The young man simply watched her, his eyes sparkling with brilliance.
The next day
Elder Master Jiang secretly sent people to investigate the suspicious individuals who appeared yesterday, but no matter how hard they searched, they found nothing. The young man, along with them, had also vanished.
Inside the carriage, Xue Xingyue looked at the young man and the younger boy and said, "It's no longer safe for you to stay with me. I've asked Feng Jiu to buy a mansion, and you can live there for now."
The younger boy asked, "Fairy sister, will you take us with you?"
Xue Xingyue looked at the younger boy's innocent face, reached out, and touched his cheek, saying, "Do you want to come with me?"
The younger boy nodded, "I do, but..." The younger boy lowered his head. Xue Xingyue asked, "What's wrong?"
The younger boy said, "But I am unlucky. Anyone who follows me will have bad fortune, so I shouldn't go with Fairy sister."
Xue Xingyue felt a pang of sympathy. She hugged the younger boy and said, "Since you say I'm Fairy sister, how could Fairy sister be afraid of those things?"
The younger boy heard this and giggled, "That's right, you are Fairy sister. Fairy sister isn't afraid. Then I can go with Fairy sister."
Upon arriving at their destination, Xue Xingyue had Feng Jiu take the younger boy to the house, while she kept the young man.
The young man suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your kindness is immense, and I will never forget it. One day, I will surely repay you."
Xue Xingyue stepped forward to help the young man up, saying, "I don't need you to repay me. I just can't stand seeing such things." She handed him the money she had prepared, saying, "Take this and give your brother a better life."
The young man shook his head and did not accept it, but said, "Even with money, we can't spend it. No one will care for us here. Thank you for your kindness, Miss. I will figure out the rest myself."
Xue Xingyue's heart stirred, and she asked, "Do you want to come with me?"
The young man was stunned. He saw her pure and beautiful face looking at him with noble radiance, and for a moment, he felt a sense of submission.
"Is that possible?" the young man asked.
"However, I still have things to accomplish here. If you can wait until then, I will take you with me," Xue Xingyue said.
The young man nodded, "Alright, I will wait."
Upon returning to the Jiang family, Xue Xingyue sensed that something was amiss. She figured that she had frightened Elder Master Jiang and Jiang Xifeng quite a bit the previous night.
Soon, Elder Master Jiang fell seriously ill, and the ancestor worship ceremony was postponed.
Xue Xingyue hadn't expected this. If she had known, she wouldn't have sent Feng Jiu. The postponement of the ancestor worship ceremony was a loss for her.
Hearing that Madam Jiang was unwell, Xue Xingyue went to visit her.
Madam Jiang was leaning against the head of the bed, her face pale. Xue Xingyue saw this and asked, "Madam, why do you look so unwell?"
Madam Jiang suddenly grabbed her hand and asked, "Your Highness, do you know I am pregnant?"
Xue Xingyue was taken aback and asked Madam Jiang, "Have you seen a doctor?"
Madam Jiang nodded, "Yes, the doctor said I am three months pregnant."
Xue Xingyue said, "Then congratulations, Madam."
However, Madam Jiang did not look happy at all; instead, she was full of worry. Seeing this, Xue Xingyue couldn't help but ask, "Madam, being pregnant is a good thing. Why do you look so sad?"
Madam Jiang said, "Your Highness, you may not know, but the Jiang family has a rule that pregnant women are not allowed to participate in ancestor worship, as it might disturb the ancestors."
Xue Xingyue smiled and said, "That's simple. Madam, you just don't have to go, right?"
Madam Jiang shook her head, "As the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, how can I not go?"
Xue Xingyue looked at Madam Jiang and said, "Then Madam, is there something you wish to say?"
Madam Jiang said, "I hope Your Highness can help me keep it a secret."
Xue Xingyue said, "I can help Madam keep it a secret, but the reactions Madam is experiencing, someone who has been through it would recognize them at a glance."
Hearing this, Madam Jiang grabbed her hand and said, "Therefore, I hope Your Highness can help me prescribe a medicine to reduce the symptoms."
Xue Xingyue said, "Madam, that's not ideal. It might affect the baby's development."
Madam Jiang suddenly got up, and Xue Xingyue quickly stopped her, "What are you doing?"
Madam Jiang said, "Your Highness, I beg you."
Xue Xingyue looked at Madam Jiang, and after a while, said, "Then I'll try."
Madam Jiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Highness, thank you so much."
After leaving Madam Jiang's room, Xue Xingyue fell into thought. Madam Jiang's reaction was somewhat unusual. Why wouldn't she want the Jiang family to know she was pregnant? It seemed like a strange thing.
Xue Xingyue returned to her room and summoned Feng Jiu, asking Feng Jiu to investigate if the Jiang family had any hidden secrets.
In the evening, Feng Jiu had not returned, and Xue Xingyue had dinner with Feng Wu.
The next day
Xue Xingyue got up and asked Feng Wu if Feng Jiu had returned. Feng Wu shook her head, "No, Feng Jiu hasn't returned all night."
Xue Xingyue began to feel uneasy.
By evening, news came from the Jiang family that the assassin had been captured.
Xue Xingyue was curious about this and planned to see the assassin, but Jiang Xifeng did not allow her to.
Finally, at midnight, Feng Jiu returned, looking disheveled.
Xue Xingyue asked, "Feng Jiu, why did you take so long?"
Feng Jiu said, "Your subordinate is incompetent and was almost captured. Fortunately, Jin Qing saved me."
Xue Xingyue knew that Jin Qing, whom Feng Jiu mentioned, was the young man she had saved that day. "How could you have been captured?" Feng Wu asked.
Feng Jiu replied, "Your Highness, Jiang Xifeng hired people from somewhere, and they were very powerful. Your subordinate was no match for them, so I was injured and escaped. I didn't dare to return for fear of alerting them. I stayed at Jin Qing's place for a night, and only dared to return when the situation calmed down."
Xue Xingyue nodded, "You did the right thing."
Feng Wu asked, "Then who was the assassin Jiang Xifeng captured?"
Xue Xingyue said, "Feng Jiu, you should go and rest properly first!"
Feng Jiu said, "Your Highness, I managed to gather some information. Madam Jiang returned eighteen years ago for ancestor worship, and she was pregnant at the time, but she almost miscarried."
Xue Xingyue was surprised, "Eighteen years ago? Wasn't that when she was pregnant with Meng Jiangming?"
Feng Jiu nodded, "Precisely. However, I heard that Madam Jiang was like she was possessed then. One day, she ran naked in the courtyard shouting loudly, saying that the ancestors had possessed her, the ancestors had possessed her."
"No wonder Madam Jiang hasn't attended ancestor worship since then. Madam Jiang is probably still having lingering fears this time," Feng Wu said.
Xue Xingyue nodded, "It's possible. Feng Jiu, you can go and rest!"
Feng Jiu received the order and withdrew.
Xue Xingyue said, "Feng Wu, you should go and rest too!"
Feng Wu did not leave but looked at her and asked, "Your Highness wants to go out alone?"
Xue Xingyue heard this and said, "Truly, nothing can be hidden from you."
Feng Wu said, "Of course. As Your Highness's subordinate, I must always be able to guess Your Highness's thoughts, shouldn't I?"
Xue Xingyue shook her head and said, "Alright, since that's the case, let's go!"
Xue Xingyue and Feng Wu changed into night-walking clothes and wandered around the Jiang mansion. Suddenly, two young maids appeared ahead. Xue Xingyue paused not far away, with Feng Wu following closely behind. The maids said, "What is Master Jiang doing in Miss Jiang's room so late?"
Another maid giggled and said, "Don't you know yet? Eldest Miss Jiang isn't the old master's biological daughter."
The maid quickly covered the other maid's mouth and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Eldest Miss Jiang is no longer the person who was bullied in the Jiang family. She is now the wife of the Duke of Ning's mansion, a first-rank noblewoman."
The maid scoffed, "So what? In the Jiang mansion, she is worse than a maid."
"Don't let anyone hear you say that."
"What's there to be afraid of? It's so late, and even if they hear it, it's the truth. Moreover, Eldest Miss Jiang wouldn't dare to say anything. If the Duke of Ning knew, he would divorce her, wouldn't he? Eldest Miss Jiang is the only one who could do something like cuckolding the Duke of Ning."
Xue Xingyue and Feng Wu exchanged glances. They never expected that by just taking a stroll, they would overhear something so astonishing.