Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Seeing Her Off

On the road to Daleng Village, they saw a horse approaching slowly, with a young man in brocade clothes sitting straight on its back, holding someone in his arms.

Shang Jingwang looked closely, wasn’t that Young Master Jing?

The person held by Young Master Jing, with dangling arms and legs, could it be Xia Wenjin? Did those villains succeed in their ambush?

Shang Jingwang hurriedly dismounted and called, “Young Master Jing…”

Huangfu Jingchen glanced over with some displeasure in his eyes, and he placed a finger to his lips, signaling them to remain silent so as not to wake Xia Wenjin.

Nevertheless, Shang Jingwang and Wang Bolao’s hearts sank.

Wang Bolao had personally seen Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin at his residence, while Shang Jingwang had seen Huangfu Jingchen in his usual carefree manner, never so stern and somber.

This clearly indicated that he was deeply shaken and couldn’t bear to accept reality, so he pretended Xia Wenjin was merely asleep, so others wouldn’t disturb him.

Oh no, something must have happened to Xia Wenjin.

With someone in that state, how could he be just “asleep”?

Both dismounted but dared not approach.

Huangfu Jingchen let the horse casually wander until it finally stopped in front of Shang Jingwang and Wang Bolao.

Huangfu Jingchen spoke very briefly and in a low voice, “What’s the matter?”

Shang Jingwang also replied softly, “Young Master, this office has brought a few doctors, intending to check the quarantine points. Your… your friend…”

Huangfu Jingchen did not dismount, he said, “He’s asleep, go about your business. I’m taking him to the town.”

Wang Bolao’s heart sank as he tentatively asked, “Young Master, Song Heizi…”

Huangfu Jingchen’s face turned cold, “Those scoundrels are lawless, daring to conspire against others in broad daylight, assembling to ambush. Mayor Wang, as the chief of Wangshan Town, you should know what to do, right?”

Wang Bolao wiped his sweat, he’d rushed as fast as he could, but he was still late. Since Young Master Huang had made it so clear, apparently Song Heizi and his group indeed committed those acts.

These scoundrels,

Shang Jingwang glanced at Xia Wenjin, but with Huangfu Jingchen sitting on the horse and in that position, they couldn’t see anything. He cautiously asked, “This office… brought doctors… would you like them to check on this Young Master Xia?”

Huangfu Jingchen looked at him strangely, “He’s just exhausted and asleep, what’s there to check?”

Shang Jingwang replied sheepishly, “Yes… yes…”

Huangfu Jingchen walked ahead a little, noticing Shang Jingwang’s group silently mounted and followed back, he stopped and turned around, “Why are you following?”

Shang Jingwang stammered, “To… to see Young Master Xia off…”

Huangfu Jingchen was taken aback, then angrily retorted, “He’s just asleep, why would you see him off? Go do what you need to do!”

Are these people out of their minds?

What are they thinking by looking at their faces?

The slight raise in volume woke Xia Wenjin, who blinked groggily, “Where are we?”

Shang Jingwang: “…”

Wang Bolao: “…”

They stared at Xia Wenjin in shock, while Xia Wenjin looked back at them in confusion. She recognized Wang Bolao, but not the others.

Wang Bolao beamed, overjoyed, tears of happiness glistening, “Young Master Xia, it’s truly wonderful that you’re alright. You’re the living Bodhisattva of Wangshan Town!”

She turned to look at Huangfu Jingchen, “How long was I asleep?” How did everything seem changed the moment I opened my eyes?

Though Wang Bolao no longer obstructed things, he had been avoiding her these past few days, sometimes even deliberately staying away upon sighting her from afar, which suited her just fine as it meant no trouble being made.

The person in front of her, was it really Wang Bolao?

This face full of delight, as if she were his long-lost relative, what did it mean?

And those who came with Wang Bolao, judging by their demeanor and clothing, they didn’t seem like locals, more like an official, and the ones carrying boxes were probably doctors, as only doctors’ medicine boxes looked like that.

She wasn’t aware, but seeing her safe and sound, Wang Bolao felt incredibly joyous.

If she had truly been ambushed to death, or even injured, Lord Prefect’s impression of Wangshan Town would have been terribly negative. Furthermore, Xia Wenjin’s earlier warnings, which he had resisted and scorned, turned out correct, and not just the county official had come, but also the Prefect, who outranks the county magistrate.

Shang Jingwang also breathed a sigh of relief. Since he had decided to come personally, which meant entering a dangerous ground, and stated openly his intent to join under Young Master Jing’s banner, if anything untoward happened to Young Master Jing’s friend here, he couldn’t escape blame either!

At this moment, realizing that asleep indeed meant asleep, he couldn’t help but laugh, a case of much ado about nothing.

Noticing Huangfu Jingchen seemed displeased, he quickly smiled, “Mayor Wang was just about to accompany me to check the quarantine points in each village. Since Young Master has business, we won’t disturb you further.”

Xia Wenjin asked, “And who is this gentleman?”

Huangfu Jingchen said, “This is Lord Shang, the Prefect of Huainan Prefecture!”

“Lord Shang, a pleasure!” Xia Wenjin’s eyes brightened, “And the doctors, are they here to treat the epidemic?”

Shang Jingwang returned the courtesy, “Indeed!” Before Xia Wenjin, he dared not put on airs and wouldn’t even think of it.

Xia Wenjin had just taken a nap and felt completely revitalized, she slipped off the horse like a fish and said to the doctors, “It’s perfect timing, we are short of hands here. I’m familiar with the situation, come on, come with me, we’ll discuss as we go!”

Huangfu Jingchen helplessly dismounted, “You haven’t even slept an hour!”

“I’m not sleepy anymore!” Xia Wenjin replied, “The epidemic is worsening, now that we have medical aids, of course, time must be seized. If we can’t promptly come up with a cure, more lives will be lost to the plague!”

Shang Jingwang observed discreetly, noticing Xia Wenjin’s concern was with the epidemic, the illness, and being delighted to have medicine and doctors, seemingly unbothered by the ambush and attack by Song Heizi and his group.

He couldn’t help giving her a profound look.

Such a small youth, yet possessing a mind and heart so expansive?

Even himself, after years of grinding in the officialdom, had only come to his current level of insight and vision, but seeing this young Xia Wenjin, her words and demeanor, were genuinely driven by empathy and compassion.

He glanced at Huangfu Jingchen, curious thoughts swirling.

He felt, the playboy scion in the Baoyue Restaurant on the main street in front of the Huainan Government Office, and the Huangfu Jingchen before him, were like two different people.

If he hadn’t guessed wrong, that playboy image was deliberately shown to him.

Clearly possessing another aspect, why show a playboy side before him?

Saying it’s to deliver political achievements, but with such nonchalance and recklessness, living like an indulgent scion unaccustomed to hardship.

Yet he questioned himself inwardly, if he had found him and solemnly advised him about the epidemic in Wangshan Town, would he have believed it?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep