Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 153

Chapter 153: Anklet

After feeding Jiang Mi a bowl of porridge, Cui Zi Xuan saw her shake her head, indicating she was full. He put down the bowl, used the chopsticks she had used, picked up another bowl of porridge, ate it quickly, and then ate a flatbread. Cui Zi Xuan then gracefully stood up, holding Jiang Mi in his arms.

Nodding to the elders, Cui Zi Xuan said with elegant manners, “Grandmother, Ninth Master, Twelfth Master, Fifth Uncle, Xuan’er takes his leave.”

His every move at this moment was truly refined to the extreme. Of course, if it were not for the man constantly embracing a young boy, he would truly be considered elegant.

For a moment, the remaining elders felt it was an eyesore. The Twelfth Master turned his head and waved weakly, saying, “Do not be so polite when you’re carrying someone in your arms. It’s too much of an eyesore!”

Cui Zi Xuan understood the old man’s meaning. He smiled gently, nodded gracefully again, and then strode away carrying Jiang Mi.

Looking at the handsome young man whom he held in his arms the entire time, never letting go even after a meal, Cui Ziyue said disappointedly, “So, Brother Xuan really is gay!” Her voice was filled with disappointment. Clearly, Cui Ziyue could not imagine that the renowned Cui Zi Xuan, who had captivated so many young ladies of various states and whose reputation and looks were unparalleled, could one day become this kind of person.

Originally, Old Madam Cui was extremely dissatisfied with her, but hearing her granddaughter’s self-talk, the anger simmering within her slowly subsided. With a silent sigh, Old Madam Cui thought to herself: Xuan’er’s behavior these past two days had indeed been somewhat unacceptable.

At this moment, everyone in the caravan also rose. The soldiers began to run about, and the servants began to dismantle the tents and load the goods onto the carts.

Cui Zi Xuan carried Jiang Mi as he walked, issuing orders along the way. If one ignored the furtive glances from the servants and guards, this morning was no different from any other.

Soon, Cui Zi Xuan returned to his carriage. This time, he finally set Jiang Mi down, nodded towards the mountain of books piled up in the carriage, and said, “The pile on the left is about the ‘One Line Sky.’ How long will it take you to finish reading these books?”

Jiang Mi glanced at him and quietly replied, “If no one disturbs me, two hours will be enough.”

It must be said that Jiang Mi’s answer possessed a peculiar composure she had never shown before. Cui Zi Xuan looked at her for a moment. He chuckled suddenly, leaning closer to her and whispering, “Want to be undisturbed? Impossible!” He sat down in the blink of an eye, ordering casually, “Then I’ll give you two hours!”

Almost as soon as Cui Zi Xuan finished speaking, a servant’s voice came from outside the carriage. “Young Master, the anklet you requested has been found. Young Master Cui, would you like it now?”

Almost as soon as the word “anklet” was uttered, Jiang Mi shuddered, her feet involuntarily retracting.

Just then, as Jiang Mi made this movement, Cui Zi Xuan’s gaze also fell upon her feet. Ignoring Jiang Mi’s resistance, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his other hand lifting her lower garment. Cui Zi Xuan then scrutinized Jiang Mi’s beautifully shaped feet. He sat up straight and ordered, “Bring it in.”

“Yes.” The carriage curtain was lifted. A servant presented Cui Zi Xuan with a bronze anklet.

Although made of bronze, the chain was delicate and exquisite, about the thickness of a little finger. The bronze was clearly freshly lacquered, gleaming with a soft sheen.

Cui Zi Xuan glanced at Jiang Mi’s feet, picked up a small knife from his side, and began to carve words on the anklet.

Logically, if Jiang Mi were the real Xu Er, she could protest and express anger at the impending insult.

But Jiang Mi was not Xu Er!

Not only was she not Xu Er, but she was also the lawfully wedded wife of the man before her. More importantly, in the eyes of the world, this man had given her status, respect, and everything. Yet, she had run away from home for a few mere playthings as concubines—an act deserving of punishment.

Jiang Mi, after all, had been raised with a patriarchal education. So, while she could not accept Cui Zi Xuan taking concubines, she also did not believe her own act of running away was right. Therefore, when Cui Zi Xuan displayed his tyrannical side before her, she did not dare utter a sound, utterly afraid to argue.

While Jiang Mi held her breath, intently perusing the scrolls, Cui Zi Xuan was also focused on carving on the anklet.

He carved slowly and meticulously, scraping away mistakes and starting over several times. Jiang Mi glanced at it furtively; it was a floral and bird pattern from the ancient Chu State, depicting the character “宓” (Mi).

After just one glance, Jiang Mi quickly shrank back in fright.

She did not notice that as she turned away, pale-faced, Cui Zi Xuan gave her a meaningful look.

After a moment, Cui Zi Xuan, who was carving words with practiced ease, murmured softly, “In my life, if I do not mention family responsibilities, I’ve had everything.”

He smiled as he focused on his work, adding, “For people like us, because we have so much, we also fear losing so much, so we never place too much emotion in one person.”

He paused slightly, seemingly lost in thought, before continuing, “Meeting Lady Jiang at Shu State and being bewitched by her was the first time in my life I knew what it meant to be willing!”

He picked up a sip of tea from the table, then continued carving the floral and bird patterns, his voice gentle as he added, “Lady Jiang was very obedient, a quality I was very satisfied with, so a little bit of stubbornness was harmless. Later, I left Shu Capital… To prevent her from being distracted by other men, I instructed her steward nanny to have her stay at a Taoist temple for two years to cultivate inner peace…”

Hearing this, Jiang Mi’s hand holding the bamboo scroll almost trembled. Fortunately, she had experienced quite a bit recently and managed to regain her composure.

Cui Zi Xuan glanced at her impassively, then looked away without a word. He quietly said, “The two years were almost up. I originally planned to go to Shu State to fetch her, but I was delayed. So I found someone who looked like my woman’s brother and brought her to my side.”

Once again, Jiang Mi’s hand almost trembled. She lowered her head, gritting her teeth, realizing for the first time that being Xu Er was utterly detrimental. Even in her current rage, she could not confront that scoundrel! Not only could she not confront him, but she also had to pretend she did not understand, acting nonchalant!

Cui Zi Xuan’s eyes casually swept across her face. He seemed to smile slightly. He reached for an awl and began poking at his anklet, continuing, “My woman is very docile. After seeing me again, she became even more obedient and docile. I like her very much.”

He paused for a moment. Then, he said softly, “But this woman who never exposed me, when I was least expecting it, dealt me ​​the heaviest blow!”

Those words, though spoken softly and gently, Jiang Mi could hear the grinding of his teeth!

Jiang Mi never regretted leaving Cui Zi Xuan. So, upon hearing his words, she remained completely composed.

At this moment, the character “宓” (Mi) on Cui Zi Xuan’s hand was nearly finished being carved. He admired the anklet on his wrist for a moment, then glanced at Jiang Mi. With a half smile, he said, “That incident was the only time in my life I lost control. I suppose I’ll never lose control like that again.”

Jiang Mi: …

Jiang Mi’s silence caused Cui Zi Xuan’s face to turn cold. Just then, a shout came from outside. Cui Zi Xuan casually placed the anklet on the table and jumped down from the carriage.

Through the fluttering carriage curtain, she saw Cui Zi Xuan depart. Only then did Jiang Mi put down the scroll in her hand, cover her face, and let out a long groan.

After a groan, Jiang Mi glanced sideways at the anklet. She reached out several times, wanting to throw it away, but ultimately dared not…

Just then, the sound of horses’ hooves approached, and in an instant, Shao Xiaozi’s boisterous shout came from outside, “Xu Er, Xu Er, are you in there?”

Jiang Mi quickly replied, “I’m here.”

Hearing her voice, Shao Xiaozi leaped from his horse into the carriage. After sitting down opposite Jiang Mi, he exclaimed, “Xu Er, what happened? Last night, that old lady Cui suddenly sent over five thousand taels of gold! Five thousand taels of gold! None of us have ever seen so much money before; our eyes were dazzled! My Elder Brother was so happy he could not stop grinning, saying that even selling Xu Er to Young Master Cui would be worth it, let alone just inviting him over for a while.”

At this point, Shao Xiaozi became furious. He angrily said, “I was so angry when I heard that that I even had a fight with my brother.” He turned to Jiang Mi and asked loudly, “Xu Er, did that Cui guy bully you? If he did not, why did he send us so much gold?”

Almost immediately after Shao Xiaozi said this, Jiang Mi thought: her relationship with Cui Zi Xuan was now inextricably linked!

Despite her toothache, Jiang Mi replied weakly, “He did not bully me.” He just held her while she slept, washed her face, fed her, and so on.

The thought of washing her face made Jiang Mi’s heart tighten. Her disguise powder needed to be washed off and replaced every five days. Cui Zi Xuan watched her so closely every day; once the five days were up, she feared her true form would be revealed!

Thinking of this, Jiang Mi panicked. She glanced at Shao Xiaozi, wanting to ask him to bring her disguise powder, but immediately realized that would not do. She gritted her teeth and kept quiet.

Shao Xiaozi, oblivious to Jiang Mi’s expression, continued, “Chen San and Zeng Si have been wanting to be transferred to your side, but General Zhao will not allow it. Those two are still throwing a tantrum.”

At this point, Shao Xiaozi suddenly glanced at Jiang Mi, hesitated, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I’ve heard that it’s quite painful for men to have sex, and in severe cases, they bleed… Xu Er, I brought some medicine; do you want some?”

Jiang Mi’s face turned pale. She gritted her teeth and replied, “No!” Then, she emphasized angrily, “I told you, Cui Zi Xuan did not bully me!”

Shao Xiaozi clearly did not believe her. He looked at Jiang Mi with a pitying expression.

Jiang Mi, exasperated by his gaze, endured it for a while, listening to his rambling, incoherent worries, until she finally could not bear it any longer and kicked him off the carriage.

Unexpectedly, Shao Xiaozi had just jumped back onto his mount when he turned around and solemnly promised Jiang Mi, “Xu Er, do not worry; I’ll definitely find a way to save you!” As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Jiang Mi noticed that not far to her left stood Cui Zi Xuan, his hands behind his back, a gentle smile on his lips like a spring breeze! Cui Zi Xuan had been standing there for who knew how long, and now his gaze towards her was incredibly focused!

In the blink of an eye, Cui Zi Xuan met Jiang Mi’s gaze, nodded to her, and gracefully climbed into the carriage.

Almost as soon as he approached, Jiang Mi instinctively shrank back.

Cui Zi Xuan, upon entering the carriage, pulled the curtains tightly shut. Just as the surrounding people averted their gazes, they heard Xu Er let out a short, restrained cry from inside the carriage!

Then, a suppressed plea seemed to come from within. Before anyone could investigate, an urgent order arrived, and Cui Zi Xuan dismounted and rode off in the blink of an eye.

Several women from the Six Clans had been watching this closely.

Hearing that Cui Zi Xuan would be gone for a while this time, they exchanged glances. Finally, Wang Yu, Li Jun’er, and another woman from the Six Clans gracefully approached the carriage. They said something to the coachman, and Jiang Mi’s carriage stopped. The three women boarded.

As soon as the three women boarded the carriage, they glanced at Jiang Mi. Seeing the handsome young man intently perusing the bamboo slips, his expression and demeanor perfectly normal, they were puzzled.

However, since they were already on board, some things needed to be said.

The three women each chose a corner and sat down gracefully, simultaneously staring at Jiang Mi.

Under the intense scrutiny of three pairs of eyes, Jiang Mi could not bear it any longer. She put away the bamboo slips, her expressive, watery phoenix eyes meeting the three women’s gaze.

When the young man remained silent, his posture was both elegant and serene, easily inspiring goodwill. Wang Yu spoke first, her voice soft: “I just saw Young Master Cui, and I asked him if he no longer wanted us now that he has Young Master Xu Er. Young Master Cui said that the alliance of the seven clans is never a joke, and our position in the Cui Clan of Boling will never change!”

She finished speaking slowly, but Jiang Mi had not yet replied. Beside her, another beautiful noblewoman softly added: “Young Master Xu is a genius with a bright future. I wonder if Young Master wants to play around with our Lord, or if he intends for a long-term relationship?”

At this point, the noblewoman covered her mouth and chuckled, then whispered again: “I was being foolish. How can the love between men last forever? It’s just a fling.”

Jiang Mi remained silent, still only looking at her with clear, watery eyes.

Li Jun’er, being the most straightforward, stared at Jiang Mi and said coldly with disgust, “I just do not understand. With your talent, Xu Er, if you met a wise ruler, you’d soon be a high-ranking official! How could you so debase yourself, willingly submitting to another man and doing such shameful things?”

Jiang Mi then turned her clear, watery eyes to Li Jun’er.

Meeting her gaze, Li Jun’er was furious. Suppressing her disgust and anger, she said coldly to Jiang Mi, “Xu Er, tell me the truth. What price would it take for you to leave our Young Master Cui?”

This question was clearly what the other two women also wanted to know, and all three pairs of eyes turned to Jiang Mi.

Meeting their anxious and impatient gazes, Jiang Mi’s clear eyes revealed a hint of bitterness. Before the three women could react, she slowly and deliberately adjusted her clothes. To their horror, the three women discovered that Xu Er’s ankles were chained together!