Chapter 275: Chapter 257, Flintlock_1
“Master, here is the handkerchief you asked for!”
Inside the cabin, Defu entered with several clean cotton handkerchiefs, glanced at Miss Yan who stood obediently, and then at their silent master sitting down. With swift movements, he placed the handkerchiefs on the table, then quickly withdrew.
Upon seeing the handkerchiefs, Daohua glanced at her wet hair and immediately smiled, reaching for a handkerchief, “These are for drying my hair, right?”
While speaking, she brought her black hair to the front of her body, then began to rub it with the handkerchief.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua, stood up with a stern face, and snatched the handkerchief away.
Frowning with confusion, Daohua asked, “What are you doing?”
“Sit down!”
Xiao Yeyang gestured with his chin towards the stool.
Daohua looked at Xiao Yeyang’s expression, thought for a moment, and obediently sat down.
As soon as she sat, she felt her hair being swept back, and turning her head, she saw Xiao Yeyang holding the handkerchief, ready to wipe her hair.
Daohua: “That, I can do it myself!” With that said, she reached out to take the handkerchief.
This time, because she followed Xiao Yeyang out on short notice, and the porridge stand needed people, she and Yuanyao had not brought any attendants and had to wipe their hair by themselves.
Xiao Yeyang raised his hand, avoiding Daohua’s hand, and said expressionlessly, “Sit still!”
Daohua: “…”
Glancing at Xiao Yeyang, she thought to herself that this guy was still angry, and it would be better for her to go along with him.
So, she put her hand down and sat still.
Only then did Xiao Yeyang start to wipe Daohua’s hair.
Daohua sat obediently, and after a while, seeing that he was only silently wiping her hair and not speaking, she knew that he was holding in his anger and thus took the initiative to start a conversation.
“That, you should know that I value my life and wouldn’t joke about it.”
Xiao Yeyang didn’t respond but fetched a new dry handkerchief and continued wiping her hair.
Seeing this, Daohua couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Xiao Yeyang’s expression.
Immediately, Xiao Yeyang said, “Don’t move around!”
His tone was somewhat sharp, still angry.
With a sigh in her heart, Daohua continued, “I thought it through before I jumped into the water to save someone. First, I can swim; second, I had a rope tied to me.”
“I know, you’re going to say there’s always a ‘what if,’ but even if the rope broke, you were still there, right!”
“You were on the boat, and there were so many other boatmen who could swim, could they really not save me?”
“If that were the case, then I would have deserved whatever happened…”
Before she could finish, Daohua felt her hair tighten, and turning her head, she saw Xiao Yeyang looking at her with a displeased expression.
“Who curses themselves like that?”
Daohua murmured, “I was just speaking without thinking.”
Xiao Yeyang: “…You better keep quiet!” With that, he accidentally wiped her hair a bit too hard and caused her pain.
“Ow!”
Daohua quickly reached up to grab her hair, looking at Xiao Yeyang with dissatisfaction, “Did you do that on purpose?”
Xiao Yeyang intended to explain, but didn’t want to back down, so he just kept a straight face and remained silent.
Seeing him like this, Daohua huffed, letting her hair down, “Forget it, I’ll be the bigger person and not hold this against you.”
Seeing Daohua sit back down, Xiao Yeyang picked up the handkerchief and started wiping again.
Afterward, neither of them spoke again.
Daohua let Xiao Yeyang dry her hair, swinging her legs, occasionally turning her head to glance at him.
Seeing this, the stiffness in Xiao Yeyang’s cheeks slowly melted away as he earnestly helped wipe her hair.
Daohua’s hair was very healthy: black, long, soft and smooth.
Every time a strand slipped through his fingers, he felt a ticklish sensation in his heart.
Thinking that this was the first time he was drying a woman’s hair, Xiao Yeyang felt slightly uneasy. In order to dispel this unease, he took the initiative to speak, “You’re not allowed to do something this dangerous again!”
When Daohua heard him speak, she immediately turned around and asked with a smile, “Are you not angry anymore?”
Xiao Yeyang let out a grunt, “When have I ever been angry?”
Daohua said, “Just now, right now, and who knows, maybe in the future too. You’ve been angry all along, otherwise why would you be frowning?”
Xiao Yeyang fell silent, “I can’t be bothered with you. Once we get back, I’ll let your three brothers take care of you!”
Upon hearing this, Daohua couldn’t help but stand up, then she tugged on her hair, “Ouch, that hurts!”
Xiao Yeyang quickly let go of her hair, “I told you not to move around!”
Ignoring the pain, Daohua rubbed her head and said, “Xiao Yeyang, you mustn’t tell my three brothers about what happened today, especially my eldest brother. If he finds out, he’ll definitely go on and on about it for half a day.”
Xiao Yeyang was unmoved, “I think your eldest brother should really take care of you.”
“No, don’t!”
Daohua reached out and tugged at Xiao Yeyang’s sleeve, shaking it a few times, then pleaded pitifully, “If my three brothers find out, my grandmother and mother will certainly find out too. If they both learn about me going into the river to save someone, I’ll never be allowed out of the house again in the future.”
“Xiao Yeyang, can you really bear to see me kept in the back courtyard, never able to step out?”
Xiao Yeyang glanced at her, pulled back his sleeve, “Yes, I can bear it!”
Daohua’s breath hitched, then she put her hands on her hips, “Are you still my friend or not? I’m just asking you for a little help, and you’re making all these excuses.”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua, then averted his eyes, not saying a word.
If toughness wouldn’t work, she would have to try a softer approach.
Daohua quickly stood in front of him, clapping her hands together in a pleading gesture, “Xiao Yeyang, please don’t tell my brothers about what happened today. I don’t want to be trapped in the back courtyard, unable to come out, I beg of you!!”
Xiao Yeyang: “Why didn’t you think about that before you jumped into the river?”
Daohua’s eyes darted around, “Isn’t it because I trust you? I believe you won’t betray me, and you’ll definitely help me, right?”
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yeyang covered his head, then saw his sleeve being pulled again. He took a deep breath and yanked back his sleeve, snorting coldly, “Just this once, and there better not be a next time!”
Daohua immediately smiled, happily patting Xiao Yeyang on the shoulder, “That’s what friends are for. Not to mention facing dangers together or blade-inserted ribs, you should at least be able to do that much. Thanks.”
Xiao Yeyang’s mouth curved slightly, “Don’t celebrate too early. Just because I won’t tell doesn’t mean others won’t.”
Daohua smiled, “Don’t worry, Yuanyao won’t tell either. The people on the boat are all your people; without your orders, they wouldn’t dare to gossip.”
Xiao Yeyang: “You’ve thought this through pretty well.”
Daohua showed a triumphant expression.
Xiao Yeyang speechless, “Are you going to dry your hair or not? If you go back looking like that, without us saying anything, your brothers will guess what happened.”
“Dry, dry, of course I’ll dry it.”
Daohua quickly sat properly and urged, “Come on, put some effort into it, dry my hair faster!”
“You, don’t push your luck!”
“Hiss, be gentle, it hurts!”
“…”
Half an hour later, Daohua reappeared on the deck with her hair bun tidied, looked around, and asked De Fu, “Where’s Yuanyao?”
“Miss Dong is in the cabin at the back, taking care of those people who were saved.”