Chapter 284: They’re After Her!

Chapter 284 They Were Coming for Her!

The carriage drew closer and closer to the Cui residence.

Xiao Huaijin, dressed as a young noble, had long been standing at the entrance of the Cui residence waiting. His expression was calm on the surface, but his slightly trembling eyes betrayed his inner excitement.

When the carriage gradually approached, he could no longer contain himself and rushed forward.

Before the carriage had fully come to a stop, Xiao Huaijin eagerly reached out his hand, ready to help Jiang Shuning step down.

Jiang Shuning lifted the carriage curtain and saw his beaming face. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively wanted to avoid his touch.

But she worried that if she was careless and fell, she might hurt the child in her womb.

After a moment of hesitation, she gently placed her hand in his palm.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huaijin took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, holding her tightly. His voice was low and excited: "At last, Miss Jiang, I've been waiting for you!"

He trembled as he held her, as if pouring out all the worries and longing of these days.

Jiang Shuning stiffened in his arms, feeling his rapid heartbeat and catching the distinctive scent of pine and ink.

She instinctively pushed him away and said softly, "Your Highness, please don't."

"I'm sorry, Miss Jiang; I was too forward." Xiao Huaijin released her, a barely concealed smile on his gentle face, tinged with self-deprecation. "I was just... too excited and lost my composure."

Looking at him like this, Jiang Shuning felt an inexplicable pang of guilt.

She was no longer chaste and was carrying Xiao Lingchuan's child in her womb, yet he still harbored such deep feelings for her, offering his care without reservation.

She silently resolved to confess everything to him and not let him continue to sacrifice for her.

"Prince Ning, there is something I must tell you..."

As soon as she began, Xiao Huaijin interrupted eagerly: "Miss Jiang, get into my carriage quickly! Let's leave the city as soon as possible and take a boat out of here. We can talk later!"

Saying this, he took her hand without waiting for her response and led her to a carriage that had been prepared nearby.

Jiang Shuning was ushered into the carriage, her heart filled with mixed emotions, but she had to suppress her unfinished words for now.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Huaijin sat beside her, unwilling to let go of her hand.

His eyes were slightly lowered, his thick lashes concealing the complex emotions surging beneath. His voice was low and gentle: "Miss Jiang, do you know how long I've waited for today? It all feels like a dream, so unreal that it makes my heart uneasy."

Jiang Shuning took a deep breath and quietly withdrew her hand from his grasp. She said softly, "Prince Ning, I will always be grateful for your kindness. But... I have been in the Prince Jing's residence for some time now. I am no longer the Jiang Shuning I once was, and I am afraid I cannot repay your deep affection."

Xiao Huaijin naturally understood the hidden meaning in her words. His heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped by an invisible hand, causing him great pain.

Yet a resolute expression remained on his face. His voice was low and firm: "From the moment I learned that Fourth Brother had taken you away, I guessed what he would do to you. Miss Jiang, I know you were forced. I love you and treasure you. I will never care about those so-called reputations. A woman's worth isn't defined by her chastity. As long as you are willing to accept me, I will protect you and love you for the rest of my life!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuning's heart trembled violently. Her eyes stung with emotion, and she almost shed tears.

She had never expected his feelings for her to be so profound. Even knowing what had happened to her in the Prince Jing's residence, even knowing she was no longer chaste, he could still accept her unconditionally.

But the kinder he was, the heavier her guilt and self-loathing became.

He was like the bright moon in the sky—worthy of someone much better.

Just as she made up her mind to reject his affection, the carriage suddenly jolted to a halt.

From outside, Xiao Huaijin's guard, A Qi, spoke anxiously, a hint of panic in his voice: "Your Highness, something is wrong! Someone is blocking our carriage! Those people... they look hostile!"

Jiang Shuning's heart leaped in alarm. She quickly lifted the carriage curtain and looked out the window.

They were now in the outskirts of the city. The desolate road was flanked by overgrown weeds. Not far away, a group of men in black masks, holding long swords, were approaching their carriage with steady steps and a menacing presence.

"Oh no, they're bandits!" Jiang Shuning said nervously.

Xiao Huaijin frowned deeply. A trace of regret flashed in his eyes, and he muttered to himself, "It's my fault for being too impatient to leave the city quickly. Instead of taking the main road, I chose this secluded path."

He paused, then quickly summoned A Qi. He handed over the valuables he carried with him to the guard and ordered in a low voice, "Give these as a bribe to those men. Beg them to let us pass!"

Although he had brought many guards, he was worried that a conflict would frighten Jiang Shuning, so he chose the safer option.

"Yes, Your Highness!" A Qi took the valuables and quickly got off the carriage to negotiate.

But Jiang Shuning remained uneasy. She clutched the edge of her sleeve tightly, her forehead creased.

She stared at the figures of those black-clad men outside, a strong feeling of dread rising within her—they were about to leave the capital and had encountered robbers? What a coincidence!

A Qi carried the heavy cloth bundle and shouted to the masked men: "Sirs, this is a gift from our master. Please be gracious and let us pass without trouble!"

The leading masked man merely cast a cold glance at the bulging purse, then his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, bored through A Qi and fixed on their carriage.

"Who is in the carriage?" His voice was as cold as ice.

A Qi stiffened and instinctively lied without thinking: "It's my young master and... a maidservant!"

"Really a maidservant?" The masked man sneered, advancing with his sword. The sword tip scratched a line on the ground—and on A Qi's nerves.

"If I find you are lying..."

Before he could finish, the carriage curtain was abruptly thrown open.

Xiao Huaijin stepped down himself.

The brocade robe he wore fluttered gently in the wilderness wind, but his expression showed no panic.

He clasped his hands in a salute to the man, assuming a very humble posture: "Good sir, to be honest, I am taking my wife out of the city today to head south. Please do not make things difficult for us!"

When the masked man heard the word "wife," even the black cloth covering his face could not hide his mockery.

"Wife?" He laughed coldly, his gaze lingering lasciviously on the carriage. "Perfect timing. Our stronghold is just missing a lady. Let your wife stay and become my woman!"

His words were lewd and arrogant, completely trampling Xiao Huaijin's dignity.

"How dare you!" Xiao Huaijin's patience had reached its limit. The last trace of respect vanished from his face, replaced by overwhelming fury. "A bunch of masked scoundrels, daring to covet my wife? Since you won't take the easy way, don't blame me for being ruthless! Men, attack!"

At his command, the dozen or so guards Xiao Huaijin had brought did not hesitate. In an instant, they drew their swords.

They were well-trained, their formation spreading out as they charged like wolves.

In an instant, the clash of blades and ring of metal filled the air.

Jiang Shuning's heart was in her throat. She clutched the edge of the carriage window tightly.

The wind carried the dull thud of blades cutting flesh and the muffled groans of dying men.

In her line of sight, figures collided and blood sprayed. Each clash made her heart pound in terror.

The dread in her chest quickly turned into bone-chilling cold.

Something was wrong.

Xiao Huaijin's guards were all elites, yet at the hands of those masked men, they seemed as fragile as paper.

Their swordsmanship was vicious and lethal, each strike a killing blow, with no wasted motion.

How could these be bandits?

In barely the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the sound of battle gradually faded.

Xiao Huaijin's guards either lay in pools of blood or were gravely wounded and unable to get up.

A Qi knelt on the ground, clutching his arm where a wound had been cut to the bone, his eyes filled with defiance.

The leading masked man casually flicked the blood off his blade, and his cold eyes, cutting through the dead silence, settled back on Xiao Huaijin.

He strode toward them, step by step, the longsword still dripping blood in hand.

"Now," he said, his voice triumphant, "you can leave your 'lady' behind, can't you?"

In that moment, a chill shot up Jiang Shuning's spine, making her scalp prickle.

They weren't after the money at all!

They were after her!