anger
Three hours ago.
As soon as Jiang Mian came out of Tingyun Tower, Qing Shuang stayed by her side almost every step of the way, following her closely no matter where she went.
This troubled Jiang Mian. As it grew later and later, she feared that if she didn't come up with a solution soon, all her efforts would be in vain.
The two entered Xianting Pavilion together. Jiang Mian found a window seat and pretended to admire the scenery, but in reality, she was observing the terrain. The reason she chose this place to escape was firstly because the population here was complicated. Behind Xianting Pavilion was a small alley where all sorts of people from different walks of life could be found.
The street in front of her was bustling with vendors and peddlers selling tea. She remained calm, drank half a cup of tea, and suddenly said to Qing Shuang, "I saw a painting I liked three months ago. Could you go and ask if it's still there?"
Qing Shuang's eyes showed hesitation, clearly fearing that something might happen to Jiang Mian.
Before leaving, the young master instructed her to keep a close watch on the young lady.
"Let's go ask. The owner is over there." Jiang Mian pointed, and Qing Shuang looked up. Sure enough, the owner of Xianting Pavilion was standing not far away.
She pondered for a moment and nodded.
As soon as the others left, Jiang Mian immediately put down her teacup, raised her eyes and scanned the surroundings. Today was truly a stroke of luck for her; there were quite a few people in Xianting Pavilion. If she had stood in the crowd, Qing Shuang wouldn't have been able to find her for a while.
Qing Shuang finally brought back the painting that Jiang Mian was looking for, only to find that Jiang Mian was no longer in her seat.
She quickly grabbed someone and asked, "Excuse me, have you seen my young lady? The girl who was sitting here just now?"
The man thought for a moment and recalled, "There seemed to be a girl sitting here just now. Suddenly she had a stomachache and ran to the backyard."
Qing Shuang immediately put down the painting to check. There was an outhouse in the backyard, and she headed there without thinking. When she got closer, she saw a familiar figure. She relaxed a little, but then the figure turned around, and she was stunned.
The person was wearing Jiang Mian's clothes, but was not Jiang Mian.
"Who are you? Where is my young lady?" The woman who was being pulled away looked bewildered. Seeing the man's persistent attitude, she couldn't help but reveal the truth: "A young lady just gave me this, and then we changed clothes..."
Qing Shuang lowered her eyes. Before setting off in the morning, Jiang Mian had specially brought a money bag, which was now right here.
Without a second thought, she rushed outside, but when she got there, the crowd was so large that she couldn't see Jiang Mian at all.
**
Jiang Mian never expected to run into Jiang Qiyu here. The other party looked shocked and delighted, as if he was also frightened.
She had just gotten rid of Qing Shuang and was preparing to find a place to hide and then look for an opportunity to leave when she bumped into someone as soon as she stepped out of Xianting Pavilion.
"Sister Mian, is it really you!"
"Young Master Jiang, can you take me away?" Jiang Mian blurted out almost without thinking.
Jiang Qiyu immediately realized that her hurried manner suggested she was afraid of being discovered. Thinking of this, he quickly made a judgment and said without hesitation, "Come with me."
Jiang Mian nodded, and in no time, the two of them were away from the crowded streets. As dusk fell, Jiang Qiyu led her to a house.
“Mian-mei, I don’t come here often, so no one will notice.” Jiang Qiyu looked at the much thinner person in front of her and couldn’t help but ask with concern, “I knew you weren’t dead, Mian-mei, why have you become like this?”
Jiang Mian took a deep breath, not knowing where to begin. Her experiences and encounters could not be explained in just a few words, but thankfully, she had managed to leave Shen Ji's side.
From then on, no one could restrain her anymore.
She calmed down and looked at Jiang Qiyu gratefully: "Thank you for today. There is one more thing. Could you please keep it a secret for me?"
"What?"
"Everyone thinks I'm dead now, Brother Qi Yu, could you please just pretend you never saw me?" Jiang Mian looked at him pleadingly.
Jiang Qiyu felt a pang of sadness. He still couldn't believe she was dead. There were all sorts of rumors circulating outside, but he didn't believe any of them. However, seeing the girl's pleading and earnest appearance, all the doubts and worries hidden in his heart turned into heartache. He decided that he would help her, and no matter what she did, he wanted to be with her.
“Sister Mian, I promise you, although I don’t know what happened to you, I am now in a position in the capital, and I can take you away from here.”
leave?
Jiang Mian accurately grasped those two words. She did indeed have this thought. She couldn't stay in Jeju any longer. The longer she stayed, the greater the risk of being discovered by Shen Ji. She had to leave, but she hadn't decided where to go yet.
“Sister Mian, if you trust me, I can take you to the capital. You can leave once you find a place to stay,” Jiang Qiyu said gently.
Jiang Mian remained silent for a moment before finally refusing him: "You've been so good to me, I don't know how to repay you."
Jiang Qiyu was filled with bitterness. He didn't need any repayment. When he learned of her disappearance, he rushed back from the capital almost immediately, but it was still to no avail. If he hadn't happened to be back on business this time and hadn't run into her at Xianting Pavilion, he would have been much better off.
He could hardly believe that the joy of something lost and found could happen to him.
"No need to repay me. If you feel uncomfortable, just help me tidy up the house. It just so happens that I just moved and the yard is still empty. You can help me buy some furniture, and I'll pay for it."
Jiang Qiyu, fearing she would be put in a difficult position, quickly said...
Jiang Mian knew he was thinking of her. Indeed, she had nowhere to stay now, and leaving with him would allow her to get rid of Shen Ji. She could repay him when she had a place to stay in the future.
Thinking of this, she nodded: "Brother Qi Yu, thank you for your trouble."
Jiang Qiyu smiled slightly; he was overjoyed to be able to help her.
It was getting late, so Jiang Qiyu ordered someone to prepare a room for her to stay for the night and leave early the next morning.
Although Jiang Mian felt uneasy, she did not object. It was late at night and the dew was heavy, so leaving overnight was not the best choice. She should rest for the night and leave early the next morning.
The thought of never seeing Shen Ji again brought her a mix of relief and melancholy.
Perhaps this is the best kind of relationship they have.
**
At night, a light rain suddenly fell, and dark, gray clouds obscured the moonlight. The long, quiet streets were deserted.
In the distance, a carriage sped over and stopped at the alley entrance. A person slowly stepped out of the carriage, dressed in snow-white clothes with black hair and a face full of coldness.
Yun Qing held an umbrella behind him, the rain lashing relentlessly against the young man's robes, but he seemed oblivious, his eyes cold and devoid of any warmth.
Still no news?
The servant shook his head: "However, I found out that the person who delivered the vegetables to the mansion seems to know Miss Jiang."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ji's expression turned even colder.
His anger seemed to have reached its peak, but his face remained calm. He looked up at the courtyard where she lived. Every time he came back, the lights would be on there, but now it was pitch black. She had left completely.
"Bring the person over here."
He said calmly.
The flower hall was brightly lit. Before long, a servant-like man was brought in. He had never seen such a scene before and was a little scared: "Sir, have I done something wrong?"
"When did she bribe you?" Shen Ji looked at the person kneeling below. She would rather believe others than stay by her side.
The servant didn't understand what he meant, so Yun Qing added, "When...when did our mistress contact you?"
The term "Madam" is how others address Jiang Mian.
Right now, it seems like a blatant irony.
Shen Ji remained silent, his gaze fixed on the kneeling servant below.
The servant finally realized what was happening and dared not hide anything: "About a month ago, Madam gave me a bag of silver and asked me to tell her everything that had happened outside. That's all."
The night wind blew by, and the sound of rain gradually subsided.
The flower hall seemed to suddenly turn cold. Yun Qing was somewhat surprised. It turned out that they had been in contact a month ago. These days, Miss Jiang had been behaving normally, and it was impossible to tell that she had already been thinking about leaving a month ago.
Perhaps even earlier.
He didn't know what to say, so he simply waved and led the person out.
Then, as soon as she turned around, she saw Shen Ji stand up, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "Find her."
**
Jiang Mian didn't sleep well. The wind and rain outside continued. She seemed to dream of Shen Ji again. In the dream, he locked her in that small room, and they were locked together on the table.
She instinctively wanted to run away, but found that no matter where she went, his figure would appear behind her.
“Mianniang, no matter where you go, I will find you.”
A deep, demonic voice rang in her ears, and she suddenly felt her heart pound wildly, abruptly opening her eyes.
What came into view was not the familiar house, but a completely unfamiliar environment. It was raining outside, peaceful and serene.
It took Jiang Mian a moment to realize that she had really left Shen Ji and that what she had just experienced was just a dream.
Unable to sleep, she got out of bed and pushed open the door. A cool, damp smell rushed in. It was dark outside, except for the candlelight still burning in the courtyard not far away.
Jiang Mian closed the window, her mind in turmoil.
From now on, she will be all alone.
She doesn't know if the road ahead will be easy or difficult, but no matter what, she will persevere.
Early the next morning.
Jiang Qiyu then prepared a carriage, and Jiang Mian sat inside. She still felt somewhat unreal. The journey was smooth, except that when they were almost out of the city gate, someone suddenly caught up with them.
"Cousin, cousin!"
Jiang Mian immediately recognized Chen Yan's voice. She grabbed her sleeve, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. Jiang Qiyu, who was standing nearby, noticed her movement and patted her hand to indicate that everything was alright.
Then he turned around and got off the carriage.
Tears welled in Jiang Mian's eyes; she couldn't tell Shen Yan that she was still alive.
"Cousin, why are you leaving so fast? Didn't you say you were going to stay a couple more days?" Chen Yan asked breathlessly as she dismounted from her horse, not even regaining her balance.
Jiang Qiyu smiled helplessly: "The affairs in the capital are very busy. Next time you come, you can stay longer."
"Alright." Although Shen Yan was reluctant, she understood that important matters were at stake. She was just a little regretful that since her younger sister Mian disappeared, she had no one left to confide in.
"I wonder if Sister Mian is still here. Cousin, how could such a good person be kidnapped by thieves?" Thinking of Jiang Mian, Shen Yan felt extremely sad, and she couldn't help but turn her eyes red.
Jiang Qiyu wanted to comfort her, but didn't know where to begin.
"Mian will be safe and sound." He gently patted Chenyan's head.
"Really?" Even though everyone said Jiang Mian was gone, she still refused to believe it. She felt that her little sister Mian must be doing well somewhere she couldn't see.
"Mm." Jiang Qiyu nodded.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shen Yan reluctantly bid farewell to Jiang Qiyu, then mounted her horse and left first.
Jiang Qiyu watched her figure disappear around the corner before turning around and getting into the carriage.
Inside the car, Jiang Mian's eyes were red, clearly from crying.
Jiang Qiyu sighed helplessly, took out a handkerchief from his bosom, and handed it to Jiang Mian: "If you can't bear to part with her, why don't you tell her yourself?"
Jiang Mian shook her head; she truly didn't know how to begin talking about what had happened to her.
Jiang Qiyu was also feeling bad. Although he didn't know what had happened, seeing the girl in front of him in such distress, he couldn't bear to ask any more questions and just stayed with her in silence.
The carriage left the city without any hindrance.
Jiang Mian was drowsy from the bumpy carriage ride and soon closed her eyes.
Jiang Qiyu saw her gentle profile and couldn't help but reach out to touch her, but he restrained himself.
No one knew how much he liked her.
Being in the same room with her now feels like a dream, unreal. If he could, he wished this road could be longer, so that she could rely on him more.
He doesn't find it troublesome at all.
He just felt happy.
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