My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 95: Xiao Qibai x Xie Jinjia 1 - Little Princess, It's Time For You To Go Back.

　　Xie Jinjia was showered with love from a young age. None of her older sisters received as much affection as she did. Her mother was a favored concubine, and her father, the Emperor, doted on her, giving her anything she desired. From the moment she was born, the Emperor bestowed upon her the title of ‘Chang Le,’ signifying her extraordinary status. As a result, she grew up with a spoiled and arrogant personality, fearless and unreasonable. 

　　Her mother constantly whispered in her ear, telling her that she was the most esteemed little Princess in the entire Great Jin dynasty, and therefore, she could have anything she wanted. 

　　She was told that the world was vast, and no one could surpass her father's power, so there was no reason for her to suffer any injustice. Xie Jinjia held these words as sacred principles and lived by them. 

　　In her heart, she believed that she was entitled to whatever she desired.

　　Her first half of life had been exceptionally smooth sailing. With her mother's unwavering protection, Xie Jinjia had never experienced hardship or adversity. Her nature remained simple, and she always did things her own way. One day, she overheard a group of palace maids gossiping about her in a corner, calling her a ‘foolish princess.’ 

　　Xie Jinjia was furious. These servants, who had received her gifts just the other day, dared to speak ill of her behind her back, showing no respect for her status as a Princess. 

　　Unable to contain her anger, she immediately ordered her servants to slap the mouths of these disrespectful and ungrateful maids. 

　　One of the maids, unable to bear the pain, pleaded for mercy, “Your Highness, please have mercy on us.” 

　　“It wasn't just us who said it,” another maid cried. “The young ladies outside the Palace all say that. We just heard it… Please, Princess, spare us.”

　　This incident opened Xie Jinjia's eyes to the reality that while people flattered her to her face, they were actually calling her a fool behind her back. 

　　She released the palace maids and returned to the Palace in a sullen mood. 

　　Hearing that she was upset, her third brother immediately sent someone to deliver some entertaining gifts. They were all extremely valuable and rare treasures. 

　　Xie Jinjia was still unhappy and sent a message to her brother, saying she wanted to leave the Palace. 

　　Seeing her genuine distress, her brother, who always cherished her more than even their father, immediately arranged for her to leave the Palace. He had always spoiled her, always cleaning up after her messes and never blaming her. As a result, Xie Jinjia grew increasingly bold and reckless.

　　At that time, Xie Jinjia naively believed that her third brother genuinely cherished her as his sister. Otherwise, why would he continue to indulge her? 

　　Later, she learned that his kindness was merely a means to gain her mother's support. Only if she continued to cause trouble, the third brother could better control her mother. 

　　Unfortunately, by the time she realized this, it was already too late. 

　　With her brother's help, Xie Jinjia successfully left the Palace. This wasn't her first time sneaking out; she only took two maidservants, Qingping and Qingzhu, with her, but several guards sent by her brother followed to protect her. This meant Xie Jinjia could act recklessly wherever she went. Seeing the guards behind her, people could only avoid her. When she bought things, street vendors would give them to her for free, treating her with utmost respect, fearing that she might take their lives if displeased.

　　Seeing their fear and obsequiousness, Xie Jinjia found the outing increasingly boring. These people were afraid of her, smiling and bowing, but who knew what they would say behind her back? It was no different from being in the Palace. 

　　She had left the Palace precisely because she was tired of the Palace life. 

　　After some thought, Xie Jinjia deliberately had Qingping and Qingzhu lead the guards away. Initially, the two maidservants refused, wanting to stay by her side in case something happened. But after being harshly threatened by Xie Jinjia, they could only obey, while crying. 

　　Having shaken off the guards and changed into ordinary clothes, Xie Jinjia was delighted. She strolled leisurely through the streets, free from the fearful, scrutinizing gazes she had grown accustomed to.

　　The sounds of street vendors hawking their wares filled the air. Xie Jinjia bought anything that caught her interest. She came across a stall selling jewelry. The pieces were crudely made, nowhere near as exquisite as those in the Palace, but their unique styles appealed to her. 

　　Xie Jinjia picked up a hair ornament and asked the vendor the price. The vendor's eyes lit up. “Miss, you have excellent taste! This is a hairpin made of top-quality East Sea pearls, and you're the first to pick it out!” 

　　Xie Jinjia scoffed at his boast. Those bumpy pearls hardly qualified as ‘top-quality.’ 

　　“East Sea pearls are inherently inferior,” she said bluntly, “and yours are even worse.” She had no qualms about humiliating the vendor. 

　　The vendor, never having encountered such bluntness, immediately turned sour. But seeing Xie Jinjia's demeanor—clearly not someone short of money—he couldn't afford to offend her, so he said, “Miss, please look around. My East Sea pearls are the best in the entire market.”

　　Xie Jinjia asked directly, “How much?” 

　　The vendor, wanting to get back at her, said boldly, “One tael of silver!” 

　　Hmph, buy it if you want. he thought. 

　　Unexpectedly, she said, “So cheap? Only one tael? I thought it would cost hundreds of taels!” 

　　Hundreds of taels?! The vendor thought, This must be some clueless young missy who doesn't know the market price. His eyes twinkled, and he quickly said, “Oh, yes, yes, look at my memory, I remembered it wrong for a moment, such a good thing, how could it be one tael of silver, it should be one tael of gold, I said it wrong.” 

　　An old woman nearby rolled her eyes. Wang Ermaizi was scamming again. He bought a hairpin for only tens or hundreds of coins, but he dared to sell it for one tael of gold! He was preying on gullible people. She glanced at Xie Jinjia. Despite her simple clothes, the young woman had rosy lips, pearly white teeth, and delicate skin—clearly a wealthy young Miss, unsophisticated in the ways of the world.

　　Just as the old woman was about to warn the young miss, she heard Xie Jinjia say, “Do you think I'm a fool, or are you a fool? You said one tael of silver, then one tael of gold! You clearly want to cheat me!” 

　　She seems naive, but she's not stupid, the old woman thought. 

　　In fact, Xie Jinjia hated being deceived more than anything. Enraged, she was about to overturn the dishonest vendor's stall. “Dare to deceive this—this young miss! I'll teach you a lesson—” 

　　Xie Jinjia, having received some martial arts training in the Palace, landed a punch that sent Wang Ermaizi sprawling. 

　　“Ouch! Ouch!” Wang Ermaizi clutched his stomach and cried out in pain. Xie Jinjia, still fuming, raised her foot to kick him, but the kind old woman intervened, “Miss, please! Show some mercy! Let him live.”

　　The old woman was kind, and Xie Jinjia didn't want to hurt her feelings, so she stopped, asking in confusion, “Auntie, don't you also dislike him? He's a swindler and needs to be taught a lesson. Let's see if he dares to cheat again in the future.” 

　　The old woman helped Wang Ermaizi up, sighing. “Wang Ermaizi is no good, but he's suffered enough. He has an eighty-year-old, sick mother who depends on him. Her medicine costs a lot of money every day. Wang Ermaizi isn't easy; he just wants to earn more money to treat his mother. Please, Miss, let him go.” 

　　Xie Jinjia hadn't expected this. 

　　She thought, Since it's for his mother, I won't hold it against him. Just as she was about to relent, the onlookers crowded around, criticizing her. 

　　“Yes,” someone said, “Spare him. This Miss clearly comes from a wealthy family; she wasn't cheated out of anything. Why bother making a fuss?”

　　“She beat him up, and now she wants more?” 

　　“The stall owner is so pitiful. She should just let it go. He's not having an easy time.” 

　　The crowd pointed and gossiped, blaming Xie Jinjia as if she were entirely at fault. It was Wang Ermaizi who had tried to cheat her first! 

　　Xie Jinjia was furious at these biased onlookers. She pulled out her whip, about to lash out at them, when they scattered in panic. 

　　In the chaos, someone bumped into her waist; it was unclear whether it was intentional. 

　　As they fled, they continued to accuse Xie Jinjia of being unreasonable and bullying the innocent. They even looked at her with disgust. Nearby vendors, afraid of provoking her, quickly packed up and left. 

　　Soon, Xie Jinjia was surrounded by empty space. No one dared to approach her, as if she were a plague god.

　　Xie Jinjia stood there, listening to their accusations, slowly lowering her whip. 

　　It wasn't my fault! she thought. Why are they saying these things? 

　　After a moment, she turned away angrily. Forget it, she thought, I won't waste my breath on these commoners. 

　　She decided to go elsewhere, but her actions had apparently spread throughout the street. No one dared to do business with her; they fled at her sight. 

　　Xie Jinjia grew angry. Her Princess temper flared, and she grabbed a vendor, forcing him to sell her something. 

　　Finally, after being coerced, the vendor agreed. Xie Jinjia chose a jade pendant of mediocre quality and went to pay, but when she reached for her purse, she discovered it was gone! 

　　She suddenly remembered being bumped earlier. It must have been then that she was robbed. 

　　Seeing her predicament, the vendor stammered, “Miss... do you still want to buy it?”

　　“I'm not buying anything,” Xie Jinjia said, turning to leave. 

　　Watching her go, the vendor thought, This is a place where everyone scrambles for a living. There are beggars and thieves everywhere. Someone like her, flaunting her wealth, would naturally attract attention. It's no surprise she was robbed.

    ……

　　Xie Jinjia walked slowly towards the end of the street, feeling dejected after being misunderstood and robbed. 

　　Those commoners are so dense! she thought. I was trying to stand up for everyone, and they ended up blaming me. 

　　I did nothing wrong! 

　　The end of the street was less crowded, with only a few passersby. A wonton stall sat by the roadside; the lid was open, steam rising into the air, carrying the enticing aroma of the food. 

　　Xie Jinjia was hungry after all the commotion. Though she didn't usually favor commoner food, a little wouldn't hurt. 

　　With that thought, she immediately went over and sat down. “Boss, one bowl of wontons, please, no chives.” (T/N: I hate chives as well! 😫)

　　“Coming right up!” The vendor quickly dropped the plump wontons into the boiling water. Soon, he fished them out, added a bit of sesame oil, and placed the bowl before Xie Jinjia. 

　　The aroma was intoxicating, making her mouth water. Ignoring the heat, she picked up a wonton and popped it into her mouth. Perhaps because she was hungry, the wontons, though not particularly delicious—far inferior to the Imperial Chef's creations in the Palace, with hardly any meat—still satisfied her. The homely flavor was comforting and warming. Even her cute, upturned nose glistened with sweat. 

　　As she ate, a clear, cool, and pleasant voice spoke calmly and slowly, “Boss, one bowl of wontons.” 

　　It seemed to be a regular customer. Xie Jinjia heard the vendor say, “Alright. Same as usual, sir? No chives, no sesame oil?” 

　　“Yes.”

　　What a strange person, she thought, no chives, and no sesame oil either? 

　　The thought passed quickly, and Xie Jinjia focused on her wontons. She ate quickly and was soon full; her appetite wasn't large, and she left more than half a bowl uneaten. She'd only eaten it for a change of pace; she still wasn't accustomed to this kind of food. 

　　She stood to leave when the vendor called out, “Wait, Miss! You haven't paid yet. Three copper coin per bowl.” 

　　Xie Jinjia frowned. “I paid.” 

　　The vendor smiled politely. “No, Miss, I've been doing business here for years. I know whether you paid or not. This is a small business, just trying to make a little money. Please don't make things difficult for me.” 

　　“I really did pay,” Xie Jinjia said, taking out her remaining coins from her waistband. “This is the money I got from pawning a hairpin at the pawnshop earlier. The owner gave me twenty copper coin, and I have seventeen left.”

　　She had paid before the wontons even arrived; the vendor had simply forgotten, yet he wanted to charge her again. 

　　Even if she had plenty of money—enough to give this vendor hundreds or thousands of taels—she had already paid, and she wouldn't pay twice. 

　　Unexpectedly, the vendor disbelievingly scoffed, “Miss, you should tell better lies. Not to mention how can a hairpin be worth only twenty copper coin, who knows if you even had twenty copper coin on you?” 

　　Xie Jinjia's eyes widened. “Are you calling me a liar? Unbelievable! I would never shortchange you such a small amount! I said I paid, and I did!” 

　　The vendor's smile vanished. “Are you trying to cheat me? Young and able-bodied, you bully someone like me trying to make a living! Is there no justice in this world?”

　　“You're lying! I told you, I paid!” 

　　Their argument attracted the attention of several onlookers. 

　　Xie Jinjia couldn't bear the slander; she was furious. “You—” She reached for her whip again. 

　　Just then, a figure in pale blue approached. Long, slender fingers placed six copper coin on the counter. “Shopkeeper, I'll pay for her as well.” 

　　“Ah, thank you, sir!” The shopkeeper took the money, beaming, and left. 

　　Xie Jinjia looked up angrily. “Who asked you to butt—” The word “in” got stuck in her throat. 

　　The man before her wore a pale blue robe; he was tall and elegant, with refined and gentle features. Standing there, he was as radiant as the moon, giving off a refreshing feeling. 

　　Xie Jinjia had never seen such a handsome man. 

　　“Let's go, miss,” he said gently. Xie Jinjia, as if entranced, forgot her argument with the shopkeeper and obediently followed him.

　　They reached a quiet alley. 

　　“I really didn't shortchange him,” Xie Jinjia explained again. She felt the need to clear her name. “I paid, and I wouldn't accept such baseless accusations.” 

　　“I know,” he said. 

　　Xie Jinjia's eyes widened. “You saw me pay?” 

　　“No. I only heard that someone pawned a hairpin for only twenty copper coin. It's unusual, so it's unlikely to be a lie.”

　　Xie Jinjia pouted, realizing she'd been cheated by the pawnshop owner again. She looked up. 

　　“Why did you pay for me? Didn't you just let the shopkeeper earn extra money for nothing?” 

　　“Would he have believed you if you said you paid?” 

　　Xie Jinjia shook her head. The shopkeeper was clearly flustered and convinced she hadn't paid; he wouldn't have believed her. 

　　“That's why,” he said. “You know, after deducting costs, his daily earnings are perhaps only a few dozen or a hundred copper coin—enough for his family's meals for a few days. You can see how important those three copper coin are to him. No matter how much you explain, he's convinced you didn't pay, and arguing further is pointless.” 

　　“Reason is for those who understand reason to hear,” he added. 

　　That's true, Xie Jinjia thought. Just like with Wang Ermaizi. It was clearly his fault, yet everyone blamed her. 

　　Arguing with those people was futile; it would only make her look foolish. 

　　“Three copper coin can settle this; don't waste your time on pointless arguments. Though he got the three copper coin, he lost you as a customer. Your time is far more valuable than three copper coin. Life has many important things.” 

　　The two walked down the alley together.

　　Xie Jinjia watched his straight back and listened to his calm and reasoned explanation. She had to admit he was right. 

　　These people relied on those few dozen copper coin to make a living. In the face of survival, reason became insignificant. It wasn't that her reasoning was flawed; it's just that no one would listen to her. Arguing with them was foolish. 

　　They were nearing the end of the alley. 

　　Xie Jinjia, feeling dejected after a series of setbacks, looked down at her feet and said in a low voice, “Do you think I did something wrong? I obviously have a lot of money, but I still argue with these people who make a living for these few coins.” 

　　Her head was down, and she didn't realize when her gold hairpin fell from her hair. 

　　The man in front suddenly stopped. 

　　Xie Jinjia watched as he turned and walked towards her, bending down to pick up the hairpin. He wiped it clean with his handkerchief, smiled, and said in a soothing and gentle voice, “Little Miss, why are you thinking so much?”

　　“There's no fault in fighting for what's right. Your willingness to compromise just shows your compassion for their suffering; it doesn't mean you were wrong. They were wrong.” Xiao Qibai placed the clean hairpin in her hand. “Alright, little Princess, you should go back.” 

　　Xie Jinjia looked up, startled. He knew her identity? 

　　At that moment, her guards arrived. 

　　This was Xie Jinjia's first encounter with Xiao Qibai. At the time, she was only thirteen, a naive girl. 

　　Later, Xie Jinjia learned that he was the renowned and brilliant Xiao Qibai. 

　　She also learned much later that Xiao Qibai, despite his talent and outspoken honesty, had been dismissed from his post by the Emperor due to slander, preventing him from serving the Court. The Xiao family fell into decline.

　　Actually, he had just been reprimanded by the Emperor that day and was quite disheartened. That's why he said that arguing was pointless. Even so, he still so gently and considerately soothed her emotions. 

　　He told her that those in high positions could tolerate suffering, but there was no fault in fighting for what's right.

　　She hadn't done anything wrong.

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T/N: Thank you to pockyyuu for your comment on the NU website, and to all my wonderful readers who read my novel translation and vote! I especially appreciate the kind reader who helped upload the novel cover—I was having technical difficulties with my phone and NU settings. I can't thank you all enough for your support! ❤️

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