Ling Xiang sobbed and wailed for quite a while. But Ke Er’s expression remained stern throughout the ordeal, acting out the part of a father who had suffered huge losses due to his daughter fleeing from an engagement.
Shi Sheng leaned against the balustrade, her expression a bit bored. ‘Although this woman’s familiar with Mi Nai’s habits, she’s unaware of some of Mi Nai’s little tics. Had Ke Er not truly cared for Mi Nai, she might’ve been able to fool him.’
“Eh? Are there more guests?” A maid had moved to the side and taken a look out the window at some point. Shi Sheng turned to look outside too.
“Isn’t this the car belonging to the visitor from several days ago?”
“Your Grace, a respected guest has arrived!” The castle’s steward hurriedly rushed in from outside, sweeping a slightly dissatisfied gaze over Ling Xiang.Just as the steward’s words were spoken, a man had already walked in through the door. As the light was shining from behind him, he appeared like a saint that had just emerged straight from a shrine.
Ling Xiang’s expression changed. ‘Why is it him...’
“Lord Xi Yin.” Ke Er immediately got up and cautiously greeted him. “Why didn’t you inform me beforehand if you were coming for a visit?”
Xi Yin’s gaze landed on Ling Xiang, his expression unchanged save for the slight lifting of his lips. “Just so happened to pass by.”
Ke Er had his doubts. ‘He can pass by my place from where he’s staying...?’
But he didn’t voice them. Ke Er led Xi Yin over to the head seat. His cautious attitude caused Ling Xiang to feel more anxious.
‘Just what is this man’s identity?He was closest to Mi Nai back at the academy, but then he just disappeared. I don’t know what happened between them; how am I supposed to react?’
Ling Xiang had originally felt this mission to be pretty simple, but she had met with setbacks ever since entering the castle.
Xi Yin looked at Ling Xiang with an expression that wasn’t quite a smile. “Mi Nai, don’t you recognise me anymore?”
Ling Xiang felt cold sweat on her back. ‘Why do I feel like his smile is terrifying? That gaze...is as if he can see right through me. Did Mi Nai offend him?’
“Lord Xi Yin, you know my daughter?” Ke Er felt doubtful. ‘That lil brat Mi Nai never said anything about this.’
“Why, of course I know her.” Xi Yin laughed lightly, shooting Ling Xiang a sideward glance before suddenly beckoning her over. “Come here.”
Ling Xiang looked at Ke Er.
This wasn’t his real daughter, so he showed no reaction. His thoughts were entirely focused on trying to figure out how that damned girl Mi Nai had gotten to know Xi Yin.
Ling Xiang grit her teeth and gingerly made her way over to Xi Yin.
Because Ling Xiang towered over him as he sat, he frowned in dissatisfaction and ordered, “Crouch down.”
Ling Xiang once again looked at Ke Er, who still showed no reaction.
She adjusted her dress as she crouched down, lifting her head slightly to look at Xi Yin.
This man was very handsome, but he gave her a bad feeling; right now, she only thought of leaving this place.
Xi Yin stretched out his index finger to hook her chin and raise it slightly. He then examined her. “Not bad.”
He suddenly looked towards Ke Er. “I wonder if Your Grace is willing to give her to me?”
Shi Sheng nearly charged downstairs to give Mr Ran-Away-From-Home a few hacks with her sword. ‘He actually came to the territories to throw his weight around without telling me! And now he wants an impostor?! This bastard!’
The maids suddenly felt the air turn cold. They all took a step back and exchanged glances. ‘What’s with Her Ladyship?’
Ling Xiang never expected the man to want her the moment he spoke, and her pupils involuntarily shrank.
“Can’t bear to, Your Grace?” Xi Yin’s smile widened when he noticed Ke Er’s lack of response.
“Milord, has my daughter offended you in any way?” Ke Er finally reacted and asked him nervously and carefully.
Xi Yin drawled, “Oh, quite a lot in fact.”
Ke Er’s heart fell and his gaze landed on Ling Xiang.
‘If I give this impostor to Xi Yin, it’ll still be fine if he doesn’t discover it. But if he does...Mi Nai will still be in trouble.’
“My daughter is young. Do be forgiving of any impulsiveness she may have displayed.” Ke Er’s tone was sincere.
Ling Xiang finally felt relieved after hearing Ke Er’s words.
Xi Yin’s thoughts were inscrutable as he remained silent, causing the atmosphere to turn heavy and making the others feel difficulty breathing.
After a long while, Xi Yin waved his hands. “Very well. I don’t wish to see her.”
Ke Er shot the steward a look. The latter immediately brought Ling Xiang away.
Once Ling Xiang was gone, Xi Yin suddenly turned to look in the direction of the second floor. “Well, you’re certainly much more tolerant than before.”
“Ah?” Ke Er was confused. ‘What’s he on about?’
And then he watched as his daughter leapt down from the second floor, charged over to Xi Yin aggressively, and began dragging him away before Ke Er could even react. “Godfather, I’ll be back soon!”
Ke Er, “...”
As he watched Shi Sheng drag the man away, Ke Er wiped away the non-existent sweat on his brow.
‘Lord Xi Yin is actually not resisting... Since when was my daughter this impressive? I have to get to the bottom of this when she gets back!’
......
Shi Sheng shoved Xi Yin into a car and drove away from the castle. Seated in the passenger seat, Xi Yin looked at Shi Sheng’s profile with a subtle expression on. Right now he was wondering...
‘Is she angry, or is she angry?’
The roses in the vampiric territories were in bloom all year round. As the car drove through them, it left a swath of red and green behind.
In the end, they came to a stop in the middle of a large patch of roses.
Shi Sheng didn’t speak, nor made any move to get off the car. She merely sat quietly and stared straight ahead.
Xi Yin managed to maintain his calm at first, but after ten minutes of this silence, he felt a bit agitated.
The quiet her was scarier than when she was yelling fiercely at him.
Xi Yin pondered for a moment before breaking the silence. “My emotions were in a mess back then. I was wrong to have left without telling you.”
“You touched her just now.”
Xi Yin stared at her in stupefaction. ‘What?’
Shi Sheng expressionlessly retrieved a tissue paper from the inside of the car, grabbed his hand, and started scrubbing furiously.
As he watched her, he suddenly felt like laughing. ‘So she was angry about this?’
Xi Yin watched as his fingertip started to turn red from her scrubbing. ‘Just how long is she planning to scrub my finger?’
Shi Sheng suddenly released his finger then lunged at him, hooking her arms around his neck. Her face brushed against his nape. “Don’t touch other people. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back from...”
She was aware that she had a problem, which was the reason why she’d always restrained herself from liking anything too much.
But that wouldn’t do for Feng Ci. She wanted his everything to belong to her. If someone so much as touched him, she’d feel like killing them.
Xi Yin’s heart leapt and an indescribable pain gripped him. “I won’t. I won’t touch anyone else anymore.”
In the time he’d been away, he’d been thinking. He’d admittedly just been running away back then. But while he was gone, his mind had been filled with thoughts of her.
When he received word that she’d returned to the territories, he returned to look for her almost without thinking.
Yet he found a fake. There was no way he’d get her scent wrong...
He remembered that someone once told him, “Some feelings can’t be rejected just because you want to.”
He pulled Shi Sheng into a hug and patted her back gently. ‘Since I can’t reject this feeling, I can only accept it.’
