Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 42 Why don't you like him?

Jiang Mian squeezed in the crowd, the smoke choking her so much she couldn't open her eyes, her chest felt like it was blocked by a stone, and her breathing became increasingly difficult.

Amidst the shoving and jostling of the crowd, and the chaotic running and shouting all around, she staggered, unable to see where she was going.

"Xiao Hengzhi..." she murmured softly, a sense of unease and panic rising in her heart.

Just as she was about to lose her balance, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, firmly grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into a secluded alley.

"who--!"

Jiang Mian struggled frantically, but a thick outer robe covered her head, shielding her from the thick smoke outside.

"do not move."

His deep voice carried a hint of urgency.

Jiang Wan recognized Xiao Hengzhi's voice, and the tension in her heart suddenly eased a little.

Once she steadied herself and pulled off the outer robe draped over her head, she saw that familiar face.

"You, you..." She paused slightly, her voice still carrying the lingering fear of escaping the fire.

Before she could ask, Xiao Hengzhi had already scolded her in a low voice: "Are you crazy?! With such a big fire, you're still running back? Ning Zhi is there; if you run with him, you can definitely escape. If you run back..."

"Are you OK?"

Jiang Mian interrupted him, completely ignoring what he said. She simply looked up at him anxiously.

The tension that had brought her to the brink of losing control had not completely dissipated, and her fingers were still trembling slightly.

Xiao Hengzhi was stunned by her gaze, as if something was blocking his chest.

He couldn't help but raise his hand and gently wipe the soot from her face, whispering, "I'm fine, but why did you run in again...?"

Jiang Mian lowered her eyelids and said in a very soft voice, "I thought you were still inside."

For a moment just now, she was genuinely afraid that Xiao Hengzhi would die inside.

Even she herself didn't expect to run back so impulsively, as if she were out of control and instinctively rushed in.

Now that I've calmed down, I realize how stupid I was just now...

Outside the alley, the crackling of flames and the clamor of voices filled the air. Listening to her words, Xiao Hengzhi almost lost all thought.

He stared at her blankly, his eyes overflowing with tenderness, and slowly reached out to touch her.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch her—

"Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?" Jiang Wan suddenly asked, pulling him back to reality.

She regained her senses and realized that if anything happened to the Crown Prince outside today, the Emperor would definitely punish the Jiang family.

Xiao Hengzhi lowered his hand again and replied calmly, "With the guards protecting him, Your Highness will not die."

Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, Ning Zhi had many people secretly protecting him when he was out and about, so she didn't need to worry too much.

She turned to look in the direction of the flames shooting into the sky from Zuiyin Tower, her brows furrowing slightly, and asked again, "What did you discover at Zuiyin Tower just now?"

Xiao Hengzhi pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "We found several weapon blueprints, of styles we've never seen before. It's a pity the fire started so suddenly that we didn't have time to examine them carefully."

Jiang Wan frowned, but something still felt off.

The fire started in a very strange way, as if it was deliberately preventing them from continuing their investigation.

But since things have come to this point, we definitely can't investigate any further.

The person behind this is no benevolent individual. In order to stop them, they did not hesitate to burn down the Drunken Sound Pavilion, and did not care at all about harming innocent people.

She sighed, "No matter who orchestrated this, let's not investigate further today. This person is no good, and we can't afford to fall for their trap."

She turned to leave as she spoke.

However, before she could take a step, Xiao Hengzhi suddenly grabbed her arm and pressed her against the wall.

"What are you doing..." Jiang Wan was taken aback by the sudden action, her voice tinged with panic.

Xiao Hengzhi didn't step back an inch. Instead, he lowered his head and asked in a hoarse, restrained voice, "Just now... after releasing the lanterns, what did he say to you?"

The alley was narrow, and the distance between the two suddenly shortened.

His breath was right next to her ear, and in the darkness, she felt as if she were enveloped by him.

Jiang Mian's breath hitched, and that uneasy tension surged up again. She felt her heart beating uncontrollably fast in her chest.

"No...nothing was said," she replied softly, lowering her eyes.

"Really?" Xiao Hengzhi lowered his voice even further, as if testing or interrogating, "If you didn't say anything, then why were you staring at me?"

Jiang Mian lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly at him, biting her lower lip, a strange panic rising in her heart: "He... he asked me if I would like to enter the palace..."

Xiao Hengzhi froze. Although he was mentally prepared, hearing these words still felt like being hit hard by a heavy hammer.

"If Your Highness is interested, is the Second Miss happy?"

Jiang Wan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Of course I'm happy..."

The emotions in his eyes shifted rapidly, a mixture of coldness and worry, yet he suppressed them, turning them into a state of unease.

he thinks--

Why does Jiang Wan like Ning Zhi so much?

Why can't I like him?

In her past life, she abandoned him to go to Ning Zhi's side. In this life, will she break off her marriage with him and enter the palace again?

He clenched his fist, suddenly wanting to tell Jiang Wan, to tell her all his feelings.

But he couldn't. If he did, Jiang Wan would definitely kick him out of the Jiang family.

He had to endure it, but the feeling was truly agonizing.

He looked at Jiang Mian's lowered eyelashes and slammed his fist against the wall.

To be honest, he really wanted to lean down and kiss her, and he really wanted to tell her how unbearable these nights had been, and how he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Every night, he would recreate her image in his mind, those scenes from his past life repeatedly overwhelming him. He even felt a little regretful, wondering if he would not have to pretend so hard now if he hadn't done those things back then.

He was driven mad with pain, but in the end he could only furiously pound the wall and quietly watch her.

"Does the second young lady really like him?"

The alley was dark, with only occasional flashes of light illuminating it for a moment. Jiang Wan couldn't see his expression, but she could hear his voice again, a suppressed hoarseness.

She turned slightly to the side and answered in a low voice, "Why are you asking this?"

"Because the Second Miss seemed worried about me just now, I wanted to confirm again..."

Jiang Wan felt awkward when her thoughts were exposed, and hurriedly explained, "I would have been worried no matter who it was! Besides, you came out with us today, so of course I had to help when something like this happened..."

She spoke with conviction, but her eyes darted left and right.