the truth
From Zeng Chenhua's confident tone, Jiang Chaoyu seemed to gradually glimpse the truth.
Jiang Chaoyu replied, "I'm sorry, Second Prince, I'm quite tired from what I've experienced today. As for the truth you speak of, it's not worth it for a woman like me who never leaves the house."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu immediately rejected Zeng Chenhua. There was a mix of truth and falsehood in his words, but she was genuinely exhausted and wanted to rest.
Seeing this, Zeng Chenhua did not insist any further. Before leaving, he simply said, "If that's the case, then I'll show Miss Second around again next time."
After the person left, she took out the note from her sleeve. It was something someone had secretly slipped into the carriage while they were on the street, and Jiang Chaoyu quickly picked it up.
Once inside the room, I had intended to open it to take a look, but Zeng Chenhua walked right in. Luckily, I reacted quickly enough and put it in my sleeve.
Only after Jiang Chaoyu was certain that the person wouldn't return did she actually take it out.
"See you at midnight, east of the city."
The handwriting was unlike anything I knew, but there weren't many people on that carriage, so it must be someone who knew me.
But who could it be?
Regardless of who it is, since he gave me this note, it seems I have no choice but to keep the appointment.
The night seemed unusually quiet; the only sound was the howling wind, and things on the street were being blown to other places. Jiang Chaoyu sat sideways on the roof beam, and there was no one in sight.
A crescent moon hangs alone in the night sky, adorned with scattered stars.
Every now and then, white clouds drift by and obscure the moon, making the moonlight very dim.
Jiang Chaoyu still carried her soft sword at her waist and was observing her surroundings for anyone. Judging from her keen hearing, no one had appeared yet.
Looking up at the crescent moon, perhaps because Jiang Chaoyu had been staring at her for too long, she shyly hid behind the clouds.
He was filled with doubt. Wasn't this the time to meet here? Why hadn't that person shown up yet?
Tired of sitting on the roof, he stood up and looked around, stepping lightly on the tiles. The eastern part of the city was sparsely populated, making it a perfect place for clandestine transactions, but he still didn't see anyone.
The night breeze brought a touch of coolness; it had been quite hot during the day. But the wind was just right, blowing through her hair and tickling her face. She couldn't help but want to brush away the frizzy strands of hair.
The moment her hand touched the tip of her hair, she felt someone rapidly approaching her. She dodged the person's approach, but unexpectedly, her hair fell onto the person's sword, severing a strand of hair.
Jiang Chaoyu turned around and saw Zeng Chenhua, who was holding a sword with the tip pointing directly at her nose, just an inch away.
Jiang Chaoyu dodged backward, spun around and drew her soft sword. Taking advantage of Zeng Chenhua's inattention, she moved directly behind him, the blade almost touching his neck. If Jiang Chaoyu's sword had gotten any closer, he would have been bleeding profusely.
"Second Prince, it's you!"
Seeing this, Zeng Chenhua sheathed his sword, his fingers touched Jiang Chaoyu's sword, and then slowly moved over.
As Jiang Chaoyu watched her sword being moved, she immediately pulled it back behind her. However, the sharp blade cut Zeng Chenhua's fingertip, leaving a bloody mark. Zeng Chenhua quickly withdrew his hand and gently wiped the blood away.
"I wonder what the Second Prince is doing here?"
Zeng Chenhua turned to look at Jiang Chaoyu and said, "I wrote that note."
"Are you testing me?" Jiang Chaoyu narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Zeng Chenhua. When he appeared behind her, her actions had already been exposed.
Zeng Chenhua raised his eyes and smiled, a crescent-shaped curve at the corner of his eye, and said, "That's right. Didn't the Second Miss say that she was suffering from an illness before? But when I took her pulse before, I found that it was normal. I was afraid it was the work of an incompetent doctor. But seeing you today, it seems that you are cured."
Jiang Chaoyu was somewhat dazzled by that smile, as if it were deliberately mocking her.
"But I'm still very grateful to that doctor, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten rid of so much trouble."
The wind blew through their clothes, and a strange atmosphere filled the air.
Now that Zeng Chenhua knew her abilities, Jiang Chaoyu didn't hide anything anymore. "That's right, just as you thought, I was faking it."
The first time she could stop pretending in front of others, she felt relaxed and at ease.
She put the soft sword back on her waist and then sat down.
The wind blew her hair wildly, but Jiang Chaoyu ignored it, looked up at Zeng Chenhua, and gestured for him to sit down.
After Zeng Chenhua sat down next to Jiang Chaoyu, he casually put his sword aside. "Actually, I've known about your strength for five years."
Five years ago, in winter, Jiang Chaoyu found Zeng Chenhua shivering in a corner, hungry and cold. The hot buns in her hands not only warmed Zeng Chenhua's stomach but also his heart.
"Five years ago... but you were the first person I met back then." Jiang Chaoyu was lost in memories. At that time, she didn't know anyone, but she was starving. She stole a few buns and was about to run to a corner to eat when she saw Zeng Chenhua, who was also starving. Out of kindness, she gave him one, but she didn't expect him to be even hungrier than her. Fortunately, she was able to eat her fill in the end.
"However, you should have investigated my situation thoroughly by now." Otherwise, you wouldn't have recognized me the first time we met in the attic.
Zeng Chenhua just stared at Jiang Chaoyu. How could he explain that he could read minds, especially since he only had this ability with her? Otherwise, he wouldn't have recognized her back then.
Jiang Chaoyu tilted her head and looked at Zeng Chenhua, who seemed to be lost in memories, and waved her hand in front of him, trying to attract his attention.
Zeng Chenhua's unfocused pupils suddenly contracted, snapping him out of his reverie and staring intently at Jiang Chaoyu's face.
This stare only made Jiang Chaoyu more confused. She touched her face, puzzled, and took out her sword to check her face for dirt in the reflection.
"There was nothing dirty in it, I was just engrossed in looking at it," Zeng Chenhua explained.
But Jiang Chaoyu felt as if he was looking through her and at someone else. "Who are you looking at?"
Jiang Chaoyu asked very frankly. She didn't like this kind of look, as if she were someone else's substitute. Many people looked at her like this, including the original owner's mother, the original owner's sister, and even Zeng Chenhua now.
"You're very beautiful, I was momentarily distracted." Zeng Chenhua's words struck Jiang Chaoyu as even stranger, as this man never seemed to say such things.
Am I someone else in your heart?
As soon as she said this, Jiang Chaoyu felt a little annoyed. She turned her head and stared at other places. In fact, she no longer expected this answer. If Zeng Chenhua said yes, then the original owner's mother and sister were missing the original owner. It was because she had usurped the original owner's place.
You don't have to answer.
But before she came to this world, she had no memory of ever meeting Zeng Chenhua. So who was she thinking of through this face?
"No, of course not, you are you."
Even though he turned away, Zeng Chenhua's words still reached his ears on the wind.
She is not Jiang Chaoyu, but Zhao Siyu, but in this world she is Jiang Chaoyu.
"The Second Prince is right. I am who I am, but I can also not be who I am."
Zeng Chenhua felt something was off when he heard these words, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just thought that Jiang Chaoyu probably felt that if she wasn't living a carefree life in the Jiang family, then she wasn't herself.
"Wasn't the Second Miss curious about the aphrodisiac before?"
Jiang Chaoyu turned to look at Zeng Chenhua, only to meet a pair of smiling eyes.
It seems that Zeng Chenhua has seen through all of her actions.
"Second Miss, there's no need for doubt. Didn't you give me the assassin's token before? Have you forgotten so quickly?"
Zeng Chenhua's reminder made him realize that he had really forgotten about this matter. He suddenly realized that he might have been too busy lately.
"I wonder what the Second Prince means?" That matter had long been closed by the court. A large amount of opium was found in Zhao Huasheng's home. After investigation, it was found that Zhao Huasheng and his accomplices had been selling opium in secret places in the capital for many years. The court also said that Zhao Huasheng took too much of it, and then the drug took effect. He fell to his neck on the sword, and the blood splattered on the door.
So it wasn't what that brat was saying at all, but Jiang Chaoyu felt that this matter was very strange. The last time she saw Zhao Huasheng, she couldn't find any trace of medicine on him.
Those who sell these things will certainly not be contaminated with them.
"You killed him, didn't you? Otherwise, I wouldn't have found the assassin's token where I threw away the opium." Zeng Chenhua killed him, and the gang had originally planned to destroy the opium, but not long after, they said they found a large amount of opium in Zhao Huasheng's room. People who would take such a risk would never leave things in their own place.
Therefore, the real story is that Zeng Chenhua inflicted the sword wound, and he was also the one who framed the other.
"So, does Miss Second think I was the mastermind behind it all?"
Seeing the doubt on Jiang Chaoyu's face, one could only say that she was half right.
"However, I can only say that you have only guessed half of it correctly, Miss. As for the other half, you will have to see for yourself."
Zeng Chenhua took out the eye veil and handed it to Jiang Chaoyu, indicating that Jiang Chaoyu should put it on.
Jiang Chaoyu looked at the veil with great confusion and looked up at Zeng Chenhua, saying, "But if the Second Prince wants to take me to see the truth, then isn't the journey to see the truth important?"
Upon seeing this, Zeng Chenhua froze in place. He had been worried that she would feel nauseous at the sight of that disgusting scene, but after hearing this, he withdrew his hand.
"Since Miss is not afraid, then come with me."
Jiang Chaoyu wanted to go and see what the so-called truth was.
After traversing a winding road, they arrived at an unfamiliar place, where a large door stood before them. However, before entering, Zeng Chenhua covered Jiang Chaoyu's eyes with his wide sleeves, only lowering his hand after opening the door.
The moment Jiang Chaoyu lowered her sleeve, she first sensed a very gloomy atmosphere, followed by screams of agony.
Zeng Chenhua turned to look at Jiang Chaoyu's reaction, only to find that her eyes were completely unmoved.
As I walked in step by step, I was met with a strong smell of blood. Following the sound, I saw a blood-stained figure undergoing branding.
"I wonder why the Second Prince brought me here?"
"This is Cheng Zhenmen's secret chamber. There are many heinous people here. You can ask them anything you want, but only you can force them to reveal the truth."
Zeng Chenhua stopped and turned to look at Jiang Chaoyu, meeting her gaze. This was the first time he had revealed the existence of Cheng Zhenmen to an outsider.
However, Jiang Chaoyu had never heard of this before, and her brows furrowed. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with complex emotions.
She didn't understand why Zeng Chenhua had brought her here; she was just an outsider.
But when Zeng Chenhua saw Jiang Chaoyu's complicated expression, he laughed instead, "Second Miss, are you afraid of me?"
Jiang Chaoyu shook his head. "Second Prince is joking."
Looking around, the sizzling sounds of some of the branding were louder than the cries of pain from the prisoners.
"However, even the Second Prince's punishments are ineffective; what can I, a mere woman, do?"
Jiang Chaoyu was just joking. If she were to actually do it, torturing the mind would probably be even more fun than torturing the body. After all, no one who had ever been in her hands could hold back their words.
Zeng Chenhua picked up the instruments of torture and placed them in front of Jiang Chaoyu. "Knowing Miss Jiang as I do, she always says the opposite of what she means."
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