Just as Ji Zhuo was about to advise Lin Xihe to make a quick and decisive decision, he heard Ling Xue respectfully announce from outside the door, "Miss, the young lady has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's surprised gaze instantly fell on Ji Zhuo, her eyes filled with suspicion, and she questioned, "What have you done?"
As if her thoughts had been read, Ji Zhuo looked away guiltily, not daring to meet her gaze.
Before Ji Zhuo could respond, Lin Xihe put down her fan and hurriedly got up to check.
The group stopped in front of Ji Zhuo's door, not daring to enter. At that moment, Tang Bao was nestled peacefully in her wet nurse's arms, sleeping soundly.
When Ling Shuang and her wet nurse saw Lin Xihe approaching, they immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Miss."
"Why did you bring Tangbao back again?"
Seeing Lin Xihe's surprised expression, Ling Shuang quickly explained, "Lord Ji said that the young lady would be staying at the Ji residence for a few days, so he sent us with Tang Bao. Lang Yue said it was the young lady's idea."
Ling Shuang understood that this was probably Lang Yue relaying Lord Ji's words, rather than her own young lady's instructions.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's lips twitched slightly, revealing a helpless yet amused bitter smile. She turned around and glared fiercely at Ji Zhuo.
Ji Zhuo, however, acted as if nothing had happened, looking straight ahead and deliberately avoiding looking in his direction, pretending that nothing had occurred.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe could only instruct, "Go and take Tangbao to sleep first."
Lin Xihe led the group to the house where Tang Bao was staying. After carefully settling Tang Bao in, she returned to Ji Zhuo's side.
Upon seeing Ji Zhuo, she couldn't help but complain, "You're such a dog."
Ji Zhuo was still feigning innocence, responding with a wronged expression: "Why are you swearing... What kind of young lady acts like this?"
Lin Xihe grew angrier the more she thought about it, and raised her voice, saying, "I just picked Tangbao up this morning, and you've brought her back again in the blink of an eye! You..."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently patted Ji Zhuo's back.
At this, Ji Zhuo immediately cried out in pain, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and his face was filled with agony.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe quickly explained, "I didn't use any force."
Seeing that Ji Zhuo seemed to be in a lot of pain, she felt sorry for him and couldn't help but lean over and gently blow on his wound. Her tone became gentle: "Next time, discuss it with me in advance and don't make decisions on your own."
Taking the opportunity, Ji Zhuo feigned pitifulness and complained, "Well, there aren't any maids in my courtyard, and Lang Feng and Lang Yue are clumsy and rough. Can you trust them to take care of me?"
Lang Feng, who was outside, heard this and looked at his hands with a puzzled expression: "Am I clumsy with my hands?"
Lin Xihe retorted, "Isn't there also Doctor Tao?"
Ji Zhuo persisted: "Tao Musheng has other things to deal with. He's not just good at medicine; he has a lot to do."
Lin Xihe knew that even if he brought up Ji Zhuo's mother again, he could find other excuses.
After being separated for so long, it's only natural that he's reluctant to part ways now that they've finally reunited.
Thinking of this, Lin Xihe reluctantly compromised: "I'll stay here, but I need to go out for a bit right now."
She had just asked Ling Shuang and learned that Xu Qi and Mo Wusheng were waiting outside and had not entered the Ji residence.
She first needed to appease Xu Qi to prevent him from filing a complaint, and more importantly, she needed to find Gu Qinghuai and tell him what His Majesty had said that day.
Ji Zhuo did not ask Lin Xihe where she went. He knew in his heart that she must be going to find Gu Qinghuai.
So he earnestly advised, "Xi'er, hesitating when you should make a decision is not good for him either."
Lin Xihe pursed her lips upon hearing this, recalling Ji Zhuo's previous vow that he would never let go and that they would live in hell together.
However, Lin Xihe had important matters to attend to and didn't have time to argue with him about these things.
Lin Xihe instructed Mo Wusheng to wait at the Gu residence, while she herself returned to the Lin residence with Xu Qi.
The atmosphere was somewhat somber throughout the journey, with only the sound of carriage wheels rolling.
As soon as he stepped into the Lin residence, Xu Qi couldn't help but ask, "Miss Lin, did Miss Ling say today that you would be staying at the Ji residence for a while?"
Lin Xihe remained calm and patiently explained, "Yes, Lord Ji was injured because of me, and I need to take care of him for a few days. Mu Ruoyan's conditions do not prohibit me from doing so."
She was relatively polite to Xu Qi, after all, she knew he was acting under orders.
Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of sadness flashed in Xu Qi's eyes, and he asked softly, "Is the young lady merely keeping her promise to my master?"
The atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward after those words were spoken.
Upon hearing this question, Lin Xihe hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and remained silent.
For a moment, silence fell between the two, and a stifling atmosphere filled the air.
After a long while, Xu Qi broke the silence again: "Miss, you didn't conceal it well. Today, I have already written to the Third Prince."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe subconsciously touched her neck, her face filled with surprise and panic.
She never expected that Xu Qi would actually tell Mu Ruoyan about this.
And so quickly!
"What? You told him?" Lin Xihe's eyes widened, and her voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, anger and helplessness intertwined in her eyes.
“It is my duty, Miss, you may punish me.” Xu Qi said, kneeling down respectfully. But his submissive appearance was extremely irritating to Lin Xihe at this moment.
Lin Xihe felt a chill run down her spine when she thought of Mu Ruoyan.
This Mu Ruoyan's style of doing things is always unpredictable and difficult to judge using ordinary thinking. The key is that his martial arts skills are too strong, making people unsure of his true strength.
She was internally cursing, wondering how she had gotten herself into such a troublesome situation. Xu Qi's report was bound to cause more trouble, pushing her into a corner. She felt a tightness in her chest and was so angry she felt like she was about to vomit blood.
"I'm so angry!! Are you afraid I'll live too long?" Lin Xihe couldn't help but complain.
"Please punish me, young lady, or you may dismiss me."
When Xu Qi's voice came, Lin Xihe felt her head buzzing.
Get rid of him? Easier said than done. He could commit seppuku in a heartbeat. If Mu Ruoyan arrives and finds no one there, wouldn't he be in an even worse situation?
Left with no other choice, Lin Xihe had to compromise: "You can stay in the manor. I'm at the Ji residence, so you can't go in. I'll be back in six or seven days, but you can't go out."
Her tone was full of helplessness, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Young Master Yan instructed his subordinates to protect the young lady attentively." Xu Qi remained steadfast in his duty.
"Ugh... My head hurts."
Lin Xihe felt that the person in front of her was really stubborn and there was nothing she could do about him.
She practically spat out the words through gritted teeth: "Don't push your luck. I'm perfectly safe in the Ji residence. I won't leave the house. You can come and get me when I return."
Then, she raised her voice and emphasized, "It's settled then, there's no room for discussion!"
Finally, Lin Xihe sent Xu Qi to the west courtyard, while she anxiously waited for Gu Qinghuai in the courtyard.
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