Although Jiang Ancheng wasn’t a refined gentleman, he still didn’t have the face to admit to his daughter that he needed to relieve himself.
No, he had to hold it!
One step, two steps, three steps…
Jiang Ancheng’s face turned blue, his lips white, and his whole body trembled as he was about to lose control.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered how helpful his son could be.
If that rascal Jiang Zhan were here, he wouldn’t need to hold it at all. He could just shout for his son to carry him to the latrine and solve the problem.
Indeed, Jiang Ancheng now didn’t even dare to take a step, pitifully standing in place, filled with despair.
A familiar voice came: “Uncle Jiang, are you feeling unwell?”
“Y-young Yu,” Jiang Ancheng greeted the handsome young man who appeared before him, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Yu Jin said solemnly to Jiang Si, “Miss Jiang, I think your father has an urgent condition. We can’t delay in such situations. I’ll take him to the medical hall right away…”
After saying this, he hoisted Jiang Ancheng onto his shoulder and rushed into the teahouse they had just left.
Jiang Si glanced up at the teahouse sign.
It was indeed a teahouse.
Soon after, Yu Jin came out supporting Jiang Ancheng.
Jiang Ancheng looked refreshed but somewhat embarrassed when faced with his daughter’s puzzled gaze.
Yu Jin smiled apologetically, “Seeing Uncle Jiang unwell, I was so anxious that I mistook the teahouse for a medical hall and went to the wrong place… I hope Miss Jiang won’t mind.”
Jiang Si tugged at the corner of her mouth.
She certainly didn’t believe Yu Qi’s nonsense. Recalling her father’s strange behavior earlier, she vaguely understood what had happened. To avoid embarrassing her father further, she pretended to be confused and asked, “How are you feeling now, Father?”
Jiang Ancheng’s voice became more robust, “It was just a sudden ailment. Once that moment passed, I felt better. Let’s go home.”
Yu Jin smiled slightly, “Uncle Jiang, let me escort you and Miss Jiang back.”
Jiang Ancheng now saw Yu Jin as a lifesaver and gladly accepted, “Thank you for your trouble, young Yu.”
On the way back, Jiang Ancheng encountered an old acquaintance.
The acquaintance invited him for a drink, and after a brief hesitation, Jiang Ancheng said to Yu Jin, “Young Yu, I’ll trouble you to take Sier home.”
It was fortunate that it was young Yu; he wouldn’t have trusted anyone else.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Jiang. I’ll make sure to deliver Miss Jiang home safely,” Yu Jin assured.
Once Jiang Ancheng left, Yu Jin took Jiang Si directly to Songzi Lane.
A’Qiao wanted to speak several times but held back, remembering that this man dared to climb over the wall in the middle of the night. She silently swallowed her words.
Well, as long as the young miss knew what she was doing.
Standing in front of the civilian house in Songzi Lane, Jiang Si paused.
As if guessing Jiang Si’s thoughts, Yu Jin smiled, “Don’t worry, it’s very convenient to talk inside. Miss Chuchu leaves early every day to look for work.”
“Look for work?” Jiang Si asked, surprised.
Faced with Jiang Si’s astonishment, Yu Jin shrugged, “If she doesn’t find work, does she expect others to support her for life? I now think she’s quite sensible.”
Hearing Yu Jin’s words, Jiang Si’s impression of Chuchu improved further.
Chuchu had been pursued by assassins due to circumstances related to her. Although providing food and lodging was the least she could do, who wouldn’t admire someone independent and self-reliant?
For a woman to possess such qualities was undoubtedly admirable.
Yu Jin became alert.
He felt he had inadvertently improved someone else’s reputation.
This was A’Qiao’s first time here, but unlike A’Man’s curious nature, she kept her eyes straight ahead, following Jiang Si inside in an orderly manner.
“You can just wait outside,” Yu Jin instructed casually.
A’Qiao looked at Jiang Si, and seeing her nod slightly, silently bowed and remained outside.
As soon as they entered the house, Yu Jin smiled, “I didn’t expect you to have such a reserved maid.”
Jiang Si gave Yu Jin a sidelong glance.
Only someone as shameless as him could describe being well-behaved as reserved.
“How did you know I went out?” she asked.
Yu Jin led Jiang Si to sit down and smiled, “Not only did I know you went out, but I also know who the woman meeting Zhu Ziyu in private was.”
Seeing Jiang Si frown, he reached out to smooth the wrinkle between her brows and explained, “I’ve had people watching Zhu Ziyu. After all, A’Fei is just a street ruffian. This matter is so important to you; what if something went wrong?”
“So my father’s encounter with his friend wasn’t a coincidence, was it?” Jiang Si deduced.
Yu Jin smiled and winked.
Jiang Si certainly wouldn’t pursue these minor details and ask, “Since you know who that woman is, aren’t you surprised?”
“What’s there to be surprised about? There are many strange things in this world. I only care about how you plan to resolve this matter. Do you need my help?”
He, a prince, had nearly been sold to a brothel as a child. What was so shocking about the daughter of Princess Rongyang being involved with Zhu Ziyu?
How to resolve it?
Jiang Si’s expression instantly turned cold. Her pale fingers lightly tapped the table as she said slowly and deliberately, “Of course, I want them to taste the bitterness of disgrace and ruin.”
Her skin was already fair, and perhaps due to nourishing the gu worms with her flesh and blood, she appeared even paler, lacking in vitality. She looked like the most fragile high-grade white jade, possessing a kind of pitiful beauty.
Yu Jin sighed, suppressing the urge to embrace her, and asked, “What do you plan to do?”
Jiang Si lowered her eyes in thought.
Now the situation with the other side was clear. Whether it was Qing’er and Yu’er as pawns or the unpredictable lover Cui Mingyue, all had surfaced.
In this situation, she certainly wouldn’t sit and wait for the events of her past life, where her elder sister was accused of “improper relations,” to happen again.
How could passive retaliation compare to the satisfaction of taking the initiative?
Jiang Si quickly made her decision and said coldly, “I want to catch them in the act!”
In her past life, Zhu Ziyu had caused her elder sister to endure unimaginable shame. So naturally, she would repay him in kind, letting Zhu Ziyu taste the same bitter experience.
Yu Jin was very dissatisfied with this phrasing: “How can you call it ‘catching in the act’ when it’s about other men?”
Jiang Si laughed at his pettiness, “So it’s okay if it’s about you?”
Yu Jin’s expression turned serious, “Except for you, I would never fool around with other women. So if we were caught in the act, it would be both of us losing face together…”
“Shameless,” Jiang Si retorted.
“Mm, I accept that description,” Yu Jin agreed.
“Help me find someone suitable,” Jiang Si said. They had already shared kisses and embraces, so she didn’t feel the need to be overly polite, especially not at a time like this.
“Preferably a feisty woman in her twenties from the common folk, the kind whose husband has been unfaithful but hasn’t been discovered yet… We’ll just add fuel to the fire and watch the show without letting anyone notice our involvement…”
After hearing Jiang Si’s explanation, Yu Jin smiled, “There must be plenty of such people. Don’t worry, we’ll find someone soon.”
Men as faithful as him, who guarded their chastity for A’Si, were hard to find, but men who ate out while hiding it from their wives were everywhere.
As Yu Jin had said, it didn’t take much effort to find a suitable candidate.
Upon receiving this news, Jiang Si felt half-relieved. The next step was to wait patiently for Zhu Ziyu to be unable to resist meeting Cui Mingyue again in private.
The weather grew colder day by day, and even lined clothes gradually became insufficient to ward off the chill.
Finally, that day arrived.