Gu Qingtong was feeling anxious when suddenly the window was broken open, and a hand reached in and forcefully pulled her out. Fortunately, Gu Qingtong was quite thin and could pass through the narrow window, but she was still painfully scraped. She saw that it was the person who had just been about to capture her, waving a hairpin wildly, trying to hurt him. But the person was already prepared and snatched her hairpin, then slapped her. Gu Qingtong fell to the ground, landing directly on the dead coachman who had a horrified expression.
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She watched as the person approached step by step, powerless to resist, only able to scream for help.
Yang Mingshan and Xie Yan’s carriage was passing by when they heard Gu Qingtong’s cry for help and sent two servants to investigate.
Seeing people approaching, the assailant was in trouble. With a flick of the hairpin, one servant was killed on the spot. The other servant, seeing his companion with a hairpin pierced in his chest, scrambled away.
Xie Yan felt something was wrong and went out personally. Entering the alley, he saw his two men lying on the ground, dead. A young girl was staring at the dead people, her face pale with fear.
Xie Yan saw the assailant about to succeed and threw a dagger from his sleeve, hitting the person’s back.
Gu Qingtong recognized Xie Yan and was about to call for help when the person in front of her suddenly fell to the ground.
“Miss, are you alright?” Xie Yan asked, helping her up.
“Husband?” Yang Mingshan, having waited for a long time, anxiously ran over and saw Gu Qingtong looking lost. She stepped forward and supported her, “Gu Qingniang?”
“Young Mistress Yang…” Gu Qingtong called out weakly and then fainted in her arms.
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“Husband, our residence is not far from here. Shall we take her back?”
Xie Yan nodded, kicking one of the pretending-to-be-dead men: “Lafu, have Lai Wang carry him back and give him a proper burial.”
The servant named Lafu quickly got up and carried the body away.
Xie Yan saw Yang Mingshan and her maids had helped Gu Qingtong onto the carriage. He called his personal page: “Go to the Zhen Yuan Marquis Residence and invite Young Master Jiang.”
“This?” The page was confused about why the young master wanted to invite Young Master Jiang.
“Go quickly!” Xie Yan kicked him away.
“Husband, why do you want to invite Young Master Jiang?” Yang Mingshan asked upon returning home.
“You don’t know their relationship,” Xie Yan glanced at Gu Qingtong on the bed and smiled, “Jiang Shangheng owes me a favor now.”
“What relationship could Gu Qingniang have with Young Master Jiang?” Yang Mingshan couldn’t understand, “Besides, she’s just a serving girl.”
But just as Yang Mingshan finished speaking, Jiang Shangheng rushed in, saw Gu Qingtong lying weakly on the bed, and immediately grabbed her hand, “Qingqing…”
Yang Mingshan was stunned: “Husband, this…”
“Alright, go out,” Xie Yan laughed and pushed Yang Mingshan out, turning back at the door, “Brother Shangheng, you owe me a favor now!”
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Gu Qingtong seemed to have never tasted such bitter medicine and hummed, wanting to spit it out. Jiang Shangheng pinched her nose, leaving her no choice but to swallow.
Jiang Shangheng thought to himself, how could he not handle her? He curved his mouth, looking at the bitter medicine.
Gu Qingtong was now somewhat awake but still confused, feeling unable to breathe, with lips alternating between warm and cool, bitter medicine being poured in. It seemed someone was pinching her nose and laughing.
“Qing Qing, are you awake?” As soon as Jiang Shangheng’s lips parted, he saw her half-open eyes still looking somewhat dazed. He put down the bowl and held her waist to prevent her from lying down immediately.
Gu Qingxiu struggled to open her eyes, discovering his face was just an inch away: “You, you?”
“Mm, me.” Jiang Shangheng raised an eyebrow and pecked her lips.
Gu Qingxiu was shocked and unsure how to react: “You?”
“Silly?” Jiang Shangheng laughed and patted her forehead.
“You’re the silly one,” Gu Qingxiu retorted.
“Qing Qing.”
“Go away with your ‘Qing Qing’, we’re not that close!”
At this moment, Jiang Shangheng truly felt she was like a cat, occasionally fun to tease, but she would get angry if teased too much.
Seeing her try to break free, he deliberately held her waist tightly.
“Jiang Shangheng, you’re taking advantage of me!” Gu Qingxiu, unable to break free, could only glare at him to express her dissatisfaction.
“Qing Qing, I’ve thought about it. Feelings can grow over time, and I can wait.”
Gu Qingxiu was stunned. What was this about? How did their conversation suddenly jump to feelings developing over time?
Jiang Shangheng said no more: “Do you know who wanted to harm you?”
“The Liang family, at least instigated by Liang Mou’en.”
“You actually know?”
“He told me himself. He can’t touch me in the Yuanwei Marquis’s residence, but I need to be careful once I leave. Look, I’d barely gone two streets when he sent someone after me. He was so arrogant, sending only one person, never expecting I’d be rescued.”
Gu Qingxiu paused, “Was it you who saved me? No, I remember it was the Fourth Young Master and Fourth Young Madam of the Xie family.”
“Yes, they rescued you. Because of this, I now owe Xie Yan a favor.”
“What does that have to do with you?” Gu Qingxiu muttered.
“It has nothing to do with me?” Jiang Shangheng gave her a sidelong glance.
Gu Qingxiu inexplicably felt guilty and lowered her head slightly: “It really has nothing to do with you.”
“You’re my fiancée. It has nothing to do with me?”
Ruan Niang quietly looked at her for a while, stepped forward, and held her hand: “Tong’er, that day was my fault. I was too anxious.”
“Ruan Niang…”
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Gu Qingtong didn’t expect her to apologize and didn’t know what to do for a moment.
“Tong’er, although Xin Fei is not my biological sister, I grew up with her, and we are like sisters. So I was a bit anxious and forgot about your feelings.”
Gu Qingtong blinked. She nodded: “Ruan Niang, it was my fault. I haven’t seen my mother since I was three years old, and I didn’t react when I saw Xin Fei that day. When I returned to Huahao Yueyuan Pavilion, I was only thinking about myself and didn’t consider your feelings, making you sad.”
Ruan Niang stroked her cheek hearing this: “Good child, it was my fault. Did you see your mother this time when you entered the palace?”
“No,” Gu Qingtong shook her head, “But I saw the Crown Prince. He wanted to protect me and prevent me from going to the Weiyuan Marquis Manor, but the Emperor issued an edict, so I had to go.”
Ruan Niang looked at her clothes and noticed they were torn, with ink stains on the sleeves: “What happened?”
“These ink stains are from the Liang family. I had a confrontation with Young Master Liang, so the marriage between the Weiyuan Marquis Manor and the Princess is certainly not happening. These tears are from being harmed on the road and falling, but Young Master Xie saved me.”
“Harmed?” Ruan Niang was shocked, “Who wanted to harm you?”
“It was Liang Mou’en, but I’m fine now. Ruan Niang, don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry?”
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“Ruan Niang turned her around, checking for injuries before feeling relieved. ‘Change out of these clothes. I’ll have them washed and mended by a top-tier embroiderer, then sent back to the palace.’
‘Yes,’ Gu Qingtong changed her clothes, which Ruan Niang took away. Ji Cen remained.
