Chapter 304: Chapter 285, Tender Feelings_1
“Xiao Yeyang, wait up!”
Xiao Yeyang was striding ahead, with Daohua trailing behind. Under normal circumstances, she should have been able to catch up with him at this pace, but because of the fight they just had, she was feeling unwell. In her haste, she stepped on a stone and lost her balance, tumbling to the ground.
“Ouch!”
Hearing the cry of pain behind him, Xiao Yeyang paused, turned around with an impatient look, and saw Daohua lying on the ground. His expression changed to one of urgency, and he walked over quickly, grabbing Daohua’s arm and hoisting her up.
“With those soft hands and weak feet of yours, you’re still trying to fight others…”
Seeing Daohua blowing on her palms while glaring at him with a grumbling look, Xiao Yeyang found it hard to continue his scolding. At last, with a helpless sigh, he took her hands in his: “Show me, where did you hurt yourself when you fell?”
Upon seeing the skin scraped off from Daohua’s palm, his brow furrowed immediately: “You…”
Daohua, seeing that he was about to start lecturing her again, quickly cut him off: “Xiao Yeyang, you’re really lacking in manners. I didn’t provoke or bother you, so why are you taking your anger out on me?”
At these words, Xiao Yeyang’s eyes widened in anger: “You still ask? You ran out and fought with someone. Do you think you’re in the right now?”
Daohua pouted and muttered: “Even if someone should be angry, it should be my third and fourth brothers. Why are you getting so worked up over nothing?”
Xiao Yeyang didn’t hear her clearly and couldn’t be bothered to argue, so he dug out his purse: “And you, giving your own hand-embroidered purse to some other man. What am I supposed to say about that?”
Daohua choked on her response: “Well… I didn’t intend to give it away. It was an emergency, and I had already decided to have someone retrieve the purse once I got home.”
Meanwhile, Dong Yuanyao was hesitating about whether to come forward and mediate the dispute, but when she heard them talking about the purse, she lost her nerve.
It was her fault the purse was given away.
Observing Xiao Yeyang’s expression, Dong Yuanyao looked at Daohua with an apologetic face.
Yiyi, I’m sorry, the Little Prince is too intimidating today. It’s better that you take the brunt of his anger.
Better she than me, Dong Yuanyao decisively stood still.
Over here, Daohua reached out to take her purse back.
Xiao Yeyang lifted his hand to avoid her and quickly stashed the purse back into his sleeve pocket, snorting coldly: “The purse has been touched by another man; why would you still want it? It must be dirty. I’ll dispose of it for you.”
Daohua didn’t care much for the purse itself, but she was concerned about the silver notes inside: “My silver is still in there. You have to give it back to me.”
At this, Xiao Yeyang suddenly felt weary, sighed, and resignedly pulled out the purse, taking out the silver notes.
Seeing this, Daohua snatched the notes back and even gave Xiao Yeyang a smile.
Xiao Yeyang placed a hand on his forehead, shook his head, and walked away. After a few steps, he turned back: “Keep up.”
Having retrieved her silver, Daohua was in a better mood. She saw Dong Yuanyao standing a few meters away, motionless, and waved at her. Only when Dong Yuanyao approached did the two of them follow Xiao Yeyang together.
“Where are we going?”
After catching up to Xiao Yeyang, Daohua asked.
Xiao Yeyang pointed at her mouth and then glanced at Dong Yuanyao’s black eye: “Are you sure you want to return home looking like this?”
Daohua and Dong Yuanyao shook their heads in unison: “No.”
Going back like this would be a death sentence.
Xiao Yeyang snorted: “Then follow me obediently.”
Daohua and Dong Yuanyao exchanged glances, and after looking back and seeing that their brother was coming, they resigned themselves to following.
…
Some time later, Xiao Yeyang and his companions arrived at an elegantly appointed separate residence.
“Is this your house in the provincial city?”
Daohua curiously surveyed the scenery inside the courtyard, with bamboo swaying and ornamental rocks paving the pathway: “I didn’t expect such a tranquil place within the bustling city.”
Xiao Yeyang’s mouth curved in a slight smile, and he retorted offhandedly: “That’s because you haven’t seen much.”
Daohua took a deep breath and decided not to stoop to his level.
Before everyone’s arrival, Difu had already sent people back to give notice, and now, all the washing and grooming supplies were ready.
Dong Yuanxuan and the others were drinking tea in the living room while Daohua and Dong Yuanyao were led by the maids to the guest quarters to wash up. Clothes and such were brought along by Wang Manman and the others, so it was relatively convenient.
“Ah, going home this time is definitely going to be tough for me!”
After changing into fresh clothes, Dong Yuanyao had her hair combed by a maid while she sighed and lamented.
Daohua’s expression also fell, “I’m going to be scolded by my uncle and aunt too.”
Soon, the two of them were done with their grooming.
The wounds on their faces, which had not been noticeable when dressed as men, became somewhat conspicuous once they switched back to women’s attire.
“Pfft~”
Seeing the panda eye that had formed around Dong Yuanyao’s left eye, Daohua couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Dong Yuanyao pouted, “Don’t laugh, you’re not much better than me, with a big blue bruise at the corner of your mouth.”
Daohua immediately covered her mouth and rubbed it.
At this moment, Defu came over and stood at the door, saying, “Miss Yan, Miss Dong, here is the medicine that the master asked me to deliver to you.”
Daohua took the medicine and generously praised, “Xiao Yeyang is quite attentive.” Then she went off to find Dong Yuanyao with the medicine in hand.
Outside the door, Defu looked up at the sky, shook his head, and sighed. The master was only particularly attentive when it came to Miss Yan’s affairs. If it were any other lady, even if she collapsed in front of the master, he probably wouldn’t bother giving her a glance.
Defu thought it amusing to recall how this year during the Lantern Festival, the master, bored, went out to enjoy the lanterns, and Miss Du, the consultant’s daughter, recklessly threw herself into the master’s arms, only to be tripped by him and fall flat on her face.
The master did have a tender side, but not just anyone could enjoy that tenderness.
If it weren’t for the fact that the other party was a lady, the master might have even wanted to kick her into the river nearby.
“The scar on your eye is too conspicuous; you need to apply an egg to it.”
Daohua said, looking at Dong Yuanyao’s eye.
Dong Yuanyao: “But do we have an egg here?”
Daohua looked outside. Since they didn’t like being waited on by outsiders, they had dismissed all the maids from the yard. Now they couldn’t find anyone, “I’ll go ask.”
With that, she left the yard with Wang Manman and Guyu.
“Where are you headed?”
Soon after they left the yard, they saw Xiao Yeyang coming from the side.
Daohua’s face brightened with joy, “You’ve come just in time. Yuanyao needs to apply an egg to her eye. Do you have one?”
Xiao Yeyang looked towards Defu, who immediately nodded and then turned to go to the kitchen.
Watching the bruise on Daohua’s mouth, Xiao Yeyang frowned and reached out abruptly, “How did you get hurt so badly?”
Because he acted so quickly, Daohua hadn’t even reacted before she felt the warmth on her face.
Looking at Xiao Yeyang’s worried eyes, Daohua felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly slapped away his hand, “Speak properly, don’t touch.”
Xiao Yeyang saw Daohua’s discomfort, and for some reason, a trace of glee crossed his heart. His gaze drifted, not looking at her, as he clasped the hand that had just touched Daohua’s cheek.
Daohua’s cheek was quite smooth, and also very soft.
He really wanted to pinch it again!
“Sniff, sniff!”
Daohua sniffed around with her nose.
“What are you doing?” Xiao Yeyang was puzzled.
Daohua frowned, “Do you smell a scent?”
Xiao Yeyang laughed, pointing inside the yard, “It’s the scent of flowers, isn’t it?”
Daohua shook her head, very certain, “It’s not the scent of flowers; that is very faint. This scent is rich, a bit pungent, like rouge or powder with added fragrance.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang seemed to think of something, and his expression immediately turned uneasy.