Chapter 353 - An Unwelcome Encounter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 353 - An unwelcome encounter (2)

”After we were parted in Jing Province, it's been so long since I saw you... How did you end up here?”

Ji Man pursed her lips together. ”Someone tried to harm me and brought me all the way out here from the capital.”

Feeling as if something was wrong with her words, Ning Mingjie furrowed his brow. ”Why did you return to the capital?!”

Once someone saw her face, only death would await her. Back then, when she and Nie Qingyun had supposedly fallen off a cliff, Marquis Moyu had even specially gone to Foshan to put up a spiritual memorial tablet at that temple to signify that he had believed her death was real. This was why the new emperor hadn't pursed the matter any further. If she went back again, wouldn't this be an unpardonable crime of lying to the emperor?

Ji Man gestured for Changshan to let go of her. ”It's a long story. I usually don't go out with this face. Right now... there was a mishap. General, would you mind helping me return to the capital based on our prior acquaintances.h.i.+p?”

”Of course.” Ning Mingjie opened his mouth. There were so many things that he wanted to say, but when he saw the guarded look in her eyes, he swallowed those words back down. Instead, he took out a handkerchief and said, ”Use this to hide your face for now. I'll send you back myself.”

It was a light blue handkerchief, and there were still embroidered snow-capped mountains on it. Ji Man paused, but she didn't refuse. She took the handkerchief and spread it open, but it wasn't big enough. She could only press it against her face.

”Changshan, lead my horse over here.”

Changshan was a bit stunned. ”Master, are you going travel through the night to bring her back?”

”I can't let the junzhu see her,” Ning Mingjie quietly said, ”Otherwise, her life would be absolutely be at risk.”

Changshan a.s.sented and left right away. The remaining two people awkwardly looked at each other.

Since that time in Jing Province when Ning Mingjie has asked her to come with him, Ji Man felt conflicting feelings towards him. Although she was very supportive that the secondary male character had abandoned the female lead, gotten married, and was run towards a new life for himself, she wasn't interested in him. Her initial romantic interest in him had dissipated over time. Ning Mingjie was a good person, but he was too sentimental. It would be difficult for him to accomplish great things.

She would just treat this incident as owing him a favor. Once she got back to the capital, she would simply resolve it by sending him a gift.

Kangyuan Junzhu had naturally noticed when Changshan came over to take Ning Mingjie's horse. However, Changshan refused to say anything. He took the horse and left. Kangyuan Junzhu followed after him and only saw Ning Mingjie getting onto a horse with a woman that was dressed like a servant.

”Who is she?” Kangyuan Junzhu's expression sunk.

The servant girl by her side looked and said, ”Aiya, isn't that the person who recently borrowed clothes from Luqi?”

Ning Mingjie had Ji Man sitting in front of him and was completely blocking the sight of her so no one could see her face. Without even taking the time to exchange greetings with Kangyuan, he quickly fled away with Ji Man.

Ji Man shrank her head back and stayed silent as she endured the pain of riding a galloping horse. It felt as if her internal organs were going to be jostled out.

Ning Mingjie asked, ”Did you go to the capital because you were looking for Yuxuaun?”