Dream Garden
"Madam, Madam is gone!"
The maid rushed out of Ji Jianxue's room. Instantly, Dream Garden was in an uproar.
The guards at the gate heard the commotion and quickly rushed in to check the situation.
No kidding. If Ji Jianxue disappeared, their heads would be at stake.
At this moment, Ji Jianxue, along with Xu Chang, was crouching under the corridor.
When everyone rushed into the master bedroom, Ji Jianxue waved to Xu Chang. "The guards at the back gate must be lax." They circled around the rockery and headed towards the back gate.
The back gate was hidden behind layers of climbing vines. If she hadn't seen it once before, it would have been really hard to find.
The moonlight was just right at this moment. The thick moonlight poured down through the tree shadows.
Dream Garden was surrounded by mountains on all sides. The dark, distant mountains were like Ji Shihuan's unpredictable future. Although the moonlight shone brightly, Ji Jianxue was still a bit worried about Xu Chang going back alone.
However, compared to walking at night, Dream Garden was definitely much more dangerous.
"Okay, Brother Xu. That's the gate over there. Hurry up and leave. I'll keep watch for you here."
Xu Chang originally wanted to rush over, but hesitated when he was about to move.
He turned around, grabbed Ji Jianxue excitedly, and asked with concern,
"I've thought it over and over again. I'm still worried. Why don't you come with me now?"
Leave? If she could really leave, she wouldn't have been trapped in Dream Garden for a year.
She was able to use this diversionary tactic because her life was tied to everyone in the courtyard.
Ji Jianxue had grown up in a Buddhist hall since childhood. She wouldn't even step on an ant, let alone endanger so many lives.
Ji Jianxue was kind - tempered, but it didn't mean she was naive.
She quietly withdrew her hand.
For some reason, when Xu Chang's hand touched hers, the contact of the cold skin made Ji Jianxue feel a sense of nausea.
This was a feeling she never had even when Ji Shihuan had violated her.
Holding hands with another man made Ji Jianxue feel a twinge of guilt.
The image of Ji Shihuan's lonely figure when he left kept replaying in her mind.
In fact, Ji Jianxue was very clear in her heart that it was true that she was reluctant to let the people in Dream Garden be buried with her, but there was a deeper reason that she didn't dare to think about.
Maybe she understood Ji Shihuan's loneliness.
Yes, he was lonely. She had spent a lot of time in the Ji Mansion. How could she not know the situation there?
In the mansion, it was a luxury to find someone to talk to heart - to - heart. As long as no one was planning to stab you in the back, it was already a blessing.
This was the cruelty behind the grandeur of a large family.
This was also the reason why her mother had left the Ji Mansion even if it meant ending her marriage with her father.
Ji Jianxue gently pushed Xu Chang away. Only then did Xu Chang realize his gaffe and quickly apologized.
"Jianxue, I... I didn't mean to..."
"Who's there?"
It was the maid who served Ji Jianxue personally!
Ji Jianxue would never forget this voice. Naturally, she also remembered that this innocent maid had almost got her kicked out of Dream Garden just now.
She knew what would happen if she was kicked out of Dream Garden. Now she became even more nervous.
"I'll stop her. You take the opportunity to leave."
Ji Jianxue whispered carefully.
At this point, Xu Chang knew that he was dragging Ji Jianxue down. He didn't dare to make more demands. Helplessly, he could only nod in agreement.
He tidied up his clothes and, more importantly, calmed his flustered heart.
Ji Jianxue walked out of the darkness. She cleared her throat and for the first time assumed the airs of a lady.
"It's me."
The maid was a bit surprised to see Ji Jianxue walking out from there.
She clearly saw just now that there seemed to be a man there...
Did that mean...
Ah, the lady has cuckolded the lord.
I wonder if I can gain my freedom if I tell the lord this news.
"Madam? What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
Although she had guessed almost everything in her heart, for the sake of safety, the maid still asked.
Ji Jianxue pretended to hold her forehead and said with a headache,
"I've been suffering from insomnia all night. I can't fall asleep, so I came out for a walk. Maybe it's because of the wind. I felt a bit dizzy when I got here, so I took a rest. Could it be that you can't sleep either?"
Seeing her calm face, not looking like someone who had done something wrong, the maid couldn't help but doubt her own thoughts. Had she really wrongly accused the lady?
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. It's getting late. Everyone is looking for you. I'd better help you back. If Madam still can't sleep, I'll go and light some sleep - inducing incense for you."
Ji Jianxue nodded and didn't dare to look in Xu Chang's direction again. She let the maid support her and walked towards the main room.
The maid followed behind Ji Jianxue. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became. She glanced at the place where Ji Jianxue had come out from. A corner of a piece of clothing was clearly visible under the flowing moonlight.
This was definitely men's clothing. The maid's eyes flickered. Finally, she found a glimmer of hope for herself.
Sorry, Madam.
...
Although Ji Jianxue was very worried about Xu Chang, after more than half an hour and no news came, she guessed that he had left safely. Only then did she feel relieved.
Since she returned to the room, her heart had been in turmoil.
She had already told Brother Xu to go back and find her father and mother first. Even if her father didn't like her, he would at least not allow his younger brother to have an incestuous relationship with his nominal daughter.
She believed that they would come to pick her up soon.
However, when she thought that she was really going to leave here, leave Dream Garden, Ji Jianxue didn't feel the expected joy and relief.
For some reason, her heart was very heavy.
Vaguely, she seemed to feel that the culprit affecting her mood was Ji Shihuan?
But he had treated her so badly. He had clearly set a trap for her.
He had so unreasonably taken away her virginity.
Why did she still miss him?
Why did she still feel reluctant to leave and feel heartache?
As she thought about it, the sleep - inducing incense gradually took effect. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and drowsiness slowly came over her.
The sleep - inducing incense led Ji Jianxue into a dream.
There was a wasteland, overgrown with weeds. The gloomy sky seemed to be about to fall.
The cold wind was like a knife cutting on people's faces.
Ji Jianxue didn't care about all that.
In this world at this moment, only she and Ji Shihuan standing in front of her remained.
Ji Shihuan, the man she thought she would hate deeply. But when it really came time to leave, she found that she couldn't hate him at all.
Even though the wind was howling, she could still deeply feel his sadness.
She reached out her hand, wanting to hold him back.
But he gradually walked away, as fast as the wind.
An indescribable and complex emotion spread in her heart.