Chapter 23 Jumping into the River in a Moment of Despair

Shen Ci'an took a few steps in a panic, but when she turned around, she found that Jiang Zhi had not followed at all. When she looked for her again, she had disappeared.

The restlessness he felt was cooled by the evening breeze, and he felt uneasy, regretting whether he had been too harsh in his words to her.

With so many people on the street, and her all alone without any maidservants by her side, if she were to encounter any trouble or be harassed, he would truly be guilty of a thousand deaths.

He hurriedly went against the flow of people to look for them.

After walking for a short while, I saw a small group of people by the moat, pointing and talking about something.

Only when they got closer could they hear that they were talking about someone who had jumped into the river.

"This young girl is too strong-willed. She jumped into the river because her sweetheart said a few words to her."

"Judging from her attire, she's from a wealthy family. If her family knew, they would be heartbroken."

"Thank goodness they were rescued; that man really did something terrible."

Could the person they're talking about be the young lady?

Shen Ci felt a sudden weight lift from his shoulders, and the hand hidden in his sleeve tightened abruptly.

If something happens to the young lady...

He clenched his fists tightly, his voice trembling as he pushed through the crowd, "Where is the person who fell into the water?"

One of the old men pointed to a figure not far away and said, "Look, she's crying by the river. You must be her sweetheart, right? Why don't you go and comfort her?"

Shen Ci'an rushed forward, taking three steps at a time. When he saw the slender figure, soaking wet and sobbing, he almost lost his balance.

“Young Miss…” His hand trembled slightly but hovered over her shoulder, hesitating and not daring to touch her.

The other person turned around upon hearing the voice, tears still glistening in their eyes. "My darling, why are you only finding me now?"

Shen Ci'an saw the other person's face clearly and stood there stunned.

The woman's hair was disheveled, and she was soaking wet, wearing only a thin garment that revealed her curves. She was not the young lady he was looking for.

He realized what was happening, quickly turned around, apologized, and fled as if he were escaping.

Before he could calm down, a familiar voice came from behind him, "Master?"

He turned around, and Jiang Zhi's face appeared before him.

Before he could react, the girl in front of him lifted her skirt and ran towards him. To his surprise, her light body unexpectedly fell into his arms.

Shen Ci'an subconsciously reached out and caught her steadily. Her unique fragrance filled his nose, and he could only hear his own heart pounding and his ears ringing.

He held her up with both hands, not daring to touch her, his gaze fixed elsewhere, not looking at her at all, and said in a hoarse voice, "Miss, this is... inappropriate."

Jiang Zhi paid no heed to his inner turmoil. She tightly embraced his lean waist with both hands, her cheeks gently rubbing against his chest, her voice muffled, "Master! Why are you only coming to find me now? I thought you had abandoned me and never wanted to see me again."

"Nonsense, I am your teacher, how could I abandon you on the street?" Shen Ci'an raised his hand and pinched his throbbing brow. "Let go first."

“No,” Jiang Zhi said stubbornly, “If I let go, you’ll definitely abandon me again.”

Shen Ci'an simply couldn't do anything about her.

He exhaled a breath of stale air. "Fine, I shouldn't have said that to you, and I shouldn't have left in a huff and scared you—there are so many people here, what kind of behavior would it be if someone saw us? Let go of me now."

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but smile. "Then you must not scold or reprimand me anymore, and you must not ignore me with a cold face."

“If the teacher is not strict, it is the teacher’s fault,” Shen Ci’an said, but he did not indulge her. “If you continue to talk nonsense, as your teacher, I will naturally discipline you strictly.”

Jiang Zhi pouted, "Then you must keep the marriage charm I gave you safe and sound, and don't throw it away carelessly."

Shen Ci'an nodded stiffly, "I will cherish it."

“That’s more like it,” Jiang Zhi finally looked up with satisfaction, smiling at him.

The two were so close that their breaths mingled.

Shen Ci'an's face flushed red. Fortunately, the light was dim at night, otherwise she would have laughed at him. "Can I let go now?"

"Alright, I will obey your orders." Jiang Zhi withdrew her hand, took a step, and respectfully cupped her hands in greeting.

Shen Ci'an looked at the sky and said, "We've been out for so long, we should go back."

＊

Xie Qi was dejected and listless, even after returning to the Marquis's residence.

Lady Wuyi was very puzzled when she saw him like this.

Although he didn't show it on his face before leaving, the smile in his eyes was almost overflowing, showing how much he cared about Miss Jiang.

How did you come back looking like this?

"Could it be that Miss Jiang Er didn't come to keep the appointment?" she couldn't help but ask.

Xie Qi shook his head. "My son saw her, but the person who helped us at Puzhao Temple that night was not the second young lady, but the eldest young lady of the Jiang family."

"What?!" Lady Wuyi's eyes widened in disbelief at such a blunder. "How could I mistake your personal jade pendant? It was clearly from that day at Linglongzhai..."

“Miss Jiang the Second took Miss Jiang the First’s jade pendant, so Mother made a mistake.”

Lady Wuyi was immediately embarrassed.

She really meant well but ended up doing something wrong. This second young lady of the Jiang family, why did she have to take other people's things out and flaunt them?

"Then why don't you go to the Jiang residence again, Mother?"

“No need,” Xie Qi immediately stopped him. “It’s not appropriate to visit now, and it will only arouse suspicion from the Jiang family. Grandmother’s birthday is approaching, and I will find an opportunity to meet with Miss Jiang at the birthday banquet and explain things clearly.”

Lady Wuyi immediately became interested, "Then Mother will definitely make proper arrangements for you this time, so that no irrelevant people will ruin your good deed."

"Mother, I only want to fulfill my promise to Miss Jiang, and I have no other intentions. Please don't drag things into this and ruin her reputation," Xie Qi said helplessly.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lady Wuyi blinked, “Mother knows she won’t do anything reckless, so you don’t need to explain.”

Despite saying that, his expression clearly showed disbelief.

Xie Qi knew his mother's temperament well and didn't bother to say anything more.

In the blink of an eye, the birthday of the old lady of the Marquis of Wuyi arrived.

The Marquis of Wuyi's family is full of loyal and valiant men. The former Marquis was a meritorious minister who helped the Holy Ancestor establish the country. The former Marquis passed away early, and the title was passed on to the current Marquis of Wuyi. The old lady was granted an imperial title and is deeply respected.

Therefore, most of the nobles and ministers of Kyoto attended this birthday banquet.

The gate of the Marquis of Wuyi's mansion was packed with carriages, bustling with activity.

Jiang Zhi followed the Jiang family to the Marquis's residence. Wang Yuru was good at putting on a show. As soon as she entered and delivered the birthday gifts, she chatted enthusiastically with the officials' wives.

Jiang Yunqian was devastated after being rejected by Xie Qi and was depressed all day long. She didn't dare to tell her mother about it and lost a lot of weight. Today, thinking that she might have a chance to see Xie Qi again, she finally had some energy to attend the banquet.