heating

Jiang Nian still couldn't make up his mind to answer him.

Thoughts are like willow branches that have detached from the branches and float on the water, floating unpredictably.

The sound of rain outside the car beside me was continuous, as if there was no room for stopping.

Guests in the teahouse came out in groups of three or four. The sounds of laughter and conversation spread from outside the carriage to the distance. The sound of bustling footsteps caused water to splash everywhere. The curtains of the carriage were slightly lifted by the moist evening breeze, dispelling the stuffiness that was beginning to rise in the carriage.

The young man's voice came from outside the car window: "Miss, are we leaving now?"

He had assumed Xiao Yingzhu would leave after she finished talking to him. Perhaps she hadn't explained things clearly to the young man, so Jiang Nianxiao sighed, "Just head directly towards the Jiang residence. Don't worry about anything else."

After receiving the order, the young man responded, raised the whip and urged the horse to go. The carriage passed through the entrance of the teahouse and drove towards the destination.

When the air circulates, the agarwood in the carriage will be washed away by the fishy smell outside.

Jiang Nian lowered her eyes and subconsciously closed the sandalwood box containing the agarwood to reduce its evaporation. Feeling the other person's gaze on the back of her hand, she subconsciously withdrew her hand: "What's wrong?"

Xiao Yingzhu looked at the box of agarwood and thought: "Where did it come from?"

Jiang Nian broke free from his chaotic thoughts, his eyes fell on the unfamiliar sandalwood box, and then he looked up and around.

"...This is the carriage my mother uses for travel."

"The sandalwood box must be hers."

Xiao Yingzhu listened to her answer and slightly tilted his eyes: "Do you still remember the bottle you got from your mother when you set off for Cang County?"

"It should come from the same source as the sandalwood box."

Jiang Nian lowered the curtains and looked at the wooden box on the table. Suddenly, he said, "You mean, this sandalwood box is also what Zhou Jinyu wanted to give to you from my mother?"

But Jiang's mother didn't tell her.

Seeing Xiao Yingzhu taking her eyes away from the sandalwood box, Jiang Nian reached out and picked up the box on the table and looked around the box.

Her fingertips touched the intricate dark patterns on the side of the wooden box. Jiang Nian recalled the pattern she had seen on the bottle before. Even as she turned around and met Xiao Yingzhu's eyes, she subconsciously lowered her eyes and raised the wooden box in her hand: "Is this the one?"

Xiao Yingzhu lowered his eyes and looked over. He had excellent eyesight and could clearly see the dark pattern that Jiang Nian was pointing to without even taking the wooden box from her. "Yes."

Jiang Nian hesitated for a moment and handed him the sandalwood box: "Take a look at it first. If you need to take the box away, I will tell my mother later."

Xiao Yingzhu reached out to take it and nodded slightly.

He seemed to know where the mechanism of the sandalwood box was. He bent his knuckles and knocked on the box at a few seemingly random places. The box then made a click and a hole opened from the bottom.

The agarwood in the box spread out, more intense than before, as if to cover up the dampness in the carriage. Soon, Jiang Nian frowned uncomfortably, raised his hand to cover his lips with his sleeve and said, "If this sandalwood box is opened incorrectly, will there be something like a hidden weapon?"

Xiao Yingzhu stretched out his index finger and hooked out the note inside. In an instant, the sandalwood box in his hand returned to its original state.

"Well, it's just that the agarwood has been replaced with poisonous gas."

"So that's how it is."

This is a good thing.

If someone is not aware of it, they would just treat it as a gift like incense and place it somewhere else. When the agarwood is used up, it will dissipate and become a treasured decoration.

But if there is someone with ulterior motives but doesn't know the trick, then it can become a deadly weapon to eliminate anyone who wants to spy on the contents of the box.

Xiao Yingzhu put the sandalwood box back on the table and stroked the glued paper with her fingertips. After a while, the seemingly small piece of paper stretched out into a whole letter page.

There was only one candle lit in the carriage, and Jiang Nian could only see a few faint words on the back of the letter page through the red light of the candle.

The closer the words are to the candle, the faster they evaporate.

After a while, Xiao Yingzhu finished reading the main page of the letter, and the traces of previous reading were almost faded.

Jiang Nian didn't know if it was something he should hear. Although he was a little concerned, he didn't ask directly.

The rustling sound of folding letter paper was heard. After a while, Xiao Yingzhu twisted a corner of the letter page and placed it on the candle, burning it to ashes.

"Meng Jian will take action during the competition days."

"When you go to the mountains to collect Morinda officinalis, remember to check the place where the insect repellent is stored."

Remembering that Zhou Jinyu was a double agent Xiao Yingzhu had planted beside Meng Jian, Jiang Nianzhu nodded and said, "What does this letter say about Meng Jian?"

"Um."

"It pretty much says when he's going to act."

Xiao Yingzhu's eyes fell on the table, where some ashes still clung to the surface. She spoke slowly, "But I'm afraid two people will show up this time... No matter who they are, just be prepared."

He didn't make his words clear, so Jiang Nian got the gist of it and didn't want to ask any more questions. He agreed to everything, "Will they all come on the day of the competition?"

Xiao Yingzhu seemed to have not yet put aside the content of the other party's letter, and a thoughtful expression still lingered on her face.

“Only one of them will come.”

"But no matter who they are, their goal is your deworming formula. All you have to do is prevent it from falling into their hands."

Jiang Nian naturally knew the ultimate purpose of this operation. Recalling the plan in the room, she smiled and said:

"Okay, I understand. Actually, we already have some plans on how to hide it during the competition, but we haven't tested it yet, so we don't know how effective it will be. However, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, we won't let the insect repellent formula leak out."

When she kept him in suspense, Xiao Yingzhu just smiled casually and didn't ask any further questions, just letting her go.

After all, it was the insect repellent formula developed by Jiang Nian herself, so of course she knew better how to arrange it so that the formula would not be discovered.

Just like his previous experience in Zuihualou, Jiang Nian has gradually become a person who can stand on his own when facing conspiracy dilemmas in this era.

"Then it's up to you. We'll wait and see."

"good."

Jiang Nian smiled with her eyes curved, and her tense emotions relaxed. Her mind became active, and she suddenly thought of something.

"But then again, didn't the Second Prince send a letter earlier, saying he wanted to see you..."

"Did he appear as written on the envelope during the few days he came to Pingzhou?"

Xiao Yingzhu paused for a moment, then turned to look out the window thoughtfully.

The white moon is bright, but half of it is blocked by the thick black cloud, so only a little light can be seen.

The incessant sound of rain at night finally stopped. The draft outside the car window brought the green and damp smell of fallen leaves in my face. The chirping of cicadas that had been suppressed by the rain started again, and it was very lively for a while.

"meeting."

Jiang Nian looked at Xiao Yingzhu's dark pupils, which seemed to have seen something in the dark night scene. He stared at her intently, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips, looking particularly cold and fierce.

It's like a poisonous scorpion hiding in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to hunt. When the target appears, it will instantly fall behind the prey, clamp the prey's fragile neck, cut the soft skin, and pierce the flesh without mercy.

Seeing the coldness in his eyes that had not appeared for a long time, Jiang Nian slowly lowered his eyes and sighed, "The Second Prince has come prepared, you need to be careful."

As if knowing how Xiao Yingzhu would react, Jiang Nian turned serious, his eyes full of earnestness: "I know you are very powerful and reliable..."

He has been supporting the whole thing alone all these years, so naturally he has different abilities in dealing with things than others.

But even so, as his partner, his ally, and the person closest to him in this era, she still felt worried and anxious.

This chess game requires a player.

Although she is the core of the most important chess game and can play a great role, it ultimately depends on the player to decide and place her at the most critical position in the game.

"Whether now or in the future, Xiao Yingzhu..."

Jiang Nian raised his hand and placed his palm on his heart. His heart was beating violently there, not knowing whether it was because of the storm he was about to face, or just because of the person in front of him.

"You are the only one who can push my abilities to their limit, and only you."

No matter how many disputes they had, or how many times they hesitated because of some insurmountable barriers in this era, Jiang Nian would never replace the recognition in his heart with anyone else.

It can only be Xiao Yingzhu, and it must be Xiao Yingzhu.

Jiang Nian's words were incoherent. Xiao Yingzhu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly relaxed his brows.

"Have you forgotten the agreement we made in that mansion in Cang County?"

【Everything I have is everything you have, and everything you have can also belong to me.】

"I will always reveal my innermost thoughts to you, and you will be willing to let me use your abilities and also willing to dedicate your abilities to me."

He sighed softly.

Under the cover of night, the last words were like a low whisper, drowned out by the chirping of cicadas all around.

After hearing the last few words, Jiang Nianben's pupils, which had been somewhat covered with dust, lit up with a clear light again.

"This sentence will never change, whether in the past, present, or future."

......

The distance from the teahouse to Jiang's house was not far, and they reached the destination without chatting for a few words.

Fuling was still standing at the door of the mansion. Jiang Nian lifted the curtain and saw the person still standing at the door of the mansion. He also caught a glimpse of the person behind him who was lazily preparing to get up and get out of the car. He was shocked and immediately lowered the curtain and raised his hand to stop the person who was about to move.

When her arm touched his cool simple clothes, Jiang Nian was startled and her heart sank suddenly. She subconsciously wanted to withdraw her hand that was touching Xiao Yingzhu's abdomen, but because the carriage was somewhat unable to accommodate the two people's large movements, Jiang Nian had no place to hold on. As soon as she withdrew her hand, her center of gravity was unstable and she fell backwards the next second.

Xiao Yingzhu reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her up steadily, and wiped away the wet raindrops that still remained on her shoulders from leaning half of her body out.

The raindrops slid down from my shoulders and dripped onto the back of my hand.

Jiang Nian felt chilled by the damp and cold air, and pulled his hand back from Xiao Yingzhu's palm as if he had been electrocuted, looking at him in some surprise and doubt for a moment.

Fuling, who was standing in the distance, noticed the movement here and turned around and walked over here.

Jiang Nian listened to Fuling's voice calling from far away, and anxiously raised her hand to touch Xiao Yingzhu's shoulder, which was slightly bent so that she could reach it, and pushed him back to the seat.

Facing his raised eyebrow and slightly interested gaze, Jiang Nian raised her hand to make a silencing gesture: "Fuling, come here quickly. If she finds us, we won't be able to leave tonight."

Without considering that his words were a bit out of context, Jiang Nian turned around and lifted the curtain to stop Fuling outside the carriage.

"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to come greet me?"

Fuling's voice outside came muffled into the carriage through the curtains.

"I noticed that the young lady hasn't returned home for a long time. It's past the time she said she would return home, so I came to wait for you at the door of the mansion."

"Is there something inside the carriage? Fuling just noticed something moving inside."

Xiao Yingzhu slowly lowered her head and straightened her robe that Jiang Nian had accidentally messed up. As she listened to Jiang Nian blocking the door of the carriage, she lied calmly, "That's not the case."

"Just now, when I went to the teahouse, I met one of Duke Xiao's men. He came to me because he had instructed me to handle something related to the insect repellent. You know I've been keeping an eye on the minerals in Cang County recently, and the item Duke Xiao asked his men to give me this time is related to that mineral, so I was observing it in the carriage just now."

Seeing Fuling open her mouth and about to say "Why don't you bring that thing into the mansion", Jiang Nian immediately said without stopping:

"But because Duke Xiao's men are still waiting for me nearby..." Jiang Nian looked around, pretending that Xiao Yingzhu's men were guarding nearby, and continued, "So I have to finish reading the note in the carriage and write a letter to Duke Xiao and send it back."

Before Fuling could ask, "What's the connection between that thing and the note?", Jiang Nian raised his hand and patted Fuling's shoulder, as if entrusting her with something important.

"I just happened to be missing a pen to write back to him. Please go to the mansion and get it quickly. After you get it, I will write a letter to him in the carriage."

Fuling bit her lip, as if she still wanted to insist that Jiang Nian go back to the mansion to reply to the letter. After all, it was cold on a rainy night, and Jiang Nian was wearing very little. She had been heartbroken by Master Li before, and had been in poor health recently. It was she who asked the kitchen to simmer porridge and soup over a low fire, which gradually restored Jiang Nian's health. Now that he had caught a cold due to something important, wouldn't all the previous measures to remedy his health be in vain?

Thinking that Jiang Nian was probably unwilling to take the envelope out of the carriage, Fuling wanted to knock on the carriage to see what kind of large envelope it was that would make such a hardworking young lady unwilling to move it into the mansion.

When Jiang Nian saw Fuling trying to lean around her and look into the carriage, she was almost scared to death.

If Fuling saw Xiao Yingzhu in the carriage now, wouldn't she be doomed? All her words would be in vain, and it would only reduce Fuling's trust in her.

Jiang Nian quickly raised his hand to stop her again: "--I told you to hurry back to the mansion to get the pen back, because Duke Xiao's men are waiting nearby!"

As if afraid that Fuling wouldn't believe him, Jiang Nian continued to persuade her, "Besides, that subordinate is currently watching nearby, just in case there are bad guys lying in ambush here. If I take the envelope out of the carriage, the bad guys might rush up and snatch the important letter from my hands."

"So for now, the letter is in the carriage, and you go get the pen while I stay in the carriage. This is the safest solution. Why don't you listen?"

Seeing that Jiang Nian was about to get angry, Fuling had no choice but to give up her insistence. She turned around and walked a few steps before looking back and saying, "Okay, Miss, when I go back to get your pen, I'll also take back the coat you're wearing to keep out the cold."

Seeing that Fuling was finally persuaded successfully, Jiang Nian's tense nerves finally relaxed: "Okay, then go quickly."

Fuling looked back every few steps, as if she was worried that Jiang Nian would faint on the ground if she wasn't paying attention. She looked back at her several times before hurriedly entering the mansion and rushing to her courtyard to get clothes and a goat-hair brush.

A gentle night breeze blew by, and Jiang Nian suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, which had never existed before, and turned around to catch a glimpse of the young man who was hiding behind the horse and peeking at her.

“…”

Oh no, all the lies she made up in front of Fuling were seen by the boy. I hope the boy won’t reveal her whereabouts.

Jiang Nian's expression froze, and he turned around to walk towards the young man, but he saw a fan slowly stretched out from behind the young man and gently placed on his shoulder.

Xiao Yingzhu slowly put away the fan, raised her eyelids, and slowly smiled at Jiang Nian.

After listening to enough of the drama outside, he would of course accept Jiang Nian's kindness and return to the mansion.