Chapter 28: With Me Here, This Won’t Fall On Your Shoulders

This wasn’t the first time Xiao Jin climbed over the south wall. He knew it was much shorter than the other walls, so even though Lu Shujin wasn’t tall with long legs, she could still step onto his hand.

But Lu Shujin hesitated, not daring to come down. She had never climbed a wall before and was afraid of falling, her body stiff with fear.

Yet the people below were all watching her, waiting for her to come down. Seeing her motionless, Ye Xun was the first to show impatience, nudging his horse forward a couple of steps and saying, “Should we just have the guards carry her down?”

The pretty girl beside him yawned, “Yeah, Fourth Brother, don’t make it hard for her.”

Xiao Jin was usually the most impatient, always the first to get annoyed when someone dawdled. But now he was surprisingly patient, instructing Lu Shujin, “Turn around, hold onto the top of the wall, and carefully lower your legs. I’ll catch you below.”

“I won’t let you fall.” Xiao Jin looked into her eyes, his tone serious.

Lu Shujin stared at him, feeling a faint ripple in her heart, like a tiny pebble cast into still water, causing soft, gentle waves. She followed his instructions, turning around and gripping the wall’s edge. All her strength was in her arms as her feet tentatively searched downward.

Her toes brushed the air until they touched something soft, and a force supported her from beneath. Lu Shujin realized it was Xiao Jin’s hand.

She placed her other foot onto his hand, and only then did she notice his remarkable strength. With both hands, he steadily supported her, and as her arms released their tension, the pressure on her feet grew stronger. Soon, she let go of the wall entirely, leaning against the surface while placing her full weight on his palms.

His arms remained perfectly steady. He slowly squatted, lowering her from the wall. When she was close to the ground, Lu Shujin hopped down and turned to look at Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin stood up, dusted off his palms, and smiled at her with a hint of pride. “Told you I wouldn’t let you fall, didn’t I?”

Lu Shujin instinctively glanced at his arms, still shocked by his incredible strength. He had directly lifted her down from the wall. With such terrifying strength, it was no wonder he could shatter Liu Quan’s bones.

She thought, if only she had such strength. That way, when that lame man came proposing, she could break his other leg too, making him too afraid to target her again.

Noticing the admiration in her gaze, Xiao Jin waited for her to voice her sincere praise. But suddenly, a loud whistle came from behind him.

He turned to see Ye Xun looking at him with a teasing expression, grinning, “Someone who doesn’t know might think Young Master Xiao is taking his little bride out for a stroll.”

This kind of joke, when aimed at a girl, could harm her reputation. But for a young man, it didn’t matter as much, and it immediately drew a round of laughter, with several others joining in.

Only the pretty girl didn’t get the joke. She pointed at Lu Shujin, speaking earnestly, “Huh? Isn’t he a boy?”

Then she waved at Lu Shujin, “It’s dark, I can’t see clearly. Come forward a bit so I can see you better under the light.”

Lu Shujin was embarrassed by the teasing, her head lowered, her face flushing. Hearing the girl’s serious tone, she cupped her hands and said, “You didn’t see wrong, miss. I am indeed a man.”

Xiao Jin waved for them to stop teasing and looked at Ye Xun with a hint of annoyance. “Your wife is the one who’s a man! I prefer sweet and tender girls.”

Ye Xun didn’t mind at all, smiling, “Not like I’ve never tried.”

Ignoring him, Xiao Jin signaled for a guard to bring over a horse. He mounted it with a light leap, then looked at Lu Shujin, “Can you ride?”

Lu Shujin shook her head, then glanced back at the south wall, clearly wanting to return.

“I told you to go back when you were inside, but you didn’t. Now you have no chance.” Xiao Jin extended his hand toward her. “Come on up.”

Lu Shujin hesitated, searching for an excuse. “It looks like your horse can’t fit two people.”

“It can easily carry a fat pig; of course, it can carry two people.” Xiao Jin urged, “Give me your hand, hurry.”

Lu Shujin hesitated for a moment. Just then, Ji Shuoting, who was nearby, commented, “Maybe he doesn’t want to ride with you.”

Xiao Jin frowned, looking at Ji Shuoting. “I brought him out. If he doesn’t ride with me, who else will he ride with?”

“Riding with me is also an option.” Ji Shuoting patted his horse’s back, smiling gently at Lu Shujin. “Come, Lu Shujin, ride with me. My horse is gentle and doesn’t jolt much.”

Ye Xun joined in with a grin, “You can ride mine too.”

Recalling Ye Xun’s earlier teasing remark, “Not like I’ve never tried,” Lu Shujin felt a wave of disgust. Without further hesitation, she reached out and grabbed Xiao Jin’s outstretched hand.

The moment their palms touched, Xiao Jin’s fingers tightened around hers, and with a strong pull, Lu Shujin found herself lifted into the air.

She placed one foot on the stirrup for leverage, bent the other leg, and grabbed the reins with her left hand. With Xiao Jin’s strength pulling her up, she swiftly seated herself in front of him. The warmth from the horse’s body pressed against her legs, soft and comforting. Her hands instinctively gripped the reins and the horse’s mane, holding on tightly for fear of slipping.

Lu Shujin had never ridden a horse before—rarely even a carriage—and had no idea that being on horseback would give such a wide, open view. Feeling the warm, breathing creature beneath her, she was both excited and curious.

As she leaned forward, trying to see better, the reins in her hands moved slightly. Looking down, she realized Xiao Jin’s arm was around her, his hand reaching forward to take part of the reins from her grip. She instinctively shifted, and her back lightly bumped against Xiao Jin’s chest. Only then did she become fully aware of their proximity—she was nestled in his embrace, separated by no more than a fist’s distance.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her body instantly stiffened, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. Her eartips betrayed her, flushing a deep red.

Xiao Jin was the first to notice and leaned back slightly.

When he was about ten years old, his father, Xiao Yunye, forbade him from riding. So he would often sneak off to find Ji Shuoting, who would bring out a horse, and the two would ride together. Because of that, he never thought anything of it now. He casually tugged the reins to urge the horse forward, his tone relaxed. “Since you’ve never ridden, you can’t sit behind me, or you might get thrown off. Just squeeze your legs around the horse’s belly and hold the reins. Be careful not to pull on the horse’s mane.”

With their close distance, his voice sounded directly in Lu Shujin’s right ear, and his faint breath brushed against her bright red eartip. Feeling her face grow even hotter, she quickly lowered her head, releasing the horse’s mane and switching to grip the reins instead.

The reins were thick and braided from two strands, sturdy but not rough. Xiao Jin’s hand was large, holding the reins loosely, leaving very little space for Lu Shujin. Her two hands squeezed together awkwardly.

Xiao Jin’s skin was a healthy, fair shade, and among the group of young men, he could even be considered quite the “pretty boy.” But compared to his hand, Lu Shujin’s was even fairer and more delicate.

She leaned forward, pressing her hips against the saddle to put some distance between herself and Xiao Jin.

“Let’s go.” Xiao Jin called out lightly, nudging the horse forward.

The horse’s steady gait still caused some jolting. Having never ridden before, Lu Shujin was constantly swaying, even though she squeezed the horse’s belly tightly. Fortunately, Xiao Jin’s arms, like an iron cage, formed a solid barrier around her, preventing her from falling. The horse moved at a leisurely pace, making the ride bearable.

Behind them, the group urged their horses to follow. Attendants with lanterns spread out on both sides, and under the soft glow of the moon, the surroundings were not completely dark. Shadows flickered as the group quickly left the academy’s south wall behind.

The pretty girl from before rode up to catch up, leaning sideways to study Lu Shujin carefully. Lu Shujin met her gaze.

“Fourth Brother, my second brother said that last time you went to Chunfeng Pavilion, you also took this person. He said you got really mad when Xiao Xiangyu said something wrong to him. Is it true?” she asked.

Xiao Jin gave her a sidelong glance. “I never go to Chunfeng Pavilion alone.”

“But Second Brother said he’s never seen you favor any of the girls there. He thinks you actually like men,” the girl continued.

Lu Shujin’s heart skipped a beat at those words.

But Xiao Jin didn’t seem to care, smirking, “Your second brother was so drunk last time that he hugged a donkey on the roadside, saying it was his newlywed wife. Can you really consider that donkey your sister-in-law?”

The girl quickly shook her head, “Second Brother was drunk. Drunken words can’t be trusted.”

Xiao Jin shook his head too. “Not just drunken words. Anything that comes out of your second brother’s mouth can’t be trusted. He’s always spouting nonsense.”

The girl didn’t press the matter with him any further. Instead, she slowed her horse and turned to Ye Xun, asking seriously, “Second Brother, do you only talk nonsense?”

A furious voice came from behind. “Ye Qin! Who taught you to speak to your brother like that?!”

Lu Shujin found it amusing. This girl had a face that seemed clever, but for some reason, she acted a bit naive.

Ye Xun was still scolding her when Lu Shujin’s curiosity got the better of her. She quietly leaned out from behind Xiao Jin’s arm to take a peek. She saw the girl called Ye Qin staring wide-eyed at Ye Xun. Once he finished scolding, she asked again, “Then what else can your mouth do?”

Ye Xun was nearly furious. “I can still use it to scold you, you blockhead!”

Xiao Jin glanced down and caught sight of Lu Shujin secretly smiling with a slight curl of her lips. His gaze swept over her still faintly blushing ears, and he whispered, “That’s Ye Xun’s younger sister, named Ye Qin.”

Lu Shujin let out a light “Ah” and quickly retracted her head, a flurry of doubts swirling in her mind.

She already knew from her last visit to Chunfeng Pavilion that Ye Xun’s father was the governor of Yuncheng, which made Ye Qin a legitimate, well-born young lady of an official family. So how could she be wandering around with a group of young men after nightfall? Wouldn’t that tarnish the Ye family’s reputation if word got out?

Puzzled, Lu Shujin couldn’t figure it out. She finally leaned back slightly and turned her head to whisper, “Young Master Xiao, why is the Third Miss Ye out with you all at this hour?”

Xiao Jin heard her question but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, “Why don’t you ask where we are going?”

Lu Shujin paused and replied, “Where we are going doesn’t matter much to me now.”

After all, she was already on horseback. No matter where Xiao Jin took her, she had no choice in the matter. Asking would make no difference. Despite Xiao Jin’s unruly nature, he didn’t seem like a villain who would rob or kill her. Besides, she didn’t have much money worth stealing.

“Fair enough. You’ll find out soon enough.” Xiao Jin didn’t answer her question because Ye Qin was right behind them. Instead, he turned to the others and called out, “Let’s hurry up. If we return early, we can still get some sleep.”

The others responded, and Xiao Jin tugged the reins, urging the horse to speed up.

The sudden increase in speed made the ride much bumpier. Lu Shujin, struggling to maintain her balance, instinctively grabbed onto Xiao Jin’s arm. His forearm was incredibly firm, with just a thin layer of flesh covering muscle that felt as hard as iron. For a moment, she wondered if his original arm had been broken and replaced with a wooden prosthetic under his sleeve.

It was a good thing she didn’t say that out loud—Xiao Jin would have fainted from anger.

After a stretch of fast riding, they soon reached the southern outskirts of the city.

Lu Shujin hadn’t been in Yuncheng for long and wasn’t familiar with the roads. But she had heard about the large pig farm in the southern outskirts, owned by the Qi family. They raised over ten thousand pigs, controlling most of the pork supply in Yuncheng. Many prominent families in the city bought fresh pork directly from the Qi farm, slaughtered on demand.

Because of this, the air in the southern outskirts always carried the stench of pig manure.

Xiao Jin stopped under a tree and squinted, his gaze fixed on the faint lights at the Qi family’s pig farm and the patrolling servants moving around. Dismounting, he called out, “Bring me the spyglass.”

A servant quickly handed over a bamboo-made, single-barrel telescope. Xiao Jin casually pulled it open, extending it to twice its length, and held it to his right eye, peering toward the pig farm.

At this time of night, most of the servants at the farm were resting, with only a few patrols wandering the dimly lit area. Xiao Jin knew this was when the Qi family’s farm had the loosest security.

The others also dismounted and gathered around him, asking in confusion, “Brother Xiao, what are we doing here?”

“Are you stupid? Isn’t it obvious? Brother Xiao is here to teach the Qi family a lesson!”

“Exactly! That Qi family brat has no sense. How dare he compete with Brother Xiao? They’re just pig farmers—how dare they act so arrogant!”

Still seated on horseback, Lu Shujin looked at the ground but listened closely. From their chatter, she quickly pieced together what had happened.

It turned out that a few days ago, Xiao Jin had visited Chunfeng Pavilion again. As a regular customer, he always had a private room on the third floor, known as “Moonwater Chamber,” reserved for him and never available to other guests. But when he arrived, he found the room occupied, filled with a group of men drinking and enjoying themselves with girls, reveling in music and dance.

Xiao Jin immediately overturned a table and chased away the girls playing music, then called the pavilion’s steward over to demand an explanation.

The steward explained that the Qi family’s heir, Qi Ming, had come in and specifically demanded the Moonwater Chamber. No matter how the steward tried to dissuade him, Qi Ming wouldn’t listen. He even threw down a gold ingot, threatening to smash the pavilion’s signboard if he wasn’t given the room. With no other choice, the steward took the gold and let him use the room.

Enraged, Xiao Jin wanted to teach Qi Ming a lesson right then, but after searching the crowd, he couldn’t find him. Qi Ming had left just before Xiao Jin arrived.

Unable to find Qi Ming, Xiao Jin smashed everything in the Moonwater Chamber and demanded that everything be replaced. He also declared that if he caught Qi Ming, he would give him a good beating. But Qi Ming, the heir of the pig-farming Qi family, wasn’t intimidated. He even sent a message through one of Xiao Jin’s followers, boasting that he would rename Moonwater Chamber to “Qi Ming Chamber.”

Qi Ming’s open challenge humiliated Xiao Jin, prompting him to gather his followers for a midnight trip to the Qi family’s pig farm to teach them a lesson.

Normally, Xiao Jin was always surrounded by many people, but only Ji Shuoting stayed by his side consistently. The rest came and went. With a large group around him, Xiao Jin tended to shoo away those he found annoying. So this time, those who got to accompany him were particularly excited, eagerly asking how he planned to punish the Qi family.

Xiao Jin, accustomed to the constant chatter, remained silent, focused on observing the pig farm through his telescope.

Ye Xun pushed through the crowd to his side and asked, “Say something already. You’ve been keeping us guessing all this time—what exactly are you planning to do?”

Only then did Xiao Jin seem to open his ears. He put away the bamboo telescope, looked at Ye Xun with a mischievous smile, and said, “Bringing you along means it’s definitely something good.”

There was a hint of mischief in that smile. Even though Ye Xun was standing right next to him, the night shadows masked Xiao Jin’s expression, leaving his intentions unreadable. But Ye Xun had a nagging feeling that something was off.

Ji Shuoting, toying with a string of black jade beads in his hand, teased sourly, “It’s always something good with Ye’er around. But when it comes to bad stuff, you remember me instead. You two really are brothers sharing the same pair of pants.”

Ye Xun laughed, “Shuoting, you’re joking. I actually envy you—always able to face hardships alongside Xiao Si.”

“There will be plenty of chances for that in the future,” Xiao Jin said, wrapping an arm around Ye Xun’s shoulders in a brotherly gesture. He laughed, “Besides, our friendship doesn’t need these false tests to be proven.”

Ye Xun responded without hesitation, “Even if they are false, they are still essential.”

Xiao Jin couldn’t help but burst out laughing, and the others around them joined in, creating a cheerful, lively atmosphere.

Suddenly, a gust of night wind swept through, rustling the tree leaves with a loud rustling sound. Dry leaves fell in waves with the wind. The cool autumn breeze carried a chill, making Lu Shujin pull her sleeves tighter, pressing down on her wind-tossed cuffs as she felt the cold.

After October, Yuncheng’s scorching summer heat vanished completely, replaced by a crisp chill.

Xiao Jin’s robe flared in the wind, his long hair twisting and dancing in the air. He stretched out his hand as if trying to catch the autumn breeze. Then, he suddenly remarked, “The wind’s picking up.”

He then pulled a slender bamboo tube from his sleeve, lit a fire starter, and set the tube aflame. A brief moment later, a burst of light shot out of the tube, soared into the sky, and exploded with a “pop,” scattering sparks in the night sky.

The sudden fireworks startled everyone, and even Lu Shujin looked up. Her dark eyes reflected the colors of the burst, but before she could take a closer look, the sparks quickly disappeared into the dark night.

The wind showed no signs of stopping, only growing stronger, making everyone’s robes flap wildly. Many led their horses closer to block the wind.

Ji Shuoting looked up and noticed that the wind was blowing towards Ye Qin’s direction. Ye Xun also turned to look and saw Ye Qin hugging her arms and curling her shoulders, clearly feeling the chill. He quickly walked over, took off his outer robe, and handed it to her. “Wear this.”

Ye Qin accepted it with a bright smile. “Thank you, Second Brother.”

Only Xiao Jin stood still, his gaze fixed on the Qi family’s pig farm.

After giving his robe to his sister, Ye Xun began feeling the cold himself. He sneezed and, running out of patience, moved back to Xiao Jin’s side, asking again, “Xiao Si, what exactly did you bring us here for?”

“To enjoy the view.” Xiao Jin replied with an infuriatingly cheeky answer.

Ye Xun’s brow twitched violently. He glanced at the dark wilderness and the scattered distant lights, forcing a smile. “What view is there to see here? If you wanted to see pigsties, you should have come during the day!”

Xiao Jin chuckled without answering. Instead, he clapped his hands twice. A servant immediately approached, carrying a brocade box. Inside were elegant jade wine cups and a jug of wine. Xiao Jin picked up the jug and began pouring.

He filled three cups, handing the first two to Ji Shuoting and Ye Xun, who stood beside him, and took the third for himself. He then nodded slightly, gesturing for the servant to distribute the remaining wine to the others.

Ye Xun was completely baffled by Xiao Jin’s actions. He knew Xiao Jin often acted on impulse, but dragging them to the pig farm in the middle of the night to drink in the cold wind and admire the moon was beyond his understanding. He gripped his wine cup tightly, fearing he might smash it over Xiao Jin’s head out of frustration.

But of course, it couldn’t be that simple.

Xiao Jin might be reckless, but he was no fool.

“How could it be just to look at a pigsty? I invited you all here to witness a grand…” Xiao Jin raised his cup and pointed in the direction of the Qi family’s pig farm, his brows arched in a wild, unrestrained grin, “Bonfire feast.”

Almost immediately, the sharp gasp of someone sucking in a breath of cold air echoed around them. Panic struck Ye Xun, and he quickly turned to look. He saw that the Qi family’s pig farm, which had just been dotted with a few scattered lights, had suddenly erupted into a raging fire! It was like a dragon of flames that seemed to emerge out of nowhere, snaking its way rapidly from south to north, painting a breathtakingly beautiful yet terrifying scene beneath the vast, dark sky.

“The Qi family’s pig farm is on fire!” someone whispered in disbelief.

In the distance, a frantic bell rang—the emergency alarm of the Qi family’s pig farm. Chaos erupted as panicked shouts filled the air. People cried out about the fire and rushed around in a desperate attempt to extinguish it.

The Qi family’s pig farm was massive, housing tens of thousands of pigs. The pens were built close together, but they had been designed with fire breaks and safety measures. Yet this fire spread with unnatural speed, giving them no time to react. In the blink of an eye, the flames soared high, forcing the workers to retreat in fear.

The howling autumn wind became the perfect ally of the wildfire, fanning the scorching flames even higher. Soon, the agonized squeals of pigs pierced the night, sharp and miserable, audible even from a distance.

Xiao Jin had chosen a perfect vantage point. From here, he could watch the entire spectacle unfold. Rolling black smoke billowed into the sky, and the sea of flames lit up half the horizon, creating a magnificent yet horrifying scene.

Everyone around him was frozen in shock. Ye Xun’s hand trembled violently, and he lost his grip on the wine cup, his gaze locked onto the burning pig farm.

The screams of the pigs pierced the night sky, and even from afar, Lu Shujin could hear them. Her eyelids twitched, and she instinctively gripped the reins tighter, her face pale.

Such a massive pig farm—every pig there was like silver coins, and now all those silver coins were going up in flames!

But Xiao Jin was extremely pleased with his carefully planned “bonfire feast.” Smiling with narrowed eyes, he raised his wine cup and declared, “A toast to the thousands of citizens of Yuncheng.”

Then he drained the cup in one go.

His voice pulled the others back to reality, and the young men around him erupted in exclamations. They were excited, thrilled, and filled with praise for Xiao Jin’s boldness.

“Qi family is done for! That Qi family heir won’t be so arrogant anymore. No one who crosses Brother Xiao ever ends well!”

“Exactly! Only Brother Xiao could pull off something this stunning!”

“And only Brother Xiao would have the guts to do something like this! It’s admirable!”

Their words were filled with admiration and flattery for Xiao Jin, as if he hadn’t just set fire to a massive pig farm, destroying the Qi family’s livelihood, but had instead performed some grand heroic act for the people.

This was the world that revolved around Xiao Jin—a circle of followers made up of almost all the idle young nobles of Yuncheng, most of whom called him “Brother Xiao.”

Xiao Jin was at the center of this whirlwind of decadence, flattery, and indulgence. He was irritable, vengeful, and easily angered, striking out at anyone who disobeyed him. Even a minor conflict could lead to him setting a monstrous fire like this one—burning countless pigs alive and destroying the Qi family’s wealth.

Lu Shujin stared at Xiao Jin, who stood in the center of the crowd, peering through his telescope at the distant inferno. Moonlight bathed his figure, with only a few faint shadows from the trees nearby. Half of his body was cloaked in silvery light, and for a moment, Lu Shujin seemed to see another version of Xiao Jin through the hazy shadows.

This was the Xiao Jin who could read quietly for half an hour without looking up, who smashed the Yuhua Pavilion under the pretense of searching for a lost jade pendant, exposing the place’s forced prostitution. He was the one who exposed the Liu family’s embezzlement of official funds, tore apart all the indenture contracts, and fiercely punished those who trafficked foreign women. He was also the one who gently applied medicine to her neck, watched her finish a hearty meal, and carried a lantern around the academy at night, searching for her as she swept leaves beneath the maple trees by the southern wall.

But the thick clouds soon swallowed the moonlight, and darkness veiled her view. Xiao Jin’s figure turned dim, his form almost swallowed by the night.

It was hard to see clearly.

Which one of them was the real Xiao Jin?

Soon, the stench of pig manure in the air faded away, replaced by the aroma of roasted meat. But the raging flames showed no signs of dying down.

Xiao Jin raised his telescope, laughing heartily. “So many pigs have run out, and they’re scrambling around trying to catch them.”

But his laughter didn’t last long. The guards at the pig farm had noticed them, and a large group of armed men came rushing over, surrounding Xiao Jin and his companions. These men were already overwhelmed by the chaos of firefighting, their faces furious, gripping wooden clubs as they glared at the intruders.

The head guard wasn’t a fool. He knew this fire was suspicious, and seeing this group of well-dressed young nobles watching the spectacle in the middle of the night, it was clear to him who the culprits were. He immediately shouted, “Who are you people?! How dare you set fire to the Qi family’s pig farm?!”

The boys who were full of bravado just moments ago immediately shrank back, not daring to make a sound.

It was Xiao Jin who spoke first. “Who said we started the fire? Did you see it with your own eyes? Don’t go making wild accusations.”

“Then why are you out here in the middle of nowhere at this hour?”

“We’re just a few friends out here drinking and enjoying the moonlight,” Xiao Jin said, swirling the wine in his cup. “We just happened to see the fire and decided to stop and watch for a bit.”

“Oh, you just ‘happened’ to show up here, and the pig farm just ‘happened’ to catch fire?!” the head guard shouted. “You must think I’m an idiot! It’s obvious you lot are the ones who set it!”

Ji Shuoting stepped forward, pointing at Xiao Jin. “Do you even know who this is? Mind your tone.”

The head guard nearly jumped in rage. “I don’t care who you are! Even if you were the Emperor himself, you’re all coming with me to the yamen (magistrate’s office) today! A bunch of reckless brats—do you even know what kind of trouble you’ve caused?!”

“Seize them!” he ordered.

A swarm of guards surged forward, trying to restrain them. But Xiao Jin’s attendants quickly drew their blades, the cold flash of steel immediately forcing the men with wooden clubs to stop in their tracks.

Xiao Jin began walking toward his horse, smiling at Ye Xun as he passed. “Didn’t I say we’d have plenty of chances to share hardships, brother?”

Ye Xun’s expression was terrible, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Didn’t Young Master Xiao just say our bond doesn’t need these superficial tests?”

Xiao Jin shrugged, his expression innocent. “Wasn’t it you who said that even if they’re superficial, they’re still necessary?”

The retort made Ye Xun’s chest tighten with frustration—he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Xiao Jin reached his horse and tapped the saddle, calling out to Lu Shujin, “Get down.”

Lu Shujin was overwhelmed with panic. Xiao Jin had caused such a huge disaster, and now they were going to be taken to the yamen. The Haizhou Academy would certainly hear of this, and if Qiao Bailian found out she was involved again, he would surely be disappointed in her. Besides, the Xiao family had influence in Yuncheng, allowing Xiao Jin to act with impunity, but she had no family background. If she were to be imprisoned over this, what would she do if she ended up in jail for three to five years?

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. So much so that she didn’t even notice Xiao Jin approaching until he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and lifted her off the horse.

Completely unprepared, Lu Shujin let out a startled gasp, her feet landing on the ground, and the firm grip around her waist was gone in an instant.

Xiao Jin lowered his gaze, taking in her panicked expression. His tone was relaxed. “What are you afraid of?”

Lu Shujin raised her eyes to meet his. Her fear was written plainly on her face, though she didn’t say a word. Yet Xiao Jin seemed to read her thoughts from her eyes. He said, “As long as I’m here, this won’t fall on your head.”

Lu Shujin turned away, lowering her gaze. Her heart was pounding, loud and fast. She wanted to say something to ease the tension, but she didn’t know what.

Should she say, “Xiao Jin, you’re incredible. Look at the mess you’ve made—dragging me out here in the middle of the night to watch you burn down a pig farm, and now we’re about to be arrested.”

Or should she say, “Your grip was a bit too tight. My waist still hurts.”

Or maybe, “Why are you doing this? What’s your goal?”

But as the silence stretched on, Xiao Jin seemed to take issue with it. “Why do you always ignore me? Makes me look bad as the big brother here.”

Lu Shujin was momentarily stunned before answering honestly, “I don’t know what to say.”

“In the future, whenever I speak to you and you don’t know what to say, just reply with ‘I understand,’” Xiao Jin instructed. After a brief moment of self-reflection, wondering if he was being too strict, he added, “Or just a simple ‘Hmm.’ Got it?”

It was an odd request. Lu Shujin found it strange but still nodded.

Xiao Jin’s gaze sharpened. “Hmm?”

Lu Shujin replied, “Hmm, I understand.”

With the two responses combined, Xiao Jin felt his sense of pride restored.

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