Chapter 155:
From Xie Wanning’s angle, it appeared intermittently.
After receiving the praise, Cao Ying’er served even more diligently.
Even in the storybooks she read, there had never been a description of such an absurd and disgraceful scene. Xie Wanning was so shocked that her mind was unsteady, and her legs involuntarily retreated half a step.
By a strange coincidence, she stepped right on a branch by her foot, making a light snapping sound that disturbed the two over there.
“Who!” the Second Prince said in a low voice.
In that instant, Xie Wanning thought of many consequences of stumbling upon such a private matter.
The worst being that she would be silenced.
Finally, she thought that even if they were bold enough, they dare not silence her in broad daylight in the Pei Family’s residence.
Her thoughts raced, and suddenly her lips were covered from behind by someone. Then her body suddenly felt light, and by the time she reacted, she had been brought to the other side of the rockery.
And under the peach tree where she had just stood, two birds that had stopped on the branches at some point flapped their wings and flew away.
The Second Prince, who had already walked past, relaxed his expression, but as he turned, the corner of his eye caught a pair of footprints left on the ground.
Clearly, she had stood there for a long time to leave such deep marks on the ground that was not too wet and soft.
Then, he saw the finger marks on the tree trunk.
He paused, raised his eyes to look around, his gaze passing over several places where one could hide, then walked back to Cao Ying’er’s side and said, “Don’t be afraid, it was just two blind birds.”
Cao Ying’er had already dressed properly. Hearing this, she let out a big sigh of relief. If someone had seen that scene just now, she wouldn’t need to live anymore.
But before she could fully relax, the Second Prince leaned close to her ear again and said something in a low voice.
Cao Ying’er’s face changed drastically, but Xie Wanning couldn’t see it. She only heard the Second Prince teasingly curse the birds a couple of times, without suspecting that someone had stumbled upon this adulterous affair, so she felt relieved. Only then did she look up at the person who had saved her at the critical moment.
Perhaps because she had been entangled with Lu Ziyan too much, when her waist was suddenly grabbed, her first reaction was that the person behind her should be Lu Ziyan. But as she looked up, her pupils slowly widened.
“Shh…”
Ji Chengfeng’s warm finger joint was lightly pressed against her lips. Seeing her nod, that finger then left.
Xie Wanning quickly covered her mouth with both hands, afraid that she might accidentally make a sound.
She hadn’t expected it to be Ji Chengfeng. When had he arrived?
…He actually knew martial arts!
That made sense. Although he was a scholar, he came from a prominent family. He would not neglect the Six Arts of a Gentleman or archery and horsemanship.
The world had been in chaos for more than a day or two. The noble families had long required their disciples to be proficient in both civil and martial arts. Even Pei Yuqing, who had suffered from a heart condition since childhood, was not a weak scholar without any strength…
Thinking this way, Xie Wanning came back to her senses and realized that their current posture was really indecent.
This hiding spot was at the corner, with only a small space, so they inevitably had to be very close.
Her back was against the stone, with nowhere left to retreat, while he, to avoid exposing his figure, had one hand propped by her neck and the other hand politely behind his back. Even so, this posture almost half-enclosed her entire body in his arms.
As Ji Chengfeng lowered his eyes, he could see the young lady in front of him covering her lips with both hands, her almond eyes wide round, her clear and bright black pupils reflecting his figure.
There was still a layer of dazed mist in her eyes.
She looked very easy to bully.
Their eyes met for just a breath, then Ji Chengfeng leaned his head closer and said in an extremely low voice, “Don’t speak yet.”
Knowing he was reminding her that the two over there hadn’t left yet, Xie Wanning nodded obediently again.
So obedient, so soft…
He looked away and listened sideways to the movements over there.
Xie Wanning also perked up her ears. It seemed their interest had been disturbed, and they didn’t continue the lewd act. She heard nothing.
Soon, the Second Prince and Cao Ying’er walked out from behind the rockery, already restored to their proper attire, and left in opposite directions, one south and one north.
One breath, two breaths… the person in front of her still hadn’t moved back.
Xie Wanning couldn’t help but open her mouth, but the person in front of her pressed a finger to her lips again.
“In case it’s a trick, wait a bit longer,” Ji Chengfeng said in a low voice.
His voice was very soft, and he was very close, a faint scent of ink entering her nose.
Famous inkstones have a faint elegant fragrance. Xie Wanning had smelled such an ink scent at her elder brother’s place before, but now mixed with his breath, it was a different taste.
How close were they that she could smell the scent on each other’s body…
Xie Wanning’s expression became awkward, standing stiffly.
After a long time, the person beside her finally stepped back, and she hurriedly took a breath, like burying one’s face in the quilt in winter and losing air.
Ji Chengfeng handed over a handkerchief.
Xie Wanning looked down and saw it wasn’t the one she had given him earlier, so she hurriedly waved her hand to refuse. “When did Cousin Ji arrive?”
“Before you came,” Ji Chengfeng said. “We arrived here one after the other.”
Xie Wanning was about to ask where he had been hiding just now and why she hadn’t noticed, when she saw him point to a towering tree not far away. “I don’t like watching shows. I hid there for some quiet.”
Xie Wanning: “…”
Indeed, another “delicate young master” with exceptional lightness skill.
She felt a bit of envy.
Thinking of the scene she had stumbled upon earlier, she said awkwardly, “You saw it too?”
She had only come out to find some quiet, but ended up encountering something even dirtier.
Reminded by her, Ji Chengfeng also felt a bit uncomfortable, but his temperament was reserved, and it rarely showed on his face.
He gave a low hum, paused, then suddenly asked, “Is Cousin familiar with Miss Cao?”
This Miss Cao was undoubtedly Cao Ying’er, one of the protagonists just now.
Xie Wanning didn’t know why he asked this, but she subconsciously thought of the yellow plums that Cao Ying’er had specially sent someone to deliver at the end of last year, followed by several invitations. Unable to refuse the enthusiasm, she had attended a banquet once.
Thinking this way, she answered honestly, “Not very familiar, but we have had a few interactions.”
Before this, she had always thought Cao Ying’er was forced by the Second Prince, but today’s events made her hesitate again.
After all, just now she was kneeling on the ground, eagerly serving the man, without any sign of reluctance…
“Then Cousin should be more wary of Miss Cao in the future,” Ji Chengfeng said, not knowing what she was thinking. “If she wants to befriend you or invite you somewhere, you must consider carefully and not be as unguarded as before.”
His seriousness made Xie Wanning’s heart skip a beat. “Did they discover us just now?”
Ji Chengfeng shook his head slightly and said, “Whether they noticed or not, since we stumbled upon such a private matter, we must have some caution against others.”
“Also be wary of the Second Prince.” Thinking that she was a madam from the inner residence and wouldn’t have much interaction with the Second Prince, he didn’t say more.
