So how had she ended up running into Qing Qianxue?
Forget it. Getting out of here was what mattered.
Jiang Yourning got up, held her breath, and crouched low as she carefully edged along the wall toward the exit.
But she had barely taken two steps before someone caught her.
Qing Qianxue frowned, carried Jiang Yourning back to the bed, and lightly patted her forehead, as though scolding her for misbehaving.
After tucking the quilt around her once more, seemingly afraid Jiang Yourning might escape, Qing Qianxue simply stood beside the bed and began undressing.
[System! Calling the system! Get out here right now! What the hell is going on?]
[System! If you don't come out, your host is going to be done for!]
A cold draft swept past. Jiang Yourning shivered, but there was still no response.
Jiang Yourning turned her head to sneak a glance out of the corner of her eye. That glance landed squarely on something she shouldn't have seen, and she hurriedly shut her eyes.
[Look not upon impropriety, disturb not impropriety, impropriety... not too big-pah, pah, pah!!!]
[Prosperity, democracy...]
The more she recited, the more chaotic her thoughts became. Jiang Yourning, who could more or less claim to have been a lonely dog for three lifetimes, lost her temper.
[Ah! Can I file a complaint about this lousy system? I want to complain! Complain!!!]
Apparently, one particular word had flipped a switch.
At last, a voice sounded in Jiang Yourning's mind again.
[My apologies, host. Something came up and delayed me. How may I help you, dear host?]
There was a hint of flattery in the electronic voice.
[Are you selling knockoffs? I'm clearly wearing the Invisibility Cloak, so why can this guy still find me with pinpoint accuracy?]
Only after performing a scan did the system discover another person in the room.
[Huh? The aura of cold silver frost dew. What is that doing here?]
[What the hell is cold silver frost dew? Just tell me how to get back. If I can't return to the Jiang Residence, won't the Jiang Family turn the place upside down when they discover I'm missing?]
[An unknown data error has been detected and must be reported to higher authorities. Rest assured, host, your life is not in danger. Please bear with staying here for a little while. Once this person's cold affliction subsides and his awareness returns, you will be able to leave.]
Jiang Yourning grew impatient at those words.
[How long will that take? What if the Invisibility Cloak stops working? How am I supposed to leave then?]
[Host, this person is currently disoriented. To him, you are merely a source of warmth. You can safely suspend use of the cloak.]
"A source of warmth? Well, damn. After all this, this guy hasn't even been treating me as a person?"
Jiang Yourning was so annoyed that she spoke aloud.
Hearing her voice, the man before her didn't pause what he was doing for even a moment.
Clearly, the system hadn't lied.
[System? Are you dead?]
The system didn't answer Jiang Yourning again, proving that it was indeed dead.
Jiang Yourning heaved a long sigh and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.
Qing Qianxue had also stopped moving.
For some reason, he stood motionless where he was.
Jiang Yourning accidentally stole a glance.
[Holy crap! Those abs! That V-line!]
[Buddha! I really didn't mean to look. This male bodhisattva is practically shoving himself in my face! You can't fight dirty and dock my merit for this!]
Lying like this was uncomfortable, so Jiang Yourning shifted onto her side in a more comfortable position. A little wooden fish suddenly appeared on the bed, and her right hand began tapping it over and over.
[Merit +1 +1 +1 +10086...]
As for her left hand, she used it to prop up her head while her eyes stared straight ahead, taking in the view.
It wasn't as though she wanted to look. This fictional character had no sense of tact and insisted on thrusting himself into her line of sight. That wasn't her fault. Surely Buddha understood?
She was really getting into admiring-pah...
She was really getting into accumulating merit when a knock suddenly came at the door.
"My lord, your medicinal bath is ready. Please proceed to the bathing chamber."
"Understood."
His cool voice rang out. Qing Qianxue rose and walked toward the wall on the left side of the room.
As Jiang Yourning watched in bewilderment, Qing Qianxue pressed a luminous pearl nearby with his long, well-defined fingers, and a stone door suddenly opened in the corner.
Unlike the wooden tubs ordinary people in ancient times used, Qing Qianxue bathed in an underground pool fed by hot spring water. Potent medicines had been added to suppress the cold affliction within him.
He stepped into the water without expression and sat cross-legged.
As the heat rose, Qing Qianxue began trembling uncontrollably. Veins bulged in his neck, his exquisite features twisted in pain, and mist slowly began steaming from his entire body.
Had Jiang Yourning seen him, she would inevitably have marveled that he was a human steam engine.
But Jiang Yourning naturally had no time to watch.
Now that Qing Qianxue finally had no time to keep an eye on her, she had to make her escape.
She slipped quietly off the bed and edged toward the door. Just as she was about to poke a hole in the window paper to check whether anyone was around, she heard movement outside.
"Divine Physician Ye, I really think our master's illness is getting worse. You must examine him thoroughly in a moment."
"He really... did something that foolish?"
Since he had begun treating Qing Qianxue's cold affliction, this was the first time Ye Tianque had arrived with such enthusiasm.
He hadn't intended to come so quickly, either, but Qian Yan's description had successfully piqued his interest.
He had never heard of an illness that, upon reaching a certain severity, made someone hold both arms in front of him...
As though cradling a child?
"Sorry for the-oh, just take a look, Divine Physician, and you'll understand."
This time, a different person spoke, his voice sounding considerably steadier.
[I ******]
Jiang Yourning went numb.
Before the three people outside could enter, she looked frantically around for somewhere to hide while hurriedly pulling the cloak back on.
In the end, she lay back down on that bed, not even daring to breathe deeply.
That night.
The Duke's Estate remained in an uproar, with chickens flying and dogs leaping.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wanrong waited and waited. By the midpoint of the midnight watch, around twelve at night, she was slumped over the table, her head bobbing like a pecking rooster, yet Jiang Yourning still hadn't returned.
As the candle was about to burn out, the desperately sleepy Jiang Wanrong slammed her head hard against the table.
In an instant, the pain chased away all her drowsiness.
She looked up. The maid who had been waiting with her in the room had long since fallen into a dead sleep as well.
Jiang Wanrong's heart lurched. She hurriedly rose, picked up the candlestick, and headed toward Jiang Yourning's courtyard.
The room was utterly silent.
"Ningning?"
Calling softly, Jiang Wanrong carefully used the candle in her hand to light the candles in Jiang Yourning's room.
The room grew bright.
Chun Tao lay sprawled on the little couch inside, sleeping soundly.
As for Jiang Yourning's bed, there wasn't a soul in it.
Jiang Wanrong's little face instantly went deathly pale.
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