Humans are all made of flesh and blood. Although Chen Xiao was wary and disliked the Japanese, the fact that a prince of the Imperial Family had been so courteous and respectful throughout the journey, with a constant smile and polite demeanor, made it impossible for Chen Xiao to maintain a stern expression. He became much more amiable towards Hirohito, even exchanging a few kind words with him occasionally.
However, as the group quickly crossed the corridor and reached the lobby entrance, they heard several shouts and curses coming from inside!
Chen Xiao walked to the side and immediately spotted a girl in a gray-blue kimono standing sideways to him in the lobby, her face filled with grievance and fear. In front of her stood the short, sleazy butler who had served Prince Sato before, a man with a fierce expression, waving his arms and cursing vehemently, spitting as he spoke. Chen Xiao didn't understand Japanese, but he recognized the word "baka" (idiot).
The butler had a fierce look on his face, and the girl in front of him was probably frightened by his fierceness, retreating back and forth. She had already retreated to the wall, and tears were almost welling up in her eyes from being bullied.
Upon seeing this, Chen Xiao's friendly smile vanished instantly, replaced by a face full of frost!
Because, even though the girl's face was flushed red from being bullied and she was almost crying from grievance, her beautiful facial features were still unmistakable to Chen Xiao!
On that deserted island, I almost fainted several times. Every time I woke up, I would see this face in front of me. Although it looked haggard and tired, it still gazed at me with a serene and caring smile.
It was this person who, even though she was thirsty and her lips were cracked, would save the fresh water for herself to drink.
This was the same person who dug for sand crabs on the beach, rubbing his slender fingers until they bled, before feeding himself the salty, fishy-smelling food.
It was this person who, when he was critically injured and on the verge of death, lay sleeping on the cold cave floor, fearing he would freeze to death, and held him in her warm embrace every night as he fell asleep.
Every time I wake up from a coma, the first thing I see is this face!
Chen Xiao didn't know when it started, but he swore that as long as he lived, he would never let anyone bully the owner of this face!
But at this moment, this face was being viciously cursed by a lewd middle-aged man, almost to the point of crying in grievance. Moreover, judging from the butler's fierce appearance, he raised his hand as if to hit someone.
Chen Xiao's anger truly stemmed from a deep-seated rage and a surge of malice!
Before Bo Ren could react, he heard Chen Xiao beside him snort angrily and quickly rush into the room. With a bang, he kicked a figure that flew out of the hall and landed in the courtyard, tumbling several times.
Chen Xiao swiftly embraced the girl, taking a deep breath: "Little Peach, I'm here!"
Zhang Xiaotao, who had been filled with grievances, was overjoyed to see Chen Xiao suddenly appear out of nowhere! She froze for a moment, then burst into tears, punching Chen Xiao hard in the chest before throwing herself into his arms. She pinched his back muscles tightly, yelling, "You heartless bastard! Why did you only come now! I worried about your safety every day, I almost cried my eyes out!!"
Chen Xiao let her hit him for a while before letting go of Zhang Xiaotao. He looked at her carefully and saw that apart from being a little thinner, she was fine. She looked tired and listless, but there was no major damage.
But then, when they saw Zhang Xiaotao's clothes clearly...
Chen Xiao suddenly remembered that the maids he had seen wearing this bluish-gray kimono all the way in seemed to be wearing the same style!
His expression suddenly changed, and his eyes were filled with anger!
"What a fine Prince Sato! What a fine Takeuchi Yako!! I risked my life to save you all those days, and my friend is by your side, yet you make her a maid!!!"
Chen Xiao gritted his teeth and uttered those words, his face contorted with rage!
Suddenly, he slammed his fist into the wall next to him, and with a loud bang, the wooden wall was smashed to pieces by his punch!
Bo Ren, standing at the door, saw everything clearly and was suddenly startled! But then he was overjoyed: his teacher was indeed capable!
Upon seeing Chen Xiao carrying Zhang Xiaotao, he became even more certain. He took a few steps inside, bowed deeply, and politely greeted Zhang Xiaotao, saying, "Master's wife, your disciple Bo Ren greets you with courtesy!"
After saying that, he turned around and angrily shouted at the two attendants behind him, "Are you all blind? That bastard bullied my master's wife, what are you still standing there for! Go! Break both of his legs!"
Chapter 203 [The First Blossom of Youthful Passion]
Zhang Xiaotao was initially overwhelmed by the surprise of Chen Xiao's sudden return. But now, hearing the young Japanese man beside Chen Xiao fiercely ordering someone's legs to be broken—she didn't recognize Prince Hirohito, but being well-versed in Japanese culture, she immediately recognized the general idea of what Hirohito was wearing! That gold-trimmed chrysanthemum-patterned robe wasn't something just anyone was qualified to wear!
Seeing that Bo Ren's two henchmen were already menacingly approaching the wicked steward in the courtyard, Zhang Xiaotao froze for a moment before screaming, "Ah! No!!"
In her haste, she called out in Chinese and then in Japanese.
"Stop!" Bo Ren finally spoke, stopping his two subordinates who had rolled up their sleeves and were about to beat someone up. He turned around and smiled kindly at Zhang Xiaotao, "Little Master's Wife, what are your orders?"
Zhang Xiaotao hadn't heard the first "Master's wife" clearly in her excitement, but this time she understood perfectly. Her pretty face flushed red, and she stammered, "You... what did you call me..."
At that moment, other servants in the Akiyoshi Palace heard the commotion and gathered around. From a distance, they saw the Akiyoshi Palace steward lying in the courtyard, covered in dust and dirt, with two of Prince Hirohito's men rolling up their sleeves. They assumed that Hirohito's men were beating the steward and were filled with panic.
Although they are all members of the Imperial Family, Japan naturally favors sons over daughters. In addition, Hirohito is one of the de facto future heirs to the throne, so his status in the Imperial Family is naturally much higher than that of a mere prince (according to the rules of the Japanese Imperial Family, once a princess or other female member of the Imperial Family marries, she will be officially stripped of her Imperial Family status and will no longer enjoy any of the privileges of an Imperial Family member!).
Bo Ren glanced at Zhang Xiaotao. He noticed that Chen Xiao seemed to value this pretty girl highly. He didn't know Zhang Xiaotao's identity yet. Judging from her attire, he assumed she was a lady-in-waiting from the Akiochi Palace, but she spoke Chinese. Could she be Chiyoko's Chinese teacher?
However, this girl was quite beautiful, and she seemed to have a very close relationship with Chen Xiao. Bo Ren made up his mind. If Chen Xiao really liked this lady-in-waiting, then he would use his influence to take her from Qian Yezi's subordinate and send her to Chen Xiao's side. For a prince like him, asking for a lady-in-waiting was naturally not a difficult matter.
When the butler was kicked by Chen Xiao, he landed in the courtyard. Fortunately, he landed on his buttocks first, so the injury wasn't serious, but he was still bruised and swollen. However, he had already recognized Prince Hirohito. Prince Hirohito held a very high position among the younger generation of Japanese imperial family members, so how could the butler not recognize him? Seeing that Prince Hirohito was about to have him beaten, he didn't dare to resist anymore and struggled to his knees, begging for mercy.
Zhang Xiaotao felt a little shy under Prince Boren's ambiguous gaze. She finally pulled away from Chen Xiao's embrace and whispered, "Don't hit him... he's, after all, a subordinate of a prince. I... it was just a misunderstanding. I..."
Chen Xiao already had a bad impression of Prince Sato and the others from the ship. Hearing Zhang Xiaotao's words, he simply snorted and remained silent.
Just then, several people walked into the corridor of the courtyard. The servants of Prince Akikichi, who had been gathered at a distance, quickly stepped aside and bowed.
Princess Sato, dressed in a moon-white kimono with her hair still flowing freely and adorned with golden chrysanthemum patterns, walked at the head of the procession. Behind her, Takeuchi Kisako, always with a stern face, followed with her signature kodachi. Bringing up the rear was Tang Ying. Tang Ying wore a pink kimono, her delicate feet bare in wooden clogs. She walked with small, shuffling steps, as if a gust of wind could knock her over—a far cry from the murderous glare she displayed on the ship.
Miss Sato had probably rushed back as well. Upon entering the courtyard, she saw her butler lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen. Two of Hirohito's men stood by, rubbing their hands together, ready to fight. Her expression immediately darkened. She slowly walked over, her tone clearly displeased, and looked at Prince Hirohito: "Brother Hirohito, have you come to my Akiyoshi Palace to discipline my men?"
Prince Boren smiled faintly, his expression somewhat embarrassed. As the saying goes, even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. To try and curry favor with Chen Xiao by having someone beat up another's steward in Qiuji Palace was indeed a bit too arrogant. However, his younger sister had always been close to the Shangchen family, and their relationship was only so-so, so he wasn't afraid of offending her. After a moment's thought, he shook his head and said, "Your subordinate is too unruly; it's necessary to teach him a lesson."
Sato wasn't a strong-willed person. After hearing this, although he was angry, he just kept a sullen face and casually ordered someone to carry the butler away.
She then noticed Chen Xiao standing in the lobby with Zhang Xiaotao. She paused slightly, a smile appearing on her face. But before she could greet him, Tang Ying behind her exclaimed in surprise, "Chen Xiao-jun!"
Before he could finish speaking, Tang Ying had already run over, and it looked like she was about to crash headfirst into Chen Xiao's arms.
Chen Xiao deliberately avoided even glancing at Ms. Sato, but he couldn't bring himself to be stern with Tang Ying—this girl had saved him at sea and on the island. Looking at Tang Ying, he saw that her complexion had fully recovered, her face flushed with a healthy blush, and her eyes filled with surprise as she stared at him. However, her figure, wrapped in a kimono, vaguely revealed the alluring curves of her chest, which seemed even more impressive than before…
A friendly smile finally appeared on his face: "Hello, Tang Ying."
Sato was interrupted by Tang Ying's words, and Chen Xiao deliberately didn't even look at him, making him feel somewhat awkward. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should greet him first. Takeuchi Yako, who already disliked Chen Xiao, noticed her mistress's embarrassment and shouted sharply, "Miki! Come back! You're being incredibly rude in front of His Highness!"