Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Luo Qianyu couldn't bring himself to read on and tossed the letter aside.

Although there were reasons for what happened, his young attendant was indeed innocent. The Young Marquis pondered for a moment before instructing Zhao Nian to relay a message: "Tell Lou Xian I've accepted the gift."

"And if he writes such a flirtatious letter again, this Young Master will really cut ties with him! We'll meet at the academy."

Zhao Nian couldn't help but chuckle. "Understood."

That night.

A maid placed a hot water bottle under the Young Marquis's bedding, quietly extinguished the lamp, and left, unaware that the young master was tossing and turning restlessly.

After much experimentation, Luo Qianyu had confirmed that the predetermined plot of the book was unavoidable; his meeting with Wen Yu was a destined inevitability.

How did the original story go again?

The Young Marquis received a spirited horse from Lou Xian and was eager to show it off. He happened to hear that on the night of the Donglang Bridge lantern festival, nearly all the officials, nobles, and commoners of the capital would gather at the night market to view the lanterns—the perfect time when the crowds would be at their peak.

The Young Marquis was tempted.

That night, he abandoned his carriage and rode Cloak Horse to Donglang Bridge. Unbeknownst to him, Cloak Horse was still untamed and easily spooked. Startled midway by the lanterns and drumming, the horse suddenly bolted out of control at full speed! It nearly trampled a little girl buying candied hawthorns.

It was at this moment that Wen Yu appeared, leaping forward to seize Cloak Horse's reins with such force that his palms bled from the friction.

The Young Marquis was thrown from the horse by the jolt, landing hard on his tailbone. He was in too much pain to stand, having fractured his coccyx, and was left in a sorry state.

Yet, he couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty before him, falling in love at first sight and sowing the seeds for the future plot where, in a fit of humiliated rage, he would forcibly abduct Wen Yu back to the Marquis's estate.

A chill ran through Luo Qianyu's heart as he silently rubbed the area below his sacrum.

How much would that hurt?

Was this plotline truly unavoidable?

The next day, while it was still light, the Young Marquis went to the stables early. Cloak Horse, a fiery red steed, was kept in a separate stall, vigorously chewing on hay.

"Your servant has lived for decades and never seen such a superior horse," the groom marveled, not daring to be negligent—this was a gift from the Lou family's young master. "Is the young master planning to ride this horse to the lantern festival?"

Luo Qianyu looked at the culprit happily munching away and fell silent for a moment.

He walked past Cloak Horse and headed straight for another part of the stable. Raising his hand, he pointed arbitrarily. "Bring that one out."

The groom looked closely—it was an utterly ordinary, unremarkable brown pony. He quickly waved his hands. "Young master, this horse is lazy by nature. It stops frequently and particularly enjoys resting," he advised. "If the young master rides it out, it will be slow and sluggish; it won't run."

"Perfect." Luo Qianyu was secretly delighted. That was exactly what he wanted—a horse that couldn't run!

He continued his instructions. "Also, find a harness and saddle it up. I'll take the carriage tonight."

"Yes, sir." Though puzzled, the groom complied.

Cloak Horse swallowed a mouthful of hay, not even glancing sideways, but its nostrils flared slightly, its breath huffing out a bit heavier for a moment. Its hoof tapped the ground, letting out a faint, almost imperceptible whinny.

This caused the other horses in the stable to grow restless and uneasy.

-

As night approached, Luo Qianyu quietly left the estate, accompanied only by Zhao Nian.

Donglang Bridge wasn't far from the Drum Tower, but it was quite a distance from the Marquis's estate. The Young Marquis leaned back in the carriage, and after roughly the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, they arrived at the entrance of a lane corner.

The Drum Tower was already adorned with lanterns, stretching all the way to Donglang Bridge. The crowds were dense, shoulder to shoulder, bustling with activity everywhere.

Ladies in silk dresses and pearl hairpins savored fragrant scents. Several children held up lanterns, gathered around a small cart waiting for sugar paintings. Every few steps, there were fire performances and acrobatics. Occasionally, scholars and literati gathered to appreciate paintings, recite poetry, and compose verses.

It truly lived up to the book's description of the grand spectacle of Da Xi: "The ancient moon congeals a painted scene, splendid lanterns illuminate the entire city."

The Young Marquis had no interest in sightseeing. Having prepared in advance, though not exactly seeing enemies behind every bush, he remained vigilant.

The carriage was heavy and moved at a snail's pace. Compared to riding Cloak Horse, where was the dashing, heroic bearing? Zhao Nian was somewhat puzzled but noticed the Young Marquis lifting the curtain, frequently looking out the window. He inquired, "Young master, are you looking for someone?"

Luo Qianyu's gaze remained outside the carriage window. "It's nothing... It sounds lively outside, I'm just taking a look."

Zhao Nian smiled. "If the young master wishes to have fun, why not go down and stroll around? This subordinate will keep an eye on the carriage."

Luo Qianyu felt inwardly awkward. "No, the imperial examinations are approaching. Indulging too much in pleasure will only disturb my focus."

Go down and stroll around? He had no desire to run directly into Wen Yu. Staying in the carriage felt much safer.

But soon, the Young Marquis's gaze sharpened, as if surging with pleasant surprise.

...

The little girl swallowed the last candied hawthorn, tossed the stick, and still craved more.

Looking up, she saw her mother settling the bill at a rouge shop counter. Watching the candied hawthorn vendor walk further and further away, she grew anxious. She ran out of the shop, chasing a few steps, when suddenly a carriage stopped in front of her.

Her eyes widened.

Her gaze moved from the gold-thread embroidered curtains to the jade-inlaid carriage shafts. The carriage's paint was so glossy it could reflect a person's image, like a moving golden palace, probably carved from mountains of gold and silver!

Then the curtain was lifted, revealing the young gentleman inside.

The young gentleman was handsome, and his voice was pleasant. He opened his lips and asked her, "Child, looking left and right, what are you searching for?"

The little girl had her hair tied in two round buns and wore a colorful padded jacket. She was adorable and timid. "...I want to eat candied hawthorns."

"Didn't your mother buy you one?"

The child pondered for a moment, her voice also small. "Mother said I could only buy one. I ate one, but I still want more."

Luo Qianyu lifted the curtain a bit more, unable to resist teasing her. "Aren't you afraid of ruining your teeth if you eat too many?"

The little girl choked up for a second, her voice milky and childish. "I'm young; my teeth are supposed to fall out anyway."

Luo Qianyu asked, "And the candied hawthorn vendor? Has he already left?"

The child nodded. "He's already gone far. I was chasing him."

"You're so young. Can you outrun a peddler's cart?"

The child pouted angrily. If the carriage hadn't stopped her, she would have caught up by now.

Luo Qianyu lifted the outer curtain and gave Zhao Nian a few instructions. Zhao Nian nodded, then dismounted from the carriage.

Luo Qianyu sighed.

He silently recalled—in the original book, the little girl chased after the vendor. Her mother didn't notice, and the child had already run into the middle of the road. Just then, the Young Marquis came galloping on his horse. If Wen Yu hadn't appeared in time to scoop up the girl and rein in the horse, she would likely have become a tragic victim under Cloak Horse's hooves.

And he was now certain that this little girl before him was the very one Wen Yu had saved in the book.

A short while later, Zhao Nian returned, pushing a vendor's cart with an assortment of candied hawthorn sticks sticking out of the bamboo basket, and stopped in front of the little girl.

The child looked behind Zhao Nian and found that the vendor uncle had disappeared, leaving only the cart and the candied hawthorns. She gulped, skeptically: "Brother, did you kill him?"

Zhao Nian: "..."

Luo Qianyu chuckled. It wasn't hard to see what kind of image their group of pampered, silk-robed nobles usually had in the eyes of commoners. He teased, "We are the infamous candied hawthorn bandits of the jianghu. No need for killing; we just robbed the cart."

Zhao Nian frowned slightly, unwilling for others to misunderstand his young master, and said seriously, "We paid for all of it."

The child was surprised: "You even bought the cart?"

Zhao Nian: "Mm."

The child, now without worries, her eyes instantly lit up, grabbing a candied hawthorn skewer with each hand and stuffing two berries into her cheeks.

Luo Qianyu calculated in his heart: now the little girl was safe, the cloak was gone, the carriage was steady, and everything was peaceful.

Tonight... had he survived it?

"Brother, have some too." The child picked up a skewer, struggling to lift it, offering it to the little celestial being in the carriage who was much taller than her.

Luo Qianyu was slightly taken aback and reached out to take it.

As they were speaking, from somewhere, a bolt from a short crossbow whizzed through the air, striking the hindquarter of the Marquis's horse.

The carriage's noble occupant was unaware, only hearing the steed in front suddenly raise its head and let out a sharp, agonized neigh!

Immediately, its front hooves lifted high, kicking up dust as it began to run wildly out of control!

The candied hawthorn that hadn't yet reached his hand fell to the ground with a thud, the sugary coating shattering into hard fragments, a sudden crisp sound.

In an instant, the previously stationary carriage was now racing ahead, carried by the wind! To the child, the carriage seemed to flash dozens of feet away like lightning, fleeting as a passing shadow.

The little girl, frightened, fell to the ground, wailing loudly.

Zhao Nian felt as if struck, his soul shaken and scattered, chasing after the carriage, his voice trembling with fear as he shouted, "Young Marquis!!!"

In the midst of the sudden upheaval, Luo Qianyu's heart pounded wildly. He barely managed to steady himself but couldn't withstand the violent jolting of the carriage as it sped along. The sound of wood crashing and splintering scraped past his ears; the situation was nearly out of control.

After just a few jolts, Luo Qianyu gripped the window ledge tightly, with no time to look at the scenery rushing past outside. He only heard the gasps and screams of passersby. This growing sense of losing control gnawed at his already strained nerves.

A cold sweat broke out on his back, his heart drumming, his lower body aching.

What the hell!?

Everything that should have happened didn't, and even with such caution, they're forcing a plot kill now?!

Damn that cursed author!!!

He didn't know how long it had been, or perhaps only a moment. The carriage might have already traveled a hundred feet... no, several hundred feet.

Enduring the pain from the bumps, Luo Qianyu moved forward a few steps, intending to lift the carriage curtain and try to control the runaway horse.

Just then, a figure darted out from the crowd, agile as a hawk, as if descending from the sky, leaping onto the carriage step in one swift motion.

With a light tap of his foot, he landed on the stirrup. Without hesitation, the man pulled back on the reins, gripping the buckle tightly. The frightened horse possessed astonishing strength, like a collapsing city wall.

The man clenched his teeth, his knuckles turning white until blood seeped from his palms.

The horse was forced to raise its head, its mane whipping wildly in the wind, letting out a deafening neigh!

The man's gaze was sharp, yet there was not a trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, he seized the opportunity to mount the horse. He clamped his legs against the horse's belly, rooted as if grown there, unmoving despite the steed's violent struggles.

This jolt and sudden stop, however, made the person inside the carriage suffer.

The violent jolting caused the Young Marquis to fall heavily, his lower back hitting the hard wooden board. Though cushioned by velvet padding, it still made Luo Qianyu tremble with pain, breaking into a cold sweat instantly.

The frightened steed's chest heaved, panting heavily. It resisted stubbornly for dozens of steps but ultimately couldn't withstand this desperate contest of strength.

The frenzy in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by submission and exhaustion, and its speed slowed.

Finally, the carriage stopped beside the stone steps outside East Lang Bridge.

After the surroundings calmed, Luo Qianyu lifted the carriage curtain, glanced outside, and quickly closed it again.

The man wore a veiled hat, his posture upright, his true appearance unclear.

But, appearing at this critical moment, possessing such skill, able to control a frightened, galloping horse as lightly as a swallow—even within the capital, those who could do so were few and far between.

If it wasn't Wen Yu, then who?!

He still remembered from the book at this moment, Wen Yu coldly looked at the Young Marquis who had fallen from the horse. In his life, he most despised such dandies who bullied others relying on their power, seizing opportunities to act recklessly. He spoke indifferently, "Are the common people of the world nothing but ants for you to trample at will during your indulgent pleasures?"

From then on, the Young Marquis's first impression on Wen Yu was already extremely poor, thoroughly earning a wave of disgust.

Luo Qianyu's mind raced.

Although he hadn't personally galloped the horse this time, the horse being startled and nearly injuring pedestrians, driving the carriage into the crowd, was itself a mistake and a hazard. Wen Yu still had ten thousand reasons to despise and look down on him; a cold glance would be lenient treatment.

As everyone knew, in the original book, the more a side character was disliked by the male protagonist, the more miserable their death. He could be his idle, dissolute dandy, but making a principled mistake was another matter entirely.

This wouldn't do!

The noble inside the carriage pondered for a moment. Without waiting for Wen Yu to speak, he lowered his voice, his tone dignified and cool: "How bold! Who dares to collide with the Marquis's carriage?"

"Such recklessness! If innocent commoners were harmed, could you bear the responsibility?!"

Wen Yu was taken aback.

Luo Qianyu felt uneasy and lacking in confidence from his own words. Superficially, it was an accusation and provocation, but in reality, it was a preemptive strike, throwing the moral benchmark back to Wen Yu's side. Even someone as upright as the protagonist couldn't help but fall into a crisis of self-justification.

Wen Yu dismounted and knelt on one knee, saying in a deep voice, "Your horse was startled, noble sir. This commoner acted in haste to rein it in."

"In truth, I had no intention of colliding, much less harming any commoners. I beg your forgiveness."

After the beauty finished speaking, the Young Marquis felt his ears grow hot. It seemed he had truly become the overbearing bully who blamed others, solidifying his reputation as a dandy. But integrity was precious, yet life was of higher value. He could only wrong the Little Beauty.

Luo Qianyu pursed his lips. "Since you know your mistake, why are you still foolishly standing here..."

Just as he was about to finish, telling the beauty to go home and reflect instead of being an eyesore here, so he could seize the chance to escape, Zhao Nian hurriedly arrived at that moment, lifting the curtain and boarding the carriage: "Young Marquis! Are you alright? Were you injured anywhere!?"

Luo Qianyu: "..."

Luo Qianyu: "I'm fine, not injured anywhere."

Zhao Nian wasn't reassured, fearing the Young Marquis might have suffered some hidden injury. He gripped the edge of the curtain, urgently saying, "This subordinate will drive the carriage to take you back to the manor immediately."

Luo Qianyu felt a surge of anxiety in his heart: "No!"

For a while now, he had felt a pain in his lower back. Even the slightest touch was unbearable; he could barely move. The smallest bump made him break into a sweat, let alone the thought of riding in a carriage back to the estate now.

Zhao Nian noticed the fine beads of sweat on the Young Marquis's forehead and was startled—he *was* hurt! He quickly turned around, knelt on one knee, and said, "Let me carry you on my back."

"Wait, don't move yet."

He pursed his lips lightly and whispered, "A piggyback won't work. I think I've thrown my back out."

Zhao Nian grew anxious and suggested, "Then I'll carry you."

But Luo Qianyu shook his head and said, "Get me a veil hat."

No, absolutely must not reveal his face.

In the book's plot, the Young Marquis revealing his identity here wasn't a problem, but being carried back to the estate in a man's arms in front of a crowd... The Young Marquis felt his vision darken. He couldn't let anyone see this, no matter how much it hurt—he'd rather die!

Zhao Nian couldn't figure out what the Young Marquis was thinking but had no choice. He stepped down from the carriage and realized they were still some distance from Donglang Bridge. Crossing the bridge and going back to find a stall or shop would take a great deal of time.

His gaze inadvertently fell on Wen Yu. An idea struck Zhao Nian, and he stepped forward. "Young master, may I borrow your veil hat?"

...

Soon after, the carriage curtain was lifted again, and Zhao Nian spoke up. "Young Master, I've... *procured* the veil hat."

So quickly?

During this time, Luo Qianyu hadn't heard Wen Yu's voice for a while. Their earlier conversation had been interrupted, making it the perfect opportunity to leave. He guessed that person had probably already returned home and felt slightly relieved.

"Good."

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Luo Qianyu whispered, "Find someone big and strong to carry me out."

Zhao Nian was puzzled and immediately volunteered. "Why find someone else? I can carry you back."

The Young Marquis was startled and scolded, "Don't be ridiculous."

So thin he'd struggle to carry a paper tube, and he wants to carry me?

At first, Luo Qianyu had mistakenly thought Zhao Nian was being mistreated by the original owner. But after carefully feeding him for a long time, he discovered his Tutor would put away four hefty plain steamed buns as an appetizer before moving on to the main course.

This kid simply couldn't gain weight.

"The estate is so far away. Where would you get the strength?" The Young Marquis frowned slightly, as if losing patience, and shooed him away. "Go out."

Zhao Nian felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. He wanted to persuade further, but seeing the situation, he had no choice but to relent. He said softly, "Alright, I'll go find someone... Please hold on a little longer, Young Master."

Another good while passed. Luo Qianyu lowered his gaze, almost feeling a hint of drowsiness.

Then, the curtain was lifted, bringing in a trace of cool air.

Along with it came a faint, impossible-to-ignore fragrance.

Luo Qianyu was faintly aware. He lifted his eyes, and his vision cleared a bit.

It was fine if he didn't look, but once he did, all drowsiness instantly vanished, and his heart leapt into his throat!

It was actually Wen Yu!

What the—Zhao Nian! I said find *someone*, not bring *him* here!!

"You, how..." Luo Qianyu uttered a few words in surprise but then fell silent, not wanting to show weakness, and barely managed to calm his racing heart.

Wen Yu looked at the pampered young lord who had just been haughty toward him. Now wearing his veil hat, he said nothing, only bent down.

While the Young Marquis was still stunned, he heard a cool, slightly deep voice by his ear:

"Forgive me, my lord."

Luo Qianyu's pupils trembled. His hand gripping the window sill unconsciously clenched. His waist—untouched since his transmigration—tightened. A hand now pressed against the small of his back, through his inner robe.

That person wrapped an arm around his waist, while the other hand slipped behind his knees. That hand had distinct knuckles and slender fingers, and it slowly tightened.

His fingers brushed against the kneecap—precisely where he had been injured from kneeling in punishment. The Young Marquis gritted his teeth and let out a low groan.

Wen Yu seemed to notice. His movements paused, and then his fingers shifted upward slightly, bringing them even closer to the area below his waist. Luo Qianyu turned his head aside, forcing himself to endure this unfamiliar sensation. The next moment, a sudden sense of weightlessness caught him off guard. Luo Qianyu's heart panicked, turning into a rapid heartbeat.

He was enveloped by the other's fragrance.

Even if he wanted to avoid it, there was no escape.

He was carried out of the carriage by Wen Yu. The veil of the hat was a snowy white, blocking most of his vision as if covered by a layer of ethereal white mist.

Luo Qianyu didn't know where this inexplicable nervousness came from. His gaze shifted, and inadvertently catching sight of something, his heart gave a violent jump.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly. He focused his eyes on the red hair ribbon tightly wrapped around the other's wrist. It looked somewhat familiar, like something belonging to someone close. Luo Qianyu was stunned. After a few seconds of processing, he suddenly clenched his teeth, and his ears abruptly grew hot.

...What's going on?

How did the hair ribbon he lost long ago end up in Wen Yu's hand?