Chapter 248: Undercurrents
Jiang Residence, Billow Pavilion.
Wang Dongdong yawned and lifted her eyelids.
She saw that she was still sitting on a chair, holding a teacup.
Frowning, she suddenly felt a bit confused.
Looking around, Shao Yan, Young Master Jing Hao, Ruan Shizi, and the sulking Ling Yuke were sitting beside her, all looking drowsy.
Cai Bin, who was seated at the head, was endlessly recounting recent “interesting stories” from the imperial court, but his speech was formal and his tone flat, much like a teacher in a school, no wonder everyone was getting sleepy.
However, Wang Dongdong always felt that something was off, but she couldn't pinpoint it.
Oh right, where’s Sheng Sheng?
She suddenly realized.
Then she remembered that Sheng Sheng seemed to have said she had something to do and left for a bit.
What could it be?
Wang Dongdong tapped her head, trying to retrieve that memory.
Perhaps it was summer, Wang Dongdong felt a bit sleepy and less sharp.
It seemed she would have to ask the cook at Cai Bin's residence for a bowl of iced plum soup to cool off later.
When they were little and came to the Jiang Residence to play, they loved this drink the most; if they weren't afraid of an upset stomach, they would surely drink ten bowls before stopping.
But Wang Dongdong hadn't remembered yet when Shao Yan beside her let out a soft “Hmm?”: “Dongdong, where’s Miss Liu?”
Jiang Cai Zhi, who was in front, chuckled lightly: “Ahem, didn’t Miss Liu just say her stomach wasn’t feeling well?”
His voice was ethereal and soft, as if carried by the wind from ten miles away.
The rest of what he said was better left unsaid, to save the girl's face.
Everyone suddenly understood, and Wang Dongdong also nodded.
Oh, it seemed so, there was indeed such a thing.
Liu Sheng had still been very embarrassed when she privately told the butler, and then she followed the butler away.
Sheng Sheng, too, what was there to be embarrassed about?
She should have accompanied her, Wang Dongdong thought.
But, how long had Sheng Sheng been gone…?
Why hadn't she returned yet?
Wang Dongdong couldn't help but say, “Where did that butler take Sheng Sheng? I'll go look for her.”
Jiang Cai Zhi smiled and asked, “Dongdong, do you know the way?”
Wang Dongdong hesitated. Although she had played there a few times when she was little, there were many courtyards and connecting corridors, and she couldn’t remember clearly.
Just this waterside pavilion where they were currently, was utterly unfamiliar to her.
She had almost forgotten how they got there.
Earlier, they had first gone to that chilly courtyard, and then followed Cai Bin into a room, wanting to see how Jiang Caibin was doing.
It was warm inside, and there was no sound at all.
Through the curtain, they could only vaguely see someone lying lifelessly.
It was Jiang Cai Zhi who went in first to confirm, then came out and whispered that Jiang Caibin was already asleep, so he told everyone to rest in the nearby Billow Pavilion and chat.
Although everyone had come to visit Jiang Caibin, it was not good to disturb a patient's rest. Besides, they hadn't seen each other for several days, so it was a good time to chat.
Especially Wang Dongdong, Ling Yuke, and Jing Hao, who had participated in this Examination, it was a good opportunity for them to exchange views.
As for why Liu Sheng wasn't brought along, it was because Sheng Sheng had left the scene much earlier.
Oh right! Then Sheng Sheng must have been gone for a long time!
“No, I have to go find her.” Wang Dongdong heavily put down her empty teacup and stood up abruptly.
Jiang Cai Zhi smiled faintly: “Dongdong seems truly close to Miss Liu; she can’t be at ease even after being apart for just a short while.”
Wang Dongdong raised an eyebrow: “I brought her into the residence, shouldn't I be worried?”
“You don’t have to go yourself; just have a maid help search for her.” Saying this, Jiang Cai Zhi called a maid who was serving nearby and gave her an instruction.
The maid acknowledged, curtsied, and turned to walk out of the waterside pavilion.
Ling Yuke watched with cold eyes, sneered, and said in a drawn-out voice, “Perhaps she got lost. The Jiang Residence is so big; it’s normal for someone from a small place like her to get disoriented.”
“Yu Ke!” Shao Yan also frowned.
Ruan Shizhi also made a bitter face: “Sister Yu Ke…”
Jing Hao didn’t speak, but his face was full of disapproval.
Everyone didn’t understand why Ling Yuke had become so increasingly harsh now.
Ling Yuke looked at everyone's reactions, feeling a bit annoyed.
“Hmph! You’re all so stupid! Don't forget how Jiang Caibin ended up like this. Don't let some pauper cling to us and end up harming us!”
“Who are you calling a pauper?” Wang Dongdong pressed her lips tightly, her chest heaving violently, clearly furious.
“What? You want to hit me? I'm talking about that girl you brought!” Ling Yuke looked up at Wang Dongdong, feeling her Aura being suppressed, and also stood up to be at eye level with Wang Dongdong.
The two stood face to face, their gazes clashing like lightning, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.
A fierce confrontation was about to erupt.
“So noisy.” Someone said coldly.
The two turned their heads to look, and it was Jing Hao, who rarely spoke, looking at them with utter disdain.
“Young Master Jing Hao is right, don’t argue. We’ve all been friends since childhood, what can’t be resolved through proper discussion?”
Shao Yan stood between the two, trying to mediate.
“Brother Cai Bin, you should also say something,” she turned to Jiang Cai Zhi.
Jiang Cai Zhi had always been like the elder brother among them; although Ling Yuke was proud and Wang Dongdong was unruly, they would still listen to him.
So, Jiang Cai Zhi slowly and unhurriedly began to speak: “Dongdong, Yu Ke is just worried about you, don’t be too anxious.”
Then he said to Ling Yuke: “Yu Ke, your words are too much. Regardless of how Miss Liu is, she is Dongdong’s friend and a guest in my residence. It is truly inappropriate to disparage her like this.”
Jiang Cai Zhi’s tactic of slapping both sides, without bias, had always worked wonders back then.
Ling Yuke could still accept it, she snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, but Wang Dongdong wasn't buying it.
Wang Dongdong said, “No matter what you say, you still harbor doubts about Sheng Sheng’s character.”
Shao Yan quickly said, “We don’t! Miss Liu seems like a good person, and she’s clever. I like her very much.”
Ruan Shizhi also waved his hands repeatedly, indicating his innocence.
Jing Hao was noncommittal; he wasn't interested in these interpersonal relationships to begin with, but he also disliked such baseless gossip.
Looking around and seeing no one agreed with her, Ling Yuke pouted, and her arrogance flared up: “My mother always taught me not to associate with people outside my circle, and I see there’s some truth to it. You’ve stayed in that rural place for too long, and you’ve been infected with a foolish Aura!”
Wang Dongdong became even angrier, and with a clang, she drew her long sword.
Jiang Cai Zhi quickly cast a Talismanic Incantation, striking Wang Dongdong’s sword away.
“Dongdong, don’t be impulsive,” Jiang Cai Zhi said. “Yu Ke is also worried about you. You’ve been naive since childhood, easily trusting others. We’ve been with you for over ten years, how many years have you known that girl, has it even been three years?”
Seeing Wang Dongdong shake her head, he continued: “See, you haven’t known her for long. You can know a person’s face but not their heart; you shouldn’t trust easily.”
“Cai Bin is the best example…” Jiang Cai Zhi sighed.
At this, the entire room fell silent, and everyone became thoughtful.
Wang Dongdong shook her head: “Sheng Sheng isn’t that kind of person.”
“Think about it, if it weren’t for knowing you, how else would she have gotten acquainted with the top noble families and Young Masters in Chang’an?” Jiang Cai Zhi continued.
“If that’s the case, then why did Brother Cai Bin ask me to bring Sheng Sheng to the Jiang Residence?”
Wang Dongdong was simply not fond of thinking, but she wasn't truly stupid. Thinking this, she found it strange.
“I heard that you are now living and eating together with her, which is perhaps too intimate. It would be better to call her here and observe her,” Jiang Cai Zhi said calmly.
“How to observe?” Wang Dongdong’s voice also turned cold.
Jiang Cai Zhi’s lips curved into a smile, but before he could speak, the trembling voice of a servant came from outside the waterside pavilion.
“Reporting to the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master, the Second Young Master…”