Fang Yuchun escorted the Lan Yong envoy out of Shuntian Prefecture, and the day's potential disaster was thus dispelled.
Zuo Shixin still had to escort the people back to the posthouse.
Tian Kangtai asked the three of them again if they wanted to stay at the Marquis of Nanhai's estate.
He Zhifei asked, "Did the Young Master ask us to stay at the estate?"
Tian Kangtai shook his head, "The Young Master hasn't inquired about this. I just thought that since we are all family, and there are many empty courtyards in the estate, it would be convenient to live together. If there's anything to discuss, we won't have to run back and forth between the posthouse and the estate."
Su Yang was determined to stay at the Marquis of Nanhai's estate; even if Tian Kangtai hadn't invited them, he had already decided to go.
Xie Taihong was reluctant to be too close to Xie Jiang. The posthouse was quite comfortable, so why live under Xie Jiang's shadow?
For He Zhifei, it made no difference where he lived, unless the Young Master explicitly asked...
Su Yang strongly insisted on staying at the Marquis of Nanhai's estate! He had come all this way for the Young Master, and he would have to be out of his mind to stay at the posthouse!
Afterward, the three of them directly followed Tian Kangtai to the Marquis of Nanhai's estate.
Their luggage, which had just been delivered to the posthouse, had not been unpacked, so it could be directly transported to the Marquis of Nanhai's estate.
~
Xia Zeshi and Xu Hengyi were still in prison and had not left.
They had been walking at the very back, and after seeing Su Yang and the others leave, they turned back to the prison cell.
Xie Jiang did not drive them away. With Su Yang's strong contrast in front, they appeared exceptionally well-behaved and endearing. Xie Jiang pinched their cheeks, making them yelp with each pinch.
"Xie Jiang, you, you, you, can you be more serious? You're the Marquis of Nanhai now!"
"It's only for these two years. Once you've grown up and your faces have defined lines, sharp and chiseled like a knife, I won't pinch you even if you beg me."
"That's a shameless thing to say! We're not begging you to pinch us now!"
"I was pinching Xia Zeshi, and you incidentally. Your face isn't very fleshy either."
"You pinched me and then you're complaining!"
Xu Hengyi gritted his teeth, wishing he could pinch Xie Jiang's face back, but to protect his own hands, this thought could only remain in his heart.
Xie Jiang casually picked up a novel she hadn't read before, walked to the bed, and lay down. Then, she beckoned to Xia Zeshi, who was on the verge of tears with red eyes from being pinched, looking like he wanted to be manhandled, "Come here and let me pinch you again."
Xia Zeshi subconsciously took two steps forward, then immediately retreated after realizing what he was doing.
He wasn't a child anymore; he was so grown, how could she still pinch his face?
Xie Jiang beckoned, "I told you to come here."
Xia Zeshi refused, "You wanted to read, right? You, you should still read."
Xie Jiang sighed and withdrew her hand.
Xia Zeshi felt uneasy.
Why was she sighing? Did she think his refusal to be pinched meant he was annoyed with her?
He wasn't... he just felt that as an adult, being constantly pinched on the face was a bit inappropriate.
Xu Hengyi grumbled a few resentful words and then dismissed the matter. Xie Jiang opened a novel about martial world feuds and romantic entanglements. Xu Hengyi then moved a stool over, leaned next to Xie Jiang, and started chatting.
"Is that Su Yang your subordinate? How can you have such a crazy subordinate? I think he's more annoying than Ruan Zijian. How long has he been by your side?"
Xu Hengyi wasn't particularly interested in Su Yang; he felt that he would have to deal with Su Yang in the future, so it was better to understand him.
"That Young Master He looks like a capable person. 'A refined demeanor comes from inner cultivation' perfectly describes him. You can tell he's someone you can entrust matters to. Su Yang is far behind him. Does that Su Yang have any extraordinary abilities?"
Xie Jiang stared at the pages of the book and said as she read, "Isn't Su Yang's strength obvious at a glance?"
"I really haven't seen Su Yang's strength. He just latches onto people and bites them indiscriminately..." Xu Hengyi's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not going to say that Su Yang's 'mad dog' nature is his strength, are you?"
Xie Jiang replied, "Why not?"
The description "mad dog" was perfect for Su Yang's image, but "What ability is there in biting people?"
Xie Jiang asked, "When I need to bite someone to death, do you think I'll let you go or Su Yang?"
Xu Hengyi blinked his eyes and finally admitted that Xie Jiang was right.
Xia Zeshi sat down at the table and said, "As long as they can be controlled, everyone has their use."
Xie Jiang was naturally able to control Su Yang. Su Yang showed little reverence even towards Xie Taihong, yet he dared not disobey Xie Jiang in the slightest.
Xu Hengyi rested his arm on the bed, "Is Su Yang highly valued by you? Why is he so arrogant and overbearing, with his eyes looking up at the sky? Logically, he's your subordinate, but I'm your good friend. Shouldn't he be more respectful in front of me..."
Xie Jiang ignored his meaningless nagging.
Xia Zeshi silently observed Xie Jiang. Seeing that she didn't seem to hold any grudges, his anxious heart finally calmed down. He said to Xu Hengyi, "Su Yang's temperament is probably only restrained or subdued in the face of absolute strength."
Xia Zeshi believed that Xie Jiang had earned Su Yang's willing submission through her own strength.
Xu Hengyi, however, misunderstood. "You mean if I gathered a group of people and beat Su Yang severely on the ground, he would then obey me?"
Xie Jiang suddenly let out a laugh. "Su Yang will only pin you to the ground and hack at you indiscriminately."
As she spoke, she looked up at Xu Hengyi, thinking that Xu Hengyan had protected this younger brother very well. He was so old yet still so innocent and pure. Through Xu Hengyi, she seemed to see a glimpse of Xu Hengyan.
Xu Hengyi muttered quietly, complaining about Su Yang's ruthlessness. Seeing Xie Jiang turn back to her novel and read with great interest, Xu Hengyi couldn't help but speak again.
"That Su Yang is strange and eccentric. Does he have any special habits? I see him practically sticking to you. Don't you find it bothersome?"
"Don't you also want to stick to me? Do you think I can find it bothersome?"
Xie Jiang finally shifted her gaze from the book. She looked at Xu Hengyi, who was leaning close to her, her luminous eyes carrying a hint of playful amusement.
Xu Hengyi straightened up abruptly, "How can I be the same as Su Yang!"
Su Yang's attitude towards Xie Jiang was not like that of a subordinate to their superior! The more Xu Hengyi thought about it, the more worried he became.
"In short, you need to discipline Su Yang properly and stop him from sticking to you all the time. I always feel like he has ill intentions and ulterior motives towards you."
Xie Jiang seemed to be enlightened. She turned to look at Xu Hengyi and nodded.
"Su Yang and He Zhifei were both sent to me by their respective families."
It was also because her methods in those two years were too brutal that the aristocratic families of Nanyang were terrified. When Su Yang was first sent to her, he had plotted to assassinate her more than once.
He Zhifei had also entertained such thoughts, but he was more resourceful than Su Yang.
If he wasn't confident he could kill her with a single blow, He Zhifei wouldn't easily reveal any weaknesses.
Later, after seeing that she had no intention of exterminating the aristocratic families of Nanyang, and after Nanyang's four prefectures had undergone earth-shattering changes, they gradually changed their views and attitudes towards her.