Clear Zhao Jianlong’s Mood
Zhao Jianlong, who had been rescued, was silent the whole way. When she returned to the manor, she did not leave the house and was often in a daze. Zhao Qinghuai had attributed her behavior to his sister being bullied by bad people. As a grown man, it wasn’t convenient for him to gain a deeper understanding of her situation. Moreover, he didn’t know how to tell his father about this matter.
That night, his father and second uncle had asked him about the eradication of the Blood Ethereal Sect. They had also asked him about the girl who had been abducted. He was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat, thinking that the news had leaked out.
On this day, during the meal, Zhao Congshan told the siblings about the month-end wedding banquet. Many of Jiangning City’s relatives also had to go to the banquet, and they brought a lot of money with them, so they needed an escort. Because Zhao Jianlong’s first assignment in Xiangzhi City had been done properly, and because her brother was a relative and not an outsider, the task was entrusted to the siblings. Zhao Congshan, on the other hand, had other important goods to escort, so he asked them to prepare ahead of time.
It was a hot summer day, and the wide official road was very calm. It was not a matter of people, but of things.
Perhaps it was because the cart was too old and had been exposed to the scorching sun for a long time. When it turned a curve, one of the wooden axels broke and a wheel came free. When Zhao Jianlong heard the cracking sound, she jumped off the horse in time to chase after it. Unfortunately, she was still a step too late. She couldn’t reach it in time and could only watch as it rolled off the cliff.
The horse behind her was frightened and whinnied fiercely. She turned around and saw the date-red horse running towards the cliff as her brother chased from behind. No matter how the driver pulled on the reins, it was useless.
Seeing that the crooked horse carriage in the distance was about to fall off the cliff with the horse, Zhao Jianlong felt cold sweat drench her body. It was simply too late. She was afraid that she would cause trouble if she tried to interfere.
At this moment, a young man in a suit passed by. He quickly cut off the reins and used his hands to block the cart that was about to fall. The driver fell to the ground in shock. Zhao Qinghuai had already arrived and the few of them worked together to push the car back to the path.
The relatives in the carriage got out. Fortunately, they weren’t injured. They were shaken, but they couldn’t help complaining. Zhao Qinghuai had to take time to comfort them. Zhao Jianlong approached Zhao Conglin and asked with concern, “Second Uncle, are you injured?”
Zhao Conglin was proficient in medicine but lacked any martial arts skills. At this moment, he didn’t blame the siblings.
Everyone thanked the brave young man. He didn’t leave his name behind and left without saying anything.
Zhao Qinghuai squatted under the car, observing the broken axle. His face revealed confusion. Zhao Jianlong also squatted down and asked, “Brother, didn’t we check everything before we left?”
“I checked it myself, and it wasn’t half-split like this.”
Her brother had been escorting for many years and rarely made such obvious mistakes. She leaned close to his ear and asked, “Did someone do something?”
Zhao Qinghuai’s eyes told her that he also had doubts. The brother and sister looked at the people around them silently, and saw all the faces were flustered and uneasy. They could only carefully watch to see which one was guilty. They could rule out the people in this cart. After all, no one would risk their lives for that. If there was someone who intended harm, they must have come from one of the other two cars.
The men and women were forced to squeeze into two cars. This time the road was easy, and no more accidents happened, but the siblings knew that their reputations as escorts were most likely ruined.
When Zhao Jianlong and others settled down in the inn, they happened to see the young man who had saved them eating there. The brother and sister invited him to have dinner together, but the other declined. Zhao Jianlong went to the counter and settled the meal bill.
When the young man came to settle the account, he was told that someone had taken care of it already. Following the guidance of the waiter, the young man went to Zhao Jianlong’s table to offer his thanks. She smiled and he nodded in response.
In the afternoon, the summer cicadas were at their loudest. In spite of this annoying call, Zhao Jianlong heard a pleasant sound come and wash out the heat, noise, and fretful mood.
She pushed open the door, looked around, and discovered the sound was coming from the corner-most room. The guest rooms were sunny, with a corridor leading directly to a courtyard and an artificial lake below.
Curious, Zhao Jianlong tentatively walked over. The door was closed, as she had expected. She was just about to turn around when the door opened.
She looked at the young man with some embarrassment.
“Please, come in.”
Zhao Jianlong raised her head, looking at him nervously.
Once she entered, they had a long chat. She learned that the young man’s name was Zuo Huan. He also came to Xiangzhi City to attend the banquet and unexpectedly the two of them were distant relatives. Zuo Huan’s company helped clear Zhao Jianlong’s mood a lot.
Several times over the next few days, Zuo Huan invited her to accompany him.