Chapter 5 Chapter 5 How could I be afraid of her!
Xie Zhi had been working in the Shen Ce Division since he was sixteen, and he had seen many tears. Regret, fear, resentment, but the tears of the girl before him were completely different from those of others.
Just like a lychee, once you peel off the hard shell, a drop of crystal clear juice rolls down on the translucent flesh.
The spring tide brought rain, and it seemed as if the tears, along with the drizzle, all stained the corners of his clothes.
There was no emotion in his voice. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Ling Zhu, send someone to help look for him."
Upon hearing this, Ling Zhu handed the green umbrella in his hand to the servant behind him and replied respectfully, "Yes."
However, his inner shock was far less than his outward calm. His Highness never wanted to meddle in other people's affairs, especially when the other party was a beautiful woman he had only met a few times.
He bowed again and asked, "Excuse me, young lady, what does the kitten look like?"
"Ah? Thank you very much, Your Highness..." When Nie Xiangyi saw Xie Zhi speak, her aggrieved face was stunned at first, and then some bright joy appeared in her eyes.
"Well...it's about this big..." she said while gesturing with her hands.
"Its eyes are blue, and its fur is snow-white, except for a tuft of black hair on the top of its head." As she spoke, she poked her head with her white fingertips.
"You can call it Xuemo or Mimi, and it will respond."
Ling Zhu understood and ordered the coachman who was waiting not far away to come over. He said to Xie Zhi, "It's raining and cold. Your Highness, why don't you get in the carriage and wait for a while."
The night wind lifted the two lanterns hanging in front of the carriage, causing them to sway in the dark blue night. Nie Xiangyi anxiously looked in the direction where Ling Zhu had left, but the silk umbrella held by the servant behind her could not withstand the slanting wind and drizzle.
"A-choo!" She covered her face with her handkerchief and sneezed softly.
A bony hand lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a distinct jawline. Xie Zhi's voice, somewhat helpless, came from inside, "Come up."
Nie Xiangyi's eyes brightened, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
The carriage was silent. Nie Xiangyi and Xie Zhi sat opposite each other, separated by a small mahogany table. Two cups of hot tea emitted wisps of smoke.
Xie Zhi held the scroll in his hand, not looking at her. The only sound in the carriage was the soft rustling of pages. The quiet atmosphere made Nie Xiangyi feel a little uneasy. She raised her eyes and glanced at Xie Zhi, then quickly looked away.
When she was in Shanzhou, Nie Xiangyi had imagined countless times the face of the Ghost-faced General under the dark mask. Now, when she took a closer look, she found that he was even more stunning than she had imagined.
The hand that once held the sword now simply gripped the scroll, gently turning the page. Even in such a simple action as reading, Xie Zhi remained so dignified and graceful.
"The tea is getting cold." Xie Zhi's cold voice suddenly sounded.
Nie Xiangyi was shocked to realize that she had been so mesmerized by Xie Zhi that her cheeks immediately flushed with heat. "Oh... okay..."
She didn't know what to say, so she just picked up the teacup to cover up her mistake.
The warm tea went down her throat, finally dispelling some of the chill from the rain and relaxing her spirits a bit. She lifted the curtains a little and quietly peeked out.
I don’t know if Lord Ling Zhu has found Xue Mo.
Xie Zhi frowned silently. Ever since she entered the carriage, the unique fragrance of gardenias, which seemed to be there and not there, quietly penetrated into his nose.
Now she opened the curtains, letting the night wind blow in, and the fragrance clung to him even more annoyingly. There was almost nowhere to hide in the cramped space of the carriage, and he was so disturbed that he subconsciously chased after the clear and rich aroma.
The book in his hand had not been turned a single page.
He sat a little further away from Nie Xiangyi and said coldly, "Put down the curtain."
"Oh..." Nie Xiangyi noticed that his voice had suddenly turned cold for some reason, and she pursed her lips and retracted her hand.
The atmosphere was so quiet that it seemed frozen, and Nie Xiangyi felt a little tormented.
He was indeed as the rumors said, cold as the moon and as icy as snow.
She wanted to break the awkward atmosphere, so she looked up at him and asked softly, "What book are you reading, Your Highness?"
Her voice was still nasal, cautious, light and soft, like the tentative meow of a kitten when it meets a stranger, making Xie Zhi feel as if his heart was also scratched by a claw, and it was itchy.
He didn't like this strange feeling.
He held the scroll in his hand without even raising his head, and said in a cold voice, "Of course it's a book you can't understand."
Nie Xiangyi immediately lost his temper, his mouth pouting so much that a gourd could be hung on it. He grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Stop looking down on me..."
But she really doesn't like reading books, except for storybooks.
This seemed to be inherited from her maternal grandfather, who had fought in battles for many years and was unruly and unruly, not a man who studied the classics.
When she was in Shanzhou, her grandfather found a teacher to teach her, but unfortunately the teacher was too engrossed in the nonsense and she was drowsy.
She had even made a fool of herself at the welcoming banquet she had just returned to the capital. Nie Yuanwei and the other noble ladies had suggested playing the game of flying flowers, and everyone present spoke fluently, except for her, who stammered and couldn't say anything for a long time.
From then on, everyone in the capital knew that Nie Xiangyi, the eldest daughter of the Yongyi Marquisate, was an uneducated person.
She pouted angrily, snorted softly, and decided not to talk to Xie Zhi for the time being.
Xie Zhi seemed to raise his lips slightly, then quickly pursed them as if it were an illusion.
Nie Xiangyi was bored in the carriage. She rubbed the corner of her clothes in boredom, hoping that Ling Zhu would come back soon.
After an unknown amount of time, Ling Zhu's voice finally echoed from outside the carriage, "Your Highness."
Nie Xiangyi's eyes lit up instantly. She lifted the curtain and leaned half of her body out, looking at him in surprise, "Master Ling Zhu! You're back!"
Ling Zhu was startled.
He came back to report, but didn't see Miss Nie. He thought she had gone home first, but when he drew back the curtain, he saw the girl looking at him with a smile, her eyes particularly bright under the light.
This is nothing short of a ghost.
When did His Highness allow other women to ride in his carriage?
"Lord Ling Zhu, have you found Xue Mo?" Her eyes were full of hope, as if even the words of refusal were too painful to say.
Ling Zhu hurriedly bowed and replied in a serious tone, "No. I've searched every street and alley near the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion."
Those bright eyes dimmed in an instant.
"Is that so..." She seemed to be forcing herself to cheer up, "Thank you, General Lingzhu, I'll look for it myself."
After saying that, he turned and looked at Xie Zhi, "Thank you for your help today, Your Highness. When I find Xue Mo, I will bring it with me to thank Your Highness again."
Although she said this with a smile, her eyes were filled with disappointment that was almost overflowing.
Xie Zhi watched her get off the carriage.
"Miss Nie." Ling Zhu noticed that His Highness treated her differently, so she called out to her, "If you really can't find it, Miss, you can put some of Xue Mo's usual rattan balls and cloth strips in the street corners. They have familiar scents, and perhaps it will come back on its own."
These words seemed to give Nie Xiangyi a glimmer of hope. She smiled softly with her eyes curved, her voice filled with joy, "Thank you, Master Ling Zhu!"
Seeing her gradually disappearing into the night, Ling Zhu returned to the carriage and waited, but he always felt as if there was a heavy gaze coming from nowhere, staring at him, making him feel uncomfortable.
Xie Zhi put down the scroll in his hand. Even though Nie Xiangyi had left, the fragrance that belonged to her still lingered for a long time, disturbing his heart.
He frowned, "Ling Zhu."
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Replace all the items in the carriage after returning home."
Ling Zhu nodded in agreement, expressionless, but internally he was extremely puzzled. The furnishings in the carriage were regularly replaced, so why had His Highness ever personally addressed such a trivial matter?
How strange.
Perhaps it was the rain that had fallen on her that night, but Nie Xiangyi had a fever the moment she returned home. Her head was dizzy and she still harbored resentment towards Jiang Yun'e for what she had done.
So he sent his servants to search for Xue Mo according to Ling Zhu's method, and called Han Xu over. He ordered in a hoarse voice, "Go find Yang Qiu and ask him to find something..."
If she doesn't vent this anger, she is not Nie Xiangyi!
But within a day, Nie Xiangyi's fever subsided, but she still felt a little weak.
She sniffed, her nose buzzing. She was just about to find Hanxu to ask her how the task she had instructed her to do was going, when she came in with red eyes and a wet cloth in her arms.
"What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly.
Hanxu sobbed, "Girl...Xuemo..."
Nie Xiangyi understood from her tears in an instant.
Inside the cloth, Xue Mo was already lifeless. The kitten's body was curled up in the cloth, its once pink nose pale and cold.
The conspicuous tuft of black hair on its forehead was scattered in a disorderly manner, the soft hair had lost its luster, and its whole body seemed to have been soaked in water, sticking to its stiff body.
It would never open its blue eyes again and meow affectionately at her.
"It was found near the corner gate. It was obvious that he was thrown there after drowning!" Han Xu accused with red eyes.
Nie Xiangyi clenched his fists, nearly gnashing his teeth. Xue Mo was very afraid of water, and if someone hadn't pushed it into the water, it would never have reached this point.
The immense anger and heartache nearly overwhelmed her, as if her heart was being hammered. Her eyes were red, and she was breathing heavily, wishing she could cut Jiang Yun'e into pieces.
Her eyes fell on a dagger placed on a nearby antique shelf. The dagger was exquisite and sharp. It was a birthday gift from her cousin, but it was just something she enjoyed for fun.
She was furious. She took two or three steps forward and pulled out a dagger with a clang.
A cold light flashed across the room. Her gaze was as sharp as the blade, and she walked out of the yard in anger.
Han Xu was frightened by her action and hurried forward to hold her back, "Girl, don't do that!"
Nie Xiangyi was furious and extremely strong, so Hanxu couldn't hold her back for a moment. She could only try to slow her down while hurriedly persuading her:
"I know that the young lady is sad and angry about Xue Mo, but Jiang is her stepmother after all. With the pressure of filial piety on her shoulders, I'm afraid even the old general won't be able to protect her!"
Nie Xiangyi said angrily: "How could I be afraid of her?"
Seeing that she still refused to stop, Hanxu quickly changed her tone and tried to persuade her, "Young lady, if you attack Jiang today, others will say that the old general is not good at teaching you! The emperor values filial piety and brotherly love. If word gets out, even the old general will be punished!"
Nie Xiangyi suddenly stopped.
Hanxu saw that her persuasion was effective, so she continued, "I know that the young lady has been wronged. When the old general arrives in the capital next year, I can ask him to make the decision for her, and that will be legitimate!"
Nie Xiangyi took a deep breath, the cold wind choking her chest and causing her chest to ache. She clenched the dagger in her hand, turned around abruptly, and walked back step by step.
The gemstones inlaid on the dagger hurt his palm, and bean-sized tears fell one by one on the bluestone floor. "I am so useless!"
"Young lady, there's no need to blame yourself." Han Xu took out a piece of silk and squatted in front of her. She looked up and carefully wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Yang Qiu and I have done everything you asked me to do."
She gave Nie Xiangyi a faint smile. "Even if I can't do anything to Jiang today, it shouldn't be difficult to teach her a lesson. We just passed the Waking of Insects, so those things are active now."
Nie Xiangyi gritted his teeth and said, "Then let them in tonight! It's my way of returning the favor!"
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