After leaving the prefect's mansion, Ruan Jiu went straight back to the Shen family's residence.
Hearing that Ruan Jiu had returned, Butler Uncle Fu immediately stepped forward to greet her.
"Miss, your room has been tidied up. The master knew you're afraid of the cold, so he specifically told me to light several more braziers in the room."
Ruan Jiu nodded slightly.
No wonder it felt a few degrees warmer as soon as she stepped into the mansion.
Back in her room, Chun Tao carefully made up Ruan Jiu's bed and specially prepared an extra quilt.
"Miss Biao, this place is different from the capital. You must cover yourself well at night and be careful not to catch a cold."
Ruan Jiu nodded.
But she walked straight to the window and pushed it open.
"Miss Biao, what are you doing?" Chun Tao asked in confusion.
Wasn't Miss Biao most afraid of the cold?
Ruan Jiu smiled, "One thinks of pleasure when well-fed and warm."
Chun Tao didn't understand what this meant, but she didn't dare to stop her either.
Scratching her head, she walked out of the room.
Ruan Jiu stood by the window, rubbing her hands and blowing out a puff of white air.
She looked up and stared blankly out of the window.
It seemed like it was going to snow soon.
Whether in Qinzhou or the capital, she rarely saw snow.
After being in a daze for a moment, there suddenly came the sound of footsteps outside the window.
Ruan Jiu came back to her senses. She didn't need to think to know who was standing outside the window.
"Why don't you climb in through the window tonight, Fourth Lord?" Ruan Jiu teased.
Hearing this, Xie Jingchu only showed half of his body. Against the light, it was hard to see the expression on his face.
"A single man and a single woman. I'm afraid it will stain Miss Shen's reputation."
Ruan Jiu sneered. Hadn't he climbed through windows often before? Now he suddenly knew to avoid suspicion.
"Did the Fourth Lord come here tonight to scold me?" Ruan Jiu raised her eyebrows.
"You know it well." Xie Jingchu said coldly.
Ruan Jiu pinched her fingers and mumbled, "I just said some nonsense in front of Miss Liang. Is it necessary to come here so late to scold me?"
"You know that's not what I'm talking about." His voice was still cold.
"Then what do you mean?" Ruan Jiu frowned.
She really couldn't stand Xie Jingchu's cold attitude. There was not a bit of warmth in his tone.
It made her feel colder than the weather in Shuozhou City.
Taking a deep breath, she fixed her gaze and said, "Xie Jingchu, do you really have to draw a clear line with me?"
Xie Jingchu pursed his lips. "I think I made myself clear that day."
Suddenly, Ruan Jiu leaned out and got close to Xie Jingchu.
She opened her big eyes wide and stared directly at Xie Jingchu.
When their eyes met, Xie Jingchu immediately turned his face away, hiding the panic in his eyes.
Suddenly, Ruan Jiu raised her injured wrist and showed it in front of Xie Jingchu, looking aggrieved. "A Jing, my hand hurts."
Hearing this aggrieved tone, Xie Jingchu's heart tightened instantly.
How could he not know what had happened to Ruan Jiu before?
After receiving the news from Shen Yu, he knew that place was not safe and bandits often haunted there. So he immediately led his men there.
But he was still a step too late.
The bone was broken. How could it not hurt!
If it weren't for Xiao Wang's men taking all the bandits away, he would have wanted to cut those people into pieces!
Xie Jingchu let out a long sigh, frowned and said, "You shouldn't have come."
"I really shouldn't have come. Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen you being so intimate with Miss Liang. A Jing, A Jing. It sounds so nice when she calls you."
Just thinking about this, Ruan Jiu got angry.
"Ruan Jiu!" Xie Jingchu said in a deep voice. "Shuozhou is not as simple as you think, and neither is Liang Jingzhuo."
Xie Jingchu knew why Ruan Jiu had appeared in the prefect's mansion today.
In order to prevent Ruan Jiu from getting into trouble again, he had to remind her.
"Liang Jingzhuo?" Ruan Jiu was puzzled. "Isn't he a good official who is honest and a great benefactor?"
Xie Jingchu suddenly lowered his voice. "You don't need to know so much. You just need to stay away from the prefect's mansion and stay away from Liang Jingzhuo."
Ruan Jiu continued to ask, "Does Liang Jingzhuo know about your relationship with Concubine Shu?"
Xie Jingchu shook his head. "I told him that I'm here in Shuozhou to do business."
Such caution was indeed in line with Xie Jingchu's character.
After all, the matter of the Huo family was of great importance and there couldn't be the slightest mistake.
Ruan Jiu suddenly remembered that at the banquet today, Xiao Wang seemed very interested in Liang Jingzhuo's family affairs.
Could it be that Xiao Wang had discovered something?
Maybe this Liang Jingzhuo really had a problem.
Seeing Ruan Jiu in a daze, Xie Jingchu said coldly, "What scheme are you hatching in your mind again? I'm telling you, once the medicinal materials are delivered, go back to the capital immediately."
"I don't want to go back!" Ruan Jiu pouted. "What if someone else takes you away after I go back?"
"You!" Xie Jingchu blushed and turned to the side. "Shameless."
Ruan Jiu covered her mouth and snickered.
Wasn't he the one who used to say such explicit things?
Why was he shy now?
So she continued to tease him, "Look, you've only been in Shuozhou for a short time, and Miss Liang can't wait to stick to you."
Xie Jingchu said helplessly, "I have nothing to do with her. I'm just trying to find out the situation in Shuozhou."
Ruan Jiu waved her hand. "Don't explain."
Xie Jingchu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not explaining to you."
"I understand. You're her savior."
Hearing Ruan Jiu's sarcasm, Xie Jingchu felt a little uncomfortable.
Was she blaming him for not being there when she got hurt?
But when he saw her injured, he felt more heartache than anyone else. He forced himself again and again to suppress the impulse in his heart to take her away.
Otherwise, what would those harsh words he had said before count for?
When they met again in the prefect's mansion, just one look from her was enough to drive Xie Jingchu crazy.
He wanted to hug Ruan Jiu tightly in his arms immediately.
He missed her.
He missed her so much.
Xie Jingchu squinted his eyes, took a deep breath, and hid all his emotions deep in his heart.
But he still couldn't help explaining to Ruan Jiu, "I saved Liang Zhiyun in order to get close to Liang Jingzhuo."
To him, Liang Zhiyun was just a pawn.
Although he didn't say this out loud, Ruan Jiu understood it in her heart.
Then a smile appeared on her face, full of joy.
But the next moment, some unpleasant words came out of Xie Jingchu's mouth again.
"You should set off for the capital tomorrow."
"I don't want to!"
Xie Jingchu frowned. "Why are you so stubborn!"
"It's not the first day you've known me." Ruan Jiu raised her eyebrows slightly. "Besides, as the eldest daughter of the Shen family, I should stay and help when such a big thing has happened in Shuozhou."
Xie Jingchu helplessly supported his forehead. "What help can you offer!"
"Of course, I'll open the granaries and distribute grain to relieve the victims."
After saying that, Ruan Jiu immediately closed the window, blocking all of Xie Jingchu's words outside.
She leaned against the window and let out a long sigh.
It seemed like she hadn't felt so refreshed in a long time.
Although Xie Jingchu still seemed to be driving her away in his words, she could tell from his expression that he still cared about her in his heart.
She also understood that those hurtful words before were just Xie Jingchu's way of trying to get her out of the mire of the Huo family.
There was a bit of resentment in her heart, but compared to the two of them going their separate ways because of misunderstandings, it was not worth mentioning.
However, since Xie Jingchu was determined to draw a clear line with her.
She wanted to see how long this stubborn man could keep up his act.