Chapter 44

"You just said that you were from the Night Garden?" Yang Ye asked.

"Yes, the smaller one is from the Night Garden," he nodded hurriedly.

Yang Ye had heard someone mention it before. It was a little-known amusement park, located in an alley west of the city. Its facade was hidden, though; one had to turn three corners before seeing the dark red gate. While the entrance wasn't as extravagant as other amusement parks, with only two plain gauze palace lanterns hanging in front, anyone who had been inside knew there was a hidden gem inside. Each wing of the house was bustling with activity, furnished with the finest study treasures. The girls who worked there could all play music and sing opera, and were also proficient in calligraphy and painting. The most famous ones were not only beautiful, but could even steal a few pieces from you on the chessboard without you realizing it.

The city's well-known and influential people all liked to go there, and it seemed that the man in front of her had been there once or twice. Xue Shangyang said he was just there to discuss business, and Yang Ye believed him.

Yang Ye handed the girl to the care of his personal guards. She walked over, looked at the profile of the person next to her, and then looked straight at the man. She said meaningfully, "Night Garden, it is indeed a good place."

Feeling the meaning behind her words, Xue Shangyang leaned forward slightly and whispered to her again: "I am really going to discuss business."

Yang Ye glared at him, "I didn't say anything else, why are you so anxious?"

"I'm afraid you'd mind," Xue Shangyang replied.

"If I mind, I won't ask again," Yang Ye said. She then asked the man, "You said she stole your jade pendant, do you have any evidence?"

The man immediately responded, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"Even if she really stole your things, she should have been sent to the police station instead of being allowed to beat people up on the street like this," Yang Ye said, looking at him coldly. "Since you said she stole it, where is the jade pendant now? Have you taken it back?"

The man couldn't answer, so he had to change his words, "I, the things were hidden by her."

"Just now you said you saw her stealing it with your own eyes, and now you say it was hidden. I think you are the one talking nonsense." Yang Ye took a step forward.

She asked, "What does your jade pendant look like?"

"It's a round jade pendant with a ring in the middle and a gold-edged rope at the bottom." He described it in detail.

Glancing at the man, Yang Ye saw the jade pendant on his waist. She snorted coldly, a cold light flashing in her eyes, and her tone was full of disdain and ridicule. "You are talking about the one you are wearing on your waist now, right?"

He lowered his head and looked at the jade pendant on his waist, his expression was visibly nervous and flustered, "No, no, this is a gift from another girl."

It's obvious that he wants to frame someone, but he still says it in such a high-sounding way.

Yang Ye glared at him with disgust, and his words became particularly sharp, "Who do you think you are? No matter how lowly the people in there are, they still look down on you."

In that era, people were divided into different classes. It might be difficult to describe what the upper class people looked like, but the lowest class and the most despised people were people like him, the Rabbit Brother.

The man remained silent. He clenched his fists tightly, gritted his teeth, and didn't dare to utter another word.

Xue Shangyang spoke up at this time, "The jade pendants all look the same, so it's inevitable that you might take the wrong one. Since you can't find the thing, why do you keep holding on to a little girl?"

When the man heard Xue Shangyang's words, he nodded in agreement, then asked carefully, "Commander, what about this kid?"

"I want this person," Yang Ye said first.

He glanced at Yang Ye standing in front of him, then looked at Xue Shangyang next to him, and said hesitantly, "I'm afraid this is not a good idea."

"Is she a girl from your place?" Yang Ye asked.

The girl was dressed simply, in a coarse linen shirt, and her hands were covered in chilblains. She didn't look like a girl who would tune a musical instrument or play music.

"That's not the case, she's just a cleaning girl."

"Then what's wrong with me taking it? If the steward of the Night Garden asks, I'll have him come to my house to get the redemption money for this girl."

"Madam is teaching me a lesson." The man smiled and raised the corners of his mouth awkwardly.

Xue Shangyang was right next to him, and no matter how brave he was, he didn't dare to argue with Yang Ye.

Yang Ye frowned, looking at the unconscious girl in the arms of her personal soldier with heartache, "What a sin! Look at what he did to the child!"

Xue Shangyang looked at the girl calmly, expressionless, "She is unlucky."

"What does this have to do with luck? It's clearly a frame-up by that person. She just suffered an undeserved disaster."

"Disaster doesn't happen to others, but it happens to her. Isn't this luck?" Xue Shangyang seemed to have noticed something. His arm around Yang Ye's waist tightened unconsciously, and he looked around vigilantly.

Feeling the strength on his waist, Yang Ye looked at him puzzledly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just remembered that I have some official business to attend to, let's go back first."

"You think about your official duties all day long," Yang Ye said. She saw that the guards had picked up the unconscious girl. The people who came over to watch were very busy and were saying all kinds of things. Various different voices came into her ears, some expressing regret, some speculating.

Yang Ye felt a sharp pain in her heart. She sighed and said, "Forget it, let's go back. This child also needs to see a doctor."

More and more people gathered around. Xue Shangyang put his arm around Yang Ye's shoulder and brought him in front of him. Just as the two turned around, Xue Shangyang keenly noticed that someone in the crowd had a strange look in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly and looked over with his peripheral vision. The person's eyes were looking back and forth at Yang Ye.

Taking advantage of the rickshaw driver who just passed by, Xue Shangyang nodded slightly and called a personal soldier, "Go and see who they are. Don't let them find you."

"Yes," the personal soldier replied, and disappeared sideways into the crowd.

Those direct descendants really can't rest for a moment.

Xue Shangyang pondered this, a wave of annoyance and vigilance spreading from the bottom of his heart. He grabbed Yang Ye's shoulders tightly and held him close to him.

Yang Ye was startled, her steps momentarily stumbling. She glanced sideways at Xue Shangyang. Normally, he was calm, rarely displaying such anxiety. But she quickly caught a glimpse of something in his tense body and his wary, alert eyes. Sensing the gravity of the situation, she withdrew her gaze and said nothing more. She obediently followed Xue Shangyang's lead, carefully weaving through the bustling crowd.

There were fewer and fewer people in the alley, and the door of his house was getting closer and closer. However, even in a familiar place, Xue Shangyang did not dare to relax his guard for a moment.

When they reached the door, Xue Shangyang stopped and looked around again. After confirming that there was nothing unusual and that no one was following him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his head, and the vigilance in his eyes gradually gave way to tenderness. He took Yang Ye's hand and said, "We're home."

Yang Ye nodded, feeling a sticky sensation on her palm and a damp warmth on her shoulder. She looked at Xue Shangyang, her worry growing.

What Xue Shangyang has to face may be far more intense than she imagined.

Under Yang Ye's gaze, Xue Shangyang reached out and gently tucked her hair behind her ears. "You used Browning well."

"I studied at the shooting range for half a month," said Yang Ye.

"So impressive!" Xue Shangyang praised. His eyes were deep and gentle, almost pitying as he looked at Yang Ye. However, there was a turbulent undercurrent beneath his eyes, as if a surging wave would erupt at any moment.

Yang Ye looked at him seriously and said, "I promised you that we will live together in this world."

'You can't keep Xue Shangyang'

'You were never on the same path.'

"Shangyang" Yang Ye called him softly.

"What's wrong?" Xue Shangyang turned around just as he was about to push the door.

Yang Ye looked at the person in front of him infatuatedly, "What do you want to eat tonight? I will make it for you."

"I can do anything," said Xue Shangyang.

*

When Wang Qing awoke, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. The blinds were half-drawn. The setting sun, still lingering, cast a warm orange light through the window, illuminating the dark rosewood furniture. Flowers bloomed in a half-cup-high blue-and-white porcelain vase. In the corner, a deep-sheen ebony piano stood quietly. The decor in this room was also beautiful, even more beautiful than the room she had seen the girls stay in the garden that night.

There was a faint, sweet smell in the room, which instantly cleared her previously confused mind. Wang Qing propped herself up from the bed and saw a child about her own age sitting on a wooden chair next to her, having just opened a medicine box.

She turned around and saw that Wang Qing had woken up, holding a few pieces of gauze in his hands. He ran to the bed happily and said, "You're awake."

"Who are you and where is this place?" She looked at the furnishings in the house. These valuable things did not seem like something that an ordinary family could afford, nor could they afford them.

The man said: "This is Xue Mansion"

Wang Qing looked at her strangely and took back his hand that had just taken out the quilt. She sat back on the bed and asked, "Xue Mansion?"

"Yes," the woman was happy. Standing by the bed, she saw Wang Qing retreating with a look of caution and fear. She waved her hand and said quickly, "Don't be afraid. It was Madam who brought you back from outside. You are covered in wounds. The doctor told you not to move. Lie down quickly."

"Ma'am, who is it?" she asked.

Yang Ye, holding the clothes she had asked Zhang Ma for, had just reached the door when she heard a noise inside. She pushed the door open, and Wang Qing tried to get out of bed, but Meihua was blocking the way, leaving her no room to move.

She handed the clothes to Zhang Ma behind her and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Madam, she keeps trying to get up and I can't stop her," Meihua said to her with a sullen face, trotting over.

Yang Ye patted Meihua's arms and looked at Wang Qing lying on the bed. "You are still injured."

Wang Qing felt the soft material under her hand, and her lips trembled as she whispered carefully, "This quilt is too good, I dare not sleep on it."

"It's just a quilt," said Yang Ye.

"It's not a quilt." Wang Qing lowered her head and clenched her hands gradually. She knelt on the bed and kowtowed to Yang Ye respectfully several times. The sound was so loud that even the wooden board underneath made a noise.

"What are you doing?" Meihua asked.

Wang Qing said: "Thank you, Madam, for saving me."

Yang Ye went to pull the man away, "Your name is Wang Qing, right?"

"Yes," she agreed with her head down, not daring to look at anyone.

Meihua brought a stool and placed it beside the bed. Yang Ye sat down and looked at the girl in front of him tenderly. "I've seen you before at Zheng Yue's house. You were her girl who helped with the laundry."

"Yes, Madam remembers me." She was pleasantly surprised and surprised, her eyes fixed on Yang Ye. She had never thought that someone like herself could be remembered by others.

"Zheng Yue told me about you. You're quick and nimble, and you work fast. Although you're quiet, you always finish what you start. Why didn't you continue working at Zheng Yue's house, but went to that night garden?"

Wang Qing burst into tears instantly.

"Don't cry!" Meihua wondered why she suddenly burst into tears when the lady didn't say anything. Meihua didn't understand and just hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face.

"Night Garden, my father sold me there." Wang Qing sniffed and said slowly, "I have six brothers and sisters in my family, and I am the third one."

"My father raised us by pulling a rickshaw and doing hard labor. My mother had to take care of my younger sister and was in poor health, so she couldn't do heavy work. She earned money by washing clothes. In winter, my mother was falsely accused of ruining a young lady's clothes. The shop owner scolded her and kicked her out, not even paying her wages for that month."

"My father's cloth shoes were torn, and when he pulled his rickshaw to pick up passengers, he was a few minutes slower than usual. The rickshaw owner couldn't negotiate a deal, so he took it out on my father. He beat my father up and he couldn't work for several days. The dock owner also despised my father for being useless. My brothers and sisters at home needed to eat, so my father had no choice but to sell my sister and me for two dollars."

Yang Ye touched her head distressedly and asked, "How old are you this year?"

"Ten years old"

"You are three years older than Meihua, but I think you look about the same." Yang Ye stood up and said to Wang Qing, "First, recuperate. When you are well, you and Meihua can stay in my house. Although I don't have much ability, I can still take care of your food."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Wang Qing was so excited that he wanted to kowtow to her again, but was stopped by Yang Ye. "We don't have the custom of kowtow here. You should recover first. If you need anything, tell Meihua."

She smiled, and her voice was as soft and warm as a spring breeze.