“Why are you hiding from me?” Ji Heng raised his eyebrows. “Don’t dare to look at me?”

Jiang Li froze and looked up, meeting his smiling eyes.

There was light and deep laughter in his eyes, as if he found her disheveled state amusing, but this laughter contained no mockery or malice. Jiang Li could see this very clearly.

The young man’s fingers were cool as they touched Jiang Li’s brows and eyes. He leaned in very close. Facing this completely ruined face, he could actually still bear to look at it. He said, “They really struck ruthlessly. Little lady, you’re disfigured.”

Jiang Li glared at him. Her original worry and anxiety swept away completely. What kind of person was this? Someone was already disfigured, yet he still had the mood to laugh on the sidelines as if it had nothing to do with him!

It was rare for her to be this angry. Ji Heng laughed. “It’s fine. You’re not Yan Capital’s foremost beauty anyway. Whether you’re disfigured or not doesn’t really matter.”

Jiang Li froze. What Ji Heng said was true—she wasn’t Xue Fangfei anymore. Having lost that especially beautiful face, it didn’t matter how she looked now.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered that Ji Heng knew the truth that she was Xue Fangfei. After he learned the truth and their agreement was fulfilled, Ji Heng no longer had contact with her. Jiang Li had felt disappointed, but also thought this was the best outcome. Otherwise, if they met again, they wouldn’t know what state to interact in.

After all, she wasn’t truly a sixteen or seventeen-year-old young lady, and his occasional care and gentleness were clearly preferential treatment for a girl.

But the current Ji Heng seemed completely unaffected by that layer of truth. He still had his wicked teasing and schadenfreude, yet would also appear like heavenly soldiers descending at crucial moments to rescue people from water and fire.

Though she had always known—especially after dying once, she knew even more—not to depend on anyone. The only person in the world who could save you was yourself. But when such a person appeared, it was like gaining an additional meaning, making everything become special.

“Don’t worry about your face,” Ji Heng said. “These red spots will gradually fade. After a few days, they’ll naturally be fine.”

Jiang Li answered, “I’m not worried about that. What you said isn’t wrong either. My current appearance might actually be a good thing for me.”

This answer surprised Ji Heng. He asked, “Why?”

“At least I can use it as an excuse to refuse marriage arrangements and not have to marry.”

Ji Heng raised his eyebrows. “You don’t want to marry anymore?”

“Duke, you know my past. There’s no need to ask like this,” Jiang Li said softly. “Once bitten by a snake, one fears well ropes for ten years. Anyone in my position would be the same.”

“You simply met the wrong person,” Ji Heng said. “If you marry in the future, you can ask me. I can naturally investigate the backgrounds of people in Yan Capital thoroughly for you.”

“That won’t do,” Jiang Li joked. “I don’t have anything left to trade with the Duke. Our agreement has already been fulfilled. Moreover, now I don’t want to give my life to you. My father is alive again—I can’t bear to die.”

“Did your father also teach you this skill of crossing the river and tearing down the bridge?” he asked.

Jiang Li said, “That he did not.”

The two were silent for a while. Jiang Li asked, “The Duke came to Huangzhou because of Prince Cheng’s matter, right?”

“You could say that.”

“When will Prince Cheng raise his troops?” Jiang Li asked.

“Within the next two days.”

Jiang Li looked up. “Starting from Huangzhou?”

“More or less.”

“Then Huangzhou is very dangerous?”

Ji Heng’s gaze moved to Jiang Li’s face. He laughed softly. “I can have someone escort you back to Yan Capital.”

“I’ll stay here instead,” Jiang Li said.

Ji Heng raised his eyebrows. “Why?”

“I’m afraid that before I even reach Yan Capital, Prince Cheng will start making his move. When chaos breaks out, who knows what will happen? Better to follow you. By your side, at least I won’t lose my life—it’s safer than being outside.”

Ji Heng stared at Jiang Li for a while, then suddenly curved his lips in a smile. “Could it be you’re worried about me and deliberately staying behind for my sake?”

Jiang Li’s heart beat a bit fast. She wanted to turn her head away but couldn’t move. She could only avoid Ji Heng’s gaze and said calmly, “How could that be? But if the Duke wants to think that way, it’s not impossible. After all, you’re my lifesaver. I should repay you.”

Ji Heng didn’t dwell on this question anymore. He smiled. “If you want to stay here, naturally there’s no problem. However, Huangzhou is very dangerous. I also can’t guarantee what we’ll encounter next. If you want to follow me, it might not be as safe as being in Yan Capital.”

“I’m someone who has died once already,” Jiang Li said softly. “There’s nothing to fear.”

Hearing this, Ji Heng was stunned. After a while, he suddenly asked, “I heard that Xue Fangfei was strangled to death?”

“Yes,” Jiang Li answered. “When the Three Judicial Offices tried Shen Yurun and Princess Yongning, it was already stated very clearly in the case files.”

“What did it feel like?” His amber eyes were extremely captivating, the corners lifted upward, but his lashes lowered, so that bewitching charm and gentleness coexisted, evil aura and innocence together.

“Probably very painful…” Jiang Li’s gaze was somewhat unfocused. Before revenge, whenever those events came to mind, they felt as if they had just happened. She could even clearly remember every expression on Princess Yongning’s face, her own suffocation and distress at the time. But after Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun were dealt with, those events became very distant, as if a lifetime had passed. When she recalled them now, everything was hazy and unclear, nothing felt real anymore.

She had truly let go.

Ji Heng patted Jiang Li’s head, probably the same way he usually patted Xiao Lan’s head. He said, “You should rest well. I’ll have someone come serve you. Whatever matters there are, we’ll talk about them tomorrow.”

Jiang Li said, “Please, Duke, send a message to tell my father and uncle that I’m temporarily safe and they needn’t worry.”

“Alright.” Ji Heng said while walking toward the door. When he reached the doorway, Jiang Li’s voice came from behind.

She said, “When Prince Cheng raises his troops, will the Prince of Xia return to the capital?”

Ji Heng’s figure paused, then he said nothing, didn’t answer Jiang Li’s question, and left.

Jiang Li sat on the bed. The lamplight in the room gradually calmed her heart. The initial tension, fear, and anger had all vanished into thin air. This room had Lu Ji and the others, so there was no need to worry about safety.

She actually fell asleep.

…

When the maid Lu Ji found from outside came in to serve Jiang Li, Jiang Li was already asleep. That maid helped tuck in Jiang Li’s quilt, explained the situation to Lu Ji and the others, then left.

Lu Ji asked Ji Heng, “Miss Jiang wants to stay in Huangzhou?”

Ji Heng nodded.

“Won’t her staying in Huangzhou be unsafe?” Wenren Yao asked. “Prince Cheng is about to start making his move.”

“Having someone escort her back to Yan Capital now would be unsafe,” Ji Heng said. “She wants to stay here herself.”

“But didn’t Prince Cheng want to abduct her and trouble her from the start? If Prince Cheng discovers she’s still in Huangzhou, he definitely won’t let Second Miss Jiang go.”

Ji Heng said, “Do you think he can capture people right before my eyes?”

Wenren Yao shook her head, then nodded. “What I mean is, bringing Second Miss Jiang along will be quite inconvenient for you.”

“In any case, Miss Jiang appearing here is an accident,” Lu Ji said. “Earlier, Miss Situ had someone send word that Miss Jiang had been abducted. Didn’t expect that by chance, she would be discovered here by My Lord. I think we should write to Miss Situ and have Miss Situ report to the Jiang and Ye families so they needn’t search anymore.”

Ji Heng said, “You handle it.”

When he wasn’t smiling, he seemed somewhat dangerous. Lu Ji withdrew, probably to write the letter. Wenren Yao remained in the room. She kept glancing at Ji Heng from time to time, as if thinking about something. Ji Heng said, “If you have something to say, say it.”

“Aheng, do you think…” Wenren Yao carefully chose her words. “Could Second Miss Jiang be that person? The woman from the divination back then.”

“She won’t be.”

Wenren Yao looked up. “Why not?”

“No reason.”

…

When Jiang Li woke the next day, it was already bright. A strange maid saw she was awake and quickly helped her up to wash. Seeing this maid, Jiang Li thought of Tong’er left in Yan Capital. Before she was abducted, Tong’er had been wounded in the arm by a blade while blocking it for her. She didn’t know how things were now, didn’t know whether Baixue and Tong’er were safe and sound in the end.

After washing with worry, she was helped to eat. The effects of the Muscle-Softening Powder had dissipated somewhat. She didn’t know if Ji Heng had later found an antidote. In any case, compared to yesterday, Jiang Li could move her hands and feet slightly. Though she still had no strength and was soft and weak, at least she wasn’t completely unable to move or do anything.

“Help me go outside to look around,” Jiang Li said to the maid.

That maid helped Jiang Li walk outside. This was a courtyard residence. Probably because it was in Huangzhou, the mansion wasn’t very large—four rooms on each side with only one courtyard. Wenren Yao was in the courtyard. She was crouching on the ground doing something. When Jiang Li was helped to walk closer, she saw that beside her, several fat pigeons were circling, pecking at corn on the ground.

She was actually feeding pigeons.

“Young Master Wenren,” Jiang Li said.

Wenren Yao had her back to Jiang Li. Only upon hearing this did she stand up and turn around. Seeing Jiang Li, she smiled. “Second Miss Jiang, why are you up?”

Jiang Li looked at the sky. It was already bright. She didn’t see anyone else in the courtyard, so she asked, “Where are the others?”

“Wen Ji and Zhao Ke are still here. My Lord and Lu Ji went out early this morning. How are you? Is your body better today? Do you still feel weak?” Wenren Yao asked.

Jiang Li said, “Much better. Thank you for Young Master Wenren’s concern.”

“It’s just a few words. What’s there to thank? If you really want to thank someone, you should thank Aheng,” Wenren Yao said with a smile. “After all, he was the one who rescued you and brought you back yesterday.”

Jiang Li said, “The Duke’s kindness, Jiang Li will never forget.”

“No need to never forget. Just say thanks,” Wenren Yao said dismissively, then noticed Jiang Li’s face. Jiang Li hadn’t worn a veil this morning. That veil was uncomfortable to wear. Moreover, she had seen her own face. Sure enough, as Ji Heng said, though the red was still there, compared to yesterday, it had faded a little bit and the color had lightened. It seemed those two who abducted her, besides giving her Muscle-Softening Powder, had also been constantly feeding her medicine that caused red spots. Once she stopped taking that medicine, the red spots slowly faded.

“Don’t know when these red spots will be gone,” Wenren Yao said. “It’s good that Second Miss Jiang stays here. In Huangzhou, apart from us, no one knows you. After the marks on your face fade, you can return and no one will know. If you went back like this now, when people in Yan Capital saw, who knows what kind of gossip they’d spread. Ah,” she sighed seriously, “people’s words are fearsome. Better to hide away.”

Jiang Li thought this person was truly strange. Clearly she practiced the strange arts and divination school, yet her whole being was full of the air of common life, without a trace of an expert’s bearing. However, perhaps this was precisely the outstanding feature of their “Spirit Medium Sect”?

Jiang Li didn’t understand.

She only heard Wenren Yao continue chattering, “Speaking of which, someone as picky as Aheng, seeing your face like this yesterday, actually wasn’t disgusted and even brought you back…” She looked at Jiang Li and blinked.

Jiang Li was stared at with bewilderment.

“Second Miss Jiang, do you like Aheng?”

“What?” Jiang Li was astonished. Even following what Wenren Yao had just said, the next line should be “Aheng likes you” rather than “you like Aheng,” right? This Wenren Yao spoke so chaotically, making it impossible to guess what she would say next.

Jiang Li was good-natured and could only patiently answer her. “The Duke saved my life. I’m grateful to the Duke and consider him a friend. Nothing beyond that. Please speak cautiously, Young Master Wenren.”

This gentle “speak cautiously” had absolutely no effect on Wenren Yao. She only said very seriously, as if quite puzzled, “Aheng isn’t someone who likes getting close to strangers. Even those he’s close to, those around him he’s on good terms with, aren’t good people either. Except for me, every one of them is trouble.”

Jiang Li: “…” If Lu Ji and the others heard this, who knew how long Wenren Yao could continue living. This person courted death so much, she might as well divine for herself and see which day she’d do herself in.

“You’re different, Second Miss Jiang,” Wenren Yao said. “You’re a good person. For Aheng to treat a good person this well is strange. You say you don’t like Aheng—how is that possible?”

Jiang Li: “Why is it impossible?”

“I always feel you’re that woman in Aheng’s destiny.” As Wenren Yao spoke, she was about to reach out and grab Jiang Li’s hand. “Second Miss Jiang, how about I divine for you and see what your fate is like?”

Jiang Li was astonished. “Doesn’t your Spirit Medium Sect only divine for one person in a lifetime?”

“That’s right.” Wenren Yao said matter-of-factly. “So when I divine for you, it won’t be using the Spirit Medium Sect’s methods. When I left the mountain back then, I learned from various masters everywhere. By now, apart from my own sect, I’ve achieved some success. Whichever school you prefer, if I know it, I’ll use that school to help you.”

Jiang Li: “…”

She truly had no way out. She didn’t want Wenren Yao to divine for her. If Wenren Yao had no ability, that would be fine, but if she truly had ability and divined that she had lived two lifetimes, what if she frightened her? The truth that she was Xue Fangfei—the fewer people who knew, the better.

She said, “Young Master Wenren, can you let my father and uncle know that I’m in Huangzhou now and the news that I’m safe? Now that I’ve disappeared, they must be very anxious.”

“Aheng already gave instructions last night,” Wenren Yao said. “The letter is already on its way. Miss Jiang needn’t worry.”