A series of actions silently told Shen Lixue that if she wanted to know the answer, she should get on the carriage with him; if she didn't want to know, she should go with Nangong Xiao.
Nangong Xiao glared fiercely at Prince An, his wicked eyes blazing with anger. Unable to win an argument with him, he turned his attention to Shen Lixue. Prince An was truly cunning and despicable.
“Nangong Xiao, your horse has run seventy or eighty miles and is already a bit tired. Its running speed is definitely not as good as before. If you carry two more people back to the capital, it will take at least one or two hours.” It is now the Si hour (9 to 11 am), and the time for the banquet at the Prime Minister’s residence to end is getting closer and closer. Shen Lixue can’t delay any longer. Even without Prince An, she would not ride the same horse as Nangong Xiao.
Prince An was aloof and unfathomable. Shen Lixue was extremely unwilling to ride in the same carriage with him, but Prince An knew her plan. She was very surprised and wanted to find out what was going on.
Inside the elegant and comfortable carriage, Prince An gently poured himself a cup of tea. The rising steam drifted slowly, making him appear even more refined and noble. Every movement he made—holding the cup, sipping the tea—was graceful and noble, like a god, making him seem unworthy of disrespect.
Nangong Xiao raised his eyebrows, a cold glint in his charming eyes. Was Prince An waiting for his prey to come to him? How confident he was, thinking he could "fulfill" his desires.
“Shen Lixue, I’ll ride in the carriage with you!” Nangong Xiao didn’t believe it. With him sitting there supervising, how could Prince An dare to fawn over Shen Lixue?
"I'm sorry, Prince Nangong, my carriage is too small; it can only seat two people at most!" Prince An sipped his tea and gave Nangong Xiao a curt refusal. His carriage was not one that just anyone could ride in.
Nangong Xiao stood in front of the carriage, a half-smile on his face: "What if I insist on getting into the carriage?" Letting Shen Lixue get into the carriage alone would be like sending a lamb to the slaughter; he would never do something so foolish.
"As I've said, only two people can sit in the carriage. If Prince Nangong insists on riding in my carriage..." Prince An's calm gaze swept over the entire carriage, "He may sit outside the carriage..."
"You want me to be your coachman?" Nangong Xiao was furious, his phoenix eyes flashing with a dangerous light. Prince An!
"I was merely giving the Crown Prince a suggestion. If the Crown Prince rides a horse, then naturally there is no need for him to drive for me!" Prince An was unconcerned by Nangong Xiao's anger. He spoke calmly, gently lifting the lid of the teapot, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
"Nangong Xiao, you're riding in a carriage, what about your horse?" Nangong Xiao and Prince An were like enemies, always at odds and arguing whenever they met. Shen Lixue didn't want to watch them fight anymore, so she gave Nangong Xiao a way out.
“That horse is intelligent; it will follow me on its own!” Understanding Shen Lixue’s intentions, Nangong Xiao did not take the bait. Instead, he lifted his robe and sat down in front of the carriage: “Driving is no problem for this young master!”
Prince An was only trying to get rid of her so that he could be alone with Shen Lixue. If she really left, she would be falling into his trap. Staying in the carriage would allow her to keep an eye on him and see what tricks he could come up with.
"You really want to be a coachman?" Shen Lixue sighed helplessly. In order to keep Prince An in check, Nangong Xiao actually lowered himself to become a coachman. It seems that the conflict between him and Prince An is not ordinary.
"I've never been a coachman before, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try!" Nangong Xiao casually picked up the reins and shook them; they felt quite comfortable in his hand.
Aha! The woman in red, Dongfang Yu'er, widened her eyes again. Her cousin's carriage was always off-limits to others, but now, not only had Shen Lixue been allowed to sit in the carriage, but the young master Nangong Xiao had also been made his coachman. What a strange thing!
However, since dawn, Prince An has surprised her so much that she's almost used to it.
The sky was azure, the sun blazing. It was getting late, and there was no time to waste. Shen Lixue quickly boarded the carriage, lowered the curtain to block the view from inside and outside.
The carriage was covered with expensive carpets, making it very comfortable. A faint aroma of tea wafted over. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Prince An pouring tea. The steaming heat blurred her vision, making Prince An look like a god in the mist, handsome beyond compare.
Sitting down by the window, Shen Lixue looked at Prince An, blinked, and pondered the most appropriate way to ask, "Prince An, how did you know that I had other purposes besides giving gifts and announcing my identity?"
"Just a guess!" Prince An answered Shen Lixue's question softly, slowly putting away the teacup, teapot, and small table, and taking out a book from a hidden compartment to read.
"Does the Prince guess what my purpose is?" Shen Lixue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. Prince An was unfathomable and never showed his emotions. She could not get any useful information from his expression alone, so she had to try to find out what she wanted to know by being indirect and in secret.
“No!” Prince An’s deep gaze continued to linger on the pages of the book, his obsidian-like pupils unfathomable.
Shen Lixue was taken aback: "Then what you just did..."
"My turning away without saying a word means I didn't know!" Prince An replied calmly, a slight smile curving his lips.
“You…” Shen Lixue gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Prince An: So he hadn’t guessed her purpose, he was just playing a trick on her, and she had been fooled by him again!
Every time Shen Lixue spoke with Prince An, she would be furious with anger, but she couldn't retaliate, which was extremely frustrating.
Turning around, Shen Lixue pulled back the car curtain and looked out, slowly calming the anger in her chest. Her sleeves fell down gently, revealing her slender wrists, which were covered in bruises and looked terrible.
Outside the carriage, the scenery rushed past, but inside the carriage, it was very smooth without the slightest bump. Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows, thinking that Nangong Xiao's driving skills were really good!
A faint green light flashed past her eye, and a small jade-colored porcelain bottle fell into Shen Lixue's hand. A slightly cool touch came from her palm. Shen Lixue raised her head in confusion. Prince An's deep gaze was still lingering on the book. He coughed a few times unnaturally: "This medicine can reduce swelling and bruising. Take it once in the morning and once in the evening!"
This is medicine for treating wrist injuries!
Shen Lixue was taken aback. Prince An had injured her wrist, and she had scratched his arm. They were even now, with neither owing the other anything. She was surprised that Prince An had given her medicine for her injuries. "Thank you!" she said.
The porcelain bottle was opened, and an alluring medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire carriage. Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows. Prince An was a royal prince, and his actions were indeed extraordinary. Even the medicine to reduce swelling and bruising was of such high quality...
The light green medicine was poured onto my wrist, and a cool sensation instantly penetrated my skin, reaching my blood and bone marrow. My red, swollen, and purplish wrist felt cool and comfortable. After gently spreading the medicine evenly, the burning sensation on my wrist disappeared without a trace, and my entire wrist felt cool and comfortable.
Just as Shen Lixue was about to lower her sleeve, a long, slender hand suddenly pressed down on her wrist, and the deep voice of Prince An sounded in her ear: "I will use my internal energy to help you speed up the effects of the medicine, so your injury will heal faster!"
The cool fingertips lightly touched her skin, and Shen Lixue trembled slightly. The coolness of the medicine carried the warmth of her inner strength, and the redness and swelling on her wrist seemed to disappear quickly. A faint scent of pine resin lingered in her nose. Shen Lixue glanced to the side and saw that Prince An's eyelids were slightly lowered, his eyelashes trembled, and his cold and handsome face was as gentle as a poem or painting, making it impossible to look away once you saw him...
"There are two roads ahead, both leading to the capital. Let's go..." Nangong Xiao suddenly lifted the curtain and came in. His questioning words stopped abruptly when he saw the large hand of Prince An pressing on Shen Lixue's wrist, his phoenix eyes blazing with anger...
019 Returning to the Prime Minister's Residence
Prince An gently stroked Shen Lixue's swollen wrist with his slightly rough fingertips, slowly injecting his powerful internal energy to reduce the swelling and bruising. Nangong Xiao glared angrily from the side, but Prince An showed no intention of letting go.
"Prince An, thank you!" Looking at Nangong Xiao's gloomy handsome face, Shen Lixue quickly pulled down her sleeve to cover her wrist. Prince An and Nangong Xiao seemed to have a grudge against each other, always at odds. Nangong Xiao was angry. If she continued to let Prince An reduce her swelling and bruises, the two of them would start arguing again, which was not what she wanted to see: "Nangong Xiao, what did you just say?"
Nangong Xiao glanced at Prince An with his charming eyes. After releasing Shen Lixue's wrist, he lowered his sleeves, sat back in his original position, and gently closed his eyes to rest. Every move he made was elegant and noble, natural and open, just like a gentleman. If he were to cause trouble, it would be judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person.
Prince An is truly clever!
Turning his gaze away, Nangong Xiao looked at Shen Lixue: "There are two roads ahead, both leading to the capital. One is the main road, which is a bit roundabout, and the other is a shortcut, but it's a side road. Which one should we take?"
"The one that's getting closer!" The sun was blazing, and it was almost noon. Shen Lixue didn't have much time left and had to get back to the Prime Minister's residence as soon as possible!
"Good!" A dark glint flashed in Nangong Xiao's charming eyes. Taking the back path suited him perfectly!
Lowering the curtain, Nangong Xiao flicked the reins, and the carriage turned onto a side road, speeding forward.
At first, the path was fairly flat, but gradually it became narrower and more rugged. The stable carriage began to bump and jolt. After traveling a few miles, the path became even more potholed and uneven, and the carriage bounced much more violently.
Nangong Xiao's lips curled into a strange smile. He lashed the horsewhip hard onto the horse's back, and the horse galloped wildly. The scenery on both sides rushed past. Nangong Xiao raised his eyebrows triumphantly, and the smile on his handsome face was exceptionally bright.