“Hey!” A’Le shouted once. Xie Yanlai turned a deaf ear, turning past a cluster of flowering trees and disappearing.
The flowering tree that had been bumped and shaken was suddenly grabbed by a hand, unable to withstand more shaking. Petals fell like rain, landing on the ground, on Xie Yanlai’s body and head.
“Young Master,” two maids supported him with heartache. “What are you doing?”
His wounds still hadn’t healed. Hearing that Miss Chu had come, he insisted on coming over. The maids had repeatedly pleaded: “Young Master, you lie down. We’ll go invite her. Even if we have to kneel and beg, we’ll bring her here.”
But Xie Yanlai just wouldn’t listen.
“Kneel to her for what? I don’t want her to come see me. I want to see her, to watch her make a fool of herself,” he said with a cold laugh, insisting on climbing out of bed, putting on his clothes and walking step by step from his quarters—refusing no matter what to let anyone carry him.
The maids watched as Xie Yanlai’s back was stained red in patches.
Suffering such great pain to walk all this way, yet turning around and leaving?
Xie Yanlai leaned against the flowering tree, enduring a wave of pain from his wound, and said coldly: “Miss Chu is eloquent and will surely persuade Third Brother. With Third Brother there, there’s no spectacle to see. No need to waste time.”
Having said this, he strode forward.
The two maids hurriedly followed. Fortunately, other maids also came, eight people carrying a beauty couch.
“Young Master, those servants have heavy hands. Being carried by them makes you even more uncomfortable.”
“Let us do it. Our hands are gentle—you trust us, don’t you?”
“Young Master, you won’t distrust even us, will you?”
With sweet voices full of grievance, Xie Yanlai smiled. Tormenting and troubling maids was the most boring thing. He complied and lay on the beauty couch. The maids exerted their delicate strength to lift it, walking with coordinated efforts.
Xie Yanlai closed his eyes, pillowing his head on his arm.
A maid’s voice suddenly asked softly by his ear: “Young Master, did Miss Chu really say those words to you?”
Xie Yanlai said coldly: “You foolish girls wake up. Don’t assume that just because someone says affectionate words, they’re an affectionate person.”
The maids laughed. “We wouldn’t think that.” “We’re more accustomed to Young Master saying harsh things to us.” “If others say nice things to us, we’re not used to it.”
Xie Yanlai ignored their playful laughter, keeping his eyes closed without another word, gradually falling asleep on the swaying beauty couch.
……
……
Xie Yanfang poured freshly brewed tea for Chu Zhao.
“I was lost in thought,” he said. “Miss Chu, please forgive me.”
Chu Zhao smiled: “Third Master being lost in thought in front of me means you don’t treat me as an outsider. I’m very happy.”
The girl’s eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled.