The Double-Chapter 633 - 190 Sister

On this particular deep night in Yanjing City, a sudden downpour began.

Spring rains are usually light and lingering, as if reluctant to harm the newly blossomed flowers. However, that night, with flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, a torrential rain came out of nowhere, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway precariously.

In the stables, Xiao Lan grew restless, lifting her hooves uneasily and stamping on the ground. She paid no attention to the fodder in the stone trough, which made the stable boys anxious. This prized horse was now Old General Jih’s treasure. They had to look after her carefully; if anything went wrong, Old General Jih would certainly spare no one.

In the birdcage in the courtyard, Xiao Hong, too, was startled by the thunder, making a rustling noise. It no longer mimicked human speech but sounded like an ordinary frightened bird. The stable boy then took the birdcage inside, where the thunder was less intense.

In the cold, pitch-black rainy night, not a single star could be seen in the sky, only thick dark clouds. It was at this moment that a series of urgent knocks sounded at the gate of the Duke Residence.

The gatekeeper was startled and went out to see a woman standing outside, draped in a cloak yet completely soaked through, with her hair almost entirely wet, standing there like a drowned rat.

"Who is this young lady?" the gatekeeper frowned. Who would come to the Duke Residence this late? This woman did not look familiar.

The young lady raised her face and said, "I—I am Bai Xue, a servant of Second Miss Jiang’s, I need to see the Duke, I have something important to tell him!"

Only then did the gatekeeper realize that it was indeed Bai Xue, who served Jiang Li. Others might not recognize her, but the servants of the Duke Residence were familiar with Jiang Li. Apart from Situ Jiuyue, Second Miss Jiang was the only other person who had easy access to the Duke Residence and seemed to have a reasonably good relationship with Jih Heng.

The gatekeeper pulled Bai Xue inside a little to shelter her from the wind and rain and said, "Miss Bai Xue, the Duke is not in the residence right now, and we have no idea when he will return. You are all wet; why don’t you come in and change into some dry clothes and have some hot water to avoid catching a cold? With the rain this heavy, how did you come here by yourself?"

In her heart, Bai Xue suddenly felt an indescribable sense of emotion. Outsiders always said that Duke Su was capricious, and even the servants in the Duke Residence were arrogant, never looking people in the eye. But in reality, they were not as indifferent as rumors suggested.

"No... because the matter I want to discuss is truly important... Young man, when can the Duke Residence come back?"

The gatekeeper replied troubledly, "This... We do not know the whereabouts of the Duke. If you need to wait, Miss Bai Xue, please come in. The wind and rain are getting in here."

Along with his words, another gust of wind blew, and Bai Xue had no choice but to move inside. Seeing this, the gatekeeper called another stable boy to take Bai Xue into the Duke Residence to change her clothes.

Bai Xue had been entrusted by Tonger and had run out on her own. They couldn’t let Jiang Yuanbai learn that Jiang Li and the Duke Residence were closely linked, so they couldn’t use the mansion’s carriage. At this hour, where else could one find a carriage outside? The troops searching for Jiang Li at that moment were in the streets, and if Bai Xue slowly walked with an umbrella, it would draw attention, so she had to run all the way. By the time she arrived, of course, she was drenched and in a pitiful state.

After changing her clothes, Bai Xue stood outside in the long corridor of the Duke Residence’s garden. The stable boy urged her to wait patiently, but Bai Xue was too anxious to calm down. The worse the weather became, the more she worried about Jiang Li, uncertain of her whereabouts.

At that moment, someone called her name, and when Bai Xue turned around, she saw Situ Jiuyue.

Situ Jiuyue stayed in the Duke Residence because the garden always provided raw materials for poison making, and she had a good relationship with Old General Jih, so there was no need to hide anything. Upon seeing Bai Xue, Situ Jiuyue asked curiously, "Why are you here? Alone? Where’s Jiang Li?"

"Miss Situ!" Bai Xue called out, as if grasping at a lifeline, and said, "You are close with the Duke; do you know when he will return?"

"Him?" Situ Jiuyue shook her head. "We’re not that close. Besides, how would I know his business when he’s out? It seems your mistress didn’t come, only you." She looked Bai Xue up and down, and although Bai Xue had changed into dry clothes, her hair was still damp. Situ Jiuyue said, "You’ve hurried over here in such a rush, are you seeking Jih Heng’s help? What, has your mistress encountered trouble again?"

Situ Jiuyue spent most of her days in the Alchemy Room and was unaware of what had happened outside. Furthermore, Jiang Yuanbai, to protect Jiang Li’s reputation, had not publicly announced Jiang Li’s disappearance. The troops wouldn’t talk about it everywhere, and with Jih Heng not present, people in the Duke Residence wouldn’t deliberately investigate the matter.

Bai Xue said, "It’s not that she encountered trouble, she’s gone missing."

Situ Jiuyue’s casual demeanor suddenly became serious, and she looked at Bai Xue, asking, "Gone missing?"

"Yes." Bai Xue recounted all the day’s events again, and then said to Situ Jiuyue, "That’s why this matter is truly important. Just like with the previous incident with the Third Miss, although Old General Jih had troops investigate, in the end, they found no trace. It was only the Duke who discovered Princess Yongning’s Private Prison. I thought that with the Duke Residence’s capabilities, perhaps they could find the young lady earlier... Miss Situ, when exactly will the Duke return to the residence?"

Situ Jiuyue became somber and said, "As far as I know, he should have left the city."

Bai Xue was startled.

"He has urgent matters to attend to, so he probably won’t be back for a while. If you’re hoping Jih Heng can help you find someone, that’s not going to be possible for now."

A look of disappointment instantly appeared on Bai Xue’s face.

Situ Jiuyue pondered for a moment, then said, "It’s not entirely hopeless, though. I’ll think of a way to inform Jih Heng about this, and see how he arranges things. Even though he’s not in Yanjing City, he might still be able to help. Don’t worry too much. Since the other party came prepared and specifically abducted your young miss, it’s not just about taking your young miss’s life; otherwise, Jiang Li’s body would have been found by now. Moreover," she said bluntly, "even if Jiang Li really has died, even if it’s just for the sake of the relationship with the Duke Residence, Jih Heng would seek revenge for her."

Her words didn’t reassure Bai Xue; instead, they made her even more anxious.

"You won’t be able to help by staying here. You should go back," said Situ Jiuyue. "Although I don’t know when Jih Heng will return, I do know that he won’t be back tonight."

Bai Xue was silent for a moment, realizing that Situ Jiuyue was telling the truth; her staying there was indeed of no help. Besides, Situ Jiuyue had said she would inform Jih Heng about the matter, and Jih Heng would take action once he knew what had happened.

Her trip wasn’t in vain after all.

Bai Xue then thanked Situ Jiuyue and left after showing her respects.

Once Bai Xue had left, Situ Jiuyue returned to the small room next to the Alchemy Room.

The young man named Ah Zhao was now able to sit up, leaning against the bed. Although he still couldn’t move on his own, his mind was very clear.

Ah Zhao wasn’t asleep but awake. Seeing Situ Jiuyue enter, he smiled and said, "I heard Doctor Situ talking to someone outside about the Princess’s Mansion’s Private Prison."

"Yes," Situ Jiuyue replied, "a friend of mine has disappeared. Speaking of which, she is related to you."

Ah Zhao was puzzled.

"Originally, she asked Jih Heng to help find her sister’s whereabouts, and Jih Heng found you in the Princess’s Mansion’s Private Prison. It was intended just for her sister, but he stumbled upon you and brought you out. You could say that, if not for her, you would still be in that prison without seeing the light of day again." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Ah Zhao, upon hearing this, was surprised and then asked, "That friend... has disappeared now?"

"She disappeared this morning, and her whereabouts are still unknown."

"Since she’s a friend of Doctor Situ, why do you seem so... not..."

"Sad? Anxious?" Situ Jiuyue interrupted him before he could finish and smiled, though her smile was cold, "Friend or family, to me, they are just names, they hold no special meaning. Rather than worrying about others, it’s better to worry about oneself." She took out a needle, "That’s the kind of person I am. I can save you, or I can kill you."

Ah Zhao wasn’t intimidated by her words; instead, he simply smiled and shook his head.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It’s nothing. It just reminded me of my sister," Ah Zhao said. "She always used to tell me to mind my own business and not to worry about others."

"Your sister was quite smart, then," Situ Jiuyue said as she started to perform acupuncture on Ah Zhao. "Where is she now?"

There was no response for a long time, so Situ Jiuyue looked up.

The brightness in the young man’s eyes had dimmed, as if covered by a layer of haze, and he said softly, "My sister has passed away."