in2ebook Chapter 551 Xie Jingxian: We can't let her leave.
Chapter 551 Xie Jingxian: We can't let her leave.
As night deepened, Li Sheng sat at the table, sleeves rolled up, a palm-sized piece of wood already taking shape in his hand.
She bent down and carved carefully, her expression focused.
She sculpted with meticulous care, paying attention even to the slightest curve of the hem of her garment.
This was one of the thank-you gifts she planned to give to Xie Jing.
The maidservant who was serving her stood watching for a while, then suddenly chuckled.
"Is this some kind of love token, young lady?"
Li Sheng paused, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
The maid covered her mouth and laughed, "I'm not talking nonsense. Miss and Lord Xie, who doesn't know this?"
Those close to them see things most clearly.
Lord Xie's kindness towards their young lady was all too obvious.
Everyone in the capital knew that Lord Xie was cold and aloof, yet he would send so many pastries to their daughter, stand up for her, and even help her resolve the Wuli tribe's affairs.
If it weren't for a deliberate intention, who would go to such lengths?
Li Sheng looked up, her ears already bright red. "Get out of here."
The maid chuckled, bowed, closed the door, and left, after which the room returned to silence.
Li Sheng looked down at the unfinished wooden carving in her hand, but the smile on her lips gradually faded.
She lowered her head, placed the wooden carving in her palm, and then slowly pressed it against her chest.
It's like feeling that faint warmth.
She likes Xie Jing.
Her heart would pound whenever she thought of him, just like it was now, and she couldn't hide it.
But, does Xie Jing like her?
She sighed softly, a hint of hesitation appearing in her eyes.
He was always restrained and quiet, like a sword hidden in its sheath, never truly opening it to her.
And what about her? What is she anyway?
Are people like them really suitable?
Li Sheng closed her eyes.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Sheng was urgently awakened by a maid.
"Miss, there's an urgent letter from the clan!"
She got up, put on her coat, took the envelope, and immediately recognized her father's handwriting.
She quickly tore it open, and upon seeing the few lines of text on the paper, her face turned pale.
Her fingers trembled, and her eyes welled up with tears.
The letter said that his father was seriously ill and in critical condition, and that he probably didn't have much time left.
Without much thought, Li Sheng got out of bed and ordered, "Quickly, prepare the carriage!"
Wangfu.
Xie Jing looked at the heavy brocade box in front of him.
Inside the box, a row of premium teas produced by the Wuli ethnic group were neatly arranged, along with several exotic treasures, each exquisite and carefully selected.
At the very top is a small, delicate wooden carving depicting a young boy.
That's exactly what he looks like.
Xie Jing stroked the profile of the wooden carving with his fingertips, a smile unconsciously appearing in his eyes.
Although the carving was not very refined, it carried a kind of clumsy earnestness. He could tell at a glance that it was carved by Li Sheng himself.
"Where is he?" Xie Jing asked.
The attendant standing nearby was still stunned. "Who is it?"
Xie Jing frowned: "Where is Miss Li? Has she been invited in?"
The servant looked bewildered. "Young Master Jing, I didn't see anyone. The gift was delivered by Miss Li's maid; she didn't come with her."
Xie Jing stood up and walked quickly towards the front yard.
The huge courtyard was empty; Li Sheng was nowhere to be seen.
He stood at the bottom of the stone steps, a sense of unease gradually rising in his heart.
"Ready your horse."
A moment later, the sound of hooves swept across the capital road, and Xie Jing mounted his horse, his robes fluttering in the wind.
Xie Jing rode his horse to the post station, dismounted, and strode into the courtyard.
The courtyard was empty, with only a few servants cleaning the mangers and the yard.
His brows furrowed suddenly, and he strode up to a servant sweeping the floor, grabbing his arm. "Where is Miss Li? Where did she go?"
The servant turned pale with fright. "Reporting to my lord, Miss and Second Master prepared a carriage before dawn this morning, saying they were setting off to return to the Wuli tribe..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jing's pupils contracted slightly, and he froze on the spot.
"This morning?"
The servant said tremblingly, "I really don't know why Miss left in such a hurry... This is not something we servants should know."
Xie Jing didn't hear a word he said; all he felt was a deafening roar in his ears.
His fingers tightened little by little, and even the veins on the back of his hand stood out.
The next instant, Xie Jing suddenly turned around and mounted his horse.
With a lash of the whip, the horse neighed and carried him like an arrow out of the post station.
Qingbai followed closely behind, shouting as he chased.
"Young Master! It's getting dark, let's wait a little longer! We can go tomorrow!"
Xie Jing ignored him completely, lashing out with his whip. The horse neighed and took off, kicking up clouds of dust.
No, you can't...
We can't let her leave.
How could she just leave like that!
The mountain road winds and the forests rise and fall. The further we go, the darker the sky becomes. The mountain road is slippery and the cold wind howls through the forest.
Xie Jing still wouldn't stop, even though his old ailment, which hadn't fully healed, started to flare up again, and his palms were sweating profusely.
"Young Master! Ahead lies Fupo Ridge; if we go any further, we'll enter the mountains, and the road will become difficult to traverse. You won't be able to hold on—"
"If you say another word, get back!" Xie Jing roared, his voice hoarse.
Qingbai was stunned and could only grit his teeth and follow.
Xie Jing spurred his horse and chased after them for more than ten miles, his eyes bloodshot.
They stopped a group of soldiers along the way and asked, "Have you seen a pair of carriages passing by here?"
The officers and soldiers were taken aback, then nodded: "We've seen them before! They were heading south."
Xie Jing thanked him coldly, then lashed out with his whip again. The horse neighed and galloped away.
In the early hours of the morning, a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the fog in the mountains and forests was thick and heavy, the dampness carrying a chill.
Xie Jing was covered in dust, his boots were covered in a thick layer of mud, and he had chased after them for nearly a hundred miles.
He suddenly pulled on the reins in front of an inn in a mountain town.
Li Sheng was stepping down the last step of the inn.
It was still early, and she was putting on her outer robe, preparing to mount her horse and continue her journey.
No sooner had he landed than a gust of wind suddenly rushed from his side.
The next moment, her wrist was pulled hard, and she almost stumbled.
"Where are you going?" Xie Jing's low, husky voice came from the thick fog.
Li Sheng looked up in surprise, staring blankly at the person in front of her.
It's Xie Jing.
His hair was wet and disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot.
This was the first time she had seen Xie Jing like this.
"You..." Before she could speak, Xie Jing suddenly pulled her a step closer.
His gaze was fixed on her face. "You just left like that? Without saying a word?"
Li Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind.
"Oh my, isn't this Lord Xie!"
Li Meng, wearing a cloak, strode out of the inn and immediately put on a fawning smile when he saw Xie Jing holding Li Sheng's hand.
Xie Jing didn't turn his head, his eyes never leaving Li Sheng. "Take him away."
As soon as the words were spoken, the accompanying guards immediately stepped forward and grabbed Li Meng's arms from both sides.
"Hey, hey, hey! Lord Xie, Lord Xie, what are you doing?"
"Take him away." Xie Jing's voice was icy.
Li Meng tried to struggle, but he had already been dragged away, and his voice dissipated in the wind.
Li Sheng's expression changed slightly, and she was about to speak when Xie Jing had already picked her up by the waist.
"Xie Jing, what are you doing!"
Li Sheng exclaimed in surprise, but before she could finish speaking, he had already hugged her tightly and stepped into the carriage.