Xiao Jue's body trembled slightly. "It has nothing to do with him... When I heard he was in trouble, I already guessed it was a trap..."
Jing Yi was taken aback. "Then why did you rush recklessly to the capital?"
"He's always thinking about taking care of everyone else, but never has time to care for himself... When he was sick before, I had to bring medicine to him before he'd remember to take it... With him so seriously ill, how could I not worry?" Xiao Jue looked at Jing Yi almost pleadingly. "Please go help him..."
"I want to discuss something with you. Only if you agree will I go, otherwise all his efforts would be in vain."
Xiao Jue said urgently, "I'll agree to anything... Please hurry..."
Regardless of how anxious Xiao Jue was, Jing Yi still spoke gravely, "First, I need to ask you - tell me the truth, did you know about Qin Ye's murder?"
Xiao Jue shook his head with all his strength.
"Good... Can you go to the county office and sound the grievance drum to accuse Qin Ye?"
Xiao Jue froze.
"I'll tell you how to file the accusation later, but you must personally go to the county office... I'll help you figure out the matter with Tian Kun." Jing Yi frowned slightly. "I know you don't like seeing people, especially government officials..."
"I agree... I'll do whatever you say..."
"Good."
Jing Yi quietly returned Xiao Jue to the small courtyard. By the time he returned to the government office, it was nearly noon. Chu Chu was still in that room, and when Jing Yi entered, she immediately jumped out from behind the desk.
"Brother Jing, has Wang Ye returned?"
Jing Yi had thought she would be in the morgue handling corpses at this time. Looking at the empty table, he frowned slightly. "Have all the corpse manifests been organized?"
"My brother and father are handling it, they're better at it than me..." Chu Chu lowered her slightly swollen eyes and sniffled. "If I handle corpses now, I won't be able to get close to Wang Ye when he returns... I just want to hug him..."
Jing Yi sighed silently, suddenly feeling that both he and Xiao Jin Yu had been acting like villains. He reached out and patted Chu Chu's shoulder. "Wash your face, I'll take you to find him."
Chu Chu immediately looked up. "You found him?"
"I'm guessing, but I shouldn't be wrong."
Chu Chu's heart relaxed, tears nearly falling. "Then what was he doing?"
Jing Yi hesitated. "I don't know either... Let him explain himself later."
Jing Yi drove Prince An Manor's carriage with Chu Chu inside, followed by five government runners, heading straight to Qin's Clinic. Though it was midday, the clinic's door remained tightly shut.
Jing Yi stopped before the clinic. "Chu Chu, when does this clinic usually open?"
"Early morning, before dawn..."
Jing Yi's heart sank. One day, he should still be able to hold on...
Jing Yi frowned and quietly instructed the runners, "Pry it open, quietly... I'll go check first, wait for my message in the front hall."
"Yes."
Chu Chu stared blankly at the clinic's wooden door. Wang Ye... in the clinic?
Then why did Uncle Qin say he went up the mountain?
While Chu Chu was still processing this, Jing Yi had already leaped onto the roof and jumped into the backyard.
Jing Yi hadn't said anything, but Chu Chu felt extremely uneasy in her heart. When the runners carefully pried off a wooden board from the door, Chu Chu rushed in without hesitation.
The room was empty and terrifyingly quiet.Chu Chu rushed frantically into the back hall, only to find it empty as well.
Dashing into the rear courtyard, she saw Jing Yi emerging from a cellar, carrying someone in his arms.
The person was barefoot, loosely wrapped in Jing Yi's outer robe, head tilted slightly backward with disheveled hair, completely motionless.
Chu Chu instantly felt chilled to the bone from inside out. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to take even one step. She stood frozen in place, staring blankly at that familiar yet unfamiliar figure, her mind completely empty.
Jing Yi swiftly swept past with the person in his arms. Chu Chu remained rigidly in place, not even noticing when Jing Yi reappeared before her. He patted her shoulder, "Why are you still standing here? Quickly take him back and find a physician."
It took Chu Chu a long moment to react. Whether from fright or agitation, her voice trembled uncontrollably, "He... is he still alive?"
Jing Yi frowned slightly, his voice steady and urgent, "First find a physician to examine him. If there's truly no other option, look in the medicine chest for a medicine called Mind-Calming Powder and give it to him. You must keep him alive until I return, understand?"
"I understand!"
Chu Chu immediately dashed out. Two yamen runners were already waiting. She stumbled into the carriage, which immediately sped off.
The person lying on the bed was deathly pale, with dark circles under his eyes and bloodstains clinging to the corners of his mouth. His breathing was as faint as a thread, as if he might shatter at the slightest touch.
Chu Chu nestled against his cold chest, holding him tightly all the while, greedily listening to his faint heartbeat and feeling the shallow rise and fall of his chest.
He was alive. As long as he was alive, that was all that mattered...
When they needed to switch to a sedan chair near Fragrance Adding Teahouse, Chu Chu wouldn't allow the yamen runners to touch him. Summoning strength from somewhere, she single-handedly lifted Xiao Jin Yu - who stood a head taller than her - carrying him down from the carriage and into the sedan chair.
Seeing Chu Chu, who hadn't returned home all day, carrying Xiao Jin Yu into the room like this, Grandma Chu was startled, "What... what happened?"
Chu Chu carefully laid him on the bed and covered him with a quilt, only then realizing her arms were stiff and sore. "Grandma, quickly get Grandpa... have Grandpa save him!"
"Alright, alright... don't worry, don't panic..."
Grandma Chu hurried out and returned in the blink of an eye, pulling Grandpa Chu along. Grandpa Chu paused for a moment upon seeing Xiao Jin Yu's complexion. The moment he took Xiao Jin Yu's wrist, his expression darkened immediately. He urgently asked Chu Chu, "What has he been doing?"
Chu Chu couldn't answer, just tugged at Grandpa Chu's sleeve while tears streamed down her face, "Grandpa, please save him..."
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