Chapter 151: Who Doesn’t Have Secrets?
Seeing her shoulders shrugging up and down, still trembling slightly.
When he came to Lingnan, he had heard about the Yu Family’s marriage.
She was just the legitimate daughter of a minor official, raised in the countryside and not valued.
Ignorant of etiquette, no wonder she would do such a scandalous thing.
She really couldn’t grace a grand occasion; only the Yu Family, who had a reputation for wife-killing, would think of marrying her.
Thus, Jiang Linlei felt even more disgust in his heart, only thinking that the Empress’s maternal family was truly disgusting, willing to abandon all face just to survive.
“This official still has some matters to attend to. On the day of Second Master’s wedding, I will certainly visit to offer congratulations.”
Jiang Linlei paid the silver at the Cloth Shop, then left with his servant boy.
Jiang Ruanxi’s back broke out in a cold sweat from fright.
“Xi Xi.”
A gentle voice came from above her head. Only then did Jiang Ruanxi realize she was still in his arms, and she hadn’t noticed his intimate form of address.
Thinking that although they were already engaged, the argument from that night was still fresh in her mind.
Jiang Ruanxi awkwardly pushed him away and said apologetically, “Sorry, I was just too nervous earlier.”
Actually, thinking about it carefully now, with the veil hat on her head and Yushui by her side, even if Jiang Linlei walked past her, he might not recognize her.
But she had rushed to Second Master’s side. He wouldn’t misunderstand something, would he?
“Let’s change places to talk.”
Although he couldn’t see her face, Second Master could still sense her tension.
Jiang Ruanxi nodded, and the two went to a nearby restaurant.
In the elegant private room by the window, Jiang Ruanxi had already removed her veil hat.
“About what just happened, sorry.” Jiang Ruanxi’s voice was the first to break the silence between them.
Second Master’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly. “Xi Xi, we’re already engaged. Helping you is helping myself.”
The implication was that these were things he should do; no need for gratitude.
But that night, the two had still seemed very distant. Now…
“Do you still like the gift I gave you?”
Jiang Ruanxi replied without thinking, “I like it.”
But after saying it, Jiang Ruanxi realized she had answered so quickly, and her face instantly turned red.
Second Master didn’t notice Jiang Ruanxi’s shyness.
Hearing this, the hand he had pinching the teacup relaxed a bit. Did this mean she had gotten over that matter in her heart?
“By the way, I heard the Crown Prince has come to Lingnan.” Jiang Ruanxi knew the wedding wouldn’t have any change of events, so she thought of running into Jiang Linlei today.
If she ran into Wei Chang in the future, could she still escape so easily?
“Mm, he has indeed come. We might run into him again later.”
Jiang Ruanxi took a deep breath. Seeing that he didn’t seem anxious about it at all, she voiced the doubt in her heart.
“Second Master, I see that Jiang Linlei seems very afraid of you, but when it comes to the Crown Prince, your expression is also indifferent, as if you’re really not worried about my identity being discovered. What is your identity exactly?”
After coming to Lingnan, she had more or less learned about the Yu Family, but not comprehensively.
She didn’t want to hear what others said. Now, she only wanted to hear it from him.
“What identity could I have? Just as people outside say, a member of the Empress’s maternal family.” Second Master felt this wasn’t precise enough, so he added, “To be exact, the Empress is my aunt.”
Then wasn’t he cousins with the Crown Prince?
Jiang Ruanxi frowned. “Then for your wedding, if the Crown Prince comes and recognizes me…”
“Xi Xi, there are some things I can’t tell you yet.”
Meeting her expectant gaze, Second Master felt his heart stir, and several times he nearly blurted out the truth.
But at the critical moment, reason still prevailed.
“But rest assured, after we marry, I will definitely tell you.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Ruanxi didn’t know where her courage came from, but facing his deep eyes like the starry sky, she was willing to believe him.
Who doesn’t have secrets?
Even Jiang Ruanxi herself had them.
Besides, compared to awkwardly forcing a relationship and making it bad, it was better to take advantage of the time when the Yu Family could be relied on to kill Jiang Linlei in Lingnan.
Second Master hadn’t expected her to agree just like that, and he felt a bit surprised in his heart.
He was even afraid she might be throwing a tantrum at him, so he deliberately looked at her to confirm she wasn’t joking before relaxing.
“Lately, Lingnan hasn’t been very peaceful, so I’ll be quite busy recently.” Second Master added, “In the future, if you want to go out, just have Yushui bring you. I’ll arrange for someone to protect you in secret.”
“Thank you.”
Jiang Ruanxi recalled the drought in Lingnan from her previous life and reminded him, “I remember the Jiang Family does rice business in Lingnan, right? Jiang Linlei coming here now—could he have some objective?”
Second Master felt a stir in his heart but smiled. “You’ve been out for quite a while. Let me have someone send you back.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Ruanxi didn’t stand on ceremony. With someone from the Yu Family sending her back, in the future, if she wanted to go out, the Zhong Family wouldn’t worry.
Watching Jiang Ruanxi enter the Zhong Family’s gate, the servant by Second Master’s side hurried over. “Second Master, the Old Madam is throwing a tantrum at home.”
Second Master’s expression turned serious. “The matter has gone as she wished, and she still has the face to make a fuss? Let her be.”
After returning, Hong Ye said, “Madam, the brocade I left in the room is gone—Second Miss must have taken it.”
Jiang Ruanxi was somewhat surprised. Hong Ye thought she was angry and quickly said, “Madam, that brocade is a rare item. The Yu Family sends them with a booklet. Why don’t we go demand it back?”
“You think if you take the booklet to her door, Zhong Xintong will admit she took it and give it back obediently?”
Hong Ye thought of Zhong Xintong’s shamelessness and shook her head. “No.”
“Exactly. It’s like a scholar meeting a soldier—there’s no reasoning with them. You know the Zhong Family’s situation better than I do; they won’t admit it.”
Back in the Capital, although the Lin Family was greedy, they still cared about face.
No matter the matter, they wouldn’t go too far; at least it looked passable on the surface.
But the Zhong Family’s grandmother and granddaughter were different.
Brutal, selfish, and extremely petty.
They were people greedy for immediate benefits. Even if she really had right on her side and confronted them, they probably still wouldn’t admit it.
Hong Ye was stunned. “Then… then what should we do? Should we tell Sir Zhong?”
“Forget it. It’s just two bolts of cloth. If we trouble Sir Zhong over such a small matter every time, what do you think he would think?”
The Zhong Family grandmother and granddaughter were still his people. Zhong Ding was working for her now. If she nitpicked everything, after multiple times, Zhong Ding probably wouldn’t feel comfortable.
“Are we just going to let it go like this?” Hong Ye felt it was such a loss.
What kind of things are these? Not given, yet they come to steal. Has the Zhong Family’s family discipline been eaten by dogs?
