"The Warbling of the Oriole" - Chapter 188

Qi Shixiao approached her, startling her. She hadn't realized he was beside her.
The maid stepped aside, and he asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
With lives at stake, Ru Ying could no longer be coy and said, "Yes, I have something to say."
"What is it?"
"It's about Brother Yunzhou. Brother Yunzhou fell down the mountain path with Miss Xu while saving her. Madam Cen is crying so hard, and I... I'm very worried too. I wanted to ask you when the Imperial Guards' search will end, and whether it's possible to send more people. The search on the back mountain is slower, as many of Ji Hong's men have deserted. The search on the front mountain is faster. And it will be dawn soon. I will send more people to the front mountain. You go back and rest well. I will send someone to inform you and Madam Cen as soon as I have any news. Don't worry."
He wanted to reach out and touch the top of her head, but since they weren't alone at the moment, he held back. After thinking for a moment, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I was out of my mind and made you suffer."
Her cheeks flushed, and thinking of their passionate encounter, she dared not look at him again and quickly lowered her head.
His ears also began to heat up. He stood silently with her for a while, then waved to the little maid.
When the young master asked her to come over, the maidservant went back to Ruying's side. Seeing that Ruying was bowing her head and not speaking, she greeted her, "Young master, Miss An."
Qi Shixiao said to Ruying, "Go back and rest. We need to return to the city around 9:00 AM today. Don't stay up too late."
Ru Ying nodded, then suddenly remembered that he had led the army into the temple, pursued Ji Hong, and fallen off a cliff to save her, and hadn't slept all night. She said, "Are you going to be busy until 9 AM before returning to the city with us?"
He said, "That's the plan. If something unexpected happens, I'll have to stay. I'll have Axiang escort you back. Don't worry, there are soldiers protecting you, and it's safe on the official road during the day."
She wasn't worried about those things. She wanted him to rest more, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Instead, she said, "Okay, I'll go now."
Seeing that Ruying was being helped by her maid to join the rest of the Duke's family, Qi Shixiao went off to attend to his own business.
Sizhen, supported by her maid, rested for a while when she saw Ruying catching up, and waited for her to come along.
Seeing that Sizhen's hair was disheveled, her hairpins were removed, and her complexion was not good, Ruying said, "Sister Sizhen."
Sizhen's eyes were slightly red as she said, "Sister, I'm so glad you're alright. You...you have no idea how dangerous it was just now."
Since Ru Ying met Si Zhen, she had always been kind and composed, treating her like an older sister and taking care of her without ever feeling panicked or sorry for herself. Now, she was choking up in front of her, probably because she was terribly frightened.
She said, "Huaichun, Huaichun, I was helping my mother when I was knocked to the ground. I couldn't take care of my mother, and Huaichun was about to fall down the mountain as well. Fortunately, Madam Cen caught my mother, and she was alright. Young Master Cen held Huaichun's hand, and the two of them..."
Ru Ying said, "I already know. Sister, there's no need to worry. Huai Chun will be alright, and Brother Yun Zhou will be alright too."
"Sister, Young Master Cen, he..."
"Sister, don't worry. Brother Yunzhou is just that kind of person. He would help anyone who encounters this situation."
Sizhen thought of her eldest brother's affection for Ruying, and then of what the old lady had said to her third brother and Ruying that night—that Ruying's engagement to the young master of the Cen family was still in effect, and that the young master seemed to be deeply in love with her. She felt that this matter was a tangled mess, and that she could not unravel it with the thoughts and feelings she had accumulated over the past fifteen years.
Before she could decide what to say to Ruying, she saw her third brother walking towards her.
"Third Brother!"
Qi Shixiang nodded to her and said, "I need to say a few words to Yingying."
Sizhen was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Third Brother, let's talk about it back at the manor. There are too many people around here."
Qi Shixiang could hardly tolerate it.
He had been holding back for a long time.
When she returned, her eldest brother carried her off the horse. When she went to pay her respects to her grandmother, she didn't even glance at him. He had to take care of his mother and grandmother and couldn't spare a moment. In the blink of an eye, she was gone again. After he helped his grandmother into the courtyard and saw that the maid had settled his mother, he hurriedly went out to look for her and saw her and his third younger sister lagging behind.
He said, "If it's inconvenient, you can stand here. I'll just ask you two questions."
Ru Ying had no choice but to stop.
He asked, "Did Ji Hong hurt you? Were you injured when you fell down the mountain?"
She said, "No. Don't worry, I wasn't hurt."
He said, "Are you blaming me?"

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"The Warbling of the Oriole" - Chapter 188

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