It was pouring rain, and night had fallen early. The young men and women who had successfully descended the mountain all went home.
Only Wang Qing was extremely anxious, and Liu Qi and Yuan Xiaoshi were also really worried. The girls in the carriage were all waiting at the teahouse at the foot of the mountain.
Wang Qing paced anxiously, "We left one after the other, why hasn't Miss come down yet?"
"Don't worry," Liu Qi comforted her. "With such heavy rain, the driver must be walking more carefully."
Just then, Yuan Xiaoshi suddenly exclaimed, "Someone's coming down!"
The group stood up and saw two figures approaching from the distant mountain path.
Yuan Xiaoshi was stunned. "What is this?"
The figure stumbled closer; it was Xin Jiuwei's carriage driver, who was also helping the disheveled Qi Huaiyu.
Both of them were soaked. Qi Huaiyu was no longer the elegant gentleman he usually was; his clothes were covered in mud, and it was hard to tell whether his hands were covered in blood or mud.
"Heavens above, what's going on?"
Where is my young lady?!
Qi Huaiyu looked very weak, with his brows furrowed, but he still tried to break free from the driver's support and walk back.
"Jiuwei, Jiuwei, she..."
But his voice was hoarse, making it difficult for him to speak.
Wang Qing asked anxiously, "What's wrong, Miss?"
The coachman explained, "We were halfway there when the horse suddenly went berserk, and Miss...Miss fell off the carriage!"
Wang Qing felt dizzy and her face turned pale instantly. "Then why did you all come down by yourselves!"
"Do you think we didn't try?" the coachman said. "That horse went berserk, and Miss fell off unexpectedly. We were so far away in the carriage that it was only a matter of seconds! Later, I had no choice but to abandon the carriage and go back to look for Miss, but the rain was too heavy and it was too dark. Miss must have rolled down the cliff and we couldn't find her at all!"
Wang Qing's vision went black, and she fainted.
The young ladies hurriedly caught the person.
Yuan Xiaoshi said, "Then you can't just come back like this! It's so dangerous up in the mountain, and Xin San is a young girl, she..."
"I had no choice!" the coachman said in despair. "We abandoned the carriage and jumped off. Young Master Qi is seriously injured, and I can't go to find Miss with him in my arms."
Liu Qi sighed and pulled Yuan Xiaoshi back.
"Alright, let's squeeze in and take Young Master Qi and Wang Qing back first. We need to hurry and report to the Xin residence."
"Yes, yes, hurry up!" Yuan Xiaoshi urged. "The longer Xin San stays on the mountain, the more dangerous it becomes. Let's go back and call for help!"
The teahouse was full of young ladies, who had no other choice but to help the coachman hurriedly lift the person into the carriage.
Qi Huaiyu was extremely weak, yet he still murmured, "Jiuwei, quickly save Jiuwei..."
After everyone boarded the car, another young lady remarked, "Although it seems like they're having a disagreement today, Young Master Qi still cares a lot about Sister Xin."
Yuan Xiaoshi scoffed, "What's the use of worrying about this now?"
The coachman sat outside the carriage, glanced back at Qi Huaiyu, and suddenly remembered Xin Jiuwei's words before she fell off the carriage, and Qi Huaiyu's reaction to seeing his mistress fall off the carriage without offering any help. A strange feeling rose in his heart, but he hesitated for a while before saying nothing.
The rain had lessened a bit, and Mount Chongwu was now completely shrouded in darkness.
Xin Jiuwei lost consciousness for a moment when she rolled down. Rainwater mixed with mud got into her eyes, making it impossible for her to open them.
She tried to move her body, but her limbs were in excruciating pain. She could only remain in the same position for a while before she could barely lift her hand and wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
In the hazy vision, there was only the bamboo forest shrouded in darkness, with a faint glimmer of moonlight visible in the distance.
Xin Jiuwei is in the midst of a high-stakes gamble.
But a gamble is a gamble precisely because no one can truly predict the outcome.
She knew that Qi Huaiyu and Xie Changjing would tamper with her carriage, and she could also turn the tables and seize the opportunity to deliberately let go and trick Qi Huaiyu.
She even noticed the direction out of the corner of her eye and let go of the carriage before it completely veered off the only road down the mountain.
But she couldn't guarantee how badly she would fall, nor could she be sure that Jueming would pass by.
Xin Jiuwei tried to move her body. She couldn't just sit and wait to die. If she didn't encounter Jueming, she would have to walk back on her own.
She exhaled and was about to get up when she suddenly heard faint voices.
It came from the hillside not far above her head.
Xin Jiuwei held her breath and listened intently for a moment, then weakly uttered, "Help..."
After calling out several times, the voices disappeared.
The sound of the rain disturbed her, and the people above probably didn't hear it either.
Xin Jiuwei frowned, thinking to herself that she wasn't very lucky.
Oh well, it was just a ruse anyway, a chance to run into him by chance. The fact that Qi Huaiyu abandoned her was enough for her to make trouble for him when she got back.
Just as Xin Jiuwei was about to give up, she suddenly heard footsteps.
The rain overhead disappeared, falling onto the oiled paper with a sound like pearls and jade.
A pair of boots stopped in front of her, and the hem of a monk's robe was faintly visible in the darkness. Xin Jiuwei raised her head with difficulty and saw a pair of compassionate black eyes under the umbrella.
Xin Jiuwei smiled weakly, "Master, what a coincidence..."
Before she could finish speaking, she turned pale and fainted.
The rain gradually stopped, and Yingzhou City was shrouded in darkness, with only the lanterns hanging in front of each gate faintly shining.
A group of people hurriedly got off the carriage in front of the Xin residence. The servants of the Xin residence ran down the steps, and everyone hurriedly carried Wang Qing inside.
Xin Xiyao waited at the door and saw Qi Huaiyu being helped in by others. She asked anxiously, "Where is Jiuwei?"
After riding down the mountain alone, Xie Changjing came to bother Xin Xiyao, still harboring a desire to watch the show. Upon hearing this, he asked gleefully, "Right, where is Miss Xin? Is she scared out of her wits and hiding in the carriage, too afraid to get off?"
Xin Xiyao frowned, and walked towards the carriage without even looking at him.
Liu Qi, her face pale, said, "Sister Xin, quickly send someone up the mountain! Xin San is missing!"
Xin Xiyao was stunned, her face suddenly turning pale: "What?"
Liu Qi briefly explained the situation. Xin Xiyao swayed, but managed to stand up and quickly turned around to give instructions.
"Go tell Father, Uncle Xin, to send someone up the mountain immediately! Oh, and..."
She paused, then said to the ladies, "Ladies, let's not make a fuss about what happened today."
Yuan Xiaoshi glanced at Xie Changjing beside him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
With so many people seeing this, and Xie San, that big mouth, still around, what's the point of them not making a fuss?
But she didn't say that Xin Jiuwei's safety was more important at this moment.
Xin Xiyao quickly made some arrangements, picked up the lantern, and headed out.
"Xi Yao! Where are you going?" Xie Changjing quickly pulled her back.
Unexpectedly, Xin Xiyao, who was usually tolerant, forcefully shook him off and turned back to give him a cold look.
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