Ren Yaoqi stood under the corridor, looking toward the main room. The slightly scorching afternoon sunlight spilled into the courtyard, casting a uniform golden glow over the vibrant blossoms and lush greenery, making the scene appear less oppressive.
Chuchu, who had been serving inside the room, had also been sent out earlier. Now, only Li Qian, Rong Shi, and Xiao Jingxi remained inside. Ren Yaoqi had pondered for a long time but still couldn’t figure out what was happening.
Having finished all necessary discussions with Zhu Ruomei, Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and instructed her maid to take Zhu Ruomei for tea, while she returned to the west wing where she resided. She also asked Pingguo to keep an eye on the main room and notify her when the guests emerged.
Xiao Jingxi did not stay in the main room for too long. After Ren Yaoqi sat on the kang and flipped through a book for a while, Pingguo returned.
"Has Young Master Xiao come out?" Ren Yaoqi asked, looking up.
"Sister Chuchu asked me to summon you, saying the old madam has called for you," Pingguo replied.
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi did not dare delay and immediately rose to leave.
When she returned to the main room, Xiao Jingxi had not yet left, and Chuchu had already returned to serve tea. Presumably, all necessary conversations had concluded. Ren Yaoqi discreetly glanced at the seated individuals but could discern nothing unusual.
Li Qian and Xiao Jingxi were engaged in a casual conversation about music theory, and the atmosphere remained quite harmonious.
Speaking of Li Qian, this scion of nobility possessed no remarkable talents except for his expertise in food, drink, entertainment, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—a gift likely inherited from his mother, Consort Wan. Long ago, Ren Yaoqi’s father, Ren Shimin, had also enjoyed a good relationship with Li Qian, as both were refined individuals who could converse easily.
Thus, it was hardly surprising that the exceptionally talented Second Young Master Xiao could also engage in conversation with Li Qian.
Unable to glean any insights, Ren Yaoqi simply greeted everyone and obediently returned to Rong Shi’s side.
Xiao Jingxi did not linger long in Treasure Vase Alley. After another half-cup of tea, he took his leave.
Although Li Qian’s attitude toward Xiao Jingxi was courteous, he did not personally escort him out, merely rising to see him off a few steps. As a woman, Ren Yaoqi could not escort a male guest, and since Xiao Jingxi had not indicated he was there to see her, she was content to remain silent.
Before leaving, Xiao Jingxi’s gaze briefly swept over Ren Yaoqi, and he offered a faint smile before turning to depart.
Ren Yaoqi, however, felt a headache coming on. She was naturally inclined to overthink, and encountering someone as perceptive as Xiao Jingxi inevitably led her to overanalyze every glance and gesture, whether ordinary or not. Yet, in the end, she remained utterly perplexed.
"Qi’er, are you familiar with Second Young Master Xiao?" Rong Shi suddenly asked.
Ren Yaoqi snapped back to attention and saw that Li Qian and Rong Shi had already taken their seats. Their expressions were no different from usual, and Rong Shi’s question seemed casual.
"I’ve met him a few times because of the Commandery Princess," Ren Yaoqi chose a cautious reply. It wasn’t that she distrusted Rong Shi, but as a woman, she feared that speaking too much might cause unnecessary worry or suspicion.
Rong Shi nodded thoughtfully. "I thought as much." After a pause, she added, "While it’s fine for you to be on good terms with the Commandery Princess, it’s best to maintain proper boundaries with Second Young Master Xiao when necessary."
Ren Yaoqi looked at Rong Shi, whose gaze held no displeasure or suspicion, only tenderness and concern.Ren Yaoqi understood Rong Shi's meaning; she was merely worried that she might suffer a loss. Xiao Jingxi's status was too high for her. If any rumors were to spread, she would be the one to suffer in the end.
Although she didn't know why Rong Shi had noticed the connection between her and Xiao Jingxi, Ren Yaoqi still nodded and said, "I understand, Grandmother."
Rong Shi patted her head and finally sighed.
However, Ren Yaoqi ultimately couldn't follow Rong Shi's advice.
After leaving Rong Shi's place, she asked Xiangqin to arrange a carriage in the backyard, as she was going out.
Ren Yaoqi was going out to see Old Woman Luo.
After leaving Treasure Vase Alley, Ren Yaoqi instructed Xia Sheng, the driver, to head to the address Zhu Ruomei had given her earlier. It had to be said that since coming to her maternal grandmother's home, she had gained much more freedom. Although Rong Shi was uneasy about her going out, she didn't stop her as long as Xia Sheng accompanied her.
Overall, Rong Shi was quite indulgent toward her, almost granting her every wish.
Zhu Ruomei's courtyard was neither too far nor too close to Treasure Vase Alley. Although this area was also a maze of narrow alleys, it was much livelier and noisier than Treasure Vase Alley, exuding a strong sense of everyday life from the common streets.
Xiangqin, who had grown up on the Ren Family estate and in the mansion since childhood, remained unusually quiet, though her occasional glances out the window betrayed a hint of unease. In contrast, the young Pingguo sat beside Ren Yaoqi, expressionless and appearing quite composed. Ren Yaoqi had assigned Pingguo many tasks lately that couldn't be disclosed to outsiders. Although the girl wasn't particularly clever, she had gained some experience through these tasks, and most importantly, she was very obedient.
"Miss, where are we going?" Xiangqin finally asked.
Seeing her unease, Ren Yaoqi comforted her, "We're just going to meet someone, then we'll return."
Xiangqin seemed to want to ask something more but held back, only saying, "Miss, this place sounds rather chaotic. You are a young lady of noble status, so please don't let it frighten you."
"This is Yunyang City, don't worry," Ren Yaoqi said with a smile.
Yunyang City was under the jurisdiction of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, and many Yanbei Army troops were stationed here. Although the city wasn't quite at the level where doors were left unlocked at night, overall, public order was quite good.
In her previous life, after Mr. Pei was demoted, Ren Yaoqi followed him away from the capital and experienced many things along the way. She was no longer the sheltered young lady who never left her home. Although she hadn't suffered great hardships, she had seen her share of the world and wasn't afraid to step outside.
Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a red-lacquered Ruyi gate. As soon as the carriage halted, the door creaked open, and Zhu Ruomei appeared at the entrance.
After Ren Yaoqi got out of the carriage, Zhu Ruomei nodded without speaking. Only after she entered the courtyard did he call out, "Fifth Miss."
This was just a single-courtyard residence. Ren Yaoqi instinctively surveyed the surroundings, and with just a glance, she spotted the young man standing in the courtyard, smiling as he looked at her.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi momentarily stunned, Zhu Ruomei quickly explained, "After leaving Treasure Vase Alley with the young master, I returned here." Out of respect for this young master, Zhu Ruomei hadn't asked why Xiao Jingxi had come, but he vaguely sensed it might be related to the Ren Family's Fifth Miss.
Ren Yaoqi had already stepped forward. "Young Master Xiao, we meet again."Ren Yaoqi should actually be feeling unhappy right now, because she was currently dealing with family matters, and the affairs between the Han Family and the Ren Family felt somewhat disgraceful to her. Yet, this person had appeared here.
However, facing Xiao Jingxi, Ren Yaoqi truly couldn’t muster the anger to turn hostile.
After all, she had relied on his help to locate the Zhai Family and find Old Woman Luo.
Xiao Jingxi chuckled softly, glanced at Ren Yaoqi without saying much, and simply nodded.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t quite gauge Xiao Jingxi’s attitude, and the two fell into silence. Fortunately, at that moment, the door to the west wing opened, and two young women appeared at the entrance.
One was Zhu Ruoju, the younger sister of Zhu Ruomei, who had once gone to pay respects to Ren Yaoqi. Peeking curiously from behind her was Shui Ai, the granddaughter of Old Woman Luo.
Upon seeing Ren Yaoqi, Zhu Ruoju immediately took Shui Ai’s hand and ran over, greeting happily, “Fifth Miss, you’ve come?”
Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded, her gaze shifting to Shui Ai, who looked both curious and fearful.
“F-fifth Miss,” Shui Ai stammered, no longer as lively as when she had last seen Ren Yaoqi, appearing somewhat trembling.
“Let’s go inside first,” Xiao Jingxi turned to look at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi sighed softly and nodded.
“Miss, Old Woman Luo is in the west wing. Would you like to see her now?” Zhu Ruomei asked.
Ren Yaoqi nodded—this was her purpose for coming here today.
Thus, Zhu Ruomei led the way inside.
As soon as the door was pushed open, Ren Yaoqi caught a faint scent. Old Woman Luo, injured, was lying on the bed, and an elderly woman sat beside her.
Old Woman Luo wasn’t asleep. Hearing the commotion, she looked over and was startled. The elderly woman sitting on the edge of the bed immediately stood up, both surprised and delighted upon seeing Ren Yaoqi, and hurried forward to bow. “Are you the Fifth Miss of the Ren Family?”
Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded. “Sister-in-law Zhu.” From her facial features, Ren Yaoqi could tell that this woman, who appeared quite aged, was the mother of Zhu Ruomei and Zhu Ruoju.
Sister-in-law Zhu quickly tried to kneel and kowtow, pulling her daughter along, but Ren Yaoqi promptly reached out to stop her.
Sister-in-law Zhu wanted to express her gratitude for Ren Yaoqi’s life-saving kindness, but Ren Yaoqi refused to accept the gesture and persuaded her to refrain.
“Mother, please take my sister and this girl to prepare some tea,” Zhu Ruomei, knowing that Ren Yaoqi had matters to attend to today, sent her mother and sister away.
Sister-in-law Zhu took both by the hand and left. Zhu Ruomei thought for a moment and retreated to the doorway. Although Xiao Jingxi hadn’t spoken, he hadn’t left either.
Ren Yaoqi glanced at him before walking over to Old Woman Luo.
“What is your relationship with the Zhai Family?” Ren Yaoqi’s voice was calm and gentle, yet it caused Old Woman Luo to turn pale with fright, nearly tumbling off the bed, and stare at Ren Yaoqi in stunned disbelief.
With such a direct question and Old Woman Luo’s reaction, Ren Yaoqi understood everything clearly.
She then sat down on the chair in front of the bed. The chair was made of ordinary beechwood, without any cushion or covering, yet Ren Yaoqi sat with poise and composure.
“F-fifth Miss, I… this servant…” Old Woman Luo seemed genuinely frightened, her lips trembling slightly.
Ren Yaoqi sighed softly. “The Han Family is now aware of your existence.”
Old Woman Luo shuddered again, as if recalling something that terrified her.At that moment, the door creaked open. Ren Yaoqi turned her head and saw Zhu Ruomei quietly retreating. However, Xiao Jingxi remained seated leisurely at the nearby Eight Immortals table, showing no intention of leaving on his own. Unable to drive him away and unsure of his thoughts, Ren Yaoqi could only pretend not to notice.
"Fifth... Fifth Miss, could you save my granddaughter?" Old Woman Luo stammered for a while before pleading tearfully.
Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly and repeated, "What is your relationship with the Zhai Family?" She did not respond to Old Woman Luo's plea.
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