If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Xi Lingxian originally thought she could face Wang Jue with a very peaceful mind, but this guy always had the ability to anger her in an instant.

"What are you doing?" She covered her mouth and backed away repeatedly.

Wang Jue chuckled softly.

"What are you doing?"

Xi Song, who had turned back, glared angrily at the two of them, especially at the faint red mark on Wang Jue's lips.

Even if you've never eaten pork, you've at least seen a pig run.

Those were clearly traces of lip rouge.

Then look at his sister...

Xi Song was about to explode. Like a bull, he charged at Wang Jue and shoved him aside. "What are you doing? You're just bullying people!"

Wang Jue didn't understand why this kid had turned on him so quickly. He grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him up. "How did I bully her?"

Xi Song's eyes were red. "You don't even like my sister, yet you're acting like a male demon, wantonly flirting with her. Is this the behavior of a gentleman?"

How do you know I don't like your older sister?

"If you like her, you wouldn't let her put herself in danger alone. If it were me, I would never worry about anyone else before making sure my sister is safe. The choice made in a moment of crisis best reveals who a person cares about most. Brother Wang, there's no need to be embarrassed to admit it. After all, you and Miss Xie are a perfect match in every way."

Wang Jue narrowed his eyes and glanced at Xi Song.

"During the Lantern Festival two years ago, you and a group of young masters from prominent families were boating when the railing broke and many people fell into the water. My cousins ​​were in the lake at the time, but the first person I saved was you."

"So, according to you, I care about you a lot, and we're a good match?"

His voice grew increasingly cold and detached, each word uttered with a chilling intensity.

Xi Song was speechless, then suddenly hugged himself, and declared confidently, "That's different!"

Wang Jue sighed deeply.

"The eldest daughter of the Xie family is my own cousin. We grew up together, and no matter what my stance is, I could never sit idly by and watch her fall into the water in front of me. As for your question, I admit that during the Dragon Boat Festival, I didn't have feelings for your older sister yet, and I didn't really care about her. So when the crisis happened, I only had priorities in mind, and that was indeed..."

"Stop making excuses, I won't let you lead me by the nose!"

People who are usually carefree and thoughtless can be surprisingly intimidating when they get serious.

"Why make so many excuses? It all boils down to not liking or loving enough."

"..."

Wang Jue's expression was momentarily indescribable.

He looked at Xi Lingxian and asked, "Does your brother also read those romance novels you write?"

Xi Lingxian didn't think there was anything wrong with reading storybooks, but Xi Song's words "not enough love" gave her goosebumps for no reason.

"Who taught you all this nonsense?"

She grabbed her brother's ear and pulled him back, saying, "Do you still love me? Aren't you being cheesy?"

Xi Song winced in pain, "Sister, shouldn't you have grabbed him? I'm just standing up for you."

Xi Lingxian grabbed Xi Song's left ear, but suddenly, her right ear was also grabbed by a large hand.

Along with it came a familiar scent of agarwood.

Xi Song was indignant; what right did he have to pull his ear?

Wang Jue only touched him lightly before quickly withdrawing his touch and patting the boy's still tender shoulder.

"I'll handle my own affairs with your sister, so don't cause trouble."

"You're dreaming!" Xi Song snorted. "I think my sworn brother is better now. He's better to my sister than you are. My brother-in-law doesn't need to be that great, but he has to put my sister first."

They're truly siblings, both stubborn and impervious to reason.

Wang Jue was genuinely convinced.

……

On November 28th, before dawn, the area in front of the Xi residence was already bustling with activity.

The luggage for returning to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors has been packed up to this day, and the boxes and trunks are piled up in half of the yard.

Three huge official boats were docked on the banks of the Qinhuai River, where boatmen were loading and unloading goods.

Xi Lingxian helped her grandmother, Madam Qu, onto the boat first, and then she got off and said goodbye to the messenger with Xi Song.

Noticing something, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, and with a quick glance, she saw the person talking to her father under the willow tree.

Wearing a bamboo-green long robe and a slightly worn fox fur coat, he stood tall and elegant, with a refined and otherworldly air.

Who else could it be but Wang Jue?

He was supposed to be seeing his father off on his behalf.

Since Grand Commandant Wang stopped pressuring for a marriage with the Xi family, Xi Lingxian was filled with gratitude towards him, and as a result, she found Wang Jue much more agreeable.

Without her father's backing, Wang Jue couldn't force her to do anything, let alone force her to marry him.

Let him do whatever he wants.

She thought that even if a child doesn't like a toy, they'll develop some affection for it after spending a lot of time with it, let alone a living, breathing person.

It's not hard to understand why Wang Jue reacted so strongly to her abrupt departure.

Time is the best healer. He could accept the decades without her in his past life, so there's no reason he can't accept it in this one.

Thinking of this, she breathed a sigh of relief, and the view before her eyes became clear.

"Sister, let's get on the boat! I brought lots of new and exciting things. Let's play together!"

Xi Lingxian nodded. Just then, a commotion suddenly came from the stern of the boat.

"Young master, be careful!"

Xi Lingxian turned her head away.

Surrounded by his attendants, Wang Jue slowly boarded the ship, while servants on the shore carried black lacquered wooden boxes onto the boat.

He turned around, and his gaze met hers.

The surprise in her eyes made him chuckle.

Like a little rabbit.

Xi Lingxian's mind went blank, while Xi Song was on the verge of cursing.

"What's he doing here?"

The siblings instinctively turned to look for their father.

Xi Jian happened to come out of the cabin and saw Wang Jue, a perfectly timed smile appearing on his face.

"Uncle." Wang Jue walked over, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting.

"Are you really going to take up the post right now?"

"With Yu Liang's impeachment first and the uprising and turmoil breaking out in Jiangzhou later, it seems that this is the will of Heaven, and we have no choice but to go."

"How can Jiankang function without you in charge?"

"My father is still sharp of hearing and sight, so there is no problem with him holding power in the central government."

Xi Jian remained silent.

Ever since the Grand Commandant granted his request not to arrange a marriage alliance, Wang Erlang's prejudice and resentment towards his father have grown day by day.

The saying "not deaf and not blind" illustrates this point.

Xi Lingxian stood a few steps away and heard the entire conversation clearly.

To assume office? As the Prefect of Jiangzhou?

Why is Wang Jue suddenly going to take up this post, when he has been invited to do so for a long time?

Is it really just because of local unrest and uprising?

Is it really that coincidental?

"It's cold outside, let's all go inside the cabin to talk."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Xi Song was also astonished. As he helped Xi Lingxian inside, he muttered to himself, "Sister, has he changed his mind? Does he want to pursue you now?"

"That's not impossible, but you have to have some backbone, you can't be like the characters in those storybooks..."

"Shut up!"

Xi Lingxian could no longer tolerate it.

Xi Rui and Xi Wen came over and joined the two.

Xi Wen was holding a bag of steaming hot roasted chestnuts in his hands.

"Young Master Wang will be traveling with us to Guangling. He will change trains in Guangling and continue on to Jiangzhou."

Xi Rui stroked his chin. "Jiangzhou and Guangling aren't exactly close, he can't possibly be..."

The others looked at each other and remained silent.