17 Drive the bees away (2/2)

”Did Third uncle and older cousin have come to see father too?” She asked.

Liu Hao Yan shook his head and smiled gently at his niece, ”We were just leaving after seeing him, one also should come inside. Though, winter has come to an end, the cold air in the spring is still not good for your body.”

Out of all the people in the Liu residence, the people from the third household and her uncle Liu Buwei was the only one who had shown her kindness, even after seeing her face. However the females inside the Liu residence was not that kind and had been showing fake smiles and only acted kind when someone are watching. But it did not matter to Jiao Yu as she did not really care about them, regarding the matter in the qinwang's birthday, it was a small matter and it need not for her to go berserk about it.

And the matter about Liu Sheng Xiao missing was kept only in the first household and was never spoken out and no one knew of it. The Second and Third household naturally did not have any knowledge of it and only thought that Liu Sheng Xiao was out to a trip for his work.

”Then, we'll go on ahead.”

With that, Liu Hao Yan and Zhang Yi left with their servants following them.

Jiao Yu waited for their figure to disappear from the view before she went inside the closed doors of Liu Sheng Xiao's study.

In front of her was Liu Sheng Xiao who's face was pale and sweats drip from his forehead, he looked like he aged ten years older than what his age seemed to be. There was an old man by his side,the old man was the same person who have treated her three years ago. and it seemed like he was checking Liu Sheng Xiao's pulse.

The bright and cheerful aura of Jiao Yu slightly diminished as she saw the countenance her father had.

Jiao Yu went up and worriedly said, ”Is father okay?”

”I'm fine, just exhausted after a long trip and work.” Liu Sheng Xiao said.

”Tie Yi, see Physician Pei out.”

The stern and expressionless Tie Yi guided the old physician out, which Jiao Yu awkwardly looked at and the two father-daughter pair was left alone in the study.

”I must've caused you great worry, I'm sorry.” Liu Sheng Xiao faintly said as he tried to look alright even with the pain boring in his left arm.

Jiao Yu walked over, lowering her body and sat on the couch beside Liu Sheng Xiao. Shaking her head, she said, ”You're here already, there is no need to worry anymore and there's nothing to be sorry about.”

”But,... what exactly happened?”

Liu Sheng Xiao's expression was in distress as he narrated what happened the past several days. After the qinwang's birthday celebration, he had received an order from the organization to verify the previous matter or mission regarding the death of the son of one of the target. Once he was done, he was about to go back after staying out for two days however, he was called in the palace to receive the new concubine sent by Sui immediately. It was so sudden that he was not able to send a note to Jiao Yu.

When he was travelling just a distance away from Jing capital, he and his entourage was ambushed by bandits and got chased away from their own route, which led them to take a longer way to get to the location of the new concubine. But during the confrontation with the bandits, he was able to know that they were coming after his daughter. He did not know who they were nor what they needed from Jiao Yu but he knew that danger is coming for Jiao Yu. Liu Sheng Xiao was also wounded during the confrontation and was left immobile through the journey back.

That explains why there was a lock of hair in the envelope Jiao Yu received and from what was explained by Liu Sheng Xiao, they used someone that looked like him to threaten her and to trap her, making her want to meet with them.

Throughout the narration of Liu Sheng Xiao, Jiao Yu's eyes turned colder by a degree and when she opened her palm, there were five crescent marks left marked on it. She did not know how those people were able to find her and Liu Sheng Xiao nor does she thinks that they would stop going after her, now that she was exposed and they might use Liu Sheng Xiao to meet their goals.

Seeing his daughter like this made Liu Sheng Xiao sad and didn't know how to comfort her, he did not know what happened in her past or why or how did she end up in that river, he also could not get an answer from Jiao Yu as whenever he asks about it, she would always try to change the topic or her eyes would turn cold.

Liu Sheng Xiao held both of her hands in his rough and big hands and said, ”After taking off the veil, Jiao er must have attracted many bees.”

”It seems that I have to get you another guard to drive the bees away.”

Jiao Yu only stared at Liu Sheng Xiao silently, ”......”