The Royal’s Little Lady

Xiao Heng took a step closer to her.

He accurately captured the confusion in her eyes.

“What are you standing here for?”

Gu Sui’er lowered her head: “It’s nothing. I just went to visit the Old Madam today. It happened to rain when I left her courtyard, so I couldn’t help taking another look.”

Xiao Heng followed her line of sight and looked at the sky. However he unable to see anything save for the grey clouds.

“It’s cold. Go back.” Xiao Heng said in a low voice.

“En.”

Xiao Heng put his hand on Gu Sui’er’s arm, accompanying her to go back.

While walking, he suddenly asked, “Why is your dress so thin?”

Gu Sui’er was slightly startled. She softly replied, “I didn’t expect the weather to suddenly become cold, so I didn’t wear thick clothes.”

His hand slipped down to her wrists and squeezed it.

It was really a squeeze because he was using his middle finger and thumb to hold her wrist.

“Nanny An.” Xiao Heng said in an unhappy tone.

“Third Master.” Nanny An immediately understood the untold words of their residence’s temperamental third Master: “Today, we were in a rush to visit the Old Madam and didn’t expect the weather to be so cold outside. As a result, I failed to prepare a cloak for the Young Mistress. This old slave will certainly pay attention to this from now on.”

Xiao Heng did not reply. He took off the wide cloak from his body, and draped it over her thin, narrow shoulders that had shrunk from the coldness of the autumn wind.

Gu Sui’er raised her eyes to look at him. She saw that his face was still as cold as ice and snow. There was no trace of temperature in his black eyes.

Only, the warmth brought by the white brocade cloak was indeed real.

“Thank you, third Master.” In fact, it was true that she felt cold, but it was not too much. When she lived in her home at the countryside, she had to endure a greater hardship than this. So, she was already used to it.

But when someone put a cloak on her, she realized that being warm was always more comfortable than being cold.

Xiao Heng walked forward with her hand in his. They bypassed the winding corridor and passed through the crescent moon gate.

Bowing her head a little, Gu Sui’er saw the gorgeous white brocade cloak swaying with each step she took like the bunch of ripples appearing on a calm lake. She also took a peak at the blue-robed, good-looking man walking beside her.

The wind blew the wet dead leaves diagonally past her eyes, making her feel that she had stepped into a painting.

At this moment, she had an illusion that she was not a lowly country girl, rather a woman wearing an expensive dress and a gorgeous cloak, who could proudly walk beside him in this noble residence’s garden. This scene was something that only appeared in the New Year paintings.

“What did you do at the Old Madam’s courtyard?” Although he asked this suddenly, he did not look at Gu Sui’er.

“Nothing much. The Old Madam wanted to play mahjong. So, I sat by her side and watched her play.” Gu Sui’er answered gently.

“Do you know how to play?” When he asked this, they happened to reach a stair, so he used his hand to support her body.

“No.” She lowered her eyes. When she saw his hands holding her own, she gazed at the fair, clear and beautiful skin over his raised knuckles.

She had noticed the long fingers and even the neatly trimmed fingernails of those hands.

As if feeling something, Xiao Heng turned to take a look at her.

“I don’t know how to read.” She bit her lips and whispered, “I don’t know what is written on the tiles.”

“You can slowly get familiar with it. Playing mahjong is not difficult.” Although Xiao Heng’s tone was cold, his usually cold eyes had an almost invisible hint of warmth in them: “If I have time, I will teach you.”

“Thank you, third Master.” Gu Sui’er felt flattered.

While talking, they ran into another group of people. Gu Sui’er didn’t know them, but seeing that the other party was dressed in beautiful clothes, followed by two young men, she knew that they were not ordinary people.

When the man saw Xiao Heng, he smiled and said, “Third Brother, how come you’re home at this time?”

When Gu Sui’er heard this, she accurately guessed that this was the eldest son of the Marquis, Xiao Jue. He was also Li XiuRong’s husband. Not only did this first Young Master Xiao already secure the position of an official in the court, but his future prospects were also very promising. As a result, he became the person whom everyone praised. Even Nanny An once said that he would surely be the one who would inherit the title of Marquis RuiDing from his Father.

Gu Sui’er didn’t quite understand what Nanny An meant, but she knew that he was a man who was respected by thousands of people, perhaps even more than Xiao Heng.

She wanted to take her hand out of Xiao Heng’s grip and bowed her head to greet him at once, but who would have thought that Xiao Heng would continue holding her hand, refusing to let go.

When she struggled slightly, he gripped her hand with his three fingers. She failed to free her hand.

Unable to do anything, she could only lower her head silently, not daring to struggle any further.

Xiao Heng looked at his eldest brother. His face was still indifferent: “I have nothing to do now.”

When Xiao Jue heard his words, he smiled: “It’s rare for my third Brother to have nothing to do. Your eldest Brother was searching for his third Brother to invite him for a drink.”

While speaking, he glanced at Gu Sui’er, who was standing beside Xiao Heng. Only then did he realize that Xiao Heng was actually holding Gu Sui’er’s hand.

“Is this — Concubine Gu?”

Xiao Jue obviously knew about Gu Sui’er.

“Sui’er greets the first Young Master.” Gu Sui’er hurriedly bowed her head and greeted him. Although she wanted to bow deeply, she couldn’t do it because Xiao Heng was holding her hand.

“Forego the formalities.” Xiao Jue smiled, sizing up Xiao Heng, who was holding Gu Sui’er’s hand tightly. It was something he did not expect him to ever do, so Xiao Jue found it quite amusing: “Third Brother has made a great contribution regarding the corruption case in Dandong.”

Xiao Heng’s face was cold: “Elder Brother, do you have something else to say?”

Xiao Jue smiled and said, “Is third Brother not willing to have a chat with me today?”

Xiao Heng: “We should chat on another day.”

Xiao Jue was still smiling. He glimpsed at Gu Sui’er, who stood beside Xiao Heng without daring to utter a word, and said, “Okay then. I’ll have a good chat with third Brother another day.”

After bidding farewell to Xiao Jue , the two of them them resumed walking. They turned at another bend and arrived at TingZhu Courtyard.

Xiao Heng finally let go of Gu Sui’er’s hand.

This made Gu Sui’er breath a sigh of relief.

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