Chapter 66: Intrigue

Xia Chunyu stared at the banknote in his hand as he listened to the guard, his eyes gradually turning stormy with anger.

“Where is this person?”

The guard saw the anger on Heir-son Lord’s face and answered with fear, “He’s gone, Your Highness.”

“How long ago did he leave?”

“He just left. As soon as he turned away, I immediately rushed here to tell you, Heir-son Lord. I don’t think he has gone far, yet.”

Xia Chunyu took a saddled horse and quickly chase after Yaoyao.

As expected, he caught up with Yaoyao not too far away from the mansion.

It is already late, and this infuriating woman isn’t even afraid to wander alone in the street!

Xia Chunyu spurred the horse faster and moved closer to her. He used his long arms to drag her onto the horse.

Startled, Ye Jiayao started to scream.

Xia Chunyu pushed her to sit in front of him and plastered her against him with an arm around her waist. He was afraid that all her struggling would cause her to fall off the horse.

He said softly, “Stop screaming.”

Ye Jiayao closed her mouth and gaped angrily at Chunyu. “Why the hell are you kidnapping me?”

Xia Chunyu frowned. “How is this kidnapping?”

“You took me against my will! What else would you call it? You know what, don’t answer that. Just let me go!”

“No way. You came to me first. I’m not letting you go,” Xia Chunyu said stubbornly.

“I only came to return the money and tell you to stay out of my business,” Ye Jiayao retorted angrily.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re here now, and I think that it’s high time that we have a chat.”

“We don’t have anything to say to each other. We’re  nothing  to each other. What will we talk about? We only acted on a show together,” Ye Jiayao said coldly. His close proximity to her was wreaking a havoc on her hormones. With her back against his muscled chest and his arm around her waist, she couldn’t help but think of the steamy nights they spent in bed. She squirmed, starting to feel hot. She was extremely aware that she was blushing.

“Can you stop mentioning that ? You have to understand my situation back then.” Xia Chunyu’s jaw brushed her ear. Her long, soft hair floated to his face and he felt a bit ticklish. Despite her hostility, Xia Chunyu’s heart was happy and at peace as he held her close to him.

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes. Oh, she understood his situation perfectly. She also understood that denying connection to her and telling Song Qi that ‘there’s no need to act anymore’ was him trying to ditch her. She might have acted shamelessly towards him in the past, but she was not a complete airhead.

“Alright, let’s not talk about the past. Can we just pretend that we don’t know each other? You are an Heir-son Lord and I work as a chef. We have nothing to do with each other. Deal?” Ye Jiayao offered sulkily.

“No,” Xia Chunyu answered without even pausing for a beat.

Neigh…

The horse stopped. Xia Chunyu nimbly maneuvered his body and got off the horse. He was going to help Yaoyao down, but when he turned around, she has already jumped down to the ground.  Woman, for once, can you pretend that you need my help?

Ye Jiayao dusted her hands and said, “I am going now. There’s no need for us to see each other again, alright?”

She turned to walk away but Xia Chunyu dragged her back easily. “I said we need to have a chat.”

“Yo, Heir-son Lord, you should be sitting in a boat, drinking alcohol, listening to music, and hugging beautiful girls this time of the night. You shouldn’t drag unwilling people with you,” Ye Jiayao mocked.

Xia Chunyu smiled at her roguishly. “That’s a good idea, and that’s exactly what I am going to do. Come along!”

He pulled Ye Jiayao to the dock.

“Yo, don’t corrupt me! I am only a poor guy. I don’t want to learn what you rich kids do.” Ye Jiayao struggled against his hold.

“Don’t worry, it’s my treat. You don’t need to spend a single cent.”

Xia Chunyu dragged her straight into a boat and immediately said, “Boatman, start the boat.”

The boatman immediately did as he was told, happy to get a business this late at night. He acquiesced, “Yes, sir! I will start the boat right away.”

Usually, there would be male or female – or both – prostitutes inside the boat. It depended on the customer’s preference, so the boatman really didn’t blink an eye as he saw the two men board his boat.

Xia Chunyu made her sit down.

A coquettish woman appeared before them, bringing up some snacks and wine. She winked at Xia Chunyu and softly asked, “Sir, what else do you want to order?”

This lady didn’t even spare Ye Jiayao a look. There was no point to look at such a poor kid since it was clear that Xia Chunyu, with his clothes in gold, was the rich master.

Xia Chunyu put a 100-silver note on the table. “Bring whatever you have and get us a pot of Liu An tea.”

The lady’s eyes brightened and her smile turned wider. “Of course. Please, wait a second, sir, I will go fetch it now.”

Ye Jiayao stared at the 100-silver note and thought that it was so easy to make money in a boat. They only had to bring drinks, a few plates of dry fruits, cruise for a while, and they already get 100 silvers.  When I get rich, I’m going to buy a couple of boats.

Xia Chunyu saw her staring at the silver note and started to feel sorry for her. “You can take this note if you’d like.”

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Ye Jiayao suddenly snapped awake from her daydream and called, “Boatman, stop the boat!”

The boat kept its cruising pace. The boatman wouldn’t stop the boat unless the rich man ordered him to do so.

Ye Jiayao was furious as she saw Chunyu’s cocky look. She really wanted to kick him.

The beautiful lady brought out some green grapes, almonds, preserves, and a plate of crispy small dried fish, as well as a pot of Liu An tea.

Xia Chunyu waved her away.

“Do you want to know Aunt Jiang’s situation?” Xia Chunyu poured tea for Ye Jiayao and he poured himself a glass of wine.

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Xia Chunyu just kept talking, “Their family is going to be coming to Jin Ling in a few days. They just set out to look for their son in Ji Ning first. They were forced to become bandits. It was a good thing that this time, Uncle Jiang did the right thing and cooperated with me. I had the police take their case off so they can go back to their hometown without any concerns.”

Ye Jiayao was happy to hear that. She was curious as to what kind of case Uncle Jiang was involved in, though.

“Do you know why they became bandits?”

“There was a gangster who was interested in Uncle Jiang’s daughter and wanted to rape her. In the urgent situation, Uncle Jiang used a hoe to knock him out but he accidentally killed him, instead.

Ye Jiayao didn’t know that the fatherly Uncle Jiang she met had that much guts.

“I also let Auntie Zhao and the rest of the people who were forced to go up the mountain free. I tasked Feng Chaolin take care of the people who didn’t really do bad things.”

Ye Jiayao couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What about Peng Wu? I heard that you framed him.”

Xia Chunyu squinted at her and smiled ambiguously. “What do you think?”

“He treated me very well and called me big sister all the time. He was hardworking and he helped me out a lot.”

Xia Chunyu scoffed, “You can’t judge someone’s nature just by that. He didn’t talk much and he worked very hard, yes, but he was also the fiercest killer in Black Wind Ridge. At the time when the group of Bai Chongye has just expanded, most of the bloody cases involved him and Sheng Wu. They wiped out whole villages. Their hands were full of blood.”

Ye Jiayao was shocked.  I guess it’s true that you never really know what’s inside a person’s heart.

“He was as a serious criminal, and I handed over to the governors to take care of. He might not be able to evade death.” Xia Chunyu finished the alcohol in his cup. The topic of their conversation seemed to have gotten very heavy and it was not his intention. He only wanted to get closer to her by talking about the old memories they shared.

Ye Jiayao drank her tea in silence, her heart saddened. Even though he was as bad as Second-in-charge, he has never shown her anything but kindness. Ye Jiayao has always believed that even the evillest person has a good side.

“Yaoyao, go back to your family. I am here, I won’t let them do anything bad to you again,” Xia Chunyu told her earnestly. He was starting to actualize his plan.

Ye Jiayao looked at him as if he was the biggest idiot she has seen. “You don’t need to worry about my issues.”

Her life was full of happiness now. Why would she want to face the people she hated? To torture herself?  No, thank you.

“Do you want to stay in Heavenly Residence for life?”

“Of course not! I’ll be working there for three years at most, and then, I will open my own restaurant and earn lots of money,” Ye Jiayao said casually. Ay! Why did I tell him my plans?

“So you’re planning to be a ladyboy for the rest of your life?” Xia Chunyu asked.

Ye Jiayao blinked and said unhappily, “What do you mean ladyboy? I’ll have you know, everyone praised me as a pretty, young man.”

Xia Chunyu frowned. She even called herself pretty. Truly admirable.

“Pretty is a word used to describe beautiful girls. Handsome is the word for guys, or smart, or dashing. Understood? If they’re calling you pretty, they might mean that you are a bit…” Xia Chunyu trailed off.

Ye Jiayao put the teapot aside and stared at him angrily. “What? Your brain is full of strange ideas!”

“It is because I know who you really are.” He looked at her flat chest which was wrapped and concealed tightly by her clothes.

Ye Jiayao covered her chest. “What are you looking at?”

They might have done the  deed  before, but they don’t have any relationship now. He has no right to see or even  think  of her in that state anymore.

Xia Chunyu smiled as if he couldn’t care less at how indignant she was. “I heard that if you wrap it tight like that, the blood will clot and you’re going to fall ill easily.

“That is none of your business.” Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes.

Another boat matched up to their pace. It was a summer night so the windows on both boats were open from all sides to let in the cold wind. It also made watching the night scenery of the river easier.

“Oh? Is that Xia Chunyu?” Zhao Qixuan who was cruising in the boat next to Ye Jiayao’s exclaimed. “Xia Chunyu! Xia Chunyu!”

Xia Chunyu looked to the side and saw Zhao Qixuan on the boat beside theirs, waving his paper fan. He really didn’t want to have a conversation with him so Xia Chunyu merely nodded and held up his wine glass as a greeting.

Ye Jiayao found the calling voice familiar so she also turned around to take a look.

Zhao Qixuan was taken aback when he saw Li Yao. “Um… Li Yao? What are you…”

Zhao Qixuan found this too odd. It would make sense if it was Li Yao and Little Jing cruising together… but he was with Brother Chunyu! How did the two of them know each other? And why were they cruising together on a  very  late night?

Ye Jiayao smiled and waved awkwardly, silently cursing herself. Why did I have to show my face? Damn you curiosity!

“Xia Chunyu, do you want to have a drink together?” Zhao Qixuan offered.

Xia Chunyu smiled calmly and said, “No, thank you. Perhaps some other day.”

“Alright. It’ll be my treat then,” Zhao Qixuan said graciously, still perplexed.

As the two boats drifted apart, Zhao Qixuan worried. Did Xia Chunyu turn down his offer to drink together because he was spending time with Li Yao? Did Little Jing know about this relationship?