Chapter Thirty: Sturdy

After Meng Huaichuan left, Meng Zhenyue and Zhao Xianzhi boarded their carriage to return to the manor. Since this outing was merely a performance for outsiders, the carriage windows remained open. Zhao Xianzhi was putting on a show of teaching Meng Zhenyue how to play chess.

As the carriage wheels rattled along, a cool, refreshing scent of lychees drifted in, causing Meng Zhenyue, who was about to place a piece, to look around in search of the source. She was not mistaken; it was indeed a "Lychee Frost Mountain" dessert.

Holding a chess piece, she pondered for a moment and said, "I’ve been out all morning and haven't bought anything for Zhizhi. That looks quite good; she would likely enjoy it."

Zhao Xianzhi shifted his gaze from the chessboard and glanced at her. With a light chuckle, as if he had seen through her intentions, he ordered, "Beilie, go buy a serving of Lychee Frost Mountain."

Seeming afraid she might find fault with something else, he quickly changed the subject. "Sister, you mustn't place your piece there, or you will be left isolated and helpless."

Listening to Zhao Xianzhi, Meng Zhenyue confirmed the suspicion she had held before leaving the house. How could a mere snack make Zhao Xianzhi act as if he were facing a formidable enemy, forcing him to change the subject? It was clear that Zhao Xianzhi did not want to buy it, and more specifically, he did not want to give it to Zhao Zhizhi.

Every summer, whenever Zhao Xianzhi went out, he almost always brought that Lychee Frost Mountain home for Zhao Zhizhi. Yet today, he had bypassed it as if it were nothing, and furthermore, he had chosen not to bring Zhizhi along. It was evident that he saw how close she and Zhao Zhizhi had become and was attempting to sow discord between them. He wanted Zhizhi to feel that since she had arrived, the affection Zhao Xianzhi once held for his sister had been diverted.

Meng Zhenyue felt a sense of disdain. How could a sixteen-year-old still be playing such childish games? Very well, she would play along; after all, she was sixteen as well and perfectly capable of playing back.

Just as she collected her thoughts to place her piece, Yunxia, usually so lively, appeared at the window with a cloud of gloom hanging over her face. Her tone lacked its usual cheerfulness: "Miss, I just ran into the manor's purchasing agent. I heard them mention that they saw the Madam and the Second Miss heading toward the theater. Should you go and take a look, Miss?"

Meng Zhenyue was taken aback. Zhao Xianzhi, however, thought little of it. Having guessed his parents' plans through their actions over the past two days, he rubbed the chess piece between his fingertips and said, "Mother likely didn't mean to leave you out. She and Zhizhi have always been close; please don't take it to heart."

Meng Zhenyue acted as if she had just snapped out of a daze. "It is fine. With more time spent together, Mother will come to like me as well." As she spoke, she ordered the carriage to stop.

Seeing this, Zhao Xianzhi felt quite pleased. Meng Zhenyue’s forced composure was truly a sight to behold, one that brought him great satisfaction. He thought for a moment and handed the Lychee Frost Mountain to Meng Zhenyue's maid. "Take the Lychee Frost Mountain with you; it will melt if it isn't eaten."

He watched Meng Zhenyue exit the carriage with a gentle gaze, though he thought to himself: *As expected, women will always fight over the smallest things, even someone as cold and distant as Meng Zhenyue is no exception!*

Once Meng Zhenyue was far enough from the carriage, Yunxia, who was supporting her, whispered, "The Second Miss has disappeared."

Meng Zhenyue felt no great surge of emotion upon hearing this; she simply quickened her pace. She had understood that something had gone wrong the moment Yunxia had specifically brought it up.

Meng Zhenyue took a detour to the back door of the theater and met with the maid she had dispatched. She learned that the Madam of the Marquis had used the excuse of waiting for a friend while fearing prying eyes to have Zhao Zhizhi wait in a private room. Her maid had intended to toss a bundle of smoking, damp straw into the room to make Zhao Zhizhi think a fire had broken out and flee through the back door.

However, the straw was never thrown, yet Zhao Zhizhi had emerged on her own. There had been a maid stationed at the back door to facilitate an "accidental" encounter with Zhao Zhizhi, but that maid reported, "The Second Miss said the pearl had fallen off her bracelet and asked me to help her look for it. The moment I lowered my head, the Second Miss vanished!"

Meng Zhenyue scanned the surroundings and said coldly, "Did you search the area? What about the vicinity?"

"Yes. We searched everywhere at the time, and we have people looking in the nearby area now, but there isn't a single trace," the maid said anxiously.

Meng Zhenyue withdrew her gaze, her mind racing. Zhao Zhizhi, a delicate young lady, how could she have disappeared without a trace in such a short time? She had been hidden away by someone!

Suddenly, she recalled the rock-hard muscles she had felt when she bumped into Xiao Jichen the other day, and a bad premonition flashed in her eyes. She closed her eyes uneasily and spoke quickly, "Has the room been checked again? Where are the Madam of the Marquis's people?"

The maid was startled. *Indeed, how could she have forgotten that!* After shaking her head in guilt, she added, "The Madam's people are still out front; they haven't come in yet. I will go—"

"No need," Meng Zhenyue interrupted coldly. "You keep searching. I will go see for myself. If necessary, hold back the Madam’s people!" As she spoke, she grabbed a spare cloak, tied it on, and strode toward the theater.

The room the Madam had reserved was on the third floor. Ignoring the stares of others, Meng Zhenyue ran all the way up. If something had truly happened to her sister, she could not let the Madam’s people stumble upon them and force her into a den of wolves!

*Xiao Jichen, if you have truly offended Zhizhi, just wait to be castrated!*

With a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, Meng Zhenyue finally reached the door. She caught her breath and pushed it open with a forceful shove.

The door swung open easily, and she nearly stumbled forward. Meng Zhenyue quickly steadied herself and searched the room, only to find it completely empty. The curling smoke from the incense burner emitted an unpleasant odor.

Meng Zhenyue covered her nose with her handkerchief and stared at the screen. Just as she was about to call out, she felt a large hand wrap around her waist. In a blur of movement, she heard the door slam shut, and then she was pinned against the wall.

The person whose face was about to press against hers was none other than the great benefactor himself—the esteemed Xiao Jichen!

Before she could react, Xiao Jichen breathed softly near her ear, "You treated me with cold disdain only a few days ago. Why are you so impatient today?"

The man's breath, accompanied by his low, deep voice, washed over her earlobe. There were only a few layers of clothing between them, and their ragged breathing was clearly audible to each other. Under the influence of the incense, Meng Zhenyue's mind grew increasingly hazy. In this state, she feared even more that this man's animalistic instincts would be too strong for her to escape.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Xiao Jichen pressed closer. His hand, which had been restraining her, moved toward her sash as he chuckled wickedly, "Don't worry, everyone outside is my own man. No one will dare disturb our good time."

Meng Zhenyue’s hands were now free. She cooperated with him, her peach-blossom eyes curving into a charming, intoxicating smile as her hand crept inch by inch toward his chest. "Is that so..."

Xiao Jichen felt her movements and paused slightly. Meng Zhenyue, staring at him unblinkingly, seized the opportunity to pinch the flesh on his chest with all her might, sneering, "Stop pretending! How could someone who spends his days drinking at flower houses have such solid muscle!"

Xiao Jichen, caught off guard by the sudden pinch, felt a surge of pain and instinctively released Meng Zhenyue. She took advantage of his pain—"strike while the iron is hot"—and kicked Xiao Jichen away with all her strength.

The smile in her eyes vanished, replaced by a stern tone: "Where is my sister!?"

"Sister, are you looking for me?"

The door opened, and standing outside was a woman wearing a dance costume wrapped in a cloak. She looked bewildered, and her confusion deepened upon seeing a man in the room. "What is this..."