Chapter 95 A dog that seemed like a family member
Brilliant fireworks soared into the sky and bloomed in front of the two.
Xie Qi and Jiang Zhi admired the view for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, they gently lowered her down from the rooftop.
"I'll be busy packing before I leave, so I might not have time to come see you," Xie Qi said shyly, touching the tip of his nose. His dark eyes shone brightly in the lamplight. "Can I... can I hug you? Just as a farewell gift for me."
Looking into his expectant and eager eyes, Jiang Zhi ultimately didn't say no, but instead took a step forward.
This is a deserted alley next to the main street. Right now, everyone's attention is drawn to the grand fireworks, and no one is paying any attention to this place.
Xie Qi nervously swallowed, then pulled Jiang Zhi into his arms.
Her unique, delicate, and sweet fragrance was like the most soothing antidote in the world. He tightened his arms, buried his chin in her neck, and breathed deeply, almost greedily, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
Jiang Zhi let him hold her.
The boy was already a head taller than her. He bent down and hugged her tightly, like a loving dog, his embrace warm and sincere, as if he wanted to hang himself on her.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but think.
That's good; time can make people forget everything.
Perhaps by the time he returns, she will already be married.
But through Xie Qi's broad shoulders, her gaze fell upon an extremely familiar figure.
She was instantly stunned.
The tall, slender figure stood in the darkness, his long blue robe slightly faded from washing, covering his thin but not frail frame. Half of his face was hidden in shadow, flickering in and out with the explosions of fireworks overhead.
He stood there, his dark, deep gaze fixed on her, like a bamboo stalk weathered by frost.
Jiang Zhi never expected to see Shen Ci'an here, especially in such an awkward situation.
The rabbit lantern in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," but she didn't care and hurriedly pushed Xie Qi away.
Xie Qi was unaware of the commotion behind him and said in a muffled voice, "Don't rush, let me hold you a little longer before I take you back."
Jiang Zhi dared not delay any longer and whispered, "Young Master Xie, someone is coming."
Xie Qi paused for a moment before letting go. When he turned around and saw Shen Ci'an in the shadows, he showed no intention of avoiding suspicion. Instead, he hugged Jiang Zhi even tighter and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Lord Shen actually has such leisure time that he comes to stroll through the lantern festival alone." He touched his back teeth with the tip of his tongue.
Why does Shen Ci'an always have to ruin his plans?
Jiang Zhi wished she could cover his mouth.
She and Shen Ci were already engaged, and the current situation was just like her husband being unfaithful outside and being caught red-handed by his wife.
But the mistress didn't know how to restrain herself and even dared to provoke the wife.
How is she supposed to explain this?
Shen Ci'an didn't even glance at Xie Qi, but stared at Jiang Zhi and said calmly, "It's late, I've come to take you back to the manor."
Because of the lantern festival tonight, he deliberately did not stay in his study late at night as usual, and finished drafting the memorial early.
Unexpectedly, when she went to find Jiang Zhi, she heard from Qing Xing that Jiang Zhi had left with Xie Qi very early in the morning.
"No need for Lord Shen to trouble yourself with that. I will naturally be responsible for sending the people I brought back to the manor." Xie Qi put his arm around Jiang Zhi's shoulder tightly.
Shen Ci'an still ignored him, his meaningful gaze from the shadows carrying a hint of accusation as he stared intently at Jiang Zhi. "Do you want to go back with me?"
"What does Lord Shen mean by this?" Xie Qi was very dissatisfied with his act of snatching people in the street.
He naturally knew Shen Ci'an's feelings for Jiang Zhi.
But everyone is competing fairly. Why does Shen Ci'an treat him like he doesn't exist and coerce Jiang Zhi in front of him?
"General Xie will soon be setting out on a campaign. Instead of preparing the army, you're here strolling through the lantern festival. Aren't you afraid that His Majesty will find out and reprimand you for neglecting military affairs?"
A single sentence was enough to change Xie Qi's expression.
After coercing Jiang Zhi, now they're coercing him.
Xie Qi let out a cold laugh from his chest, "Lord Shen, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, is not doing his job, yet he comes to meddle in the affairs of my Marquis of Wuyi's mansion."
"Having received the emperor's bounty, I must be loyal to him; naturally, I must share His Majesty's burdens." Shen Ci'an was not intimidated at all.
"If I insist on taking Miss Jiang away, what will Lord Shen do?" Xie Qi smiled wickedly, and stepped forward to block Jiang Zhi's view.
Shen Ci remained calm and composed, saying, "No matter how high General Xie's position and power are, he should have asked Miss Jiang's wishes."
The hustle and bustle of the main street seemed to be isolated by an invisible barrier, one side sharp and aggressive, the other as steady as a rock, silently confronting each other.
The stalemate between the two left Jiang Zhi at a loss for what to do.
Since Shen Ci'an had secretly arranged a marriage with her, she naturally couldn't abandon him and Xie Qi to leave.
But Xie Qi was about to go to war, and she did not want to disrupt the morale of the army.
Jiang Zhi had no choice but to tug at Xie Qi's sleeve, looking at Shen Ci'an with a hint of pleading, "I'm hungry after being out for so long, how about we go get something to eat first?"
Jiang Zhi never imagined that the three of them would end up sitting in front of a small wonton stall.
Because everyone was out watching the excitement, the wonton stall wasn't doing well. Apart from their table, there were only two customers in the corner.
The wonton stall owner was an old woman with a blue cloth handkerchief wrapped around her neck. She was hunched over, but her hands and feet were very nimble. She quickly served each of them a bowl of wontons.
The steam carrying the aroma of scallions and bone broth immediately whetted Jiang Zhi's appetite.
She looked up at the two people beside her.
Shen Ci'an skillfully took out a cloth and used his long, slender fingers, which should have been used to grind ink for a pen, to wipe the porcelain spoon clean for her.
Xie Qi, on the other hand, sat with his legs spread wide, completely unconcerned about the cramped and simple wonton stall, and took a sip from the bowl.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but smile.
I almost forgot that this prince was used to living a life of hardship in the military camp since he was a child. He was not the kind of pampered and spoiled young master from a noble family.
The two of them surprisingly didn't argue, allowing Jiang Zhi to quietly finish her wontons.
Jiang Zhi then used the excuse of needing to digest her food to say that she would walk back home.
Xie Qi naturally wouldn't let Jiang Zhi and Shen Ci'an go back alone. He abandoned the carriage and, together with Shen Ci'an, escorted Jiang Zhi from either side.
Along the way, Xie Qi mocked Shen Ci'an, sometimes saying that he came to pick him up but didn't even send a carriage, and sometimes saying that he was scheming and had a dark heart despite his honest appearance.
Shen Ci'an's attention was always on Jiang Zhi, like a magnanimous first wife, unmoved by the provocations of others.
Jiang Zhi was extremely annoyed, and the three of them finally arrived at the gate of the mansion.
Before Jiang Zhi could even tell Xie Qi to go back first, Qing Xing, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed up to greet her, her eyes filled with panic.
"Miss, something terrible has happened! Master just sent someone to deliver a message, asking you to return to the manor immediately tomorrow."
Jiang Zhi anticipated that it wouldn't be anything good.
Sure enough, Qingxing continued, "Young Master Ningzheng instigated Master to move Madam's memorial tablet out of the Jiang residence!"
"What?" Jiang Zhi's eyes suddenly turned sharp.
She has been busy dealing with Yan Wenhong these past few days and hasn't been paying attention to the Jiang family.
Jiang Ningzheng actually dared to set his sights on her mother!
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