Chapter 20 Detesting the Unfaithful "My sister did nothing wrong, and Miss Xie didn't either..."
"I need to see my cousin! All of you, get out of my way!"
The four men guarding the door exchanged bewildered glances at the spoiled young lady. Finally, one of them stepped forward and said, "Miss, the eldest young master has instructed you not to leave here."
"If there's anything you need to say, let the servants do it for you."
Although this young lady's surname is not Pei, she was, after all, someone the eldest young master specifically instructed them to take good care of, so they should still show her some respect.
But Lin Zhi refused: "Do you think you can listen to what my cousin and I say?"
"No! Let me out! I want to see my cousin in person!"
"this......"
The guards exchanged glances and then sent one of them to ask Pei Lang for instructions.
After closing the courtyard gate, Lin Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had a good plan in mind: as long as Pei Lang agreed, she could take the opportunity to run away on her way to Lanxue Pavilion by pretending to have a stomachache and go to see a doctor!
This was the most perfect solution Lin Zhi could think of at the moment, but when the courtyard gate was knocked open, the joy on her face froze instantly.
"It's rare for my cousin to take the initiative, and I didn't want to trouble you, so I came myself."
"Speak your mind."
Pei Lang stood outside the door, his tall and slender figure incredibly pleasing to the eye. However, Lin Zhi had no mind to appreciate him at the moment. She bit her lower lip, wanting to close the door, but was stopped by a large hand.
"The sun is scorching today, and I would like to ask my cousin for a cup of tea. I hope my cousin will not refuse."
Although he spoke politely, Pei Lang's actions were anything but polite. He ignored Lin Zhi's reaction and went straight in.
Chun Tao was quite frightened by her instructions and was somewhat at a loss, but Lin Zhi calmed herself down and asked her to prepare tea, while she hurriedly returned to her bedroom.
After Pei Lang had looked around the room with great interest, Lin Zhi finally arrived late, bringing a complete set of elaborate tea utensils and sitting down at the small table.
Seeing that it was the only set of Dongqing glaze in the capital that he had sent not long ago, Pei Lang became more patient and sat down opposite her.
I've sent Lin Zhi a lot of things these days, but I don't know if he's too afraid or if he's playing hard to get, because he refuses to bring anything to her. This is the first time he's done this.
Watching the girl's slender, pinkish fingers deftly dance among the teaware, Pei Lang suddenly felt that even this celadon glaze seemed somewhat unworthy of her; he should find something better...
"hiss!"
Pei Lang was just lost in thought when he heard Lin Zhi cry out in pain. She seemed to have lost her focus as well, and a few drops of hot water accidentally spilled onto the back of her hand, which turned red in the blink of an eye.
"Cousin! You've been staring at me the whole time, I can't concentrate!"
"You're not allowed to look anymore!"
Seeing the little girl quickly pull her hand back, Pei Lang chuckled, slowly closed his eyes and obediently stopped looking at her, agreeing verbally but his ears twitched slightly.
While Pei Lang had her eyes closed, Lin Zhi quickly took out a small paper packet containing the calming powder that the doctor had prescribed for her during her nightmare. It was extremely effective, and she fell asleep after drinking it for less than half an incense stick's time.
Carefully pouring the powder from the paper packet into a teacup, I hurriedly dissolved it in water. "Cousin, please have some."
Looking at the slightly cloudy color of the tea in the cup, Pei Lang raised an eyebrow and picked it up: "My cousin's tea ceremony... is quite unique. I've never drunk tea like this before."
Feeling incredibly guilty, Lin Zhi simply smiled and looked at her expectantly.
Her almond-shaped eyes shone with a light she herself was unaware of. Pei Lang raised her sleeve to cover her face and slowly savored every last drop.
Seeing the empty teacup, Lin Zhi quickly took it and wanted to pour him another cup, but she only saw that Pei Lang was already having trouble keeping his eyes open. He was supporting himself on the small table with one hand, his long, dark eyes slightly closed, looking like a leopard taking a nap.
"Cousin...cousin?"
Lin Zhi walked to Pei Lang's side, called his name twice in a low voice, and nudged him. Pei Lang leaned against her shoulder.
The young man was tall and had long legs, almost pressing Lin Zhi down as well. It took a lot of effort to push him down onto the small table. Lin Zhi looked at him, slightly out of breath, and quickly got up to call for help.
"Quickly, call the doctor! My cousin has fainted!"
Upon hearing that the young master had fainted, the guards outside rushed in and methodically sent someone to fetch a doctor while they themselves went to check Pei Lang's breathing.
Lin Zhi stopped them, saying, "You're just servants; how could a doctor listen to you!"
"I'll go myself!"
“But…” The guards exchanged glances, still remembering their young master’s instructions, and dared not let anyone leave without permission.
Lin Zhi stamped her foot anxiously: "What time is it? If something happens to my cousin, do you guys even care about your lives?!"
Looking back at the motionless young master, the head gatekeeper had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree to let Lin Zhi go.
Only after Lin Zhi left with her maid did the "sleepy" Pei Lang straighten up, coldly kicking each of his subordinates: "Have you all grown brains?"
"You were fooled by a little girl like that?"
"If a young woman can run away so brazenly right under your noses, what kind of tasks can we expect you to do in the future?"
The group of people squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands, waiting for their fate, but Pei Lang had no time to care about them. He was holding a crumpled note in his hand, which was clearly the one that Lin Zhi had taken out of the pastry!
Staring at the handwriting and the agreed address, Pei Lang's brows furrowed into a deep frown. Without a moment's hesitation, he left the mansion and headed towards the Dali Temple.
"Miss, this is the outskirts of the capital. Miss Xie invited you to meet here. Will something go wrong?"
Lin Zhi gently patted Chun Tao's hand to comfort her: "I trust Xie Jin not only because I know her identity, but also because she looks very much like my older sister who died young."
"It's a pity I was too young then, and I watched helplessly as my older sister was deceived by a man and eloped, losing her life."
“The Lin family never allowed me to mention it, but I will never forget that before my sister left me a bag of loose silver and a plate of sweet cakes.”
"My elder sister is not wrong, Miss Xie is not wrong either, the one who is wrong is the heartless man in the world!"
Seeing Lin Zhi's red and moist eyes, Chun Tao belatedly realized why her young mistress was so insistent.
After giving the driver money, the two walked toward the small courtyard. From the outside, it looked like it had been abandoned for a long time and no one lived there, but when they pushed open the door, they found that there was a hidden world inside, but no one had appeared yet.
Lin Zhi clutched the silver notes and valuables in her bundle, along with the dagger hidden in her sleeve, and slowly walked inside. She wanted to persuade Xie Jin to go back, but if the scholar was a good person, she was willing to lend them a hand.
"Ah Zhi!"
A familiar female voice came from the thatched hut. Seeing that Xie Jin had become thinner in just a few days, Lin Zhi's eyes were filled with heartache. She quickly took Xie Jin's hand and asked with concern, "Is it because that person is treating you badly?"
"Ouch! That hurts..."
Xie Jin's pained expression seemed genuine, and Lin Zhi quickly lifted her sleeve, revealing several gruesome wounds!
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