Chapter 66 She left a warm, strong hand that held her restless body...
A warm, strong hand grasped her restless right hand, its gaze steady and reliable, carrying a sense of reassurance.
"What you're saying shouldn't be your concern."
His gaze deepened: "All I need is your nod, and I'll take care of the rest."
"Leave it to you?" Jiang Zhuoying's pupils widened slightly.
The man's voice was steady: "In a while, it will be the annual autumn hunt, and I would like to introduce you to my father then."
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Jiang Zhuoying interrupted him in surprise, her originally charming peach blossom eyes now appearing as round almond eyes.
How could he say something so inappropriate?
Given her status, wouldn't that make everyone else laugh their heads off?
Qi Fan glanced at her and continued, "You're making excuses and hesitating."
"Then I will personally make this happen."
What you fear will not come true.
Jiang Zhuoying's lips parted slightly, trembling weakly. These words were probably the longest he had ever spoken.
"how?"
His hand tightened around her waist, and Jiang Zhuoying let out a soft moan.
Almost simultaneously, a dark shadow loomed over her, her lips were lightly bitten, causing a slight numbness, and then she was firmly nestled into someone's arms.
The man's chest heaved, and at the same time, a deep voice came from above: "That is the answer."
Jiang Zhuoying: "?"
Why did she agree?
"I..." She tried to push and shove in Qi Fan's arms, but instead of getting any relief, she was held even tighter.
The tone above also turned displeased: "Be sensible."
He loosened his grip slightly, putting his arm around the little girl's back so she could look up and see his face.
"He's certainly clever enough, but how come he's so muddle-headed when it comes to important matters?"
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
Seeing the girl's displeased look, he reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Tell me then, who else can you rely on if you leave me? Third brother?"
"I don't rely on anyone! I...I'll start my own business!"
The man's eyes were full of strangeness: "You can't even sweep or clean and yet you want to start your own household? You became a maid but were expelled from the manor by your master. Tell me, how do you plan to start your own household?"
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
She was very unhappy with the disdain in his tone.
The man lowered his eyes, his gaze deepening: "It's not entirely impossible for a woman to establish her own household, but it's extremely difficult. She has to bear at least as much burden as a man, and you... are not suitable."
"Why isn't it appropriate?"
"I thought you were self-aware enough to know that you have this face but no ability to protect yourself. You should know how to choose to live more comfortably."
These words made so much sense that Jiang Zhuoying could hardly refute them.
If she really was that little maid, she would have agreed to his request.
But she is different; she has her own path to walk.
Seeing her silence, Qi Fan pinched her cheek again, causing the little girl to look at him with accusatory eyes.
"Think about it carefully."
The girl looked a little aggrieved and suddenly changed the subject: "I made an appointment with Ayou tomorrow to go to Baofu Medical Clinic to see her."
The man narrowed his eyes, but Jiang Zhuoying quickly covered his mouth: "You don't mean you don't want to agree, do you?"
A mixture of trepidation and anticipation flickered in her peach blossom eyes. Suddenly, a soft touch brushed against her palm, both tingling and numb, making her arm tremble...
"What you want, I will grant you."
He stopped short of stopping, then gently pushed her waist after letting go, and Jiang Zhuoying stood up.
"Let Chu Yixin come in and set the table."
Jiang Zhuoying: "..."
She glanced at the person with displeasure, then gave a perfunctory curtsy: "Then please continue sitting, I'll go right away."
Watching the girl's retreating figure, Qi Fan chuckled self-deprecatingly, pinched his brow, and slowly exhaled.
It seems I'll have to have someone set the meal on the desk later.
Chu Yixin called for people to come in, but the pretty figure was nowhere to be seen.
The man hesitated for a moment: "...Where is he?"
"Huh? Jiang girl? She said she went to feed Zhuozhuo."
The man remained silent for a long time before suddenly laughing. Chu Yixin subconsciously looked over and saw that his eyes were full of indulgence.
*
Jiang Zhuoying went to feed Zhuozhuo and say goodbye to it. Fortunately, nowadays, Zhuozhuo doesn't resist other people's approach, except for her.
For example, Qi Fan, or Chu Yixin, these two have been with it for more than ten years.
That night, Jiang Zhuoying tossed and turned, and finally got up in the middle of the night to leave a letter.
From the very beginning, she knew that she would leave one day, but when that day actually came, her heart was filled with an uncontrollable emptiness and bitterness.
[Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. Your Highness has shown me much kindness, which I can hardly repay. Since I have no feelings for Your Highness and have other desires, and Your Highness's heart is with me, I feel unworthy. After much thought, I have decided to part with you today. I hope Your Highness will achieve your wishes. Please do not worry about me.]
Tomorrow is the day her aunt will send someone to fetch her back to the Duke's mansion. If she's not mistaken, tomorrow will not be peaceful.
Jiang Zhuoying barely slept all night, and she got up before dawn.
At this hour, Qi Fan should have already left the manor to practice martial arts. Eunuch Chu has always treated her kindly, and he has never refused her requests to leave the manor.
As she expected, she only said that she had made an agreement with Ayou, and that Qi Fan must have already known about it. Chu Yixin immediately granted her leave.
The only requirement is that Ah Liu must accompany her.
Jiang Zhuoying nodded. Based on the tacit understanding between Xiangyue and her servant over the years, Xiangyue would surely have some arrangements today.
The two left the villa and headed east in a carriage. When they arrived at the post station where carriages were rented, Jiang Zhuoying clutched her stomach and said she needed to use the restroom.
Without thinking twice, Ah Liu immediately helped her down from the carriage.
Jiang Zhuoying patted her hand and told her to just stay where she was and wait.
Xiangyue must be waiting for her in the shadows.
Perhaps having learned from the previous incident at the hot spring, Ah Liu insisted on waiting for her outside the latrine.
Coincidentally, today was an auspicious day, and a wedding procession happened to be resting at the post station. The place was bustling with people, and there were quite a few people waiting around the latrine.
Jiang Zhuoying glanced around and almost lost her composure. Weren't all the maids and servants in this wedding procession people from her manor?
And so, she hurriedly changed into a bright red wedding dress in the outhouse, and was then helped back to the bridal sedan chair by Xiangyue and Xiangxing, and left amidst music and fanfare.
A gust of autumn wind swept by, and through the lifted sedan curtain, she caught a glimpse of Ah Liu still guarding outside the outhouse.
Jiang Zhuoying felt uneasy. In order to prevent A-Liu and Eunuch Chu from being implicated, she had tried her best to take all the blame upon herself.
It was she who insisted on leaving; she had ulterior motives. It had nothing to do with Eunuch Chu or Ah Liu.
Presumably, it won't be long before Ah Liu discovers the letter she left in the carriage, and everything should return to its original place.
"Miss? Miss, what are you still spacing out for?"
Xiangyue cautiously waved her hand in front of her eyes.
Jiang Zhuoying suddenly flinched, then came to her senses, glanced at Xiangyue, and weakly forced a smile: "It's nothing, I was just wondering when the Second Prince will realize that I've left."
Upon hearing this, Xiangyue's pupils slowly widened, and she exchanged a glance with Xiangxing, who was sitting on the other side. Her voice weakened, revealing her worry.
"Miss?"
Jiang Zhuoying pursed her lips, her face already serious: "Whose idea was this today?"
Xiangyue glanced at Xiangxing opposite her, who replied calmly, "Replying to Miss, it was this servant's idea."
Jiang Zhuoying looked at Xiangxing and smiled, "It must have been your idea. You did a great job this time."
She lowered her eyes slightly: "This time when I went to the Second Prince's villa, I found out the truth about my mother's death. Things are not the same as before. The Duke's mansion is no exaggeration to say that it is a den of dragons and tigers for us."
"From this day forward, you two must always be mindful and cautious, understand?"
She didn't say it explicitly, but the maid who was chosen and had been by her side for so many years was certainly not stupid.
Xiangxing is inherently insightful; with just a little guidance, he can naturally understand the key points.
As for Xiangyue, although she was lively, she was never ambiguous when it came to important matters. She remained silent for a few moments, then nodded emphatically.
“This servant, Tong Xiangxing, will naturally always belong to Miss.”
Jiang Zhuoying smiled slightly, her lips pursed: "The people in the manor were all left to me by my father. I trust my father's judgment, and since I've been away from the manor for so long without any news getting out, these people should be reliable."
Xiangyue and Xiangxing both had solemn expressions, knowing that their young mistress was about to give important instructions.
And that is indeed the case.
Jiang Zhuoying sent all the servants she could muster who had some fighting skills to Jiaohai to find her father. Although Qi Fan's men were certainly more skilled in martial arts, she could only feel at ease if her own people reported the situation to her.
Shortly after, Jiang Zhuoying changed the subject again: "My aunt sent a letter saying that she would send someone to pick me up at noon?"
Xiangxing nodded slightly: "Exactly."
"Well, let's go back now and make some more preparations. The journey back home won't be peaceful."
Jiang Zhuoying paused for a moment: "Let Wujiu in."
Xiangxing immediately lifted the carriage curtain and called for someone, and soon Wujiu flew in.
Dressed in a fiery red wedding gown, the young woman, with her noble and charming demeanor, was as beautiful as an angel. She glanced at the guard kneeling on one knee in the center of the carriage and slightly parted her red lips.
"Where on the road from Zhuangzi back to Luoyang is it easy to be ambushed?"
Since Jiang Zhuoying went to Qi Fan's villa, Wu Jiu has become close friends with Xiang Yue and Xiang Xing, and has become one of the most trusted people around Jiang Zhuoying.
Wu Jiu's expression remained unchanged, and he immediately cupped his hands in response: "In reply to your question, if we are traveling on the official road, we should be able to travel without any obstacles. There is also a shortcut that requires passing by the edge of the cliff. Occasionally, people in a hurry or who want to save money on the toll pass by this route."
Jiang Zhuoying had traveled the official road leading to Luoyang City several times and had indeed found nothing amiss.
Although the official road was used to collect silver, there were checkpoints along the way, making it quite inconvenient to take action on the road.
But if it were on the edge of a cliff, it would be much easier to kill her if one wanted to.
She was almost certain that the people her aunt had sent would find a reason to send her to Luoyang via a side road.
Jiang Zhuoying glanced out the window, remained silent for a while, and then had an idea.
...
Upon returning to the estate, Jiang Zhuoying immediately waved to her maids and servants to pack up their belongings. Time was limited, and everything that could be taken had to be gathered.
Fortunately, Xiangxing was quite prescient. Although she had received the letter earlier, she did not know her intentions, so she had already led people to collect nearly half of the things.
As for the rest, we'll just have to follow her instructions when the time comes.
The maids worked in an orderly manner. Jiang Zhuoying sat by the window, watching the busy maids and servants coming and going in the courtyard, and began to stare blankly into thought again.
At this hour, that person must already know she has left, and who knows what kind of commotion she will cause.
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Author's Note: [Loud-eared Rabbit Head] Yingbao has finally run away without a word!
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