"The fragrance of a woman's cosmetics?" Ye Xi opened her eyes wide. "Do you suspect that he's two - faced?"
"Well, this..." Liu Mengxian nodded slightly and then immediately shook her head. "Actually, it was just a split - second thing. I'm not even sure if I smelled it wrong. But I've been feeling uneasy ever since, so I told my mother. To put my mind at ease, my mother asked someone to secretly inquire about the Ren family. She wanted to see if he had any concubines or maidservants who might have caused that smell on him."
"However, what we learned was that Ren Jiaojie is a man of integrity. Although he has two maidservants to attend to him, they are just ordinary maids and he has no intention of taking them as concubines. He doesn't keep a mistress outside either, and he never goes to those brothels."
"My mother thought that maybe I smelled it wrong, or it was the smell on myself. So this matter was left unsettled. Although I agreed with my mother, there's still a knot in my heart that I can't untie."
Liu Mengxian frowned tightly, clearly troubled.
Ye Xi casually reached out to push aside a dead branch beside her and asked, "So what's your plan now?"
Liu Mengxian stared at the bluestone path under her feet, sighed softly, and said, "Actually, I wanted to invite the Immortal Maiden Manping to do a 'fortune - reading'. But not only is the Immortal Maiden Manping out of the capital these days and nowhere to be found, even if I could invite her, our two families haven't even proposed marriage or set a betrothal. It's too hasty to invite someone to 'fortune - read' the man. It's not appropriate."
"I've thought it over and over again, but I still don't know what to do."
What a coincidence! The so - called Immortal Maiden Manping was right in front of her. Ye Xi had a strange smile on her face.
"Just leave this to me."
"Leave it to you?" Liu Mengxian looked at Ye Xi in surprise. "You can find the Immortal Maiden Manping? And how are we going to do the 'fortune - reading'?"
"It's easy." Ye Xi leaned close to Liu Mengxian's ear and said with a smile, "Isn't your third aunt sick? Even if the doctor has prescribed medicine, he still needs to come back for a follow - up visit, right?"
"Find a suitable day for both sides. Ask your brother to invite Young Master Ren over. Then we'll 'accidentally' spill some tea on him. In this cold winter, we should get a doctor to check him in case he catches a cold. What do you think?"
Liu Mengxian's eyes lit up, and the worry on her face disappeared.
"Ah, Xiaoxi, you're so smart..." She gave Ye Xi a big hug and then continued, "But we should ask the Immortal Maiden Manping first. If she's not available then, all our arrangements will be in vain."
"Ah, this..." Ye Xi grinned. "Do you believe me when I say you'll see?"
"Ah?" Liu Mengxian was stunned. She stopped and stared blankly at Ye Xi.
"Well, it's like this," Ye Xi started to make up a story. "First of all, the Immortal Maiden Manping doesn't take on fortune - reading jobs now and we can't find her. Secondly, even if we manage to invite her and secretly do the fortune - reading on Young Master Ren, there's no such thing as a leak - proof wall. If one day this gets out, it'll be okay if there's something wrong with Young Master Ren. But if he turns out to be innocent and you marry into the Ren family, how will you handle the situation?"
Liu Mengxian was startled and replied, "That's true."
"So..." Ye Xi affectionately hooked her arm around Liu Mengxian's and tried to persuade her seriously. "It's better to let me do it. You know that my A Yuan is on good terms with the Reverend Master Hunyuan. And the Immortal Maiden Manping is the Reverend Master Hunyuan's junior sister, so she and our family are also quite familiar."
"After the Immortal Maiden Manping helped me solve the Ye family's problem in the capital before, she thought I was to her liking. Privately, she taught me a 'pulse - probing' technique similar to 'fortune - reading'. But it's a technique she hasn't shown to others yet, and she told me not to tell anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. The 'pulse - probing' technique is very energy - consuming, and I've never used it, so no one knows about it."
"If you don't believe me," Ye Xi pretended to check Liu Mengxian's pulse and said with a smile, "Think of a number in your mind now and see if I can figure it out."
"Really?" Liu Mengxian was skeptical. She really thought of the number "eighty - eight" in her heart.
As soon as the thought flashed through her mind, Ye Xi immediately gave the answer.
"Wow..." Liu Mengxian was extremely surprised. But in her heart, she thought, [Is she really that good? Could it be just a coincidence?]
"Hey, Ameng," Ye Xi pretended to be dissatisfied and pouted. "Why do you still secretly suspect that I guessed it by coincidence?"
"Ah? You even know this!" Liu Mengxian blushed with embarrassment. She forced a few awkward smiles and was completely convinced of Ye Xi's 'pulse - probing' technique.
The two walked and talked all the way, discussing many details. They planned to arrange for Ye Xi to really 'examine' Third Lady Liu's pulse at that time and ask about the matter of Nanny Xi taking her away.
The crisp and delicate voices of the two girls lingered in the air behind them and slowly drifted into the sky.
After saying goodbye to Liu Mengxian, Ye Xi was tired from walking. She got into the carriage and headed back home.
The warm winter sun, the soft cushion in the carriage like a cloud, and the slow, regular rocking of the carriage made Ye Xi feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.
She adjusted to a comfortable position and ordered, "Lingyan, I'll take a short nap. Wake me up when we arrive."
"Okay, miss." Lingyan replied and adjusted the speed of the horses to make Ye Xi sleep more comfortably.
I don't know how long it had passed. Ye Xi suddenly felt the carriage jolt violently, and she almost fell off the cushion.
"Lingyan?" Ye Xi called out sleepily. "What's going on?"
The sound of clashing weapons came from outside, tinkling.
"Miss!" Saixing popped her head in in a hurry. "There are assassins! Hold on tight. I'm going to drive the carriage."
Ye Xi was suddenly wide awake. Just as she replied "Okay", the carriage shot out like an arrow from a bow.
However, after running for a short while, the horse was suddenly tripped. Ye Xi and Saixing were caught off guard and instantly rolled out.
"Miss!" Saixing was experienced now. As soon as she stabilized her figure, she turned around and ran towards Ye Xi.
Ye Xi's body ached from the fall. She only had time to take a rough look around. She saw that the carriage had reached a small alley three or four miles away from the Zhihong Garden. Two men in black cloaks with only their eyes showing were approaching her with a strange weapon.
The weapon looked like a knife but was one - third shorter than an ordinary knife. Its tip was narrow and its tail was wide and flat. The whole blade curved backward like an inverted hook.
It was full of a dangerous aura.
In the blink of an eye, those men had leaped closer like phantoms. With a wave of their hands, they threw Saixing, who had just run near Ye Xi, away.
"Saixing!" Ye Xi exclaimed. But the two black - clothed men didn't stop at all. In an instant, they were in front of Ye Xi.
However, they put away their knives and quickly took out a thumb - thick red rope from their bosoms. One threw and the other caught. They each held one end and cooperatively threw it towards Ye Xi.