Jiang Chuting had good eyesight; he vaguely recognized the person being surrounded as the young father he had encountered earlier.
His martial arts skills were lacking, and he was subdued by several people, carried away in a certain direction. Jiang Chuting and Jiang Xian flew down and chased after him, but they quickly lost track of him after a few leaps.
Although they were quite far apart, their agility made it impossible for them not to catch up. There was only one possibility: the person had already been hidden nearby.
Jiang Chuting and Jiang Xian scanned the surroundings intently, finally focusing their gazes on the grand mansion in front of them. Above the entrance, three large characters were inscribed: Changliu Manor.
As the two drew closer, Jiang Xian asked with some confusion, "Is this the place? Could it be that Qiao Xun is going to arrest someone?"
Jiang Chuting pondered for a moment, about to speak, when he caught sight of a familiar figure in purple robes sweeping across the street—it was Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi's eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Chuting. She landed steadily in front of him and grabbed his hand. "Chu Ran, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Chuting grasped his hand in return and explained why they had come here. Lin Zhi, upon hearing this, exclaimed in surprise, "What a coincidence? I felt bored without you, so I came out for a stroll. I only came here because I saw someone being held hostage." He glanced to the side, read the words aloud, and whispered, "Changliu Manor? Are they from Changliu Manor?"
Jiang Xian crossed his arms and hesitated, saying, "Changliu Manor has always had a good reputation, so they shouldn't arrest people without reason. If they really have some grudges, it's not appropriate for us to interfere."
Jiang Chuting said, "I've met the person who was arrested, Lin Zhi and I. He had a child who was about four years old with him."
"Children? I didn't see any children just now." Jiang Xian had barely finished speaking when Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi looked towards the gate of Changliu Manor. A short while later, the gate was opened from the inside, and a young man with delicate features and an extraordinary demeanor, dressed in wide-sleeved clothes, hurriedly stepped out. He smiled and began to say from afar, "I was unaware of your arrival, sir. I have failed to greet you properly."
All three of them watched him approach quickly with a group of servants. Jiang Chuting thought to himself that if he wasn't mistaken, this person was Qiao Xun, the master of Changliu Manor.
As expected, Jiang Xiandao said, "Master Qiao..."
Qiao Xun was overjoyed and greeted him warmly, "Brother Jiang, it's been a long time."
When Jiang Xian last came to Jiangling, Qiao Xun was only about ten years old. It was a bit of a surprise that Qiao Xun could still recognize him at a glance after so long.
Qiao Xun smiled and said, "I just heard from my servant that there were people outside the manor. I had a feeling about it, so I came out to see for myself. Luckily, I didn't disturb our distinguished guest. I wonder when Brother Jiang will arrive in Jiangling? How are Uncle and Aunt doing? I heard my mother mention the other day that she hadn't seen Brother Jiang in a long time. She'll be so happy to see you here."
He was so warm and polite that anyone who didn't know them would think they were very close. Jiang Xian chuckled and said, "I just arrived today. They are all fine. Thank you for your concern, Madam Qiao."
"That's good." Qiao Xun smiled, his bright black eyes then turning to Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi. "These two are Jiang's friends, right?"
Jiang Xiandao: "Yes."
Qiao Xun smiled and said, "Guests are welcome. Tomorrow is my son's one-month celebration. Why don't the three of you come with me to the manor for the night, so we can all enjoy the festivities together tomorrow? Although my manor is simple, I will certainly not treat you poorly."
Lin Zhi didn't want to stay at all, but since Jiang Chuting didn't speak, he remained silent.
Jiang Xian pondered for a moment, staring at the expression on Qiao Xun's face, and said, "Master Qiao, to be honest, we came here after seeing someone being taken hostage, but we lost sight of them once we got here. I wonder if Master Qiao has noticed anything unusual?"
Qiao Xun looked surprised: "Is that so? I was just busy preparing for tomorrow's banquet and didn't notice anything else." After a moment's thought, he turned around and whispered to the servant behind him, "Go and have someone investigate."
The servant acknowledged the order and left. Qiao Xun cupped his hands and said, "I will handle this matter. Please rest assured, it is late and cold. Please come in with me."
Jiang Chuting, who had been watching him without saying a word, smiled slightly and said without refusing, "Then I will trouble Master Qiao."
Qiao Xun smiled again: "Not at all, please."
Qiao Xun personally arranged three rooms for them before leaving.
Jiang Chuting watched his retreating figure for a while, and then the three of them gathered in the same room.
Jiang Xian swirled his teacup and asked, "Have you figured anything out?"
“Flawless, nothing can be discerned.” Lin Zhi then asked Jiang Chuting, “Chu Ran, what about you?”
Jiang Chuting: "Nothing unusual." Qiao Xun was gentle and refined, and his manners were impeccable. On the surface, there was no sign of anything amiss.
But on a whim, he decided to go out for a walk later.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Jiang Xian glanced at Jiang Chuting with mixed feelings, then got up and went back to his room, leaving only Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi in the room.
Lin Zhi leaned closer and sniffed Jiang Chuting, then asked him face to face, "Have you been drinking?"
"I drank a little."
Lin Zhi looked aggrieved, hugged his waist, and leaned against him, humming, "Tell me, you haven't had a drink with me in ages. I'm angry, coax me."
"You're being all cute again." Jiang Chuting ruffled his hair and said with a smile in a low voice, "I'll accompany you next time."
Lin Zhi lifted her face from his embrace, "Is that all? But I want more from you, will you agree?"
Although Jiang Chuting felt a little uncomfortable, she still gazed at his face and said softly, "How could I refuse anything you want?"
Lin Zhi felt a surge of heat spreading through her chest. Her bright eyes met his gaze for a moment before she slowly straightened up and kissed him deeply.
Only a dim lamp remained in the room. Jiang Chuting helped Lin Zhixian onto the bed, sat down beside him, and said, "I'm going out for a bit. Can you stay here by yourself?"
Lin Zhi said, "I knew you would go. Be careful."
Jiang Chuting chuckled, "Don't worry."
Just as Jiang Chuting stood up, Lin Zhi grabbed him and asked, "You're going like this? At least change your clothes or cover your face." As she spoke, she reached out and covered half of his face, leaving only his eyes exposed, to see how it would look. Unexpectedly, while holding this position, she stared at half of his face in a daze.
Those beautiful eyes, calm yet filled with a gentle and peaceful power, were clearly Chu Ran's eyes, but for a moment, he suddenly thought he was seeing someone else.
"What's wrong, Lin Zhi?" Jiang Chuting found his reaction a little strange and blinked lightly.
Lin Zhi's fingertips twitched slightly before she abruptly pulled them back, feeling quite annoyed. She laughed and said, "No, nothing, I was just staring at you in a daze."
Damn it, he actually mistook Chu Ran for that annoying guy. It reminded him of the last time he'd vaguely mistaken that guy for Chu Ran.
But these two are worlds apart, how could they possibly resemble each other?!
Jiang Chuting, unaware of his inner thoughts, grasped his hand and said, "Don't worry, I won't let anyone find out. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, he walked to the window, gently pushed it open, and leaped into the darkness.
Lin Zhi sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, resting his chin on his hand for a long time before regaining his senses. He finally concluded that he must have lost his mind to have made the same mistake twice. He absolutely couldn't let it happen again.
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