Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - chapter 49

Chapter 49

Upon hearing these words, Fei Ying’s heavy head seemed to be pricked by a needle; she instantly sobered up, abruptly raising her head to look at Xiao Wangshu.

Seeing the smile on Xiao Wangshu’s face, she instinctively reached out and pulled the pearl hairpin from her hair.

But before she could stand, her whole body went limp and collapsed to the ground. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t get up.

White smoke drifted up from the incense burner, swirling around the tea room.

Ruan Fuxin supported himself against the wall, shook his head vigorously, hurried to the table, and extinguished the burning incense in the burner. He then poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down.

After drinking, his mind cleared considerably. He poured a cup of tea for Xiao Wangshu as well.

Xiao Wangshu’s smile remained unchanged as she picked up the teacup at hand, watching Fei Ying close her eyes in unwillingness and fear.

“The incense in the Capital really is different-so strong,” Ruan Fuxin remarked with a sigh.

When doing business, it’s hard to avoid trouble; after all, who knows what kind of demons and monsters hide beneath every human skin?

Whether to harm others or to protect oneself, it’s never wrong to carry a few things around.

“Dong dong-”

Right on cue, a series of knocks sounded at the door.

A voice outside spoke in a low tone, “There’s a batch of wooden boards in the main hall that’s been eaten by insects. This humble one has come to ask Fourth Miss to come downstairs and take a look.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wangshu’s lips curled up as she called out, “Has General Chen switched careers to become a carpenter now?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the person outside immediately pushed open the tea room door.

Standing at the doorway was a burly man in plain clothes, nearly nine feet tall-who else could it be but Chen Chu?

After opening the door, Chen Chu caught a whiff of the incense and instinctively stepped back.

Only after Ruan Fuxin poured him a cup of tea and he drank it did he step into the room, first scanning the situation inside, then cupping his fists and bowing: “This subordinate greets Fourth Miss.”

Lu Xuyang entered right after, also respectfully saying, “This subordinate greets Fourth Miss.”

After paying their respects to Xiao Wangshu, the two immediately ordered four soldiers to come in and tie up the unconscious Fei Ying on the ground and take her away.

Ruan Fuxin carried the teapot and poured tea for the officers behind them.

Xiao Fuguang walked in from the side, came up to Xiao Wangshu, and looked at Fei Ying being dragged away. He said, “That was far too risky, Sister. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

Xiao Wangshu’s expression grew a bit serious. “Actually, I’m not all right.”

Under the anxious gazes of Xiao Fuguang and the others, Xiao Wangshu continued, “I’m a bit hungry. Where are the Chinese Yam Cake and date paste cake I asked you to buy?”

By the end of the afternoon, when the sun was at its fiercest, she needed a little food to settle her stomach. That way, even if she didn’t feel like eating much at dinner, or forgot to eat, it wouldn’t matter too much.

As long as she got up in time for breakfast the next morning, she wouldn’t hurt her stomach from excess gastric acid.

Xiao Wangshu spoke with utmost seriousness, but Xiao Fuguang’s heart was already pounding out of his chest, and he rolled his eyes at Xiao Wangshu.

“At a time like this, Sister, you still have the mood to joke!”

Clearly, before leaving, they had agreed that he would go find the officers to stabilize the situation, not actually buy cakes.

Xiao Wangshu’s face was full of sincerity. “I’m really not joking.”

She was very earnest now-even more so than when she was tussling with Fei Ying earlier.

Xiao Fuguang was exasperated by her.

At this moment, Chen Chu, face taut, spoke up in a stiff, formal tone: “This subordinate bought them.”

Xiao Wangshu looked a bit surprised and raised her head to look at him.

Xiao Fuguang was also skeptical and asked, “General Chen, what did you buy?”

Chen Chu continued, enunciating each word: “Chinese Yam Cake.”

Xiao Wangshu wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she actually saw a hint of bashfulness on the face of this iron-faced general.

Seeing Lu Xuyang glance over as well, Chen Chu reluctantly drew out his words and explained a bit-
“When accompanying the young master in training at the Chancellor’s Mansion, Fourth Miss often brought me some food. This morning, I passed by a pastry shop and bought two boxes. I originally intended to ask the young master to deliver them on my behalf, as a token of gratitude.

He knew she needed to eat something at this hour, because every time she came to the Riding Field to watch them train, she would always be eating at this time, and would even share with them.

Moreover, he had noticed that the snacks she brought to the Riding Field were always medicinal pastries, nourishing and gentle on the stomach.

He thought that this Fourth Miss might have some illness, only the Prime Minister, Madam, and the young master were unaware.

Chen Chu’s words made Lu Xuyang, standing to the side, feel a bit embarrassed.

Middle-aged Lu Xuyang raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, his beard twisting along with his smile, and said, “It was my oversight. I have eaten quite a lot of Fourth Miss’s pastries myself.”

He, a grown man, had eaten a young lady’s food so many times and never thought to return the favor-truly improper!

Chen Chu beckoned to the back, and two men carrying food boxes walked in.

These two were none other than the plainclothes men who had just been chasing Fei Ying on the street, and had been rebuffed by Xiao Wangshu and Xiao Fuguang.

The two stepped forward, placed the food boxes on the table, and then bowed respectfully to Xiao Wangshu, saying-

“We failed in our pursuit, allowing the spy to disturb Fourth Miss, and even troubled her to take the risk of capturing her. We beg Fourth Miss’s forgiveness!”

These two, Luo Heng and Yang Yumu, had already been introduced to Xiao Wangshu by Xiao Fuguang when Fei Ying was bathing and changing clothes.

They were Chen Chu’s personally trained close guards-the same ones who had accompanied Xiao Fuguang to the Mu Mansion, tricked Mu Chengyang out, drugged him, and then dumped him in the Brothel’s bathhouse.

That was why, on the street earlier, Xiao Fuguang could react so quickly and cooperate seamlessly with Xiao Wangshu.

Because he knew these two, he also knew that any woman pursued in plainclothes by Luo Heng and Yang Yumu was definitely not an ordinary merchant’s concubine.

Seeing Luo Heng and Yang Yumu apologizing so earnestly, Xiao Wangshu rose gracefully, her bow delicate and elegant, and said-

“That spy was too close to my brother and me just now. To prevent her from lashing out in desperation and harming Fu Guang and me, I had to go along with her for the moment. If there were any harsh words, I hope you two young officers will understand.”

Luo Heng and Yang Yumu immediately bowed even lower, saying, “Miss, you are too kind. It’s nothing at all-your and the young master’s safety is what matters!”

Seeing this, Xiao Wangshu accepted the gift and sat down.

Xiao Fuguang also stepped forward to help them up, saying, “It was just bad luck for my sister and me to run into that spy, and we were almost taken hostage. Don’t take it to heart.”

Fortunately, he had already met Luo Heng and Yang Yumu before, and the three of them were acquainted. Otherwise, if other soldiers had been chasing the spy today, he might not have been able to react in time.

That spy probably thought that he and his sister-one a boy not yet of age, the other a young lady long confined to the inner chambers-even if they were the Prime Minister’s children, might not recognize the Prime Minister’s soldiers.

If it had been Second Brother or Third Brother here today, that spy wouldn’t have dared come near, and would have fled at a distance.

Targeting children and women, bullying the weak, and achieving their goals at any cost-such was the way of those spies.

“Alright, alright!” General Lu clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “The young master and Miss are safe, and the spy has been caught-that’s the best outcome!”

“General Lu is right,” Xiao Wangshu replied casually, sitting back at the table. She opened a food box, picked up a piece of Chinese Yam Cake, and took a gentle bite.

The whiteness of the Chinese Yam Cake could not compare to the noble lady’s skin, smooth as cream, her wrists like snow.

Crimson lips dusted with tiny white crumbs made her beauty all the more alluring.”