The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Ruan Xianrong was completely unaware that she was gradually left alone with Xie Chengyan.

The two entered a jewelry shop, and she asked, puzzled, "What are we doing here?"

"Once you enter a jewelry shop, you naturally buy jewelry."

Ruan Xianrong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Could it be prepared for the female lead?

When did these two get to this point?

But it must be said, the male lead is quite shrewd.

I immediately became interested.

Seeing the little girl beside him so enthusiastic, Xie Chengyan knew that she liked it too.

Her eyes softened, and even though she was wearing a veil, one could imagine the expression on her face.

Those eyes were so bright and clear, and her red lips were slightly curved; she must have looked even more beautiful when she cried.

Ruan Xianrong was indeed smiling under the veil, but the smile was completely different from what Xie Chengyan had imagined.

Her fingertips brushed against the rows of dazzling jewels on the counter, and when she saw the hairpin, she knew that the main plot had been triggered. Even though the male and female protagonists had not yet reunited, what was destined to happen would still happen.

This hairpin, adorned with gold and jade, appeared in the book; it was a gift from the male lead to the female lead, and this cannon fodder character even caused trouble for her because of it.

There were quite a few hairpins originally decorated with gold and jade, but the book describes this hairpin in detail, and it has five extra pearls inlaid on it, which is the one in front of us.

"This hairpin with gold thread and jade is quite nice."

Xie Chengyan's voice sounded beside her, gentle as ever, but very close, so close that she could smell the crisp pine scent on him.

Ruan Xianrong thought to herself, "Just as I expected." Without making a sound, she took a small step to the side and her gaze fell on the beautiful hairpin.

"My cousin has great taste."

Besides the one he had his eye on, he bought another elegant one. The shopkeeper wrapped it up, and Xie Chengyan gently put it into his pocket.

As he left the jewelry shop, he lowered his voice, making sure only the two of them could hear, "Why was Niannian avoiding me just now?"

Ruan Xianrong's heart skipped a beat.

"What did you say, cousin? I wasn't hiding from you at all. I was just engrossed in looking at the jewelry."

Hearing the urgency in her soft voice, Xie Chengyan felt a ticklish, tingling sensation in his heart, as if being scratched by a feather.

Despite being full of flaws, he found her incredibly adorable.

This veil is utterly superfluous. I really want to tear away this disguise, to see her panic, to see her eyes reflecting only herself...

He sighed softly, "I was mistaken."

He raised his hand to brush aside the veil of her hat and see her expression, but stopped in mid-air. Instead, he very naturally gathered a strand of hair that had been blown outside her hat by the wind.

His fingertips lightly brushed against her earlobe.

Ruan Xianrong froze, then took a step back, her veil swaying.

Xie Chengyan's hand stopped in mid-air and slowly withdrew. His face still had that gentle and refined expression, but deep in his eyes, something dark was slowly flowing.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently. "Your hair is messy."

She managed to steady her voice and forced a smile, "Oh, thank you, cousin."

Xie Chengyan chuckled softly. If he's this shy, what will happen after they get married?

After walking around two streets, Ruan Xianrong finally realized something was wrong. Why were only the two of them left?

What about the rest?

Seriously? After all this time, it turns out there are only the two of them here...

The male lead and the cannon fodder female supporting character... Hmm~ What is she doing? And what is the male lead doing?

"Cousin, it's getting late, let's go back."

She lost track of time as soon as she stepped out onto the street, her hands brimming with food, just like Xie Chengyan, whose hands were also full of things.

She lowered her head in horror, helplessly rubbing her forehead, wishing she could empty the water from her brain.

"No rush. I've heard that the Mingzhou Night Market is lively, and I'd like to take a look too."

She didn't want to continue shopping with Xie Chengyan and just wanted to get back as soon as possible. In a moment of carelessness, she blurted out, "The night market in Mingzhou is nowhere near as good as the one in Huai'an. It's not interesting at all. The one in Huai'an last time was really lively."

Xie Chengyan's eyes were dark and unreadable. "Who did Niannian go to Huai'an with?"

"And..." He almost blurted out, but immediately changed the subject, "Naturally, it was Yinque. When I came to Mingzhou, I passed through Huai'an and went to see what was going on."

Fearing he might ask more questions, she added, "There's a tavern over there; their fruit wine is quite good. Would you like to try it, cousin?"

Xie Chengyan indulged him to the extreme, "Okay."

Ruan Xianrong turned her head, her face scrunched up, and she groaned inwardly, feeling that each day was like a year.

Finally, the sun set, and she could go back. This half-day trip was more tiring than two months of travel, but with someone by her side, she persevered and made it halfway.

But she couldn't resist the drowsiness. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, the carriage suddenly jolted, and she lost her balance. Xie Chengyan, who was beside her, helped her up.

"careful."

Before I could even settle in, I heard the horses neighing mournfully, the entire carriage tilted wildly, and chaos erupted outside.

Before she could react, she was pulled hard and fell into a warm, firm embrace.

Just as she was about to struggle to get up, the man pressed his hand down behind her head. "Don't move."

No sooner had she finished speaking than, "Whoosh—Bang!" A sharp arrow pierced through the air, penetrating the carriage wall, sending wood chips flying, and embedding itself in the spot where she had just been standing.

The person behind him was breathing heavily, their heart pounding as if they were suppressing something.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

The horses were startled and galloped wildly, running erratically forward. The coachman had already been thrown off, and the situation was completely out of control.

"Stay in the car and don't move."

Xie Chengyan released her and darted out of the carriage with lightning speed.

Ruan Xianrong was tossed around violently, feeling dizzy and nauseous.

After a neighing sound, the carriage suddenly slowed down, veered, and finally came to a stop.

She struggled to her feet, trying to calm herself and see what was going on. Could it still be those assassins from Kyoto?

Is this ever going to end? She's a good-for-nothing, who's always trying to kill her?

She peeked out from behind the carriage curtain and saw a chaotic scene outside. Xie Chengyan spotted her at a glance, quickly turned around, and scooped her out of the nearly collapsing carriage, protecting her behind him.

His hand brushed against her porcelain-white, soft hand, which was icy cold and trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Afraid?" he asked in a low voice.

At this moment, his tone was gentle, a strange smile played on his lips, and his eyes were calm, showing no sign of nervousness.

Even behind that open and expansive facade lay years of darkness and madness.

As soon as she looked up, she met his deep, dark eyes.

"Are these assassins after my cousin?"

"I don't know."

Not like.

It's more like...

Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and a murderous intent arose within him.

The two retreated behind the carriage. Xie Chengyan glanced over and exchanged a look with Lu Shao.

Lu Shao understood and his attack faltered slightly. He watched as the thief rushed toward Ruan Xianrong and the Crown Prince, but he couldn't stop him.

Xie Chengyan shielded the person behind him, but couldn't dodge in time and took a direct hit from the knife.

Lu Shao, seeing that the situation was about right, swiftly dealt with the assassins.

The warm liquid splashed onto the back of her hand instantly, leaving Ruan Xianrong stunned.

Xie Chengyan was injured. He was injured while saving her...?

"Nian Nian..."

"Cousin-cousin?" Ruan Xianrong's face turned pale, and her heart trembled.

He can't be hurt. If he dies here, she and the Ruan family are finished.

Why did you have to come to Mingzhou? It's like you came here specifically to harm her!

"Quickly!" Her voice trembled, almost cracking, "Get him to the hospital!!"