Rong Wan Lane.
Nian Jiaojiao, taking advantage of the sparse pedestrian traffic, used her cloak to cover Xuan Yi's upper body. Holding the tall man, she “flew over eaves and walls,” and half an hour later, she finally returned to her own small courtyard.
“Wife, what about the others, the others?”
Xuan Yi, who had just been placed on the bed, grabbed Nian Jiaojiao’s hand with his eyes red and asked.
Nian Jiaojiao pursed her lips and said:
“Don’t move around, your wound will reopen.”
But Xuan Yi still did not let go of Nian Jiaojiao’s hand and continued:
“Did something happen to them?”
Nian Jiaojiao sat down and looked at him solemnly, saying:
“If you trust me, recover well from your injuries, and I promise, I will return your brothers to you unharmed within three days.”
Xuan Yi calmed down slightly after hearing this.
His powerful words inexplicably reassured him.
…
Xu Family.
Having visited several times, Nian Jiaojiao was familiar with the layout of the Xu family. Unlike last night, Nian Jiaojiao quickly found the courtyard where Yu Chuan was located.
At this moment, Yu Chuan was sitting by the window, staring blankly at the swaying leaves outside.
The young servant beside him advised:
“Young Master, you haven’t eaten for three days. Your body is your own, you should eat something.”
Yu Chuan did not look at him at all and merely said:
“You go out.”
“Young Master?”
The servant was anxious. If something happened to the young master, he, the servant sent to serve him, would surely face consequences.
“Go out!” Yu Chuan’s voice grew heavier.
The servant hesitated for a moment before putting down the bowl in his hand and preparing to leave.
As he reached the door, he couldn’t help but turn back and say:
“Young Master, if you are hungry, drink the porridge on the table. If the porridge gets cold, call me, and I’ll go to the kitchen to warm it.”
Yu Chuan did not respond.
Seeing this, the servant sighed in his heart and closed the door.
The room had just quieted down when Yu Chuan got up to go back to bed. Suddenly, he heard a movement by the window. He turned around impatiently and said:
“I said I’m not eating! Not eating!”
Nian Jiaojiao had one foot already stepping in from outside the window and froze in place:
“Not eating? Not eating what?”
Seeing Nian Jiaojiao, Yu Chuan couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Wife?”
Before Nian Jiaojiao could answer, he muttered to himself:
“Impossible, it must be that I’m hallucinating again…”
Nian Jiaojiao moved again, putting her other leg inside. Just as she was about to step closer to explain, she heard the person opposite say:
“Don’t come closer!”
Nian Jiaojiao stopped and looked at him with confusion.
Yu Chuan said:
“You are not Wife. Wife does not look like you!”
Nian Jiaojiao touched her smooth face.
She had indeed become much prettier, but surely not to the point of being completely unrecognizable?
However, seeing his pale face and how he seemed to have difficulty standing, she sighed, strode forward, and embraced Yu Chuan, saying gently:
“Don’t get agitated, it’s me, not a hallucination. Calm down.”
Yu Chuan felt the reality of her touch and murmured:
“It’s real? But… Wife hasn’t treated me like this in a long time.”
Nian Jiaojiao’s mouth felt bitter. After sitting down on a chair, she had him sit on her lap and then scooped up a spoonful of porridge from the bowl on the table, offering it to Yu Chuan’s mouth:
“Here, be good, drink the porridge.”
Thus, one fed and one drank, and the bowl of porridge was quickly finished. Yu Chuan’s complexion improved slightly.
After drinking the porridge, Yu Chuan spoke proactively:
“Wife, Mother wants me to remarry.”
Nian Jiaojiao said directly:
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you home now. You are already married into the Nian family. Even if we go to court, your mother will have no say.”
After this incident, Nian Jiaojiao no longer referred to Scholar Xu as Gao Zhang. She, Nian Jiaojiao, could not afford to associate with such self-serving “family.”
Yu Chuan felt nothing was amiss.
He had seen through it; he, a son born to a concubine, could never gain her favor. His future home would be wherever Wife was.
After Nian Jiaojiao used her “unique” climbing skills to bring Yu Chuan back, she discovered that Xuan Yi, who had just had his wounds dressed, was still fast asleep. So she instructed Yu Chuan to keep an eye on Xuan Yi, help him change his dressing when he woke up, and prevent him from wandering off.
Yu Chuan nodded obediently.
Next.
Nian Jiaojiao, without delay, headed to her next destination—the Tong family.
According to Yu Chuan, the day Xingyun went to the Tong family to find Xuan Yi, Yu Chuan discovered him and immediately chased after him. To his surprise, he saw Xingyun being tied onto a horse-drawn carriage.
And when he tried to pursue them, he was forcibly taken away by the servants of the Xu mansion.
Therefore.
Tong Xiaoye knew Xingyun’s whereabouts!
Nian Jiaojiao’s footsteps quickened with anger.
…
Tong Family.
Nian Jiaojiao arrived at the Tong family and searched for Tong Xiaoye after several attempts but could not find him.
From the servants’ idle chatter, she learned that:
Tong Xiaoye was missing!
And he had been missing since this morning!
Nian Jiaojiao knew in her heart that the servants couldn’t find Tong Xiaoye this morning because she had tied him up the previous night.
But she had released him early in the morning.
Could it be that something happened to him on the road, causing him to be delayed in his return?
Nian Jiaojiao’s brows furrowed.
She wasn’t worried about Tong Xiaoye, but rather worried that she wouldn’t find any clues about Xingyun.
Nian Jiaojiao didn’t know where to go and wandered the streets for half the day.
In the blink of an eye, it was almost dusk.
“Huh? Miss Nian?”
Nian Jiaojiao looked up expressionlessly.
An old woman with a face full of chloasma was cheerfully greeting her.
Nian Jiaojiao had no inclination to engage and nodded coldly at her before continuing to walk forward.
“Miss Nian, you don’t remember me? I’m the carriage driver who gave you and your husband a ride before.”
Nian Jiaojiao certainly remembered.
No.
It should be said that it was difficult for her to forget.
The carriage driver, seeing no emotion in her eyes, assumed that Nian Jiaojiao had genuinely forgotten and continued:
“Oh, right, your husband bought my ox cart today!”
Upon hearing this, Nian Jiaojiao stopped in her tracks and turned back abruptly:
“What did you say? Who? When?”
The carriage driver was a little confused and instinctively replied:
“Your husband, around Weishi today…”
“Where did he go?” Nian Jiaojiao pressed.
“To, to, no, he went back to our Qinghe Village.”
After hearing this, Nian Jiaojiao said thank you and rented a horse-drawn carriage, hastening towards Qinghe Village.
…
Qinghe Village.
Qinghe Mountain.
Inside a thatched cottage.
Tong Xiaoye looked at the man in front of him, who appeared as an immortal but acted like a demon, with a face full of terror.
“Just now… five fingers of the right hand were cut off, and now there are only the left ones remaining…”
Nan Qing gently wiped the small knife in his hand and looked at the blade nonchalantly.
Tong Xiaoye, who was tied up, had his mouth sealed tightly and could not utter a plea.
At this moment, he no longer had the arrogant demeanor of a young master from before. Tears and snot streamed down his face.
“Mmm mmm… mmm e mmm…”
“Mmm? You agree too?” Nan Qing said lightly.
He looked at Tong Xiaoye’s face and frowned with disgust:
“So, why provoke someone you shouldn’t have?”