Xue Xingyue didn't know if it was because she saved Jiang Xiuyi that Jiang Xiuyi became dependent on her, but all the way, Jiang Xiuyi followed her closely.
Since the carriage had been left behind in the swamp, they were now walking entirely on foot.
Xue Xingyue felt completely unaccustomed to this. Back when she was in Zhen Wu Guan, in order not to be ostracized by the army, she had trained alongside the soldiers. Even after returning to the capital, she hadn't given it up. Although she hadn't been training vigorously, she still practiced her martial arts every day upon waking.
Now, she was fine, but some people in the group could no longer endure. Jiang Xiuyi directly sat on the ground, and Yu Yan beside her was not faring any better.
Meng Jiangming gave the order to make camp here and continue the journey tomorrow.
Xue Xingyue found a stone to sit on. She wasn't one of Meng Jiangming's people, so she didn't have to help with setting up camp.
Suddenly, she felt someone approaching. She turned around and saw Jiang Xiuyi cautiously walking towards her.
Yu Yan, having discovered Jiang Xiuyi was gone, was frantic. Upon seeing Jiang Xiuyi with Xue Xingyue, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Yu Yan walked over and asked, "Miss, do you want to sit here?"
Jiang Xiuyi nodded. Seeing this, Yu Yan said with some guilt, "Xiao Yue, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on Miss Jiang. I... I need to..."
Yu Yan's face was flushed with embarrassment. She hadn't dared to relieve herself all the way, especially with so many people around. After what happened, she was even more afraid to go. Now, she felt like she was about to explode. Coincidentally, Jiang Xiuyi was willing to sit with Xiao Yue.
Xue Xingyue sensed Yu Yan's difficulty and nodded, "Okay."
Yu Yan thanked her profusely and then left.
Jiang Xiuyi sat obediently beside her, gazing into the distance. Xue Xingyue didn't speak to her. Whether Jiang Xiuyi was truly mad or not, she didn't care. She had saved Jiang Xiuyi simply because she didn't want to be tormented by her conscience.
After waiting for a long time and not seeing Yu Yan return, Xue Xingyue became concerned. It had been so long? Could something have happened?
Just as Xue Xingyue was thinking this, there was a commotion ahead. Jiang Xiuyi suddenly ran forward, "You don't run."
Xue Xingyue also got up and followed Jiang Xiuyi to the front, only to find Yu Yan lying naked on the ground.
She froze. She didn't need to imagine what Yu Yan had experienced. There was no one else around, so the culprit must be one of the people here.
"Ah..." Jiang Xiuyi covered her head and screamed loudly.
Meng Jiangming walked out of his tent. Seeing this scene, his face turned as black as ink. He ordered Meng Lie Leng beside him, "Investigate. Find the murderer."
Normally, if a maid died, she died. But now was not the time. After the swamp incident, although there seemed to be no impact, everyone was actually at their breaking point.
Moreover, after walking so far, their willpower had been worn down. Today they could rape a maid, and tomorrow they could kill someone with a knife. This was no trivial matter.
There was still some time before reaching the capital. Continuing on with a murderer was not a good plan. Therefore, Meng Jiangming's actions were correct.
However, his subordinates thought Meng Jiangming was somewhat unfeeling, considering it was just a maid.
The killer was not easy to find. Even after questioning everyone, the murderer's whereabouts were still unknown. By evening, Jiang Xiuyi had no maid to attend to her. Meng Jiangming, still mindful that Jiang Xiuyi was his cousin, allowed Jiang Xiuyi to share his tent.
Xue Xingyue slept not far from the tent. Torches provided light, and as the night deepened, the surroundings gradually quieted down. She also closed her eyes.
In her dream, she saw her Imperial Brother looking at her in blood-soaked clothes. She wanted to grasp her Imperial Brother's hand, but in the end, she couldn't.
"Imperial Brother..." Xue Xingyue suddenly opened her eyes. Her heart was still pounding wildly. Fortunately, although it was close to Meng Jiangming's tent, it was farther from Meng Jiangming's men.
Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound, and even a faint sob. She got up and looked towards the sound. She saw one of Meng Jiangming's subordinates behind a tree, pinning someone down and hastily pulling down his pants.
Xue Xingyue frowned. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly turned and saw those eyes, exactly the same as in the swamp.
"Miss Jiang?" Xue Xingyue said.
The person on top trembled all over and quickly got up. Xue Xingyue saw Jiang Xiuyi, disheveled and tear-streaked.
Xue Xingyue's gaze turned cold. She looked at the man and angrily said, "How could you bully someone who can't fight back?"
The man shook his head, "No... I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Xiuyi, who was lying on the ground, suddenly snatched the sword from his hand and stabbed the man to death.
Xue Xingyue was stunned. She hadn't expected Jiang Xiuyi to do such a thing.
Meng Jiangming, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, saw Jiang Xiuyi stab his subordinate to death. When he saw Jiang Xiuyi's disheveled state, and then saw the disheveled state of the man who was stabbed, Meng Jiangming frowned. Without needing to think, he understood the whole story.
Jiang Xiuyi suddenly dropped the sword and clutched her head, crying out in pain.
Meng Jiangming ordered the man who was stabbed to be buried, and then he commanded that anyone involved in this incident would not be pardoned. Meng Jiangming then took Jiang Xiuyi away.
From then on, Meng Jiangming didn't even glance at her again. Xue Xingyue breathed a sigh of relief. But when she calmed down, she felt something was wrong.
She couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. The next day, when she saw Jiang Xiuyi again, she realized Jiang Xiuyi was also a little different.
Jiang Xiuyi no longer clung to her, but instead, she clung to Meng Jiangming.
The journey was smooth. Upon arriving outside the capital, Xue Xingyue found that no matter how much preparation she had made, no matter how much she warned herself to endure, at this moment, she still couldn't hold back. Her entire body trembled.
Suddenly, a hand offered her a steamed bun. Xue Xingyue was startled. Jiang Xiuyi looked at her and suddenly smiled.
After a long moment, Xue Xingyue also smiled, took the steamed bun, and said, "Thank you."
She had to endure. She couldn't let all her efforts be in vain.
Meng Jiangming arranged for her to stay at the Ningguo Duke's mansion. She saw Madam Jiang outside the mansion.
After only two months apart, Madam Jiang had become much thinner.
Meng Jiangming saw Madam Jiang but didn't say anything. He walked straight into the mansion, which surprised Xue Xingyue somewhat. Meng Jiangming had never acted like this before.