This was not someone she could easily handle or offend.
Upon seeing the man's face clearly, this thought instinctively popped into Jiang Mian's mind. She quickly said, "There's no need. Everyone came to the Dingyan Pavilion for fun today. Since the young master didn't do it on purpose, I won't pursue it. Here's your kicking ball..."
As she spoke, she was about to throw the kicking ball down. Unexpectedly, the man leaped up, using the nearby rocks and tree branches. He easily flipped into the Youran Pavilion and landed right in front of Jiang Mian.
The pavilion wasn't very spacious. With a man suddenly appearing, it immediately felt cramped. Moreover, the man's shadow loomed over her, making Jiang Mian inexplicably feel like she was being locked in on and violated.
She instinctively took two steps back to keep some distance from the man.
Why did this person suddenly come up and get so close to her?
"Everyone is right. An in - person apology shows more sincerity. I'm Xiao Jingcheng. I'm truly sorry for accidentally bumping into Miss Li. Another day, I'll come to your place with an apology gift to make amends."
The man bent down slightly, his eyes fixed on her. With a faint smile on his lips, he spoke to her very slowly.
Hearing his surname, Jiang Mian's heart skipped a beat.
The surname Xiao?
Was it the Xiao from the Lingyang Xiao Clan?
Was he from the Lingyang Xiao Clan?
That gaze was too aggressive. Jiang Mian averted her eyes and threw the kicking ball back at him. "I've received your apology. Let's just forget about today's incident. There's no need for you to come to my place to apologize. I'm not that petty."
Holding the kicking ball, Xiao Jingcheng didn't leave. He looked at the guqin on the zither table and said, "I heard you playing the guqin just now. I've never heard this tune before. I wonder which musician composed it. It's truly melodious and pleasant to the ear."
No one dislikes being complimented. A secret sense of pride welled up in Jiang Mian's heart. She said, "This tune wasn't composed by a musician. I just played it casually when I was bored. My friends liked it very much, so I composed it into a tune and named it 'The Moon over Zhaoyang'."
Her friends chimed in, "Our A Mian is the daughter of Minister Li. She's been very intelligent since childhood. Composing tunes and poems is a piece of cake for her. There are countless people in the capital vying for the scores she composes."
"Oh, so you're the daughter of Minister Li. No wonder you look different from others at first glance," Xiao Jingcheng said. "I'll surely ask Miss Li for advice some other day."
At this moment, Jiang Mian felt a bit timid.
"It's just a humble attempt and not worthy of attention. You'd better not..."
"Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao, where are you?"
A call came from afar. A group of people簇拥着 a figure in dark green walking towards them, interrupting the conversation in the pavilion.
As the group got closer, Jiang Mian could see the appearance of the dark - green - clad figure in the middle.
The person had a handsome face that was no less good - looking than Xiao Jingcheng's. His eyebrows and eyes were not as sharp as Xiao Jingcheng's. They were slender and gentle, and there was always a faint smile on his lips, giving people the impression that he had a very good temper.
But when he looked at people, his slightly upturned peach - blossom eyes were full of scrutiny and sharpness, making people not dare to underestimate him easily.
Although there were no elaborate patterns on his dark - green robe, the bamboo leaves on it reflected a flowing luster as he walked, highlighting his noble status.
Seeing this person, Jiang Mian was stunned for a moment, and then she knelt down to pay respects along with the others behind her.
"Greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince?
Jiang Mian frowned tightly.
Wasn't the Crown Prince supposed to be, wasn't he supposed to be the Xiao Jingcheng beside her?
How could it be, how could it be this man in the black robe?
She also felt that this man's face was very familiar.
It seemed to be... her uncle?
"Cluck - cluck - cluck!"
The crowing of a rooster sounded outside, interrupting this strange dream. Jiang Mian suddenly woke up from the dream.
She had slept very well this time. When she woke up, she found that all the fatigue in her body had completely disappeared. It was just that the dream was a bit confusing.
It was okay that she was surnamed Li and the daughter of Minister Li. But why did the identities of Xiao Jingcheng and her uncle seem to be completely reversed?
She scratched her head, propped herself up from the bed, and recalled the last scene in the dream. The more she thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.
This dream was really strange. Maybe she had talked with Mo Zhizhang for a while before going to bed last night and fed porridge to Xiao Jingcheng. Since she had contact with both of them, she had such a strange dream.
The yellow dog had also woken up. It was lying beside her and yawning widely.
Jiang Mian smiled and rubbed its head, then got out of bed and stretched widely.
She picked up her outer robe and put it on one by one. After arranging her hair in a bun, she called the yellow dog, "Dahuang, let's borrow the stove in Auntie's house to make some dry rations. After our parents, uncle, and the Taoist priest wake up, we should continue our journey!"
The girl's voice was full of vitality, as if they had returned to the time when he and she were in Qingyu Alley, Dongli Town.
Xiao Jingcheng jumped out of bed and followed her out of the door.
It was still a bit dark outside, and the sun hadn't fully risen yet. However, the mountain villages followed the routine of rising at dawn and resting at dusk. At this time, there was a lot of activity in Jiaowei Village. Every household got up one after another and started to get busy.
Jiang Mian took an oil lamp from the house and went to the kitchen to start a fire. She kneaded the dough and made pancakes.
She was busy beside the stove for a long time. By the time the pancakes were ready, it was already broad daylight.
She took the prepared cloth bags and put the pancakes in them one by one. Then she said goodbye to the host family with Dahuang. After that, she carried her luggage and found their carriage.
Their carriage was parked not far away. Jiang Mian put her things in the carriage. On the other side, the figures of Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing appeared.
Jumping off the carriage, Jiang Mian took two pancakes and walked towards them. "Father, Mother, I just borrowed the stove to make some pancakes. You must be hungry. Have a taste quickly."
Jiang Zhiqing and Li Zhao looked at each other and smiled. They took the pancakes she offered and said with a smile, "Mujin is really capable. She can even make pancakes."
Jiang Mian felt a bit proud. "I'm not boasting. My cooking skills are really good. When I have some free time, I'll cook for Mother myself to show you my skills."
While they were eating the pancakes, Taoist Priest Yuan Zheng and Mo Zhizhang came over.
Mo Zhizhang carried the sleeping Xiao Jingcheng on his back. Although the other person was taller and heavier than him, he didn't seem to exert any effort at all.
It was a familiar face, but thinking of that inexplicable dream last night, Jiang Mian couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.
Mo Zhizhang was very perceptive. He caught her gaze and asked with a smile, "Little sister, why are you looking at me like this? Is there something on my face?"