Chapter 13 The Frightened Horse

Chapter 13 The Frightened Horse

When Xin You and the others arrived at the foot of the mountain, the coachman was hopping mad.

"Old Zhang, who upset you? Why are you so angry?" one of the guards asked curiously.

The coachman pointed at the carriage, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot. "I don't know which damn scoundrel stole the carriage door curtain while I was dozing!"

The two guards looked closely and indeed saw that the entrance to the carriage was empty, with no sign of the door curtain.

"How could someone steal the carriage door curtain?" one guard exclaimed in disbelief.

Another guard suddenly slapped his hand. "I get it! It must have been that monkey!"

The coachman hurriedly asked what had happened, and the guard recounted how the monkey had caused trouble, snatched Xin You's hairpin, and splashed water on him.

The coachman's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "That damned beast deserves to be skinned and its head cracked open!"

Xin You silently apologized to the monkey in her heart.

Indeed, she felt the monkey had endured too much.

At this moment, Xiaolian understood where the carriage door curtain had come from and looked at Xin You with admiration in her eyes.

Thinking that Xiaolian might add "stealing carriage door curtains" to the list of reasons why she found her capable, Xin You's lips twitched, and she quietly looked away.

"Miss, please get into the carriage quickly. It's already afternoon, and we've been out for too long," the coachman urged.

Xin You nodded slightly and got into the carriage, instructing Xiaolian to give the pastries inside to the coachman and the two guards.

"You missed your mealtime. Please eat a few pastries to fill your stomachs."

The little maid's face was fair and delicate, endearing to the eye. One of the guards, moved by her appearance, blurted out, "Sister Xiaolian, aren't you eating?"

Xiaolian forced a smile. "Miss Xin You is in a bad mood because she couldn't find her jade pendant. Neither of us is hungry. Please eat quickly so we can continue our journey."

"Thank you, Miss Xin You and Sister Xiaolian."

The two guards quickly devoured the pastries, praising their deliciousness.

The older coachman found the soft and sweet pastries particularly to his liking. He turned his head to glance at the master and servant sitting inside the carriage.

Noticing the coachman's gaze, Xin You asked, "Uncle Zhang, is there something?"

"No, I was just worried that without the door curtain, you might feel uncomfortable."

Xin You smiled. "It's fine. On such a day, the breeze feels refreshing without the curtain."

"Then please hold on tight." The coachman flicked the reins, and the carriage gradually accelerated along the official road.

As the carriage picked up speed, the wind grew stronger, rushing into the carriage. While the cool breeze was refreshing in the heat, it also blew their hair and clothes about.

Many passersby and carriages passing by couldn't help but look curiously into the carriage. Even without hearing their comments, one could see from their faces what they were thinking: What kind of family would go out in a carriage without even hanging a door curtain?

Even the guards, known for their thick skin, began to feel uncomfortable and urged the coachman to hurry.

However, those inside the carriage remained indifferent to the various gazes.

Xiaolian was too distraught over Kou Qingqing's death to care about anything else, while Xin You, besides feeling sympathy for Kou Qingqing's death, was also physically uncomfortable.

Collecting a skeleton wasn't just a matter of courage; it left her unable to eat dinner that evening, and whether she could return to normal the next day was uncertain.

Xin You focused all her strength on resisting the faint stench lingering around her. Fortunately, the absence of the door curtain allowed for better ventilation, making her feel more comfortable.

The wind seemed to grow stronger.

Xiaolian cried out, "Miss!"

The carriage suddenly sped up, ignoring the pedestrians in its path and charging forward.

Alarms and screams echoed along the way. When the coachman saw an ox cart approaching from the opposite direction, he hastily loosened his grip on the reins and tumbled off the carriage.

"Miss, the horse is frightened!" Xiaolian's body swayed violently inside the carriage, her face pale with fear.

Staring intently at the approaching ox cart, Xin You quickly made a decision: given the carriage's current speed, jumping out with Xiaolian would be too risky.

So, the only option was—

Just as Xin You made her decision, a figure leaped onto the back of the frightened horse from another galloping steed.

Although the frightened horse charged recklessly, it was still pulling a carriage, so its speed wasn't excessively fast. The person tightened their legs around the horse's belly and pulled hard on the reins, narrowly avoiding the oncoming ox cart.

Xin You grabbed Xiaolian's hand, reassuring her, "Don't be afraid. We'll be fine."

Perhaps every action Xin You had taken in recent days had proven reliable to Xiaolian. Hearing her calm voice, Xiaolian immediately calmed down.

Hand in hand, they silently watched the stranger's back on the frightened horse. After a while, they heard a shout from ahead, "Hold on!"

The carriage then surged forward, jolting violently but gradually slowing down. Finally, with the frightened horse collapsing to the ground, the wheels screeched to a halt.

Xiaolian, who hadn't held on tightly, nearly flew out but was saved by Xin You, who held her firmly, causing her to cry out in surprise.

"Are you both alright?" The man who had jumped off the horse before it fell approached them.

Xin You looked at him.

The man wore a crimson robe, his skin as white as jade, his eyebrows like feathers, and his features like the most exquisite ink painting on the finest porcelain.

Xin You, at sixteen, had never seen a man as handsome as this.

She pulled Xiaolian out of the carriage and slightly curtsied to the man in red robes. "Thank you for coming to our rescue; we are unharmed."

"Good to hear." The man in red robes looked at the fallen horse. "In the urgency, I had no choice but to take the horse's life. Is there any trouble for you, Miss?"

The spooked horse lay motionless in a pool of blood, the dagger embedded in its neck glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Any reasonable person would not say, "Though you saved me, you must compensate for my horse," and Xin You was no exception.

"Fortunately, the righteous hero killed the spooked horse in time, preventing us from getting hurt and involving innocent passersby. May I ask your name, so that when I return home and report to my elders, we may come to thank you properly?"

"There's no need for thanks; it was just a small matter," the man in red robes replied gently.

A voice called out from behind: "Miss Xin, Miss Xin—"

Xin You watched as two guards hurriedly approached, suddenly reminded of her mother's jest after telling a certain story: those who should protect always arrive too late.

"Miss Xin, are you all right?" The two guards dismounted their horses, looking anxious.

"I'm fine. This righteous hero saved Xiaolian and me."

The guards quickly clasped their fists. "Thank you for saving our Miss Xin."

"You're welcome," the man in red robes nodded slightly, turning toward his steed that had followed without its master.

"May I ask the hero's esteemed name and residence—" As the guard turned back, he suddenly paused, his expression changing.

The man in red robes remained composed, leading the horse by the reins.

Seeing him mount the horse, Xin You called out, "Righteous hero, please wait."