Yu Jin smiled and left, closing the door behind him. Jiang Si sat on the bed and rubbed her face.
How embarrassing!
It was all that scoundrel’s fault. If he was going to serve her food, he should just do it. Why did he have to wink? It made her overthink things.
As night fell, Jiang Si got ready and asked A-Man, “How do I look?”
“You look even more like her than when you were in the carriage,” A-Man said, bringing over a veiled hat. She asked excitedly, “Miss, when are we leaving?”
Jiang Si glanced at the water clock and grabbed the hat, “You stay here. Two people are enough.”
A-Man felt a pang in her heart.
She was being left behind after all!
There was a gentle knock on the door. A-Man stood still.
“Go open it,” Jiang Si said.
The little maid walked over angrily, opened the door, shot a fierce glare at the person outside, then turned and walked away.
Jiang Si put on the veiled hat and walked out.
Yu Jin pointed at the hat, “It’s cumbersome and eye-catching. Better not to wear it.”
Jiang Si shook her head, “If I don’t wear it, someone might try to exchange me for silver.”
Yu Jin rarely looked confused.
Jiang Si raised her hand and lifted the veil, revealing a face both familiar and strange.
Yu Jin frowned, “Why did you make yourself less attractive?”
Jiang Si’s mouth twitched, “This way, I look seven or eight-tenths like Miss Chi.”
Yu Jin rubbed his nose and helped Jiang Si lower the veil, “Let’s go.”
On this dark and windy night, Yu Jin, familiar with the route, led Jiang Si directly to the Chi residence.
In this small town, the Chi residence looked quite impressive with its green-tiled gray walls and large red lanterns bearing the character “Chi” swaying gently in the wind.
This kind of mansion wasn’t as easy to enter as the tofu seller’s home.
Jiang Si glanced at Yu Jin.
“Don’t worry, follow me,” he said.
Yu Jin led Jiang Si around to the back of the compound wall, where there was a deserted alley that looked cold and eerie without moonlight.
Yu Jin stepped back a few paces, then ran and leaped onto the top of the wall. He then bent down and extended his hand.
Jiang Si hesitated for a moment before reaching out.
His large, warm, dry hand grasped hers, applying slight force. Before she knew it, she was standing on top of the wall.
Before she could steady herself, Yu Jin had wrapped an arm around her waist. Being so close, his voice seemed to reverberate in her heart, “Don’t make a sound. I’ll take you down.”
As they jumped from the high wall, Jiang Si felt no fear at all at that moment, only aware of his familiar scent enveloping her.
It was a scent she had known and loved in her previous life.
Jiang Si’s heart suddenly became confused, her mind blank.
Could she shake off this persistent man in this lifetime?
“What are you thinking about?” Yu Jin asked softly.
Jiang Si came back to her senses, “Nothing. Did you find out where Master Chi is resting?”
“He’s in the front courtyard study.” Yu Jin led Jiang Si toward the study. Suddenly, dog barks rang out, followed by cursing.
“Damn it! Ever since the master announced a reward for finding the young miss, it’s been nothing but con men and thieves. We haven’t had a good night’s sleep!”
“Enough complaining. Let’s beat these thieves out first.”
Jiang Si looked at Yu Jin.
Had they been discovered?
Yu Jin shook his head, signaling her not to panic.
The two hid behind some flowers and trees. Soon, they saw several servants chasing several vicious dogs in one direction.
Just then, the last dog in the pack suddenly turned and ran towards where Jiang Si and Yu Jin were hiding.
Before Jiang Si could react, Yu Jin flicked his finger, sending a small stone he had been holding flying, hitting the dog between its eyes.
The dog shook its head and collapsed with a thud.
The servants were busy chasing the thieves and didn’t notice what happened there.
“Let’s go,” Yu Jin gripped Jiang Si’s wrist and led her to the window of the study.
The window was open, and there was no night light inside, making it impossible to see clearly in the darkness.
Yu Jin silently jumped in first, then helped Jiang Si in. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they saw a low couch against the right wall with someone lying on it.
The person was lying on their side, motionless, as if sound asleep.
Yu Jin listened carefully, his expression changing slightly. He pulled Jiang Si behind a row of bookshelves.
The bookshelf was very tall, with books filling its various compartments, looking more impressive than the studies of many scholars.
It was said to be a common practice among merchant families to have a large study filled with books and paintings, even if they didn’t read much themselves.
Confused by Yu Jin’s sudden action, Jiang Si removed her veiled hat and silently asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Jin took Jiang Si’s hand and wrote two characters on her palm: Not asleep.
Jiang Si peered through the gaps between the books.
Soon, the person on the couch turned over and suddenly sat up.
Having adjusted to the darkness, Jiang Si could vaguely make out the person’s appearance.
It was a middle-aged man in his forties, somewhat overweight. His originally kind-looking face now appeared dejected and haggard, clearly suffering from distress.
The middle-aged man shuffled to the desk in his slippers. Without lighting a lamp, he just sat there. After a long while, he let out a long sigh, “Jiao Jiao, where are you? Father is so worried about you…”
Perhaps because it was late at night and no one was around, this man, tormented by his daughter’s disappearance, had been suppressing his emotions for too long. He began to weep.
Muffled sobs echoed in the quiet, dark study.
Jiang Si and Yu Jin exchanged a glance.
Yu Jin quickly wrote on her palm, “Proceed?”
Jiang Si didn’t answer. Instead, she quietly opened her hand at her side, and a faint glow flew along the ground toward Master Chi.
Only then did she nod slightly.
“Wait here,” Yu Jin quickly wrote on her palm before silently moving towards the windowsill.
There was a candlestick on the windowsill with a half-burned candle, its base covered in wax drippings.
Master Chi sat with his back to the window, momentarily unaware of anything unusual despite being affected by the phantom firefly.
Suddenly, the room brightened.
Master Chi, lost in his grief, took a moment to react. He turned around abruptly.
There was no one behind him, only the candle flickering in its holder.
The dim candlelight illuminated Master Chi’s surprised expression.
The door creaked open, the sound piercing in the silent night, grating on Master Chi’s ears.
“Who’s out there?” Master Chi strode to the door and looked out.
Outside was empty, with banana leaves swaying gently in the night breeze.
Further away, moving lights could be seen – Master Chi knew it was the servants carrying lanterns to catch thieves.
He felt safe here, with night patrol servants and several watchdogs. Those petty thieves risking everything for a hundred taels of silver were no match for his security.
“How was that?” Yu Jin, who had gone out through the door and quickly re-entered through the window after lighting the lamp, sought praise from Jiang Si.
Jiang Si pressed her lips together, unwilling to flatter dishonestly but afraid of dampening the spirits of the man before her who seemed to be wagging an imaginary tail. She hastily wrote two characters on his palm: “Passable.”
Master Chi, having found nothing, turned to go back inside but suddenly froze.
There, sitting at the desk where he had just been, was a young woman with her back to him. The candlelight cast her slender silhouette.