The Runaway Bride in a Substitute Marriage Story 13

Xie Qingyan took the cloak Ban He handed him and wrapped it tightly around the drenched young woman, shielding her from view.

He asked gently, "Miss Jiang, are you feeling alright?"

Chen Yao shook her head silently.

She felt a little uneasy inside. Although the male lead had kindly rescued his fiancée, the two of them were really not familiar with each other. Yet here she was, held firmly against his chest, and to fake the weakness of a drowning victim, she had to stay limp and obediently pressed against him.

Their clothes were completely soaked through and clung stickily to their skin.

Chen Yao's lashes trembled slightly, and the discomfort in her heart only grew more pronounced.

"Master, should I call for the household physician?" Ban He asked.

He had kept his head lowered since his master brought the young lady back to shore, not daring to glance around.

Chen Yao was startled by the word "physician" and stopped her scattered thoughts at once. Before Xie Qingyan could respond, she reached a small hand out from under the cloak and tugged at his equally wet sleeve, then said in a spoiled, delicate tone, "I don't want to see a doctor!"

If a doctor examined her, who knew if he'd discover that she hadn't actually drowned?

Because she had just fallen into the water, her face was already pale, and now with her brows lightly furrowed, unlike her usual bright and charming self, she looked rather pitiable.

But as soon as she spoke, she couldn't help raising a hand to cover her lips and let out a small sneeze. "Achoo."

Chen Yao: "..."

Xie Qingyan reached out and carefully adjusted the cloak over her again before speaking. "Ban He, call for Doctor Wang..."

"I said I don't want a doctor!" Chen Yao's temper flared, and she glared at him with her moist, shining eyes. "Don't let him come near!"

"Be good, just let Doctor Wang take a quick look," Xie Qingyan coaxed in a soft voice, soothing the little wet cat bristling in his arms, and at the same time gave Ban He a meaningful glance.

In the end, Doctor Wang naturally arrived with his medical chest.

He carefully examined the young woman leaning against Xie Qingyan. Her face was a bit pale, but her lips seemed normal in color, her breathing was a little shallow, and she didn't have the coughing expected after drowning. Overall, she seemed to be in no serious trouble.

Of course, as an experienced physician, no matter whether the masters were truly ill or not, he couldn't speak too definitively—that would be digging his own grave.

So he stroked his beard, pretended to ponder for a moment, and then said, "From what I can see, the young lady likely swallowed a few mouthfuls of cold water and suffered a bit of a fright, so there may be some chill entering her system."

He then listed a few common herbs and added, "...These are all good medicines to dispel cold, ward off wind, and calm the mind."

Hearing names like "ephedra" and "apricot kernels," which she could recognize among the herbs, Chen Yao couldn't help furrowing her brows, her pretty face scrunching up unhappily.

Fortunately, they were outside the city, so although Doctor Wang could write a prescription, he couldn't prepare the medicine on the spot.

And as they were speaking, the people sent by the Pingyuan Hou mansion, who had been informed early on, arrived in haste.

"Miss! Thank the Bodhisattva, you're safe and sound."

Looking at Chuntao, who was on the verge of tears, Chen Yao finally let out a sigh of relief. She was already sitting in the carriage back to the mansion, both hands clutching the cloak Xie Qingyan had draped over her.

She thought to herself: No matter how bitter the prescription is, I'm not drinking a single drop.

*

The next three months passed quickly, and soon it was the end of the year.

It was said that Xie Qingyan had also returned smoothly from Yunzhang City, and while presiding over the autumn provincial examination, he had also investigated a local case on the side.

Because he handled things with propriety, he earned the emperor's favor when reporting back, and was not only praised in court but also received many generous rewards.

"Young Master Xie is truly capable and promising; he will surely have a bright future."

Lady Pingyuan's smile was warm, and even the corners of her eyes and brows showed her satisfaction with Xie Qingyan as her future son-in-law.

Chen Yao let out a light snort, her pretty face expressionless, her lips pressed together in a rebellious manner, clearly not in the mood to respond.

Besides, the weather was bitterly cold, and she felt that any word she spoke would let cold wind into her mouth, so she couldn't even muster the energy to talk.

Even indoors, the silver charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly.

She wore a padded jacket, held a hot copper hand warmer tightly in her arms, and had a foot warmer under her layered skirts.

But even so, having been used to modern air conditioning, Chen Yao couldn't stand the biting cold of the capital, which seemed to seep into her very bones.

"System, don't you have any kind of warming cheat for me?" she asked again, for the umpteenth time.

"Ask me a thousand times, and I still don't have it," System 04 said, waving its little cyber hand.

Chen Yao clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

"Child... why are you so stubborn?"

Lady Hou looked at her own daughter, who seemed impervious to advice, and began to feel a headache coming on.

But in the end, she gritted her teeth and gave her a stern remark. "No matter what, you will marry into the Xie family come spring, and then your whims won't be tolerated."

Chen Yao felt anger rise at those words.

Her dream omen had told her that marrying Xie Qingyan would bring no good end, yet her parents, who usually doted on her most, were pushing her into the fire.

Her originally beautiful features showed a hint of anger and grievance, and she gritted her teeth in displeasure. "I don't want to."

Then, ignoring the even colder temperature outside, she kicked the foot warmer away and stormed out of the main courtyard with a huff.

"Miss, the road is slippery in the cold, please slow down!"

Chuntao and Xia He, following by her side, quickly bowed to Lady Hou and hurried after her.

Lady Hou slapped the table with her palm, her chest heaving with irritation.

"Marriage has always been decided by one's parents since ancient times. I've spoiled this child too much, and now she's rebelling."

Guimu, who stood by her side, bent down to pour a cup of hot tea for her and said softly, "The young lady is still young; she's probably reluctant to leave the madam and the master."

Lady Hou took the tea cup and took a sip, then sighed after a while. "And I? How could I bear it?"

*

Because of the unpleasantness with Lady Hou a few days ago, and because of the cold weather, Chen Yao had been eating in her own courtyard every day for the past few days.