Encountering that pair of "siblings" on the road was just a minor episode for Chu'he, but she still kept it in mind. After all, she didn’t know their intentions—what if they came back to scheme against her again?
It was midsummer, the heat oppressive, the scorching sun blazing across the land.
Chu'he wore a straw hat she had bought from a passing farmer, but even that couldn’t shield her from the sweltering air.
Gripping the horse’s reins as she drove the carriage, she couldn’t hold back any longer and glared at the person beside her. "Ninth, why aren’t you the one driving?"
Ninth lounged lazily against the carriage door, a pile of glittering trinkets spread across his lap. He picked up one item after another, examining them with a critical eye, utterly absorbed.
"Because I don’t know how to drive."
Chu'he: "Then why didn’t you learn with me when I was first learning?"
This time, Ninth picked up a butterfly hairpin adorned with dangling beads and replied matter-of-factly, "Because you were here."
He held the hairpin up to the sunlight, his eyes gleaming with delight.
The silver hairpin resembled a butterfly mid-flight, inlaid with pale green gemstones. From its tip hung green-and-white pearls that chimed softly with every movement, much like the light, carefree sounds he often made.
The more relaxed Ninth appeared, the more Chu'he’s temper flared. She leaned forward, pressing against his chest, and lifted her face to glare at his stunning yet infuriating features.
"Ninth, you’re a man, and I’m a woman. You should be dependable, someone I can rely on—not the other way around, where I have to take care of everything!"
She had never been in a relationship before and didn’t know if all boyfriends were this infuriating. Occasionally, she even regretted her decision.
She was a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, yet he seemed even more high-maintenance than her!
With a flick of his fingers, the boy removed her straw hat, plucked the gold hairpin from her hair, and replaced it with the silver butterfly hairpin he had chosen.
Tugging playfully at the dangling pearls, he narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Ah’he, you’re so pretty."
Just those words instantly deflated half of Chu'he’s anger.
The payment they had received from the Zhao family was technically under Chu'he’s care, but since Ninth had contributed, she had given him a bit of spending money.
Instead of buying candied hawthorns like she expected, he had spent it all on women’s hair accessories, which now formed a small mountain on his lap.
Looking closely, all these ornaments shared one trait—they were studded with colorful gemstones that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
Chu'he touched the hairpin in her hair, then put on a fierce expression again. "Don’t think sweet talk will get you out of work. The carriage is yours now—I’m taking a nap!"
She shoved the reins into his hands and ducked into the carriage.
Ninth stroked his chin, noting her earlier discomfort, and decided against dragging her back out.
As dusk fell, a group of riders approached rapidly from behind, swiftly overtaking the slow-moving carriage.
The leader was a tall, burly man with a scarred face and a menacing aura. He tugged on his reins, signaling the others to halt.
The man discreetly observed the boy driving the carriage.
The youth was slender, dressed in red-and-black Miao attire, with snow-white hair and crimson eyes. His white-feathered earrings, adorned with rubies, jingled softly with his movements.
He reclined against the carriage door, posture languid, his long, thick lashes drooping lazily as he toyed with a smooth red gemstone between his fingers.
A moment later, he covered his mouth with one hand, letting out a soft, sleepy yawn.
Here stood a group of armed horsemen, clearly trouble, yet the boy acted as if they were invisible. Either he was foolishly ignorant, or he possessed the skill to dismiss every one of them.
Moreover, his unusual appearance carried an undeniable air of mischief.
Everyone knew the Miao people were not to be trifled with—vengeful, cunning, and unpredictable. Crossing them could mean meeting an untraceable end.
But sometimes, people still took risks.
The scarred man pulled his reins, steering his horse to block the carriage’s path.
"Pardon me, young master. Have you seen a woman carrying a child on your journey?"
The man spoke politely, not wanting to provoke a Miao tribesman right off the bat.
Ninth’s eyes remained half-lidded, as if he might doze off any second. At the question, he slowly lifted his gaze, his expression one of bored indifference.
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t."
His vague, taunting reply seemed designed to stir trouble, as if he were itching for some entertainment to break the monotony.
One of the men couldn’t hold back and raised his blade. "What do you mean, ‘maybe’? Are you blind—"
The scarred leader raised a hand, silencing the man mid-sentence and forcing him to retreat.
"Young master, that woman is very important to us. Please think carefully—have you seen her?"
A few strands of white hair slipped over the boy’s shoulder as he tilted his head, swaying gently in the evening breeze. His lips curled in a faint smirk. "Didn’t I just say? Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t."
His dismissive attitude made it clear he had no intention of cooperating.
The armed men kept glancing at the carriage. If not for the fact that this Miao youth seemed unusual, they would have already stormed over and flung open the door to search for their target.
The scarred man frowned, tightening his grip on his weapon. "Who else is in the carriage? Would you kindly open the door and let us take a look?"
The boy’s eyes curved slightly at the corners as he let out a short laugh. "My fiancée. Not for your eyes."
The same man who had spoken earlier scoffed. "With that ghostly appearance of yours, you even have a fiancée?"
"Ghostly appearance?" The boy’s gaze flickered, his lips still holding a trace of amusement. His voice was drawn-out, light as a feather at the end. "My fiancée says I’m beautiful. Are you implying she’s wrong?"
The scarred leader suddenly realized something and unsheathed his blade. A flash of steel revealed a tiny insect hovering just before the outspoken man’s face.
The bug’s stinger was mere millimeters from piercing the man’s eyeball.
Only then did the man realize what had almost happened. He trembled violently, his entire body breaking out in a cold sweat.
If not for his leader’s quick reflexes, he would have lost an eye.
"You’re quite interesting."
The red-clad, white-haired youth stood up. The wind fluttered his sleeves, outlining his slender frame. Despite his delicate appearance, he stood like a deadly poison hidden beneath a beautiful facade.
His friendly, harmless smile was unnervingly dangerous.
