Song Jiyun had a good plan, but actually sneaking out of West Ridge Villa wasn’t an easy matter.
Firstly, she was at West Ridge Villa for the first time and wasn’t familiar with its interior layout. Secondly, her current condition was dreadful. At times she felt as if she were in the Flame Mountain, her vision blurring from the intense heat; at other times, it seemed as if waves of magma were churning in her heart, searing her inside out, making her want to rip her clothes off to cool down.
She cursed under her breath a few times.
Once she caught the person who had drugged her, she would make that person taste this torment.
Song Jiyun gasped for breath, finally tugging at the collar of her clothes before darting along the wall to the next courtyard.
The adjacent courtyard was deserted.
It seems the arrivals also wanted to avoid suspicion.
This made it easier for her to escape.
From the wing room she had escaped, there came muffled noises of commotion.
It seemed that people had discovered her absence.
Song Jiyun didn’t dare to be careless and scurried out of the adjacent courtyard, crouching low.
But when she looked up, she saw someone guarding the Moonlight Gate not far away.
Song Jiyun thought for a while, then doubled back to the back courtyard.
Amitabha, there was a small, black-lacquered door in the back courtyard.
Behind the door was an alleyway.
The alleyway was empty.
She gently closed the black-lacquered door and darted out of the alley.
Outside, the area was planted with Xiangfei Bamboo and there was a winding path leading to an unknown destination.
Song Jiyun carefully wove through the bamboo forest and soon saw a pavilion.
The pavilion, with its green tiles and red pillars, was furnished with stone tables and benches. To the left was a small path similar to the one she had arrived on; to the right lay a walkway paved with green stone slabs.
Song Jiyun began to see double again as the burning sensation returned.
She steadied herself against a bamboo shoot by the path, rubbed her eyes, and listened for any sounds in the vicinity as she pondered which way to go next.
In a former life, many real estate agents had marketed various properties to her.
Among them were several villas that occupied dozens of acres and were imitations of ancient Jiangnan architecture.
The designers had once shown her the blueprints, explaining that these Jiangnan-style villas were designed for landscaping. Though it seemed like there were flowers, plants, and trees everywhere, and the viewer wouldn’t know where they were no matter which door or window they looked from, ultimately, for the comfort of living, all houses faced south, so if you walked south, you’d surely find the main gate, and if you went north, you’d definitely find the back gate.
Song Jiyun judged her direction and staggered down the green stone pathway.
However, the pathway was eerily deserted, and not a soul was in sight. She kept her head down and jogged along because the roadside was lined with towering ancient trees, which made her "patter patter" footsteps particularly loud.
Song Jiyun was worried someone might hear the noise and come chasing after her.
Yet she felt like a fish thrown onto dry land, not only extremely thirsty but also dizzy from dehydration. She had to remain vigilant, occasionally glancing around or looking back.
Song Jiyun felt she had never suffered this much in her entire life.
But in the moment she looked back, she suddenly ran into someone.
Song Jiyun was terrified out of her wits.
There had clearly been no one there just a moment ago...
She was hit so hard her head buzzed, and her vision grew even blurrier.
"I’m sorry!" she apologized repeatedly, gasping for air, and prepared to run.
But the person she had collided with grabbed her arm.
Song Jiyun’s scalp tingled with fear, and she bit her lip hard to refrain from letting out a scream.
Yet the person holding her said in a deep voice, "What happened?"
It was Yuan Yunzhong!
Why would he be here?
As the thought streaked through her already muddled mind, Song Jiyun had no time for further contemplation, and she swiftly clutched at what seemed like a lifesaving straw, grabbing tightly onto the arm of the person before her.
"Yuan Yunzhong!" she cried out in panic, managing only to say "I..." before her vision darkened and she lost consciousness.
*
When Song Jiyun opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on an unfamiliar bed.
Through the curtains embroidered with cordyceps, she could see an octagonal palace lantern with red tassels hanging near the head of the bed.
Her heart tightened.
Turning her head, she sighted Yuan Yunzhong, leaning over the head of her bed.
The dim light of the palace lantern cast a peaceful glow on his tranquil face, his black eyebrows as soft as feathers.
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but stir.
Yuan Yunzhong abruptly lifted his head, his eyes spilling cold light like lacquer, startling Song Jiyun.
"You’re awake!" he said indifferently, the chill in his eyes dissipated in an instant, returning to his usual aloof demeanor.
Gathering her wits, Song Jiyun asked, "Where am I?"
A sachet with begonia patterns hung at the corner of the canopy, the scent of lilies wafted to her nose, and she was dressed in clean, fine cotton underwear made of san-shu cloth, covered with a Lake Silk quilt embroidered with branch folding flowers.
Yuan Yunzhong seemed unconcerned as he said, "We’re at an inn. You looked too frightening, and I feared your mother would worry too much, so I settled you here and sent word to your mother that there was an issue at the kiln factory and you would be staying there for a few days."
As he finished, he called out "Liu Zi."
Liu Zi responded but did not come in; instead, after a while, Xiang Zhan brought in a bowl of soup.
"Miss!" she said, her eyes reddened, "You’ve finally woken up! Drink this sobering soup quickly!"
As she spoke, she also expressed disapproval of the people from the porcelain guild, "No matter what, you’re still a young lady; they could have been a bit more considerate. If Young Master Yuan hadn’t brought you back, who knows what state they would have gotten you into by drugging you!"
That is to say, Yuan Yunzhong had given Xiang Zhan a different explanation.
Song Jiyun looked towards Yuan Yunzhong.
Yuan Yunzhong pursed his lips, saying nothing.
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but smile warmly and said softly and sincerely, "Thank you!"
Yuan Yunzhong waved his hand dismissively and stood up.
Xiang Zhan, in her haste, set down the "sobering soup" and helped Song Jiyun up.
Such minor matters Song Jiyun was accustomed to handling on her own.
She tried to sit up but realized her limbs were still weak and her body powerless.
She had no choice but to let Xiang Zhan help her to sit against the headboard and, with Xiang Zhan’s assistance, she drank the soup without changing her expression, gulping it down.
The bitter taste was clearly not that of any sobering soup.
Xiang Zhan explained, "They said you had too much to drink and were poisoned. This was prescribed by a doctor; the sobering soup is mixed with medicinal herbs."
Afterwards she fed her a piece of rock candy, quickly glanced at Yuan Yunzhong, and told her in a low voice, "It was Young Master Yuan’s instruction."
Song Jiyun was surprised.
Could it be that Yuan Yunzhong was actually so attentive?!
Xiang Zhan smiled as she carried the bowl away.
Song Jiyun once again thanked Yuan Yunzhong and inquired about what had happened, "How did you bring me out?"
Yuan Yunzhong scoffed coldly, his handsome face looking frosty under the warm light.
"It was Registrar Wang," he said, "all of Prince Ning’s smuggled porcelain comes from Jingde Town, and the Changjiang Inspectorate is rotten to the core, from top to bottom they are all corrupt. Registrar Wang stumbled upon this and not only did he fail to report it, but he also colluded with the Inspectorate.
"This time he got caught by the Inspector General’s men. He somehow heard that Magistrate Jiang is Lord Huang’s junior and, noticing that Magistrate Jiang had praised you several times, thought that Magistrate Jiang fancied your looks. Knowing that Magistrate Jiang was also entertaining guests at West Ridge Villa, he used discussing the kiln factory raid as an excuse to summon you there, drugged you, and planned to offer you to Magistrate Jiang."
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