The Double

"I want to go to Tongxiang."

Ye Mingyu was stunned.

Jiang Li’s eyes, however, were resolute. She had thought it over; knowing that her father was suffering in prison, she couldn’t bear to delay his rescue for even a moment longer. And now that she was in the Ye Family’s household, she couldn’t just disappear without explanation; she had to inform the members of the Ye Family. Otherwise, Old Madam Ye would worry.

But finding a flawless reason to leave was excessively forced. As Miss Jiang the Second, she was supposed to be "visiting" Xiangyang for the "first time", let alone Tongxiang. Tongxiang was a foreign place to her, she hadn’t even heard of it before, and she certainly didn’t have friends or relatives there. Any lie would be full of holes.

As expected, upon hearing her words, Ye Mingyu immediately asked, "What are you going to Tongxiang for?"

"To be honest with you, uncle, it’s a long story. An old friend entrusted me with fulfilling one of her heart’s wishes. She has a beloved in Tongxiang, and upon learning that I was coming to Xiangyang, she asked if I could convey a message for her. I had forgotten about this due to the recent events in the Ye Family, but now that those matters are mostly settled, I recalled it and intended to find this person in Tongxiang," Jiang Li said.

Having said this, Jiang Li felt awkward. This was the poorest lie she had ever told in her life, but she just couldn’t think of a better idea.

Ye Mingyu looked steadily at Jiang Li for a while before sighing deeply and saying, "Jiang Li, if there is something you find difficult to discuss, you don’t have to force yourself to come up with such a reason. I can tell. Why rack your brains for such a pretext that even I can see through?"

Jiang Li’s cheeks reddened slightly. Although Ye Mingyu acted in a brusque manner, he was no fool. If he had been dense and naive, how could he have survived in the martial arts world up to this point? He would have been easily tripped up by others and left lying somewhere, unable to get up.

"Jiang Li, I understand that there are some things that are hard to say to others, even to family. It’s okay, I won’t force you to talk. My older brothers and I aren’t the same; we in the martial arts world don’t coerce others. When you’re ready to talk, you’ll do it naturally, and if you can’t talk, there must be a reason you can’t. Although I don’t know what you are doing in Tongxiang, I believe you are sensible and won’t act recklessly," he said.