Free Web NovelChapter 639: Chapter 638: Pungent Odor
Xia Wenjin turned his head, deliberately grabbing Uncle Hua and Uncle Gu by the arm, gently shaking them, and said, "Uncle Hua, Uncle Gu, Young Master Huangfu specially sent such a good carriage to pick you up. You must accept this kind gesture!"
Huangfu Yuxuan: "..."
His smile had frozen, yet he had to maintain that stiff smile as he nodded and said, "Please, both uncles, get on the carriage!"
Although both Uncle Hua and Uncle Gu had been in the position of Capital Guard junior officers for a few months, gradually adapting, and they understood the hierarchy in the Capital City, their nature was more akin to the straightforwardness of Jianghu people.
Moreover, they felt that what Xia Wenjin said made sense. Since this was Young Master Xuan’s kind intention, this favor must be acknowledged!
So, the two of them gave way and boarded the carriage.
Cui Huai watched his own young master.
He was driving the carriage because his young master was inside. He was not a coachman.
Now inside the carriage sat Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin, these two Jianghu ruffians. What qualifications did they have to make him drive?
However, if the young master also boarded the carriage and sat with those filthy, sweaty fellows, it would be beneath his dignity.
He was quite conflicted for the young master.
Huangfu Yuxuan certainly did not want to board that carriage.
He usually wore brocade clothes, always clean, and just having an encounter with Hua Yuanming made the stench difficult for him to endure!
He was contemplating squeezing into a carriage with Xia Wanqing and his son, but then Xia Wenjin smiled and asked, "Young Master Huangfu, why aren’t you boarding the carriage? This is your own carriage—spacious, luxurious, and comfortable. Only a young master like you is worthy to ride in it. Besides, your hospitable gesture must be greatly appreciated by the two uncles. You should have a good chat!"
Huangfu Yuxuan: "..."
At this moment, he even had thoughts of cursing, yet looking into Xia Wenjin’s smiling eyes, he couldn’t utter a word.
That mischievous look, that sly expression, that sarcastic demeanor—Huangfu Yuxuan naturally understood that Xia Wenjin was being deliberate!
She was intentionally looking to make a fool out of him!
Huangfu Yuxuan was mindful of not letting her see him embarrassed, but getting on the carriage took courage—it stank too much. As he hesitated, Xia Wenjin continued, "Young Master Huangfu, are you perhaps unwilling to share the carriage with my second and third uncles? After all, they just came out of prison; it’s understandable if you’re afraid of bad luck!"
Huangfu Yuxuan: "..."
He really wanted to cover her mouth.
He wasn’t afraid of bad luck; he was a descendant of the Imperial Family, protected by dragon energy. What he couldn’t stand was the foul odor emanating from them.
However, he also understood that Jianghu people were unconcerned with trivial matters, and if he showed it, the goodwill he had painstakingly maintained would likely be ruined.
He immediately defended himself, saying, "Miss Xia, you jest. I never believe in those things!"
Xia Wenjin laughed, "Since it’s not fear of bad luck, then you must think the two uncles are dirty! Actually, my two uncles are very clean, not dirty at all! If it were others, they’d come out much worse after days in there. Wouldn’t you be even more disgusted in that case?"
As Xia Wenjin spoke, Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin’s faces indeed changed. They hadn’t bathed in several days—after all, it was a prison, and even with Huangfu Yuxuan’s gestures to win their favor, it couldn’t be like staying at an inn.
Is it true that if they’re not family, there’s a layer of separation?
Wenjin, clean and beautiful as she is, hadn’t shown any disdain towards them. She even came over to hold their arms and spoke warmly with them, yet Young Master Xuan scorned them!
Huangfu Yuxuan’s gaze flickered, realizing what Uncle Hua and Uncle Gu were thinking, and had no choice but to withstand the smell as he climbed onto the carriage, pretending it didn’t bother him, saying, "Little girl, I didn’t purposely arrange for the two uncles to be picked up. If I had known you had prepared meals, I wouldn’t have booked a table at the restaurant. Please, don’t take it to heart! Your joke has caught me off guard!"
He deliberately emphasized the word "joke," and sure enough, Hua Yuanming and the others stopped dwelling on it, laughing, "Wenjin loves to joke, but usually doesn’t with just anyone. Young Master Xuan, it seems your relationship with Wenjin has grown closer these days!"
At this point, Huangfu Yuxuan finally climbed into the carriage, where the smell hit him hard, nearly making him vomit, but he used tremendous willpower to control it and managed a stiff, forced smile, saying, "Wenjin knows me well. I indeed want to get closer to the two uncles!"
Hua Yuanming’s words lightened his mood considerably.
Be it teasing, trickery, or targeting, as long as there was interaction, it was a good sign.
Seeing Huangfu Yuxuan actually board the carriage and chat cheerfully with Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin, Xia Wenjin found herself twitching at the mouth. This man was too deep; even in this scenario, he didn’t slip.
However, she keenly noticed that when Huangfu Yuxuan boarded the carriage, he pinched his own thigh hard. The strength of that pinch had at least left a bruise!
It seemed he used the pain to stop himself from vomiting, shifting his attention.
Indeed, this was the Huangfu Yuxuan she knew—achieving goals by any means necessary, ruthless to himself when necessary, let alone to those around him.
Wasn’t he trying to win over Uncle Hua and Uncle Gu? Wasn’t he always pretending to be sincere and unconstrained by trifles? Let him enjoy it thoroughly!
However, what surprised her was Xia Wanqing.
If she had done this earlier, her father would have been the first to stop her, even proactively suggesting to sit with the second and third uncles.
But earlier, her father merely watched with a smile while she was teasing Huangfu Yuxuan!
Huangfu Yuxuan, once on the carriage, managed to say a few words with Hua Yuanming and Gu Hongxin before he couldn’t stand it any longer. He opened the curtains, stuck his head out to breathe fresh air, disguising it by calling to Xia Wanqing, "Uncle Xia, there’s still space on the carriage, you should join us!"
In speaking, there was a flicker in his eyes. Earlier, slighted by Xia Wenjin, he hadn’t thought much, but now this breath of fresh air allowed him to feel alive and seemed to connect the broken strings in his mind. Why was Xia Wanqing standing by and watching?
By this time, Xia Wenjin had already walked over to Xia Wanqing,
Xia Wanqing smiling brightly said, "No worries, I have my own carriage ready, no need to squeeze. The second and third uncles are now most concerned about their tasks. Only you can address these issues, and my presence would make them feel uneasy when asking about them. In any case, we’ll meet at the restaurant soon, no rush!"
Huangfu Yuxuan glanced at Xia Wanqing, unable to discern any anomaly on his face; it seemed he was speaking sincerely!
