The Double

Chapter 214: Siblings

"Ah... Zhao?" Jiang Li said.

Ji Heng's gaze flickered slightly, but before he could speak, he saw Jiang Li quickly walking toward that person. She walked so fast that by the end, she was almost jogging, reaching the person even before Zhao Ke. Zhao Ke hadn't expected Jiang Li to suddenly rush forward and looked at her in surprise without speaking.

The young man in the wheelchair turned his head and was also startled upon seeing Jiang Li. Under the moonlight, his silhouette gradually became clearer from blurry—still with familiar features, yet with less childishness and more determination. There were still faint scars on his face, but his eyes remained as clear as before, though they looked at Jiang Li with confusion. He even attempted to smile at her.

Jiang Li's mind buzzed, and her hands uncontrollably reached toward the young man's face, as if trying to discern whether this was a dream or reality. She murmured, "Ah Zhao..."

The young man asked in confusion, "This young lady... do you know me?"

His voice was still as cool and clear as before, ringing in Jiang Li's ears and causing her to tremble. She snapped back to reality and stared at him blankly.

It wasn't false—Ah Zhao was speaking, it was Ah Zhao's voice. This wasn't a dream, and Zhao Ke and Ji Heng were here too, so this wasn't Ah Zhao's ghost either.

In an instant, her heart was simultaneously filled with immense joy and sorrow. She immediately embraced Ah Zhao and burst into tears.

The girl's sobs echoed clearly in the courtyard. Zhao Ke's mouth fell open, and he instinctively looked toward Ji Heng. The Second Miss Jiang was actually hugging this fellow called Ah Zhao—could it be that they knew each other from before? If Second Miss Jiang and Ah Zhao were this intimate, could they have had a past romance? If that were true, how would his master feel? A perfectly good man actually is not as good as a young man of unknown origins. Second Miss Jiang had just been holding hands with his master, and now she was hugging someone else right in front of him. This was truly...

Ah Zhao, being hugged like this by Jiang Li, was momentarily at a loss. The young man's face immediately flushed bright red. Suddenly being embraced by a strange young woman, Ah Zhao instinctively wanted to push her away. However, the girl was crying so heartbreakingly and was so grief-stricken that it inexplicably made his nose sting too. For a moment, he couldn't bear to push her away and allowed her to lean on his shoulder, weeping uncontrollably.

Because it was nighttime, Jiang Li's crying quickly disturbed others. Little Red in the cage fluttered incessantly, calling "Fangfei" while looking at Jiang Li, though it was drowned out by her sobs. Old General Ji seemed to have been awakened too, shouting with vigorous energy from the neighboring courtyard for Ji Heng to keep it down.

Ji Heng walked over, grabbed Jiang Li's arm, and pulled her up from Ah Zhao. Zhao Ke watched his master's expression and was even more surprised to find that Ji Heng didn't seem angry at all. After Second Miss Jiang had done such a thing, his master was still so tolerant—no wonder people always said "beautiful women bring trouble."

Ji Heng said, "Let's talk inside."

Jiang Li wiped her tears and pushed Ah Zhao's wheelchair into the room. Ji Heng followed them inside, leaving Zhao Ke to stand guard outside.Ah Zhao usually lived in the small room next to Situ's Alchemy Lab. The room was quite simple. Ji Heng sat by the bed and pulled Jiang Li to sit down. Ah Zhao lit the oil lamp and looked at Jiang Li, still feeling somewhat uneasy. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Jiang Li ask, "What happened to your legs?"

Ah Zhao opened his mouth. This strange woman asked him so familiarly, as if he was supposed to tell her everything about himself. Yet, as if bewitched, he answered honestly, "Doctor Situ said my legs are broken, and I won’t be able to stand up again in the future. I keep thinking if I could try again, so at night I hold onto the windowsill and try to stand for a while, but I can’t last long. I’m afraid Doctor Situ would be angry if he saw, so I do it at night. I didn’t expect you and the lord to see me."

"Broken?" Jiang Li asked softly. As soon as she said this, tears immediately streamed down her face again. She truly couldn’t imagine what it would be like for a young man like Ah Zhao, who roamed the martial world, to never stand again. In his youth, his ambition wasn’t to become an official or get rich—it was to travel everywhere, punishing evil and promoting good. He was very much like Ye Mingyu, but the difference was that Ye Mingyu had achieved it, while Ah Zhao would never be able to do so again.

Her tears fell in large drops, as if her heart was breaking. Ji Heng watched from the side, sighed softly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her tears. He had always thought that no matter what situation she faced, the girl remained composed. Even when encountering the worst people, she could still smile. But now it seemed that the few times she had cried were all related to her loved ones. Whenever she encountered someone dear to her, her tears would flow uncontrollably, softening the hearts of those who saw her.

Ah Zhao looked at Jiang Li, feeling at a loss. This girl had burst into tears upon hearing that his legs were broken, and he could tell she was genuinely sad for him. But precisely because of this, Ah Zhao grew even more puzzled. He truly had never met this unfamiliar girl before, so why was she so upset for him? He could only fumble to comfort her, "Miss, you don’t need to pity me. Even though I can’t stand, I’m still alive. As long as I have my life, I can do anything in the future. There are countless people in the world worse off than me—some didn’t even survive. Compared to them, I’m already doing well."

Hearing this, Jiang Li froze. She said, "Alive? That’s right… Why are you here… Didn’t you die?"

Ah Zhao was taken aback and looked at Ji Heng.

Ji Heng said gently, "Do you remember that day you asked me to go to Princess Yongning’s private prison to find Jiang Youyao?"

Jiang Li nodded.

"When I was in the private prison, I saw him. He asked me for help, so I brought him back," Ji Heng replied.

Hearing this, a flicker of realization crossed the young man’s face. He said, "You are… Second Miss Jiang?"

Ah Zhao remembered Zhao Ke saying that it was Second Miss Jiang who had asked Ji Heng to search the private prison that day, and they had unintentionally stumbled upon him. In a way, Ji Heng was his savior, and Jiang Li had also played a part in saving his life. If Second Miss Jiang hadn’t sent Ji Heng to the princess’s private prison, he would never have been found.

He said, "So you are Second Miss Jiang."Jiang Li looked at him, his eyes filled with gratitude toward her. To Xue Zhao, Jiang Li was merely an accidental savior.

"I am not Second Miss Jiang," she said. "I am your sister, Ah Zhao."

Xue Zhao froze.

He didn't quite understand Jiang Li's words. She clearly appeared younger than him, so why would she claim to be his sister? Moreover, asking him to call her "sister" upon first meeting seemed overly familiar.

Seeing his continued confusion, Jiang Li realized Xue Zhao hadn't comprehended her meaning at all. She repeated: "Ah Zhao, I am Xue Fangfei, your sister."

Her voice trembled uncontrollably. Ji Heng reached out and took her hand, giving Jiang Li some comfort. But Ah Zhao stood as if struck by lightning, staring at Jiang Li for a long moment before finally stammering: "What... what are you saying..."

The girl before him was a complete stranger—Xue Zhao was certain he had never seen this young lady before. And whenever he thought of his sister, his heart ached unbearably. While in the private prison, Xue Zhao had already learned of Xue Fangfei's death. How pitiful that his sister had been killed by that adulterous couple while still bearing trumped-up charges.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Jiang Li asked softly.

"I don't know you... My sister is already dead," Xue Zhao replied blankly, staring at her.

"You have a circular birthmark," Jiang Li said.

Xue Zhao stiffened. He did indeed have a birthmark on his inner thigh that had been there since childhood. Aside from family members, no one else should know about it. But this meant nothing—perhaps someone had seen it when he was being treated for his injuries after being sent to the Duke's residence.

"When you were five years old, you went with me to the woods and got trapped in a swamp. I was the one who pulled you out. At the time, we both thought we wouldn't survive, but we miraculously escaped with our lives. Father had forbidden us from playing in the woods, so after returning, neither of us ever mentioned it to him. This was our secret—no third person could know."

Xue Zhao's eyes gradually widened. He knew Jiang Li spoke the truth—that incident truly had no other witnesses. Because it was a matter of life and death, the memory remained vividly clear in his mind, unforgettable to this day.

"You love osmanthus cakes, you enjoy drinking Green Bamboo Wine, and your favorite place is Uncle Zhang's tavern in Tongxiang. When you go out, you always carry a string of copper coins and one silver ingot. That silver ingot was a prize you won from the gambling den—you never wanted to spend it, saying you'd buy a precious sword once you saved up fifty taels. You liked the boots I made for you but disliked the writing brushes Father bought. Since childhood, you've always been closest to me..."

She spoke at length without pause, as if these memories were deeply engraved in her heart, never forgotten for a moment. The more she spoke, the more the people in the room could visualize Xue Zhao growing up—from a young child to a spirited youth.

Unbeknownst to him, Ah Zhao's eyes had reddened. His body began to tremble as he stared at Jiang Li, visibly struggling to contain his emotions.

When Jiang Li saw a tear fall from his eye, she stopped speaking and asked: "Do you believe me now? Ah Zhao?"

Ah Zhao looked at her with an expression caught between laughter and tears. After a long moment, he suddenly cried out: "...Sister!""Believe! Of course I believe! The things she mentioned were truly what had happened to him. Including his habits—even if others tried to investigate him, they couldn’t uncover his innermost thoughts. Those conversations he had shared with his sister during their heart-to-heart talks years ago—now Jiang Li could recount every single word without missing a beat. He knew his sister had always had a photographic memory!

Moreover, her manner of speaking was strikingly similar to Xue Fangfei. If Jiang Li hadn’t revealed her identity, Xue Zhao would have dismissed it as mere coincidence. But once she disclosed who she was, every little clue fell into place, forming irrefutable evidence. Though her features were unfamiliar, in a daze, Xue Zhao felt as if his sister had come back to life—gently tolerating his mischief and teaching him how to become an upright man.

'Sister!' Xue Zhao cried out.

'Ah Zhao…' Jiang Li wept.

'Sister! You really are my sister!' Xue Zhao said, 'Everyone outside says you’re dead, and I thought so too. How are you still alive? How did you end up like this?' Suddenly realizing, he asked, 'Did you disguise yourself? But how did you become the Jiang family’s Second Miss? How have you been all this time? Did Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning cause your death? And Father—have you seen him? Does he know about us?'

He had so many questions, clearly filled with confusion and a desperate need for answers. Jiang Li smiled through her tears and said, 'It’s alright, I’ll explain everything to you step by step.'

'Ah Zhao, I am no longer Xue Fangfei now. I am Jiang Li, daughter of Jiang Yuanbai. Back then, Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning plotted against me, ruining my reputation and forcing me to remain secluded in the residence. Princess Yongning tried to poison me, hoping to drain my life away. When I discovered her scheme and thwarted it, she strangled me to death.'

Hearing this for the second time, Ji Heng couldn’t help but narrow his eyes slightly, his grip on Jiang Li’s hand tightening. Xue Zhao was even more furious, gritting his teeth as he spat out, 'Bastards!'

'I don’t know how it happened. At the time, I thought I had died. But when I woke up, I had become the Jiang family’s Second Miss. At that time, Second Miss Jiang was living in Qingcheng Mountain, so I found a way to return to the capital, all for the purpose of coming back to Yanjing City and seeking revenge.'

Xue Zhao asked, 'So, the accusations and punishment against Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong—was that your doing?'

'Yes. But I worked from the shadows. It was Father who wrote the indictment.'

'Father?' Xue Zhao understood that Jiang Li was referring to Xue Huaiyuan. He asked in surprise, 'Is Father also in Yanjing?'

Jiang Li sighed. Xue Zhao had been imprisoned by Princess Yongning for so long that he had no idea what had happened outside. Princess Yongning had never told him, so Xue Zhao was completely unaware of the immense suffering Xue Huaiyuan had endured in Tongxiang.

'After my death, Princess Yongning sent people to Tongxiang, falsely accusing Father and having him imprisoned. He endured endless torment in prison and lost his sanity. After I became Jiang Li, I took advantage of Jiang Li’s maternal grandfather living in Xiangyang to make a trip there. There, I learned of Father’s situation. To clear his name, I gathered the people of Tongxiang and brought Father to Yanjing City to appeal to the emperor. Later, Father stayed in Yanjing City, and Miss Jiu treated him and restored his health.'"Jiang Li recounted to Xue Zhao how she had step by step taken revenge on Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong. After hearing this, Xue Zhao was both shocked and furious, his emotions a turbulent mix. Finally, he said, "They truly are vicious, sister... You must have suffered greatly in the Jiang family, haven’t you?"

Although Jiang Li spoke of it lightly, Xue Zhao knew that establishing oneself in an unfamiliar place was no easy task. Especially in a prominent family with many rules—his sister, who had always been free-spirited, now had to endure numerous constraints, and he feared there were those who schemed against her along the way.

"I’m fine. The Jiang family has been quite good to me," Jiang Li said, not wanting Xue Zhao to know about the hardships. Instead, she asked, "But what about you? Back then, I only knew that you were killed by bandits and buried you at Mist and Rain Tower. It wasn’t until just before my death that Princess Yongning told me it was the Magistrate of the Capital who informed her of your whereabouts, and she was the one who killed you."

Xue Zhao was clearly hearing this for the first time and was greatly astonished. He then said, "That day, I did go to see the Magistrate of the Capital. I never imagined he was in league with Princess Yongning. But I didn’t die—I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I was already in the private prison of the princess’s residence. Later, when I found out it was Princess Yongning’s doing, I wanted nothing more than to kill her to avenge you, but unfortunately, I couldn’t manage it. I think she probably said that deliberately to provoke you, to make you die with hatred and resentment."

Jiang Li nodded. The corpse that resembled Xue Zhao must have been Princess Yongning’s doing as well.

She looked at Xue Zhao, and a wave of profound sorrow washed over her. "If I had known you were in the private prison of the princess’s residence, I would have done everything in my power to rescue you. I wouldn’t have let you suffer so much in vain, to the point where..." She glanced at Xue Zhao’s legs, unable to even stand anymore.

But Xue Zhao smiled at her and said, "Sister, I’ve told you—I still have my life. In my eyes, heaven has already been very kind to me. I thought I would die unknown in that private prison, just like the others there. I never expected to be rescued, and even less did I imagine I would meet you again. Father is also in Yanjing City. When one path is blocked, another opens—heaven has left our Xue family a way out, not cutting us off completely. People say that after suffering comes sweetness. We’ve endured hardships, so surely the days ahead will be good ones!"

He had always been open-minded and carefree, able to speak of such things with a smile. The more he was like this, the more it pained Jiang Li.

"Sister, does Father know your identity?" Xue Zhao asked.

Jiang Li paused and shook her head gently. "I don’t know how to tell him, but I plan to be honest with him in the next few days."

"Sister, Father will definitely believe you. Although you’ve now become the young lady of the Jiang family, which complicates things, at least our whole family is still in Yanjing. I also want to see Father. Can I go to see him?"

If Xue Huaiyuan saw him in this state, he would surely be heartbroken. But compared to the news of Xue Zhao’s death, knowing that Xue Zhao was still alive would likely bring him more joy than sorrow. Jiang Li turned to Ji Heng and asked, "Can Ah Zhao go to the Ye residence?"

Ji Heng replied, "Yes, I’ll have Wen Ji escort him there."Xue Zhao looked at Jiang Li, then at Ji Heng. Having just discovered his sister was still alive, he was so overwhelmed with joy and excitement that he had completely overlooked how Jiang Li had spoken all those words openly in Ji Heng's presence without any attempt at concealment.

Xue Zhao asked, "Did you already know my sister's identity, my lord?"

Jiang Li nodded. "He knew. He helped a great deal when it came to seeking revenge."

Xue Zhao was about to say something more when his gaze fell upon Jiang Li and Ji Heng's clasped hands. A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes, but he said nothing. He actually wanted to ask about the relationship between Jiang Li and Ji Heng—they appeared to be exceptionally close. During his time at the Duke's residence, Xue Zhao had only seen Ji Heng once before. The coldness of that previous encounter contrasted sharply with the gentleness he displayed now.

Was it because of his sister?

And what about his sister? How did she feel about it?

But with Ji Heng present, Xue Zhao couldn't voice these questions. Jiang Li looked at Xue Zhao's legs and said, "Ah Zhao... your legs..."

"Not being able to walk doesn't matter," Xue Zhao replied. "I used to dream of standing up again one day, even practicing secretly at night away from Physician Situ, only because I thought it would just be Father and me from then on. If I couldn't stand, who would take care of Father? I couldn't let him care for me instead. But now that Sister is alive, I suddenly feel none of that matters anymore. As long as our family is still together, that's what truly matters."

He spoke with genuine contentment.

Jiang Li actually wanted to talk longer with Xue Zhao—there was so much she wished to say to this brother of hers. But Ji Heng interrupted, saying, "It's getting late. You should go."

Jiang Li glanced at the sky. She had already spent a long time at the Duke's residence today. If she stayed any longer, it might be nearly dawn by the time she returned home. Summer days broke early, and being discovered would be disastrous.

Xue Zhao understood as well and said, "Sister, you should go now. As a young lady of the Jiang family, it would be no small matter if they found out you were out at night."

Truthfully, he was puzzled. Although his sister had never been the conventional type of noble young lady and would occasionally join him in mischief, visiting a strange man's residence to talk deep into the night was unlike her. Still, Xue Zhao believed that Jiang Li and Ji Heng wouldn't do anything improper—not because he trusted Ji Heng to be a gentleman, but because he trusted that Xue Fangfei wasn't that kind of person.

"Alright." Knowing they were right, Jiang Li stood up and said, "Ah Zhao, I'll come see you another day. When you go to see Father, send word to me first. I'll go with you. With you by my side, it'll be easier for me to explain my identity to Father."

Xue Zhao smiled. "Don't worry, Sis."

Jiang Li carefully reminded Xue Zhao of various things to pay attention to. As she gave her instructions, she resembled the Xue Fangfei from Xue Zhao's memories even more. Xue Zhao smiled and agreed to everything, and only then did Jiang Li leave the room with Ji Heng.Zhao Ke had been squatting by the entrance for quite some time. When he saw Jiang Li and the other emerge, he hastily moved aside. He noticed Jiang Li’s eyes were slightly swollen, as if she had been crying hard, while Ji Heng’s expression remained unreadable. Zhao Ke’s mind raced with wild speculations—had his lord, upon seeing Second Miss Jiang’s closeness with Ah Zhao, threatened her? Or perhaps he had killed Ah Zhao outright? His lord was ruthless enough to do such things. But Second Miss Jiang seemed the type to yield to kindness rather than coercion; forcing her hand like this would only provoke her anger.

He followed at a distance behind Ji Heng and Jiang Li.

"Thank you, Ji Heng," Jiang Li’s voice was muffled from crying, lacking its usual clarity. "You saved Ah Zhao."

"It was nothing," Ji Heng replied. "Besides, I didn’t know he was your brother at the time."

He truly hadn't expected this person to be Jiang Li's younger brother. In fact, Xue Zhao had been staying at the residence for quite some time, yet he hadn't paid attention to his name. If Zhao Ke hadn't called out "Ah Zhao" tonight, such a misunderstanding might never have been resolved. However, it seemed the bond between these two siblings from the Xue family was genuinely deep, and he felt grateful for his own casual assistance back then.

Although he typically disliked plays with happy endings, finding them too artificial and ridiculous, when it came to Jiang Li, he wished all tragedies would stay far away from her, and everything would end in perfect happiness.

"You and Physician Situ are both benefactors of our Xue family," Jiang Li said softly. "You rescued them, and Miss Jiu Yue healed them. That Ah Zhao recovered so quickly is largely thanks to Miss Jiu Yue."

"I didn't ask her to care so much about a stranger; she did it on her own," Ji Heng raised an eyebrow. "Your younger brother is quite remarkable."

"Of course he is," Jiang Li smiled when speaking of Xue Zhao. "As you all said, even in the private prison, he never gave up, right? That's just how Ah Zhao is. But even now, I still feel a lingering fear when I think about it. If I hadn't asked you to search for Jiang Youyao in the private prison that day, if you hadn't noticed Ah Zhao, if you had seen him but didn't rescue him... My brother would still be alive, suffering torment without my knowledge. Just the thought of it terrifies me."

Even on a summer night, she felt a chill, hugging her shoulders and trembling pitifully. As if recalling something truly dreadful, her lips turned pale.

Ji Heng frowned and tapped her forehead.

Jiang Li covered her head and looked at him: "What are you doing?"

"There are no 'what ifs'," he stated matter-of-factly. "There are no what ifs, which is why I encountered him, rescued him, and he survived. If we're talking about what ifs, then if I hadn't met you causing trouble on Qingcheng Mountain in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Jiang Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're right."

After walking for a while, as they approached the gate, Jiang Li asked again: "But Ji Heng, there's one thing I still don't understand. Why did you save Ah Zhao back then? Even if Ah Zhao pleaded with you, why did you agree so readily?"

Ji Heng was never one with a benevolent heart. Most times when others begged for help, he would simply stand by and watch. Yet this time, in the private prison, when Ah Zhao clung to his boot, he had agreed.

Ji Heng smiled.

Why? Since when did the world need so many reasons? Those dwelling in darkness are inevitably drawn to the light, just as he had inexplicably fallen for a woman like Jiang Li. Her excessive warmth and kindness were qualities he normally despised, yet strangely, it was precisely those traits he disliked that made him fond of her.

It was the same with Xue Zhao. In the dark prison cell, he saw the barely conscious youth struggling to crawl on the ground, his legs leaving long trails of blood. Clinging to him as if grasping a beam of heavenly light, the young man's eyes were clear and bright, filled with hope, suddenly reminding Ji Heng of his former self.

He had crawled through darkness, sold his soul to demons, discarded all tender emotions, and had no vulnerabilities. But when he saw this youth, he unexpectedly felt a flicker of compassion.So he pulled him out of the darkness with his own hand.

There was no particular reason—he simply didn't want to see his former self repeat the same journey from the past.

Yet by sheer coincidence, he ended up saving Jiang Li's younger brother.

Ji Heng stopped walking and looked down at Jiang Li.

Jiang Li raised her head to meet his gaze. The girl's eyes resembled her brother's, but where the youth's held recklessness and open-mindedness, hers carried an additional layer of resilience and forthrightness.

"I don't know," he said.

Why did you save him?

I don't know.

"Perhaps," he sighed with a faint smile, "it was fate's guidance. I couldn't refuse."

(End of Chapter)