Chapter 26
Before Jiang Yunshu could turn around, Ling Jingchu had already seen her clearly.
She felt frustrated and panicked. In her heart, Ling Jingchu had always been the same as Jiang Yunzheng, both of them were older brothers who grew up together.
But the scene from just now kept flashing before her eyes: the fluttering of her clothes, her fair skin, her firm curves...
"...Jiang Yunshu"
The sounds carried on the night wind seemed to carry a hint of sorrow and discontent.
She forced a smile and said, "It's so dark in this yard, I haven't seen anyone..."
He turned his head toward the pavilion, feigning surprise, and exclaimed, "Oh my, Ling Jingchu, you're here!"
"Keep these sachets safe. We don't know what the situation is like outside, so it's always good to be on the safe side."
After saying that, she raised the sachets in her hand, casually placed them on the railing under the corridor, and turned to leave in a hurry.
"Ayao is still waiting for me, I'm going back now!"
Her hurried steps made it seem as if a tiger was chasing her, and she disappeared in a flash.
Then they heard rustling sounds from not far away from Qing Shuang and Su Ye.
The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
Ling Jingchu's long eyelashes drooped slightly, and her eyes held a strange smile in the dead of night.
The hand with distinct finger bones casually placed the book on the table; the page seemed to have some classical Chinese characters written on it.
She slightly raised her eyes and gazed intently in the direction where Jiang Yunshu had just stood.
A barely perceptible smile curved her lips as she slowly and methodically tied the belt around her waist.
When Su Ye stepped forward, Ling Jingchu was already fully dressed, and his face had returned to its usual cold expression.
"Young master, you should rest early. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Ling Jingchu looked up at the horizon. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the night sky was very clear, with not a single star in sight.
"Let's go."
The moon is so beautiful tonight.
Su Ye handed over the sachet, her voice clear and melodious: "Miss Jiang is so kind, she even prepared a sachet for this servant!"
"I've heard about You County..."
Ling Jingchu's eyes narrowed, and he coldly turned his gaze to Su Ye, who was holding two sachets in her hands.
They look exactly the same.
The scent of the sachet wafted towards his nose, a gentle medicinal fragrance.
The smell was so overpowering that it inexplicably made him angry.
With just a little reflection, he understood the ins and outs of the matter.
Watching Su Ye tirelessly talking, an inexplicable irritation welled up inside him, almost unbearable.
He took the sachet and held it in his palm.
Jiang Yunshu, now that you've seen my body, you have to take responsibility for me.
What does it matter if you put your heart into it or not?
He wanted her eyes to see only him.
He got up and strode back to his bedroom, leaving Su Ye standing behind him in a daze.
We were analyzing the refugees outside, why did you leave so suddenly, young master?
Well, it's good to get some rest early.
He yawned; he was really sleepy.
He was dozing off on the porch, while the people inside the house had been up all night.
Ling Jingchu placed the sachet beside his pillow, and would pick it up and examine it from time to time.
Upon closer inspection, one can feel the roughness and perfunctory nature of the stitching, which appears crooked and uneven.
He chuckled. Jiang Yunshu was truly the same as before, her needlework showing no improvement whatsoever over the past ten years.
Back then, Uncle Jiang found her a female tutor, and she once embroidered a picture of mandarin ducks playing in the water for Aunt Ruan.
It's the same way—the pattern is indistinguishable, and the stitching is rough.
Thinking of that person's furrowed brows and worried face, he rubbed his fingertips together, as if every needle and thread had once pricked his fingertips.
A fine, slight pain, yet with an indescribable, blissful sensation deep within.
The person he was thinking of naturally couldn't sleep all night either.
Ayao was unusually obedient; after taking the medicine, she didn't wake up all night, sleeping quietly with light and steady breathing.
But Jiang Yunshu couldn't calm herself down.
The scene kept replaying in her mind, and even the cool night breeze seemed to blow into her room.
She was no longer an unmarried girl, but precisely because of this, she found it even more difficult to accept.
That's Ling Jingchu!
She had always regarded him as her own brother since childhood. Seeing this scene, she could pretend nothing had happened, but Ling Jingchu was not yet married. Would he think she did it on purpose?
She couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried, and just as she was about to turn over, Ah Yao's head found a better spot in the crook of her shoulder and fell into a sweet sleep.
She sighed softly, "Never mind, I'll talk to Ling Jingchu about it tomorrow."
Then she realized that she couldn't be blamed for it. It was Ling Jingchu's fault for not dressing properly, and besides, it was so dark that she couldn't see clearly.
She, a woman, didn't say anything, so what could Ling Jingchu possibly say?
Thinking this way made her feel much better, and she fell asleep peacefully.
But she still couldn't explain things to Ling Jingchu, because the Third Prince came to her door the next day.
The third prince arrived and immediately brought up his uncle's affairs.
Jiang Jinhong changed the subject and did not agree.
“Master Jiang is a reasonable man. I am not deliberately trying to make things difficult for your Jiang family. It’s just that this thing is just an ornament for the Jiang family, but for me, it is something that can save my life.”
"I know that money is not enough to sway Master Jiang's heart. The reason I came here is to bring some rare items."
As soon as Mo Yanzhou finished speaking, the person behind him took out an exquisite little box, and inside was a golden pearl.
I've heard that these golden beads are extremely rare, found only in the South China Sea, and produced in limited quantities, making them practically priceless.
Jiang Jinhong felt a pang of desire when he saw Jinzhu, but he quickly calmed down.
The Third Prince's maternal uncle was a notorious playboy who committed all sorts of evil deeds in the capital. When he came to Jiangnan before the New Year, he abducted three or four women from official families.
Later I heard that the two of them died on the road; that man didn't treat people like human beings at all.
He himself has a daughter, so naturally he feels extreme disgust for this kind of person.
"Third Prince, it's not that I'm unwilling to give it, it's just that..." Jiang Jinhong sighed and remained silent for a long time.
Mo Yanzhou asked him coldly, and Jiang Jinhong slowly replied, "When the Soul-Hooking Grass was brought back back then, my wife invited a folk master to examine it. He said that the Soul-Hooking Grass came to our home for my daughter's sake, and that my daughter would surely face a calamity in the future, which would require the Soul-Hooking Grass to save her."
"How could Master Jiang so readily believe a mere charlatan?"
Mo Yanzhou's eyes were indifferent, and his voice was cold.
"It's really a matter concerning my daughter, we have no choice but to believe it."
Mo Yanzhou glanced at Jiang Jinhong sideways, the wrinkles on his forehead making his gaze seem sincere.
After a long silence, Mo Yanzhou chuckled softly, his chin lowered: "The hearts of parents are all the same; it is I who am forcing you to do something you cannot do."
After saying this, Mo Yanzhou got up and left.
When Jiang Yunshu arrived, Mo Yanzhou had already left the courtyard.
Jiang Jinhong smiled at her: "It's nothing, why did you come over in such a hurry, Ayun?"
"How have you been lately, A-Yao?"
She nodded: "Ayao is feeling better now."
"Father, did the Third Prince come to ask for the Soul-Snatching Grass?"
Jiang Jinhong recounted the events, her expression becoming even more serious. How could someone like Mo Yanzhou possibly give up?
He will get what he wants, even if it means killing everyone in the world.
If, for the sake of the Soul-Hooking Grass, Mo Yanzhou were to act impulsively and devise a plan to destroy the Jiang family, it would be an even greater loss than gain.
"Father, we..."
Before he could finish speaking, another group of people arrived from outside.
"Prefect Xu?"
Jiang Jinhong and she turned their heads to look, and the people outside were loudly calling out for Prefect Xu.
She had no choice but to suppress her thoughts and stand aside to bow to Prefect Xu.
"Oh dear, Jin Hong, Jiangzhou is in grave danger!"
Prefect Xu's eyes were full of wrinkles from worry, and he pulled Jiang Jinhong, who was kneeling on the ground, up.
"Jin Hong, I know you are the kindest and most compassionate person, and you can't bear to see people suffer. Only you can save Jiangzhou now!"
"Jin Hong, although Jiangzhou is in my hands, the lives of the people of Jiangzhou are now in your hands!"
Jiang Jinhong waved his hand, not daring to speak easily, while Prefect Xu shook his head repeatedly and sighed.
"You know those people in the city, right? After the flood in Nanhua County, the people contracted the plague, and many people in You County have already died because of it."
He looked at Jiang Jinhong eagerly: "Jinhong, I know you are the most benevolent. Although you are a merchant, you are always the first to give alms when Jiangzhou is in trouble."
"Jin Hong, we can only rely on you this time!"
Jiang Jinhong hurriedly said, "As long as my Jiang family can help, please tell me, Prefect. Why go to such lengths?"
Seeing his hesitation, Prefect Xu took a sip of tea and then said, "Yesterday, a sorcerer came to the city. He said that this disaster is caused by natural causes and only the Jiang family's Soul-Hooking Grass can solve the problem for Jiangzhou."
Another soul-snatching herb?
Jiang Yunshu couldn't help but glance at Prefect Xu.
She still had some doubts; could this be a scheme by the Third Prince to smooth things over?
Jiang Jinhong readily agreed: "Sure, I'll have someone fetch it and deliver it right away. As long as it helps everyone, it's nothing."
"The Soul-Snatching Grass is ultimately just an inanimate object."
She felt a vague sense of unease; who knew what Mo Yanzhou would do if he found out?
But her father didn't seem worried at all, so she could only sigh silently.
After returning to her room, she discovered that Qing Shuang was not there, and she couldn't even see Manman.
Although she personally took care of Ayao these past two days, Manman stayed outside all the time.
Where are the people inside the house?
Thinking back to her conversation with Baili Chuan yesterday, she wondered if this person had deceived Qing Shuang and the others.
She couldn't help but shudder. Mo Yanzhou only knew this trick. If he couldn't get anything from her, he would turn around and attack a helpless child!
The thought that this person had dared to claim to be in love with A-Yao in her past life made her tremble with anger.
Love?
Rather, he was moved by A Yao's innocence and naivety; how could he possibly fall in love with her?
He will only prevent A Yao from being with her lover, and he will only cause A Yao's family to be destroyed!
How can someone like that be worthy of sitting in that position!
She clenched her fists, and just as she was about to go to Bailichuan's courtyard, Su Ye appeared beside her.
"Miss Jiang... Miss Jiang...?"
It took countless shouts before Jiang Yunshu finally snapped out of her daze.
"Miss Jiang, what's wrong?"
She shook her head, but the intense hatred in her eyes had not yet dissipated, which startled Su Ye.
"Miss Jiang..."
"Young Master said that A Yao hasn't moved for quite some time, so he took her to Tingyu Pavilion. She was fine before, but something's not right now. Qing Shuang asked me to come and tell you..."
Her burning anger seemed somewhat empty at that moment.
Su Ye led her all the way to Tingyu Pavilion. Neither of them spoke. Su Ye felt that Miss Jiang was acting strangely today. She seemed reluctant to talk and even seemed a little resentful, so he didn't want to make a scene.
But she was also worried about what was happening over there, so she hurried along. Fortunately, Jiang Yunshu was also preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn't notice this.
As soon as I arrived at Tingyu Pavilion, I saw Manman.
"Miss, you've finally arrived! Ah Yao, she..."
Manman hurriedly led her to the backyard. She was infected by Manman's emotions and felt inexplicably flustered.
When she arrived at the backyard, she first saw Qing Shuang standing to the side, looking flustered and helpless, reaching out her hand but not knowing what to do.
Then they saw A Yao clinging to Ling Jingchu.
She took a light breath, or rather... Ayao, who was tearing at Ling Jingchu's clothes.
Ling Jingchu's collar had been torn open by A Yao, and even the bloodstains on his chest could be seen.
"Ah Yao!"
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