Chapter 58 Why are you so late? Have you been waiting too long? ...
Have we stayed too long?
She knew, of course, that she couldn't stay in the hot spring for too long.
Rippling water, a slender arm emerged from it and immediately braced itself on the edge of the pool.
Her arms were weak, and the moment she leaned out, her body suddenly went limp. She instinctively used her other hand to support herself on the ground.
In the midst of the chaos, the stool placed by the pool tipped over, and the clothes on it fell into the pool, getting completely soaked in an instant.
Her movements caught Ah Liu's attention, and there was a knock on the door, followed by her voice from outside.
"What's wrong, Miss Jiang? Would you like me to come in and take a look?"
Jiang Zhuoying took a deep breath, her voice a little hoarse: "Come in."
Ah Liu entered in response to the call, and was even more stunned by what he saw inside.
She quickly went over and helped the girl up from the ground: "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Jiang Zhuoying shook her head and pointed to the clothes in the pool: "My clothes are wet. Could you please go back and get me another set?"
A-Liu glanced at the clothes that were completely soaked in the pool, helped Jiang Zhuoying sit down on a stool, and then deftly scooped the clothes out of the pool.
The autumn wind blew, making Jiang Zhuoying shiver. She was already dressed in thin clothes and was soaking wet. The wind chilled her to the bone.
Ah Liu immediately took off his outer garment and handed it to her: "Miss Jiang, put this on first, and I'll go get it right away."
Jiang Zhuoying hesitated, looking at the clothes in her hands: "But..."
“I’m not cold, but if you catch a cold, Miss Jiang, I’ll be punished later.”
The girl pursed her lips slightly and accepted it without hesitation.
Ah Liu didn't linger any longer, only instructing her to wait there, saying she would be back soon.
Jiang Zhuoying readily agreed, shivering as she took off her thin, wet outer shirt that clung tightly to her skin, and then wrapped it tightly around A-Liu's outer shirt.
She tried to hide in a corner, hoping to avoid the wind.
Before long, she stopped shivering from the cold and instead began to feel warm all over.
My head was spinning, and even my breathing felt hot.
Even if she didn't know the reason for the changes in her own body, she knew there must be something strange about it.
The key probably lies in that hot spring.
Jiang Zhuoying curled up into a ball, hugging her chest with both hands and wrapping her outer garment even tighter.
She could almost hear her own heartbeat, and her palms were getting hotter and hotter as she touched her arms. Her chest was burning as if a raging fire was burning inside.
What exactly happened?
Is she sick?
In the past, she might have let herself fall into a deep sleep.
But ever since she experienced that bout of smallpox, she has become more wary.
Ah Liu isn't here, and she has no one of her own around. She absolutely cannot lose consciousness.
Jiang Zhuoying would pinch her palms from time to time, or pinch her arm hard, always keeping a sense of vigilance.
In her hazy state of consciousness, she vaguely heard a dull scraping sound, like a boulder rubbing against the ground.
Jiang Zhuoying turned her head to look at the source of the sound, which was in front of the hot spring, deep in the surrounding artificial hills.
Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could even think, she staggered to her feet.
Without thinking, he turned and ran.
She felt uneasy, but she no longer had the energy to see clearly, so it was best to leave first...
*
Ah Liu rushed back to the courtyard, but it was empty. The maid who had been guarding outside the courtyard was nowhere to be found.
This is a spacious little courtyard, and there wouldn't be any extra clothes kept inside.
She was anxious and was about to go out to find the other maids in the courtyard when Qi Fan stepped into the courtyard.
As soon as Ah Liu replied, his expression hardened, and his eyes flashed with cold light.
"Is this how you do things?"
Ah Liu was taken aback, but the man had already strode away, his steps light and quick.
The words, spoken with a hint of anger, sent a chill down her spine, but she realized what they meant in an instant.
Oh no, they're after Miss Jiang.
Her heart sank, and she immediately turned around to chase after him, lowering her head and calmly saying, "Master, this servant will lead the way for you."
The man's face was ashen, and his steps were hurried.
Chu Yixin followed closely behind him, exchanged a glance with A Liu, and also had a solemn expression on her face.
Just now, when the master came out of the hot spring, the servant waiting outside the door said that the Third Prince had invited the master to come over for a chat.
Although the servant kept smiling and saying that the Third Prince had sincerely invited him, his master was naturally able to sense that there was a trick involved.
Normally, the Third Prince would look down on his master, so why would he make a special invitation today?
In the past, the master would have gone along with the plan, but today, isn't Jiang girl here?
He followed closely behind his grandfather, hurrying back only to find that he had already fallen into a trap.
Not to mention his master, even he was shocked and furious. After all these years of arrogance, the Third Prince really had the guts to do whatever he wanted!
Jiang Yatou is now officially Master's woman!
The three returned to the hot spring pool, only to find the partition door wide open. They pushed the door open and went inside, but there was no one there.
"Sir, please don't worry, Jiang girl is a lucky person and will be blessed by heaven."
Before Chu Yixin could finish speaking, Qi Fan had already strode forward and headed into the artificial hill.
"Master?"
Chu Yixin hurriedly followed and stepped into the artificial hill. The sight that came into view made his eyes widen instantly.
The original courtyard wall had been wide open, allowing a person to easily pass through. He understood the situation at a glance.
It's a fake stone mechanism.
To resort to such unscrupulous means for a mere Jiang girl was something Chu Yixin had never expected and found hard to believe.
Qi Fan glanced at the pebble path outside the courtyard wall, his face gloomy. His rough fingertips trembled slightly in his dark blue sleeves, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made people involuntarily lower their heads.
The atmosphere around us plummeted to freezing point, a sense of oppression pervading the air like the approaching storm.
His tone was calm but chilling: "Go find Xie Xiao. I need to know Qi Yan's whereabouts immediately."
Chu Yixin's steps trembled slightly, and she immediately lowered her head in agreement.
Moving against Xie Xiao at this moment would be like losing a pair of eyes that had been placed there.
But he fully agreed with his master's wishes.
He had also seen Jiang Yatou these past few days; she was such a bright and well-behaved girl.
He would not be able to bear the thought of the Third Prince harming him this time.
Chu Yixin turned and left, her steps swift.
Ah Liu was already kneeling behind Qi Fan, the man's voice icy: "If anything happens to her..."
"Your subordinate is willing to accept his punishment with his life." Ah Liu said resolutely, his face ashen.
This was indeed her fault.
She betrayed His Highness's trust; it was clearly such a clumsy trick, yet she fell for it.
She had been too comfortable for too long and lost the vigilance she should have had.
As the autumn wind blew, the dark blue hem of his robe fluttered gently, and no one stopped Ah Liu from saying what he had just said.
A sharp, startled cry suddenly rang out in the chilly autumn wind.
"Jiang girl?"
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Yixin heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.
...
Jiang Zhuoying was being held firmly by someone, and she leaned against them.
Through the misty vision, a tall, slender figure approached slowly from afar…
The hand that was around her waist suddenly became heavier and stronger, full of a unique sense of control.
Before her eyes blurred, she fell into a hard chest. The man's clothes were a little cool, and Jiang Zhuoying, who was burning up, couldn't help but rub against him.
"Hmm... why did you take so long to get here?"
Her sobs were weak and feeble.
It suddenly released the tension that had been building up to his limit.
Qi Fan put his left arm around her and gently stroked her head with his right hand. The moment he looked up at Jiang Ying, the deep tenderness in his eyes turned into indifference and aloofness.
"Thank you, Miss Jiang."
Jiang Ying was somewhat alarmed. The aura surrounding this second prince was completely different from that at the banquet just now.
Moreover, his attitude towards A-Zhuo seemed to be somewhat sincere.
She nodded slightly: "I just happened to run into her. This young lady kept saying that she wanted to see the Second Prince. It was just a small favor."
"By the way, I don't know if she's sick or what, but she's been running a fever and looks really uncomfortable. Your Highness, you should take her to see a doctor as soon as possible."
"Um."
Qi Fan nodded, glanced at A Liu, then picked up the burning hot person in his arms and strode away.
Jiang Zhuoying felt weak all over, and the few remaining bits of consciousness she had were still recalling what Jiang Ying had said to her earlier.
Before an incense stick burns.
She staggered out of the room with the hot spring, and the first thing she saw was the crisscrossing cobblestone path she had just been on.
She was too disoriented to recall the route she had taken, and could only think of leaving the place for the time being.
They unexpectedly ran into Jiang Ying again along the way.
She wasn't wearing a face mask, so Jiang Ying recognized her immediately.
The other person excitedly grabbed her hand, led her to hide, and then urgently gave her instructions.
What did I tell her?
Tell her... not to go back to the village, and also tell her to always keep an eye on her uncle and aunt in the future.
They also told her to stay by the Second Prince's side for protection and never return to the Duke's mansion.
Jiang Ying probed her relationship with Qi Fan, but even though she was not in her right mind at the time, she knew she couldn't admit it.
Not receiving a response from her, the other party tacitly stopped asking and simply led her to find the Second Prince.
Jiang Zhuoying leaned weakly against Wei Liang's arms, trying hard to concentrate on recalling what Jiang Ying had said.
She was telling herself these things because she knew that her uncle and aunt were planning something against her.
Could it be that Mother's accident was really related to them?
Her body grew hotter and hotter, as if all the blood in her body was burning, generating an unbearable heat from the inside out.
My mind became increasingly scattered, as if I had lost the ability to think independently.
Her undergarments were wet; the damp fabric clung tightly to her burning body, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable.
"Hot..." Her cherry lips parted slightly, exhaling a scorching breath.
Her soft, boneless body leaned against his chest, her slender, reddish fingertips twisting his dark blue sleeves into a tight knot.
The arm holding her suddenly tightened, and at the same time, he heard faint instructions.
"Prepare the carriage."
Chu Yixin glanced at the person in her master's arms, then immediately looked away without glancing at them.
"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant will go right away!"
He responded as he quickened his pace.
As an old man in the harem, he could tell what was going on with just one glance from Jiang Yatou's reaction.
Such despicable methods are most disliked by the Emperor, as they involve forbidden drugs!
If this matter is let off lightly, not only will Jiang Yatou be unable to get over it, but even he will be unable to get over it!
"Your Highness, I'm so hot...why is it so hot?"
The girl in his arms kept complaining of the heat, her bright peach blossom eyes were already teary, and she was almost unconsciously tugging at his sleeve.
Qi Fan glanced down at her, then quickened his pace.
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