"I did say earlier that I wanted to go out with you in a carriage someday." Xu Changâan covered his face. "Who knew, as part of an Immortal Sect, I canât even drive steadily."
Xu Changâan confessed to Yun Qian.
"The rain made the roads slippery, completely different from my prior experience driving outside the town. So... actually, the first corner, I was already losing control, but I used all my strength to stabilize the carriage."
Sigh.
"But the second corner was narrower, knowing I couldnât do it, I just tried to protect Miss first, letting the carriage drift on its own."
Thatâs the truth of the matter.
Xu Changâan felt embarrassed to say it, so heâd rather let the girl think heâs bullying her than let her know he canât do it.
"Oh, so thatâs how it is." Yun Qian nodded. "But I donât quite understand, why is it embarrassing not to drive well?"
Is this something to hide?
Unexpectedly, Xu Changâan looked serious and said, "Of course itâs embarrassing. For a man, knowing how to drive is very important."
"...?"
"Miss, donât look at me like that. Itâs fine if you donât understand." Xu Changâan smiled. "Just think I was bullying you."
"Mhm." Yun Qian leaned on Xu Changâanâs shoulder, watching the woman driving.
Miss Yun thought the driving womanâs appearance wasnât particularly beautiful.
But compared to the featureless Li Zhibai, she was more delicate, at least she had a pair of light green eyes.
The women around her husband varied from extremely attractive to quite plain.
Yun Qian hadnât cared much about the woman who had chatted with Xu Changâan because of a little snake. But due to Xu Changâanâs emphasis on "driving skills," she changed her perspective and noticed the half-demon with the snake demon lineage.
[Driving skills are important.]
Her husband thought so.
What even Xu Changâan couldnât do, what had made her stumble, was something that woman in green clothing could easily manage. It showed her "driving skills" were excellent.
"You couldnât do it, but she can." Yun Qian looked ahead and asked Xu Changâan, "So is she a very capable person?"
"Yes." Xu Changâan said with meaning: "She is a very capable person."
"?"
Yun Qian didnât quite understand why Xu Changâan emphasized "person," but she nodded anyway.
"I understand."
Recognized by her husband as capable, she must be a special woman.
Coincidentally, she had asked the rowing maiden how a girl could have real cat ears, and the answer was half-demon.
This woman in green didnât have special ears, but had a pair of beautiful green eyes, so she must be half-demon.
Yun Qian thought, somewhat understanding why Xu Changâan emphasized "person."
He was saying that although this woman had demon race blood, she wasnât a demon, but still a person?
Yun Qian nodded to herself, finding this very reasonable, as Xu Changâan and Wen Li had a good relationship, and Wen Li was a half-demon.
"Earlier, you said you liked Miss Aqing." Yun Qian suddenly mentioned.
"Huh?" Xu Changâan was taken aback, unable to follow the girlâs train of thought.
"Miss, what are you suddenly talking about?"
Yun Qian shook her head: "Nothing, I was just wondering, there are so many Miss Aqing in the world... but which one you truly like, I donât understand."
"???"
Listening to Yun Qianâs inexplicable words, Xu Changâan was confused, reluctantly saying after a while: "Aq Qing from the novel is never-ending?"
"After all, you told me yourself, the first girl besides me that you liked." Yun Qian pointed out with one finger.
She kept thinking about it.
Donât be fooled by Yun Qian, sometimes considering Li Zhibai important, sometimes thinking Zhu Pingniang important, sometimes thinking Liu Qingluo important...
But actually, even all those girls together canât compare to "Miss Aqing."
The reason is just as she said, Miss Aqing was the one Xu Changâan admitted to liking most among all the books he read.
How could she not care?
She just didnât know whether this Miss Aqing was Shi Qingjun, Liu Qingluo, the woman in green outside the carriage, or a remarkable woman from the book who knows when to let go?
He likes Miss Aqing.
But there are simply too many Miss Aqing around, hence Miss Yun doesnât understand.
"..." Xu Changâan gazed at the confused Miss Yun with a pounding heart.
"Inexplicable greatness is expressed like this."
Not fully understanding what she meant, yet undeniably his heart was moved. Perhaps because it was rare to see Yun Qian so focused and concerned about something.
"I am truly the luckiest person in the world." Xu Changâan murmured, holding Yun Qianâs warm hand, unwilling to let go.
"Is that so." Yun Qian was noncommittal.
"Mhm." Xu Changâan blinked slightly. "Whatâs more, Miss... you truly know everything."
His concealed thoughts just now didnât escape Yun Qian at all.
Facts proved that even Miss Yun had the usual sensitivity of girls.
"I only know what I want to know." Yun Qian yawned lightly, tired once more.
Thinking about Miss Aqing again wore her out quickly. She leaned against Xu Changâanâs shoulder; as the temperature rose, Miss Yunâs stiff body started to soften, clearly showing sleepiness coming in waves.
"Iâm sleepy." Yun Qian sniffed Xu Changâanâs scent and yawned.
"Sleepy, itâs not okay now, weâll arrive soon."
Xu Changâan hugged Yun Qian, his hand slid slightly over her waist, Yun Qian tickled and softly exclaimed, then scolded.
"What are you doing?"
"Still sleepy?"
âXu Changâan was still teasing her.
"Mhm, still very tired." Yun Qian thought teasing had no effect.
"How about this then."
Xu Changâan supported her to not lean against him.
Then stood up within Yun Qianâs puzzled gaze, placed his hands on her slender shoulders, and leaned forward like so.
"..." Yun Qianâs eyes suddenly widened, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
The almost touching distance she met his eyes, and the sleepiness vanished from Miss Yunâs eyes.
At this moment, Miss Yun thought this carriage was indeed very steady.
No bumps, no teeth chattering.
â
The carriage just passed by Zhu Pingniangâs favorite Plum Garden, sheltered by a pavilion, so even during heavy rain, the plum trees under the eaves looked delightful.
In the cool and stormy weather, there shouldnât be any lingering fragrance, yet the woman in green felt uneasy, her heart racing like something was affecting her.
Thinking it over, she attributed it to the picturesque plum blossoms by the roadside.
Thousands of plum blossoms smile on the branches, the white snow falls charmingly beside the flowers.
Clusters of bright red plums stood under the eaves, contrasting with the raindrops, resembling a delicate beauty.
The woman in green suddenly wanted to know what Young Master Xu was doing in the carriage.
Should she remind Young Master about the splendid plum scenery nearby?
But being naturally timid, she didnât do so and continued to drive the carriage peacefully.
â
Inside the carriage.
Xu Changâan indeed didnât need to see any beautiful, exquisite plum blossoms, because he had a real beauty right in front of him.
He didnât need to appreciate any weak plum blossoms in the rain, because there was nothing more delicate than Miss Yun gasping, face flushed with embarrassment.
"Miss, still sleepy?" Xu Changâan asked.
Yun Qian didnât reply, but the blush on her face lingered.
Sleepy?
At this moment, she certainly wasnât sleepy.
"Ah, I washed off your makeup earlier, so thereâs no rouge to taste this time." Xu Changâan said regretfully.
Yun Qian: "..."
"However." Xu Changâan chuckled softly. "A blessing in disguise, without the smell of rouge, the sweetness of preserved fruit is clear this time."
Itâs uncertain whether the sweetness is from the preserved fruit or from the girl herself.
Heâs a bad person.
Embarrassed over driving, so he compensated elsewhere.
And...
He guessed he fulfilled the systemâs task.
Though it was a bit late.