At this moment, the officials saw the raging fire that Lang Yue had specially lit in front of the gate, with flames shooting into the sky and reddening half the sky. They knew that something serious must have happened, so they rushed over.
When the newcomer stepped forward, Ji Zhuo whispered a few words to the head constable.
The constable nodded repeatedly, then waved his hand, and the constables behind him quickly dispersed and began to deal with the corpses lying haphazardly in an orderly manner.
Lin Xihe let out a soft sigh, her voice tinged with exhaustion. She raised her hand to gently wipe the fine beads of sweat from her forehead, her gaze still fixed on Sun Ningxiang's wound. After confirming that everything was alright, she slowly said, "Lang Yue, move the screen away. It's all done."
When Ji Zhuo entered the room again, he saw Lin Xihe's face was ashen and her lips were bloodless. He stepped forward and held her hand tightly to comfort her.
Then, facing Sun Ningxiang, who was groaning in pain on the bed, he bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Thank you for your help, Miss Sun. It was truly our presumptuous visit that brought you such an undeserved disaster, and I feel extremely guilty. However, the matter is urgent, and I have important matters to attend to, so I cannot stay here any longer. Please rest assured, if you have any needs in the future, I will do my utmost to assist you to the best of my ability."
"You're leaving?" Sun Ningxiang's eyes widened in astonishment, seemingly not expecting Ji Zhuo to suggest leaving at this moment.
"Yes, I have carefully instructed the constables outside, and they will arrange for someone to come and take good care of you immediately. They will definitely protect you. However... I am very sorry, the maids around you... have all met with misfortune." Ji Zhuo looked reluctant and his words were full of apology.
When Sun Ningxiang heard her maid mentioned, she paused for a moment, then her eyes reddened, and two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks, wetting her pillowcase.
“They have followed me since childhood, enduring hardships and toil with me in this rural area. Just when things were starting to look up, they ended up like this.”
She choked back tears, her voice trembling, and her hands unconsciously gripped the blanket tightly.
"Miss Sun, I'm so sorry for this tragedy." Lin Xihe was filled with remorse, her eyes reddening slightly as she bit her lower lip and spoke softly.
Sun Ningxiang seemed lost in her own grief, ignoring Lin Xihe's apology, and continued, "Young Master Ji, to be honest, I am the daughter of Sun Mozhi, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. It was only because my father remarried and married my mother's close friend that I was so angry and had a fierce argument with him, which is why he sent me here in a fit of anger."
As she said this, her gaze was fixed on Ji Zhuo, as if she hoped to glean something from him.
Ji Zhuo, however, showed no reaction upon hearing about her background.
Sun Ningxiang paused, took a deep breath, and said, "I had hoped to settle down in this remote place, but now all my loved ones have left me. I really don't want to live like this anymore. Young Master Ji, please take me back to the capital and help me establish myself again in my hometown."
Upon hearing this, Ji Zhuo understood that she might have had this intention from the beginning when she risked her life to save him, but the fact that she had actually taken an arrow for him was an undeniable act of kindness.
Lin Xihe knew that the female lead would eventually return to the capital, but she didn't expect that she would do so through Ji Zhuo. She couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, but given the life-saving grace, such a request was not unreasonable.
Lin Xihe could only tell herself not to overthink it and to leave the matter to Ji Zhuo.
"Xi'er, shall we have Lang Feng arrange for Miss Sun to return to the capital?" Ji Zhuo asked cautiously.
He knew that Lin Xihe would not want him to have too much involvement with Sun Ningxiang, but since he had promised to repay her, he had to take some action.
Lin Xihe was about to agree when she heard Ji Zhuo's arrangement, but Sun Ningxiang spoke first.
"Can't I come with you? Miss Lin and I are about the same age, and we can look after each other if we travel together. Lang Feng is a man, which is inconvenient for him." Sun Ningxiang looked at Lin Xihe with pleading eyes, her words earnest.
Hearing this, Lin Xihe thought to herself that the ancients were indeed very concerned about the separation of men and women. Although she herself was not bound by this, she still had to consider the reputation of other women.
Seeing that Lin Xihe didn't immediately refuse, but only looked hesitant, Sun Ningxiang pressed her advantage and said, "I was abandoned here by my father for many years. If I want to go back now, my reputation will probably be..."
“Miss Lin, even if you return with me, with those three officials accompanying you, A-Zhuo and I will be getting married after we return to the capital. This is fine for me, but it will ultimately be detrimental to your reputation.” Lin Xihe pondered for a moment, then turned to Lang Feng. “Tomorrow, find some skilled maids to escort Miss Sun back. Our carriage is moving slowly, so you can catch up with us on horseback later.”
"Yes, young lady," Lang Feng replied respectfully.
Ji Zhuo had previously instructed them to obey Lin Xihe's orders. Lang Feng was secretly pleased, as this arrangement suited his wishes perfectly, thus avoiding the awkwardness of traveling with Sun Ningxiang.
After all, men and women are different, and traveling together would be inconvenient and could easily cause gossip. This way, they can avoid such situations.
Sun Ningxiang wanted to speak again, but when her gaze swept over Ji Zhuo, she saw that his eyes were fixed on Lin Xihe the whole time. The concern and affection in his eyes were endless, straightforward and ardent, which made her heart clench, and she could only swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
A deep sense of resentment and bitterness welled up in my chest, but I could only force myself to endure it.
Her gaze involuntarily fell on the warm jade pendant at Ji Zhuo's waist, and in an instant, long-forgotten memories surged back.
At that time, her mother had just passed away. She was still young, filled with grief and stubbornness. In a fit of anger with her father, she ran out of the house, wanting only to go to her mother's grave to seek some comfort, but she got lost in the mountains.
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