Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The man was about to drag her into a dark alley nearby.

"I don't know you," Yu Qizhi froze for a moment, feeling a strange sensation in her heart. "Let go of me!"

Seeing that Yu Qizhi was trying to shake off his hand, Wu San was greatly surprised.

"Miss! You..."

While Wu San was speaking in shock, Yu Qizhi had already broken free from his grip, and the crowd quickly separated them.

Wu San tried to approach again to take her away but saw that Yu Qizhi had run swiftly to Pei Jing's side.

She grabbed Pei Jing's hand and said something to him, which Wu San couldn't hear.

But when facing Pei Jing, Yu Qizhi's affectionate expressions and actions seemed genuine.

Dreading the guards around Pei Jing, Wu San had no choice but to retreat.

"Young Master, Miss Yu has betrayed you!"

At a quiet alley near the city gate, Wu San hastily mounted his horse and quickly reported what he had seen to Feng Qingling.

Wu San didn't understand the details, but he only believed what he had seen with his own eyes.

Yu Qizhi and Pei Jing were holding hands intimately, looking very happy. This woman had clearly forgotten their Young Master.

"She is not worth your efforts. Opportunities are fleeting, Young Master, let's leave!"

After hearing Wu San's report, a hint of gloom flashed across Feng Qingling's eyes.

He had anticipated that Yu Qizhi's situation with Pei Jing wouldn't be good, so he intended to bring her to safety before making further plans. But since she had her own intentions, it was fine.

Taking advantage of the night's cover, they galloped out of the city.

The carriage prepared for Yu Qizhi was left behind.

On the other side, noticing that the person beside him was gone, Pei Jing's expression gradually turned grim.

He had anticipated that Feng Qingling would leave the city today.

In his view, things in the world weren't always black or white. The mess left by Xuanwu Men could be handled by Feng Qingling himself, and Pei Jing could turn a blind eye.

But Yu Qizhi...

Pei Jing closed his eyes briefly, about to give an order to the guards, when someone hugged his arm tightly.

The familiar faint fragrance lingered around his nose, and without any resistance, his body welcomed her joyfully before his mind did.

"I almost couldn't find you just now." Yu Qizhi grabbed his hand, still catching her breath as she spoke.

Pei Jing pursed his lips and looked down at her.

The anxious and panicked expression on Yu Qizhi's face was clearly visible to him.

"Who am I?"

"You are..." Yu Qizhi raised her eyes in confusion. "You are Ling Gege."

"Good."

Pei Jing slightly curved his lips.

In recent days, during moments of closeness with Yu Qizhi, Pei Jing had doubts. Was Yu Qizhi plotting to escape from him again?

When he realized she had been separated from him in the crowd, he suddenly regretted bringing her out tonight. The moment he couldn't see Yu Qizhi, a tight rope in his heart seemed about to snap.

Feng Qingling leaving the city was something he had tacitly allowed. But taking Yu Qizhi away was a foolish dream.

Even if Yu Qizhi truly wanted to leave with Feng Qingling's men, he would bring her back.

Fortunately, Yu Qizhi came back on her own. This time, he was the chosen one.

The subordinates from North Yard pushed through the crowd to report on Feng Qingling's departure, but Pei Jing dismissed them with a look.

He tightened his grip on Yu Qizhi's hand and softly said, "Ao Ying, let's go. I'll take you back first."

Yu Qizhi nodded at him.

Pei Jing smiled. Indeed, keeping her close was the only way to feel at ease.

...

Pei Jing had many matters these past few days and couldn't often come to accompany Yu Qizhi, but he promised to take her out of the city for a trip after a few more days.

This long-abandoned mansion in the outskirts started to attract curious onlookers, like the wandering doctors who had previously probed into the identity of its residents. Some even tried to ask the maids questions directly when they went out.

"Hey! Where did this ugly kite come from?"

One day, as the weather turned cooler and autumn approached, Huashan was accompanying Yu Qizhi in the courtyard, enjoying the scenery and fresh air, when a kite flew over the high walls and landed on a rock formation in their garden.

Huashan frowned and was about to ask Yu Qizhi to go back inside when the front door was knocked loudly.

The guard opened the door slightly.

"Let me pick up the kite!"

A child's voice, high and childish, spoke with righteous indignation.

Taking advantage of his small size, the little boy had already slipped past the guard's legs and into the residence while the guard was distracted.

The little boy ran towards the courtyard, intent on retrieving his precious kite.

The guard had initially intended to catch the boy and throw him out, but when he chased him all the way to the courtyard and saw Yu Qizhi and her maid Huashan, he hesitated. He wanted to avoid suspicion but also needed to catch the boy, leaving him flustered.

"Never mind, let's help him get it."

Having seen the kite earlier, Yu Qizhi understood the situation upon seeing the crying child and the awkward guard trying to catch him.

The kite had landed on the peak of a rockery, which Huashan couldn't reach. Yu Qizhi, being slightly taller, stretched up and easily retrieved it, then handed it back to the boy.

"My child! Come here to your mother!" Unexpectedly, the boy's mother, seeing her son disappear, rushed in without hesitation, ignoring any attempts to stop her.

The young woman's face was filled with intense wariness, as if it were not her own child who had wandered in, but rather that Yu Qizhi had lured him inside.

Upon entering, she saw Yu Qizhi bending down to hand the kite to her child.

The young woman quickly pulled her sniffling son away from Yu Qizhi and back to her side.

Holding her child's hand, the young woman gave Yu Qizhi a look of disgust before scolding the boy as if blaming someone else:

"I've told you how many times? Be more careful in the future and don't come to places like this, understand?"

It turned out that the woman had heard from neighbors that the woman living in this suburban residence was likely a kept mistress. Such a place was not for decent people like them!

With such a large residence and so many servants, yet only Yu Qizhi as the mistress, and given her youth and beauty, the woman's suspicions were confirmed.

Looking at Yu Qizhi's fair skin and black hair, even with a frown, her eyes seemed to hold a seductive allure.

Just seeing her slender waist made one imagine her shameless behavior at night.

Keeping a mistress near the imperial capital was one of the most disgraceful acts. This beautiful woman must have willingly degraded herself and was of low morals!

Speaking in veiled terms, the woman feared retaliation and quickly grabbed her child's hand, hurrying out the door.

"What do you mean by that!"

Huashan couldn't contain her anger and chased after them, yelling:

"You should know it was your son who came in on his own to pick up his broken toy..."

Huashan followed them as they moved further away.

Yu Qizhi sat quietly in the courtyard, feeling a headache coming on.

She didn't want to speculate about the woman's thoughts, but the look in the young woman's eyes was clear, even though she hadn't said anything outright. Yu Qizhi understood perfectly.

When she and Aunt Han were in Luo County, they were looked at in the same way.

"Miss, let me help you rest..."

Only when Yu Qizhi was alone did Fang'er dare to approach her.

"Miss, you remembered something..." Seeing Yu Qizhi's pale face and furrowed brows, Fang'er dared not say more.

Whether she could regain her memories or recall more details, these matters were secondary to her health.

...

That night, Yu Qizhi still slept alone.

Perhaps due to the day's events, or perhaps because of loneliness, Yu Qizhi, half-asleep, thought of Aunt Han and their days in Luo County.

She also remembered Feng Qingling's gentle and warm demeanor as a young man. Seeing Ling Gege's face, Yu Qizhi couldn't help but smile softly in her sleep.

But suddenly, a cold and deep voice echoed in her mind, telling her that Feng Qingling was dead.

Dead... Dead.

No, how could that be?

If Feng Qingling were dead, who had been by her side all this time, whispering sweet nothings?

Hearing that Yu Qizhi had another nightmare last night, Pei Jing arrived early in the morning to check on her.

Not wanting to wake her, he gently pushed open the door and removed his sword at the entrance.

The person who should have been sleeping was awake, perhaps due to a sleepless night. Hearing the movement, she approached him.

"Pei Jing..."

In the dim light, Pei Jing couldn't clearly see Yu Qizhi's expression, but he heard her call his name softly.

Pausing for a moment, Pei Jing said, "You remember everything."

He looked down at her, his tone calm: "Ao Ying, you can't even pretend anymore?"