Chapter 1108 - 1110 It’s Just You Alone_1
Jiang Yichun felt somewhat awkward under her gaze and cleared his throat before saying, "In the Bai Residence, one must understand the rules of the Bai Family; otherwise, it might be better to arrange for her to go somewhere else."
Bai Ruozhu shrugged her shoulders, indifferent to the outcome. After all, it was Jiao Bingqin’s own choice to leave, and even if she did leave, the emperor wouldn’t really punish them for it.
Then Jiang Yichun said to the dark guard who had come to report, "You go out and keep watch, but don’t let anyone know you’re protecting her in secret."
Muyu, looking quite smug, went out to look for Jiao Bingqin. Despite occasionally seeming a bit dull, he actually loved to join in the bustle and prank people.
Soon enough, he spotted Jiao Bingqin hobbling on one foot towards the exit, with the little maid anxiously trying to support her. Jiao Bingqin, however, kept a stern face and shook off the little maid’s hand.
Feeling very smug, Muyu charged over to her. Jiao Bingqin’s eyes flashed with excitement when she saw him; she recognized him as Jiang Yichun’s close guard.
"Guard, could you please inform Jiang that Bingqin has been a nuisance in the Bai Residence these past days, and now that there’s no trouble, I will take my leave, so as to not cause any further inconvenience," Jiao Bingqin said with a look of sorrow, addressing the approaching Muyu.
Her intention was for Muyu to relay the message to Jiang Yichun, subtly expressing her grievances in the process. She thought, if Jiang Yichun asked, she could then mention the little maid’s rudeness, and naturally Jiang Yichun would learn how harshly the Bai Family had treated her.
Unfortunately, to her surprise, Muyu almost looked down his nose at her and said, "My master said that if you’ve injured your leg, you should rest, but if you leave through this Main Gate, you’re not coming back."
Jiao Bingqin’s eyes went wide. "What?"
She couldn’t believe it. Were these really Jiang’s exact words?
"You don’t believe it? Then by all means, try leaving through this Main Gate and see what happens. Once you’re out, no one will protect you. If an enemy kills you, you’ll just have to accept your fate. It’s up to you!" Muyu said bluntly.
Xianshi, watching from behind, instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Jiao Bingqin stand there like a fool, she almost burst out laughing with joy. It took quite an effort to suppress her laughter and keep it at bay.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Jiao Bingqin shouted, losing control.
A look of contempt flashed across Muyu’s face. "Since you’re leaving anyway, you’d better hurry up and not stand around being an eyesore."
Jiao Bingqin was so angry she was breathing heavily, "Fine, even a guard dares to insult me! I’ll have a word with Jiang and set things straight!"
"It’s late at night; the master won’t see you. A young lady should know to keep to the rules!" Muyu had definitely learned his sarcasm from Jiang Yichun.
Originally, Jiao Bingqin assumed that if she made a fuss about leaving, Jiang Yichun and the others would surely come over. If she just cried pitifully a few times, Jiang Yichun would surely understand how the Bai Family had targeted her. And now that she had twisted her ankle, all she needed to say was that her living quarters were too remote, and perhaps Jiang Yichun would arrange a new place for her to stay.
Of course, if Jiang Yichun begged her to stay, it would teach Bai Ruozhu a lesson, and surely Jiang Yichun would then blame Bai Ruozhu for being petty towards her.
In Jiao Bingqin’s mind, the possibility that Jiang Yichun wouldn’t urge her to stay never even crossed her mind. So, in that moment, she was completely dumbfounded, standing there not knowing what to do.
Muyu left with an air of smug satisfaction, and as soon as Jiao Bingqin snapped back to her senses, she immediately headed towards Bai Ruozhu’s Yard. She intended to see Brother Jiang herself; she refused to believe that her Brother Jiang would say such things!
She naturally couldn’t match Muyu’s speed, but because she was so anxious, she ignored her painful feet and hurried along. Xianshi followed closely behind, fearing that she might fall again, which would only lead to blaming the Bai Family.
When Jiao Bingqin reached the outside of Bai Ruozhu’s Yard, she was stopped by Chenfeng.
"It’s late at night, the master won’t see anyone. Miss, please go back," Chenfeng said with a cold expression.
"I just want to say goodbye to Brother Jiang," Jiao Bingqin said pitifully. "Please, guard, just pass the message to Brother Jiang for me. I just want to ask him one question before I leave."
"The master has informed us that if you wish to leave, you may do so at your convenience; you don’t need to inform him," Chenfeng replied.
"How is that possible? It must have been someone else who told you to say this!" Jiao Bingqin cried out, the words "someone else" heavily emphasized, nearly outright accusing Bai Ruozhu without saying her name.
Inside the room, Bai Ruozhu glanced at Jiang Yichun and lazily said, "You better go explain to the lady quickly, or I’ll end up being hated for no reason. It’s your own love troubles, so you deal with them."
Jiang Yichun, with his arms around her slender waist, said somewhat roguishly, "Where have I attracted any love troubles? It’s those ardent suitors who swarm over. Shouldn’t you, as your husband’s wife and the mistress of this place, sort it out? Why should I, a man, worry about it?"
Bai Ruozhu pinched his unruly hand and said fiercely, "Cut the act with me; I have no time to be jealous over you."
Jiang Yichun pretended to suck in a breath of pain and said, "But you should at least declare your territory rights, right? After all, I belong to no one but you."
Bai Ruozhu heard his words and felt a sweetness deep in her heart, although it sounded quite saccharine to her ears. She deliberately turned to lie on the bed, but Jiang Yichun caught her, intending to embrace her. However, his right arm went weak and failed to hold her.
Jiang Yichun’s expression shifted, quickly hiding his emotions. Bai Ruozhu noticed everything and felt a tinge of bitterness in her heart; his right arm was injured, affecting the meridians, and he couldn’t wield a sword with it anymore; now he fought left-handed. Although she had tried to find a way to treat him, there hadn’t been a better solution yet.
She knew this was a pain deep in his heart, so she hardly ever brought it up. And just now, his sudden loss of strength in his right arm had brought the matter to the forefront again.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, yet she didn’t know where to start. Sometimes a man needs comfort and encouragement, a woman’s words can be a powerful motivator, but sometimes encouragement is not what a man needs; your comforting could turn into sympathy, giving rise to feelings of inferiority instead.
In the end, she let out a heavy sigh and said, "Forget it, I’ll go take a look. My man isn’t someone just anyone can pine for."
The gloom in Jiang Yichun’s eyes instantly dissipated, and he smiled with a touch of roguish charm, "I only want you thinking about me. Let’s go, I’ll come with you. We should make a stand."
The two of them got up, and Jiang Yichun nestled close to her side, an arm around her shoulders, as if to shield her from the night wind outside.
With a smile in her eyes, Bai Ruozhu exceptionally didn’t blush and scold him for being improper; instead, she let him embrace her as they stepped out.
Jiao Bingqin had been waiting with difficulty for her Brother Jiang, yet this was the scene that greeted her: her Brother Jiang emerged with his arms around Bai Ruozhu, his eyes tenderly fixed on his wife beside him, so soft it seemed they could almost spill water. Her eyes reddened as she stared straight at him, but he didn’t afford her a sliver of attention.