Qi Rong couldn't figure out what these wildly growing emotions in his heart were.
However, he clearly felt the impulse at this moment to meld her into his very being and brand her with his mark!
"Ah! Why are you biting me?"
Yun Xi covered her neck and stared at Qi Rong in horror.
Could he really be a wild beast?
Frightened, Yun Xi closed her eyes tightly and hugged herself firmly:
"My meat doesn't taste good! It's tough and stringy, and it'll hurt your teeth. You'll get sick if you eat it! Also, I didn't throw myself at you! There were bad guys chasing me, and I just accidentally..."
At this point, Yun Xi felt something was vaguely off. She stared blankly at Qi Rong:
"How did you know?"
Yun Xi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed:
"It's you!"
Yun Xi was absolutely certain that the bad guy who had been following her and scaring her before was Qi Rong!
Distracted by Yun Xi like this, Qi Rong's previous annoyance was instantly dispelled.
He was a bit speechless and reached out to pinch Yun Xi's fair and tender cheek as a punishment.
"Remember this well. Stay away from Qi Yu in the future. Otherwise, you'll be in for it!"
Yun Xi rubbed her cheek, and her neck still ached faintly.
She bit her lip, with tears welling up in her eyes, and glared angrily at Qi Rong.
She had her own backbone!
Yun Xi glanced at the oar, snatched it from Qi Rong's hand, and said huffily:
"I want to go home!"
She couldn't bear to stay with this hateful man for a single moment longer!
Yun Xi decided to rely on herself. She wanted to row the boat to the lakeshore by her own efforts and not be at the mercy of Qi Rong.
However, no matter how hard she rowed, the boat didn't move an inch. All she could see were the ripples on the water surface caused by her strenuous efforts.
Sweat beaded on Yun Xi's forehead. She changed the way she held the oar and tried for a long time.
Qi Rong folded his arms and watched Yun Xi's clumsy attempts with a rather pleased look on his face.
"If you beg me, maybe I'll help you get back."
Yun Xi was on the verge of tears.
She had finally decided to be tough, but why did even the heavens seem to be against her!
Just like this, the two sat in silent opposition for a long time.
As the sky gradually darkened, Yun Xi became increasingly anxious, while Qi Rong looked completely at ease.
Finally, Yun Xi gritted her teeth and said:
"Your Highness, it's getting late. It's time for us to go back!"
One must bow one's head when under someone else's roof. Although she wasn't a man, she knew when to yield and when to be firm!
"Your tone lacks emotion. Do it again!"
Yun Xi glared angrily. Finally, she exploded. She stood up, pointed at Qi Rong's nose, and shouted:
"Qi Rong, are you ever going to stop? I've put up with you for a long time!"
But before her voice faded, her pupils dilated. The boat swayed, and she plunged headfirst into the lake!
So, for a long time afterward, whenever Yun Xi recalled the time she had become a soaking - wet mess, she gnashed her teeth with hatred for Qi Rong!
Even though he quickly helped her change into clean clothes and made sure she didn't catch a cold.
He even, for the first time, found a good excuse for her so that she could return safely to the Prime Minister's Mansion without being criticized.
None of these could diminish the slightest bit of Yun Xi's anger!
As a result, every time Yun Xi saw Qi Rong, she was like a person seeing a snake or a scorpion and would avoid him from afar.
Gradually, this also successfully enraged Qi Rong, and his "bullying" of Yun Xi became even more extreme...
On this day, Yun Xi was on a break at home. Bored, she was reading the letters from her only friend in Jiangcheng.
She learned from the letters that the imperial doctor sent by the queen to her grandmother had returned to the capital, and her grandmother's condition had improved a lot. She felt extremely relieved.
Remembering that her grandmother always liked to listen to the little made - up stories she told, Yun Xi took up her pen and wrote many of them in one go.
Along with the letter to her best friend Jing Yao, she sent them all to Jiangcheng.
Seeing that the birthday of the old lady of the Su family was approaching soon, Yu Zhu became a bit anxious when she didn't see the embroidery that Yun Xi was preparing:
"Miss, is the embroidery of 'The Fairy Ma Gu Offering Longevity' for the old lady finished?"
Yun Xi was leaning against the window. She picked up a candied date and popped it into her mouth.
"Not yet."
Hearing this, Yu Zhu immediately became anxious:
"Miss, time is running out. Don't delay. I heard this morning that Mrs. Jiang somehow managed to find a pot of top - grade Chinese flowering crabapple and sent it to the old lady's courtyard. It's almost the old lady's birthday, and everyone is saying it's a good omen, that the old lady will live a long and blessed life. The old lady loves it so much that she has become much closer to Mrs. Jiang."
It was well - known that the old lady of the Su family was extremely fond of Chinese flowering crabapples.
Because the old lady's hometown was the capital of Chinese flowering crabapples. Every year during the blooming season, there would be a crabapple appreciation fair there.
And it was at that crabapple banquet that the old master met the old lady. Since then, the old lady had cherished Chinese flowering crabapples even more.
Mrs. Jiang had clearly put a lot of thought into this by catering to the old lady's preference and presenting this top - grade crabapple.
If her young lady didn't pay more attention, she would really have to watch helplessly as Mrs. Jiang regained the power to manage the household!
Yun Xi pursed her lips, nodded, and turned a page of the book.
She said calmly:
"Let Mrs. Jiang flatter others if she wants. I'm not going to embroider that 'The Fairy Ma Gu Offering Longevity'. Anyway, I originally intended to give it to my grandmother."
After that hunting incident, she couldn't give it away.
As for the old lady, even if she piled up a mountain of gold in front of her, the old lady probably wouldn't like her one bit.
Why bother?
Instead of wasting time on this, she might as well read a few more books. When it was the old lady's birthday banquet, she could just tell jokes!