Chapter 1621

Jian Rongxin bit her cherry lips. At that moment, the curtain of the carriage guarded by Li Chen Zhou was lifted, revealing a face of peerless beauty, her phoenix eyes full of gentle charm—it was the Princess Royal Xue Lingjun. In front of so many people, she showed no hesitation, handing him a black sable fur cloak, clearly worried he would catch a chill.

Li Chen Zhou did not refuse her concern, smiling as he accepted it and draped it over himself. The affection in their eyes was so obvious even a blind person could see it.

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, really a pair of adulterers****, when did this dog man and woman get together? He had never felt genuine affection for Xue Lingjun; there was only mutual use. Even saying he had no lustful thoughts would be impossible, after all Princess Royal Xue Lingjun is a worldly beauty, but Hu Xiaotian is not without principles; he knows Xue Lingjun's mind is unfathomable, and he has always been wary of her. Even if it were just playing along, he would only go as far as a token gesture, never daring to have any substantive contact with Xue Lingjun, let alone invest any feelings. Although so, seeing Xue Lingjun and Li Chen Zhou showing off their love in public, he still felt a bit displeased—not because of feelings, but because of male possessiveness acting up. Though displeased, it was fleeting, and he immediately wondered how they **** bird affairs? Xue Lingjun is not my woman.

Beside her, Jian Rongxin's delicate body went limp; unable to bear the stimulation, she fainted on the spot. Hu Xiaotian promptly reached out and caught her, naturally drawing the attention of many onlookers.

Li Chen Zhou was also drawn by the commotion, but he merely glanced over and did not recognize the disguised Jian Rongxin.

The procession gradually faded into the distance; Jian Rongxin leisurely came to, finding herself lying in Hu Xiaotian's embrace. She felt both ashamed and anxious, struggling to free herself from his arms. Gazing at the long-gone procession, her eyes blurred with tears, her heart filled with despair, her mind echoing only one thought: let me die…

Deep down, Jian Rongxin refused to accept the fact that her family's extermination was linked to Li Chen Zhou, even avoiding everything that happened that night. After marrying Li Chen Zhou, he treated her decently; before marriage she knew nothing about sexual matters, and only gradually after marriage did she realize that her relationship with Li Chen Zhou differed from that of ordinary couples. She did not blame him for this, but instead treated him even better. Even if they would have no children, as long as Li Chen Zhou treated her well, she would willingly accompany him for life. To outsiders, they seemed like a divine couple, but Li Chen Zhou gradually changed, becoming cold and heartless; in private, even his gaze toward her bore disgust. He was suspicious and jealous, baselessly accusing her of having an affair with Hong Xinglian, and no matter how Jian Rongxin explained, he would not believe her. Only today, having seen it with her own eyes, did she finally understand: the betrayal of feeling was not hers, but his—Li Chen Zhou's own.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Jian Rongxin, tears like pear blossoms in the rain, and silently sighed. For her, what she had just seen was indeed somewhat cruel, but some things would eventually come to light. He whispered, "Let's go."

Jian Rongxin nodded, straightened her back, and fiercely wiped away her tears. She must not be weak, nor shed tears for Li Chen Zhou.

Human consciousness often cannot control bodily reactions. Returning to the room at the South Wind Inn, even though Hu Xiaotian had specially prepared a brazier for her and she sat beside it, she still felt a chill rising from her heart, as if her whole body had fallen into an ice cellar. She shed no tears, yet could not stop shivering.

A soft knock sounded at the door; Hu Xiaotian entered carrying a tray with wine and dishes.

"I'm not hungry!" Jian Rongxin's voice visibly trembled, due to anger and regret, the regret of being betrayed.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "I know; I just saw you were a bit cold, so I had someone warm a pot of wine to help you keep warm." He set the food and drink down.

Jian Rongxin softly said: "They say one drink dispels a thousand worries, but I have never drunk alcohol."

Hu Xiaotian encouraged her: "Why not give it a try? The more you drink, the warmer you'll feel."

Jian Rongxin seized the wine jug, poured a cup, and gulped it down in one go. Having never drunk before, the strong liquor hit her throat, making her cough, and the tears she had just stopped flowed out again.

Hu Xiaotian did not stop her; he silently refilled her cup and softly said, "Don't drink too quickly."

Jian Rongxin caught her breath, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe her tears, and looking at the cup before her, whispered: "My mother passed away early, so I have depended on my father since childhood. From youth to adulthood, my father taught me how to be a person and arranged everything for me."

Hu Xiaotian nodded. Not only Jian Rongxin, but most women of this era lived such lives; their marriages were not their own to decide. Yet Jian Rongxin's gentle nature showed no sign of rebellion; she must have always been an obedient girl.

Jian Rongxin said: "Only now do I realize I misjudged the person."

Hu Xiaotian said: "It's not that you misjudged the person, but that you married the wrong person." As the saying goes, 'match made by parents and matchmaker,' the marriage between Jian Rongxin and Li Chen Zhou was not based on mutual understanding; it was her father, Jian Xihe, who made the decision for her. To say you misjudged the person is also due to Jian Xihe's poor judgment of character.

Jian Rongxin said: "The night you met me, he drove me out of the Jingguo Duke's Mansion. I felt deeply wronged; for years I have kept this from my father, never daring to tell him the true state of our relationship. That night was the coldest moment of my life; I had originally intended to tell my father everything…" A line of crystal tears slid down her fair, pretty face. She lifted the cup before her and downed it in one gulp.

Hu Xiaotian silently watched her, expecting her to choke again, but he did not anticipate that she would smoothly finish the cup. Thanks to the alcohol, two flushes of rose appeared on her pale pretty face, and her beautiful eyes grew especially bright.

Jian Rongxin whispered: "You really didn't lie to me; after drinking, I truly am not cold."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, raised his own cup and drained it: "You're so kind that it's hard to deceive you."

Jian Rongxin bit her cherry lips, quietly gazing at Hu Xiaotian: "Are you mocking my foolishness?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head.

Jian Rongxin said: "Your appearance outside the Jingguo Duke's Mansion that night surely wasn't a coincidence?" She proactively refilled Hu Xiaotian's cup.

Hu Xiaotian handed her a pair of chopsticks, but she did not take them, continuing to stare at him quietly, awaiting his answer. Hu Xiaotian raised his wine cup and clinked it against hers; Jian Rongxin then gladly drank it. Hu Xiaotian drained his cup and said: "I came to Da Yong to save Liu Changsheng and his father. I know few people here, so I sought help from Princess Royal Xue Lingjun, who set a condition."

Jian Rongxin slowly set down her wine cup.

After a moment's thought, Hu Xiaotian said: "She demanded that I use you in exchange for Liu Changsheng and his father's lives." He had expected his words to strike her fragile nerves again, but instead he saw her expression remain undisturbed, unusually calm.

Jian Rongxin's long, curly lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and she whispered: "Just seeing them earlier, I had already thought of that."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I always thought you and your husband were deeply in love, so what I saw that night shocked me greatly. Can you tell me what exactly went wrong between you two?"

Jian Rongxin did not answer his question; instead she refilled her cup and softly asked: "Will you kill me?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "If I truly intended to trade your life for Liu Changsheng and his father's, that night would have been the perfect opportunity." He shook his head: "I have never thought of killing you, and I have a quirk—I never yield to threats."

Jian Rongxin proactively raised her cup to clink with Hu Xiaotian's: "No matter what, I should thank you for saving me." After another cup went down, she felt much lighter and more at ease, and said: "I once thought of dying, but now I cannot die; I must avenge my father."

Hu Xiaotian realized that alcohol could change a person; after drinking, Jian Rongxin's state was completely different from before. The renowned talent of Da Yong became much stronger and more cheerful after wine, though this perhaps indicated her alcohol tolerance was low—she might soon get drunk. Yet being drunk might not be a bad thing; for Jian Rongxin now, perhaps she sorely needed a good, hearty drunk to sleep soundly and at least temporarily forget the pain Li Chen Zhou had caused her.

Thus Hu Xiaotian decided to keep drinking with Jian Rongxin. He quickly realized his judgment was spot on: her gaze grew hazy, her face flushed pink, and her tongue began to feel clumsy.

Normally Hu Xiaotian would blame himself for being shameless to have intoxicated such a gentle, virtuous talent like this, but now he felt he was doing a good deed. Another cup, and Jian Rongxin might pass out; he would help her to bed so she could sleep well. Although Hu Xiaotian is not a paragon of virtue, he would not take advantage of her vulnerability.

Jian Rongxin's hazy gaze fixed on Hu Xiaotian: "You… you aren't trying to get me drunk, are you?"

Hu Xiaotian, caught in his motive by her, gave an embarrassed laugh: "No such thing; if you think you can't hold your liquor, just don't drink."

"You're the one who can't… I… I'm not drunk yet… I never realized before… just how… how wonderful drinking is…"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Seize the day's joy, let not the golden goblet face the moon in vain!"

Jian Rongxin looked at Hu Xiaotian with some surprise: "Fine poem… you… you still can compose poetry? Come to think of it, I've heard of you…" She trailed off, somewhat incoherent. (To be continued~^~.)