Because Miss Jun chased away many of the servants, nighttime here was much more desolate. And on top of that, the decision was made so hastily to come here that the tidiness of the residence was not perfect.
Fang Jinxiu climbed through the dog hole and lay low in the weeds without immediately standing up. She listened vigilantly for sounds of movement.
Like all rich households, the guards at the Fang Family residences were very strict.
But she listened carefully for a while and did not hear the footsteps of the patrol. Instead, she heard faint laughter.
Fang Jinxiu was not unfamiliar with this kind of laughter.
As a daughter raised like a son, she had personally made rounds at night, and she had stumbled directly where those people were.
Some people would s.h.i.+rk their work in the dead of the night to drink and chat.
At this time, those people would make these kinds of choices.
Much too outrageous!
Without anyone keeping watch outside, they all decided to play and cater to pleasure?
Fang Jinxiu stood up and spat out the weeds in her mouth.
She knew that Jun Zhenzhen was not someone who could manage others. Without Grandmother and Mother keeping watch, who could she control?
She should’ve known that it would be like this.
Fang Jinxiu was about to walk to where the guards were in the outer courtyard, but she hadn’t gone half a step when she turned back.
She still had to see her little brother first.
The inner courtyard was very quiet. The guards were placed outside, and the few servants had retreated. Besides the lanterns in the courtyard, only one other room was lit, illuminating a girl"s figure.
"Young Lady, I will retire first," came Liu"er"s voice from within.
She didn’t hear Miss Jun’s response. The room went dark.
Fang Jinxiu pressed herself to the back of a tree and heard the sound of a door. She saw Liu’er pull the door shut from outside. She went through the corridor and took down each lantern one by one. Then she went into the side room and extinguished the light.
The courtyard was plunged into darkness.
Fang Jinxiu felt somewhat awkward where she was pressed against the tree.
She shouldn’t be eavesdropping outside anyone’s room, much less a husband and wife.
Peh, this was a couple meant to be eavesdropped on.
If that beast Jun Zhenzhen really dared to lay a hand to her little brother, she would not spare her.
Fang Jinxiu lightly leaped onto a ledge and pressed against the window.
It was dead silent within. She didn’t even hear the sound of breathing, like there was no one there.
No one there?
Fang Jinxiu felt something strange. What was even stranger was that she heard light footsteps. She turned to see Liu’er actually walk out of the room on tiptoes outside.
She, was eavesdropping too?
This servant girl!
Really, what a master to have such a servant.
Too shameless.
Fang Jinxiu hid below the window and watched Liu’er, wrapped in night, inch towards the door.
Liu’er stood in front of the door and stuck out her hand.
What? She was not just eavesdropping, but was also going to peep?
Fang Jinxiu glared at Liu’er as she pulled open the door silently and went in.
There was no light in the room; it was still as silent as ever.
What were this master and servant doing? It was already the middle of the third watch period, and she was conspiring against Chengyu?
Fang Jinxiu ground her teeth together and straightened up. She stalked towards the door and flung it open.
The sudden voice caused Liu’er to shriek in surprise.
"Who is it?" she shrieked.
Fang Jinxiu was going to shriek at them, but she recalled that it would be better to hold it in.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, suppressing the anger in her voice.
"Third Miss?" Liu’er finally recognized the voice. "Wh-why are you here?"
The voice was alarmed.
What about?
And now that she was inside, she didn’t hear any other voices.
She didn"t here Jun Zhenzhen"s voic nor Fang Chengyu"s voice. Even if there were no voices, there should have at least been sounds of movement, but there were none.
No one could sleep so soundly, to this level, except...
Fang Jinxiu"s expression changed and she charged into the inner room.
Liu’er latched onto her.
"Third Miss, what are you doing? Have you no shame? You cannot enter," she said forcefully.
Fang Jinxiu threw her off and charged in, while setting the torch she was holding alight.
The bed curtain was hanging down around the bed, obscuring the silent bed from view.
"Jun Zhenzhen," Fang Jinxiu called out through gritted teeth.
The bed was still dead silent. She ground her teeth together and pulled back the curtain, and the light of the torch illuminated the bed.
Two blankets were laid side by side and appeared to be bulging, but no one’s head rested on the pillow, like there were two people curled up beneath the blankets to sleep.
"Third Miss, don’t disturb Young Lady and Young Master." Liu’er ground her teeth together and gripped her arm.
The torchlight touched on their faces. Liu’er’s and Fang Jinxiu’s faces were white from alarm.
She ignored Liu’er and pulled back the blankets. There, underneath the blankets, was balled up bedding; no person in sight.
"The people?" Fang Jinxiu’s voice trembled as she looked to Liu’er.
At this very moment in Yangcheng, in the main residence of the Fang Family, the lanterns were being extinguished, sinking into tranquil night.
The lanterns were still lit in Old Lady Fang’s room. The servant girls on night duty came bearing medicine, and Lady Fang indicated for them to place it on the table.
"You can go," said Lady Fang.
After she had sent off Fang Chengyu, Old Lady Fang had been lying down, unwell.
It was very understandable.
No matter how you said it, he was her blood-related grandson.
Lady Fang, as she always had done, personally attended to her illness.
"You should all go." She waved a hand at the servant girls.
The servant girls filed out in a line.
Old Lady Fang opened her eyes from where she lay on the bed.
"What time is it?" she asked quietly.
"It’s past the second watch period," said Lady Fang quietly. She saw the nervousness in Old Lady Fang’s eyes. "At this time, should they have made it?"
Old Lady Fang made an ‘en’ sound.
"They should have," she said.
The room fell into an uneasy silence, the anxiety spreading thickly.
"Is it okay if they change residences? No one would be there to tidy up in the middle of the night, can anyone live there?" asked Lady Fang. "I don’t know if Chengyu could survive it."
"It’s fine," said Old Lady Fang, her hands unconsciously clenching in front of her.
Changing the manor already caused Lady Fang to worry endlessly. If she knew where the manor was located, she might have been scared to the point of madness.
"Will anyone find out? It’ll all be for nothing if someone finds out," pressed Lady Fang. "Our Chengyu has always been under strict guard. It’s normal that no one would know his whereabouts."
The actions were very reasonable and predictable, but where they went was not reasonable and predictable.
"It’s fine as long as they are not found out tonight," said Old Lady Fang, clenching her hands again in front of her. "This amount of time is enough."
Otherwise, it was extremely possible that all their efforts would have been in vain.
After all, now their enemy was on high alert. They would be unable to bear them breaking free from their control for more than a moment, otherwise they would take decisive action.
Old Lady Fang looked out the window.
"What time is it?" she asked again.
Lady Fang wanted to smile but it wouldn’t come out.
When people were worried, they wished that time would pa.s.s faster.
Tonight must pa.s.s quickly, would there be an accident?
"What exactly is going on?"
Fang Jinxiu had thrown away her torch and was grabbing Liu’er tightly.
"None of your business," choked out Liu’er. "This is not related to you."
"Whether Jun Zhenzhen is dead or alive has nothing to do with me, but my little brother?" she said forcefully.
Liu’er point-blank refused to speak. She looked like she rather die than submit to her.
"You stupid servant. If you don’t say anything, I can still find out," said Fang Jinxiu. She threw her aside and stalked out.
Liu’er pounced forward and grabbed Fang Jinxiu by the waist.
"No, I can’t let anyone find out," she said anxiously.
Just as she finished speaking, they heard the sound of footsteps come from outside. Someone was standing outside the door.
"Is it Miss Liu’er?" said a male voice.
Liu’er stiffened around Fang JInxiu, and even Fang Jinxiu grew tense.
In the middle of the night, without summoning, there was actually a man who entered the inner residence.
Whoever had come was no one good.