Chapter 256 Stampeding Horses & a Handsome Man
As the carriage sped along the road, Mo Xuetong frowned at the jade bracelet on her wrist in the carriage. It was the only jade ornament that her mom had left her to pick up. But just now, when Princess Royal asked about it, she lied, not knowing why.
Inexplicably, she felt that she could not tell Princess Royal about it.
She was born again, and something grew darker in her heart. Auntie Fang was the chief culprit who was responsible for her mom’s death, but somehow, she had a feeling that there was something that one wished to keep secret. The weird man in black, Xiuning Workshop, He Xia’s affair, her father’s enigmatic look, and Princess Royal’s inexplicable favor…
This string of events kept her from trusting anyone and telling anyone about it.
She had never encountered such a thing, nor had she gone for the jade bracelet in her previous life. She had no idea where it was at last. Perhaps one day, when her father came back to Cloud City, he would check his study and find that. Or that person in black had combed the study and discovered the secret.
But whatever happened to her in her previous life had nothing to do with her. Until her death, she did not know what the jade bracelet her mom had left had to do with anyone else.
But in this life, something seemed to have changed fundamentally. She left Cloud City and went to the capital early. She knew Princess Royal and defeated Auntie Fang early…
“Is it possible that there is another hint of revelation to me?”
Mo Xuetong was glad that she hadn’t taken any of the other things that were there that day. If anyone had found them someday, he would not have thought that she had taken the jade bracelet which her mother had left for her. Mo Xuetong believed that they had been arranged on purpose by her mother to make the enemies suspicious.
Her mother was merely a weak daughter of Fu General. Why did she need to plan all this!
“Miss, Xiuning Workshop is ahead. Shall we go there and have a look?” Mo Lan asked, sitting outside the shaft and seeing their destination.
Mo Xuetong wanted to take a closer look at Xiuning Workshop, for she was suspicious.
Mo Xuetong gave a long sigh and said, “Stop here. I’ll go in and see if there’s any suitable silk thread.”
She wanted to prepare a piece of embroidery for Princess Royal. It was said that her birthday was coming soon. Princess Royal was so wealthy that if she gave her something else, she might not like it. Thus, she decided to send her a piece of embroidery she made. Although it was not worth much, it was an expression of her regard.
“Yes.”
The carriage slowed down. The coachman drew the reins in his hands, ready to draw the carriage to the side of the road. Suddenly, a man rushed out of the shop opposite. The coachman had just pulled back the reins, so it was too late for him to avoid that man. The two horses gave long neighs and shied. The whole carriage gave a sudden jolt.
Mo Lan was quick. Exploiting the situation, she jumped into the carriage and put her arms around Mo Xuetong to prevent her head from hitting it.
The horses gave long neighs and raised their hoofs. No matter how hard the coachman pulled the reins, it was no use. As the horses neighed, they reared up and dashed out. “Get out of the way, the horses are frightened!” roared the startled coachman, who had been holding the reins.
He tried to pull the reins back with all his strength. But the horses were moving so fast that he could not hold them for a moment.
The spectators on both sides fled. Everyone was in a mess, screaming.
Just then, in front of the carriage, a handsome young man in white suddenly appeared. He whirled and landed rapidly on one of the horses. The reins in the coachman’s hands fell into his as though they had eyes. The handsome young man pulled the reins lightly and casually, and the two horses landed firmly in the center of the street.
Mo Lan had been protecting Mo Xuetong. All at once, her heart was in her mouth. She clung to Mo Xuetong, though she had been knocked against the carriage a few times. She asked hastily when the carriage had stopped, “Miss, Miss, how are you?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Mo Xuetong said gently. The carriage jolted badly. Although she did not sustain any injury, she felt as if somebody had tossed her from side to side. The bones all over her body were almost falling apart. It was good that she could make such a weak sound when Mo Lan was pinning her against the carriage.
Mo Lan listened to her carefully and then realized that she was on her. She loosened her grip, panting with tears in her eyes. After her shock dissipated, she still let Mo Xuetong take her hand. Even though she was calm, she broke out in a cold sweat.
“How are you, Miss?” the coachman was shouting anxiously outside.
Mo Lan lifted the curtain and gasped, saying, “It’s all right. Miss is fine.”
“So it’s you, Princess Anping. Well, are you hurt?” The gentle and cultivated voice had a smile that seemed soothing.
Through the angle that Mo Lan lifted the curtain, Mo Xuetong saw Bai Yihao’s flawless face. He was always a cool guy. He merely stood there casually, but all eyes were drawn to him by his noble charm.
“Why is he here?” Mo Xuetong thought, and her heart fluttered. It was not a prosperous road, selling mostly women’s textiles and the like, and it did not lead to his manor. She had no idea of meeting him here.
But she immediately stood up and bowed her blessing to the man outside the curtain, saying, “Thank you for saving me, Sir Bai.”
“It’s better to meet by chance than through an invitation. I have something to ask you, Princess Anping. May I have a word with you?” Bai Yihao jumped lightly from the horse and threw the reins to the coachman aside.
Mo Manor’s carriage drew up to the side and stopped at the entrance to a quieter lane. Mo Xuetong put a veil over her face and got out of the carriage with Mo Lan’s help. “Sir Bai, why don’t we go to Xiuning Workshop and have tea there?” Mo Xuetong said with a light smile. Although there was a teahouse not far ahead, she didn’t want to publicly have tea with Bai Yihao, who was in the limelight.
The Fifth Princess always eyed her with hostility. She didn’t want to antagonize the Fifth Princess further because of the scheming and inscrutable Bai Yihao.
“All right,” Bai Yihao replied straightforwardly and led Mo Xuetong to bypass the teahouse ahead. His elegance and beauty held all the passers-by transfixed, and at once, many maidens blushed. They cast envious eyes on Mo Xuetong, as they cast shy ones on him.
Being watched by so many people, both of them showed no abnormality and walked into Xiuning Workshop at an appropriate speed. The shopkeeper stepped forward to bow to them, and Mo Xuetong returned a bow. Then she took Bai Yihao to the private room on one side.
There were three or four private rooms in Xiuning Workshop. They were designed for madams and misses who were tired to rest as they were waiting for their embroidery. Furthermore, some young masters who accompanied their wives or sisters would take a rest here as well. There were also refreshments. So, it was as good as the average teahouse.
Mo Xuetong chose a private room by the window and sat down. Unlike the teahouse outside, the room had no door, only a curtain. It was more appealing and lavish, without the hidden space that would arouse other people’s gossip.
The waiter served them the tea. “Thank you for your rescue just now, Sir Bai,” Mo Xuetong said, smiling as she pushed a cup of tea to Bai Yihao’s front.
“Never mind. It’s no big deal.” With a smile, Bai Yihao took the tea, picked up the lid, and pushed the foams aside. Amidst the rising steam, his handsome face became more and more ethereal. He always wore a smile and acted gently, like a pure and flawless immortal.
“I wonder what you want to see me about, Sir Bai?” Mo Xuetong took off her veil and took a sip of her tea, asking with a light smile.
“I do have something to talk with you. The Qin gathering will be held a few days later. I wonder if you’ll come this time?” Bai Yihao asked with a smile. He reached into his bosom and took out a box of white marble. The box was carved into a delicate shape of a flower, just like a plum blossom in full bloom, with yellow stamens. It was as if it had just been plucked from the branch and was as natural as though it were living.
“This is a gift for you. Congratulations on becoming Princess Anping.” Bai Yihao looked at her with a mild smile.
“Bai Yihao came here today especially to give me a gift?” There was a gleam of suspicion in Mo Xuetong’s crystal, watery eyes. Of course, she could figure out that his first sentence was a pretext. The Qin gathering actually had little to do with her. She was humiliated by the Fifth Princess in the Qin gathering last time. Most people who had such an experience would not go there again.
Besides, she was somewhat wary of him and did not want to get too close to him.
So how could she possibly go to the Qin gathering again? Given Bai Yihao’s cleverness, he was undoubtedly aware of that.
“What is this?” Mo Xuetong’s eyes unconsciously fell on the jade box. The box alone was worth a lot of money. She did not think that they were on such good terms.
“The gift is just a little token to show my respect to you. I meant to send it to the Princess Royal’s Manor, but because my eldest brother just arrived in the capital today and I was accompanying him in the banquet just now, I started off late. I thought I could never send the gift to you in person, but I didn’t expect to see you here. Thus, I took it out and gave it to you straight away. You will not think I’m insincere, will you?” With a smile, Bai Yihao lowered his head and began to sip his tea in the blue-and-white porcelain teacup.
The sun shone in through the window, making his face as smooth and beautiful as jade. He did live up to the address “Flawless Young Master” he got from the women in the capital.
Mo Xuetong drew her eyes slowly away from his face and involuntarily sighed gently. Such a man was made to break women’s hearts. It was not a blessing for women with such a cold and handsome man in the world. She inexplicably thought of another handsome and enchanting face, which was a scourge as well.
She was somewhat displeased as though the women on the street were looking at someone else. The women in his manor, perhaps herself too, were willing to go to him!
“Don’t you like it, princess?” Bai Yihao asked in a slightly mocking tone, smiling as he watched Mo Xuetong in a daze. The natural, familiar tone did not seem to belong to Bai Yihao.
When were they so familiar with each other?
“Thank you for the gift, Sir Bai. How could I not like it? It is pleasing to see the perfect, white box,” Mo Xuetong replied politely and coldly.
When Bai Yihao saw that there was a note of vigilance in her estrangement, his handsome eyes darkened, but it suddenly turned clear. “Would you like to open it?” he asked softly.
“I’ll appreciate it when I get back.” Mo Xuetong nodded slightly and chuckled. She drew the box of white marble toward her. Against the white color of the box, her tender fingers looked fair, soft, and enchanting.
This was a rejection!
“Come to the Qin gathering. It won’t happen again.” Bai Yihao smiled gently and looked up at Mo Xuetong. His eyes were as limpid as the stars, bright and gentle to the extreme. It was as if something else had been mixed in them.
Mo Xuetong lowered her head and chuckled. She then raised her head, and her water-like eyes glistened as the sparkling surface of a lake. Her hand touched the plum blossom on the jade box, and she said with a smile, “That’s very kind of you, Sir Bai. I’m not feeling well these days. So I won’t come.”
Now she was a princess, though not one who was born to an imperial concubine, she was a member of the royal family now. Even for Princess Royal’s sake, the Fifth Princess could not insult her at will.
“Do you like plum blossoms?” Bai Yihao’s eyes followed her tender hand and rested on the red plum blossom. So he suddenly changed the subject and raised the question.
Mo Xuetong looked at Bai Yihao in confusion. She couldn’t understand why his mind jumped so fast.