strictlysupreme Chapter 536 Xie Jing's Story: It's Too Close
Chapter 536 Xie Jing's Story: It's Too Close
Xie Jing raised an eyebrow calmly. "Who do you think I am?"
Li Sheng was taken aback and squinted to carefully examine the stranger in front of her.
His features were completely unfamiliar, but his eyes, the way he looked at people, and the coldness hidden in his tone...
Her eyes suddenly lit up, "You're Xie Jing!"
Xie Jinggang nodded, and Li Sheng excitedly rushed over in a few steps.
She stood in front of him with an incredulous look on her face, her eyes wide open.
"How did you become like this? Even your voice has changed!"
Xie Jing was caught off guard when she suddenly got so close, and he was momentarily flustered.
He subconsciously took half a step back, but then felt that this reaction was too inappropriate, so he immediately stopped.
“A human skin mask,” he explained in a low voice. “His voice has also been practiced.”
As he spoke, he cleared his throat slightly and then switched back to his original voice.
Upon hearing the voice, Li Sheng exclaimed, "It's so similar! You wouldn't recognize it at all without looking closely."
"The human skin mask is amazing! Can I try it on?"
Her eyes sparkled, and her voice betrayed her excitement.
Xie Jing didn't speak, but took out a cloth bag from his pocket, inside which was a human skin mask that had been prepared beforehand.
"How do I wear this?" Li Sheng asked cautiously, holding the mask as thin as a cicada's wing.
"I teach you."
Xie Jing took a step closer, took the mask, raised his hand, and applied a small amount of special ointment to her forehead.
His fingers were cool, and the pads of his fingers had a very light touch.
The brushstrokes traced her brow, cheekbones, and jawline with gentle, delicate touches.
Li Sheng was just curious at first, but when he leaned down and got close enough to hear each other's breathing, she immediately tensed up.
"Close your eyes," Xie Jing instructed in a low voice.
She closed her eyes as instructed, her eyelashes trembling slightly, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.
Xie Jing gently placed the mask over her face, his movements extremely light and slow, his fingertips tracing the contours of her face.
too close……
It's just too close...
Li Sheng felt her face burning up.
"Alright," Xie Jing suddenly said, taking a step back.
Li Sheng opened her eyes, looked at the small bronze mirror in Xie Jing's hand, took it and looked at herself.
"Wow……"
She let out a soft gasp, and in the mirror was the face of a completely unfamiliar woman.
"I really can't tell." She couldn't help but shake her head from side to side, muttering to herself, "Now that I'm like this, who in Daliang would recognize me?"
She proudly raised her chin.
Xie Jing saw this and gently curved his lips.
With a soft thud, Qingbai jumped down from the carriage and patted the horse's neck.
"Young master, the carriage is ready, and the servants are all arranged. We can depart at any time."
Xie Jing turned to Shen Qingyan, who was standing to the side, and handed her a human skin mask. "You wear this too."
Shen Qingyan took it, nodded, and quickly put it on.
Xie Jing glanced at the two men one by one, and after confirming that they were correct, he lifted the carriage curtain and boarded the carriage first.
Li Sheng followed him in and sat opposite him, with Shen Qingyan close behind.
The carriage then slowly drove away, heading towards Daliang.
The mountains and fields stretched out along the way, and the thin mist had not yet dissipated.
At first, Li Sheng sat properly, but soon he couldn't resist and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Xie Jing, what's that over there?"
She pointed to a convoy of trucks transporting timber in the distance.
Gradually, Li Sheng's way of addressing Xie Jing changed from "Lord Xie" to "Xie Jing".
“It’s a timber transport business; there should be a workshop in a neighboring town ahead,” Xie Jing replied in a low voice.
"Are we still in the Great Jin Dynasty? When will we reach the border?" she asked, turning around.
Xie Jing nodded, "After crossing the Pingchuan ferry crossing ahead, we will reach the border."
Li Sheng clicked his tongue and tilted his head, saying, "I thought there would be high walls and heavy troops at the border, but there's nothing there."
Qingbai, sitting at the front, couldn't help but turn his head and mutter something to the guard next to him as he listened to the constant questions and answers inside the carriage.
"When did young master become so good-tempered?"
The guard glanced at the carriage with its curtains swaying gently, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.
"Perhaps he met someone who deserves his good temper."
The carriage moved steadily forward, its wheels rolling over the gravel road, leaving tracks that stretched forward.
half a month later.
In the capital city of Daliang, the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, but many merchants, pedestrians, and carriages were already waiting to enter the city in front of the city gates.
Xie Jing and his entourage's carriage slowly approached the city gate, only to be stopped by the guards.
"The convoy ahead has stopped—"
An armored guard raised his spear and shouted.
The cypress tree in front of the carriage immediately tightened its reins.
The guard stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the carriage, before asking in a deep voice, "Who is coming to the capital? What brings you here?"
Inside the carriage, Li Sheng subconsciously held her breath, her hand quietly clenching the cushion beside her.
She turned to look at Xie Jing, her eyes filled with a hint of nervousness.
Xie Jing smiled slightly and comforted her with his eyes, "It's alright."
Qingbai bowed steadily in front of the carriage. "Your Excellency, we are from a branch of the Li family. We have come to the capital today to celebrate the birthday of the Li family's matriarch."
After saying that, he took out a piece of warm, smooth mutton-fat jade from his pocket and handed it over.
"This is our Li family's waist tag."
The guard took it and saw that it was indeed the Li family crest. He turned to the person beside him and whispered, "Go and ask if it's the old lady of the Li family's birthday today."
Before long, the man returned and whispered in my ear, "It's true, the Li family is hosting a banquet today."
The guard breathed a sigh of relief, returned the waist token, and bowed respectfully.
"So you're from the Li family. My apologies for not being more discerning. Please come in."
Qingbai nodded, put away the waist token, and gently lifted the reins, and the carriage started moving again.
Inside the carriage, Li Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the horse's hooves clattering again.
She turned to Xie Jing and asked in a low voice, "How did you get the Li family's waist token?"
Xie Jing lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and glanced outside. "The Li family are our people."
Li House.
Today is Madam Li's 80th birthday, and guests are coming and going in an endless stream. Stewards and servants are already lined up at the gate to welcome guests.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Xie Jing stepped out first, dressed in a gray-blue long robe.
Then Shen Qingyan and Li Sheng came down one after the other, both dressed in low-key and simple attire, with veils hanging down their foreheads, only revealing their outlines.
The second steward of the Li family had already received instructions, and upon seeing them get out of the car, he immediately greeted them with a smile.
"Are the three of you relatives of Li Nanzhuang? I already gave instructions. The old lady was overjoyed to hear that you were coming and told me to make sure everything was arranged properly."
Xie Jing smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."
The second steward said respectfully, "Please come with me, the three of you. The old lady is still resting in the back hall. We will offer our birthday greetings together once all the guests have arrived."
He led the people to a secluded courtyard.
"This place was originally the Third Master's old residence. No one lives here normally. It's been kept clean. Please rest here for now."