The Runaway Bride in a Substitute Marriage 16
For the rest of the way, Chen Yao kept her head low, but she deliberately shuffled a step farther away from him, as if to avoid any suspicion.
Since she hadn't felt a single snowflake land on her the entire walk, she'd naturally assumed the umbrella was quite large. It wasn't until they stood at the mansion gate that she caught sight of Xie Qingyan's far shoulder—the side away from her—soaked dark with melted snow.
Chen Yao fell silent for a moment.
She didn't know what to say, so she could only silently admire: this really was the male lead, a true gentleman.
If she were the heroine, she'd probably be utterly moved by now, right? Too bad she was just the vicious supporting female character, so her heart remained as calm as still water, utterly unmoved.
Chen Yao lifted her eyes to him. "Take care, Young Master Xie." And don't come back.
Xie Qingyan looked at the young woman before him, who was tilting her head up to meet his gaze. His thin lips parted, as if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he merely met her eyes and said simply, "Miss Jiang should head back inside quickly. It's cold out here."
A gust of cold wind swept past, ruffling the stray hairs on Chen Yao's forehead.
Xie Qingyan instinctively stepped forward and raised a hand to smooth them for her.
But just as his fingertips were about to touch her hair, the young woman before him jerked her upper body back as if by reflex, then looked at him with a baffled expression.
"I—"
Xie Qingyan suddenly realized how rash his action had been. He hastily withdrew his hand and said, his tone laced with apology, "Forgive me, I was too forward."
It really was presumptuous. Chen Yao's eyes widened slightly, and she gave him an unhappy stare.
She casually brushed the stray hair from her forehead with a hand and asked coolly, "Is there anything else, Young Master Xie?"
Xie Qingyan shook his head, sighing inwardly. "I'll take my leave now."
With that, he truly turned and strode out through the gate, climbing into the Xie family carriage that had been waiting by the entrance.
Chen Yao withdrew her gaze.
Since the guests had departed, she turned and ducked under the umbrella Xia He held, heading back into the mansion.
* * *
Once the New Year festivities were over, the wedding between the Xie and Pingyuan Hou mansions was officially put on the agenda.
The wedding invitations had long since been sent out far and wide, and both households were bustling with preparations.
Bright red double-happiness characters were pasted everywhere, red silk hung high, and the entire residence was decked out in lanterns and colored banners, radiating a jubilant atmosphere.
The second day of the second month was the auspicious date chosen by the abbot of Yunfu Temple, who had matched the couple's birth charts.
On the night before the wedding,
Chen Yao sat at the octagonal table, looking at the room around her—decked out in festive decorations—with a faint sense of unfamiliarity. She let out a low, heavy breath.
"This is it—success or failure hinges on tonight," she muttered, clenching her fists.
System 04 chimed in encouragingly, "Go, host!"
Over the past few days, Chen Yao had secretly scouted the area many times, and in her mind, she'd run through and simulated her escape route with System 04 over and over.
Tonight was her best chance to actually put the plan into action.
After all, tomorrow was the wedding day, and the Hou mansion would be bustling with people. As the bride, every move she made would be under everyone's watchful eyes—escaping then would be far too risky.
Better to go tonight. With the wedding tomorrow, the Pingyuan Hou mansion guards would be more relaxed, boosting her odds of success.
With that thought, Chen Yao had already instructed the maids in her courtyard not to stay the night, saying she wanted to be alone.
* * *
It wasn't until the moon hung high in the sky that Chen Yao drew a deep breath, crept to the door, and eased it open a crack. She peeked out.
The Lanyue Courtyard was utterly silent, bathed only in the moonlight spilling from the night sky—no one in sight.
With a faint creak, the door swung open just wide enough for one person to slip through.
Chen Yao quickly gathered her skirt, rose onto her tiptoes, and sneaked out of the room.
She followed the small path, knowing her way well, and hurried toward the northwestern rear courtyard.
She'd scouted earlier that in the corner near the outer wall of the rear courtyard grew a tall catalpa tree, its long branches even reaching over the wall—a godsend for her runaway plan.
These past days, Chen Yao had also discreetly learned the patrol routes and frequency of the mansion guards at night.
Right now, she was carefully hidden in a rockery, her body pressed tightly against the cold stone wall, her breathing unconsciously hushed.
Because she was in a blind spot, Chen Yao could only stare at the jagged rock edges before her, unable to see the patrolling guards directly. She could only infer when it was safe to move by the light of their lanterns as they swayed past, and the sound of footsteps approaching, then fading away.
After about a breath's time, the guards' footsteps gradually faded into the distance until they were completely inaudible.
Only then did Chen Yao cautiously poke her head out.
After confirming no one was nearby, she finally tiptoed out from behind the rockery.
She continued through the corridor, hugging the wall, until she finally reached the northwestern rear courtyard.
Chen Yao pressed a hand to her racing heart and slowly let out a long sigh of relief.
Then she looked up at the tall catalpa tree before her.
Now that spring had arrived, the once bare branches were beginning to sprout faint hints of green.
In another month or two, the tree would be covered in beautiful little purple blossoms—said to look as if auspicious clouds were drifting from the east, a truly dreamy sight.
Chen Yao had transmigrated into this tiny world only last summer, so she'd never seen it bloom.
As her mind wandered, she bent down, lifted her skirt, and deftly tied it into a knot at her waist.
At least it was deep night, so she didn't have to worry about anyone stumbling upon the sight of a noble lady from the Hou mansion climbing a wall.
* * *
Meanwhile, Xie Qingyan had just wrapped up an emergency night court session and was hurrying back from the palace.
The moonlight tonight was fine and bright, with stars twinkling and filling the entire sky.
Even though it was late, the thought that tomorrow he would finally welcome his beloved into his home caused a faint ripple in Xie Qingyan's heart.
Though the Xie and Pingyuan Hou mansions were both on South Street, they were in different wards, in opposite directions.
But Xie Qingyan tugged at the reins, and his horse, as if reading its master's feelings, turned in another direction.
He didn't head straight back to the Xie mansion but made a detour toward the Pingyuan Hou mansion.
Just as he drew near, under the bright moonlight, he caught a glimpse of a furtive figure clinging to the wall, peeking out from inside.