“Wei Yi, this thing…” is fake.

Before she could finish speaking, Wei Yi looked at her with an expectant expression.

He asked, “Shu’er, do you like it?”

“…”

“This is an anklet to wear on your foot. I secretly went to buy it yesterday. The shopkeeper told me that girls love this kind of thing the most. Shu’er will definitely look beautiful wearing it.”

Wei Yi had already eagerly taken out the delicate silver ring. Without waiting for Ji Yunshu to refuse or say anything, he had already crouched down and carefully fastened it around her ankle.

Accompanied by the gentle tinkling of bells, it sounded extremely pleasant!

He sprang up and stood before Ji Yunshu, praising, “Beautiful! Shu’er looks truly beautiful wearing it.”

Ji Yunshu lifted her foot and looked at the silver ring on her left ankle. Because it was very thin, it sat lightly and moved flexibly on her foot.

Moreover, the bell’s sound wasn’t very loud. Although it was a secondhand item, she didn’t want to discourage Wei Yi. All in all, it looked quite nice. What did it matter if it was secondhand?

Ji Yunshu gladly accepted it.

“Thank you, I like it very much.”

Wei Yi proudly lifted his chin and said, “The things I pick out make Shu’er look the most beautiful.”

Looking at his appearance, he had probably completely forgotten about Jing Xuan smashing up the courtyard earlier!

This was perhaps Wei Yi’s most unique trait!

Ji Yunshu quickly pulled him outside to prevent him from excitedly dropping to the ground to look at her feet.

The courtyard was in complete disarray. Fortunately, Ji Yunshu had stopped things quickly; otherwise by now, the plum blossoms planted in the courtyard would probably have been uprooted entirely.

The maids were all hurrying to clean up the mess. At this moment, it had started drizzling. If they didn’t clean it up soon, once it got wet, it would become a complete muddy disaster.

Wei Yi rushed over to a young maid and quickly took the broken potted plant from her hands.

With a kind expression, he said, “Sister, let me help you.”

“Young Master Wei…” Before the maid could stop him, Wei Yi had already carried the potted plant and tossed it into the large barrel used for waste.

Ji Yunshu also couldn’t worry about the fine drizzle and quickly pitched in to help clean up.

“Master Ji, let us do this.”

“It’s fine. Everyone hurry and clean up together. If the rain gets heavier soon, it will be worse.”

“Yes.”

Everyone in the courtyard was frantically cleaning up the potted plants on the ground. Because they were dampened by the drizzle, the mud had mixed together, and several maids had fallen flat on their backs.

Wei Yi felt sorry for them and carried the fallen young maids to the side, even ordering them to sit properly and not move around.

It was completely the manner of a master!

Probably because he was getting more and more excited, Wei Yi scrambled to do the work.

When Ji Yunshu went to clean up the fragments, before her hands could touch them, Wei Yi had already snatched them away, saying as he did so.

“Shu’er, let me help you.”

Ji Yunshu’s heart warmed, and a clear smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Busy figures darted back and forth in the courtyard!

So lively and bustling!

The light tinkling of the anklet, accompanying the sound of the fine drizzle at this moment, seemed to transform all the scenery in this courtyard into an extremely unreal scene.

Yet it was so beautiful.

Outside the courtyard, Jingrong stood beneath that lantern, his hair and shoulders already soaked by the drizzling rain.

Watching the smile that appeared on Ji Yunshu’s face—clearly so beautiful—yet his heart ached faintly!

Because such a smile had never been given to him.

All he received was coldness and avoidance.

He so hoped that one day Ji Yunshu could accompany him with the same steadfast determination as she waited for Ji Pei!

And that she could show him a reassuring smile with the same comfort and joy she displayed before Wei Yi.

If there could truly be “such a day”!

What harm in waiting a little longer!

The Next Day

Capital Magistrate came to Prince Rong’s manor to report the results of yesterday’s search at Mount Liang.

He recounted everything: “We did dispatch quite a few people, but there was almost nothing to investigate. The body was discovered at the foot of Mount Liang, right along the official road. There were many carriage tracks and many footprints, all very messy. But naturally, such things are common on official roads. We also sent people to search the vicinity. The nearest structure was an abandoned thatched cottage that hadn’t been used in a long time. Surrounded by mountains, there’s really nowhere to hide anyone. The deceased probably didn’t escape from somewhere in the vicinity. Other than that, we truly found nothing else.”

He sighed as he spoke, very helpless!

The leads had probably run cold here again. After two months of investigation, once again, they had come up empty-handed.

Ji Yunshu harbored some suspicions. It was impossible that nothing could be found. The only explanation was clear: Capital Magistrate’s people hadn’t searched carefully.

After weighing her words, Ji Yunshu said, “I’ll go to Mount Liang myself.”

“No!”

Jingrong immediately rejected this, quickly saying, “Your body can’t handle it. You cannot go.”

“My body is fine.” Ji Yunshu countered.

Jingrong pulled her aside, his expression serious: “Mount Liang has very heavy dampness. Even in July and August, it’s extremely humid. Don’t forget, the wound on your face cannot be exposed to dampness. Once exposed to dampness, not only will your face be ruined, your body won’t be able to withstand it either.”

Yes, she had nearly forgotten that the physician had repeatedly cautioned her not to go to places with heavy dampness, lest the wound on her face fail to heal and tear open again.

But…

“If I don’t go there myself, this case will lose its leads.”

“There are no conditions to negotiate. Nothing is more important than your safety.”

His tone brooked no argument.

Ji Yunshu knew this man’s temperament.

Just as she was about to speak.

Several young eunuchs from the palace entered from outside.

The eunuch shuffled forward with small steps, hands placed at his abdomen, and said respectfully, “Greetings to Prince Rong. Noble Consort Xiao has decreed that Master Ji must enter the palace immediately.”

…

At this moment, Jing Xuan was sitting in the pavilion, her hands supporting her chin, her large eyes gazing at the flowers and plants throughout the courtyard in a daze. The corners of her mouth occasionally curved up, appearing extremely bashful.

Two maids standing beside her exchanged glances, both looking puzzled.

What was this situation?

Had the princess been possessed?

From the time she returned yesterday until now, she had been smiling foolishly, her face frequently flushing with bashfulness, completely displaying the manner of a young woman in love.

Jing Xuan bit her lip, then lowered her head and laughed aloud, her shoulders shrinking bashfully into a ball. It took quite a while before she collected these feelings.

In the distance, four or five palace maids carrying some pastries walked toward the main hall. She suddenly instructed the palace maid beside her.

“Go bring those pastries here.”

“Yes!”

The palace maid hurried over and said something to those several palace maids carrying the pastries. In the end, she returned empty-handed.

Jing Xuan asked, “Where are the pastries?”

“Princess, they said the pastries must be delivered to the main hall.”

Upon hearing this, how could she stand it?

Jing Xuan slapped her hand on the stone table: “Such audacity! They won’t give me what this princess wants?”

The palace maid quickly lowered her head and explained, “They said that an honored guest will be arriving at the hall shortly, so the empress ordered fine pastries to be prepared.”

“An honored guest? Who is it?”

“I heard it’s a Master Ji.”

Upon hearing this, the corners of Jing Xuan’s mouth instantly became tinged with a bashful smile.

Extremely excited!