The mystery man has been revealed (not really) . Be prepared for the onslaught of adjectives. You’ve been warned!
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Chapter 29: Exploited (Part I)
Although Jiang Ruan’s heart was like an immovable rock, when she saw the person before her clearly, she could not help but become distracted for a split second.
The youth dressed in black clothes was roughly in his twenties. His peerlessly graceful appearance was one that was rarely seen in the world: shapely eyebrows, cold eyes, snow-white skin and thin lips. Yet, she did not feel that this man was feminine. On the contrary, the sharpness of his features were distinct and he had a unrelenting heroic spirit. With drooped eyes, he looked at Jiang Ruan. Like specks of paint, that pair of eyes was extremely clear and cold like a still lake without a single ripple. (TN: "specks of paint" HOW is this a compliment??!!)
The two people were too close in proximity. Their breath was ice-cold, and she could feel an icy-cold sensation around her waist as well. In this kind of situation, it should have been an ambiguously romantic scene between them, however, one was cold hearted and the other was on her guard. Therefore, the two of them experienced no rush of excitement that one felt when they fell in love.
In this position, it was as if she had been disgraced[1]. In a flash, Jiang Ruan roused back into action. Inwardly, she felt irked and just felt that beauty could be such a seductive danger. In a blink of an eye, she retreated two steps and placed a distance between herself and the youth dressed in black clothes.
[1] Qīng Bó ( 轻薄 )- This phrase has several meanings such as being teased; of an item being light in weight/thin and scorned or disrespected. In this case, it refers to being disgraced as women were not allowed to be without a chaperone in ancient Chinese history. They also had to remain pure and untouched by any male. To be even seen by a man without a chaperone was considered a scandalous matter and made a lady impure and undesirable for marriage as they would be labelled as ’promiscuous’.
Suddenly, she heard a faint clanging clash between swords from the outside. Jiang Ruan was shocked and quickly reacted. The black-dressed youth wordlessly and indifferently stared at her.
Originally, the temple was overtaken by Xia Yan’s assassins, however, she would not have sent two groups of people to kill her. If she was not the target, then these people might have been lured in because of this young man. While she had just resolved a problem, she was unfortunately entrapped in these circumstances now. Moreover, she was unsure if these people would silence her with murder. After all, her appearance here was an accident.
By the time Jiang Ruan raised her head to take a measure of him again, the man had already leaned against the door while she had been retreating from him. She was unsure of when he had brandished an elaborate dagger, but at the moment, he was fiddling with it in his hands thoughtfully. His gaze was not facing her at all, but Jiang Ruan knew that if she made the slightest movement, this person would definitely react too.
As she took a moment to ponder, Jiang Ruan slowly walked forward. Her movements were deliberately slow to demonstrate that she was completely harmless and without any ill will.
The fiddling stopped, as the youth watched her step forward until they were only a finger’s width apart.
Standing on the tip of her toes, Jiang Ruan could only just reach his chest height. Strenuously, she moved closer to his ears and lightly spoke in a hushed tone, "I did not see a thing."
The youth dressed in black clothes was slightly shocked and lowered his gaze to study her. Jiang Ruan frowned and noticed that he was clothed in ice-silk fabric that had a black and scaly pattern. She knew he was definitely not any ordinary person. Thinking for a bit, she then added on, "Sire[2], please hide here. Naturally, we would not want to expose what is now happening in this room. If you killed me, I’m afraid it would be a bit of a problem. Although this problem would not be unsolvable, undoubtedly, it would definitely not be what you have planned."
[2] Géxià ( 阁下 ) – Your distinguished self / your majesty / sire
"Who are you?" The youth garbed in black raiment finally spoke and his voice was as cold and clear as an icy-cold jewel.
"The eldest di daughter of the minister in the Ministry of War, Jiang Quan," Jiang Ruan stated. In Chaozhong, Jiang Quan’s status could be considered as important. When this identity could be utilised, she would use it without any reservation. She was not afraid that an incident would occur. Firstly, in the memories of her past life, the Jiang family did not have any enemies. Secondly, even if she was that unlucky, if someone really had any history with the Jiang family, they would definitely know that she had a humble status in the Jiang family. She merely occupied her station as the di daughter in the family and would have no influence in the pecking order.
There was no benefit in killing her and would most likely bring forth complications into the situation. Jiang Ruan had already delineated some of the gains and losses so now she could only wait to see what decision the other person would make.
Translated by : irisu-san
Edited by : Anks & Ely