CHAPTER 119: CHAPTER 119: ONLY ONE PERSON WAS UNUSUAL

As that person turned to look, Tang Xiaobai froze mid-action while getting into the carriage.

Would he recognize me?

Today, because of the rush to travel, Ah Xiao was wearing a veil to shield against the wind and sand.

However, even without the veil, he probably wouldn’t recognize much—

The person’s gaze shifted back, landing directly on Tang Xiaobai.

Tang Xiaobai snapped back to her senses, pretending not to notice anything, and bent down to enter the carriage.

"Second Miss Tang!" the person called out to her, as the sound of hooves drew near.

Tang Xiaobai had no choice but to halt her escape, turn back, and nonchalantly curtsy to the person: "Prince Jin, is there something you wish to instruct me?"

Prince Jin, Li Shu, slightly tilted his head, gestured behind him, and asked, "Was the person who just left in a hurry part of your mansion?"

Tang Xiaobai hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

There was really no need to lie about that.

"Could it be the Ah Xiao who fell off the cliff that day?" Li Shu looked at her with an inscrutable expression.

Tang Xiaobai awkwardly smiled: "Prince Jin knows about that too..."

"I was there that day too."

Tang Xiaobai gave another awkward smile, secretly on alert.

Li Shu was there that day, but unless he specifically asked, how would he know who fell off the cliff?

"I heard that this little servant’s face was disfigured because of it, is that true?" Li Shu asked again, his expression growing even more inscrutable.

Tang Xiaobai suspected he was pretending to be deep, but she calmed down and nodded: "It’s true."

It was widely known that in mid-April, Second Miss Tang’s beloved servant Ah Xiao fell off a cliff in Qinghua Mountain from Duke Yan Mansion, and although he survived, his beautiful face was ruined.

Many anticipated that Ah Xiao would fall out of favor because of this, but Second Miss Tang commissioned a special green jade mask to cover the scars on her beloved servant’s face.

Because of this, many lamented that Second Miss Tang was already so extravagant and indulgent at such a young age.

But in fact, the mask was ordered by Tang Ziqian.

Her brother said Ah Xiao was too attractive and would steal the spotlight when taken out. The Duke Yan Mansion doesn’t allow servants to outshine their masters.

Her sister also agreed.

Tang Xiaobai wasn’t sure how much truth there was to this reasoning, but the result was delightful.

From then on, Ah Xiao only went out wearing a half-mask, ensuring even his mother wouldn’t recognize him!

So now she worried whether that day on the cliff, Li Shu had discovered something?

Li Shu, reaching this point, studied her closely, then smiled a not-quite-smiling smile: "Second Miss seems to hold this small servant in extraordinary esteem."

Not knowing how to respond, Tang Xiaobai simply returned a simple smile.

Li Shu saw her naive smile, his eyes flashing as he revealed a slight smile: "Where did you send that little servant in such haste?"

Tang Xiaobai maintained a simple smile on her face, her mind racing.

Why is he asking this? Why is Li Shu asking this?!

What should she say? Should she tell the truth? If not, then what?!

"It was my—sister who sent him out, I don’t know where!" Tang Xiaobai replied.

"Oh?" Li Shu looked at her thoughtfully.

The girl frowned worriedly: "Sister doesn’t like Ah Xiao, because he—" she suddenly closed her mouth, showing a regretful look as if she had said something wrong, "Sister... Sister sent him far away..."

Li Shu nodded in understanding.

A disfigured servant would be despised anywhere, let alone by the eldest daughter of Duke Yan Mansion, who loves appearances. She most likely sent this ugly servant far away on purpose, out of sight, out of mind.

"If Prince Jin has no other instructions, I’ll head home now, otherwise Sister will be angry if I’m late!" The young lady curtsied again, her bright eyes looking at him expectantly.

Li Shu nodded slightly, and she eagerly got into the carriage, her soft voice echoing: "Hurry up! Don’t let anyone know we were at the city gate!"

...

"Sister, when I went to the city gate to see Ah Xiao off today—"

"You went to see Ah Xiao off at the city gate?" Tang Jiaojiao’s face changed abruptly, "Tang Xiaobai, do you even have the demeanor of a master?"

Tang Xiaobai was stunned: "But I’m not Ah Xiao’s master anymore—"

"Once a slave, always a slave. Even if he upturns the skies, he is still a servant from our Duke Yan Mansion!" she asserted resolutely, leaving no room for doubt.

"Pfft—" At the side, Tang Ziqian, who was sipping tea, spat it out.

Only then did Tang Jiaojiao stop her reprimand and beckoned Ah Yuan at the door to come in and clean up after Tang Ziqian.

Ah Yuan had just stepped in when Tang Ziqian waved him off.

Ignoring the tea stains still on him, he asked Tang Xiaobai: "Then what happened when you went to the city gate to see Ah Xiao off today?"

Tang Xiaobai busily recounted her encounter with Li Shu in detail and finally advised, "Don’t reveal my cover!"

Tang Ziqian extended his arm, hooked it around her neck, pulling her over with no regard as she tumbled around, then laughed heartily.

Tang Jiaojiao frowned, puzzled: "What do you mean? Why blame me? What’s so unspeakable about Ah Brother sending someone to Xinfeng to deliver a letter?"

Tang Ziqian laughed: "It’s not that there’s anything unspeakable, it’s that someone thinks there’s something unspeakable with us!"

The whereabouts of "Ah Xiao" were precisely to be inquired about.

Unexpectedly, just one inquirer appeared, and yet the little sister brushed them off.

Although unnecessary, it was indeed rather funny hahaha...

"Ah Brother, when can Ah Xiao come back? His school starts on the fifth." Tang Xiaobai asked.

Tang Ziqian chuckled idly: "What’s the hurry? If he can’t make it back on the day school starts, I’ll personally excuse him!"

...

If things went according to plan and he stayed in Xinfeng for seven days, then Li Mu definitely wouldn’t make it back in time for the academy enrollment.

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince wouldn’t stick to the plan, and hurried back on the evening of the fourth day!

"You—" Tang Ziqian was at a loss for words, "Crown Prince! Why the rush?"

Li Mu brushed off the dust from himself and said, "The academy enrollment is tomorrow."

Tang Ziqian was amused by him.

Li Mu, unfazed, said, "If there truly is someone keeping watch in secret, three days is sufficient—" then asked, "Were there any unusual activities these past few days?"

Tang Ziqian regretfully shook his head: "I deliberately relaxed the manor’s control, Ah Yuan was also let out, but I don’t know if the other party sensed something, there’s been no unusual communication from the mansion with outsiders these days."

"If someone within Duke Yan Mansion truly knew my identity and knew I was dispatched out of the Capital City, they would surely send the information out at the first opportunity, otherwise what use is there for them to hide within Duke Yan Mansion?" Li Mu said, "Think carefully if there’s anything overlooked?"

Tang Ziqian pondered for quite a while, and indeed thought of something, looking at Li Mu with a peculiar expression: "There is one person, but it couldn’t be—"

"Who is it?" Li Mu asked intently.

Tang Ziqian appeared somewhat conflicted between laughter and tears: "There’s only one person who encountered Prince Jin, Li Shu, and inquired about your whereabouts..."

"It was my younger sister who went to the city gate to see Your Highness off that day."