Huangfu Jingchen: "..."
How could she say such things so seriously and righteously without changing her expression?
Not her own silver, of course she's not distressed. Where does she get the nerve?
Thousands of taels of silver are nothing to Huangfu Jingchen, but he just couldn't swallow his pride. Huangfu Jingchen glared: "Have you no shame?"
Nope, can the face be exchanged for silver?
Xia Wenjin blinked, with an earnest look in her eyes: "Huang Zheng, don't you know that some things take priority? My matters with you are merely about silver, but those assassins are after my life. If I got killed by those assassins because of you, would you be able to live peacefully afterwards? Wouldn't you dream of a bloody me in your nightmares? I'm also thinking about your future mental and physical well-being. Let's deal with the external threat first, and once it's safe, I'll return the silver to you. How do you find that?"
Huangfu Jingchen automatically imagined her bloody appearance, and was chilled with disgust, looking stern: "Can I trust you?"
Xia Wenjin looked serious: "Trust me, and you're a good person; don't trust me, and you're an accomplice to the assassins. The choice between good and evil is just a thought away. Besides, with your skills, could I really escape from your grasp?"
There was a feeling that this kid was making excuses, but he had no evidence! However, the last sentence pleased Huangfu Jingchen, giving this kid some credit for being sensible.
Huangfu Jingchen snorted, which was considered agreement to Xia Wenjin's suggestion.
They had no horses and could only rely on their legs.
The six assassins were lured away by a sheep in a brocade robe, but in at most two moments, they would realize the trick and certainly follow the trail. Looking at the seemingly unconcerned youth, Huangfu Jingchen felt complicated.
The time he tracked down Xia Wenjin wasn't the interception outside the woods but was earlier by nearly an hour. He also personally witnessed Xia Wenjin's embarrassing situation. He could have let the six assassins finish her off to quench his anger, but thinking of the dark-faced youth's elegant demeanor in the restaurant and his graceful speech, he felt wishing someone dead for merely a few thousand taels seemed too low in taste.
Moreover, only he could deal with those who offended him. How could he let someone else kill that kid?
Huangfu Jingchen admitted he acted impulsively. He should've just watched.
At that time, all he thought of was saving her, and he calmly analyzed that confronting one against six head-on wasn't clear, so conveniently, he saw a shepherd driving a dozen sheep passing by.
After selling the jade ring to buy clothes, he still had a few taels of silver left, which he used to trade for the sheep.
Sending a flock of grazing animals into a large forest to disrupt a killing squad was somewhat challenging, but not impossible for Huangfu Jingchen.
He fed them a little something, and the flock of sheep immediately charged into the forest like a herd of wild bulls, charging directly towards where people were. Huangfu Jingchen predicted Xia Wenjin's possible exit point and waited there to catch her spot on. Of course, he would never admit to doing something as silly as that out of kindness.
Seeing that although she was running, she seemed like she was leisurely strolling, Huangfu Jingchen finally couldn't help but ask: "If you're chased down again, you won't be able to escape!"
Xia Wenjin turned her head and smiled, saying: "Isn't there you? Surely you wouldn't just stand by and do nothing, would you?"
Huangfu Jingchen sneered: "What makes you think I'd rescue a little thief who stole my money?"
Xia Wenjin grinned showing two teeth, mischievous with a hint of wit, and said indifferently: "Then I'll tell them we're in cahoots! Having Brother Huang accompany me on the road to the underworld doesn't sound too bad!"
Huangfu Jingchen: "..."
So shameless to openly admit it. Who wants to accompany you?
He wanted to retort, but felt it beneath his dignity to argue with a little thief. All he wanted was to recover his silver, not to be angered senseless!
Whether it was luck or the path Xia Wenjin picked that evaded their pursuers, they actually reached the next small town smoothly.
The first thing Xia Wenjin did was spend five taels of silver to buy a set of clothes. Of course, she wouldn't extravagantly throw away Huangfu Jingchen's brocade clothes, which made him think she might return them to him. Instead, Xia Wenjin headed straight to the pawnshop.
Huangfu Jingchen stopped her and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
Xia Wenjin gave him a strange look, and Huangfu Jingchen clearly saw disdain in her eyes. Before he could speak, Xia Wenjin said, "Pawn it, of course!"
"These are my clothes! Who said you could pawn them?"
"Do you want to keep it to attract assassins?"
Huangfu Jingchen was stunned. Those assassins probably pursued Xia Wenjin because of those clothes and that horse. In that split second, Xia Wenjin efficiently exchanged them for ten taels of silver inside the shop.
She tossed the ten-tael silver ingot in her hand and said triumphantly: "Look, silver in hand!"
Huangfu Jingchen's face darkened, clutching her again: "You pawned just for ten taels?" The set he was wearing now wasn't as good, not wanting to wear something others had already worn.
"Hmm, it's plenty, enough for us to enjoy a big feast!"
Huangfu Jingchen didn't want to speak. That outfit was worth at least a hundred taels with its craftsmanship; this kid didn't know the value, broad-eyed but short-sighted.
Completely unaware that she had been internally criticized as utterly worthless by Huangfu Jingchen, Xia Wenjin cheerfully said: "Come on, let me treat you to something good, young master!"
"You're treating me? Whose clothes were pawned exactly?"
Xia Wenjin gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, laughing: "You and I are so close, what's yours is mine!" Due to being a head shorter, the shoulder-patting gesture was awkward.
Huangfu Jingchen shrugged off the touch, stepping aside with a cold expression: "Sorry, we're not that familiar!"
"Once strange, then familiar; we've met twice already, facing life and death together. How can you turn your face and deny it?" Xia Wenjin's gaze was bright, eyes sincere, and she hooked her arm around his shoulder with ease and boldness.
Though Huangfu Jingchen was taller, the action lacked finesse, but she didn't mind.
Huangfu Jingchen once again shrugged her off, leaving Xia Wenjin's hand in mid-air, a hint of hurt appearing on her face, she murmured: "Brother Huang, we're kindred spirits, shared interests, remember the night we confided in each other, our conversations delightful, our hearts open. Yet just a night later, you treat me this way?"
Huangfu Jingchen: "..."
This statement was too suggestive. What does "confiding in each other, hearts open" mean? They merely chatted late, yet it sounded like he was a scoundrel who abandoned her!
Besides, how could a man veer the topic so off track, what was his intent?
He blushed, angrily saying: "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xia Wenjin's brow subtly moved, her face slightly aggrieved, full of accusation in her tone: "Could it be that Brother Huang wishes to deny it?"