Hearing the other person's words, Yun Xi first looked at Qi Rong guiltily not far away. Then, seeing Jing Yao's actions that perfectly matched her memories, Yun Xi was shocked beyond measure!
Staring into Jing Yao's charming peach blossom eyes full of melancholy, she couldn't help stuttering:
"You, you're really Yao'er?!"
If not, how could he know so clearly the content of the letters she exchanged with Yao'er?
But how could this be possible?
Could it be that after her rebirth this time, Yao'er had become a man?!
Accidentally glancing at Qi Rong's already darkened face, Yun Xi felt like crying. She felt extremely troubled.
She couldn't help but look at Old Xu for help:
"Uncle Xu, what on earth is going on? Can you explain it to me?"
Sensing Yun Xi's distress, Old Xu looked sympathetic and began to explain slowly:
"When our young master was just born, he suffered a serious illness and almost didn't survive the first 100 days. The master donated a Taoist temple to invite a master to divine the young master's fortune. It was said that the young master was born under an evil star and wouldn't live past 18 years old, unless he presented himself as a girl before the age of 18 and never left Jiangcheng..."
So, Jing Yao had worn women's clothing for 18 years. Everyone thought he was the daughter of the Jing family, but in fact, he was a real man!
And his name, Jing Yao, was not the "Yao" meaning the "Jade Pool" as Yun Xi had thought. Although the two families were separated only by a wall, only the two elders of the Su family knew Jing Yao's secret.
As for the servants of the Su family and Yun Xi, who was later fostered at her maternal grandparents' home, they didn't know this secret.
Hearing Jing Yao's such a strange experience, Yun Xi felt as if she was listening to a fantasy tale.
It turned out that the confidant sister she had always thought of was actually a man from beginning to end?!
And thinking that she had once complained to the other person many times about the discomfort during her menstruation and even asked if the other person felt the same way, Yun Xi's face instantly flushed red. She even looked at Jing Yao with a bit of blame.
After not seeing each other for a few years, Jing Yao had grown much taller. Although his appearance was still extremely beautiful, it had a bit of the heroism that a man should have.
At first glance, he was even a bit hard to tell whether he was male or female.
Meeting Yun Xi's slightly reproachful gaze, Jing Yao instantly looked like a child who had done something wrong.
He hung his head and carefully grabbed the corner of Yun Xi's clothes, gently shaking it.
"Xier, now that you know I'm a man, do you dislike me? Do you not want to be friends with me anymore?"
Jing Yao's charming peach blossom eyes were on the verge of tears as he closely examined Yun Xi's expression.
Seeing that Yun Xi didn't respond for a long time, Jing Yao panicked and burst into tears.
Just like before, he tightly hugged Yun Xi's waist and laid his head on her shoulder, wailing pitifully:
"Don't do this, Xier! You're my only friend. If I lose you, I'll die of heartache!"
"If you don't like men, I'll change back into women's clothing right now and be a woman for the rest of my life. I'll be your good female friend. Okay? Please don't hate me!"
Suddenly being hugged tightly by Jing Yao and hearing him wailing in her ear, Yun Xi instantly froze in place, her head aching faintly.
Qi Rong's face was dark. He stepped forward and was about to pull Jing Yao away from Yun Xi, but Jing Yao seemed to have eyes on the back of his head and deftly dodged Qi Rong's outstretched hand, continuing to cry and wail.
Seeing the shocked looks around, Old Xu felt his face burning.
This young master was really embarrassing!
Before coming to the capital, he was still complacently showing off that he had finally regained his male identity and couldn't wait to come and show off in front of Yun Xi.
Now, just because the other person was a bit cold, he was wailing without any regard for his dignity!
If he was asked to wear women's clothing again, his master and the old master would probably cry too!
"Young master, a real man doesn't shed tears easily."
Old Xu couldn't help but remind Jing Yao on the side, hoping that the other person would at least care a bit about his male dignity so as not to be laughed at!
However, in response to Old Xu's good intentions, Jing Yao glared at him with a tear - streaked face, sobbing:
"Bullshit about not shedding tears easily! Don't you know that the crying child gets the candy?"
As long as Xier would forgive his concealment, he was willing to cry a river!
As soon as Jing Yao finished speaking, he was grabbed by the back of his neck by Qi Rong. The whole person was pulled backward, but he still tightly hugged Yun Xi's waist and refused to let go.
"Xier, save me! Someone's choking me!"
Jing Yao was like a piece of dog - skin plaster that stuck tightly to Yun Xi. Unless his bones and flesh were torn apart, no one could make him leave Yun Xi!
Seeing Jing Yao's face turn red and almost suffocate but still not forgetting to complain, Yun Xi was now extremely certain:
This person was indeed her "female friend"!
She had originally hoped that Jing Yao's arrival could ease the previous tense atmosphere. But now, not only was the atmosphere not eased, but things had become even more troublesome!
Yun Xi felt helpless. She looked at Qi Rong pleadingly:
"Can you let him go for now and give me some time?"
After Yun Xi said this, Qi Rong stared directly into her eyes with his black pupils. Instead of loosening his fingers, he even increased the strength.
Jing Yao gritted his teeth in pain and rolled his eyes, but he still refused to let go.
Old Xu was so scared that he quickly stepped forward to pull them apart. Coupled with Yun Xi's coaxing and her promise to forgive him, Jing Yao finally let go of his arms around Yun Xi.
"You've gone too far!"
Seeing Qi Rong's hand like an iron clamp, as if he wanted to take Jing Yao's life, Yun Xi immediately slapped Qi Rong's arm. After Qi Rong let go, she stood in front of Jing Yao.
She was afraid that Qi Rong would attack Jing Yao again!
Because just before, the Crown Prince had been punched by Qi Rong!
"Xier, he's so scary. Let's leave here quickly!"
As soon as Jing Yao caught his breath, he complained to Yun Xi again.
Saying that, he hugged Yun Xi's arm and wanted to take her away from the Prince Xian's Mansion. But Yun Xi was so scared that she immediately pushed his hand away and coaxed him gently:
"Brother Jing... You've just come to the capital and are not familiar with this place. How about this? I'll ask Yuzhu to take you to the courtyard outside my Prime Minister's Mansion first. I'll go there to find you later, okay?"
Seeing Yun Xi push his hand away, Jing Yao felt uncomfortable. Hearing Yun Xi suddenly change her address to "Brother Jing", Jing Yao's beautiful features immediately wrinkled into a ball.
"Xier, you've changed. You always used to call me Yao'er. You really do dislike me!"
After saying that, Jing Yao squeezed out two more tears and looked at Yun Xi pitifully, like a young animal that had been abandoned.
Yun Xi choked in her throat and almost rolled her eyes to the sky.
But Yun Xi had always been unable to resist Jing Yao. Even though the person in front of her had changed gender, she still couldn't bear to scold him.
Because scolding was useless. She had tried it before!
"No, don't think too much."
Yun Xi thought of quickly comforting him and sending him out of the Prince Xian's Mansion. However, before she could finish speaking, Jing Yao looked at her in surprise and said:
"So, you still like me?"
"Uh...?"
Yun Xi twitched the corner of her lips and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Because she was afraid that if she nodded, Jing Yao might not be able to leave the Prince Xian's Mansion alive!
Just as Yun Xi was hesitating how to speak, an angry female voice suddenly rang out from behind:
"Why is it you, that dead sissy? Did you come here on purpose to get yourself killed after knowing that this princess is in the Prince Xian's Mansion?!"
The owner of this voice was none other than the Eighth Princess, who was supporting Qi Yu and about to leave!