Just when Shang Yunruo had managed to muddle through, Chu Jinli suddenly showed up again and made a big scene that everyone knew about.
Shang Yunruo felt as if the world was going dark before her eyes and almost fainted.
Chu Yan quickly grabbed her arm, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Are you okay, sister - in - law?"
Chu Jinli, who had been rebuffed, frowned and looked in their direction. Seeing them so close, the knot about the substitute wedding suddenly resurfaced. He shouted, "Let go!"
Suddenly, the horse got startled, reared up and stepped towards Chu Yan and Shang Yunruo.
Shang Yunruo couldn't see anything, but her other senses were all aware of the approaching danger. However, she didn't know where to dodge.
Suddenly, all the light in front of her was blocked by a tall shadow. She was protected in someone's arms. Then the person who protected her groaned and knelt in front of her.
Shang Yunruo already knew who was standing in front of her. She exclaimed, "A Yan!"
She reached out her hands to grope forward, wanting to see if he was injured.
Just as she touched his face, her wrist was firmly grabbed by a hand. The feeling was so strange that she instinctively wanted to shake it off.
But then came Chu Jinli's voice, "A Yan is okay. He just knocked his leg."
Shang Yunruo asked worriedly, "Is it serious? Hurry up and help the Second Young Master into the carriage and go to the nearest medical clinic."
Chu Jinli's cold voice interrupted her again, "Let him ride the horse. There's no room in the carriage. A Yan, you can go to the medical clinic by yourself, right?"
Shang Yunruo frowned and said, "How can he go to the medical clinic by himself? He has no money on him and he's injured. How can he ride a bumpy horse?"
Chu Jinli said, "What's this little injury? I was much stricter during military training. The injuries I've suffered were much more serious than this!"
Shang Yunruo retorted, "Did you ride a horse to find a medical clinic by yourself every time you got injured?"
Chu Jinli was taken aback. Just as he was about to say something, Chu Yan suddenly spoke in a gentle voice, "Sister - in - law, I'm fine. Don't argue with brother because of me. I can just lead the horse and walk."
Shang Yunruo didn't agree. Suddenly, she felt her body lose its balance and was lifted into the air. Chu Jinli carried her into the carriage.
An inexplicable sense of resistance spread throughout her body. She twisted her body to break free, but was held even tighter. She felt a sharp pain on her waist where he grabbed.
Chu Jinli's face turned red because of her wriggling. Her slender waist felt boneless in his hands. Although there were layers of clothes in between, he could still feel her delicate and soft body.
His Adam's apple rolled up and down. His body began to feel unbearably hot. Under her intense struggle, he placed her on the seat of the carriage and sat beside her. Fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
As soon as she was put down, Shang Yunruo immediately opened the curtain of the carriage and shouted outside, "Chu Yao, Chu Yao, go and check on Chu Yan."
Chu Yao's voice came from below the carriage, "The Second Young Master can walk by himself. He's just a bit limping."
Shang Yunruo was still worried and wanted to get off the carriage, but her wrist was grabbed by Chu Jinli again.
Chu Jinli said, "It's not convenient for you to move around. Just stay in the carriage."
Shang Yunruo turned back and said, "Anyway, there's enough room in the carriage. Let A Yan come up. After all, he's your younger brother and it was your horse that injured him."
Chu Jinli's voice sank, "There's no such rule."
Shang Yunruo was holding back her anger and retorted, "Then what rule was it that you didn't come back on the day of returning to my family?"
Chu Jinli was at a loss for words for a moment. He explained, "Wasn't it because I got drunk with you yesterday? And this morning I was woken up by your scolding voice. Then I found a place to take a nap and overslept."
Shang Yunruo asked, "Then where did you sleep? I sent so many servants to look for you but couldn't find you."
Chu Jinli's face turned from red to white.
He had naturally slept in his cousin's room, but he really just slept and didn't do anything else.
In the morning, he went to his cousin's room and somehow got more and more sleepy as he sat there, and then he fell asleep. He only found out later that Shang Yunruo's servant had come to pass on a message, but was blocked by his cousin.
He couldn't blame his cousin either. She was just worried that he couldn't sleep well and felt sorry for him.
"I was asleep and didn't hear it."
Shang Yunruo didn't believe a single word of Chu Jinli's excuse. She retorted, "Then what about your servant, Liu Qian? Didn't he remind you?"
Chu Jinli couldn't make up any more lies. He got angry and stopped the carriage, saying, "Why are you so aggressive? You don't look like a gentle and virtuous woman at all. I'll ride back on my horse."
After saying that, he got off the carriage and stood in front of it, waiting for a while, thinking that she would persuade him to stay, just like the previous times.
The curtain was lifted. Chu Jinli pretended not to care and walked a few steps forward, but then he heard her shout, "Chu Yao, the Marquis is going to ride back to the mansion. Help the Second Young Master get in the carriage."
Chu Jinli: ……
---
Back at the mansion, Chu Yan could walk normally again. He insisted not to go to the medical clinic, saying that it was just a minor injury and applying the pain - relieving medicine usually kept in the mansion would be fine.
After all, he got injured while protecting her. Shang Yunruo quickly told Chu Yao to go to the mansion's warehouse to get the stored medicine and she wanted to boil it for him herself.
But after a while, Chu Yao came back with a bunch of expired medicine. Shang Yunruo was really angry this time.
It didn't matter about other things, but the medicine usually kept in the mansion was for saving lives in critical moments. How could it not be replaced in time!
She really wanted to rush over and question her aunt. Was this how she managed the family?
If she hadn't had that warning dream, she might really have rushed over. Now she calmed down her pent - up emotions and decided to take a long - term approach.
There weren't many pictures of Chu Jinli in the dream, let alone those of her uncle and aunt. Except for knowing everything about Chu Yan, she knew nothing about others.
She had to know the financial situation of the Marquis Mansion. She was sure that there was a deficit, but she must find out how serious it was and whether it could be saved.
Since she had married into this family, the honor, disgrace, prosperity and decline of this family were all closely related to her.
Thinking of this, she sent someone to buy some wound - healing medicine and send it to Chu Yan. She also asked Chu Yao to go next door to send an invitation card, but they were all rejected for various reasons. It was obvious that her aunt didn't want to see her.
She didn't beat around the bush anymore. She directly asked Chu Yao to borrow the seal, saying that she wanted to check the accounts, but was still refused.
Shang Yunruo wanted to ask her grandmother or Chu Jinli for help, but she thought that her aunt would surely come up with all kinds of excuses to prevaricate, and it would end up like the last time when they handed over the seal, with nothing accomplished.
After weighing the situation, she directly took Chu Yao to the accounting room.
The accounting room was pitch - black inside and out, and the door was locked. The accountant must have gone back to rest.
The two of them stood in front of the locked door of the accounting room. After a long time, Shang Yunruo asked Chu Yao, "Can you pick the lock?"
Her tone was a bit helpless.
Chu Yao: "…… No."
The soaring ambition that had just risen suddenly vanished into thin air. She wanted to rectify the Marquis Mansion and expose the moths, but a small lock had stopped her.
"Do you want to break into the accounting room?"
Suddenly, a cold and jade - like voice sounded behind Shang Yunruo. She was startled.
Wasn't Chu Yan injured? How could he suddenly appear behind her? It was the same this morning. It was as if he was deliberately following her.
In a flash, many pictures from the dream flashed through her mind. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. She had already thought about what would happen next.
According to the scenario in the dream, he would take advantage of the fact that she tried to steal the accounts but failed, blackmail and bully her, and then...
Chu Yan said, " Yin Shan can pick the lock. He's my servant. Do you need help?"
Shang Yunruo, who was just imagining her miserable end: "…… Ah?"