Lord Xue intended to match up Chu Liyin and Xue Lianyu, so he must have protected her well. Summoning her back so suddenly couldn't be simply because of his poor health. He just wanted to avoid attracting attention and prevent Chu Liyin from being fancied by that playboy Qian Youliang.
Seeing that Chu Liyin had left in a hurry and left many things behind, she told Yun'er to pack them up one by one and then sent someone to deliver them to Feiyu Manor.
Not long after, she was sitting in the courtyard, holding a book. She had just turned a few pages when she heard the clattering footsteps outside. Then she saw Nanny Jin walking towards her with a delicate food box in her hand, smiling cheerfully.
"Miss, this is from Lord Qian. There are all kinds of Jiangnan snacks in it. They are the trendy delicacies he brought back from his trip to the south a few days ago. He thought you might like them, so he sent me to bring them to you."
Seeing Cheng Xiran standing there in a daze, Nanny Jin had to explain in detail, "Don't you know, Miss? Lord Qian is kind - hearted."
Cheng Xiran then slowly took the box and handed it to Yun'er beside her. She then motioned for Nanny Jin to sit down.
Only then did she hear Nanny Jin continue meaningfully, "Previously, I accompanied the old madam to Lord Qian's mansion. We were being tactful, but they already understood our intention. They told us not to worry. Although they failed to educate their eldest son well, they would never allow the young master to lay a finger on you."
Was that the end of it? Looking at Nanny Jin's beaming face, it seemed so. But why didn't she feel the slightest bit of joy after hearing this? She vaguely felt that this matter was not over yet.
But seeing Nanny Jin so overjoyed, she didn't have the heart to oppose. So she just followed her words and said, "In that case, I can rest assured."
"However, Miss, what happened to your face? It looks quite serious. Have you called a doctor?"
The fewer people who knew the truth, the better. So Cheng Xiran repeated the same excuse she used on Cheng Zhiyue to Nanny Jin. Nanny Jin believed it all and just kindly reminded her, "By the way, the Empress Dowager sent an invitation this morning. She said that the Hundred - Flower Banquet will be held in the palace this year. Miss, you must attend. The Empress Dowager said she wants to meet you."
Sure enough, it was just as Gu Yuanqing had said before... Cheng Xiran was now increasingly suspicious that Gu Yuanqing was a spy planted by the Empress Dowager's faction around them.
Cheng Xiran's eyes glistened slightly as she said softly, "I see. Don't worry. I'll be there on time."
Nanny Jin was very talkative today, and Cheng Xiran chatted with her for a while. When it was time, she asked Yun'er to send Nanny Jin back.
Looking at the delicate food box in the corner of the marble round table, Cheng Xiran had no appetite at all. Zhuque wanted to open it to take a closer look, but seeing Cheng Xiran in a bad mood, she murmured, "I'll put it away for you first, Miss. When you want to eat, just let me know."
Cheng Xiran was preoccupied. For some reason, all she could think about was Helian Duo.
She saw that the bright sky outside was gradually getting dimmer. She felt a strange sense of loss in her heart and her chest felt stuffy. Thinking it might be related to the weather, she simply went back to her room to take a nap.
She slept until half an hour before dinner and was woken up by the tick - tock sound of the rain outside the window.
When she woke up, she saw the torrential rain outside. The continuous tick - tock sound never stopped. Different from the gentle and continuous rain, this scene must be exactly what the saying "Each autumn rain brings a touch of chill" described.
A slight chill crept into her heart. Fortunately, Zhuque quickly fetched a cloak and put it on her. "Miss, you're awake. Have dinner in your room. The rain is too heavy. What would you like to eat?"
Almost instinctively, Cheng Xiran asked, "Zhuque, did anyone come to see me while I was sleeping?"
Seeing Zhuque shaking her head in confusion, she felt slightly relieved and said softly, "Just cook a bowl of noodles."
After saying that, she lay down again. Looking up at the light - purple gauze curtain and listening to the noisy autumn rain, thinking about Helian Duo, she always felt something was strange, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
She just lay there like that until Zhuque came in with a bowl of steaming noodles. Looking at the steam, she felt a little warmer in her heart. She slowly sat up and then got out of bed.
Sitting by the window, she slurped up the whole bowl of noodle soup. Zhuque was very happy to see this and couldn't help joking, "Miss, you slept for so long today. I wonder if you'll be able to sleep tonight."
After drinking the last mouthful of hot soup, Cheng Xiran licked her lips contentedly. "You kneaded these noodles yourself, right? They taste great."
"If you like them, Miss, I'll make them again later..." While saying this, Zhuque was tidying up the dishes and adding new tea. Then she continued, "What are you going to do next, Miss? Do you want me to accompany you and chat for a while?"
"Maybe I slept too long. I just want to go out for a walk, but the rain is so heavy outside. I'd better read a book and go back to sleep."
Cheng Xiran said listlessly. Seeing that she had no interest at all, Zhuque took her leave.
Cheng Xiran read a book by the window for a while. She opened her eyes wide as if she was reading seriously, but in fact, her mind had already wandered far away. Before long, she just趴在 on the table and fell asleep.
The distant mountains were hazy. As the rain grew heavier, they looked as if they were covered with a layer of veil, ethereal and like a fairyland. The only path into the mountain was winding and seemed to have no end. The vegetation on both sides was still lush, and this lushness was even more distinct in the rain. Helian Duo's deep - purple satin robe was already wet from the rain splashed up by the small puddles. Holding a long sword in his hand, regardless of the mud all over his body, he led the people behind him and marched into the mountain step by step.
"Your Highness, we're not familiar with this place. I don't think we should go any further rashly. Even if we want to go, we should wait until the rain gets lighter."
Yes, the oncoming rain mercilessly blocked his view. Helian Duo kept wiping his eyes, but he just couldn't wipe it off. Instead, his vision became even more blurred.
Finally, he simply gave up, squinted his eyes and continued walking forward. His thick eyebrows were tightly knitted, and his eyes were blood - red. His killing intent was rising and didn't fade at all because of the bad weather.
He came here today to kill someone and also to fulfill a promise for someone.