Chapter 14 Then she won't do it either.
Wangyoujun helped Liu Jiao, who was so tired that she fell asleep on a chair, back to her bedroom.
The flickering oil lamp shone down on the screen wall, and Wangyoujun tiptoed and closed the door.
Turning her head, she met Sang Jiqing's cold gaze.
Sang Ji was leaning against the door frame of the corridor door, his figure tall and slender, holding a sword in his arms, staring motionlessly at Liu Jiao's door.
Startled by that chilling gaze, Wangyoujun took two steps back and instinctively explained:
"Haha, little brother Sang, don't misunderstand. She and I are relatives, there's no love between us."
Upon hearing this, Sang Ji glanced at him impatiently.
"Don't explain to me. Stop thinking about romance. I'm here to talk business."
After he finished speaking, I realized he had already turned and left.
Huh? Oh.
Forget-Worry-Jun tapped his head in frustration.
Indeed, why would this young master Sang pay attention to Liu Jiao? The two are worlds apart, completely unrelated, and he could never possibly be interested in his own Jiao Jiao.
He was wrong.
After meeting Sang Ji just now, Wangyoujun discovered that there was no romantic love in his eyes for Liu Jiao, at most only the concern between friends.
It seems that it's just one-sided love on Jiaojiao's part.
Wangyoujun shook his head and sighed, then quickly followed.
The back mountain, a dark and windy night.
"We've finally found you and the princess. I guessed you were here trying to win over the gentry of Jiangnan, but you didn't expect to be living in a humble village."
Forget-Worry Guy is dodging the mosquitoes in the mountains.
Sang Ji didn't reply, her cold eyes fixed on him with a probing, sharp, and dangerous glint.
“You are her maternal uncle, but I remember you said you only had one older sister who married into a noble family in Jiangnan. That sister was a noblewoman, not a village woman.”
"Liu Jiao's identity is not simple."
"explain."
Forget-Worry Lord's brow twitched, his fist clenched slightly, but his expression remained calm, feigning a lighthearted banter:
"Actually, I have three older sisters. Liu Jiao's mother is my second sister, but her treatment is almost the same as being expelled from the party. My family doesn't allow me to mention her identity."
"Oh dear! You have no idea how miserable my second sister is. She insisted on marrying a man that the family didn't want her to marry, which made the whole family hate her. Only I, her younger brother, still care about her and we still keep in touch."
As he spoke, he absentmindedly used an expensive folding fan to swat mosquitoes.
Sang Ji pondered, still harboring doubts:
"Then why do I observe that their food, clothing, and daily necessities are quite extravagant?"
“Oh, that’s my second sister’s huge dowry!” Wangyoujun replied.
Sang Ji stared intently at Wangyou Jun's unreliable face, not missing a single expression.
Finally, he looked away.
I've decided to believe this explanation for now.
Wangyoujun wanted to touch his nose, but he pulled his hand back halfway.
Actually, what he said wasn't wrong!
That's all the truth.
Then why is he touching his nose?
"Let's not talk about Jiaojiao for now, her matter is minor. What matters is your life and your family's!"
Taking advantage of Sang Ji's relaxed state, Wang Youjun quickly interrupted.
"The world is vast, but life is paramount. I've already found Grass Village, so I suppose the Crown Prince won't be far behind."
"I believe you can definitely win over the gentry of Jiangnan. But your act of eloping with the princess is a heinous crime. How are you going to explain that?"
When this is mentioned, even the usually carefree and flamboyant Wangyoujun stopped fanning himself with his fancy folding fan.
He asked Sang Ji urgently if he had any solutions.
In contrast to Wangyoujun's impatience, Sangji was extremely calm:
"Being discovered was inevitable. If you want the rewards of risk, you have to bear the consequences. I have no complaints or fears; the worst that can happen is that I die."
Sang Ji is incredibly intelligent, almost demonic, and more familiar with his environment than Wang You Jun.
He naturally knew that although the people of Caocun were isolated, they were not completely secluded and would surely be able to discover the bounty notice in Yangzhou.
He can silence people for a while and block their way for a while.
There may be no mistakes, but there will definitely be accidents.
He considered whether he needed to live under an assumed name.
But he ultimately chose to reveal his identity directly to the villagers.
This is part of Sang Ji's plan; otherwise, he wouldn't have appeared in Cao Village so conspicuously.
He needs the people of Grass Village to prove that there is nothing between him and the princess.
With the support of the gentry in Jiangnan, and with a clear objective for coming to Jiangnan, the princess's reputation can be cleared.
After Forget-Worry Lord left, he summoned his shadow guards:
“From today onwards, you will infiltrate the side of the Gu family patriarch, who has been a devout Buddhist for many years, and use every means to get him to go to the temple in the city.”
We need to put some pressure on the head of the Gu family.
We need to get him to show himself.
If his father goes, he will worry about his father's already frail health and go with him, which will give them an opportunity to talk.
He contacted the Shadow Guards; there were five in total, but only one remained.
Because Sang Ji discovered that the others were all spies planted by the Crown Prince around Xin Yuehu, loyal to the Crown Prince but neglecting their duties, this Shadow Guard was arranged by Sang Ji to be by Xin Yuehu's side, and could be used.
Although he was afraid of being discovered by the Crown Prince and being unable to show his face, he could send his shadow guards to brainwash the father of the Gu family head to the temple, forcing the Gu family head to appear.
Sang Ji is absolutely capable; he can strike up a conversation and win over the head of the Gu family as soon as he sees him.
*
Liu Jiao was confused because of loneliness.
He became very strange.
He ignored her from that Dragon Boat Festival.
For example, as usual, Liu Jiao went to Sang Ji's study to find him, patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and happily invited him to watch the cockfighting at the lotus market:
He slightly turned away, as indifferent as before.
Sang Ji's brushstrokes remained steady and unwavering.
His tone was detached, and his words were brief, saying only:
"I have something to do."
Liu Jiao was taken aback for a moment, but quickly smiled and said, "It's okay, going this afternoon is fine too!"
Sang Ji: "It's also available in the afternoon."
Liu Jiao continued, "That night..."
Sang Ji quickly interrupted her rambling:
"I'm busy today, don't bother me, I'm very busy."
Liu Jiao's smile froze on her face.
After a long pause, Liu Jiao feigned nonchalance and said, "Oh...it's nothing, I'm fine! Sang Ji, you just go about your business!"
She suppressed her sadness, afraid of disturbing him, and tiptoed to the study door, gently closing the wooden door behind her.
He's busy, so don't bother him.
Throughout the entire process, Sang Ji never raised his head.
Liu Jiao went to the lotus market all by herself because she had to deliver chickens to her friend Ahuang.
She was very familiar with Ah Huang, the small business owner of the cockfighting stall at the market.
The reason why Ahuang became friends with her was because Ahuang would buy chickens from her family, and they gradually became acquainted.
He was a very kind person his age, and he would say that she was pretty, not ugly, and he wouldn't call her a barbarian.
Sometimes they would compliment her bangs, saying that they were thick, black, and nice!
"Jiaojiao, you look even more beautiful!"
A sixteen-year-old boy, dressed in a jacket and straw sandals, was sorting through the prizes from a cockfighting contest: lotus roots, lotus sachets, lotus cloth bags, a whole basket of fresh lotus flowers, lotus hairpins, and more. He was thin, but quick and agile, handling everything with ease.
"Really?!" Liu Jiao was flattered, and the frustration of Sang Ji being too busy to accompany her was mostly swept away. She asked cheerfully.
"Yes!" Ahuang praised, pointing to her braids, "These pigtails have become more intricate and beautiful!"
She thought nobody was paying attention!
She braided her hair and showed it to her mother, who said she was being pretentious. Her father, who happened to pass by, said she was vain.
Although Liu Jiao knew that A Huang was just being polite, she still gave him the strongest chick she had picked out earlier.
Worried that Ah Huangxia might not eat after standing for so long, he carried a bag of homemade donkey rolls in his left hand.
Ah Huang said he wanted to eat it last time, but because it's a northern pastry, it's not easy to buy.
Liu Jiao happened to know how, so she made it whenever she had free time.
If others cherish her in their hearts, she will naturally cherish him in hers as well.
Although Liu Jiao is vindictive, she has always been empathetic.
"Ah Huang, thank you for praising my looks. I'm very happy. This is what I made..." She was halfway through her sentence when she noticed that Ah Huang, who was usually so energetic, had become distracted.
His attention was drawn to Liu Jiao's back.
She stood frozen halfway, carrying the donkey roll and the chick she was going to give to Ahuang, neither going up nor down.
What is Ah Huang looking at?
Liu Jiao also looked in that direction—
A young girl wearing a straw hat adorned with hibiscus flowers was standing at a jewelry stall opposite the cockfighting stand.
Slightly behind and to the side, a young man in black with an ethereal air stood out.
The young girl adorned the young boy's hair with flowers, comparing whose beauty suited her better. As she chatted and laughed, her face inadvertently revealed itself beneath her bamboo hat—
It's like snow piled on flowering trees, soft and delicate like jade.
It was so beautiful that it took your breath away.
She is a princess, Crescent Fox.
The person beside her—
It means that Sang Ji is too busy to come to the lotus market.
Liu Jiao was stunned.
Just as Sang Ji turned around sharply, Liu Jiao thought he had discovered her. Her brain didn't have time to think. Almost instantly, she grabbed the chick and the donkey roll and hid under the green cloth umbrella of the stall, panting heavily.
The large blue cloth umbrella completely concealed her ordinary and rustic appearance.
Sang Ji did not notice her.
Or rather, there's no need to pay attention.
The two of them walked over, and Liu Jiao overheard their conversation.
"You can watch cockfighting, I didn't refuse, don't be angry." His voice was gentle, but upon closer listening, there was a subtle unease and urgency.
"But be careful not to get close to the chickens, they will hurt you, they will peck you." His voice was serious, but concerned.
The attitude towards Liu Jiao was much better than that towards Liu Jiao.
It turns out that the princess didn't turn around because she noticed her; she simply wanted to watch cockfighting.
Liu Jiao pulled her hands back and hugged the chick in her arms even tighter.
Ah Huang was stunned.
When facing Crescent Fox, he stumbled and hesitated, losing his usual sharpness and cunning.
I could only say "You are so beautiful," and couldn't say anything else.
But in practice, he directly took the biggest prize of the day—the lotus hairpin—wrapped it in a small cloth, and carefully gave it to Crescent Fox.
Crescent Fox simply nodded slightly, letting Sang Ji carry it as usual, and Sang Ji naturally took it.
The two left.
Liu Jiao returned to her stall.
She felt her steps were light, but her body was heavy, and she felt dizzy and unsteady.
But Liu Jiao still tried to force a friendly smile, not wanting Ahuang to see her dejection.
She handed the donkey roll and the carefully selected chicks to Ahuang, who then turned his gaze away from the crescent fox.
However, I still didn't see Liu Jiao.
"This chicken is quite plump, not bad." He was carefully examining the chick.
Then, he quickly glanced at the pile of rewards displayed on the stall behind him, bypassing the jade hairpins, sachets... and finally rummaged through the large bucket of lotus flowers for a while, finding a lotus flower that had overbloomed and was already a bit wilted, and handed it to Liu Jiao:
"Here you go, my lovely girl!"
You're welcome!
Liu Jiao looked at the lotus flowers, which looked as if they had been withered by frost.
For some reason, I thought of the lotus-shaped jade hairpin that Ah Huang gave to the princess.
There shouldn't be any comparisons...
For some reason, she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
She had never cared about her appearance before.
But today, she couldn't do what her parents had told her:
Don't be vain, don't care about your appearance.
"You even gave me a donkey roll! Wow! It must be because of your kindness that you look even prettier than yesterday!"
Ah Huang rolled over and found the donkey roll, exclaiming in delight.
"Thank you!" Ah Huang said sincerely.
"It's not for you!"
Liu Jiao snatched the donkey roll back and ran away.
"I'm leaving."
She moved swiftly through the alleyways, her long braid plastered on her face, large tears falling from her eyes.
He raised his arm and casually wiped his face, trying to dry it.
She thought she must look even uglier now.
It turns out he wasn't busy, he just didn't want to talk to her.
Turns out they weren't good friends; he was just saying sweet things to get her chicken.
Then she quit.
Can't you just say it directly?
Her trembling voice drifted from afar:
"I'm a little tired too."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
