Meeting Qi Rong's gloomy eyes, Yun Xi couldn't help shrinking her neck.
Although she knew that Qi Rong wouldn't hurt her, there were still times when she couldn't help being intimidated by the hostility emanating from him.
"Don't be angry. It looks serious, but it's actually just a minor injury. It'll be fine after some bandaging," Yun Xi said. Then she gently rolled up her sleeve, showing the wound on her arm to Qi Rong. Seeing his face turn even colder and a thick killing intent permeating the air around him, Yun Xi's heart skipped a beat.
Afraid that Qi Rong would take revenge and go after the poor palace maid, she quickly explained, "It was a palace maid who had lost her mind. I saw that she was injured and wanted to apply medicine to her, but she thought I was going to hurt her, so she bit me."
Seeing Qi Rong tightly gripping her wrist and staring at the wound on her arm, still with a solemn expression, Yun Xi couldn't help glaring at Jing Yao for his big mouth.
Then, blushing, she took the initiative to hold Qi Rong's big hand with her uninjured hand in front of everyone and said in a coquettish tone, "I don't feel any pain anymore, but I need to be bandaged now. Can you take me back to the mansion?"
It was the first time Qi Rong had faced Yun Xi's coquettish tone. He was slightly stunned, and the killing intent around him immediately dropped by half. He said softly, "Okay."
Just as Yun Xi was quietly breathing a sigh of relief, Qi Rong's cold warning rang out again, "Since you're protecting that person, I won't pursue this matter this time. However, you must promise me: come to the palace less often in the future, and don't associate with riffraff."
As he said this, Qi Rong's cold gaze swept over Jing Yao beside him. Immediately, Jing Yao was so angry that he was like an enraged rabbit. He angrily retorted at Qi Rong, "Who's riffraff? Xi'er and I are good friends who have been through life and death together. If anyone is an outsider, it should be you!"
He had known Yun Xi since childhood, and they had been inseparable for almost ten years!
Because he knew that the reason Yun Xi was close to him was that she regarded him as a neighbor's elder sister, he had always hidden his gender from Yun Xi. He originally planned to propose to Yun Xi after he resumed his male identity, thinking that his life would be perfect.
However, when he finally could resume his true form and was eager to share the news with Yun Xi first, he learned that the girl he had been yearning for had been snatched away by a villain!!
"Say that again," Qi Rong said. Knowing that Jing Yao was Yun Xi's friend, he originally didn't want to argue with this person he thought was neither fish nor fowl.
However, faced with Jing Yao's repeated provocations, he couldn't help getting angry.
Seeing Qi Rong getting angry, Yun Xi was startled and quickly scolded Jing Yao, "Jing Yao, stop talking!"
However, Jing Yao seemed determined to fight Qi Rong to the end. Ignoring Yun Xi's warning, he said to Qi Rong, "Not only will I say it again, but even if I say it a hundred times, I'll still tell you: 'You are the outsider between Xi'er and me! Do you understand?'
"Xi'er is just too afraid of your tyranny to tell you the truth and has been imprisoned by you. But I'm not afraid of you! I'll surely rescue Yun Xi from your clutches. Just wait and see!"
The reason Jing Yao dared to provoke Qi Rong like this wasn't that he was simple-minded and just wanted to have the last word.
Instead, he had indeed made a plan in his heart and was secretly planning to help Yun Xi escape from Qi Rong's clutches!
On weekdays, Yun Xi always heard Jing Yao speak ill of Qi Rong in front of her and say that one day he would surely help her escape from Qi Rong's shackles.
Yun Xi had only thought that Jing Yao was childish and simply disliked Qi Rong.
However, it was only now that she learned that all the words Jing Yao had said to her in the past were serious!
It was the first time Qi Rong had been so blatantly provoked. Without saying a word, he stared at Jing Yao with a cold look in his eyes and said contemptuously, "If you have the guts, give it a try."
Since the other party had issued a challenge without knowing the facts, he naturally wouldn't back down. Yun Xi would only belong to him for the rest of her life. No one else should even dream of getting involved between them!
If it weren't for the fact that they were at the palace gate and in front of Yun Xi, he would surely have killed the person who dared to shout at him on the spot!
Watching the two of them on the verge of a fight, Yun Xi's heart was pounding like a drum.
To protect Jing Yao from being hurt by Qi Rong, Yun Xi affectionately wrapped her arm around Qi Rong's and looked at Jing Yao, saying, "Jing Yao, I don't know if you've misunderstood something on weekdays, but I don't need your help."
Then, Yun Xi looked up at Qi Rong with a cold expression and slowly curved her lips into a smile, saying, "Because I'm willing to be by his side. I haven't been coerced by anyone."
Although Yun Xi was still a bit entangled in her feelings for Qi Rong, she didn't want outsiders to get involved in their relationship, even if that person was her father or Jing Yao.
She just wanted to handle the relationship between her and Qi Rong by herself, rather than relying on others' advice.
"We're just friends. I don't want you to interfere too much in my life. I'll be very grateful if you do that," Yun Xi said sincerely, looking at Jing Yao. Knowing that the other person really cared about her, she couldn't just let Jing Yao get into danger.
Yun Xi's active confession made Qi Rong's cold and tense face instantly relax a lot, and the coldness on his body gradually melted away.
Thinking that Yun Xi still had an unbandaged wound, Qi Rong said in a cold tone, "Leave him alone. Let's go back to the mansion immediately."
After saying that, he immediately turned his horse around, clamped his horse's belly, and the horse galloped away quickly.
Watching Yun Xi being taken away by Qi Rong, Jing Yao felt a pang in his heart. He was about to chase after them when Old Xu stopped him. Old Xu said earnestly, "Young master, please don't cause trouble for Miss Yun Xi. Only the parties involved can sort out matters of the heart clearly."
If outsiders got involved, things would only get more and more complicated and bring endless trouble.
Jing Yao understood what Old Xu meant, but he ignored it. He shouted in the direction where Yun Xi had left, "Xi'er, don't worry about me. As long as it's what you want, I'll surely do my best to bring it to you!!"
He also loved his Xi'er, and this love had lasted for more than ten years without a single day of interruption.
But he had never thought of binding her with love. He was happy when she was happy and sad when she was sad. As long as there was a smile on her face, his heart would be filled with sunshine.
So, he could see the entanglement and uneasiness in Xi'er's heart when she mentioned that villain!
He only hoped that his Xi'er could be happy. No matter who she chose, it would be perfect if that person was himself. So, he was willing to wait silently for this...
Jing Yao was about to mount his horse and leave when suddenly a furious shout came from behind him, "You dead sissy! How dare you despise this princess!?"
Looking closely, it turned out to be the Eighth Princess chasing after them with her skirt in her hand!