"Miss Shen, are you alright? You weren’t bitten by the dog, were you?"
The man’s voice was noble and distant, yet it was particularly pleasant to the ear.
Shen Weixi was taken aback for a moment and hurriedly replied, "No, no, it didn’t bite me, just chased me quite fiercely."
"Luckily, Prince Qin arrived in time to rescue me. Thank you, thank you!" Official source is Nove1Fire.net
The man’s brows knitted slightly, his expression passing with a faint trace of doubt, "This dog is usually very gentle and never bites anyone. I don’t know why it would suddenly chase after Miss Shen today..."
"I think it must be because she’s unfamiliar. Miss Shen, if you come a few more times in the future, it should be fine."
If not for his exceedingly handsome appearance and pure demeanor, Shen Weixi would have suspected he was subtly mocking her for being disliked by both cats and dogs.
However, coming a few more times? That’s a bit daunting...
"That must be it, dogs generally are wary of strangers! But it’s quite a beautiful dog."
The sudden bark startled Shen Weixi into reflexively shivering and grabbing Yun Ran beside her, "Yue’er, next time we meet, you come to the General’s house to find me!"
Yun Ran gently patted her back and comforted her softly, "Alright, alright! Don’t be scared, it’s fine! I’m here!"
Watching the two figures, the man squinted slightly, a flash of chilly emotion passing through his eyes.
Never had he been coaxed so gently!
But coaxing others seems to be a skill?
"Miss Shen, you’ve been chased around by the dog for quite a while, you must be exhausted. Why not freshen up and rest a bit before leaving after lunch?"
Shen Weixi, in disheveled hair, had her clothes torn in more than a dozen places by branches, with holes and strips of fabric interwoven, and one shoe soaked. Looking , others might mistake her for a refugee entering the city?
Shen Weixi looked at Nangong Mo in surprise for a moment, then leaned close to Yun Ran’s ear and whispered:
"I didn’t expect Prince Qin to not only be handsome but also so courteous and gentle! This doesn’t match the rumors of him being tyrannical and violent at all!"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Prince Qin! Then, I shall respectfully oblige!"
Ying Yue led Shen Weixi away to freshen up, while Yun Ran walked over to Nangong Mo, glancing back and forth between him and the dog several times.
"Master, let’s not beat around the bush, did you intentionally release the dog?"
The man raised an eyebrow, giving her a sidelong glance, "Would I do such a thing? Such a petty suspicion!"
"I think you would! I just don’t have evidence."
"By the way, weren’t you supposed to be resting? What are you doing out here?"
"I woke up and came out for some fresh air."
"If I hadn’t come, your dear friend would have ended up as dog food."
"Can’t say anything sensible, can you?"
"Master, how about I push you around for a walk?"
"Weixi was just a bit bored, came to chat and pass the time, talking about girly topics like rouge, face powder, hairpins, and such."
She was here to conspire with you about some scheme to get robbed on a pilgrimage to the mountains and elope at the first chance!
Unfortunately, I won’t give you the opportunity to succeed.
Yun Ran observed his expression, not quite able to tell if he’d heard any of it.
Luncheon was very sumptuous, which made Shen Weixi quite pleased.
The more that Prince Qin valued her as a guest, the more it showed Yue’er’s status in his heart.
Yun Ran and Shen Weixi kept serving each other food, as if they wished to pile all the delicious dishes into each other’s bowls.
Nangong Mo watched silently, his gaze growing darker and deeper.
His hand accidentally tipped over a bowl...
Yun Ran looked up, but Feng Xuan was quicker, "Master, are you alright?"
Nangong Mo raised his eyes to look at him, and Feng Xuan got a sudden shiver, immediately understanding, "Why is it that some of the dishes haven’t arrived yet? Concubine, Miss Shen, you go ahead, I’ll go and hurry them up."
With that, he dashed off like the wind.
Nangong Mo reached to pour water, but Xu Yin, who was blind, accidentally poured the hot water onto his hand.
He was burnt and hissed, but quickly bit his lip and pretended as if nothing happened, continuing to pour water.
A small, fair hand pressed down on his hand, taking the teapot from him.
Yun Ran saw that his beautiful hand was scalded red in a large patch, encompassing the back of his hand, his fingers, and even his wrist.
The girl furrowed her pretty brows, feeling a bit distressed, "Does it hurt?"