What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 266 - 262: How Can Such Great Kindness Be Repaid?
Tang Xiaobai, upon hearing the description, immediately guessed that the woman must be Chen Xiaolian.
She took advantage of her high position on horseback, stretched her neck, and looked out, indeed seeing two people.
One was petite and timid, and she immediately recognized her as Chen Xiaolian.
The other had a lean frame, seemingly the same youth who reported the news yesterday.
Chen Xiaolian was eagerly looking this way, while the youth stood protectively by her side.
Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but snort, instructing, "Bring them over!"
Chen Xiaolian always maintained a timid demeanor, and the youth probably feared their status, losing his fierce stance from yesterday, awkwardly kneeling with Chen Xiaolian to salute.
"Mr. Qin captured the thieves, eliminating harm for the villagers and avenging the murder of Xiaolian’s parents. Such a great kindness, Xiaolian, Xiaolian..." Chen Xiaolian couldn’t finish her sentence, breaking into tears, her eyes filled with unshed tears, crying beautifully.
Suddenly, an unexplainable anger surged within Tang Xiaobai: "Great kindness, how do you plan to repay it?"
Chen Xiaolian lowered her head, timidly murmuring, "Xiaolian is willing to become a servant, to follow Mr. Qin for life—"
"No way!" It was the youth beside Chen Xiaolian who first opposed.
He glanced at Li Mu, eyes both fierce and fearful: "Capturing thieves is what officials like them are supposed to do. He didn’t save your whole family, why must you become a servant?"
Chen Xiaolian, on the verge of tears, said, "I am willing on my own, it has nothing to do with others. Mr. Qin avenged my parents’ deaths, they would surely wish for me to repay the favor."
With that, she kowtowed to Li Mu.
Tang Xiaobai’s fists clenched upon seeing this.
What a pretentious white lotus, daring to mess with her dear little ancestor!
"Who told you it was Mr. Qin who captured the thieves?" Tang Xiaobai sneered, "I had a part in capturing the thieves too, why don’t you thank me?"
Chen Xiaolian paused her crying, looking blankly at Tang Xiaobai: "It was, it was..." Glancing towards the guard at the gate.
The guard’s face turned red: "Subordinate..."
This was Li Mu’s order, naturally attributed to him, the credit was his.
Tang Xiaobai didn’t intend to steal the credit, just felt enraged by Chen Xiaolian’s words.
Just retorting wasn’t enough to vent her anger, she subtly nudged the little ancestor holding her reins.
Sneaky little thing! Starting to attract bees and butterflies!
Oops... missed the kick...
Though she missed, she was caught.
He glanced back at her.
Since her head was lowered, Tang Xiaobai didn’t see his expression, only glimpsed a slight curve on his lips as he turned back.
So annoying...
Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but secretly nudge again.
"Capturing the thieves was Young Master Bai’s idea," the little ancestor said.
His tone was noticeably softer than usual.
Tang Xiaobai suspected he was silently enjoying it, but had no proof.
Chen Xiaolian quickly switched her direction, kowtowing to Tang Xiaobai: "Young Master Bai’s great kindness, Xiaolian is willing to become a servant to follow Young Master Bai!"
She wants to as well? Tang Xiaobai thoughtfully stared at Chen Xiaolian for a while, then suddenly pointed at Tao Fen: "The one who truly led the capture of the thieves is my Brother Tao here, you should thank him instead! Besides, he almost got wrongly accused by you!"
Chen Xiaolian looked up at Tao Fen.
The first two were clearly noblemen, this one was somewhat lacking.
She hesitated, but still insisted on repaying the favor by becoming a servant.
Tao Fen was obviously startled, quickly dodging: "I wasn’t doing it for you, forget about becoming a servant!"
The youth who came with Chen Xiaolian had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn’t hold it anymore, frowned and pulled at Chen Xiaolian: "They’re all from wealthy and prestigious families, why would they want you as a servant? Let’s go back!"
He looked young, but was quite strong, pulling the frail Chen Xiaolian up with ease.
Chen Xiaolian couldn’t stand steady after getting up, taking two steps backward.
Tang Xiaobai’s eyelid twitched: "Stop!"
The youth abruptly halted.
"Do you know the way to Po Wei Village?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
Chen Xiaolian paused, quickly nodding: "I know! I know!"
"I’m going to Po Wei Village today, you can be my guide!"
Chen Xiaolian visibly showed joy: "Yes! Yes!"
The youth clenched his fists: "I know the way too—"
"Xiaolian can guide, you can go back!" Tang Xiaobai said.
The youth kept his head down, silent, not leaving.
"Ah Niu, you should go back first..." Xiaolian gently persuaded him.
"I’ll stay with you." The youth replied firmly.
This scene looked like a naive flower and her obsessed fan.
But assumptions can be misleading.
Tang Xiaobai glanced at the youth, frowned slightly, but said nothing.
Just as she was about to take back the reins from the little ancestor, halfway through, he held on.
He moved closer, tilted his face up: "I know the way to Po Wei Village too." His voice soft, the morning light reflected in his eyes, with a hint of coyness.
Tang Xiaobai snorted lightly, wiggling her foot, finally kicking him.
Her foot landed in his arms, hard as a wall, no sense of accomplishment at all, instead made him laugh.
Tang Xiaobai felt a bit childish herself, blushing, snorted again, adopting an aloof demeanor, turned her head: "Go train your troops!"
She snapped the reins, turned away.
...
When Tang Xiaobai set off, she wasn’t at the front of the team.
Today at the front were Tao Fen, Yingying, and Chen Xiaolian.
Since Chen Xiaolian couldn’t ride, she shared a horse with Yingying at the front to lead the way.
In the direction of Po Wei Village, everyone except Tao Fen had been there yesterday, so initially, Chen Xiaolian didn’t need to guide.
After traveling for a while, they reached a fork in the road. Not knowing the way, Tao Fen casually asked Chen Xiaolian, "Which way?"
Chen Xiaolian hesitated, pointing to the left: "This way."
"Go right," Yingying corrected. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Tao Fen murmured, "Do you even know the way?"
Chen Xiaolian lowered her head without speaking.
Tao Fen just shrugged it off and continued onward.
Then, at several junctions, Chen Xiaolian sometimes pointed right, sometimes wrong.
After the third wrong direction, Tao Fen couldn’t help it: "Yingying knows the way, why are we following someone who doesn’t?"
Chen Xiaolian’s little face turned pale, almost crying: "I, I haven’t been here for a long time, can’t quite remember..."
"Can’t remember, or never knew?" Tang Xiaobai asked lazily.
Chen Xiaolian’s face turned even paler.
"Your Ah Niu has already been blocked fifty steps away," Tang Xiaobai said.
The youth had been following all along, never leaving.
Chen Xiaolian remained silent for a while, then spoke with a sobbing tone: "Miss Bai, can I, can I follow you, to be a servant, do anything you ask..."
Tang Xiaobai stepped forward, in front of Chen Xiaolian, looked back at her for a long time, then asked: "Your parents, were they really killed by thieves?"
