You’re blushing (Part two)
Ci Ke felt pain all over her body. She gritted her teeth and stood up, stiff like she had been frozen, and stared at Ye Youqing with wide eyes, then looked at her fingertips.
The woman’s palm was soft, white, and delicate, reaching out straight towards her.
Ci Ke desperately held back tears that were about to burst out for no reason, moved her legs, and slowly approached Ye Youqing.
It had been a long time since anyone reached out to her, a long time since anyone wanted to protect her.
When the hand was only inches away, someone rushed towards her direction. As Ci Ke raised her eyes to look, the hand suddenly reached out and easily held her palm, enveloping it within.
Ci Ke involuntarily followed Ye Youqing, watching as the woman’s shoulders shifted, firmly blocking her behind.
Another slender and tall figure suddenly flashed by, almost becoming a blur. No one saw what she did. By the time she landed gracefully ten feet away, blowing away the strands of hair covering her face, there were already the maidservants and the middle-aged woman lying on the ground.
These were all people who grew up in the backyard. Where had they ever seen someone with such martial arts skills like Shi Li who landed ten feet away? They could do nothing but scream and cower in fear, huddling on the ground covered with weeds.
Ye Youqing tightly held Ci Ke’s hand, pulling her behind herself, with sharp eyes as cold as a blade, coldly staring at the middle-aged woman standing in the center.
“Who are you!” The woman took two steps back, warily eyeing Ye Youqing and the woman who arrived with martial arts skills. She trembled as she said, “This is the Ji family’s residence. Intruding into the house will lead to official consequences!”
“Do not be hasty, Madam. I am just a guest, where does the accusation of trespassing come from?” Ye Youqing’s lips curled, devoid of any smile in her eyes, softly saying, “Shi… Master, help Madam sit down.”
Shi Li glanced at Ye Youqing, wanting to say something but perhaps recalling the saying “do not speak ill of others,” she obediently stepped forward, “politely” pulled the woman and firmly pressed her into the round chair.
There were maidservants on the side who wanted to resist, but as soon as Shi Li looked at them, they were unable to speak a word.
“Are you the legitimate daughter of the Duke? I will report this matter to Duke Liang, and let him teach you, bold girl!” The middle-aged woman struggled, her voice trembling as she spoke.
Ci Ke behind them remained silent, not saying a word, but her palm was icy cold. Presumably, she was scared. Ye Youqing’s gaze swept over the scattered ropes and whips on the ground, guessing that before she arrived, Ci Ke had suffered much bullying, which suddenly ignited more anger within her.
Her tone became even more unfriendly.
“You can do as you please, but I believe I will bring back my people, and my father will not blame me for it.” Ye Youqing said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, not only did the middle-aged woman widen her eyes, but Ci Ke behind her also suddenly raised her head, staring blankly at Ye Youqing’s back.
“What did you say?” Ci Ke asked in disbelief, her voice low.
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Ye Youqing did not answer her, unsure how to respond. In order to take Ci Ke away, she needed to have some legitimate reason. She couldn’t just stand by and watch an innocent woman be swallowed up alive by these backyard people.
“Nonsense, after this girl was enslaved, she was purchased by our Ji family. How can she become your person?” The middle-aged woman coldly snorted, trying to get up forcefully but was held in place by Shi Li’s hand.
“Help, help!” She suddenly screamed loudly, and Shi Li, frowning, took off the oily arm sleeve and tried to stuff it into the middle-aged woman’s mouth, only to be stopped by Ye Youqing extending her hand.
Ye Youqing shook her head at her, fearing that if she harmed this woman, even with valid reasons, it would be hard to explain.
Shi Li reluctantly lowered her hand, gripping the back of the chair and standing up in front of the many house servants who had just rushed over, firmly blocking them.
“As far as I know, when the Noble Consort was reinstated two years ago, the Emperor issued a decree to revoke Ci Ke’s enslaved status. Even if she is still a servant, she is already a free person by now.” Ye Youqing released Ci Ke’s hand, crossed her arms and took two steps forward, lowering her head to look at the middle-aged woman.
“According to the laws of the Qi Dynasty, servants are in an employer-employee relationship. Even if you paid money beforehand, you cannot restrict her freedom. If a servant commits a crime, it is the government’s responsibility to handle it. By taking matters into your own hands, where does that leave the laws of Da Qi?” Ye Youqing spoke calmly, but every word left the woman unable to rebut.
“You are not a commoner, but the legitimate wife of the Grand Tutor. Surely you understand this basic principle.”
The middle-aged woman’s face turned pale. Although she was the legitimate wife of the Grand Tutor, she had followed him before he passed the imperial examination and was illiterate in big characters, a well-known fact in the capital. Hearing Ye Youqing saying this so articulately left her speechless.
She hesitated for a while, then finally gathered her courage and said, “It was clearly this seductive woman who attacked first. How do you explain the matter of this maidservant stabbing my child?”
“Stabbing?” Ye Youqing nodded slightly, turning to meet Ci Ke’s gaze.
Ci Ke subconsciously opened her mouth to explain, but before she could speak, Ye Youqing had already turned away, causing Ci Ke’s face to pale slightly.
Fortunately, in the next moment, Ye Youqing spoke up, the last hint of a smile disappearing completely, “Alright then, since you say so, let’s go to the officials and let them handle the case properly, to see how the son of the Grand Tutor bullies the maidservants in this household.”
Ci Ke’s expression changed several times, eventually slowly relaxing her tense body, her gaze fixed on Ye Youqing’s figure.
Ci Ke was not a reckless person. She was intelligent and patient. Unless someone truly crossed her bottom line, she would not act. Hearing earlier from Ji An’an that her eldest brother had tried to take Ci Ke as a concubine also provided a clue.
Therefore, with this speculation in mind, as expected, upon hearing the mention of the officials, the middle-aged woman immediately closed her mouth, her breathing becoming much heavier, clearly showing signs of panic.
“Please, Madam.” Ye Youqing smiled again, causing the middle-aged woman to shiver all over, silently cursing Ye Youqing in her heart.
“No need, it’s just a lowly servant. It’s not appropriate for her to go with us to the officials due to her status.” The woman said stiffly, pointing towards the exit, then turned angrily towards Ci Ke, “Get lost, don’t dirty my mansion!”
“Thank you, no need for an escort.” Ye Youqing smiled coldly, then turned and walked towards the stone path leading to the gate, saying as she walked, “Master, let’s go.”
Shi Li was leisurely sitting on a group of house servants, idly tapping her knife. Hearing Ye Youqing speak, she lazily hopped down and followed with her hands behind her back.
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Halfway through, Ye Youqing felt a sense of emptiness behind her, so she turned around and noticed that Ci Ke was still standing in place, lost in thought. She walked back briskly, standing in front of her with a puzzled look, and asked, “What’s wrong, do you actually like this place?”
Ci Ke raised her charming eyes slightly, chin raised, locking eyes with Ye Youqing, “Why are you helping me?”
This was not the first time she had asked this question, seemingly obsessed. Ye Youqing bit her lip, pondered for a moment, then shook her head honestly, “I don’t know.”
She truly didn’t know.
Ci Ke’s appearance was somewhat distressing, with some grass and leaves mixed in her hair, some scrapes on her arms and fingertips, and the red marks from being bound on her wrists were still visible. Ye Youqing couldn’t help herself and suddenly reached out, taking the longest strand of grass from her head.
At the moment her fingers touched the hair, she distinctly felt the woman in front of her slightly recoil, but she didn’t pull away.
“Alright, let’s go.” Ye Youqing casually dropped the grass and leaves, turned and walked away. Ci Ke watched her back for a moment, then couldn’t resist touching the spot where Ye Youqing had touched.
Why did she come, why was she willing to come?
She had considered various possibilities, even thought about silently dying in the dry well, but she never imagined someone would come to rescue her, and that person would be Ye Youqing.
With just a few words, she had regained her freedom.
Did this mean that her aunt’s plan might actually succeed? Ci Ke thought about this, ignoring the fleeting sense of relief in her heart.
She turned around, her gaze darker and more sinister than the dry well, fixing it on the middle-aged woman who had just been helped up by the maids. Anyone who saw her look like this would feel a chill down their spine.
Turning around, her skirt swayed rhythmically, as she slowly caught up.
Ye Youqing didn’t know where to take Ci Ke, so she returned to the Jinlingzhai. Since it wasn’t mealtime, the restaurant was sparse with customers. Ye Youqing crossed the threshold and asked Ah Gou, who was approaching, for a private booth.
“By the way, bring some dishes and buy a set of clothes for a woman,” Ye Youqing turned back to give instructions before heading upstairs.
“As the Eldest Miss wishes!” Ah Gou nodded vigorously, then hurriedly ran out the door.
“Has he always been so lively?” Ye Youqing asked Shi Li beside her.
“Yes, he’s always been like this since you arrived.” Shi Li raised an eyebrow, then pushed open the door. After Ye Youqing walked in, she appeared moody.
Why was she increasingly like this girl’s apprentice?
Ye Youqing ignored her moodiness. Inside the booth was a black lacquered square table with fresh flowers in the corner and a painting of the Jiangnan landscape on the wall. A delicate fragrance wafted from an elegant incense burner.
“Only the two of you seem a little busy, so in a few days, I’ll find some waiters and chefs who can cook Jiangnan cuisine to assist Ah Gou.” Ye Youqing picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and placed it in front of Ci Ke.
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“Ye Dadong’s family finally decides to spend some extra silver.” Shi Li said with a hidden meaning, took a sip of tea, found it tasteless, and then picked up a jug of wine.
Ci Ke just stared at the tea cup in front of her, not touching it. Ye Youqing suddenly remembered something, quietly muttered “oh yes,” then stood up, opened a slender-legged cabinet where a vase was placed, and took out a bulging package. Upon opening it, there were various pieces of fabric and bottles and jars inside.
“Why do you have these medicines hidden?” Shi Li slapped the wine stain on her lapel.
“Naturally, it’s for emergencies.” Ye Youqing said, taking out a bottle of jade-colored liquid and walked towards Ci Ke. She reached out and lifted her delicate white arm, placing it on the table.
Just as she was about to apply the medicine, a scene from the last time she helped Ci Ke with the medicine flashed through her mind, remembering the beautiful neck and…
She suddenly coughed twice, averted her gaze, and placed the small bottle into Shi Li’s hand, saying, “Forget it, let Master do it. I’ll go out to see how Ah Gou is doing with the preparations.”
Shi Li almost dropped the bottle of medicine but caught it smoothly with her other hand. With her golden eyes, she glanced at Ye Youqing a few times and spoke with surprise.
“Apprentice, you’re blushing.”