Chapter 47 Who is she hiding from? She just said she was going to take her out to relax, but she…
I was just saying I was going to take her out to relax, but she's not very mobile right now, and her wounds get pulled and hurt if I'm not careful. I can't just carry her around all the time, can I?
"Go to Yuanbaolou."
The man had already sat down, and the carriage began to roll forward.
"Yuanbaolou again?" she blurted out instinctively.
Counting the days, today should be the day he leaves the manor as usual. Could it be that she will finally be able to hear some secrets today?
"I heard from Ah Liu that you've been quite troubled these past two days. What's troubling you?"
Qi Fan didn't respond to her words, but instead brought up another topic.
She had injured her shoulder, so she couldn't really go back to being her personal maid. Therefore, she had been resting in her room for the past two days, with Ah Liu taking care of her.
Since he asked that question, Jiang Zhuoying naturally had to answer it properly.
The girl placed her hands on her knees and twisted her skirt awkwardly: "I...I'm just a little sad."
"Hmm?" he asked in a questioning tone.
Jiang Zhuoying quickly looked up at him and said, "Second Prince, please don't misunderstand. I don't regret saving Zhuozhuo. It's just that Doctor Yu told me that the knife wound on my shoulder is very serious."
"So, that's why I'm afraid of leaving scars..."
Sure enough... what he had dreamed about these past two days came true.
Her peach blossom eyes were brimming with tears, her voice filled with a weak and pitiful accusation.
The man lowered his eyes slightly and saw her slender, delicate hand resting on her knees, twisting the hem of her skirt.
"Anything else?" His voice was a little hoarse.
Jiang Zhuoying: "...??"
besides?
The girl paused, her voice becoming even weaker and more shy: "And also... now that I'm like this, can Second Prince trust me a little more?"
"Just a little more than before is fine."
She raised her right hand, closed her index finger and thumb, making a "little bit" gesture, her eyes filled with anticipation.
A soft chuckle: "Just a little bit?"
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback. What did this mean?
She suffered such serious injuries while saving Zhuozhuo, and he hasn't shown much concern for her in the past two days. Now he's even mocking her for her "little bit" of injury?
The girl bit her lip: "If I were a servant in another household protecting my master and got injured in the process, the master would reward me handsomely. But if I, a young lady, were to have a scar on my body, my future husband might dislike me because of it..."
"Your Highness won't even give me this much face?"
As Jiang Zhuoying spoke these words, she kept observing the other person's expression.
Seeing the other person's gaze shift from playfulness to indifference, and then to an increasingly cold and indifferent expression.
He parted his thin lips slightly and coldly uttered a few words: "No one will dislike you because of this."
Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback: "..."
She immediately became anxious: "How could it not?!"
She glanced at someone resentfully: "Second Prince is a man. He has scars on his body. Who knows, people might even praise him, saying that he has manliness and is a mark of bravery."
"But I'm just an ordinary girl. If I have scars, people will say I'm not pretty, that I'm flawed, that I'm conspicuous, glaring, and imperfect..."
The little girl murmured softly, listing the unpleasant things said about her, piling them all on herself, her tone dejected, as if she were truly extremely sad.
Qi Fan lowered his eyes and stared at the bun on her head. Ever since he gave her those jewelry pieces, she had never worn her hair in a double bun again.
Her fine clothes and daily necessities far exceeded the standards for an ordinary maid.
The hair ornament on her head was swaying back and forth as she spoke...
His lips were slightly pursed: "No one else will see your wound."
Jiang Zhuoying stood there, stunned: "..."
The girl looked at him incredulously, her eyes flashing with a light of anger.
How cruel! Now she's saying she has no one to marry?
The man seemed to realize that what he had just said was somewhat inappropriate.
He narrowed his eyes slightly: "I can only promise that your worries just now will not come true."
Jiang Zhuoying felt a wave of weariness wash over her. She leaned back, her waist slumped, and she felt that she hadn't been able to communicate with him properly today.
"Besides these, don't you want revenge?"
"revenge?"
The girl suddenly looked up, her peach blossom eyes filled with doubt as she looked at him.
She probed, "But hasn't that assassin already been captured by you?"
The man looked at her calmly: "I'm talking about the person behind the scenes who sent him here."
Who's behind the scenes?
Jiang Zhuoying's eyes lit up: "Is the Third Prince the one Second Prince is talking about?"
"Can……"
A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. The Third Prince was deeply favored by the current emperor, held an important position in the court, and his mother was a favored imperial concubine...
Although this second prince, who was ostracized to the outskirts of the city, is quite shrewd and might be able to avenge the third prince.
The man narrowed his eyes but did not reply to her.
Jiang Zhuoying felt inexplicably guilty, as she hadn't said anything aloud just now.
The girl leaned forward, a sudden pain shooting through her shoulder wound, causing her to wince: "Ouch~"
Suddenly, a large hand pressed against her left shoulder and gently pushed her back, causing Jiang Zhuoying to lean against the soft cushion.
The man remained expressionless, effortlessly exerting force, yet she was powerless to resist.
"Second Prince, are you really willing to avenge me?"
The girl was both surprised and delighted, but then suddenly bit her lip, a hint of difficulty flashing in her charming peach blossom eyes.
Qi Fan's indifferent expression twitched slightly: "What?"
Whenever she showed this expression, she would always say something that caught him off guard.
"...I just feel that if it were just for my sake, Second Prince, you wouldn't need to take such a risk. Isn't it good enough that things are peaceful and stable now?"
"It's true that the man came to assassinate Zhuozhuo, but you've already caught him and taught him a lesson. The Third Prince shouldn't do that again, right?"
"...I can't accept your risking your life for me."
She certainly didn't want to make a big fuss about this matter because of herself. She was there to find out the cause of her mother's death, and it was best to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Moreover, Jiang Ying is about to marry the Third Prince, and there are many complicated entanglements involved, so it's best not to get involved.
Qi Fan was slightly taken aback. The little girl's soft words seemed to soak his usually cold and hard heart in warm water, and then gently knead it with her soft little hands...
But he remained indifferent: "I have my own plans."
"……oh."
Upon hearing his cold words, Jiang Zhuoying knew that this matter was not for her sake.
She smoothed her hair behind her ear, pretending she hadn't said those words.
...
When the carriage stopped in front of Yuanbaolou, Qi Fan casually picked her up, and the carriage door was opened from the outside. Jiang Zhuoying casually glanced out—
The next moment, her eyes widened.
Jiang Zhuoying: "!!!"
"Whoa~" She bumped into Qi Fan's shoulder with unexpected speed.
She then buried her face in Qi Fan's shoulder.
"how?"
Qi Fan's voice carried a hint of doubt.
"My wound hurts..."
The man's expression hardened: "Why does it hurt again?"
"Ouch...it hurts!"
Jiang Zhuoying sobbed and cried out in pain.
The man frowned instantly, but continued walking without stopping, carrying her inside.
But before they could even step into the threshold of Yuanbao Tower, they were stopped by a girl who had rushed up in a panic.
The person who came was accompanied by two maids. Although they were in a hurry, they were still quite polite.
"Young master, please wait a moment."
It really was Jiang Ying; Jiang Zhuoying had spotted the carriage not far away at a glance.
She knew it very well and knew that the carriage belonged to the Duke of Rui's mansion.
Qi Fan naturally felt the stiffness of the body in his arms. His expression darkened, and he only glanced at Jiang Ying briefly, but his steps did not stop.
"Oh, young master?"
The maid beside her immediately stopped her: "Miss, you mustn't do anything that would damage your reputation, or Madam will be angry."
Jiang Ying's face was conflicted, but she finally made up her mind to brush away the maid's arm.
"No, I have to go and see for myself!"
However, she had only taken a few steps forward when she was stopped by Chu Yixin, who was coming from the opposite direction.
"I wonder what brings this young lady to our young master?"
Jiang Ying stood on tiptoe and peered inside, and could already see the man carrying the little girl upstairs.
She frowned and said, "I just felt that the girl in your young master's arms looked a lot like my sisters, so I wanted to take a closer look."
Chu Yixin was taken aback, then smiled and explained, "Then you've mistaken her for someone else. That girl has always been one of our household members."
After watching Qi Fan's figure disappear, Jiang Ying turned to look at Chu Yixin.
She frowned and confirmed, "My sister has been away from home for several years."
Chu Yixin had already subtly observed her, noticing the girl's attire, demeanor, and the several maids beside her.
Judging from her demeanor, she must be one of the most prestigious noble ladies in Luoyang.
As for Jiang, the maid in their household, her background had already been investigated and could not be faked.
Then he smiled and said, "Yes, that girl grew up in our household since she was a child!"
Jiang Ying opened her mouth, but faced with Chu Yixin's smiling face, she could only apologize awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, I made a mistake earlier."
Chu Yixin raised her lips and said, "It's alright, Miss, you don't need to be so polite."
...
Jiang Zhuoying was carried up to the third floor of Yuanbao Tower, to the same private room she had visited before.
The man kicked the door open, and the person inside turned around. Upon seeing this, their expression immediately changed from calm to mocking.
Today, Gu Yunci wore a frost-colored straight robe with gold-embroidered crane patterns, exuding elegance and refinement.
He raised an eyebrow slightly: "What's going on here...?"
Qi Fan glanced at him coldly: "You can leave now."
Gu Yunci: "?"
His smile deepened, and he walked from the window toward the door: "Alright, alright, it was my fault for bothering you."
Gu Yunci stepped out of the door, then closed it behind her, giving Qi Fan a look that was hard to decipher...
Jiang Zhuoying then slowly raised her head from her broad, strong shoulders.
Whew~
That was close.
If Jiang Ying recognizes her, then all her efforts will have been in vain.
"Who were you hiding from just now?" The voice above was as cold as ice.
Jiang Zhuoying's body, which had just relaxed, suddenly stiffened again.
He figured it out?
Or did you reveal some flaw?
Jiang Zhuoying was put down on a cold, hard armchair.
There were no other spacious and comfortable couches in this room for her to rest on.
Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a reason to get away with it.
The man put her down, placing his arms on either side of the chair back, encircling her in the center. The sweet and cool scent of sandalwood wafted towards them...
"Who are you hiding from?"
Jiang Zhuoying had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. She frowned and pitifully protested, "I wasn't avoiding anyone. My wound just suddenly started hurting terribly again..."
Qi Fan lowered his eyes to look at the little girl nestled in the armchair. She was petite and thin, her oval face was wrinkled up, and there was a faint glimmer of water in her eyes.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Yingbao: "What are your plans?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
