The Runaway Bride in a Substitute Marriage 15

She had always taken good care of herself. Since there was no plot point to hit, she firmly believed in lying flat rather than standing up. She ate well, slept well, and lived a thoroughly comfortable life.

Naturally, this made her effectively end the conversation that day.

As a result, Chen Yao immediately earned two disapproving glares from Pingyuan Hou and Lady Hou.

Fortunately, Xie Qingyan didn't seem too bothered by her usual cold attitude. He simply gestured to Ban He behind him to present the zitan wood inlaid with gold patterns.

"This is a white jade bracelet I happened upon in Yunzhang City. I hope Miss Jiang might like it?"

He opened the wooden case, revealing a carved white jade bracelet lying quietly inside. Its lustrous color and exquisite craftsmanship marked it as the finest of the finest.

"White jade from Yunzhang City is already world-renowned, and this bracelet looks especially noble. You've put a lot of thought into this, Young Master Xie."

Worried that her daughter might stir up trouble again, Lady Hou took the initiative to steer the conversation.

At the same time, she shot a meaningful glance at Xia He, who stood behind Chen Yao, signaling for the maid to accept the wooden case.

"These are some other things I picked up along the way, plus a few items bestowed by His Majesty—all trinkets for ladies."

Xie Qingyan continued, handing the list to Xia He as she stepped forward. His gaze unconsciously fell on the young lady across from him. "This list is here—I hope it meets Miss Jiang's tastes."

"Oh, Young Master Xie is too kind. Yao Yao usually adores these beaded hairpins and ornaments; she's sure to love them."

Lady Hou exchanged a look with Pingyuan Hou. Her eyes scanned the long gift list, noting that everything on it was extremely valuable.

...Perhaps a bit too valuable.

But since the gifts had already been prepared, there was no reason to refuse them on the spot. After a moment's thought, Lady Hou accepted them on her daughter's behalf.

Besides, the two were almost married anyway. Xie Qingyan's show of importance would only put the Pingyuan Hou couple at ease.

"Yao Yao, even if you're happy, you should thank Young Master Xie," Lady Hou reminded her gently.

Chen Yao was stunned by Xie Qingyan's grand gesture—mainly because there was no such event in the plot given by System 04.

She was puzzled, but she couldn't withstand Lady Hou's pressing stare. So, with a perfunctory smile on her small face, she said, "Thank you, Young Master Xie."

Seeing the faint smile on the young lady's face, Xie Qingyan's fingertips, hidden under his long sleeves, twitched slightly.

A soft smile curled at the corner of his lips. "As long as Miss Jiang likes it."

Of course, Xie Qingyan's visit to the Pingyuan Hou residence wasn't just to deliver gifts to Chen Yao and ease his longing.

With less than two months until spring, when the wedding date previously agreed upon by the two families would arrive, it was time to discuss the pre-wedding arrangements.

Although the conversation wasn't very specific—only roughly discussing general arrangements—Chen Yao still found herself growing drowsy.

Once they had roughly settled the trivial matters before the wedding, a glance at the time showed it was about time for Xie Qingyan to take his leave.

Before Chen Yao could breathe a sigh of relief, she heard the devil's whisper from Pingyuan Hou, who sat at the head of the hall: "Yao Yao, see Young Master Xie off."

Chen Yao: "..."

In the end, of course, she couldn't resist the repeated hints from Pingyuan Hou and Lady Hou. Reluctantly, she stood up and walked with Xie Qingyan to the front gate.

*

Snowflakes drifted sparsely from the sky—fine and not yet falling heavily. They melted into slush upon touching the ground, failing to form even a thin layer.

Ban He and Xia He each held an umbrella, following far behind. Mindful not to disturb their masters ahead, they tactfully kept their distance.

Chen Yao still wore her white fox-fur cloak, while Xie Qingyan had donned a frost-colored great-coat.

Now, his well-defined fingers held the umbrella handle as he considerately slowed his pace to walk beside her.

Yes, the two were sharing an umbrella.

Chen Yao didn't care what he thought. As far as she was concerned, as long as she didn't have to expose her fingers to hold an umbrella, it was fine.

Since winter began, her hands truly couldn't be separated from the hand warmer she cradled in her embrace.

Xie Qingyan watched the young lady walking beside him and spoke as if casually: "A new pastry shop has opened on West Street. I had my servants order their most famous eight-petal plum blossom crisps; they'll be delivered to your residence shortly."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao turned to glance at him, then nodded lightly. The cold wind still whipped against her face, and she truly didn't want to speak.

Seeing her still cold reaction, Xie Qingyan assumed she remained as unwilling to engage with him as ever. He lowered his eyes, masking the darkness within.

But when his gaze swept over the young lady, bundled up all fluffy like a snowball, with cheeks flushed pink from the cold, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her.

He said no more, only harboring a touch of sulkiness in his heart.

The path from the front hall to the mansion gate wasn't long, and they walked in silence until the two vermilion doors soon came into view.

But it was cold, and Chen Yao kept her head down, trying to tuck her neck into the fur trim of her cloak, paying no attention to the ground beneath her feet.

Then, she tripped over an unassuming pebble.

"Careful." Xie Qingyan's voice sounded as his free left hand quickly grabbed the young lady's wrist.

Unfortunately, the bluestone-paved road was slippery from the melting snow. Chen Yao's body tilted, and she fell straight into his embrace.

Xie Qingyan instinctively raised the umbrella higher, his left hand releasing her as he steadied her waist with a firm arm.

System 04: "Click."

Chen Yao: "..."

She looked at the photo System 04 had captured in her mind: beneath the broad oil-paper umbrella, the two stood embracing amid falling snow—a stunningly beautiful scene.

Chen Yao gritted her teeth. She didn't find it beautiful at all; she only felt incredibly unlucky.

Damn it! If she ever found out which servant had swept the road today...

While grumbling internally, Chen Yao quickly regained her footing and even took an exaggerated half-step back, immediately putting distance between them.

"Thank you, Young Master Xie," she said stiffly, pursing her lips.

Xie Qingyan silently tilted the umbrella further toward her until most of it covered her head.

His free left hand clenched unconsciously, then moved behind his back. In a gentle voice, he said, "It's good that Miss Jiang is unharmed."

Despite this little mishap, they soon reached the mansion gate.