Chapter Seventy-One: Someone Has Arrived

In the end, Xiao Yi naturally agreed to Xue Fanzhi’s request, making a promise that whenever she needed anything, she could send someone to the prince’s residence to find him and he would help her.

But Xue Fanzhi didn’t even have anyone she could send on such an errand.

Seeing her predicament, Xiao Yi relented again and compromised, vowing that every five days he would send someone to ask if she required any assistance.

He was truly seeing things through to the very end.

Witnessing Xiao Yi’s thoughtful concern for her, Xue Fanzhi hesitated, almost deciding not to ask for his help after all. After all, he truly had feelings for her, and to take advantage of genuine feelings was a sin!

She felt a pang of guilt, but what could she do without him? How could she save her sixth sister, or live the brilliant life she wanted?

That guilt, like an invisible hand, was firmly pressed down by Xue Fanzhi herself. She silently told herself not to be soft-hearted. One breath, two, three—there, she felt no more guilt.

With a smile, Xue Fanzhi cradled the jewelry box and asked Xiao Yi, “My lord, do you truly want this as your reward?”

Xiao Yi didn’t disdain the reward, but he knew that if he took it, she would be left with nothing to wear. Though Ah Zhi was naturally beautiful, a young girl should have many ornaments. Even if she couldn’t wear them all, it was nice to occasionally look at them in her cabinet.

So he firmly refused.

“Just cook me noodles again,” Xiao Yi replied. “Then we’ll be even.”

Xue Fanzhi shook her head. “That won’t do. Last time you ate here, Xue Qiniang found out. If she comes to make trouble for me again, what then? A man and a woman alone in a room at night—no matter how upright we both are, who would believe it?”

“You’re a man and a prince—at worst, it’ll just add a colorful anecdote to your life. But I’m not so lucky; it could affect my entire reputation!”

Of course, Xiao Yi planned to marry her, but he didn’t want to ruin her name.

Xiao Yi recognized her point, though he couldn’t help but feel disgruntled. He shot her a sidelong glance and said, “So, after all my help, I get nothing in return?”

Xue Fanzhi nodded. “You can look at it that way, my lord. But I’m not unreasonable—if you have a simple request, and I can do it, I will!”

Xiao Yi was speechless.

“My request has to be simple? And you might not even be able to manage it?” Xiao Yi rapped the table in exasperation. “Xue Baniang, you’re the one asking for my help, do you even realize that?”

Xue Fanzhi chuckled. “Didn’t we just go over this? Or are you refusing to help?”

“You—” Xiao Yi began.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi laughed, though something still felt off. Truthfully, part of the reason he liked Xue Fanzhi was her humor, though outsiders rarely saw it; only those close to her would ever hear her speak so much.

But Xue Fanzhi wasn’t unreasonable.

How was it that Ah Zhi had become a little rogue?

Yet this playful side brought a spark to their relationship. If she’d been like this in their past life, perhaps he wouldn’t have fallen ill with melancholy.

At this moment, Xiao Yi still couldn’t figure out what exactly was different about her. He wondered if she had been reborn, but didn’t dare ask—what if he was wrong and exposed his own secrets? If she became frightened and distanced herself, what then?

Another voice in his heart suggested a different explanation: perhaps, before everything went wrong in their previous life, Xue Fanzhi had always been this lively and mischievous, only he hadn’t known her well enough then.

That seemed more likely. After all, after such trauma, what girl wouldn’t change?

Whatever the case, he liked this little rogue.

In truth, Xiao Yi wanted to ask one thing: that Xue Fanzhi stay away from Wang Yunzhi.

He’d lived two lifetimes. Before, he never worried about her dealings with anyone, even encouraging her, though her dislike for socializing always put an end to it. At the time, he’d even felt regret, fearing that her reclusiveness would make her ill.

But Wang Yunzhi—he was definitely someone to be wary of. Xiao Yi couldn’t say why, but he had a premonition: Wang Yunzhi was a formidable rival.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them. He loved her and would not cage her in.

Unable to raise any requests, and as lightning flashed outside, Xiao Yi stood abruptly and announced, “Enough, I’m leaving. Tomorrow, someone will contact you.”

Watching Xiao Yi’s upright figure, so unchanged from her past life, Xue Fanzhi was dazed for a moment. It felt as if Xiao Yi was leaving not her bedroom, but her palace—turning to go, but never gone for long, just off to attend to court matters before returning to her side.

In the past, he would always look back at her from the threshold, and she would watch him go, reluctant to part.

Thinking this, Xue Fanzhi’s feet moved of their own accord to follow him.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi turned, and she collided into his chest—a soft, boneless sensation that brought to mind sweet memories. He had resisted his urges for days now; if he’d never tasted her before, it might be nothing but a young man’s fancy, but now, restraint was far harder.

And here she was, the very one he longed for, in his arms.

He nearly reached out to embrace her.

Xue Fanzhi, too, couldn’t help but imagine his firm chest for a brief moment, but she quickly came to her senses. In this life, this body would not belong to him. She would find something better—there was nothing to regret.

She reminded herself of this, calmly stepped back, and looked up, saying, “Why did you suddenly turn around, my lord?”

Xiao Yi thought to himself, Still so young, knowing nothing. No wonder Ah Zhi’s face blushed so prettily.

He’d married her when she was sixteen in their past life—three years from now. In three years, she would no longer be childish and uncertain. He could wait.

“You have the nerve to ask me! You were sneaking after me—I had no way of knowing. Enough, don’t see me off. I’m leaving!”

He said this with all the authority of a husband ordering his wife.

Xue Fanzhi wanted to protest that she hadn’t followed him, but how else had she ended up standing at the threshold?

Well, considering how many favors she’d asked of Xiao Yi, she let him have this one.

She said nothing in reply, and Xiao Yi smiled and turned to go.

Barely two breaths later, before she’d even let down the curtain, Xiao Yi reappeared.

Xue Fanzhi frowned. “Don’t tell me you regret it?”

Xiao Yi went to the window, opened it, and with a leap, crouched on the sill, looking back at her. “Wrong door.”

Xue Fanzhi was speechless.

That wasn’t even a door!

Now, if he went downstairs, he could probably sneak out.

Never mind—by now, he’d vanished from the window, leaving no trace.

………………

Early the next morning, Honglian returned with word from Xiao Yi’s side—someone was waiting in the kitchen at her disposal.

Xue Fanzhi asked Honglian about the messenger, and after hearing the details, quickly deduced why Xiao Yi had sent someone posing as a Xue family servant to the house as a vegetable seller. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to see her, and those who could wouldn’t be of much use. What would be the point of passing messages through someone who couldn’t get near her?

But as a vegetable seller, it was different—Honglian was always in and out of the kitchen, so they would surely cross paths.

With everything in place, Xue Fanzhi clenched her fists and declared, “Let’s begin.”