The Double

Chapter 199: Avoidance

At night, Jiang Li couldn't sleep. Lin Yao had been much happier after receiving the snacks Jiang Li bought for him during the day. Children were always easy to appease, so Wenren Yao finally didn't have to comfort the crying Lin Yao tonight and went to bed early.

Ji Heng's room was opposite Jiang Li's. When she opened the window, she could see the light in his room was still on—Ji Heng wasn't asleep either.

Jiang Li sat at the table, staring blankly at the slowly burning candle. She didn't go to talk to Ji Heng, mainly because her heart was unsettled. Or rather, since realizing her own feelings, she had been at a loss and understood she could no longer act as she did before.

In her interactions with Ji Heng as friends, her feelings had unknowingly deepened beyond what they were. She had loved before and knew what it felt like to have one's heart flutter. Even if it was just for a moment, it wasn't an illusion.

This was not a good thing. Not to mention that in this lifetime, she had intended not to marry and live alone. She was still a daughter of the Jiang family, and Jiang Yuanbai had no connections with the Duke's residence. Most importantly, Jiang Li knew of Ji Heng's fickleness. He was a good person, exceptionally handsome, and always extended a helping hand when she was in dire straits, aiding her numerous times. Although he initially stood by as a spectator, after Tongxiang, he fulfilled his promise and even went beyond it. He asked for no reward; a simple fan pendant could satisfy him.

When people are in difficult situations, they tend to feel profound gratitude toward those who help them. But this gratitude had unknowingly turned into a bit of affection. Jiang Li knew she perhaps shouldn't blame herself—if Ji Heng truly treated someone well, no one could remain unmoved.

However, treating someone well doesn't necessarily mean liking them.

Someone like him probably wouldn't fall for anyone. As he himself had said, he didn't need sincerity, so naturally, he wouldn't offer it either. Liking Ji Heng was destined to be a hopeless and prolonged wait. Jiang Li understood this better than anyone. She still carried the solitary courage and hope from her time as Xue Fangfei, yet she was far more calm and rational than Xue Fangfei. She knew what should and shouldn't be done—cutting losses in time was more important than anything.

Ji Heng wasn't Shen Yurong, but falling for Ji Heng might not be any better than falling for Shen Yurong.

She should sever her misguided fantasies.

With this thought, Jiang Li blew out the lamp in her room. The room plunged into darkness, and everything returned to silence.

Nothing seemed different from before.

...

In the following days, even Wenren Yao and Lu Ji noticed something amiss. Wen Ji was naturally silent and wouldn't say anything, but when Zhao Ke squatted by the door, his gaze often shifted between Jiang Li and Ji Heng.

Wenren Yao secretly asked Jiang Li, "Second Miss Jiang, did you have a quarrel with A-Heng?"

Jiang Li replied in surprise, "No. Why do you say that?"

"Things feel strange between you and A-Heng," Wenren Yao pondered. "I can't quite explain it, but something's off."

Jiang Li said, "Young Master Wenren must be mistaken. Xiao Yao is calling for you."

Wenren Yao hurried off to attend to Lin Yao.

On the rooftop, Wen Ji and Zhao Ke were chewing on grass stems. Zhao Ke asked Wen Ji, "Brother, do you think Sir said something harsh to Second Miss Jiang?"

Wen Ji: "..."Zhao Ke: "Second Miss Jiang is different from before. Last time I saw them going out together, everything seemed fine. How did it suddenly become like this? Although they still talk normally, it feels less intimate. Second Miss Jiang doesn't seek out His Lordship for heart-to-heart conversations anymore."

Wen Ji: "..."

Zhao Ke: "Say something! What's going on?"

Wen Ji: "..."

Zhao Ke spat out the grass from his mouth, giving Wen Ji a disdainful look. "You're such a blockhead!" With that, he turned and jumped off the roof.

Inside the room, after Lu Ji finished discussing matters with Ji Heng, he also asked: "Your Lordship, what happened between you and Second Miss Jiang?"

Ji Heng raised an eyebrow: "I don't understand."

Lu Ji said meaningfully: "Second Miss has been avoiding you."

Ji Heng smiled without responding, stood up, and pushed the door open to leave. Outside, Jiang Li was wiping a table. Without maids here and having little to do normally, she didn't mind doing some cleaning. When Wenren Yao first saw her doing these chores, he had exclaimed as if seeing a ghost, even calling Ji Heng to come watch as if Jiang Li were doing something extraordinary. Later, as the city's situation grew tense, such matters became less important, especially since Wenren Yao had to care for his young apprentice Lin Yao.

Seeing Ji Heng and Lu Ji emerge from the room, Jiang Li smiled: "Duke, Master Lu."

Her tone was gentle, her smile polite - everything perfectly appropriate. Ji Heng couldn't help but glance at her. Jiang Li was so proper that not a single fault could be found, yet anyone could sense that Second Miss Jiang was different from when she first arrived in Huangzhou City.

She seemed to be deliberately maintaining distance from them again.

Jiang Li sighed quietly in her heart. She didn't know what else to do, so she resorted to this clumsy method. Being in Huangzhou meant she had to see Ji Heng daily. After returning to Yanjing City, she planned to avoid him as much as possible unless necessary. With time, these budding feelings would gradually fade and vanish like dust in the wind.

But perhaps she was being too obvious.

"Pack your things," Ji Heng said. "We return to Yanjing City tomorrow."

Jiang Li was momentarily stunned. "Tomorrow?"

"General Wuwei has arrived in Huangzhou and joined forces with the city garrison. Prince Cheng's troops have retreated fifty li outside the city and will withdraw overnight." Ji Heng explained. "There's nothing left to handle in Huangzhou."

Jiang Li asked: "Am I returning alone?"

Ji Heng gave her a strange look, as if puzzled by her question. "I'm returning to the capital too."

So they would be traveling together. A flicker of disappointment passed through Jiang Li's eyes, which Ji Heng noticed. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he asked: "You wish to return alone?"

"Of course not." Having collected her thoughts, Jiang Li replied: "Traveling with Your Lordship is much safer. There might still be ambushes from Prince Cheng's forces along the way - encountering them would be dangerous."

"It is dangerous," Wenren Yao chimed in. "A-Heng, must we return to the capital now? Can't we wait until Prince Cheng's matter is resolved? Huangzhou is definitely safe, while Prince Cheng is likely heading for Yanjing."

"We depart tomorrow," Ji Heng said calmly. "Yin Zhan will be returning soon."Yin Zhan? Jiang Li was taken aback. General Zhaode? So Ji Heng had indeed come for General Zhaode. However, the speed at which General Zhaode had traveled was truly beyond expectation. After all, Yunzhong was quite some distance from Yanjing. Moreover, General Zhaode hadn't appeared before anyone for decades.

Wenren Yao seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation as well and stopped offering advice.

"I've already discussed with His Lordship that we must disguise ourselves when traveling," Lu Ji said. "We need to avoid Prince Cheng's troops. We'll be half a day slower, but it's still dangerous, especially for Second Young Lady. Prince Cheng already harbors murderous intentions toward you. If he discovers your trail, he won't hesitate."

Jiang Li replied, "I know."

At the same time, she found it rather strange. She had originally thought that aside from Wen Ji and Zhao Ke, Ji Heng would have arranged for his own people when coming to Huangzhou. But now it seemed there were none. In other words, they were venturing deep into enemy territory with just this small group. Ji Heng acted without restraint—something Jiang Li had long known—but he was truly too reckless, not even caring for his own life.

With so few people, if they truly encountered Prince Cheng's troops, they would be hopelessly outnumbered.

Jiang Li's worry must have been too obvious, for Ji Heng noticed it and chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

His amused tone sent a chill down Jiang Li's spine. She thought it was nothing but poisoned wine—tempting and intoxicating to look at, yet one must not indulge. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Duke."

Though she had expressed gratitude many times before, subtle differences in tone and delivery could convey varying emotions. For instance, this time, her words were polite, unlike those between familiar acquaintances.

Wenren Yao and Lu Ji hadn't caught on, but Ji Heng had already slightly furrowed his brow. He was always smiling, especially when facing Jiang Li, so this expression left Wenren Yao and Lu Ji baffled.

Jiang Li merely smiled at him, pretending not to notice. She knew her reaction and aloofness were clumsy and obvious—Ji Heng couldn't possibly miss it—but she had no better option and could only grit her teeth and persist. If Ji Heng asked why she was suddenly avoiding him, Jiang Li could fabricate countless reasons, though she wasn't sure if any would deceive Ji Heng.

After all, she couldn't even deceive herself.

Fortunately, Ji Heng didn't dwell on the matter further. After giving a few instructions about their departure the next day, he left.

After Ji Heng left, Jiang Li returned to her room. There wasn't much for her to pack, as she had been abducted to Huangzhou City with nothing on her. The only belongings were a few clothes she had bought later, all fitting into a small bundle.

She didn't want to think about matters related to Ji Heng—it would only leave her feeling helpless—so she turned her thoughts to other things.

Once they returned to Yanjing City, she would confess to Xue Huaiyuan. That day, she should have confessed to him already; if she hadn't been kidnapped midway, she might have already reunited with her father. She wondered how her father would react upon seeing her.As for Jiang Yuanbai, the matter of her staying in Huangzhou with Ji Heng had already been known to both the Jiang and Ye families, as previously confirmed through inquiries with Wenren Yao. Jiang Yuanbai would surely question why Ji Heng, given his temperament, would rescue her and remain in Huangzhou together. Jiang Yuanbai was an old fox; the Xue family affair had been safely concealed only because he had deliberately turned a blind eye. But when it came to matters involving the Jiang family, especially those related to the court, and with Duke Su's position being so sensitive, Jiang Yuanbai would definitely not let his guard down.

She still needed to find a brilliant excuse to properly address Jiang Yuanbai's suspicions.

(End of Chapter)