HomeEchoes of YouthChapter 99: Exposure

Chapter 99: Exposure

That Miss Li indeed had a problem – why was she cross-dressing as a man again for no good reason?

How did he recognize her at a glance? Naturally, because he had seen her before during the journey north some days ago.

Jiang He perked up, straightened his clothes, and walked toward Five Flavors Tea House.

“Father, am I late?”

Li Guangwen looked curiously at the handsome young gentleman walking over and tentatively called out: “Zhaozhao?”

“Your child greets Father.” Qiao Zhao smiled at the corners of her lips and bowed to Li Guangwen.

Her manner was composed, looking no different from a young gentleman, except perhaps a bit too delicate.

Li Guangwen’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands: “This is excellent!”

“Thank you for Father’s praise.”

Li Guangwen nodded repeatedly: “Zhaozhao should dress like this from now on – then I can often bring you out to play chess.”

Qiao Zhao: “…”

She straightened up and turned to wave at the carriage stopped not far away.

Jiang He, who was walking in this direction, instinctively waved back.

Qiao Zhao was startled, looked deeply at Jiang He, and smiled at him in a friendly manner.

This person was also interesting – he thought she was greeting him.

Jiang He was directly shocked.

He had greeted his surveillance target, and the target had responded.

Responded!

Jiang He’s legs immediately couldn’t move. He forced an awkward smile, suddenly turned around, and suppressing the urge to flee wildly, walked step by step out of Qiao Zhao’s sight before breaking into a run.

That person was rather strange.

Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze.

He Shi, in the carriage, poked half her head out the window and waved at Qiao Zhao.

Upon seeing He Shi, Li Guangwen instinctively put on a stern face and coughed: “Aren’t you going in yet?”

“Yes, coming.” Qiao Zhao turned back to walk beside Li Guangwen, and father and daughter entered the tea house together.

The carriage stopped not far away and remained motionless for a long time. Only after a full quarter hour did the coachman receive orders from the lady inside the carriage and slowly drive away with a crack of his whip.

Jiang He ran wildly back to the Jinlin Guards headquarters, rushed into Jiang Yuanchao’s office, and leaned against the wall, gasping heavily.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuanchao raised an eyebrow and asked: “What happened? Why do you look like you’ve run yourself to death?”

“Miss Li, Miss Li—”

“What about Miss Li?” Jiang Yuanchao’s smile immediately disappeared, and his expression became serious.

Had something happened to that little girl?

Could it be that his attention to that little lass had drawn the attention of others in the office?

Jiang Yuanchao naturally knew that since returning from Jia Feng and taking over Jiang Wu’s position, he had become influential in the Jinlin Guards, which had long aroused the dissatisfaction of his other brothers.

Thinking of the word “brothers,” Jiang Yuanchao smiled mockingly.

Called brothers, but from childhood they had only been competitors – as children competing for their adoptive father’s attention, and when grown, competing for their adoptive father’s favor.

“Miss Li… Miss Li cross-dressed as a man and went to Five Flavors Tea House!” Jiang He finally caught his breath.

“Cross-dressed as a man?” Jiang Yuanchao’s handsome eyebrows furrowed, then relaxed, and he said nonchalantly: “Even so, why are you in such a panic?”

He suddenly thought of a possibility: “Could it be she went to meet someone special?”

That would make his subordinate so anxious to run back and report?

“Ah, the person waiting at Five Flavors Tea House seemed to be Miss Li’s father, that Compiler Li. As for whether there were other people,” Jiang He never dared hide anything from Lord Shisan, and said with a stiff scalp: “This subordinate didn’t have time to confirm before running back.”

It wasn’t that the little girl was in trouble. Jiang Yuanchao’s mood inexplicably relaxed, and with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, he said: “Then tell me, what stupid thing did you do now?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang He felt wronged and complained: “Sir, you don’t know – that Miss Li is too cunning. This subordinate was pretending to be a tea-drinking customer and casually walking into the tea house when she waved at me.”

“She recognized you as a Jinlin Guard?”

That couldn’t be right. During the journey north, his subordinate hadn’t met that girl face to face. He couldn’t help but meet with her some days ago, but logically, that shouldn’t have let her detect his identity either.

Jiang He looked distressed: “This subordinate doesn’t know if she recognized me as a Jinlin Guard, but she might recognize me in the future.”

“Hmm? What did you do?” Jiang Yuanchao had an ominous premonition and asked with restraint.

“I didn’t do much, this subordinate just accidentally… responded a little…”

Jiang Yuanchao: “…” His personally trained subordinate had become this stupid – he was speechless.

Lord Shisan, who no longer had the energy to be angry, pointed toward the door.

Jiang He felt as if granted amnesty: “This subordinate will scram immediately!”

He ran to the doorway, stopped hesitantly, and asked: “Sir, in the future regarding Miss Li, should this subordinate still follow or not?”

“What do you think?” Jiang Yuanchao stood up and walked toward the door as he asked.

Jiang He lowered his head in distress.

Recently, the tasks he’d handled seemed to all dissatisfy his superior, though he’d already been working very hard!

Jiang Yuanchao strode past Jiang He with his long legs, not even glancing at him.

“Sir, where are you going?” Jiang He couldn’t help calling after him.

Jiang Yuanchao didn’t turn back, raising his hand to point to one side.

Jiang He’s face fell: “This subordinate will scram, this subordinate will scram… How about when Jiang Lin returns from Beiding, this subordinate switches with him? This subordinate would have no problems at brothels—”

The tall, long-legged Lord Shisan had already walked out.

Outside, the sun blazed brightly. The tall sycamore trees on both sides of the street were verdant. Jiang Yuanchao lifted his feet and walked in the direction of the Hanlin Academy.

Qiao Zhao was led by Li Guangwen into a private room facing the street in Five Flavors Tea House. Li Guangwen pointed to the chess set that had already been arranged: “Come, let us father and daughter play a game first.”

“Father, we should wait for the Academy Director first.”

Seeing Qiao Zhao’s polite refusal, Li Guangwen thought about it and agreed. Once they started playing chess, it wouldn’t end quickly. If Academy Director Su arrived in the middle of their game, wouldn’t that spoil the mood?

“Alright then, let’s wait.” Li Guangwen plopped down.

Qiao Zhao held back and asked: “Father will wait here?”

“Ah?” Li Guangwen was completely confused by the question.

“Wasn’t Father just waiting for me at the tea house entrance?” Qiao Zhao reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Li Guangwen laughed: “I was afraid you might not know the way. Academy Director Su is different – he comes here often.”

Miss Qiao silently looked out the window.

So, exactly what kind of luck had Father run into to safely muddle through to this point?

Miss Qiao was inwardly complaining when her gaze suddenly paused, falling on a tall man at the street corner.

The man wore fitted black robes that accentuated his upright, pine-like bearing. Though he always had a smile at the corners of his mouth and his whole person seemed gentle, that cold, distant aloofness flowed from his very bones.

Such people, once they had a goal in mind, would never waver.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze moved down to fall on the black-robed man’s face, and the smile at the corners of her mouth slowly faded.

Jiang Shisan of the Jinlin Guards – why would he appear here?

Qiao Zhao’s mind was sharp. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly had an idea: he was looking for her!

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