The army marched mightily in another direction.
When Zhao Luoning's carriage reached the middle of the mountain, only the tail of the army was in sight.
Zhao Luoning called for a halt.
The carriage stopped right there on the mountainside.
Gui Su was about to remind her.
This stretch was all mountain road, and they had already wasted a lot of time. If the lady dawdled any longer, they would have to camp in the wilderness at night.
Jing Su grabbed Gui Su.
With her sharp ears, Jing Su had already heard the stifled sobs coming from the carriage.
The lady was crying.
Crying very sadly.
Although Jing Su couldn't understand what there was for the lady, who was returning home in glory, to cry about.
Maybe it was because those in love were cry - babies and couldn't bear to be separated for a moment.
The cold - hearted Jing Su, who had never fallen in love with anyone, could only think so.
No one knew what Zhao Luoning was crying about except herself.
In fact, she looked down on herself like this.
Ji Shisu had deceived her so badly, but when it really came to the moment of going their separate ways and never seeing each other again in this lifetime, she almost couldn't hold back her emotions.
Yes, never to see each other again in this lifetime.
Zhao Luoning had made up her mind.
What Ji Shisu had done was unforgivable, and she didn't intend to forgive him.
Unexpectedly, the last words Ji Shisu said to her in this life were still asking her to wait for him.
Ji Shisu was really naive.
A year ago, when he said those words, Zhao Luoning didn't wait for him. She rushed to Shiguan alone to find him.
A year later, not only would she not wait.
She would never come to him again.
Ji Shisu, we'll never meet again.
Farewell forever.
There was also Chen Chuliu in Zhao Luoning's convoy.
On the way back, Chen Chuliu didn't cause any trouble.
With Gui Su and Jing Su around, they returned to Huangcheng safely.
When they arrived in Huangcheng, Zhao Luochun and Ji Jianxue were already waiting at the city gate.
Zhao Luoning lifted the curtain of the sedan chair early and exclaimed in surprise.
"Brother."
When Zhao Luoning was helped off the carriage by Gui Su, Zhao Luochun was still stunned for a moment.
It had been so long since he last saw his sister. It felt like an eternity.
It was Ji Jianxue who came to her senses first and respectfully called out "Mother".
Ji Jianxue was also happy. Her tone was full of uncontrollable joy and even trembled slightly.
Only then did Zhao Luoning notice this child.
After not seeing her for a year, she had grown into a beauty. Her beautiful black hair was coiled into a cloud - like bun. She had willow - leaf eyebrows like a crescent moon, a pair of slender and bright eyes, a delicate nose, peach - like cheeks and cherry - like lips. Her figure was graceful and slender, gentle and demure.
At such a young age, she already had such looks and temperament. When she grew up, she would surely be a rare beauty.
Her elder brother Zhao Luochun hadn't changed much.
After not seeing him for a year, he was just a bit darker.
Zhao Luochun had his trouser legs rolled up high, obviously coming here right after doing some farm work in the fields.
While Zhao Luoning was sizing them up.
They were also observing Zhao Luoning, who hadn't been back for a year.
Compared with a year ago, Zhao Luoning hadn't changed much. It was just that there was a bit more mature charm between her eyebrows and less of the cold aloofness.
"Brother, Jianxue, how have you been?"
Zhao Luochun just smiled shyly. In front of this shrewd younger sister, he was very timid.
It was still Jianxue who was polite and well - behaved. She bowed respectfully and then calmly replied.
"Brother - in - law and I are both fine. Third Uncle and Grandma often come to see us. Jianwen originally wanted to come to greet Mother, but he caught a cold after being exposed to the wind yesterday, so Aunt didn't let him come."
Zhao Luoning nodded.
It didn't matter that Jianwen didn't come.
She didn't have much feeling for this child.
Although she pitied his background, she wasn't running a charity.
Moreover, Jianwen's mother and she had some unpleasant past.
However, it seemed that her elder brother really liked Jianwen.
When it came to Jianwen, he praised him non - stop.
Well, a fool and a simple - minded person.
They were quite a match.
However, at the moment, Zhao Luoning didn't have much time to chat with Zhao Luochun.
She still had to figure out a way to deal with the followers behind her.
"Jing Su, take Chuliu to find an inn first. Wait until the Grand Matriarch and the others come back, and then we'll go back to the Ji Mansion together."
Zhao Luoning ordered.
Jing Su hesitated at first.
Ji Shisu had repeatedly instructed her to protect Zhao Luoning closely. Now that she was being assigned away, she felt a faint uneasiness in her heart.
Gui Su didn't think so much and urged.
"Jing Su, go and come back quickly."
Jing Su looked at the careless Gui Su and helplessly shook her head.
Forget it. She didn't dare to disobey the lady's order. She'd better deal with the burden of Chen Chuliu as soon as possible.
Yes, deal with.
This time, Jing Su came back with Ji Shisu's order.
Chen Chuliu dared to gossip in front of Zhao Luoning.
This had touched Ji Shisu's bottom line.
So, on the way back, Ji Shisu had given instructions.
As soon as they returned to Huangcheng, deal with Chen Chuliu first.
Thinking of this, Jing Su obeyed the order and drove the carriage away with Chen Chuliu.
Zhao Luoning walked and laughed with Zhao Luochun and Ji Jianxue all the way back to the silk and satin shop.
For convenience on the way, and since Zhao Luoning was supposed to be a "dead person", she had been dressed as a man on her way back.
Everyone was overjoyed at the return of this master and naturally surrounded her with questions.
It was nothing more than where she had been and what she had done in the past year.
Zhao Luoning answered them all one by one.
The people in the silk and satin shop knew that she was tired and needed to rest.
They didn't bother her too much.
Moreover, they even pulled Gui Su away.
Gui Su really couldn't resist the enthusiasm of the embroidery girls.
It wasn't that she couldn't break free from the embroidery girls. It was just that after hearing that each of the embroidery girls' hands was worth millions of taels of silver, she didn't dare to move.
Gui Su could only plead, "Good sisters, the master has ordered me to protect the lady... uh, the second young master closely."
"Oh, this is Young Master Luojing's silk and satin shop. It's the young master's home. What could possibly happen at home? Be a bit more discerning. The young master has been away for a long time. It's not easy for him to come back. Let the brothers catch up."
There was nothing Gui Su could do. She was just dragged away forcefully.
Zhao Luoning watched from the side and a smile of success curved her lips.
On the other hand, Zhao Luochun was still chattering on, telling Zhao Luoning all the big and small things that had happened in the past year like spilling beans.
As she listened, Zhao Luoning sensed something was off.
"Why isn't Mother here?"
Given her mother's temper, after she had been away for a year and come back, her mother would surely be eager to see her.
It was impossible for her not to show up by now.
Zhao Luochun stammered.
Zhao Luoning could tell right away that there was something fishy going on.
It was still Jianxue who was smart. She replied, "Back to Mother, Grandma has gone back to Grandpa's place."
Grandpa?
Her father, Lord Zhao!