Trembling, Lingxiu handed her the invitation. “You don’t need to strip his clothes off. We can go to the Jiang Mansion now.”
Huaiyu was astonished. Taking the invitation and reading it, she exclaimed, “Is this for real?”
“Yes,” Lingxiu nodded, a glimmer of joy in her eyes. “It seems that young Master Jiang cares about you a lot. He sent this invitation separately, hoping for your presence!”
Huaiyu could see that he cared about her, but hoping for her presence. She shook her head. If he wanted her there, the invitation would have arrived sooner. It seemed more like he was fulfilling someone else’s request.
After taking the invitation, Huaiyu dragged the unconscious servant to a nearby corner of the wall and left him there. Then she gestured to Lingxiu. “Let’s go.”
The sky was still dark, enveloped in a misty haze on the official road. Lingxiu was about to suggest finding a carriage when, before she could speak, a luxurious bronze eight-treasure carriage approached. It stopped beside them.
“Get in.” A jade bone fan lifted the carriage curtain, revealing the handsome face of Lu Jingxing.
Huaiyu smiled. “I thought you overslept.”
Pulling her up into the carriage, Lu Jingxing said irritably, “Miss, we’ve been on the move since before dawn. How could I have slept?”
Hearing this, Lingxiu’s hand slipped as she tried to climb onto the carriage shaft, nearly causing her to fall.
“Be careful.” Huaiyu reached out to pull her, helping her settle on the carriage shaft, then turned to give Lu Jingxing a glare. “Watch your words!”
“Well, it’s the truth,” Lu Jingxing held onto the carriage curtain, his phoenix eyes gleaming mischievously. “Wasn’t it because I was busy picking jewelry and clothes for you that we’re out until dawn?”
Last night, Li Huaiyu had intended to return home, but the clothes in his shop didn’t fit her properly. There wasn’t enough time to make new ones, so Lu Jingxing had to alter the dresses to fit her size, which took several hours.
Since he had helped her like this, Huaiyu couldn’t just leave without a word of thanks. She had to accompany him, which ended up delaying their departure until dawn.
Lingxiu breathed a sigh of relief. “I see.”
Lu Jingxing grinned and lowered the curtain, then looked across at Li Huaiyu sitting opposite. “Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Huaiyu nodded, her gaze intense. “Once we arrive, we’ll split up.”
“Do I need to wait for you when we leave?”
“No need. My… my father will be there.”
Nodding, Lu Jingxing smiled as he waved his fan. “If anything goes wrong, remember to head west.”
Lingxiu and Zhaocai were sitting on the outside of the carriage shaft, listening to the conversation between their two masters. They assumed they were discussing Miss Bai’s appearance at the Jiang Mansion and didn’t think much of it.
However, inside the carriage, Li Huaiyu understood. Lu Jingxing was worried that something might go wrong when she went to find Qingsi, so he made an arrangement to wait for her in the West. If she encountered any trouble, he could lend a hand.
The birthday banquet of the Jiang family’s young master wasn’t a major event. The reason Li Huaiyu went to such great lengths, aside from not wanting Lingxiu to be upset, was to achieve a more important goal – to find out the whereabouts of Qingsi.
Qingsi was in the hands of Jiang Xuanjin, not in the prison but somewhere in the Jiang Mansion. Seizing this opportunity, she and Lu Jingxing discussed and decided to search the Jiang Mansion carefully.
The sound of hooves clattering echoed as the group finally arrived at their destination before quarter past dawn.
As daylight broke, the Jiang Mansion’s entrance was crowded with people, with sedan chairs and carriages parked everywhere. As soon as Li Huaiyu got out of the carriage, she saw the stone slab standing beside the main gate, taller than a person.
It was an unpolished piece of jade, with the side facing the rising sun polished smooth. On it, four characters were engraved in a spirited manner –
“Generations of Loyalty and Virtue.”
These were inscribed by her late father, and he was transported here with eight horses to demonstrate his esteem for the Jiang family. The Jiangs had indeed lived up to their reputation. The eldest son, Jiang Chong, was renowned for his martial prowess, while the second son, Jiang Shen, was highly regarded for his literary talents.
As for the third son, he was even more remarkable. At the age of sixteen, he entered politics, and now he was the renowned Lord Ziyang, having personally dealt with the long-standing menace of the Danyang Princess, who had caused trouble in the court for many years.
With a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, Li Huaiyu averted her gaze and followed Lu Jingxing towards the main gate.
There were many guests today, and Jiang Chong, accompanied by Jiang Yan, was there to greet them at the entrance, displaying proper etiquette.
“Congratulations, congratulations!”
“Congratulations to you too! Please come inside.”
“The grace and elegance of young Master Jiang today truly showcase the talents of the Jiang family! Hahaha!”
“You’re too kind, too kind! Please come inside.”
Jiang Yan, who followed his father in exchanging pleasantries and bows, showed no sign of impatience on his face, but inside… he was already fed up! These empty and superficial words held no meaning, yet he had to listen to them without showing any sign of displeasure. He wondered whether today was his birthday or his day of punishment.
Feeling stifled, Jiang Chong faced two more people.
“Manager Lu,” Jiang Chong bowed slightly. “Your presence honors us. Please forgive any shortcomings in our welcome.”
“You’re too kind, General,” Lu Jingxing returned the courtesy with a smile. “It’s an honor to be invited. Thank you.”
“Not at all,” Jiang Chong replied politely, but he didn’t hear Jiang Yan’s response.
Slightly puzzled, he turned his head and saw his son staring blankly at someone beside Lu Jingxing.
What was he looking at? Following his gaze, Jiang Chong was surprised.
What an elegant and graceful young lady, with a gentle demeanor that matched the man beside her. Meeting his gaze, she calmly made a gesture of respect. “General, Miss Jiang, please accept my greetings.”
With her head slightly bowed and her posture dignified, she made him want to compliment her.
“Who is this?” Taking the invitation handed to him by her maid, Jiang Chong’s eyes lit up.
Jiang Yan didn’t read the invitation but noticed his father suddenly falling silent. Thinking he had made a mistake, he quickly regained his composure and gestured. “Please, come inside.”
Li Huaiyu nodded and gave him a faint smile, then followed Lu Jingxing inside.
“You’re good at playing along,” Lu Jingxing whispered, covering his mouth. “Pretending to be so dignified.”
Li Huaiyu walked with poise, chuckling at his words. “Do you think I grew up in a barn?”
Just because she didn’t like following rules didn’t mean she hadn’t learned them. She knew exactly what to do and when to do it.
Jiang Yan glanced at the retreating figure, thinking her peony-patterned dress was indeed beautiful. He hadn’t seen many people who could pull off that floral pattern so well.
Jiang Chong glanced at him, then suddenly asked, “Did you send a separate invitation to Miss Bai?”
At the mention of this, Jiang Yan’s expression darkened. “Uncle asked me to send it, and I’ve had someone deliver it. Whether she comes or not is none of my concern.”
Jiang Chong paused, glancing at him and then at the invitation he had received.
Could it be that this kid hadn’t even recognized who that girl was just now?