Qi Huaiyu immediately looked wronged and said urgently, "How could I think that!"
He turned to Xin's father, his words earnest, "Uncle, I'm more worried than anyone about Jiuwei! What good will it do me if she doesn't come back? But..."
"Stop spouting your hypocritical nonsense!" Xin Yunzhou interrupted him directly. "I don't care about reputation or anything like that. I just want my sister back!"
Xin Xiyao nodded. If it were the day Xin Jiuwei disappeared, they might still have some concerns, but she has been missing for several days. What does reputation matter now?
Father Xin paced back and forth a few steps with a heavy expression, then said to Qi Huaiyu, "No matter what, Jiuwei was in the same car as you when this happened. I'm reminding you today that once Jiuwei is found, whatever rumors or gossip you hear, whatever you think, you must suppress them! Even if something happens to a girl of the Xin family, it's not something you can disdain."
Upon hearing this, Qi Huaiyu's eyes flashed with a smug look, a natural expression of triumph upon realizing his scheme had succeeded.
But her face showed fear and anxiety, and then she firmly assured him: "Uncle, Jiuwei is innocent and straightforward. The opinions of outsiders will not affect her in my heart in the slightest. I would never think that way!"
Mr. Xin waved his hand, "Alright, everyone get out of here. Don't make a pointless argument."
"I'll go back up the mountain to look again." Qi Huaiyu said anxiously, bowed, and left in a hurry.
Just as Xin Yunzhou was about to leave, his father called out to him, "Come back."
“I know you’ve always disliked Qi Huaiyu,” Father Xin said to the two siblings. “But things have come to this point. Jiuwei’s reputation is probably ruined. No matter what, he’s very talented. Jiuwei used to like him too. Let’s just leave it at that.”
Xin Yunzhou said, "But my sister doesn't like him now!"
"We'll talk about the rest later," Mr. Xin waved his hand. "Let's find them first."
Xin Yunzhou stormed off, and Xin Xiyao hesitated for a moment before turning back to look at her father.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but when she met Xin's father's gaze, she fell silent, bowed, and left.
Before the Spring Banquet, she had argued with her father. Later, when she talked to her sister about it, she was able to guess what her father was thinking from her sister's words.
On the one hand, the father still had some trust in Qi Huaiyu, and on the other hand, since his younger sister had always been devoted to Qi Huaiyu, he naturally believed that his sister was not entirely indifferent to Qi Huaiyu now.
On the other hand, the father was also compromising. What he feared was that after he passed away, no one would support the Xin family, and no one would be able to protect her and her sister.
Xin Xiyao sighed and went out to look for the person.
That night, Xin Jiuwei woke up from her sleep and heard the faint sound of wind and rain.
The calls of partridges mingled with the wind and rain, starting with a single call, pausing briefly, and then two more short calls.
Xin Jiuwei sat up abruptly, staring nervously at the door.
—They've arrived.
Jueming is waiting for the right person, the right time.
Xin Jiuwei quietly walked to the door, but hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.
In this life, she has only met Jueming three times. Even her feigned weakness might not be believed by him. If she were to go out now and discover his secret, would she still be alive?
However, if we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to get close to Jueming again, and it will be even more difficult to gain his trust.
Xin Jiuwei closed her eyes and carefully recalled the information she knew from her previous life.
Then, feeling a pang of sadness, he finally made up his mind and quietly pushed open the door.
It's raining again, and the crabapple blossoms in the yard have been knocked down by the rain.
Only a very dim lamp was lit in the room where Jueming lived, and his hazy shadow was reflected on the window paper. There was no one else in sight.
A black raccoon with white spots on its front paws waded through the rain and hid under the eaves. Xin Jiuwei quickly walked over and picked it up. The raccoon struggled warily for a moment, but Xin Jiuwei pressed it firmly into her arms.
The raccoon's sharp claws scratched across the back of her hand. Xin Jiuwei endured the pain and gently stroked its head to comfort it.
She then quietly went to the window and listened to the conversation inside.
There was indeed a second person inside.
"...Danzhou...no news...perhaps they've already set sail..."
Hearing the keywords faintly, Xin Jiuwei steeled her heart and put her hand into the cat's mouth.
The raccoon instinctively bit Xin Jiuwei's finger, causing her to cry out in pain.
The talking inside the room stopped abruptly, and shadows flickered.
The flickering candlelight cast Jueming's shadow long and distorted, making him look like a fearsome monster.
The door was suddenly pushed open, a long sword was drawn and placed against Xin Jiuwei's neck.
Xin Jiuwei fell to the ground in a panic, her face pale with fright, unable to speak as she looked at the assassin in front of her.
The assassin glanced coldly at the fleeing cat, then looked at Xin Jiuwei, "What did you hear?"
The little girl in front of me seemed to be terrified, trembling all over, unable to utter a single word.
Jueming slowly stepped over the threshold and looked down at Xin Jiuwei.
“I…” Xin Jiuwei seemed to find her voice only now, “I heard the sound of rain…I saw, I saw this little raccoon dog, and I was afraid of it…afraid that it would get wet in the rain.”
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, as if she were terrified. "I didn't hear anything, Master, I don't know anything!"
The assassin looked at Jueming.
He concluded that she was a foolish, silly girl; how could someone who truly hadn't heard anything react this way?
Jueming looked at Xin Jiuwei quietly.
A blinding flash of lightning illuminated his face for a moment.
So handsome and refined, yet Xin Jiuwei only saw the murderous intent in his eyes.
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