Chapter 29 Will she go?
As Xiaoju spoke, she couldn't help but secretly glance up, carefully observing the expressions of her two masters, especially the aloof and highly skilled Miss Li.
Tang Xiaoning's smile vanished completely, replaced by displeasure at being offended.
She almost immediately turned her head to look at Li Minghua beside her, her brows furrowed.
The gentleness on Li Minghua's face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual coldness, with only a barely perceptible furrow of his brow.
Her gaze calmly fell on Xiaoju, bringing an invisible pressure.
"Didn't she go home? What message did she send?" Tang Xiaoning's tone was clearly impatient and wary, and her voice rose slightly.
Xiaoju felt the oppressive atmosphere and sweat began to bead on her forehead. She forced herself to speak quickly and forcefully:
"Miss Liu said... her elderly mother's condition was recurring and she urgently needed 'blood dragon' as medicine."
She...she was desperate, utterly helpless, and only then...only then did she remember that Miss Li was highly skilled in martial arts, and perhaps...perhaps she had a way to find this rare medicinal herb...
She dared not ask for anything else, only hoping that Miss Li would remember their past kindness and lend a helping hand.
She...she will repay her kindness by being reborn as a cow or a horse in her next life..."
As she spoke, Xiaoju's voice grew softer and softer, and she lowered her head even further, as if afraid that the anger of her two masters would affect her.
"Enough!" Tang Xiaoning interrupted her angrily, her chest heaving violently. "Is she ever going to stop?! 'Blood Exhaustion'?"
I've never even heard of it! Who knows if it's true or not?
This is clearly another attempt to cling to their position! Playing the victim to gain sympathy!
As she spoke, she grew increasingly angry. Almost instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the corner of Li Minghua's sleeve, trying to keep her firmly by her side. Her tone carried a hint of tension and urgency that she herself was not fully aware of.
"Minghua, don't believe her! She's definitely lying! She's just taking advantage of your kindness!" She looked up at Li Minghua, her gaze intense, filled with a strong desire to stop her.
Li Minghua felt a slight tug at his sleeve and looked down at Tang Xiaoning's hand, which was tightly gripping his sleeve.
She didn't immediately break free, nor did she immediately answer Tang Xiaoning. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Xiaoju and asked in a low but clear voice, "Where is the messenger?"
Her calmness was like a block of ice, temporarily suppressing Tang Xiaoning's surging jealousy and anger, and also allowing Xiaoju to breathe a sigh of relief. However, Tang Xiaoning tightened his grip on her sleeve even more.
"She's already gone. They said Miss Liu is waiting for news outside the 'Jishetang' pharmacy in the west of the city..."
Xiaoju quickly answered, secretly glancing at Li Minghua's cold expression and the young lady's hands on Li Minghua's sleeve, which clearly exuded a possessive meaning.
Li Minghua was silent for a moment, then felt the pressure on her sleeve. She turned to face Tang Xiaoning.
She gently covered Tang Xiaoning's hand, which was tightly gripping her sleeve, with her other hand, patting it lightly twice with her fingertips in a soothing manner. Then, looking into Tang Xiaoning's eyes, she explained clearly:
"'Blood Dragon' is indeed a rare medicinal herb that invigorates blood and relieves pain. It is produced in the malaria-ridden southwestern region and is difficult to find in ordinary pharmacies."
Tang Xiaoning's heart sank to the bottom. The warmth from the gentle pats on the back of her hand was instantly overwhelmed by an even greater panic.
"You...you really want to get involved? She's clearly..."
Her voice was filled with disbelief, grievance, and unease.
"Whether it's true or not, we need to confirm it with our own eyes." Li Minghua's tone was steady and powerful, and his eyes were clear and firm as he looked at Tang Xiaoning, as if he wanted to convey this calmness to her.
"If her mother truly needs this medicine to save her life, it would be unrighteous to stand by and watch her die." Her hand did not move away from Tang Xiaoning's hand; that steady touch was her silent promise.
Focus on the matter at hand, not the person.
"But she was so persistent with you before..." Tang Xiaoning became anxious, her eyes reddening. Li Minghua's chivalrous heart had become her biggest worry at this moment.
“One thing at a time.” Li Minghua softened his voice, looking intently at Tang Xiaoning as he patiently explained.
"Her previous entanglement was wrong, but if it is true that her mother is seriously ill now, that is another matter."
I cannot let past events blind me to the potential dangers before me.
She gently pressed her fingertips on the back of Tang Xiaoning's hand again, with obvious comforting intent.
Tang Xiaoning opened her mouth, but looking into Li Minghua's open yet stubborn eyes, all her words of rebuttal stuck in her throat.
She knew Li Minghua was right; this was the Li heroine she knew, with her own code of conduct.
But the bitterness, worry, and fear of loss in my heart still entangled me like vines, tightening more and more.
She could even feel the sympathetic gaze from Xiaoju, who was standing to the side, ears perked up and barely daring to breathe.
“Then… I’ll go with you!” she said immediately, her tone leaving no room for argument.
She couldn't let Li Minghua face Liu Yiyi alone; who knew what tricks that woman would use next?
Li Minghua slowly shook his head, and then slightly tightened his grip on Tang Xiaoning's hand, causing Tang Xiaoning to loosen her grip on her sleeve.
"The western part of the city is a mixed bag; you should not go there."
I'll go alone faster. After assessing the situation, I'll provide assistance if needed.
She paused, looking at Tang Xiaoning's worried eyes, her heart softened, and she lowered her voice even further, adding, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and, with an extremely natural motion, used her fingertip to wipe away a speck of fine dust that had somehow gotten on Tang Xiaoning's nose.
This intimate gesture was so quick that it was almost an illusion, but it made Tang Xiaoning pause slightly, and Xiao Ju next to her opened her mouth in surprise.
After saying that, she didn't delay any longer and said to Xiaoju, "Lead the way to Jishetang."
She then turned around and walked out with swift steps, her blue robes drawing a clean arc in the autumn wind.
Tang Xiaoning was left alone in the courtyard, her hands still holding the soft fabric from Li Minghua's cuffs.
But looking at Li Minghua's slender back, which he walked away without hesitation, the panic and loss that had just been briefly soothed instantly surged up again, leaving him feeling empty and heavy inside.
The chilling feeling shrouded in Liu Yiyi's shadow returned, even more intense than before.
She stomped her foot angrily and shouted at Li Minghua's retreating figure, which was almost disappearing outside the moon gate:
"Then hurry back! If she dares to lie to you... I'll have my dad seal off her house!"
Her voice carried a forced arrogance, yet it couldn't conceal the deep anxiety within.
Li Minghua didn't stop walking; he simply turned his back to her, raised his arm, and waved it crisply to indicate that he understood.
Without the slightest hesitation, the figure quickly disappeared from sight.
Only Tang Xiaoning and Xiaoju, who was stunned and speechless by the scene, remained in the courtyard.
Xiaoju glanced at the moon gate, then at her distraught young mistress, shrank back, and hesitantly asked in a low voice, "Miss... what about Miss Li...?"
"Hurry up and go!" Tang Xiaoning snapped at Xiaoju, venting her pent-up anxiety and frustration on the maid.
"Go with me! What are you standing there for! Keep an eye on things from a distance, and come back to report to me immediately if anything happens!"
"Yes! Yes! This servant will go right away!" Xiaoju felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and quickly turned around and ran after him.
Tang Xiaoning looked at the suddenly empty courtyard and her gaze fell on the lonely bamboo broom at her feet.
The sweetness and ease of practicing swordsmanship just now, as well as the secret intimacy between the two of them, have vanished, leaving only cold anxiety.
Frustrated, she kicked a small pebble away, and it rolled to the corner of the wall.
"What the hell... one just left, and here comes another... and they've changed their tactics! A self-inflicted injury ploy! It's infuriating!" She crossed her arms and paced back and forth in the yard, each step heavy as if she wanted to crush her worries.
Her heart was in turmoil, as if countless claws were scratching at her.
She trusted Minghua's judgment and principles, and was absolutely certain that her martial arts skills were sufficient to protect herself.
But she knew all too well how terrifying Liu Yiyi's relentless pursuit of her goals could be.
What if... what if Liu Yiyi really has it all planned out this time, using the so-called "mother's serious illness" to gain sympathy, or even setting some kind of trap... or taking advantage of Minghua's damned, deeply ingrained chivalrous heart to pester him again...
Tang Xiaoning dared not think any further, feeling only a chill in the autumn wind blowing against her skin.
She could only wander around the small courtyard again and again, and for the first time felt that time was passing so slowly in this late autumn afternoon, as if every breath was stretched out countless times.
Her gaze kept drifting towards the moon gate, hoping that familiar figure would appear immediately.
At this moment, Li Minghua, who was walking quickly out of the mansion and leaving Xiaoju far behind, was not entirely without emotion.
Liu Yiyi's reappearance did indeed cause her some trouble and displeasure.
But she quickly suppressed these emotions, relying more on a cold, hard judgment based on facts.
To confirm the authenticity of Liu's mother's illness and whether the demand for "blood-draining medicine" was genuine.
If she really needs help, she will find a way to solve it, but she will never give Liu Yiyi any more expectations or opportunities to get too close.
She was very clear that what she needed to solve was the specific problem of "the potential predicament of Liu Yiyi's mother", rather than Liu Yiyi herself or her emotional needs.
Her steps were firm, her goal clear: to go and return quickly.
Xiaoning was still waiting; her eyes, filled with worry and reliance, were the deepest concern in her heart at that moment.
She could even picture the girl pacing anxiously in the yard.
However, she did not fully realize that her calm, efficient, and practical problem-solving abilities might, in the eyes of someone like Liu Yiyi who was desperate and clinging to her beliefs, constitute the greatest ray of hope.
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