Chapter 9
Jiang Mian stopped beside the carriage.
Thinking of what Granny Xin had said, the eldest young master Shen Ji preferred quiet and never allowed outsiders to get close to him. But now she wanted to share a carriage with him, and it was he who suggested it. It all seemed rather strange.
It's strange in a way that's hard to explain.
Jiang Mian remained silent for a moment, then decided to stop hesitating, lifted her robes, and slowly stepped forward.
Upon entering, she discovered that Shen Ji's carriage was much larger than the one she had ridden in before. The interior was spacious and even had incense burning. He sat upright in the center, his snow-white cloak spotless, exuding a refined and elegant air from the inside out.
Jiang Mian didn't dare to look any longer, lowered her eyes, and softly called out, "Cousin."
Upon hearing this, the man opened his eyes and his gaze shifted indifferently over.
What are you going up the mountain for?
"I embroidered a few pairs of knee pads for my grandmother." Jiang Mian was well-behaved and sat opposite Shen Ji after getting into the car. She placed the package in her hands on her lap. Shen Ji only glanced at it before looking away.
Jiang Mian didn't offer any further explanation and sat quietly to the side.
Before long, the carriage seemed to have arrived around the pavilion. Jiang Mian vaguely heard Yun Qing saying something to someone else. She was distracted for a moment, but then she suddenly heard someone say from the other side, "If you're bored, there are some rare books in the box over there. Take them out and have a look."
Jiang Mian was startled, her wandering thoughts pulled back.
He naturally opened the wooden box and took out several scrolls inside.
Outside the carriage, Song Mingyan was too lazy to deal with the formalities. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he watched the carriage slowly disappear from sight.
For some reason, I suddenly felt a pang of panic in my chest.
He lowered his eyes, and for a moment just now he had a ridiculous thought that Mian'er was right beside him.
Song Mingyan stood up and walked towards the outside of the pavilion.
A gentle breeze brought him back to his senses, and he stroked the jade pendant to steady himself.
It must be because I miss you so much that I have this illusion.
The thought of seeing Jiang Mian filled him with a mix of nervousness and unease.
It's been three whole years.
I wonder what that little girl looks like now.
As he thought about it, Song Mingyan smiled and his eyes were full of tenderness.
**
"I heard you've been studying with your teacher lately. Can you understand these books of poetry and prose?"
Inside the quiet carriage, Shen Ji suddenly asked a question.
Jiang Mian paused slightly, her fingers turning the pages stopped, and she gently raised her fluorite-like pupils, saying in a low voice, "I can understand it."
Shen Ji raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
Although the two were nominally cousins, they were not actually close. Although Jiang Mian's gaze remained on the book, her mind was elsewhere.
I don't know how much longer it will take to reach Jing'an Temple.
She suppressed the urge to rub her eyes, sat upright, and glanced at the person beside her who had closed their eyes at some point. She breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she closed the book and couldn't help but lift the curtain beside her. The biting wind made her shiver and also dispelled the strange, almost imperceptible atmosphere.
Shen Ji gently opened his eyes and saw the little girl twisting her body and looking outside. He reached out and took out the hand warmer from his arms, and unconsciously coughed twice.
Immediately, as if caught doing something wrong, Jiang Mian pulled the curtain back down, and at the same time, she looked over with bright eyes: "Cousin, are you sick?"
Shen Ji lowered his eyes and said, "It's alright."
Jiang Mian nodded without asking any further questions.
For the second half of the journey, she traveled in an extremely secluded carriage. Fortunately, the mountain road was not too long, and after about an incense stick's time, the carriage stopped at the temple gate.
Granny Xin knew she would come, but she was surprised to find that the Fifth Miss had come up the mountain with the Eldest Young Master. Shen Ji seemed quite unfazed by this. After quietly greeting Granny Xin, he went inside ahead of time.
Jiang Mian smiled and said, "An accident happened just now, but luckily my older cousin showed up and gave me a ride."
Looking at her flushed face, Granny Xin's initial surprise turned into heartache: "It's freezing cold, Miss Fifth, you're so thoughtful."
Jiang Mian smiled as she followed Granny Xin into the temple. She went to the old lady's side first and presented her with the knee pads she had made. The old lady stroked them lovingly, her gaze full of tenderness. "Little Wu is so thoughtful. You must have suffered a lot on this journey."
Jiang Mian lowered her head, glancing at her cousin who seemed nonchalant beside her, and whispered, "It's not hard. Being able to do things for my grandmother, Mian'er doesn't feel it's hard."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Shen was deeply moved.
Shen Ji, standing to the side, silently curled his lips. He had originally thought that his little cousin was just timid and weak, but she knew who to please and who to be kind to. Sometimes, a woman's fragility can make her even more endearing.
The tea had gone cold, and Shen Ji put the teacup down.
He stood up and said, "Grandmother, I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."
With the Buddha statue gone, Jiang Mian breathed a silent sigh of relief, feeling as if the oppressive atmosphere surrounding her had finally disappeared, and her tone of voice became much lighter.
After saying goodbye to her grandmother, she went to the front yard alone.
A lone snowflake and a green lamp; frost covers the eaves.
Jiang Mian put on her hood and carried some scriptures in her hand.
I had heard in Yangzhou that if a deceased person has close relatives who personally recite scriptures for them, they can enter the cycle of reincarnation more easily and suffer less in the next life. Although her parents had many shortcomings, they were still her blood relatives and treated her very well.
Tonight marks the anniversary of my mother's death.
The front courtyard was deserted; apart from a young monk sweeping snow, the entire main hall was empty.
Jiang Mian knelt before the prayer mat and bowed three times in devout prayer.
The Bodhisattva before me has a kind and benevolent face, gazing equally at everyone who comes to seek Buddhist teachings and recite scriptures.
Jiang Mian closed her eyes, the sandalwood incense wafting in the air.
My mind was originally filled with my mother's face, but for some reason, I kept thinking about that scene from just now.
On the carriage...
Unsettled, Jiang Mian opened her eyes. Something seemed to flash by under the incense table. Curious, Jiang Mian lifted the curtain, but what she saw almost made her fall to the ground.
A mouse!
She hurriedly got up, only to step on her skirt. At the same time, the mouse was startled and scurried away, disappearing without a trace.
Her brows furrowed, a sharp pain shooting through her ankle. The young man sweeping snow outside had vanished without her noticing, and she seemed truly alone and helpless in the vast expanse of white mist.
Jiang Mian endured the pain and forced herself to stand up.
There is a soft couch not far away; once you get there, the pain in your ankle might be relieved a lot.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she struggled to move. A crow had somehow appeared outside the window, its mournful cry chilling the air. One step, two steps, three steps… it drew ever closer. At the same time, a cold sword silently pressed against her neck…
The windows weren't closed tightly, and the cold wind felt like knives, stinging people's faces.
Jiang Mian was so frightened that she knelt on the ground. As soon as she looked up, she met a pair of cold, dark eyes.
She spoke in a trembling voice, without even realizing it, her voice involuntarily tinged with sobs: "Cousin."
Shen Ji frowned slightly: "Why is it you?"
“I sprained my ankle and was planning to rest on the soft couch, but unexpectedly…” She paused, trying to ignore the cold sword with its handle in front of her, “I ran into my cousin here.”
Shen Ji lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over her fair and delicate neck. His fingertips gently returned to their place, and he sheathed his longsword. He leaned down, his gaze falling on her ankles, which were completely obscured. After a moment, he asked, "Can you still stand up?"
Jiang Mian tried to move, but the excruciating pain returned. She shook her head, but couldn't help it; her eyes instantly reddened.
Shen Ji lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
After a while, he handed the sword to Yun Qing behind him. Suddenly, he bent down and a sweet fragrance, like that of snow lotus, wafted over. Not only Jiang Mian, but even Yun Qing couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Is this still the young master he remembers?
He was reporting to the young master when, halfway through his report, the young master suddenly stepped aside. He heard a sharp sword being drawn, and then he saw the Fifth Miss.
The moment she was picked up, Jiang Mian seemed to lose all her strength, stunned, bewildered, and at a loss.
All her strength seemed to be concentrated in one place, her fingertips clenched tightly, not daring to touch his clean cloak without a single crease.
"Cousin." She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.
Shen Ji gave a soft "hmm" and then carried her to the soft couch. After sitting down completely, Jiang Mian seemed to forget the pain in her ankle and focused all her attention on what was in front of her.
Why are you here?
"My mother's death anniversary is approaching, and I want to recite scriptures to pray for her."
Shen Ji looked over without showing any emotion, and sure enough, there were many sacrificial items on the altar.
"Are you cold?"
Jiang Mian froze, looking up in surprise.
Why are you trembling all over?
"..."
"Jiang Mian, are you afraid of me?"
A cold wind swept in, extinguishing the half-burnt incense in the incense burner. An unknown atmosphere descended, and for a moment, the kind-faced Bodhisattva on the high platform seemed to transform into a bewitching demon in her eyes.
All sounds and images vanish into nothingness.
It seemed as if only this sentence echoed in her ears.
Before me stood a man exuding murderous intent.
Jiang Mian blinked sharply, only to find that she had probably overthought things. He was still the same aloof cousin, and what she had just felt was just an illusion.
She suppressed the chaotic thoughts in her mind, and smiled, making her dimples even more obvious: "Cousin, you are joking. I have no grudge against you, so why would I be afraid of this word?"
Shen Ji withdrew his gaze without changing his expression. The oppressive feeling that had been hanging over her had somehow disappeared. Just as Jiang Mian was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard, "Relax a little."
Immediately afterwards, a pain in my ankle that was more intense than the previous ones came.
Before he could even utter a sound.
The sprained area has actually healed!
"Try it, see if you can still walk."
Shen Ji spoke softly.
At the same time, he withdrew his hand from her ankle.
Jiang Mian subconsciously moved, stepped onto the ground, and looked up in disbelief: "It's okay, it's really okay."
"Thank you, cousin."
Shen Ji withdrew his gaze, still maintaining his calm demeanor: "Get a good rest tonight, and I'll take you down the mountain tomorrow."
"……yes."
As Jiang Mian watched his retreating figure, she couldn't help but touch her nose. For some reason, she felt that her older cousin wasn't as averse to people getting close as Granny Xin had said.
Instead...
There was an indescribable loneliness and indifference about him, like a deep pool of water, and no one knew what was hidden inside.
The backyard of Jing'an Temple.
As the snowflakes fell, Yun Qing followed behind Shen Ji. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Why didn't you make a move just now, young master?"
"If she finds out who you are, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Yun Qing, you have overstepped your bounds."
The black boots made a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the snow.
Shen Ji stopped in his tracks, his voice cold and deep.
Yun Qing sighed. He was just a servant and had no right to interfere in his master's affairs, but he wanted to ask why the young master treated the Fifth Miss differently. Did she have something that could help them?
Yun Qing pondered for a long time, and suddenly remembered something: half a year ago, when the Fifth Miss entered the mansion, it was Cui Xuezhong who went to meet her.
No wonder the young master suddenly brought the fifth young lady with him.
It turns out that the young master's profound plans were a misunderstanding on his part.
Shen Ji ignored Yun Qing's words. When he drew his sword just now, he did not know that the person was Jiang Mian.
He was just a little confused. It was clearly the first time he had met Jiang Mian, so why did she seem somewhat familiar? Those red-rimmed eyes seemed like he had seen them somewhere before.
Suddenly, I felt a headache coming on.
Yun Qing noticed something was wrong with him and her heart tightened: "Is your headache acting up again, young master?"
He quickly helped Shen Ji into the house, took out the medicine he carried with him, and watched Shen Ji take it before he breathed a sigh of relief.
The night is long.
Jiang Mian was a little bored. The night at Jing'an Temple was very quiet. She had just returned from the front courtyard and should have been missing her mother, but for some reason, all she could think of was Shen Ji's indifferent appearance.
From his appearance to our unexpected encounter.
She seemed to have completely failed to keep up with the advice given by Granny Xin to stay away from him.
Her intuition told her that her eldest cousin was different from everyone else in the Shen family. He seemed to be hiding some secret, isolating himself from everyone else, and she should stay away from him as well.
But what she is doing now seems to be contrary to her original purpose.
Jiang Mian rubbed the corner of her eye, suddenly feeling a little worried.
She didn't want to pry into other people's secrets; she just wanted to live a peaceful life.
Once she leaves Jing'an Temple, she will definitely stay far away from him.
As Jiang Mian pondered these chaotic thoughts, her eyelids grew heavy. It had been many years since she had stayed out alone again, with Yunji by her side and only the occasional unpleasant cawing of crows.
Several hours later.
A faint red light appeared on the horizon. Jiang Mian was still asleep when she heard someone calling outside.
"Fifth Miss, it's time to go down the mountain."
So early!
Instantly, all her drowsiness vanished. She quickly got up, tidied herself up as fast as she could, and then opened the door. It was frosty all night, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the ground.
Yun Qing smiled at her: "I have already informed the old lady. If Miss Wu has nothing else to do, you can leave now."
Jiang Mian nodded blankly, walked to the carriage from yesterday, hesitated for a moment, and then got on.
As expected, Shen Ji had been waiting here for who knows how long. He was still wearing the same cloak as yesterday. Jiang Mian looked at his collar with a guilty look in her eyes. The place where she had crumpled it yesterday was now clean and without a trace.
Jiang Mian silently withdrew her gaze, her palms becoming slightly damp.
For some reason, it seemed that all her thoughts could be seen through in front of Shen Ji. If it weren't for the fact that there was only one carriage to take her down the mountain, she really wouldn't want to share a room with him.
"Didn't sleep well?"
Caught off guard, the man spoke slowly.
Jiang Mian subconsciously looked up, and those probing eyes were looking right at her. Her heart tightened, and she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet: "N-nothing."
I slept okay; at least I didn't have any nightmares.
Shen Ji calmly withdrew his gaze, not taking her nervousness to heart. The road down the mountain was quiet. In the carriage, one person sat on the innermost side and the other on the outermost side.
This was probably the most difficult time of her life. Usually, when she went out alone, she liked to lift the curtain and look at the scenery outside. Now that there was someone else with her, she didn't know what to do.
He simply lowered his head and fiddled with the handkerchief in his palm.
The grass and trees were gray and white, and the mountains were desolate.
Yun Qing sat in front of the carriage, holding the reins in his hand. A crow flew across the horizon and landed on the bare, cold branch at the front. The wind flowing through the mountains suddenly changed direction.
A cold arrow pierced the sky.
The change happened in an instant, so fast that Yun Qing had no time to react and instinctively swung his sword to block.
"An assassin!"
Inside the carriage, Jiang Mian was startled and before she could react, a hand suddenly pulled her into an embrace.
Her heart raced as she looked at an exceptionally handsome face before her.
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