Chapter 76

◎“The child kicked me.”◎

Yuange handed the land deed given to her by He Sui to Jiang He. Jiang He stared at the land deed for a while, and after weighing the pros and cons, she finally accepted it.

The Jiang family had helped the He family when they were on the verge of collapse. Now that He Sui had taken over the He family, he offered this mansion as a token of gratitude, thus settling the score. This was in line with the way businessmen act. Moreover, Jiang He didn't really want to have anything to do with the He family anymore, so she accepted his gift.

It's a good thing that the house on Jinghua Street can be returned to her hands.

With the matter with the He family thus concluded, Jiang He put away the recipe and said to Yuan Ge, "Summon Xue back. He can't be left unprotected. We absolutely cannot let what happened last time happen again."

When Xue Lingyu went missing last time, Ji Xue was also seriously injured and remained in a coma for two months before waking up. Ji Xue has been deeply remorseful for not being able to protect Xue Lingyu.

Jiang He then told him to go to a manor in the suburbs to recuperate, so that he could also relax.

Surrounded by so many top-tier imperial guards, it's already a miracle that Xue Lingyu survived. Jiang He didn't blame him; besides, he's now the best person to protect Xue Lingyu.

Yuange accepted the order. Remembering that Xue had been away from the manor for so long, she had also missed him. Although this child was not as mentally mature as others, he was very sincere.

Logically speaking, Xue Lingyu should be safe staying in the mansion, but Jiang He was always uneasy. Those people in the Ministry of Personnel dared to target Xue Lingyi, the Prime Minister, so they might also try to harm Xue Lingyu. If they were cornered and acted rashly, she really couldn't bear the consequences.

Moreover, even the He family knows that she found Xue Lingyu, and there are countless other eyes watching her.

Ever since Jiang He learned that Xue Lingyu was pregnant, she packed her things and went to sleep in the side room. Now Xue Lingyu lives alone in the main house, and the maids around her are all personally selected by Jiang He, and they serve her very well.

Actually, Xue Lingyu wanted to say that he wasn't that delicate and didn't need so many people surrounding him, but unexpectedly, Yuan Ge brought another young man dressed as a guard to him, saying that he was there to protect him.

Thinking that Xue Lingyu had lost her memory, Yuange introduced him again, "Young Master, this is Ji Xue. He used to be Miss's personal guard. He has some martial arts skills. Miss ordered him to protect you closely."

As soon as Yuange finished speaking, Ji Xue couldn't help but step forward and hug Xue Lingyu, crying out, "Handsome brother! I missed you so much!"

Jiang He had told him that the handsome older brother was pregnant, so he didn't dare to use force, for fear of hurting the future little lady.

The boy in front of her was at least a teenager, but his behavior was still like that of a child. Xue Lingyu was somewhat surprised and looked at Yuange with a puzzled expression.

Yuange explained, "When Ji Xue was young, he injured his head, which is why he is like this now. But don't worry, young master, Ji Xue's martial arts skills have been recognized by Miss."

Sensing Xue Lingyu's stiffness, Xue released him, blinked, and said, "Handsome brother, Miss said you have amnesia. Don't you remember me?"

Looking at the handsome young man before her, Xue Lingyu thought to herself that he was a pitiful child, and coaxed him, "I remember, your name is Ji Xue, right?"

Ji Xue looked at Yuan Ge and clapped her hands in surprise, saying, "Sister Yuan Ge, I knew the handsome brother still remembered me!"

Yuan Ge smiled in agreement. Since the person had already been brought, she stepped back to attend to other matters.

Seeing Xue Lingyu now, Ji Xue finally felt some comfort. If he hadn't been unable to defeat those people, he wouldn't have stood by and watched Xue Lingyu being taken away.

Xue wanted to ask him if he had returned and if the Fifth Prince had harmed him, but remembering his mistress's instructions, he could only swallow his words. Looking into Xue Lingyu's eyes, he gave a sincere smile: "Handsome brother, you seem even more handsome than before."

Xue Lingyu patted his head and returned his smile.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with Xue Sheng, as if they had known each other for a long time.

After Jiang He returned home that evening, she had dinner with Xue Lingyu. Xue Lingyu then found a place to pass the time, and as always, he would disappear whenever Jiang He was with Xue Lingyu.

Jiang He asked, "How did Xue behave today? Did he disturb you?"

Ji Xue is active, while Xue Lingyu prefers quiet. Although Jiang He has already told Ji Xue not to make noise, she still can't help but worry.

Xue Lingyu put down her bowl and said truthfully, "He behaved very well. He would even catch crickets for me to keep me entertained. He was no different from other children, but he was more innocent and lively. I liked him very much."

Xue Lingyu saw that he was a thin, fair-skinned young man, not someone who knew martial arts. Besides, it was rare for a man to know martial arts, so Xue Lingyu assumed that he was sent by Jiang He to amuse her.

Jiang He was relieved. "It's good that you like him. With Ji Xue around, I can rest easy."

Xue Lingyu picked up the bowl and casually asked, "I heard that Ji Xue is a child you picked up in Wudu City. Wudu City is so far away from the capital. Why did you go there back then?"

The reason he asked was mainly because he wanted to know more about Jiang He and her past.

Fog City is located in a remote area and is a notoriously poor place, so it's impossible that they would go there to do business.

Upon hearing the words "Foggy City," Jiang He gave Xue Lingyu a deep look, staring at him until he finally lowered his head in embarrassment, touching his face and asking, "Is there something dirty on my face?"

Jiang He shook her head: "No, the story of Fog City is a long one. I'll tell you about it another time."

Seeing that Jiang He didn't say anything and even put a piece of meat in his bowl, Xue Lingyu gave a somewhat disappointed "oh".

He always felt that Jiang He was unwilling to talk about it.

After dinner, Xue Lingyu washed up and went to sleep in the main room, while Jiang He went to the study to look at the account books.

It was past midnight, and Yuange had already been asleep for a while. When she got up in the middle of the night, she saw that the study light was still on. She went in and saw that Jiang He was indeed still reading at his desk. She advised, "Miss, it's so late. You should rest early. You can continue reading tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Jiang He put down her pen, her eyes filled with complex emotions, and her blood vessels were faintly visible. She sighed, "Yuan Ge, do you think I should hope that Xue Lingyu will regain her memories, or should she stay like this forever?"

Only then did Yuan Ge realize that she was troubled by this matter.

“Miss, regardless of whether Young Master Xue has regained his memory or not, he is currently carrying your child. If it weren’t for the Fifth Prince’s persecution, he would have been the young master of the Jiang family long ago. What are you worried about?”

“I always felt that he was willing to stay by my side because he had amnesia.” Jiang He gave a bitter smile. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

“If Miss wants Young Master Xue to regain his memory, why not take him to see Lord Xue? Father and son are of one mind; perhaps when Young Master Xue sees Lord Xue, he will remember what happened before,” Yuange suggested.

Dr. Jiang also said that it was not impossible to restore his memory; it was just a matter of time.

Jiang He forced herself to stop thinking about it. She would wait until the Xue family was cleared of their name before personally visiting them with Xue Lingyu.

Xue Lingyu was also unable to fall asleep. He looked at Ji Xue, who was sleeping on the roof beam, and wondered how Jiang He had taught him to refuse to sleep in a bed and insist on sleeping in strange places, saying that this was the only way he could fall asleep.

Thinking about Jiang He's strange attitude at dinner, Xue Lingyu couldn't help but feel curious, so she tried calling out to the roof beam a few times to make sure Xue was still awake.

Upon hearing Xue Lingyu's call, Ji Xue immediately climbed down from the roof beam, awaiting his instructions.

Xue Lingyu sat up from under the covers and pulled Ji Xue aside, asking, "Ji Xue, I can't sleep. Can you tell me about your young lady's past in Wudu City?"

Ji Xue rolled his eyes. The young lady had only told him not to mention the disappearance of the handsome brother, but hadn't said anything about the Fog City, so he nodded.

"Do you know why your young lady is going to Fog City? Is there really any business she wants to do there?"

Xue Lingyu stared at Ji Xue's mouth, full of anticipation.

"I'm not entirely sure either, but I heard from Sister Yuange that Miss went to Wudu City for training because she was humiliated by the young master of the Xue family, who refused her marriage proposal and made her lose face. She was heartbroken at the time." Ji Xue was very honest and repeated Yuange's words verbatim.

He vaguely remembered that his name was given to him because the young lady was still attached to the young master of the Xue family.

Xue Lingyu never expected that this question would bring up old stories.

Jiang He even proposed to the Xue family's young master, but left heartbroken after being rejected.

Xue Lingyu didn't know why, but suddenly felt a pain in her chest from anger.

"Handsome brother, what's wrong? Actually, my name is also..." Xue Gang was about to say his name when Xue Lingyu interrupted him.

"Okay, I'm sleepy, I don't want to listen anymore."

Remember Xue? Remember that young master of the Xue family? Xue Lingyu understood the meaning behind it and couldn't help but sigh that Jiang He was really so devoted. No wonder she was unwilling to tell him. It turned out that she still had this touching story in her heart.

Xue scratched his head in confusion and had no choice but to go back to sleep on the roof beam.

The next day, after Jiang He got up, she went to the main house to have dinner with Xue Lingyu. Just as she was about to hold his hand, he coldly shook her off.

"Don't touch me."

Jiang He was taken aback. "Are you angry? Did I do something wrong?"

Xue Lingyu turned her head away, unwilling to look at her, and said stubbornly, "You're not wrong, it's my fault. I'm blocking your affection."

Jiang He was puzzled by Xue Lingyu's words, but she had heard Doctor Jiang say that pregnant men could sometimes have strange tempers. Xue Lingyu was in a bad mood, and if she stayed, she might upset him and make him lose his appetite. So, after coaxing him a few times, she left to have a meal at the shop.

Seeing her about to leave, Xue Lingyu felt extremely wronged and shouted at Jiang He's back, "You heartless woman! Go find your so-called Young Master Xue! He's from a prestigious family, while I'm just a pitiful little thing that nobody wants, and I have to suffer this kind of humiliation while carrying your child!"

Having finally figured out the reason for her anger, Jiang He stopped and turned back to explain, "You're the only one in my heart. Where would there be a second Mr. Xue?"

Xue Lingyu sniffed and retorted, not to be outdone, "Then tell me why you went to Wudu City, why you asked to marry him, is he very handsome, and does he come from a good family?"

Jiang He's words choked in her throat. She couldn't very well explain that the young master Xue was him, could she?

“That’s all in the past. He’s married now and has children.” Jiang He hugged him and patted his back gently. “You’re the only one in my heart. Besides, I have a husband and daughter now, so why should I think about anyone else?”

Xue Lingyu was still not satisfied with these words and tried to break free from Jiang He's embrace, but Jiang He held him tightly in her arms and kept coaxing him with soft words. After a while, Xue Lingyu finally gave in.

He put his arm around Jiang He's neck and whispered, "The child kicked me."

“The children told you not to be sad anymore, look at you.” Jiang He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. “Why make yourself sad now because of things from the past?”

"But I'm just so sad, I just can't control myself." Xue Lingyu leaned on Jiang He's shoulder, hooking her collar and saying pitifully, her dark eyes misty, making her look strangely endearing.

Jiang He stroked his bulging belly and said, "It's normal for pregnant men to overthink things. Next time, be sure to tell me first if there's anything you want to know. I'll tell you anything else you want to know."

"I don't want to hear about that man," Xue Lingyu said with a drawn-out snort.

Jiang He naturally indulged him in everything. She even served him his breakfast porridge herself, without letting him serve it himself.

Xue Lingyu, who was not originally delicate after losing her memory, is about to be spoiled by her.

Afterwards, Xue was called over by Yuan Ge and scolded. Actually, it wasn't his fault. After all, he hadn't told Xue Lingyu about his amnesia beforehand because he was afraid that Xue would accidentally let it slip. He originally thought that Xue would find out on his own, but in the end, he underestimated Xue's character.

This time, Yuange told him, hoping he would learn his lesson and make things easier for the young lady.

After listening, Xue belatedly realized, "Sister Yuange, so handsome brother has amnesia. No wonder he didn't react when I talked about the past, and he didn't even remember to buy me the pastries from Ruyi Restaurant."

Still so childlike, all she thinks about is food. Yuan Ge said helplessly, "If you want to eat so much, I'll ask the shopkeeper to send a box to your residence."

"However, the pastries from Ruyi Restaurant are indeed delicious. We can use them to entertain the guests at Miss's wedding banquet." Yuange has already begun planning and preparing for Jiang He's wedding.

This is the wedding of the Jiang family to welcome their young master, so naturally it must be held in a grand and glorious manner, making countless people envious of the young master's good fortune.

Ji Xue was somewhat puzzled: "Hasn't the handsome brother already married the young lady?"

“Last time it was the concubine’s ceremony, this time it’s the husband’s ceremony, so naturally they are different.” Seeing that Xue looked blank, Yuan Ge knew he couldn’t understand the difference, so she sighed, “Never mind, you should go back first, but you must remember what I just told you, and don’t make any mistakes.”

Xue clapped his hands and nodded, saying, "If there's something delicious, I'll definitely remember it."

The Ministry of Personnel was being pressured more and more by Su Yawan. Several officials who had been involved in the corruption and framing could not withstand the pressure and chose to confess to the Emperor. Unexpectedly, they were sentenced to be dismissed from their posts and never be employed again. The Emperor also ordered that these people were not allowed to set foot in the capital again, which was also a way of protecting them.

Who knows how many accomplices these people implicated in order to lessen their charges? Among them, the most anxious were Liu Jing, the Minister of Personnel, and Kang Minzhi, the Vice Minister.

Embezzlement is a minor matter, but framing the prime minister is an unforgivable crime. Liu Jing ordered Kang Minzhi to secretly assassinate Xue Lingyi, but the latter repeatedly botched the task, which angered Liu Jing to no end.

"Why haven't any of the assassins you sent to kill Xue Lingyi returned? Didn't you say you were looking for top experts in the martial arts world? The Xue family has already fallen, yet they can't even do anything to Xue Lingyi. They're utterly useless!"

Liu Jing couldn't help but fling her sleeves, giving Kang Minzhi a cold look from beginning to end.

Kang Minzhi stammered, "Your Excellency, it's not that I've failed in my duties, but someone is secretly protecting Xue Lingyi. We could have eliminated her completely when she was being escorted to exile last time, but we were prevented from doing so..."

Liu Jing asked in a deep voice, "Have you found out who it is?"

Kang Minzhi stammered for a long time before finally saying, "We haven't found out yet."

That person was so cunning and extremely skilled at disguising his identity that no matter how much Kang Minzhi investigated, he couldn't find a single clue about the person's identity.

"Useless! Are we supposed to wait for things to be exposed before we can find out?" Liu Jing was furious. She couldn't understand how someone as useless as Kang Minzhi had gotten into the Ministry of Personnel.

Kang Minzhi immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "Your Excellency, spare my life! Although Xue Lingyi has someone protecting her and we can't touch her for the time being, she has a son who is currently in the Jiang residence. As long as we take her son hostage, Xue Lingyi will be able to do whatever we want."

Liu Jing narrowed her eyes, "Wasn't Xue Lingyi's son missing? How come he's at the Jiang residence again?"

"Although he went missing, I heard that he has been found. Jiang He of the Jiang family is deeply in love with Xue Lingyi's son, and I heard that she is going to marry him as her husband..." Kang Minzhi's words trembled, afraid that Liu Jing would get angry again.

"I'm leaving this matter to you. Remember, don't let the Jiang family know that the Ministry of Personnel did this in secret, otherwise offending the Empress Dowager in the palace will be the same as offending His Majesty." Liu Jing was taking a gamble, but she wasn't foolish enough to do it herself, so she handed it over to that idiot Kang Minzhi.

"Yes, I will definitely handle it well. I have already bribed Xue Lingyi's student Zeng Rong. She has known Xue Lingyi's son since childhood. With her there, things will surely succeed."

Kang Minzhi has a wealth of knowledge and experience.

The matter in Fog City had finally come to an end, but Xue Lingyu suddenly felt like going out shopping again. Jiang He initially refused to agree, because last time she went out shopping and caused trouble. Even with heavy guards, she was still worried this time.

But Xue Lingyu tugged at her arm and said coquettishly, "I'm so bored. With you here with me, nothing will happen, okay?"

Xue Lingyu knew that Jiang He would definitely not allow him to go out alone, especially since he was pregnant, so he took Jiang He with him. At least with her there, he could definitely protect himself.

He tried everything he could to get some fresh air. If he weren't heavily pregnant, Jiang He would have really wanted to teach him a lesson.

Jiang He pinched his chin, staring at his rosy lips, and finally gave in, saying, "You can only go out for an hour. After that, I have to go back to the business to handle some matters, understand?"

Xue Lingyu nodded obediently, "I understand."

Come to think of it, he hasn't really explored the capital properly yet. The last time he went out, it was Xinyan who took him to see Wenhuai.

The prosperity of the capital was incomparable. Xue Lingyu sat in the carriage, and Jiang He specially instructed the driver to make sure the journey was smooth, even if the speed was slow, for fear that the bumps would hurt the child in Xue Lingyu's womb.

Xue Lingyu sat in the carriage and passed by several shops. When he came across some novel items, he would ask Xue to buy them. Seeing that he was very happy, Jiang He did not tell him that all the shops on this street belonged to the Jiang family.

Finally, Xue Lingyu insisted on getting off the carriage to go to the jewelry shop, so Jiang He had no choice but to help him in herself.

When the jewelry shopkeeper saw the young master arrive, he asked Jiang He a few questions. Xue Lingyu then began to choose hairpins by himself, with Xue following closely by his side. Jiang He was also at the counter and could see him in the blink of an eye.

These hairpins were all very novel in style. Xue Lingyu wore a red jade and agate hairpin today, which overshadowed the splendor of these hairpins. In comparison, these hairpins all seemed vulgar.

He couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. Was there really no hairpin that suited his taste?

Suddenly a voice came from behind her. Xue Lingyu thought it was calling her, so she turned around and found a smartly dressed young woman.

"Young Master, I never expected to meet you here." The woman seemed very excited, her eyes shining as she looked at him. "How have you been?"

Xue Lingyu frowned and took several steps back. "I don't know you."

Zeng Rong was surprised by his words, and when her gaze fell on his protruding belly, she was even more incredulous.

"Young Master, when did you get married? I haven't heard the teacher mention it."

Xue Lingyu found the person in front of him utterly inexplicable, and he had no memory of this person whatsoever.

He was about to call out to Jiang He when Jiang He rushed over and shielded him behind her.

Zeng Rong was forced to distance herself from Xue Lingyu. Before she could recover from the surprise of Xue Lingyu's pregnancy, she heard Jiang He say, word by word, "The person he married is me."

Zeng Rong frowned: "Jiang He?"

Jiang He stopped arguing with Zeng Rong, took Xue Lingyu's hand and left the shop, remembering that Xue Lingyu stood in front of Zeng Rong to prevent her from getting close to the Jiang family's carriage.

Zeng Rong could sense that the young man had a calm demeanor and was a skilled martial artist not to be underestimated, so she tried her best to convince herself to hold back.

Three years ago, Jiang He refused to marry the eldest young master and was humiliated. How could the eldest young master now be willing to marry her? She must have played some trick or threatened the eldest young master. It seems that the people from the Ministry of Personnel were right. Even a tiger can be bullied by dogs when it is down on its luck. The eldest young master must have suffered a great injustice.

She clenched her fists and looked at Xue Lingyu's retreating figure with determination, saying, "Young Master, I will rescue you."

On the way back to the Jiang family home, Xue Lingyu hesitated for a while before quietly asking Jiang He, "Did that person just now know you?"

Jiang He didn't want to lie to him, so she nodded.

"She seemed to know me and even called me Young Master. Do you think she might be a relative from before?" Xue Lingyu recalled that although the woman was very excited, the way she looked at him didn't seem fake, and it didn't seem like she had mistaken him for someone else.

“She shouldn’t be your relative.” Jiang He took a deep breath. Zeng Rong was Xue Lingyi’s student and had a good relationship with Xue Lingyu. Whatever her purpose in coming back this time, she must be against her marrying Xue Lingyu.

Zeng Rong, like Xue Lingyi, looked down on her, and her impression of her was still that of a good-for-nothing playboy.

Hearing Jiang He say it wasn't true, Xue Lingyu thought it made sense. If it really was his family, he couldn't possibly feel nothing when he encountered them, since he had only lost his memory.

Xue Lingyu leaned on Jiang He's shoulder. "I can tell. She doesn't like you, so I don't like her either."

This was the first time Jiang He had felt Xue Lingyu's favoritism. A warm feeling seemed to flow through her heart, and she wanted Xue Lingyu to stay by her side forever.

◎Latest Comments:

Didi Card

I will dedicate my entire life to nurturing you, and may the nourishment guide your way forward!

[Repeated chapters?]

-over-