"Young Master, how could you tell me to roll away?" Yang Baihe felt hurt, and her eyes reddened instantly, "I’m just..."
"Roll away!" At that moment, Weng Ji also grew angry. As the close guard to Prince Yi, those officials in Beijing would treat him with respect, and yet this village girl dared to make advances on him? It was an insult to his status as a First-rank guard. He stepped forward and drew his treasure sword out directly.
Yang Baihe was so frightened that she hastily retreated two steps. The sight of swords and blades still cast a shadow over her; she quickly turned and ran, but once she thought she was at a safe distance, she stopped again. She wasn’t ready to leave without having exchanged words with the handsome man.
Qi Jingyi didn’t pay any attention to Yang Baihe; he glanced at the Gu Family residence nearby, then walked straight towards Yang Ruxin, "Lady Xinxin, I am Qi Yong."
A trace of movement flickered in Yang Ruxin’s brows. She had first heard this man’s name from Gu Qingheng’s mouth, and later Gu Yao confirmed his identity, and indeed he lived up to his reputation upon meeting him. But, how did he know her?
"I am close friends with Qingheng," Qi Jingyi seemed to notice Yang Ruxin’s confusion and hurriedly explained.
Yang Ruxin nodded, "I’ve long admired your esteemed name."
"You know about me?" Qi Jingyi was suddenly delighted.
"I’m neighbors with Brother Gu," Yang Ruxin said with a smile.
Qi Yong also smiled.
"I’m her younger aunt." Yang Baihe, seeing the noble young man ignoring her to speak with that lowly wench Yang Dani, suddenly became agitated, and hopping up, she cried out, "My name is Yang Baihe, because my mother says I look like a lily." She blushed shyly, then took a few steps forward, "And you? What did you say your name was? Qi... Qi what?" She regretted running so far away in fear earlier that she hadn’t heard his name clearly.
Qi Jingyi’s face darkened; he had never encountered such a shameless woman in his life, to the point where he almost burst into laughter from frustration.
Yang Ruxin, however, found it all very amusing, "Qi Yong, my younger aunt seems to have taken a liking to you. I’m afraid she might have to start calling you uncle in the future, right?"
Qi Yong glanced at Yang Ruxin in sudden horror, then successfully choked on his own saliva, "Cough cough..."
"Oh my, how can you be so careless? You’ve choked... Hurry and pat your back..." Seeing Qi Yong starting to cough, Yang Baihe instantly felt distressed, no longer concerned with her fear, she ran over in a few steps, even bumping into Weng Ji on the way, and reached out to pat the other’s back.
Qi Yong panicked, dodged with a swift movement, and with his fan in hand, he struck the oncoming hand with a snap. It hit her hand but not too hard, just enough to turn it red momentarily.
Yang Baihe was startled, covering her sore hand as she stepped back, staring at Qi Yong incredulously, "How could you treat me like this? How could you bear..." She burst into tears, her sobs accompanied by a runny nose.
If it had been a delicate beauty, such behavior might have been able to trigger a man’s protective instinct, but Yang Baihe was a robust, mannish type of woman. And with not only tears but also two big trails of snot akin to "a three-thousand-feet tumbling stream" staining her face, it just provoked a chilling disgust instead.