Chapter 293: Slap Turmoil, Homecoming Day
Ji Qingwu thought of the slap mark on Duan Mingfeng’s face.
Mo Lingling said indignantly, "I had just gotten Miss Jiu Jiu to sleep when, out of nowhere, a flower thief dropped in."
Ji Qingwu had walked a long way, and her legs still felt a little unsteady. She did her best not to let it show as she held onto the back of a chair and sat down.
She said, "How were you so sure he was a flower thief? What if he was a guest, or someone who had business with you?"
’What if it was Duan Mingfeng?’
Mo Lingling recalled, "The man was dressed in all black and wore a mask."
She took a seat across from Ji Qingwu. "Besides, what kind of decent person shows up in the middle of the night? And he didn’t even use the front door—he came in through the window near the eaves."
Ji Qingwu propped her chin on her hand. "How did you handle the flower thief? He didn’t... do anything to you?"
Mo Lingling replied, "It was strange. After seeing Miss Jiu Jiu to bed, Manager Mi and I went back to my room to discuss some things. Just then, the thief jumped in and went straight for Manager Mi."
If Mi Zhenchuan hadn’t dodged in time, the man probably would have knocked him out with a single chop and carried him off.
Mo Lingling asked, "Fifth Missy, do you think he could be a flower thief who... prefers men?"
Ji Qingwu raised her fingers to her chin, hiding the smile playing on her lips.
Mo Lingling thought it over and felt her own guess was too ridiculous.
Mi Zhenchuan was middle-aged and had a portly, out-of-shape figure. He might have been handsome in his youth, but now he was developing more of a kindly, avuncular look.
Mo Lingling waved her hand, unable to contain her amusement, and started laughing at her own joke.
Ji Qingwu had been gone from early morning until just before dawn the next day.
But Jiu Jiu hadn’t been fussy or difficult at all. She wasn’t shy with strangers either, and had pulled Mo Lingling and Mi Zhenchuan into a game of house—though not with them playing her parents.
Ever since she was little, Jiu Jiu had watched Ji Qingwu treat patients. She hadn’t set foot in the clinic since they returned to Lin’an, and she surprisingly missed it.
Mi Zhenchuan pretended to be an old physician while Mo Lingling played the patient. They played for a while, all of which was witnessed by Duan Mingfeng, who had been ordered to stand guard in the shadows outside the clinic.
After Jiu Jiu was asleep, Duan Mingfeng saw Mi Zhenchuan slip into Mo Lingling’s room under the cover of darkness, which is why he had appeared with his face masked.
Ji Qingwu then asked, "Lingling, has Song Wei come to cause trouble again?"
Mo Lingling said, "No. After you left with Doctor Le, that man Song never came back."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes shifted thoughtfully.
’That Song Wei is the Prime Minister’s son-in-law. Once Prime Minister Su finds the time, he’ll surely investigate his beloved daughter’s miscarriage. I wonder if he’ll come after the clinic again.’
Mo Lingling studied Ji Qingwu. Despite returning so late, she didn’t look tired at all. In fact, as her eyes moved, they seemed to shine with an even greater brilliance than before.
Dressed in simple clothes, just sitting there with her chin in her hand, the occasional tilt of her head revealed an alluring charm.
That kind of charm is an intangible thing, like the light from a lamp or the luster of a pearl.
Having once frequented places like the Liangxiang Pavilion, Mo Lingling was all too familiar with this posture. ’Isn’t this the look of a woman after... a night of passion?’
She shook her head. ’How could I think such profane thoughts about my great benefactor? I must be letting my imagination run wild.’
Mo Lingling rubbed her eyes and asked with concern, "Fifth Missy, why were you gone for so long? Was Doctor Le’s patient difficult to treat?"
Ji Qingwu said, "...Yes, a bit difficult."
’If it weren’t for the System’s help, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have even been able to get out of bed today.’
A faint blush appeared on Ji Qingwu’s fair cheeks. "I’m going to rest upstairs for a bit. In another hour, I’ll take Jiu Jiu back to the Ji Family."
Mo Lingling stood up with her, surprised. "Fifth Missy, you’re not going back to the Wei Family?"
Ji Qingwu turned around. "What are you thinking? Today is my bridal homecoming visit."
Mo Lingling had almost forgotten about that.
’I hear you’re supposed to bring gifts for the homecoming visit. Since Miss Ji is leaving from the clinic, she definitely won’t have anything prepared. It wouldn’t be right for her to go back empty-handed on her big day.’
Mo Lingling found some paper and a brush at the counter and wrote out a gift list, planning to use the time to go out and buy a few things.
She pushed open the clinic door, only to find herself face-to-face with a man standing at the entrance, his arms crossed.
Duan Mingfeng’s face was even more grim than usual, and a thunderstorm seemed to be brewing in his eyes.
Startled, she took a step back, caught her foot on the threshold, and started to fall backward.
Duan Mingfeng made no move to catch her. Mo Lingling managed to steady herself by grabbing the doorframe.
"Mr.... Mr. Duan. Good morning."
Ever since she learned he was the one who had saved her on the boat, Mo Lingling felt both shy and ashamed whenever she saw him.
Duan Mingfeng didn’t move aside. Instead, his gaze dropped to the paper in her hand. The list was mostly filled with items for a new marriage, like a roast piglet, liquor, and so on.
He frowned. "What are you planning to do?"
Mo Lingling said, "Buy things."
Then, she noticed the slap mark on his face, and her eyes froze.
It was clearly from a woman’s hand, one about the same size as her own.
Mo Lingling’s gaze swept over his clothes from head to toe, then returned to his face. She’d have to be an idiot not to realize who the man from last night was.
Her heart pounded with anxiety. She stammered, "Mr. Duan, w-why are you here?"
Duan Mingfeng let her stare at his face, replying curtly, "Coincidence. I’m on patrol."
"Oh."
When Mo Lingling just said "Oh" and nothing else, Duan Mingfeng’s brows knitted together.
"Is that all you have to say?"
’He had come to help her, and she’d slapped him for his trouble. She owed him an explanation.’
Mo Lingling’s eyes darted back and forth, avoiding his gaze. "Nothing."
Then she added quickly, "I have to go buy some things. I’ll be on my way."
Duan Mingfeng lost his composure and raised an arm to block her path.
"Are you trying to get married again? You’d even stoop to an old geezer like that? At least Li Chengxun was handsome. What could you possibly see in him?"
The undisguised contempt in his voice was like a physical blow, making Mo Lingling freeze.
’Old geezer... Is he talking about Manager Mi?’
She realized the gift list in her hand had caused a misunderstanding.
Mo Lingling said softly, her voice hesitant, "I’m not getting married. I’m just... preparing the homecoming gifts for Miss Ji."
After speaking, she pushed past him and hurried away.
Behind her, Duan Mingfeng’s jaw was clenched so tight his cheeks bulged.
*
「Just past Si hour.」
Mrs. Qiao had already sent Chunhua to the main gate three times to see if Ji Qingwu was back yet.
Nanny Li said, "Madam, it’s still early. Fifth Missy is probably still on her way."
Mrs. Qiao sat in the main hall, unable to focus on the account books. She got up and began to pace back and forth.
"I feel just like I did when Xiao Wu first returned to Lin’an. I want to see her, but I’m also afraid to."
Mrs. Qiao missed her daughter, but she was worried she would see her unhappy—a situation she was powerless to change.
The moment Ji Qingwu stepped down from the carriage with Jiu Jiu, she saw Chunhua and knew her mother had grown impatient.
"Chunhua, there are some gifts in the carriage. Have someone help you unload them."
Just as she entered the courtyard and started on the path to Anju Garden, she ran into Ji Qingyuan, who was taking a stroll with Old Mrs. Ji.
"Grandmother, isn’t that Fifth Sister?"