table for a moment.
Xue Zhiying quickly took over the conversation and carefully and meticulously described the characteristics of those people in her impression.
As she described, she observed the expressions of the two people.
It was obvious that what she said was useful to them, and even Xiao Yunqi's expression eased a little.
Until she had described everyone.
Xiao Yunqi returned to his indifference: "Okay, you can go back."
After saying that, he lowered his eyes and glanced between the two of them.
Xue Zhiying froze and subconsciously curled her fingers.
Have you been discovered?
She gently stroked the brocade in her palm with her fingertips.
It wasn't the hem of her skirt, but the corner of Xiao Yunqi's clothes.
He had just brushed against her side, so she quietly grabbed it.
But somehow, after she finished speaking, the hem of his clothes piled up more and more in her palm, and her hand was already moving along the hem of his clothes, getting closer and closer to his legs.
Xue Zhiying hesitated for a moment and did not let go.
Xie Heng tried to smooth things over: "Miss Xue, thank you so much for today. The clues you provided are very helpful to us. I'll send someone to escort you."
He had sensed something was amiss when Xiao Yunqi came in, and the longer he stayed, the more obvious this feeling became.
Xiao Yunqi is aloof by nature and doesn't get close to others, but he is definitely not a rude person.
But his attitude towards this cousin was not polite and distant, but rather strangely cold and harsh.
It's obviously bullying.
This is really not like Xiao Yunqi's style.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince." Xue Zhiying suddenly spoke.
"Prince Lin'an also ordered a batch of embroidery at the embroidery workshop that day. Calculating the time, it should be completed recently... I just suddenly thought of this, I wonder if it's useful."
Xie Heng came back to his senses, his brows relaxed. "It was indeed an unexpected gain. The embroidery workshop's orders are kept secret, and I haven't found out about the embroidery ordered by Prince Lin'an yet."
"Wen Yu, what do you think?"
Xiao Yunqi's expression changed slightly.
The girl's fingers touched his thigh.
Following the muscles on the side of his legs, touching them vaguely, he climbed up carefully.
He turned to look at her, his expression gloomy.
But Xue Zhiying looked straight ahead, as if she was just quietly waiting for Xie Heng to make further decision based on the clues she provided.
Xiao Yunqi moved his legs under the table, and the clothes that the girl was holding in her palm slipped out of her palm because of this tiny movement.
The hem of her clothes was tightly grasped to conceal her secret movements, but the surface showed signs of trying to hide it.
There was a sweet fragrance beside him, like a bait to lure people to let down their guard. His eyes were filled with black hair, white skin, gentle eyebrows and eyes, revealing an innocent and naive person, but underneath he was teasing people absurdly and boldly.
The hand came over unscrupulously, covering his leg with a soft and boneless feel, and the warmth of the palm penetrated into his skin through his pants.
"Wen Yu?"
Xiao Yunqi looked away and said in a deep voice, "Then let's start with this batch of embroidery. If he gets anxious, it means we've found the right direction."
"But the embroidery has already been decided. Where do I start?"
The girl's hand suddenly moved a long distance.
Xiao Yunqi paused for a moment, and the touch moved in the direction of the hand.
He lowered his eyes, and the smooth white hand came into his sight.
The slight movement of her fingertips proudly showed him the direction she would go.
Going under the hem of the clothes, getting closer and closer, and becoming more and more bold.
Xiao Yunqi's eyebrows jumped, and his hand under the table suddenly grabbed the slender wrist.
The force was quite strong, and the palm covered with thin calluses fit tightly against the skin of her wrist exposed after her sleeves were moved up.
Xue Zhiying's eyelashes trembled as she heard Xiao Yunqi say calmly, "Miss Xue, could you please introduce me?"
“…Ah, what?”
Xue Zhiying's pulse was beating wildly as it was held, and her thoughts were absent-minded. Xiao Yunqi's hand was not as smooth as she had thought.
But she didn't hate the touch.
Xie Heng understood: "Miss Xue is acquainted with the owner of the embroidery workshop. With Miss Xue's introduction, things should go much more smoothly and it will also be easier to hide."
Under the table, Xiao Yunqi calmly took a wrist from his leg. As soon as he loosened his grip, the hand fell back onto the chair without any preparation.
Xue Zhiying curled up her fingers with a hint of regret, and pressed her fingertips against her palm, as if she was passing on the touch of her hand and savoring it.
It was the first time she touched a man's thigh.
There was some shyness, but more of a sense of novelty and restlessness.
Her palms no longer felt like they were gripping the man's thighs, and her wrists had long been free from the shackles, but a dense tingling sensation continued to spread from her fingertips.
Xiao Yunqi has broad palms and long fingers.
The strong touch was not a caress, but brought a clear and subtle pain.
His legs were strong, toned, powerful, and yet evocative.
"Miss Xue." A cold voice called her beside her, as if it had seen through her thoughts and spoke to stop her from having any deeper imagination.
Xue Zhiying withdrew his hand and regained his composure.
If you did it on purpose, why should you feel guilty?
She turned to face Xiao Yunqi: "What does cousin need me to do?"
The gentle and peaceful face before him had nothing to do with the frivolous behavior just now.
She looked at him gently, her eyes clear and pure.
She doesn't say anything about seduction, but she seduces people everywhere.
Xiao Yunqi's lips twitched slightly. "Choose a day to go to the embroidery workshop and tell the owner that someone is interested in buying this batch of embroidery at a high price. It doesn't matter whether the owner agrees or not. Just pass on the news."
Xue Zhiying blinked and whispered, "Cousin, can you go to the western suburbs with me?"
"I'll arrange a carriage for you."
This is rejection.
Xue Zhiying persisted, "I can't leave the house casually on weekdays. If I want to go out, I have to ask for permission from the Old Madam and the Second Madam. I used to go to the western suburbs when I had some free time, but I don't have a legitimate reason to go out recently. If the Old Madam and the Second Madam ask..."
Xiao Yunqi tightened his lips and remained silent for a moment.
Xue Zhiying had already used up all her excuses when she said this. She was actually a little worried that she had said too much. If Xiao Yunqi simply didn't ask her for help, then this connection would be severed.
There was no answer, and she was about to change the subject and say that she would think of a solution.
Xiao Yunqi suddenly asked, "When do you plan to go?"
Xue Zhiying's eyes lit up and she looked very happy: "According to my cousin's schedule, I can be there anytime."
She really put a lot of effort into it.
Yet he foolishly revealed his thoughts to others.
Xiao Yunqi said, "When we leave, I will send someone to Jingshuiyuan to inform you."
"good."
Now there was really no more reason to stay here, and Xue Zhiying did not intend to be tactless and force them to stay and disturb their discussion of official business.
She took the initiative and said, "If there is nothing else, I will go back first."
Xiao Yunqi ignored him, but Xie Heng responded: "Okay, Miss Xue, take care. Thank you for this matter."
"Your Highness, you are too kind. Helping my cousin... and Your Highness is what I should do."
When Xue Zhiying stood up, the hem of Xiao Yunqi's clothes, which had been hanging on her side, was lifted slightly.
She caught a glimpse of the wrinkles on the corners of her clothes that would not smooth out on their own over time, and her fingertips seemed to recall the touch of his legs and his palms.
Perhaps she was lost in thought, she stood up and didn't move for a moment.
Xiao Yunqi: "Miss Xue, do you have anything else to say?"
Asking this question means urging people to leave.
But Xue Zhiying replied: "Yes, that's right."
Xiao Yunqi: “……?”
Xue Zhiying handed the volume of "Da Zhou Law Commentary" to Xiao Yunqi.
"I've finished reading this volume. I wonder if..."
Xiao Yunqi interrupted her: "It's on the bookshelf, take it yourself."
"Thank you, cousin. I will return it as soon as I'm done reading it."
She actually used the same move three times.
But there were only three times, and that was in the last volume of "Da Zhou Lu Shu".
Xue Zhiying walked out of the desk and went straight to the bookshelf. After taking the last volume of "Da Zhou Lu Shu", she bowed to the two of them again and left the study.
After the girl disappeared through the door, Xie Heng explained, "After learning about the embroidery workshop a few days ago, I sent someone to investigate. I didn't expect that the person most closely associated with Meng Chen that day would be your cousin. I also inquired elsewhere, but didn't find any useful information. After much deliberation, I decided to ask you to return home and ask this cousin together."
"I have gained a lot."
After Xie Heng finished speaking, he looked at Xiao Yunqi meaningfully.
The harvest refers to the batch of embroidery products ordered by Meng Chen, and also to what he had just seen.
Xie Heng didn't see what the two of them did secretly, but the affection that the cousin showed on the surface was extremely obvious.
And Xiao Yunqi's attitude seemed very subtle to him.
Xiao Yunqi said, "You can handle this matter by yourself, why call me back?"
"I'm afraid it's inappropriate for me to meet privately with an unmarried cousin from the Xiao Mansion."
"Just be with me?"
Xie Heng smiled and said, "I came to the Xiao Mansion to talk with you two brothers and sisters, what's wrong with that?"
Xie Heng seemed to unintentionally emphasize the word "brother and sister".
As soon as he finished speaking, he met Xiao Yunqi's ambiguous gaze.
After a while, Xiao Yunqi said calmly, "They are not siblings. She is just the daughter of my mother's old friend."
…
Xue Zhiying had a smile on her lips all the way back to Jingshuiyuan.
The passing maidservant was so captivated by her bright and charming smile that she blushed as she greeted her: "Cousin."
Xue Zhiying also nodded in response with the corners of her lips curved.
She was naturally in a good mood, and what happened today was an unexpected gain for her.
She didn't know whether the opportunity she had fought for could bring her and Xiao Yunqi closer together. She was happy that she could go to the embroidery workshop openly.
Last time, she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of going out of the house to attend a banquet to find a way to go to the western suburbs, but in the end, not to mention the western suburbs, she herself almost couldn't come back, so naturally there was no further news.
There are many embroidery products in the Western Suburbs Embroidery Workshop, and the embroiderers are all skilled. Xue Zhiying is not from the embroidery workshop and cannot go there often, so she cannot use the workshop's precious fabrics to make embroidery products. If Yunniang had not treated her well, she would not even have the opportunity to sell her embroidery products there.
But even if she had this opportunity, the amount of money she could get would be very little.
But she had no other choice. This was her last retreat. Every time she went to the embroidery workshop, she would have more opportunities in the future.
While Xue Zhiying was calculating how much silver she could sell the embroidery she had made during this period, she was also wondering if she could rush to finish one more piece if Xiao Yunqi was not in a hurry to leave.
It was not until she returned to Jingshui Courtyard and before she even entered the gate that she saw something amiss from afar.
Xue Zhiying smiled and walked forward quickly.
Chuntao turned around when she heard the voice, revealing the gold-embossed invitation in her hand.
"Girl, you're back. Someone just came to the yard."
Xue Zhiying lowered her eyes and asked, "Who has been here?"
Chun Tao handed her the invitation and said innocently, "I don't know him, he's a man. Seeing that you're not here, I left this and left."
Although they are not from the Xiao family, outsiders can come directly to her courtyard.
Xue Zhiying felt a chill in her heart, and she already had a bad premonition.
She slowly opened the invitation.
The moon is full on the fifteenth day of next month, and the lotus flowers are in full bloom. I brought some new tribute plum wine for you to enjoy together. I will be waiting for you at the Moon-Watching Pavilion in the Prince's Palace of Lin'an. Please don't let anyone else follow me.
A private seal with red patterns is lightly printed on the lower right, with the two words "Shiyuan" engraved inside.
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