Chapter 123: Meeting (1)

Chu Lian held up the cup of mead and took a small sip. Just like the swirling of the golden mead within the snow white porcelain cup, Chu Lian’s heart also slowly lost its calm.
She had a faint inkling that what happened just now seemed a little strange.
Why would Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly have a stomachache? They had clearly eaten the exact same foods. However, Royal Princess Duanjia’s expression hadn’t seemed fake.
It felt like she had unknowingly landed in someone’s net.
The more she thought about it, the faster Chu Lian’s heart beat. Her face suddenly turned pale. She turned to Xiyan, who was standing next to her, and was about to mention leaving a little early. However, the moment she turned around, her eyes met with the gaze of Xiao Bojian.
Chu Lian’s pupils abruptly shrunk and she was stunned for a moment. Why would Xiao Bojian appear here?
Xiao Bojian hadn’t expected to meet Chu Lian’s gaze the moment he passed the screen at the entrance of the room. The coincidence made it seem like their thoughts were connected. With that thought in mind, his heart couldn’t help but melt.
“Lian’er!”
Chu Lian: ……
How could she have such rotten luck?! Darn it!
Chu Lian inwardly snapped curse after curse to the high heavens.
Nothing good ever happened when she ran into Xiao Bojian. Previously, she had managed to escape him at the Dingyuan Estate. But evidently, that luck didn’t last for long. She just had to bump into him here. Was the story ever going to let her live her life in peace? She wasn’t the original ‘Chu Lian’! Deceptively pretty, carnivorous Venus flytraps weren’t her type.
It was too dangerous to like someone like Xiao Bojian; you wouldn’t know when you’d be sold for his own selfish benefits.
Although Chu Lian was completely frustrated and unhappy on the inside, after she got over the initial shock of seeing Xiao Bojian here, her heart slowly regained its inner calm.
She wasn’t the original ‘Chu Lian’, who might have gotten flustered over this guy’s appearance. Judging from the situation, Royal Princess Duanjia’s sudden departure must have had something to do with him.
Xiyan’s soul almost left her body when she heard Xiao Bojian’s sweet call of ‘Lian’er’.
She turned and stared dazedly at the tall gentleman standing by the screen.
Xiyan had a stronger reaction than Chu Lian; her entire body stiffened. She couldn’t believe that Mister Xiao had appeared here at Defeng Teahouse of all places. Furthermore, in Third Young Madam and Royal Princess Duanjia’s private room!
Chu Lian had already stood up by now. Xiao Bojian’s greedy eyes were locked onto her.
After so many days apart, he eagerly looked at his ‘lover’: she was dressed in a light yellow dress with a light blue outer layer embroidered with flowers. She carried a small green pouch at her waist, together with a thousand blessings jade amulet. Her fingers looked long and slender.
There was a jade green hairpin with gold inlays nestled in her hair, and a ruby headband on her forehead. The peach blossom pattern of the lining suited her complexion well. Xiao Bojian’s eyes roamed greedily over her red lips, curved nose, almond-shaped eyes and rounded cheeks. His fingers stroked the inside of his sleeve, as if he were touching the face of the person before him.
Unfortunately, he was only looking at what Chu Lian was wearing, and didn’t notice the guarded look in her wide, moist eyes.
Chu Lian remained standing in silence as she waited for Xiao Bojian to speak. She wasn’t trying to act calm; she knew clearly that she couldn’t leave now, no matter how much she wanted to!
With how tricky Xiao Bojian was, she highly doubted that he wouldn’t have a backup plan.
Perhaps Xiao Bojian had finally noticed that the atmosphere was a little tense. He lowered his head, shifting his gaze away from Chu Lian’s body. Then, he walked up to Royal Princess Duanjia’s vacant seat and sat down without so much as a by your leave.
He realised that Chu Lian was still standing a little stiffly. His brow wrinkled slightly and he called out in a gentle tone, “Lian’er, come. Sit down.”
Wouldn’t she have sat down already if that was what she wanted?! If she had a choice, she would have long left already without turning back!
Though these were her true thoughts, Chu Lian still obediently sat down anyway. She lowered her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes that were surely different from what he would expect from ‘Chu Lian’.