Chapter 163: Speaking the Truth

Chapter 163: Speaking the Truth

Xiaolian's first reaction was that the young lady must be drunk.

But her admiration for Xin You had long taken root, and her actions were quicker than her thoughts as she reached out to lift the carriage curtain.

As soon as the cotton curtain was lifted, a gust of cold wind carrying fine snowflakes blew in.

Xiaolian poked her head out and looked back, then abruptly dropped the curtain. "Young lady, Lord He is really behind us!"

The young lady was as insightful as ever; she should never have doubted her. What a sin.

The girl leaning against the carriage wall smiled at this. "Tell the driver to stop the carriage."

Xiaolian was taken aback again.

Was the young lady planning to let Lord He know that they knew he was following them? But from the distance between Lord He and the carriage, it didn't seem like he wanted them to know.

Wouldn't that be a bit awkward?

Xiaolian couldn't help but suspect that the young lady had drunk too much, so she carefully examined Xin You's face.

The girl had an oval face, fair and clean, looking no different from usual.

She must have been overthinking it.

Xiaolian cleared her throat and called out to the driver, "Stop the carriage for a moment."

The carriage came to a halt quickly.

Seeing the carriage stop from a distance, He Qingxiao's eyes filled with confusion.

He naturally saw Xiaolian peeking out, but he wasn't surprised when she noticed him, knowing Miss Kou to be a straightforward and generous woman who wouldn't misunderstand.

But the carriage stopping was unexpected.

Thinking about how much strong liquor Xin You had consumed at the banquet, his confusion turned into concern.

Could something be wrong with Miss Kou?

This thought made He Qingxiao spur his horse, and in a few breaths, he was by the carriage side.

Xin You, eyes closed, moved her ear slightly. "The hoofbeats have stopped."

Xiaolian felt a bit nervous and whispered, "Young lady, it must be Lord He coming over!"

Xin You shifted closer to her and pulled back the curtain.

Xiaolian silently moved to the side.

Seeing Xin You, He Qingxiao breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Does Miss Kou need any help?"

Xin You shook her head. "No, I don't."

He Qingxiao was at a loss for words.

They were not related or close, and it wasn't appropriate for him to follow a young lady's carriage. Now that she didn't need help, he couldn't just walk alongside the carriage and chat idly.

After a brief silence, He Qingxiao spoke up. "Miss Kou drank quite a bit today. You should lower the curtain to avoid catching a cold from the cold wind."

"Cold?" These two words reminded Xin You. "Lord He, would you like to ride in the carriage with us?"

Calm and composed as He Qingxiao was, he was momentarily stunned, his gaze blankly falling on the green-curtained carriage before him.

Xiaolian's pupils dilated, thinking she must have heard wrong.

Ride in the carriage? Ride in what carriage? Whose carriage?

Soon, she realized whose carriage it was, hearing Xin You chuckle, "There's still room in my carriage."

He Qingxiao's lips twitched uncontrollably, confirming: Miss Kou was indeed drunk.

What could he do with a drunk person? Only coax her gently.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Kou, but I feel a bit warm after drinking. Riding my horse is fine. Please lower the curtain and get home early."

Before Xiaolian could respond, another head poked in. "Lord He, I remember, I have something important to say."

He Qingxiao, worried that Xin You might say something inappropriate in front of Xiaolian and the driver, hesitated and said, "Let's talk about it when we reach the bookstore."

"Alright." Xin You sat back, leaned against the carriage wall, and closed her eyes.

Xiaolian gave He Qingxiao an awkward smile and quickly lowered the curtain.

"Young lady?"

Calling out once and getting no response, Xiaolian patted her forehead.

So, the young lady really was very drunk!

Realizing this, Xiaolian admired her even more.

To remain so composed even when drunk, truly impressive!

Xin You's carriage was expensive, spacious, and comfortable, and it didn't sway much, making the journey smooth all the way to Qingsong Bookstore.

When the carriage stopped, Xiaolian quietly lifted a corner of the curtain and saw that Lord He was still there. She quickly called out to Xin You, "Young lady, we've arrived at the bookstore."

She thought it would be hard to wake someone who had drunk so much, but to her surprise, the girl who seemed to be sleeping deeply opened her eyes at the first call.

"Are we there yet?"

"We're here. Lord He is waiting for you."

Xin You blinked and was about to step out of the carriage when Xiaolian quickly held her steady.

He Qingxiao also dismounted, waiting for Xin You to walk towards the Bookstore before silently following behind.

"Boss, didn't you go to the banquet?" Liu Zhou, thinking they had a visitor, asked in confusion as Xin You walked in.

"I'm back. Lord He and I have important matters to discuss. Prepare a pot of good tea and some pastries made by Aunt Yang," Xin You instructed.

Liu Zhou glanced back at He Qingxiao who had just entered, feeling a bit puzzled.

The boss seems to be talking a lot today. Could it be that he drank too much at the banquet?

But seeing Xin You's fair and clean face and clear voice, the young apprentice quietly dismissed his doubts.

Someone who had drunk too much couldn't look like this.

Xin You turned her head to glance at He Qingxiao, waiting for him to come closer before stepping into the reception room.

He Qingxiao had been in this reception room many times before. Perhaps due to Xin You's straightforward attitude, he had never felt constrained. This time, however, he found it hard to move his feet.

Xiaolian watched silently, understanding quite well.

Lord He must have been startled by the lady's invitation to share the carriage, right?

Liu Zhou, unaware of all this, saw He Qingxiao walking slowly and urged him, "Lord He?"

How could they let their boss wait!

He Qingxiao composed himself and walked in.

Liu Zhou quickly brought in the tea and pastries and then left.

Now, only the two of them were left in the reception room.

Noble ladies were very particular when they went out. Even if it was inconvenient at the host's place, they would rinse their mouths and wash their hands in the carriage on the way back. Xin You naturally did the same, but the alcohol still lingered in her breath.

He Qingxiao sat upright, unsure whether the alcohol scent came from him or her.

This made his body tense involuntarily, making it hard for him to feel at ease.

Did Miss Kou say she had important matters to discuss, which were related to King Qing?

Just as he was guessing, he saw Xin You propping her chin with one hand and smiling.

"Lord He, you managed to avoid the bloodshed today," she said seriously, but her hazy eyes betrayed her.

This wasn't something the clear-headed Miss Kou would say.

Xin You felt very clear-headed and rational, and she really wanted to talk: "Lord He has helped me several times before. I finally repaid you once."

He Qingxiao was taken aback.

What did Miss Kou mean by that?

Xin You continued: "I thought it would be hard to repay Lord He, but considering that Lord He often faces bloodshed, it seems I can still manage to repay you."

He Qingxiao: ""