"Chengli?" Upon hearing this, Marquis Zhongyi frowned immediately. After thinking for a moment, he ruled it out: "It can't be him. He has official duties to perform. If he were to return to the capital, he would surely have to report to the court. I haven't received any news from him."
"What if the imperial court ordered him to conceal his whereabouts?" Cen Ying asked another question.
Marquis Zhongyi shook his head again: "It can't be him even more. The court ordered him to conceal his whereabouts, proving that this mission is a very important secret. How could he rashly barge into this shop and be seen by his eldest daughter-in-law? Wouldn't that reveal his whereabouts?"
Just when the Jiang family was at their wits' end, someone came to report: "Reporting to the Marquis and his wife, the Third Madam has been found, and she is near the Marquis's residence."
Everyone was startled and immediately rushed to the Marquis's residence.
"Wanying, it's good to be back. Are you injured?" Cen Ying got off the carriage and happened to see her. She immediately went over to check on her carefully.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk." Marquis Zhongyi patted his wife on the shoulder.
The Jiang family members completely surrounded Xu Wanying as she entered the Marquis's residence, and soon their figures disappeared from sight.
This time, Jiang Chengli used the courtyard wall of a nearby house to conceal his figure. He peeked out slightly and looked at the group of people with a somewhat greedy expression.
He even saw Wei Sheng walking alongside Jiang Jinyu. A fifteen-year-old boy should be full of vigor, but Wei Sheng seemed somewhat dull. Despite being so tall, he unconsciously hunched over, as if standing up straight to show his true height would be a huge mistake.
Jiang Chengli's eyes were slightly red, his whole body was trembling, his legs were weak, and he could hardly stand.
My little brother was actually recognized and brought back!
He had overheard Xu Wanying's conversation with the system before, but he couldn't believe it at the time. Now that he saw it with his own eyes, he was convinced that it was real.
It was only because Xu Wanying informed on him with a note that the real Jiang Chengyi was able to return, and the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion was no longer occupied by a bastard.
He couldn't help but laugh; at least since he came back, things hadn't all been bad as usual, and he had finally encountered a great piece of good news.
If a passerby were to see a man wearing a straw hat crying and laughing, and trembling all over, they would probably be terrified and would want to stay far away, for fear that he had a relapse.
Before Jiang Chengli could recover from his excitement, he suddenly felt his mind go black. He then composed himself, turned around, and ran quickly in another direction.
When he came to his senses again, he found a young woman standing in front of him.
"Brother Dazhuang, where did you go just now? I think I saw you in the East Alley. I kept calling you, but you disappeared as soon as I turned around. Did I see wrong?" The woman spoke softly, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on him, as if a clear spring had flowed into his heart, making him feel good.
This woman was Xing Xiaoya. When Jiang Chengli saw her, the expression on his face softened automatically.
"Why did you go out? Wangjing is full of royal relatives and nobles, and there are many spoiled brats who rely on their status to act arrogantly. If they see you, they might bully you with malicious intent."
His tone softened, and he instantly transformed from someone aloof to a gentle and approachable older brother.
If Xu Wanying saw him like this, she might spit on his face a few times.
That bastard, he's got a knack for changing his expression.
Xing Xiaoya didn't realize he was changing the subject. Seeing how concerned he was about her, she blushed instantly and couldn't help but lower her head, revealing her beautiful profile and showing him her most attractive side.
"I was just so worried about you. You've been gone for so long and haven't come back yet. Wangjing is so dangerous. What if you offended someone powerful? That's why I thought of going out to look for you. But don't worry, I know what's important. I haven't gone far!" Xing Xiaoya raised her hand and lifted a strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear. It was a completely unintentional gesture, yet it was incredibly beautiful.
He held his hand with his other hand, his expression revealing deep concern.
Jiang Chengli closed his eyes and noticed his heart racing and his ears burning, as if he was about to fall for the person in front of him. He immediately bit his tongue hard and then quickly pulled his hand back.
“If you’re going out, tell me first next time, and we can go together. You must be tired after a long day. I’ll go boil some water.” After saying this, he immediately turned and left, as if he were running away.
Xing Xiaoya watched his impatient back and a smile immediately appeared on her face. She thought to herself: This rich young master with amnesia is obviously a simple person. He is so shy and easy to manipulate.
Once Jiang Chengli was out of Xing Xiaoya's sight, he immediately bent over and began to gag. There was nothing in his stomach to vomit, but he couldn't stop, and even vomited bile.
It wasn't until half a cup of tea had been brewed that he shakily stood up and slowly walked towards the kitchen.
The afterglow of the sunset lengthened his silhouette. He saw himself in the shadow, his back hunched and his waist stooped, lacking any spirit or vigor, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
At this moment, he was in even worse condition than his younger brother, who had been abused in the Wei family for fifteen years.
Jiang Chengli fetched a basin of water and put his hands in it, scrubbing them incessantly as if he wanted to scratch them until they bled.
***
Inside the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence, the Jiang family members were all immersed in the joy of their lost possession being recovered. The women pulled Xu Wanying around to check her over, afraid that she might be injured. Only after confirming that she was unharmed did they finally feel relieved.
"Sister-in-law, which thief kidnapped you? You better not let me know, or I will definitely kill that despicable bastard who will die without having any descendants!" After relaxing, Li Chunlan couldn't help but curse the thief.
Marquis Zhongyi couldn't help but chime in, "Yes, Third Brother's wife, do you remember what he looks like? Or what his features are? After we catch this little thief, we'll not only deal with him, but also raze his ancestral graves. With such an unfilial descendant, there's no need to preserve the ancestral graves!"
Xu Wanying lowered her head slightly, and when she raised it again, her eyes were completely red.
"Father, Mother, I've seen my husband!"
"Huh?" The Jiang family members were all slightly taken aback.
"Where did you see it?" Cen asked.
“The man who kidnapped me is my husband. Although he denies it, I will never mistake him! I just don’t understand why he won’t acknowledge me as a stranger!” Xu Wanying said resolutely.
The system started yelling again: [Ahhh, host, are you crazy?! Why are you saying these things in front of the Jiang family again? I'm here to share the gossip with you, not to spoil it for them!]
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