Jade Pendant
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of frost had already settled on the blue bricks in front of the Jiang residence. The footsteps coming from ahead seemed to tread on Jiang Chaoyu's heart, each step causing her pain.
At that moment, a guard from the Jiang residence announced the arrival of the Second Prince. Jiang Chaoyu, her hand clutching an embroidered handkerchief hidden in her sleeve, her knuckles slightly white, thought to herself, "Ten days haven't even passed yet, why are you in such a hurry?"
Hearing the commotion outside, Jiang Yuyao glanced at Jiang Chaoyu and said sarcastically, "What are you expecting, little sister, that makes you so nervous?"
Jiang Chaoyu had been lost in thought, but Jiang Yuyao's voice brought her back to reality. "Sister is joking. I'm afraid I won't have time for that. How could I have any expectations?"
The two of them were each thinking about their own things.
"Reporting to the eldest young lady and the second young lady, the second prince has sent someone." A guard rushed in to report the news, while another led the men to the front hall.
Jiang Chaoyu was very puzzled. The deadline for the confession had not yet arrived, so why was he in such a hurry? Could it be that Zeng Chenhua had changed his mind halfway through?
"Oh, only the Second Prince's men? What about the Second Prince?" Jiang Yuyao looked outside and asked after hearing the guard's report.
"Reporting to Miss, it is only the Second Prince's men who have arrived," the guard replied meticulously.
When Jiang Chaoyu heard this answer, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had originally thought it was the Second Prince who had come; each of their three encounters had revealed a different side of him. Such a complex and unpredictable person was best avoided.
Jiang Chaoyu breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately felt a surge of excitement. She suddenly wondered, "Why did the Second Prince send people here?"
He was utterly puzzled, but his expression remained unchanged.
"In that case, let's meet the guests in the front hall."
Jiang Chaoyu followed closely behind Jiang Yuyao. With her father absent, Jiang Yuyao was the pillar of this vast Jiang mansion.
The person who arrived was Yun Qi, a trusted confidant of the Second Prince. He wore silver armor on his shoulders, a black robe, and a sword with a blue hilt hanging at his waist.
After Yunqi entered the front hall, he knelt on one knee and held the willow-gold wooden box high above his head, saying, "I have come here on the orders of the Second Prince to apologize to the Second Miss Jiang."
"The Second Prince was impetuous before, and upon reflection, I realized I had failed to observe proper etiquette. Therefore, I have sent my subordinate to apologize." The man's voice was strong and resonant, like the clash of metal and jade, befitting someone from the battlefield.
"There is a jade pendant inside this wooden box as a token. I hope you will accept it, Second Miss, and forgive my master." Hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu thought to herself, "Why is he resorting to moral blackmail? If I don't accept it, then he won't forgive me."
"In addition, there is a letter written by my lord himself inside. I hope the Second Miss will not mind."
Jiang Chaoyu didn't show it on her face, but she glanced at Jiang Yuyao next to her and inwardly sighed, thinking that this was simply moral blackmail!
Looking at this man kneeling on the ground like a straight pine tree, Jiang Chaoyu recalled the day Zeng Chenhua came; that man was so casual and nonchalant, it was obvious he was faking illness. For Jiang Chaoyu, this kind of person was someone she absolutely couldn't get too close to, so she definitely couldn't accept anything from him.
Therefore, she directly expressed her refusal, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Second Prince, but I cannot accept such a valuable item."
Jiang Yuyao simply watched from the side without saying a word.
The man who knelt down saw that Jiang Chaoyu was not accepting the gift and repeatedly advised her, "I hope that the Second Miss will accept this token, otherwise I will not be able to return."
Upon hearing this statement, alarm bells started ringing in Jiang Chaoyu's mind. She inwardly scorned it, thinking, "Kidnapping! This is blatant moral blackmail!"
Seeing that Jiang Chaoyu wouldn't accept it, Jiang Yuyao stepped forward to take the wooden box. As she approached, she said, "Since my sister is so shy, I'll accept it for her."
Yun Qi turned slightly to avoid Jiang Yuyao's movement, and Jiang Yuyao's hand missed its target.
"I'm so sorry, Miss, but my master specifically instructed me to make sure the Second Miss accepts this, otherwise I won't be able to go back and report." His cold tone, just like his aloof actions, left everyone speechless.
Seeing that she had been humiliated, Jiang Yuyao turned and left with a flick of her sleeve, not forgetting to sarcastically remark to Jiang Chaoyu before she went, "Sister, you are truly blessed."
Seeing this, Jiang Chaoyu felt as if she had been placed on a fire grill. "Give it to me."
Hearing this, Yun Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Second Miss!"
After watching Jiang Chaoyu accept the wooden box, Yun Qi quietly disappeared.
In the short time it took Jiang Chaoyu to look down, Yun Qi had already disappeared. Jiang Chaoyu then remembered that Zeng Chenhua had also quietly come to her door that day. No wonder they were master and servant.
Holding the wooden box in her hands, Jiang Chaoyu felt as if it were burning hot; if she didn't hold it, it would go out. So she simply handed the box to Cui Cui, who was standing next to her.
Upon hearing that the person had said there was news, Jiang Chaoyu quickly led Cuicui back to her room. This puzzled Cuicui, who asked, "Miss, why are you walking so fast?"
"If we don't hurry, something might happen." No sooner had he said this than he saw Jiang Yuyao.
As soon as he stepped through the corridor, he saw Jiang Yuyao waiting for him at the end.
"Little sister, I'm very curious about what's inside this box." Jiang Yuyao stared intently at the wooden box, afraid of missing a single glance.
Jiang Yuyao didn't hide her purpose and stated it directly.
Jiang Chaoyu stepped in front of Cuicui to block Jiang Yuyao's malicious gaze. "But that person just said that this was given to you by the Second Prince, so you shouldn't take it too seriously."
"Oh, really? But you must put your sister first in everything. What did I tell you the other day?" Jiang Yuyao approached Jiang Chaoyu step by step.
"I can do without the jade pendant, but I must see the letter." After saying this, Jiang Chaoyu realized she had misunderstood. She had thought Jiang Yuyao had come for the jade pendant, but it turned out she had come for the letter.
Jiang Chaoyu glanced at the box; she hadn't yet read the contents of the letter.
If she were to reveal her identity, but considering that the Second Prince was such a clever person, how could he not have thought of this? It was impossible for him to deliberately expose her identity.
Relieved, Jiang Chaoyu handed the wooden box to Jiang Yuyao and opened it in front of her. Just as the man had said, inside were a jade pendant and an envelope. However, the jade pendant in the box seemed to be the same as the one she had received that day, but upon closer inspection, the pattern on this pendant was simpler, consisting only of cloud patterns. Thinking of this, Jiang Chaoyu wondered what Zeng Chenhua meant. He had already successfully obtained the jade pendant that day, and now he was giving her a similar one.
"If you want to see it, then you can."
Jiang Chaoyu handed the envelope to Jiang Yuyao, who opened it and found only a few words on it: "This time I acted impulsively, and I hope Miss Jiang will forgive me."
The only distinctive feature of the letter is that the handwriting is strong and powerful, with smooth strokes, showing that the writer's handwriting is quite good.
Jiang Yuyao repeatedly held the paper and looked at it, trying to find the answer she wanted on it.
But after searching for a long time, he still couldn't find it, so he casually tossed the envelope to Jiang Chaoyu.
"My sister is two years older than me. Why is my younger sister being forced into marriage while my father doesn't arrange a marriage for her?"
This has always been Jiang Chaoyu's question. From beginning to end, her father has been thinking about how to use her marriage to exchange for a good marriage alliance, while her father has never mentioned Jiang Yuyao's marriage and there has been no movement about it.
Every time she asked her father a question, he was always speechless.
Jiang Yuyao touched Jiang Chaoyu's face and said with a sinister smile, "Don't ask too many questions. I won't feel at ease until I see my sister get married."
When that cool hand touched Jiang Chaoyu's face, she felt a chill.
"I would much rather witness my sister's passing."
"Oh, really?" After saying this, Jiang Yuyao turned and left.
When Jiang Chaoyu heard that sentence, she felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
After returning to the room, find a safe place to put the wooden box, since it belongs to the Second Prince.
If one day he regrets his decision and tries to get the jade pendant back, and she has lost it, at best she will lose a hand or foot, at worst she will die young.
Everyone says that after the Second Prince injured his leg, he neglected state affairs and became a carefree prince, but he was not a spoiled brat, which made everyone feel sorry for his leg.
But in Jiang Chaoyu's opinion, that was not the case at all; the fake leg was definitely problematic.
Jiang Chaoyu vaguely felt that Zeng Chenhua was setting up a huge scheme, and that he was currently laying a net from outside the capital.
In modern times, Jiang Chaoyu loved to sleep in; otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed here at eight in the morning. Now, after being so busy, she felt quite sleepy. So she sprawled out on the bed and drifted off to sleep comfortably.
Jiang Chaoyu didn't know how long he had been asleep when a pigeon from the window cooed, waking him up.
While the person was still dazed, the pigeon flew to the bedside.
Jiang Chaoyu forced herself to stay awake, noticing a letter tied to the pigeon's leg.
Open it and you'll see—come to the attic immediately!
Leaving only four words behind, Jiang Chaoyu changed her clothes and used her skill to teleport to the attic.
The moment she entered, she saw Xu Ninghui lying on a recliner with his back to her, the tea beside him steaming, looking quite content. He had come to the Crescent Moon Sect three years ago, saved by Jiang Chaoyu. But thanks to her skills, she felt she had unintentionally saved many people.
Seeing him lying so comfortably, Jiang Chaoyu kicked him with her foot. "What is it?"
Xu Ninghui was lying comfortably when he was kicked from behind, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. He looked up angrily and saw that it was Jiang Chaoyu. His expression changed drastically, and he quickly stood up.
Her expression changed swiftly in that instant, her face plastered with a fawning smile as she said, "Senior Sister, you've arrived!"
She stood up and offered her seat to Jiang Chaoyu, saying, "Please sit down, please sit down."
Jiang Chaoyu noticed Xu Ninghui's expression, walked to the recliner, and lay down as Xu Ninghui did. He knew this kid probably had something to ask of him again.
Xu Ninghui helped Jiang Chaoyu lie down and then massaged her shoulders, but Jiang Chaoyu slapped his hand away forcefully, saying, "Get to the point, don't try to be nice."
Xu Ninghui walked up to Jiang Chaoyu, handed her a cup of tea that was still steaming, and said solicitously, "There's an eighth-level mission that I can't handle by myself. I was wondering if you'd like to go?"
"Level 8 mission!" Jiang Chaoyu became interested upon hearing this. Previously, when she obtained the Second Prince's jade pendant, it was only a level 5 mission. Now, there was actually an level 8 mission.
Although Jiang Chaoyu was interested, she also wanted to know what it was for, and asked softly, "What is it for?"
Knowing Jiang Chaoyu as she did, Xu Ninghui knew that if she wasn't interested, she wouldn't have asked in the first place. Since she kept asking, he knew that she was interested, so he slowly revealed his purpose: "To catch fugitives."
“A year ago, a second-level fugitive escaped and had been missing ever since. Recently, he was spotted, and the imperial court has issued a reward order: whoever can capture him will be rewarded with 100,000 taels of gold.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu put down her teacup on the table, instantly losing interest. She knew that a second-level fugitive was a ruthless criminal who had killed at least twenty people; if she encountered him, her life might be in danger. "This is a matter for the imperial court. What does it have to do with our sect?"
Xu Ninghui continued to pique Jiang Chaoyu's interest, whispering mysteriously in her ear, "This is a mission issued by the Crescent Moon Sect headquarters. The Crescent Moon Sect is planning to establish a deputy pavilion. Whoever can capture it can be appointed as the pavilion master."
Seeing Xu Ninghui getting too close, Jiang Chaoyu pushed him away and continued drinking her tea, pondering to herself, "That's a desperate criminal. If we try to capture him alive, it's uncertain who will die."
Xu Ninghui continued massaging Jiang Chaoyu's shoulders, "The reward order specifically states that only the person is needed, regardless of whether they are alive or dead!"
Hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu became interested. He downed his tea in one gulp, thinking to himself, if it's so hard to catch a living person, why not just kill him from the start?
Jiang Chaoyu handed the empty teacup to Xu Ninghui, "Refill the tea."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ninghui knew that Jiang Chaoyu was willing.
Xu Ninghui tightened his grip even more, causing Jiang Chaoyu's shoulder to ache. She cried out repeatedly, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Xu Ninghui, you're going to crush your senior sister to death!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
