The Double

Early morning in the summer days was somewhat bearable, but by noon, the heat became suffocating. Jiang Li set out early while the sun was still mild, yet her heart was so agitated, she could hardly calm down.

Arriving at the entrance of the Ye Residence, she saw a carriage parked there; Zhao Ke and Xue Zhao had just reached the Ye Residence, and right on their heels, they saw Jiang Li. Upon seeing her, Xue Zhao almost blurted out, "Sister." However, he quickly checked himself, since Jiang Li was now younger than him, and it would have been strange for outsiders to hear him claiming kinship and calling her "Sister." He could only smile and say to Jiang Li, "Jiang... Miss Jiang."

"Ah Zhao," Jiang Li responded with ease. She looked around and did not see Jih Heng. Zhao Ke seemed to understand her thoughts, approached Jiang Li, and whispered, "Madam is not at the residence today; she had me escort Young Master Xue here."

Jiang Li nodded, "Thank you." In her mind, though, she thought about the trouble Yin Zhan might be causing in court and that Jih Heng would have to strategize against him, which meant these days must have been hectic. Hence, she didn’t say much and suggested, "Let’s go inside."

In the Ye Residence, Ye Shijie had gone to court, and Ye Mingyu, informed ahead of time of Jiang Li’s visit, had been waiting early in the room. He also knew that someone from the Duke Residence was coming and had expected it to be Situ Jiuyue, but to his surprise, he saw only a young man in a wheelchair. He didn’t know Xue Zhao’s identity, but he understood that Xue Zhao was certainly not a guard escorting Jiang Li; what kind of guard would be wheelchair-bound himself? He guessed this must be yet another remarkable person and, looking at Xue Zhao, asked Jiang Li with perplexity, "Ah Li, this young master...?"

"Elder Master Ye," Xue Zhao took the initiative to speak, smiling, "These days, traveling from Tongxiang to Yanjing, we were much obliged to you for protecting my father. For the great kindness you have shown to the Xue Family, I, Xue Zhao, am forever grateful. Should there ever be a need for my services, I would brave fire and water without hesitation."

Perhaps because Ye Mingyu himself had a rather imposing appearance, when Xue Zhao spoke to him, he seemed to regain a bit of the youthful martial arts world aura. His words made Ye Mingyu feel quite pleased, and he immediately responded with a beaming smile and a bow, "No need for such formalities; it was nothing, young brother. You just mentioned... your father, the Xue Family? Your father is...?"

Xue Zhao was about to speak when Hai Tang came from the yard with tea. Upon seeing Xue Zhao, she was initially startled, and her hands let the teapot fall to the ground with a "bang," drawing everyone’s attention. Hai Tang, however, did not notice, staring dumbfounded at Xue Zhao, who just gave her a slight smile: "Hai Tang."

"Young... Young Master!" Hai Tang exclaimed, "You are alive! Weren’t you..."