"Fifth Sister, how did you fall out of nowhere? Are you all right?"
Hearing the loud commotion beside her, Jiang Yourning turned and hurriedly helped her up.
"No... I just missed the seat by accident."
Jiang Wanrong settled back into her chair and glanced at the man across the way again.
My little sister is right. This man looks rather frightening. I probably can't save him. Better just let him die.
[Oh, my dear sister. Your bottom doesn't even look that big, yet you still managed to fall off a chair. Looks like I'll have to find a carpenter to make you a high chair when we get home.]
Jiang Yourning sighed silently.
Jiang Wanrong's cheeks flushed again. Afraid her little sister might say something else that would leave her even more flustered, she withdrew her gaze and obediently sat there, eating and drinking tea.
Meanwhile, as Jiang Yourning watched a man in lavish robes plant his foot on the male lead's face and force wine down his throat across the way, she remained perfectly quiet on the outside, but inside, she was practically bouncing with excitement.
The sunflower seeds in her hand dwindled steadily with each crunch.
[Step on him! Really grind him down! Don't just step on his face! Do you even know how to bully someone? Stomp on his little willy!!!]
[Bro, what's the fun in just making him drink? At least add something to it! A couple of pounds each of arsenic and red-crowned crane poison-can you manage that?]
Then the unhinged male lead said something she couldn't make out, and the two lavishly dressed men suddenly began punching and kicking him. Jiang Yourning sprang to her feet in excitement.
"Yes, just like that! Left hook, right roundhouse!"
Watching the male lead get beaten, Jiang Yourning felt even the pain of being sliced into pieces that haunted her midnight dreams ease a little.
Seeing that her little sister had actually failed to hold back and shouted this time, Jiang Wanrong chose to pretend she hadn't heard. There was no one else around them anyway.
At last, after the male lead was thrown out the window, Jiang Yourning withdrew her gaze, thoroughly satisfied.
*[That felt good. Should I find an excuse to send my sister home first, then go stab that brat a couple of times?*
But I haven't even seen the gorgeous Fusheng, who's making her debut tonight.
The next time she appears, she'll be throwing herself into the emperor's arms at the empress's birthday banquet,
*and the empress will arrange for her to enter the imperial harem, leaving her an unloved woman pining away in her chambers, won't she?]*
Hearing the latter part of Jiang Yourning's thoughts, Jiang Wanrong was somewhat bewildered.
Before she could digest this sudden revelation from Jiang Yourning, and while Jiang Yourning was still wavering, Chun Tao, who had been keeping watch outside, rushed in.
"Misses... something terrible has happened."
"Take your time. Don't panic."
Jiang Yourning calmly took a sip of tea.
Chun Tao stamped her foot anxiously.
"But... but the third young master has come to the Cloud Fragrance House with several household guards, looking furious. It seems... he's here to catch you and the fifth young lady."
Pfft!
Jiang Yourning sprayed out the entire mouthful of tea she had just drunk.
What the hell? Jiang Li was here?
Before her brain could even process it, she dashed to the window, gripped the frame with both hands, and swiftly planted one foot on the sill.
A moment later, she poked her head out for a look, then slowly drew it back in.
Sorry to intrude.
Jiang Li really lived up to his reputation as the Court of Judicial Review's expert criminal catcher. Those rows of guards downstairs were standing in such neat formation.
"Jiang Yourning, what are you doing?"
An icy voice rang out behind her. Jiang Yourning pulled her foot back, forced an awkward smile, and waved at Jiang Li.
"Hehe, Third Brother, what a coincidence.
"I just thought it was too stuffy up here, so I wanted to lean out the window for some fresh air."
As she spoke, Jiang Yourning even fanned herself with her two little hands.
[I'm screwed! Third Brother is usually so busy with official business. Some brainless idiot must have tattled!!!]
[We only just got Fifth Sister back, and I already brought her to a brothel. Am I going to get beaten? Boohoo...]
[Sister, I'm so sorry. Every last bit of this is my fault. Whatever you do, don't take it to heart and run away from home.]
While Jiang Yourning rambled on inside her head, all Jiang Li saw was his little sister spacing out after being caught visiting a brothel. His gaze slowly grew colder.
Beside her, Jiang Wanrong hurriedly bowed to Jiang Li and said,
"Greetings, Third Brother. Please don't be angry. Ningning and I merely heard that the food at the Cloud Fragrance House had a distinctive flavor, and we couldn't resist coming up to try it.
"We were indeed in the wrong this time. Whether you choose to beat us or punish us, Ningning and I will accept it."
Jiang Wanrong's humble admission of fault softened Jiang Li's expression a little.
"What are you still standing there for? Do you want me to carry a sedan chair up here and take you down?"
"There's no need to be so courteous, Third Brother. My sister and I will head down right away!"
Seeing that Jiang Li had relented, Jiang Yourning grabbed Jiang Wanrong's wrist, skirted the tall, burly guards, and scampered downstairs.
When she encountered Madam Chun, she even remembered to pull another two silver ingots from her sleeve.
"One to settle the bill! One as a tip for the two girls!"
Under Madam Chun's smiling gaze, Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong ran outside.
She had to admit that Jiang Li was quite decent. He had even thoughtfully arranged a carriage.
[Fuck! Don't let me find out which little bitch tattled, or I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!!!]
[What's with that old dog over there? Is it laughing at me???]
[Damn it, what are you staring at!!! Never seen a pretty girl clinging to a carriage roof before?]
Yes, that was exactly what had happened.
After they came downstairs, Jiang Li hauled Jiang Yourning out of the carriage and tossed her onto its roof, claiming that his little sister was too hot and could enjoy the breeze up there.
And so, under Jiang Li's threatening gaze, Jiang Yourning could only cling tightly to the carriage roof like an octopus, lest her hands slip and she accidentally fall off.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Wanrong listened to her little sister's relentless grumbling all the way home, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
She certainly was rather pitiful.
But after getting used to Jiang Yourning bristling with indignation, Jiang Wanrong actually found her quite cute.
As for the male lead, who had fled to who knew where and might or might not have been rescued, both sisters had successfully forgotten him beyond the ninth heaven.
The Jiang Residence.
The moment the carriage stopped and Jiang Li lifted Jiang Yourning down, she braced herself against the stone lion by the entrance and began throwing up.
The roads in this ancient world really were terrible. The jolting had nearly shaken last night's dinner out of her.
As soon as Lin Xiangyin heard the commotion, she hurried out with a whole group of people.
Jiang Huai'an followed behind, his expression rather grim.
Seeing Jiang Wanrong carefully patting Jiang Yourning's back, Lin Xiangyin rushed over, her eyes full of distress.
"Oh, what's happened to my Ningning? Why is your little face so pale?"
"Mother, Third Brother threw me onto the carriage roof. My soul was almost jolted right out of me."
Jiang Yourning's eyes brimmed with tears, as though she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.
Before you continue