After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return! - Chapter 45

“Look at that girl,” Jiang Yu said, her expression tinged with annoyance. “She’s clearly not mute, yet she refuses to answer any questions. It’s as if someone planted her here.”

Qi An nodded in agreement. She picked up the tea on the table and offered it to Jiang Yu with a gentle smile. “We need to interrogate her properly. Judging by the child’s attire, she doesn’t seem to be from the Capital.”

Jiang Yu’s thoughts shifted as she turned to observe the girl’s clothing through the window of Shaoyue Pavilion. However, her limited experience traveling and the historical obscurity of this dynasty made it impossible for her to identify the girl’s origins, no matter how hard she tried.

Qi An saw the confusion in Jiang Yu’s eyes and realized she hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Thinking about it, it made sense. Jiang Yu had spent most of her life confined to her chambers and had no experience with the customs of the frontier.

Hidden beneath the thick sleeve of the girl’s jacket was a small bell bracelet. However, the bells on the bracelet had been deliberately damaged, rendering them completely silent. Qi An only noticed the bracelet when she leaned in close to speak to the girl.

Bells are notoriously difficult to break, even when dropped. The fact that this bracelet was utterly silent, combined with the girl’s refusal to speak no matter how Qi An tried to engage her, led Qi An to boldly speculate that the girl had run away on her own. She was likely far more intelligent than she appeared.

“Bell bracelets are a traditional adornment of the Bone Tribe of the frontier,” Qi An explained, her words also serving to confirm her own suspicions. “Normally, these bells are enchanted to captivate the heart. However, the immense strain on the caster led the Bone Tribe to abandon such practices long ago. They now focus solely on farming and have abandoned the tradition of wearing bell bracelets for generations.”

The Qi family had been stripped of their wealth and exiled, their parents beheaded. But Qi Chengxuan, the most cunning and vicious of her brothers, had led his sisters and clan members into exile. They should be nearing the Bone Tribe territory by now.

Qi An frowned. If this was truly Qi Chengxuan’s doing, what could he possibly be after? Had he really gone to such lengths, crossing mountains and rivers, just to send a girl to flaunt her power? Or had the Bone Tribe forces already infiltrated the Capital, lurking in secret elsewhere?

Qi An’s expression darkened. Either way, it meant the General’s Residence had caught Qi Chengxuan’s attention. Before, she might have only cared about her own survival, but now she desperately wanted to keep Jiang Yu out of this. Jiang Yu was simply trying to be kind within the limited scope of her control.

Was there something wrong with that? Qi An felt her eyes burning. Back at the Qi Residence, she had never even experienced warmth. Why now, when she finally had this one flicker of kindness, did someone want to snatch it away?

Jiang Yu sensed something was wrong with Qi An beside her. She quickly turned to look at her, cupping Qi An’s cheeks with her small, slightly cool hands. With a serious expression, she urged her, “Qi An, don’t worry. There’s nothing to fear here, no matter where we are. This is the General’s Residence, and my father hasn’t fallen yet. No one needs to be afraid. I won’t let anyone harm you.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes were clear and resolute, as if trying to reassure Qi An. Qi An met her gaze, her heart gradually calming. The General’s Residence was indeed a formidable place. Even if Qi Chengxuan wanted to strike, he wouldn’t easily find a weakness. Besides, she had already discovered the girl from the Bone Tribe.

“Will you trust me?” Qi An resolved to bind her fate to Jiang Yu’s. If Jiang Yu nodded, they could together prevent future calamities.

Jiang Yu wasn’t entirely clear about what the General’s Residence might face, but she had gleaned much from the script. Hearing Qi An’s words, she naturally understood that she had already secured a place in Qi An’s heart.

After a long pause, Jiang Yu placed her hands firmly on Qi An’s knees, her eyes bright and clear. “I believe you.”

Hearing these words, Qi An felt as if she had truly been absolved. Every second of waiting for Jiang Yu’s response had been excruciating. Qi An was painfully aware of all the secrets she had kept from Jiang Yu, including the matter Zheng Yutong wanted to reveal—a secret Qi An dared not let Jiang Yu know.

Yet Jiang Yu still chose to believe her.

A bitter lump formed in Qi An’s throat, and it took a moment for her to choke out a thank you. Noticing the heavy atmosphere, Jiang Yu quickly smiled. “It’s alright, don’t worry. You’re my good partner. If I can’t believe you, then who can I believe?”

Jiang Yu’s smile was radiant. At that moment, the children’s voices outside gradually faded as Lu Wu stood in the courtyard, excitedly asking where they should settle for the night.

Jiang Yu was about to tell her to just find any room, but Qi An interjected before she could say a word. “Put them in the Side Hall. Miss seems restless tonight. I’ll stay in Shaoyue Pavilion to keep watch over her.”

Qi An said this without a hint of hesitation or shame. Lu Wu glanced suspiciously at Jiang Yu. Even in her bewilderment, Jiang Yu could only nod.

Seeing that Miss Jiang Yu had nodded, Lu Wu put aside her doubts. Cradling the drowsy little girl in her arms, she strode purposefully toward the Side Hall.

Jiang Yu watched Lu Wu disappear into the distance before turning to Qi An with a puzzled expression. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Why did you lie to Lu Wu and say I was feeling unwell?”

Jiang Yu’s wide eyes betrayed her confusion. Qi An took her hands earnestly, her clear, beautiful eyes filled with caution. Seeing this serious demeanor, Jiang Yu instantly straightened her back and focused intently on Qi An.

“That little girl is definitely from the Bone Tribe. But why would they suddenly appear in the Capital? And she escaped—something is wrong.” After a moment’s thought, Qi An decided against revealing Qi Chengxuan’s involvement, keeping her concerns limited to these observations.

As a transmigrator, Jiang Yu’s delayed realization was a major oversight. Yet, no matter how she racked her brain, “Bone Tribe” only brought to mind that single mention during Qi An’s darkening phase, when he arrived with an imperial decree to confiscate her family’s assets, briefly mentioning collusion with the Bone Tribe. Could this little girl be the key to that?

Jiang Yu began to reexamine the events in her mind, taking them seriously. Since the original Jiang Yu hadn’t gone to the rice porridge distribution, she hadn’t participated in the charity event. Qi An had been lurking in the crowd, hoping to find the Divine Doctor for medical help. It was during this time that he spotted the Bone Tribe girl and used her to bring down the General’s Residence.

If that was truly the case… then the girl’s presence in the residence might not be a coincidence at all. After all, they would have to get the Bone Tribe girl into the residence to proceed with their plan.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a surge of panic. She never thought that despite all their precautions, someone had still managed to infiltrate someone into the residence. Nervously, she asked, “What… what should I do? Should I kick the girl out?”

Even as she spoke, Jiang Yu felt a pang of reluctance. But there was no other choice. In this life-or-death situation, she couldn’t afford to be the compassionate soul she had been that winter day. Protecting Qi An meant she had to put aside her softness.

Qi An shook her head. “We can’t. Driving the girl out now would alert them. The General’s Residence is currently favored by His Majesty, and they wouldn’t dare act now. Instead, let’s make them believe their plan is flawless. Tonight, you’ll disguise yourself and push me out of the residence through the corner gate. I’ll find a way to clear the path. Once we’re out, we’ll head to the city gates and investigate recent travelers for any suspicious activity.”

Qi An was still as clever as ever. Jiang Yu realized that if Qi An hadn’t been manipulated by others, her vision clouded by hatred, she would undoubtedly have become a prominent figure of great accomplishment.

Noticing Jiang Yu’s dazed expression, Qi An assumed she was reluctant to lower her status by sneaking out secretly. Just as she was considering alternative plans, Jiang Yu interrupted her.

“I’ll disguise myself as a maid instead. I’m not used to wearing men’s clothes.” This was Jiang Yu’s only hesitation. While some transmigrated women might relish the opportunity to dress as men and venture out, Jiang Yu had no such desire. Qi An nodded vigorously; she had never intended for Jiang Yu to cross-dress in the first place.

Seeing Qi An’s nod, Jiang Yu’s smile returned. Without further ado, she went to fetch a maid’s warm winter attire.

Lian’er, utterly bewildered, handed over the winter clothes and couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, Lu Wu-jiejie’s winter clothes are the most beautiful and warm, and she has plenty of them. Why did you have to come all the way to borrow mine when hers are damaged?”

Jiang Yu stood at the gate of the Side Courtyard, rubbing her hands. Since Lian’er wasn’t on duty tonight and they had shared a meal earlier, Jiang Yu had decided to come ask her for the clothes. When Lian’er asked, she stammered, “Well… mainly because Lu Wu is busy looking after the children and can’t leave. The night watchman said he didn’t want to wear anything too fancy, and after dinner, I just wanted to digest my food, so I came here. Alright, no more questions!”

Jiang Yu wasn’t good at lying, afraid that a few more words would give her away. After the Hong Qiao incident, Lian’er had grown to deeply trust Jiang Yu, never daring to question or doubt her words.

So, Lian’er obediently swallowed her lingering doubts and turned back to sleep.

Jiang Yu walked back to Shaoyue Pavilion clutching the clean, warm, and unobtrusive clothes, still excited about that night’s plan. But it was dangerous. She didn’t dare take the household guards Jiang Shengrong had provided—what if they encountered trouble?

The thought made Jiang Yu feel a pang of melancholy, and she sighed softly.

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