Chapter 16: You Are Forbidden to See Her Again

After Lu Xuanheng entered, he immediately asked Qiulan to leave. Qiulan frowned, glanced at Jiang You'an hesitantly, then stepped outside. Once the door closed, Lu Xuanheng approached Jiang You'an. She felt uneasy, fearing he might have discovered her secret dealings with Su Mingxiu, and lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

His tall figure gradually closed in, and she instinctively stepped back. Her knee ached sharply, and before she could steady herself, she fell heavily into a chair. Without a word, Lu Xuanheng crouched before her and lifted the hem of her skirt. Jiang You'an was startled, clutching her skirt tightly, blushing with indignation.

"Lu Xuanheng, don’t you realize where we are?" she scolded. He glanced at her, forcefully pushing her hand aside, lifting the skirt and rolling up her trouser leg. His eyes fixed on the bruises, his brow furrowing.

"They’re all bruised. You didn’t say a word about it even with injuries like these." Jiang You'an snapped back, her anger simmering. "It’s all your fault."

Lu Xuanheng didn’t argue. He took out the medicinal oil he had brought. Seeing another bottle on the table, he didn’t hesitate. Opening his own, he poured a little into his palm, warmed it between his hands, then gently pressed his palm onto her knee, massaging softly. Jiang You'an gasped, wanting to pull away, but his large hand gripped her slender ankle.

"Don’t move."

"You’re too rough."

"It’s just applying medicine. Don’t be so delicate."

She gritted her teeth. It was he who caused her injury, yet he accused her of being delicate! "I don’t need your help applying the medicine," she said, pushing him away, forbidding him to touch her. "Stop pretending to be a good person here."

Lu Xuanheng lowered his hand, his expression darkening. "I didn’t mean to."

Jiang You'an didn’t want to speak to him, turning her body aside, hugging her knee as she applied the ointment herself.

He stood, went to wash his hands at the basin, then quietly stood beside her and said, "It’s just a competition. Why take it so seriously? If you want that prize, I’ll give it to you."

Jiang You'an replied coldly, "Since it’s a competition, you’re allowed to fight for it, but I’m not allowed to snatch it?"

"This is the Xian King’s residence. You’re competing against the Southern Princess. Even if you win against the host, they might not say anything openly, but they won’t be happy inside."

In the end, it was all about protecting the princess.

Jiang You'an felt a tightness in her chest. She rubbed her knee hard twice and lowered her trouser leg. "You’re right. It’s my arrogance, just showing off."

Lu Xuanheng frowned again. "That’s not what I meant."

Why did she become so sarcastic after just a few words? She got along well with Su Mingxiu, yet with him, it turned sour so quickly.

He fixed his gaze on her. "What’s going on between you and Su Mingxiu?"

Jiang You'an looked down, adjusting her clothes. "What do you mean?"

"When did you become so close with him? Just now I saw you laughing and talking with him. He even said he wanted to give you a luminous pearl."

His face darkened as he spoke, his eyes gleaming coldly.

Jiang You'an glanced at him sideways, calm and unflustered. "He just saw me, a weak woman, bullied and falling down by you, losing the match. He was only comforting me."

Lu Xuanheng stepped closer, looking down at her sitting there. "Why do I feel like he cares about you?"

"Anyone would care if they saw someone hurt and falling. Unlike you, standing far away watching with folded arms."

Lu Xuanheng was speechless. He had wanted to help immediately but was beaten to it by Su Mingxiu. Was she angry at him for that?

Jiang You'an snorted lightly. "I know you’re afraid the princess might misunderstand if she sees us. Then why are you still here? If the princess sees you, how will you marry her?"

Lu Xuanheng detected a hint of jealousy in her words and explained, "The princess and I are only married by arrangement. You don’t have to be so jealous. I didn’t want you to come today, fearing it would upset you."

So it was he who had Xiuzhu stop her from coming, nearly causing her to miss Su Mingxiu!

Jiang You'an glared at him, silently adding this to her mental list.

Seeing her cheeks puffed up and eyes wide, looking so adorably sulky, his mood softened. "Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll make it up to you."

At that moment, Xiuzhu outside knocked on the door, saying the Xian King’s wife wanted to speak with him.

Lu Xuanheng left first.

Jiang You'an sighed in relief once he was gone.

She had barely endured his questioning. If he found out she had secretly exchanged gifts with Su Mingxiu, she would be in serious trouble.

More than half an hour later, the ice skating gathering ended, and guests began to leave. Jiang You'an left with Lu Yunyao. At the entrance, Su Mingxiu deliberately walked slowly, watching Jiang You'an limp slightly, supported by Lu Yunyao as she entered the carriage, then quietly withdrew his gaze.

His concerned expression had been observed by his mother, Lady Su, who pondered before arranging for him to share a carriage with Jiang You'an.

Once seated, Lady Su covered Su Mingxiu’s legs with a thick blanket, chiding, "Your health isn’t good, yet you still go ice skating. You really don’t know how to take care of yourself."

Su Mingxiu smiled. "It’s alright. I know my limits."

Lady Su turned her gaze on him, beginning to question, "Fourth Young Master, what’s your relationship with Miss Jiang?"

Su Mingxiu was momentarily stunned, stammering, "N-nothing."

"You look at her that way. Earlier, you went onto the ice hockey rink for her, didn’t you? You were the first to help her when she fell."

In the past, Su Mingxiu’s matchmakings had always been difficult, making him resistant to contact with ladies. But his treatment of Jiang You'an was different.

He only said she was overthinking, but his ears turned bright red.

Seeing she couldn’t get anything out of her reserved son, Lady Su ceased questioning.

Back at the marquis’s residence, Lady Su summoned the personal attendant who regularly served Su Mingxiu and interrogated him. Known for her strictness, the attendant dared not lie and recounted every meeting between Su Mingxiu and Jiang You'an.

Lady Su realized Su Mingxiu truly cared for the girl.

If it had been anyone else, she would have considered it a good thing. But Jiang You'an… she was the daughter of a disgraced official.

Lady Su had met this girl before, when the Jiang family was still prominent and the two families interacted. But now that the Jiang family had fallen, Jiang You'an was the child of a criminal.

Though her son’s health was frail and she had lowered her standards for a daughter-in-law, no matter what, her son should not marry the daughter of a disgraced official.

Shaking her head, Lady Su instructed the attendant, "Keep a close watch on Fourth Young Master from now on. Try to prevent him from associating with that Jiang You'an."