C4 Chapter 4

A strikingly handsome young man stood there, as graceful as a jade tree swaying in the breeze.

Dressed in black from head to toe, the young man carried himself with an air of rare elegance. His features were especially refined—delicate without looking feminine, fair without seeming sickly. At a glance, anyone could tell he was a pampered Young Master from a powerful family, perfectly matched by the fine steed beneath him.

“Xiao Jing'an?” The Xiao family’s Young Master—well-born, handsome, and showered with every favor imaginable. But what did a man like that have to do with her?

No, wait. He really did have something to do with her. This Xiao Jing'an was the very Young Master the maid in pink had mentioned—the man she was supposed to elope with.

So this was all part of a setup?

But who could possibly persuade the Xiao family’s Eldest Young Master to play along with something like an elopement?

“All right, my lady, you’ve seen him. Let’s go.” Xiao Jing'an wore the gentle smile so typical of an aristocratic heir and gave Chu Jiuge a slight nod. He made no move to dismount, yet somehow it didn’t come across as arrogance.

Coming from the Xiao family, Xiao Jing'an had every right to carry himself that way.

“And she thinks she’s good enough for you looking like that? She’s got some nerve.” The woman in red looked at Chu Jiuge with open disdain, a flash of malice in her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, the riding crop in her hand lashed toward Chu Jiuge’s face. “Today, I’m going to teach you something: a toad has no business dreaming of swan’s flesh.”

Chu Jiuge’s expression changed as she stepped back...

“Yunhua, watch your hand.” Xiao Jing'an saw exactly what the woman in red was doing, yet made no move to stop her. Instead, he kept smiling, his face full of indulgent affection.

The whip came down, and everyone at the city gate jumped in fright, instinctively backing away. A few looked at Chu Jiuge with sympathy...

She had crossed paths with the Yuan family’s eldest daughter. Miss Chu—the Quasi North Consort—was in trouble.

If her face was ruined, would the North Duke still marry her?

Even if he married her, she’d probably just be bringing her home to put her on display.

“Ah...” a scream rang out, but...

The gruesome scene everyone had expected never happened. Chu Jiuge was standing there perfectly fine. Instead, the woman in red on horseback—Yuan family’s eldest miss, Yuan Yunhua—had fallen off her horse.

Yuan Yunhua’s riding crop had come down and been caught by Chu Jiuge. The end of the crop was studded with barbs. Yuan Yunhua yanked hard to pull it back, and Chu Jiuge instinctively let go. Because Yuan Yunhua used too much force, she lurched backward and fell off...

“Oh my God!” In their lifetime, they had actually seen someone lay a hand on a daughter of the mighty Yuan family. This eldest miss of the Chu family really did have some nerve.

“Yunhua.” Xiao Jing’an, who had been seated atop a fine steed, changed expression at once. He swung down from the saddle, ran to Yuan Yunhua’s side, and carefully helped her up. “Are you okay?”

“My... my face...” Yuan Yunhua was terribly unlucky. When she fell, she landed face-first, and her beautiful face hit the gravel on the ground, leaving a gash.

Yuan Yunhua’s face was ruined!

“Don’t be afraid, Yunhua. The Xiao family has an alchemist skilled at making Beauty Cultivation Pills. I’ll have him prepare the finest one for you,” Xiao Jing’an comforted her softly, his voice gentle, the affection in his eyes almost overflowing.

But when he turned to look at Chu Jiuge, his face darkened. The polished smile typical of an aristocratic family descendant vanished, replaced by rage and killing intent. “Chu Jiuge, you’d better pray Yunhua is all right. If her face is scarred, I’ll wipe out every last member of your Chu family.”

Chu Jiuge had only pulled Yuan Yunhua down to protect herself; she had never meant to hurt her. Seeing the injury on Yuan Yunhua’s face, she had been about to step forward and check the wound out of a doctor’s compassion, but after hearing Xiao Jing’an’s words, she smiled. “What, so she’s allowed to hit me, but I’m not allowed to fight back?”

She didn’t remember ever doing anything to offend those two...