Chapter 18
The next day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.
It snowed silently all night, leaving a thin layer of white on the doorway.
Jiang Mian wore a light pink silk dress with a rose-red cloak over it. The hood was wide and covered her head, making her face look even more delicate and petite.
"Miss, you forgot your purse!"
Yunji caught up from behind. Jiang Mian paused, touched her waist, and found it empty. She turned around and took the purse from Yunji's hand.
"Miss, are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?"
Yunji was still a little worried and looked at her with concerned eyes.
"It's alright, I can manage on my own. Besides, my grandmother is in the temple. You keep an eye on the people in the courtyard for me, and make sure they don't do anything while I'm not here."
Jiang Mian smiled.
Yunji nodded. A few days ago, Madam Jiang suddenly put several maids into their room. Yunji observed for a few days and found that one of them was always acting suspiciously. She dared not be careless and had not taken her eyes off her for several days.
No abnormalities have been detected so far.
However, it's hard to guarantee that there won't be any oversights.
Thinking of this, Yunji placed the package in Jiang Mian's hands and solemnly said, "This servant will definitely fulfill Miss's request."
The snow stopped, and the wind picked up again.
The snow in front of the steps was blown away. Jiang Mian turned around and unexpectedly saw a familiar carriage. Yun Qing was leaning against the side with his sword in his arms in front of the carriage, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Jiang Mian pursed her lips and slowly walked forward.
As she looked at the carriage that was completely covered up, that aloof, saintly face involuntarily came to mind.
She paused slightly before calling out, "Cousin."
"Come on up."
The voice, devoid of emotion and as calm and detached as ever, sent chills down Jiang Mian's spine. For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of unease.
She clenched her fingers and slowly boarded the carriage.
The carriage moved smoothly, but the spacious carriage that usually seemed so cramped today. Jiang Mian quietly raised her eyes and saw that Shen Ji had his eyes closed. She was secretly relieved and became bolder in her gaze.
The young man wore a brocade robe and a jade belt, had a face like jade, long eyebrows that reached his temples, and thin lips. However, his temperament was indifferent. Jiang Mian rarely met such a cold person, as if there was very little that could interest him.
Desire, greed, craving.
She rarely saw these common human emotions in him.
Suddenly, Shen Ji's eyelashes fluttered, and Jiang Mian felt a sudden pang of guilt, instinctively looking away.
She never looked him in the eye.
The curtain was lifted slightly, and the snow outside was compacted by the carriage wheels. The snowy road was difficult to travel, and the carriage swayed and rocked. Jiang Mian's gaze seemed to fall on the book, but her mind was elsewhere.
The space inside the carriage was already cramped, and if Jiang Mian were not careful, the hem of her skirt would touch the corner of his clothes. She glanced at him secretly and saw that the pink and white skirts overlapped and swayed, which unexpectedly gave off a sense of harmony.
Jiang Mian subconsciously curled her lips into a smile, seemingly in a very good mood.
Suddenly, Yun Qing, who was driving, gave a soft rebuke. Jiang Mian was lost in thought and didn't notice, so she lost her balance and fell forward.
Without time to think too much, she instinctively grabbed the item in front of her. The commotion outside seemed to have not yet subsided, and the swaying carriage was unstable. Jiang Mian held tightly to the only thing in front of her that could keep her steady.
Unexpectedly, a familiar scent reached my nose.
She was startled, then startled again.
Suddenly realizing something, Jiang Mian clenched her fingers, and in her haste, she grabbed her cousin's leg.
The touch under my palm felt unfamiliar.
Beneath the clothes, his legs were strong and powerful, unlike his cool and refined temperament. The dormant power was wrapped in boots, covered by a layer of white. This contrasting appearance made Jiang Mian's ears suddenly feel hot.
After a moment, she looked up in a flustered manner, seemingly at a loss for what to do: "Cousin, I didn't mean to."
The young man's brows furrowed slightly, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable, as if he could see right through her thoughts. After a long while, he parted his thin lips slightly and spoke in a clear, cold voice: "Yun Qing."
"I failed to notice; there is too much snow ahead, so we need to take another route up the mountain."
A gust of wind blew in some fine snow. As Yun Qing finished speaking, the heat in Jiang Mian's ears seemed to subside a little. She was still holding Shen Ji, intending to let go, but in the instant she bent her fingertips, she accidentally brushed against his skin through her clothes.
Jiang Mian was taken aback and subconsciously looked up.
The young man's face showed little expression, as if he didn't take it to heart.
Jiang Mian withdrew her hand and sat up steadily.
The sensation in my palm was subtle and unfamiliar, as if it lingered and I couldn't quite describe it.
Jiang Mian couldn't help but lift the curtain, regaining some of her composure. However, she still carefully observed the man's expression out of the corner of her eye.
Although she had acted hastily just now, deep down she was reluctant to let go.
After all, such a noble and aloof person wouldn't show any extra emotion even if she protected him. She suddenly wanted to see him lose control.
She seems to be losing control of her heart more and more.
Her thoughts drifted away with the wind, and Jiang Mian focused her gaze on the snowy scenery outside, thus failing to notice the unfathomable gaze of the man beside her.
Although Shen Ji's face remained expressionless, his heart was not as calm as before. He looked at Jiang Mian. She seemed to have really not done it on purpose, but he secretly thought, how wonderful it would be if she did it on purpose. That way, she would be deliberately seducing him, instead of him having fantasies on his own, and he would not have such an absurd dream.
Shen Ji's brow furrowed slightly, and he loosened the collar around his neck. He closed his eyes and silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra several times before suppressing the strange emotion he had felt earlier.
...
The mountain road was neither long nor short; after about half an incense stick's time, the carriage stopped.
Jiang Mian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lifted her skirt and jumped down. The fresh and natural air outside seemed to suppress her wild thoughts.
She smiled and turned around, saying, "Cousin, I'll go in first."
“…Hmm.” Shen Ji nodded.
Immediately, Jiang Mian ran inside, asked the young novice monk, and then looked somewhat disappointed.
Her timing was unfortunate; Master Jingchan was giving a lecture at Yunfeng Temple next door. Her grandmother had gone the day before yesterday, and the young novice monk said he wouldn't be back for a few more days.
Jiang Mian nodded and handed the sewn knee pads and hand warmers to the young novice monk, asking him to pass them on to his grandmother.
Only then did he kneel down before the Buddha and donate some money for incense.
“Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha will surely see your sincerity, benefactor.”
The young novice monk spoke gently beside her. Jiang Mian blinked, hoping it was true. Then, she bowed again before the Buddha.
The young novice monk led her to the meditation room in the backyard. Jiang Mian suddenly realized something and turned to ask, "Where is my brother?"
"That benefactor is already resting in the meditation room."
Jiang Mian said "Oh," and the young monk said he still had things to do, so he escorted Jiang Mian to the meditation room and left in a hurry.
After everyone left, Jiang Mian touched her waist and was stunned. The purse that Yun Ji had hung on her waist when she left in the morning was gone.
She searched every possible place, but found no trace of him.
The only thing missing was the Buddhist shrine from before.
Before it got dark, Jiang Mian turned and walked towards the Buddhist hall.
**
"Young master, we've found out that the Feng family sided with the Crown Prince three years ago."
The secret letter was engulfed in flames, but in a short while it turned into a pile of ashes, which were scattered by the wind without leaving a trace.
Inside the meditation room.
Shen Ji's expression was indifferent, his jade-like profile hidden in the shadows, the light and shadow falling on his brow bone, adding a touch of mystery. He pushed open the window, and the sky outside was already tinged with a dim light.
It got dark.
"Continue to send people to monitor the situation, and report back immediately if there is any news."
"Yes." When it came to business, Yun Qing also put away his usual jokes. He straightened his expression and continued, "There is one more thing. I found out where Cui Xuezhong was last seen, but when our people went there, he was already gone."
"In addition, Song Mingyan also made a move. He followed closely behind us and almost caught Cui Xuezhong. Fortunately, my subordinates were prepared and prevented him from succeeding."
Shen Ji's expression remained calm: "Leave some people in Yangzhou, and the rest will split into three groups and continue south."
Yun Qing pondered for a moment and then understood.
Heading south was a smokescreen; Yangzhou was the final destination.
Sun Yuan's ancestral home was in Yangzhou. He came to the capital to escape the war, but he was lucky enough to be favored by the Crown Prince of Yong'an and kept as a follower. He was shrewd and good at disguising himself. In his early years, he had learned some skills by struggling in the streets. Now, he was like an eel in the crowd, making people helpless.
Given enough time, he was confident he could find the person.
But Song Mingyan is hot on their heels, and they must find him before he gets ahead.
After reporting the matter, Yun Qing left.
The wind was a bit cool, and it extinguished the embers in the charcoal stove.
Shen Ji closed the window and sat upright on the couch. A few wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner. There were no lights in the room. The pale moonlight shone down, as if coating his body with a layer of holy light.
Suddenly, he got up and walked outside.
**
Inside the Buddhist hall.
Jiang Mian searched the whole area carefully but couldn't find the purse. She bit her lip in frustration. Although the purse was an ordinary item, it was a woman's personal possession. If someone with ulterior motives picked it up, it would probably cause trouble.
That's why she rushed to look for him, only to find him empty-handed.
Jiang Mian lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized that the bump on the carriage earlier might have caused it to be lost at that time.
I can ask my cousin about it when I return tomorrow.
She felt a little more at ease and was about to go out when she heard some filthy words before she even saw anyone.
"How disgusting! This is a sacred Buddhist sect, a place of pure cultivation. Aren't you afraid of being punished, sir?"
"If anyone's to blame, it's you. You called me here for this very reason."
"My lord... please be gentle, it hurts..."
Jiang Mian suddenly froze on the spot. Not far away, the door was being pounded on and was shaking loudly. The two people seemed to disregard everything and were entangled and hiding behind the Buddha statue.
Jiang Mian's eyes widened slightly. Apart from the day she accidentally stumbled upon Feng Liangyu's affair, this was the second time today. Unlike that day, the two of them were completely absorbed in their own world today, seemingly unaware that there was a third person in the hall.
Jiang Mian tried to slip away quietly, but the next moment, a hand suddenly reached out from behind the curtain and she was pulled away by a great force.
Then, the scent of sandalwood wafted over her, and a fingertip with distinct knuckles gently touched her lips.
Be quiet.
He didn't speak, but mouthed the words.
Jiang Mian looked at him in surprise and shock.
What's my cousin doing here?
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