SGEIRS -Chapter 175 A-Yao Acts Coy

Meng Jinyao instinctively turned her head and saw a sharp sword stabbing straight toward her. Her pupils shrank abruptly in terror. It felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen, and a chill spread through her limbs.

Regret filled her heart—regret for acting on impulse. She resigned herself to fate and closed her eyes, thinking that in her next life, she must be more steady and cautious.

At this critical moment, another sword shot forth like an arrow loosed from a bow. With lightning speed, it struck the blade of Hua Lingxiao’s sword with a loud clang.

Hua Lingxiao’s hand went numb from the impact, and his sword flew out of his grasp, clattering to the ground. He froze for a moment, then quickly reacted and bent down, preparing to grab Meng Jinyao and use her as a hostage.

However, Gu Jingxi moved like lightning. In a flash, he appeared before him. Forced to give up on using Meng Jinyao as a shield, Hua Lingxiao raised his hand to block Gu Jingxi’s incoming palm strike.

Unexpectedly, Gu Jingxi’s move was only a feint. The next instant, Hua Lingxiao was kicked hard in the abdomen and fell with a splash into the wishing pool.

Hua Lingxiao let out a muffled groan and clutched his bleeding chest. Having committed countless crimes and remained at large for so long, the once-arrogant man finally felt fear. Still, he struggled to his feet, intending to flee again.

Several constables rushed forward, jumped into the pool, and subdued him. To save trouble, one of them struck him hard, knocking him unconscious.

At this time, Qi Yunwen arrived with several more constables. Seeing that the criminal had already been captured, he froze for a moment and thought to himself, So fast. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have rushed over. I’m exhausted.

Gu Jingxi glanced at him and said coolly, “You’re late. Be earlier next time. When chasing criminals like this, even being a little late can cost innocent lives.”

Qi Yunwen replied with a grin, “Hey, you don’t know—this flower thief tricked me and made me come up empty-handed. Luckily, you caught him. Otherwise, who knows when we’d get another lead.”

As he spoke, he walked over to Hua Lingxiao and gave him a light kick.

“Tsk, weren’t you good at running? Go on, keep running.”

Gu Jingxi said calmly, “Take him back and lock him up. Interrogate him properly. I have some personal matters to attend to. I’ll return to the Court of Judicial Review tomorrow morning.”

With that, he helped up the reckless young woman. He was about to scold her, but when he saw her pale face, misty eyes, and frightened expression, the words on his lips were swallowed back.

Qi Yunwen finally noticed Meng Jinyao and her two maids and asked in surprise, “Yaoling, what happened to your wife?”

His gaze shifted between Meng Jinyao and Hua Lingxiao, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. Hua Lingxiao was a notorious flower thief who never spared beautiful women, whether unmarried girls or married women.

He was skilled in martial arts and good at hiding. The authorities had never been able to catch him. Growing more arrogant after repeated escapes, he even dared to leave traces and commit crimes in the capital. Only tonight had he finally been caught.

Gu Jingxi understood his thoughts at once. Concerned about Meng Jinyao’s reputation, he immediately explained: “We chased Hua Lingxiao to Lingyun Temple and happened to run into A-Yao. He was already injured and, knowing he couldn’t escape, took her hostage. Fortunately, she used her wits to break free and wasn’t hurt.”

Hearing this, Qi Yunwen let out a sigh of relief. “As long as she’s fine. Take good care of her. We’ll head back first.”

The commotion had also alerted the monks. As Qi Yunwen was about to leave with the prisoner, the abbot arrived with over a dozen monks.

Seeing the constables and the unconscious man being carried away, the abbot stepped forward and asked, “Amitabha. May I ask what has happened?”

Qi Yunwen replied, “The Court was arresting a criminal. We disturbed you—my apologies.”

Hearing it was official business, the abbot did not ask further. He was somewhat surprised to see Meng Jinyao and her maids and asked a few more questions. Learning that they were guests staying at the temple, and seeing Gu Jingxi beside her, he assumed he was also a guest.

After offering some comforting words, and seeing that everyone was safe, the abbot led the monks away.

Soon, only Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao with her two maids remained by the wishing pool.

Gu Jingxi said softly, “Madam, let’s go back to the guest rooms.”

Meng Jinyao snapped out of her daze and nodded. She took a step forward, but her legs felt weak. The moment she tried to walk, she collapsed into Gu Jingxi’s arms, clutching his robe tightly in fear of falling.

Gu Jingxi quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and held her steady.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

Her face flushed slightly as she admitted helplessly, “Husband… my legs are weak.”

Though the danger had passed, the feeling of brushing past death still haunted her. She had never been so close to dying. If Gu Jingxi had been even a little slower, she would already be dead.

Seeing her so vulnerable, Gu Jingxi’s heart softened. But remembering her reckless behavior, his expression darkened again.

Even he had been terrified, his heart nearly jumping into his throat. Half annoyed and half amused, he said, “Weren’t you very bold just now? Right in front of me, you insisted on running off with another man and even ordered me to prepare horses.”

Meng Jinyao was speechless. The way he put it made it sound as if she truly planned to elope.

She smiled awkwardly. “That was just a temporary measure. I was trying to distract him and find a chance to escape. You treat me so well—how could I ever run away with someone else?”

She looked up at him. Seeing him still silent, she felt uneasy. Her grip loosened slightly, and she called out softly,

“Husband…”

The word was drawn out gently, soft and lingering, like a coquettish plea.

Gu Jingxi froze for a moment. Is she… acting spoiled toward me?

He lowered his head and saw her gazing at him pitifully. Her bright eyes reflected his figure, filled only with him—full of reliance, with a trace of hidden unease.

Looking into those eyes, his heartbeat skipped. An unfamiliar feeling welled up inside him, prompting him to bend slightly.

One arm slipped around her back, the other under her knees.

By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already lifted her into his arms, holding her steadily against his chest.