Chapter 61: The Young Lady Won’t Leave
Time to run.
This time, not only did the Liu Family come knocking, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard Wei Jiao was also drawn here.
The identity of Miss Liu must not be used under any circumstances.
Otherwise, it would immediately be exposed in front of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
“We’ve always used carriages and horses from different carriage rental companies, so it’s not easy to be tracked. Miss, you haven’t associated with anyone, so no one knows your address.”
“We’ll leave here tonight. I’ve already scouted the city gate during my entries and exits these days and know a spot with weak patrols. I can take you over by climbing.”
The young guard said, taking out a long rope and slinging it over his shoulder.
“I’ve had the rope ready for a long time too.”
Yang Luo suddenly smiled and said, “Run? What’s there to run from? Exposed is exposed.”
Mo Zheng looked at her, frowning slightly. “But your plan requires waiting until the end of the month.”
“Waiting until the end of the month is only if nothing unexpected happens and everything goes smoothly,” Yang Luo said.
Now it seemed that because of the appearance of a different her from that previous life, many things were bound to change as well. That was nothing; meet soldiers with generals and earth with water.
“Exposed is exposed.”
With that, she looked toward the young guard and saw that he was still tense.
“Alright, don’t be nervous. No need to think about scaling the city wall to escape. Put down the rope. Let’s go to Duke Ding’an’s Mansion and meet them.”
Mo Zheng looked at her. “Really going? Has Miss thought it through?”
Yang Luo neatly tied up her hair. “Really going, and going now is just right.”
She looked toward Duke Ding’an’s Mansion and let out a light chuckle.
“Perhaps Duke Ding’an’s Mansion can help me resolve this current trouble and let me continue reading.”
Like this? Mo Zheng put down the long rope. “Then wait a moment, Miss. I’ll bring Miss Liu too. She’s right next door.”
Huh? Yang Luo was stunned, suspecting she had misheard.
“That’s how it is. I’m timid and always worried Miss Liu would be discovered and Miss’s identity exposed, so a couple days ago I simply brought her over.”
“I told Big Brother Zhang and his wife that she’s my cousin, borrowing a stay for a few days…”
The young guard was still explaining to her.
Yang Luo’s expression was complicated. Timid, and he was saying he was timid…
Hm, he did seem truly timid.
Although tonight she had heard the dual news of the Liu Family and Wei Jiao, Yang Luo actually didn’t feel particularly shocked.
If anything shocked her, it was this guard giving her an even greater shock.
In just a few short sentences, there were several inconceivable things: explaining and comforting Miss Liu, and even bringing Miss Liu to his side.
Although she had long felt this guard was no simple person, this was too much. How did he do it? When did he do it?
But now wasn’t the time to pursue that. Resolving the matter at hand was priority.
Yang Luo took a deep breath. “Invite Miss Liu out. Although you’ve explained to her, this matter was my doing, so I should apologize to her personally.”
“No need to run?”
In the courtyard next door, Zhang Sheng You gripped an axe, Tao Hua had two knives at her waist, both looking surprised.
They had already prepared, ready to protect the two and fight out of the city, but Mo Zheng said it wasn’t needed.
This miss was really that capable?
Mo Zheng had previously said this Miss Yang was very capable, but everyone had been skeptical. Unexpectedly, when it came to the moment, with two crises arriving together, Miss Yang was only slightly surprised, not panicked or flustered.
And she refused to escape, heading straight to Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
“Will it work?” Tao Hua said softly. “This Miss Yang isn’t planning to just go mad without thinking of anything, is she?”
Mo Zheng smiled. “Going mad would work if it did.” With that, she signaled them not to worry, then walked to the side room and knocked lightly, calling softly, “Miss Liu.”
The room that had been dark suddenly had its door flung open, and a slender young lady appeared before them.
This was the real Liu Chan.
“A Sheng.” Her voice was somewhat nervous, followed by a few light coughs. “How is it?”
Mo Zheng frowned slightly. “Why hasn’t the cough gotten better?” She looked toward Tao Hua behind her. “Those medicines aren’t working?”
Before Tao Hua could speak, Liu Chan grabbed her hand. “No, no, I’m fine. I was just too nervous earlier and my throat got dry.” She hurriedly asked, “How is it? Did Bi Yun bring my father back? No one discovered, right?”
Mo Zheng shook her head. “Not very smooth. Some trouble, so we’ve decided to go explain the truth to the family. Please come along.”
Liu Chan sighed lightly. “I hope my father isn’t angered.”
Mo Zheng looked apologetic. “It’s all our fault.”
“Oh, don’t say that.” Liu Chan gently shook her hand and whispered, “It’s because I fell ill and missed the exam.”
With that, she urged her on.
“Let’s go see Miss Yang quickly.”
Mo Zheng agreed and led her out. As they reached the door, she glanced down at the hand Liu Chan was holding…
She averted her gaze but didn’t pull her hand back.
……
……
As soon as the young guard and that young lady entered, Yang Luo’s gaze fell on their clasped hands.
Yang Luo was glad she had felt a bit thirsty earlier and considered drinking water, but since A Sheng wasn’t there, she was too lazy to go to the kitchen to find some.
Otherwise, she definitely would have choked on her water right now!
This, this, this—how did they end up holding hands?
Earlier, the young guard had simply told her about explaining to Miss Liu, of course half-truth and half-lie.
Pursued and killed by a blood feud, he saw Miss Liu and her servant living alone, so he sneaked over at night to hide, then picked up an invitation dragged away by rats, and thought of a better hiding spot: the National Academy.
Now seeing A Sheng and the young lady entering hand in hand…
Did A Sheng really convince Miss Liu with those believable yet unbelievable words?
Surely not by seduction!
……
……
Because curfew was approaching, Yang Luo and Liu Chan exchanged greetings and directly boarded the carriage. Whatever was to be said could be said in the carriage.
Since everything was said by the guard, to avoid inconsistencies, Yang Luo couldn’t say much, only offering a guilty, sincere, and solemn apology: “I will bear all consequences. Miss Liu and Master Liu can ask anything of me.”
On the contrary, Liu Chan said more, and Yang Luo finally learned how A Sheng had convinced her at the time.
“A Sheng came to find me in the middle of the night.”
“Without saying anything, she directly took out a topic and asked me to write on it.”
“I was confused and baffled, but I still wrote it. After I finished, A Sheng took out an essay, saying it was written by Miss Yang, and asked me to see how it was.”
Hearing this, Yang Luo couldn’t help asking, “How was it?”
The lantern hanging outside the carriage shone through the window, the light dim, but Yang Luo could see a proud smile appear on Liu Chan’s delicate face.
“I wrote a bit better than you, Miss Yang.”
Yang Luo felt no disappointment; she knew her own level. She had only studied for a few years with the female tutor invited by Duke Ding’an’s Mansion, how could she compare to Liu Chan, who grew up reading in a scholarly family that ran an academy.
“Then A Sheng told me that Miss Yang’s essay was selected as companion reader material. If I went, I certainly could be selected too.”
Liu Chan continued.
“Because of my illness, I couldn’t go take the exam, couldn’t try. It was truly regrettable. A Sheng let me know my trip to the capital wasn’t in vain. If I took the exam, I certainly could pass. For me, that was enough.”
Yang Luo thought A Sheng really knew how to comfort people. The next moment, she saw Liu Chan speaking, lifting the carriage curtain to look at A Sheng walking outside holding the reins.
The young guard noticed and turned back, saying softly, “Miss Liu is a true scholar, with a heart vast enough to hold heaven and earth.”
Liu Chan smiled.
Yang Luo looked at the two, her heart letting out another silent scream. This was really just because of some comfort?
Although the night was dim, one could still see the young guard had well-defined features, very handsome, very attractive.
Her thoughts were in a jumble for a moment, unsure what to say, when Liu Chan’s voice came again.
“Younger sister A Sheng reads books too, right? So she knows what scholars are like.”
Yang Luo blinked, feeling the world fall silent.
What scholars were like aside, younger sister A Sheng—who was that?
Noisy sounds came from ahead, and the view brightened. The young guard’s voice rang in her ear.
“Miss, we’re here.”
Lights blazed in front of Duke Ding’an’s Mansion. Duke Ding’an and Liu Changqing were still tussling, Wei Jiao watched bored and yawned, when suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes. In the night, a carriage slowly approached.
A youth in green clothes held the reins. The night obscured his face unclearly, but
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck before Wei Jiao’s eyes.
His ears buzzed, he cursed a dirty word, propped himself on the windowsill, and jumped straight out the open window.
“This dog thing!”
