Xiao Jin Yu allowed him to walk ahead. Ji Dong He dared not look back the entire way, only hearing the sound of wheelchair wheels pressing against the ground behind him—neither too close nor too far, slow, low-pitched, and steady, much like the person seated in the wheelchair: composed, calm, and unperturbed.
Upon entering a small building, Ji Dong He stopped in the foyer and turned around. He glanced uneasily at Xiao Jin Yu’s wheelchair and, noticing the fine beads of sweat on Xiao Jin Yu’s forehead, bowed slightly and tentatively suggested, “Wang Ye, my wife’s and my room is upstairs… Perhaps it would be better if I had someone bring the items down for your inspection.”
Xiao Jin Yu looked up at the staircase by the wall. “Which floor?”
“Wang Ye, the third floor.”
“Which room?”
“The one at the end of the corridor.”
Xiao Jin Yu nodded faintly.
Just as Ji Dong He was about to call for assistance, Xiao Jin Yu’s calm and cool voice reached him, “Trouble Lord Ji to carry my wheelchair upstairs. I will follow shortly.”
Ji Dong He stared at Xiao Jin Yu in astonishment. Xiao Jin Yu added, “Once upstairs, do not look back. Leave the wheelchair outside the door and wait for me inside the room.”
Tang Yan had instructed him to follow the Prince’s orders exactly as given, regardless of whether they seemed reasonable or not.
“Yes… Wang Ye.”
☆、31 Sweet and Sour Ribs (Part 11)
Ji Dong He stood in the room, clearly hearing the strange sounds from the wooden staircase—intermittent, heavy, slow, and utterly irregular. There were even several distinct thuds, as if something heavy had fallen.
Seeing how unsteady Xiao Jin Yu had been earlier when he rose with his crutches, how could he possibly climb these steep, narrow flights of stairs?
Ji Dong He fought the urge several times to step out and check, but ultimately restrained himself.
If anything were to happen to the Prince on his watch, the consequences would be severe. Yet, if he angered this Prince, he might as well resign himself to a quiet life of farming for the rest of his days.
He stood rigidly in the room for a full half-hour before the door creaked open.
Xiao Jin Yu wheeled himself in. Apart from his face being a shade paler, there was no sign of anything unusual—even his breathing remained steady and even.
Ji Dong He hurried forward to greet him, his own complexion hardly better than Xiao Jin Yu’s. “Wang Ye, this… is the place. Please feel free to look around.”
Xiao Jin Yu slowly surveyed the clean, tidy room, which felt almost devoid of human presence, and frowned slightly. “I recall Tang Yan telling me that your wife returned to her family home before he arrived…”
Ji Dong He bowed his head in response. “Yes… She left early on the morning of the day Tang Yan arrived.”
“Did your wife go alone?”
“Wang Ye, her personal maid accompanied her in the carriage.”
Xiao Jin Yu nodded thoughtfully and wheeled himself over to the dressing table. He reached out and gently sifted through the jewelry box. “Lord Ji, do you remember what your wife was wearing and what jewelry she had on when she left?”
Ji Dong He was taken aback. “This… I am ashamed to say I did not take note.”
“Then, please take inventory of your wife’s clothing and jewelry. See what might be missing… After all, she would have needed to wear something to return to her family home.”
Ji Dong He’s ears flushed red as he bowed his head and murmured, “Wang Ye… I truly have never paid attention to such feminine belongings.”
“Any detail you recall will do—even the attire of her personal maid would suffice… It will help when questioning the neighbors.”Ji Dong He's face flushed red, his body trembling slightly. It took him a long while to force out a sentence, "Her... her maid often wears red clothes."
"Anything else?"
Ji Dong He shook his head, his voice slightly choked, "This humble official is truly ashamed."
Xiao Jin Yu coughed lightly and waved his hand, "It's alright..." His gaze fell upon the sewing basket on the small table by the window, and he casually changed the subject, "Did your wife often do needlework during her lifetime?"
"She... wasn't very good at it, just enjoyed fiddling with it occasionally. Please forgive this humble display, Wang Ye."
Xiao Jin Yu wheeled his chair closer, picked up the half-finished embroidery still stretched on the hoop from the basket, and examined it carefully for quite some time. He then reached out to sort through the embroidery threads in the basket before looking up at Ji Dong He, "Lord Ji, may I borrow your wife's embroidery to study?"
"Of course, Wang Ye."
"Thank you."
By the time Xiao Jin Yu returned to his room, it was nearly noon. Before he could even change out of his official robe, which was almost soaked through with cold sweat, his door was knocked.
"This humble servant is the cook from the Ji residence, sent by the Imperial Concubine to deliver medicine to Wang Ye."
Xiao Jin Yu sighed silently, forcing himself to straighten his back, "Come in..."
Feng Yi gently pushed the door open, not daring to lift her head. She carefully placed the medicine bowl on the table while keeping her head bowed, then stood respectfully with lowered eyes, "Does Wang Ye have any preferences for lunch? This humble servant will prepare it immediately."
Eat? All he wanted right now was to lie down quietly alone...
Xiao Jin Yu drank the entire bowl of medicine in several gulps, then took a few sips of water to wash away the strong bitterness in his mouth before responding absently, "Just prepare lunch for the Imperial Concubine. I won't be eating..."
Before Feng Yi could respond, a clear, urgent voice came from outside the door.
"No way!"
Before the sound faded, Chu Chu's head popped out from behind the door. Rushing to Xiao Jin Yu's side with sleep still lingering on her face, she stared at him indignantly, "You need to eat more! Have you forgotten? We pinky swore! Whoever goes back on their word is a turtle!"
If her room hadn't been right next to his, and if she hadn't woken up just in time to hear voices in his room and come to check, she would have been fooled by him again!
For a moment, Xiao Jin Yu felt his head hurt more than his spine, "Alright, I'll eat..."
Chu Chu quickly tugged at Feng Yi, who had been frightened out of her wits by the word "turtle," "Feng Yi, you make the best Sweet and Sour Ribs. Please make some Sweet and Sour Ribs for Wang Ye."
Feng Yi's spirit was startled back to reality by the mention of "Sweet and Sour Ribs," and she waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no... this humble servant wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare..."Her saying she didn't dare instead piqued Xiao Jin Yu's interest, 'Are you particularly skilled at making Sweet and Sour Ribs?""
Feng Yi hurriedly shook her head, "Not at all, not at all... The Imperial Concubine flatters this humble servant too much."
OpenNovel