"Get lost!" A young man shouted angrily from the dark cave, "I've told you that I wouldn't eat. Who grants you the permission to disturb me again and again?!"

Song Yixiao heard him and knew that the man must have misunderstood. She supported herself up with her hands against the ground, intending to explain after getting up. However, when she tried to move, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Instantly, her face turned pale!

"My lady, what's wrong?" Fortunately, Zhiqin was fine. She got up neatly and found out that something was wrong with Song Yixiao at once. She hurried to support her, "Is your foot hurt?"

Before Song Yixiao replied to her, the young man in the cave sensed that something went wrong and then walked out. That was a young man around 11 or 12 years old, dressed in a red round-collar suit decorated with bamboo pattens. With a jade belt tied around his waist, he also wore a green c.r.a.ped coat. He looked rather handsome with red lips, white teeth, das.h.i.+ng eyebrows and sharp eyes. Now this young man was looking them up and down, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"My family name is Song. I live with my mother in Prince of Hengshan's residence. Today it is my first time that I have come here with my mother. I am not familiar with this place so we arrive nearby by coincidence. It is raining now. Thus, we hope to go into the cave to hide from the rain." Leaning against Zhiqin's shoulder, Song Yixiao felt great pain in her ankle. Young as the man looked, he appeared obviously n.o.ble with the decent background.

Now that she was living under the roof of the others. As the princess consort, Wei Mengying must consider the mood of Prince of Hengshan so she couldn't always stand up for Song Yixiao. As a result, Song Yixiao must avoid trouble as much as she could.

Holding back her anger, Song Yixiao didn't mention her injury and yet explained in a nice tone, "I didn't know you were in the cave. I never meant to offend you!"

The young man, with a gloomy face, stared at her for a while and then said impatiently, "You are so stupid. Why didn't you ask for permission before you came in?"

"I don't have magical eyes. It's dark in the cave. How could I know you were in there?" Song Yixiao thought to herself in fury. She bit her down lip heavily and suppressed her urge to argue with him.

"I don't want to badger with you." As the girl lowered her eyes and stayed silent, the young man felt unhappy and yet still told them to come in when he saw the two girls' shoulders wetted by rain. "Come in then!"

After he said that, he was about to turn around. However, he happened to see the staggering look of Song Yixiao. Unlike before, she couldn't walk well now, which made him a bit shocked. Then he realized that the girl must be hurt due to his pus.h.i.+ng. He felt a bit embarra.s.sed instantly.

Song Yixiao didn't notice his embarra.s.sment. What she knew was that the young man was in bad mood. Therefore, after going into the cave with the help of Zhiqin, she felt her ankle swollen but she still withstood the pain and remained silent.

She didn't say anything. Neither did Zhiqin dare to talk. The young man stood at the cave entrance with his sleeves rolled up, staring at the rain with a complicated and yet sad look. No one knew what he was thinking about. For the moment, only the patter of rain could be heard.

After a while, no one came to find Song Yixiao. The rain got lighter and then stopped.

Song Yixiao was about to ask Zhiqin to bring a strong woman to fetch her when the young man suddenly turned around and said to her in an unfriendly tone, "I live nearby. Come to my place and apply some medicine."

Before Song Yixiao replied, he continued to say, "Then I'll ask someone to send you back home."

Song Yixiao's injury was caused by him. Now that she could handle it in a decent way, she wouldn't want to make it ugly for herself. Thus, she approved tacitly of the man's arrangement.

After Zhiqin accompanied her out of the cave, the young man walked a few steps forward and turned around to see them staggering. He couldn't help frowning and then he just strode towards them. Without giving them a heads-up, he directly carried Song Yixiao in his arms!

Zhiqin was taken aback!

Song Yixiao was astounded too, "What are you doing?" She was eight years old only, but they were literally strangers. After all, it was improper for men and woman to have physical contact. How could he carry her in his arms?

"How come a girl thinks so much?" Surprisingly, the young man rebuked her with justice for her questioning, "There is a long way ahead. I cannot stand you two staggering that slowly!"

Wait, didn't the young man just say he lived nearby?

Song Yixiao was forced to lean against his arms, smelling the faint scent of his body, unable to struggle. She felt so embarra.s.sed with a red face and had quick wits, saying, "How about you going back first and sending someone to pick me up?"

The young man answered with an impatient look, "We are almost there. Why do you ask for so much trouble?"

So, did this young man live nearby or not?

Song Yixiao felt so depressed and said in a weak voice, "Actually, you can tell me about the direction and go first. My maid and I will catch up with you."

This time, the young man directly pretended not to hear her. Song Yixiao had no other choice but to pray that no one would see this.

However, after a short while, seeing the others look at her in shock, she regretted not to fake fainting beforehand.

"Oh! My lord, who is this?" One of coming servants, who was dressed in green, looked Song Yixiao up and down and asked in surprise.

"She has been pushed by me accidentally while sheltering from the rain and sprained her ankle." The young man said casually, "Cuipiao, bring me the vulnerary and smear it on her. Then ask someone to take her home."

Cuipiao was finally relieved with a sigh, saying joyfully, "Okay, I'm on it!"

As she tipped the wink, a strong woman came forward and fetched Song Yixiao from the young man, walking to the wing-room. However, Cuipiao didn't follow immediately but chased after the young man, advising him in earnest, "My lord, you haven't eaten anything for the whole morning since you got up. It is not good for your health. There is glutinous rice congee in the kitchen. Please have some! Otherwise, when Prince Consort comes here for you, he must be worried about you!"

The young man snorted with his eyes gleaming with sarcasm, saying with disdain, "My father only cares about his eldest son. Since when he cares about me? How can he feel worried about me for my not eating for half a day?"

Cuipiao smiled obsequiously, "You've thought too much. If Prince Consort doesn't love you, could he agree on his old lords.h.i.+p's decision to pa.s.s his t.i.tle of Duke Yanguo to you?"

"Then I have been here for so long. Why hasn't he come here for me?" The young man hedged and asked her calmly, "I'm afraid that he hasn't even found that I am not in the residence of Jinguo Grand Princess."

By now, the strong woman had carried Song Yixiao to the wing-room and closed the door to smear the vulnerary on Song Yixiao's ankle. In this case, Song Yixiao couldn't hear the young man's conversation with his maid.

Yet, she had known the ident.i.ty of the young man and felt surprised, "Is he the son of Jinguo Grand Princess? He hides in the silk store for being at loggerheads with his father?"