The Double
Chapter 143 - 143 83 Encountering Beauty_5

143: Chapter 83: Encountering Beauty_5 143: Chapter 83: Encountering Beauty_5 This was completely different from what Ji Shuran had imagined.

Ji Shuran’s vision darkened as the other ladies behind her arrived, with Jiang Youyao’s deliberately loud voice intermingling: “Second Sister——”

The voice came to an abrupt halt.

The ladies outside were startled to see a man, Ye Shijie, appear here, but someone quickly recognized him as the top scholar of this year’s Imperial College examination, recently appointed by the Emperor as the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Young Master Ye.

Someone asked, “Why is Young Master Ye here?”

Jiang Youyao, full of joy, had come in solely with the intention of witnessing Jiang Li’s abject misery.

Seeing Ye Shijie sitting here unharmed, she immediately shrieked, “Why are you sitting here?

Where is my second sister——”

“Your second sister?” Ye Shijie frowned and said, “Miss Jiang the Second?

I haven’t seen any Miss Jiang.

I drank at the feast and was led by a palace maid to rest here.

I haven’t been here long and did not see your sister.” He looked at Jiang Youyao: “Perhaps Miss Jiang the Second has already left.”

“Impossible——” Jiang Youyao was furious and exclaimed, “She must be hiding!

Where is she?” She proceeded to search around frantically.

The surrounding ladies began to look at Jiang Youyao with odd stares; her behavior seemed to reveal a certainty that Jiang Li would be here, which really came across as somewhat obsessive.

Ji Shuran felt a “thump” in her heart at the gaze of the others on Jiang Youyao, afraid that Jiang Youyao would slip up.

She quickly grabbed Jiang Youyao’s arm and smiled at Ye Shijie, saying, “Youyao is just too worried about Lili.

Look, it’s late at night and Lili is nowhere to be found.

Could something have happened?” she presented a genuinely concerned maternal appearance.

Ye Shijie had already understood that this night’s affair was orchestrated by the vile woman before him and knew the venom that lay beneath Ji Shuran’s loving facade.

In his heart, he sneered, but his expression remained solemn as he waved his hand and said, “A mother’s concern can lead to chaos; I understand.

Just one thing…” He politely added, “Please knock before entering next time.”

Ji Shuran’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Focused on having everyone witness Jiang Li’s disgrace, why would she think to knock?

But what exactly was going on?

Ji Shuran had doubts in her mind.

The tea room was so small; it was certain Jiang Li could not hide.

Moreover, Ye Shijie’s attire was neat, and there were no traces of anything amiss in the room, not even an unusual fragrance, which all suggested that nothing had happened between Ye Shijie and Jiang Li?

The informant had clearly seen Jiang Li and Ye Shijie enter this tea room, but looking at Ye Shijie now, he did not appear to have been drugged.

So where was Jiang Li?

Where could she be?

Ji Shuran felt panicked, unable to see Jiang Li, she always felt there was something that had been overlooked, something that seemed about to happen.

After Ye Shijie finished speaking with Ji Shuran, he stood up and gave a respectful bow to the ladies present.

As a man, being in the company of all women felt somewhat awkward, and it was better to excuse himself.

He had just reached the entrance when he suddenly paused.

“Madam, Miss Jiang the Second has arrived,” Ye Shijie announced to those inside.

Ji Shuran was startled and hurried to the entrance, only to see Jiang Li gracefully approaching from the end of the long corridor.

Who else could it be but her?

Accompanying Jiang Li was a beautiful young man in red, none other than Jih Heng of Duke Su.

Seeing the group, Jiang Li was also puzzled and stepped forward, “Mother…

why are you all here?”

“Lili,” Ji Shuran asked, “weren’t you resting in the tea room?

Why was your presence not seen just now, leaving only Young Master Ye?”

Jiang Li gave an embarrassed smile: “I stayed in the tea room for a while, went to the lavatory, and came out only to find myself lost.

Wandering around, I ended up getting lost in the garden.” Jiang Li said, “I don’t know my way and didn’t encounter anyone to help, so I spent far too much time in the garden.

Fortunately, I met the Duke.” Jiang Li smiled, “Seeing my difficulty, the Duke led me out of the garden.

I was going to wait for you in the tea room, so I returned there, not realizing you all had come over.

Why?” Jiang Li looked at Ji Shuran, “Is something wrong?”

Ji Shuran was speechless.

With Jih Heng standing right next to Jiang Li, it was unclear which of Jiang Li’s statements were true, but Ji Shuran could not show any doubt, for doubting Jiang Li meant doubting Jih Heng.

Since Jih Heng had not spoken a word, it was as if he had affirmed Jiang Li’s account as the truth.

Ji Shuran nearly bit her teeth to pieces.

It was as though Jiang Li had just noticed the presence of Ye Shijie and seemed perplexed: “Why is Young Master Ye in this tea room?

There are so many tea rooms in the palace, and the ones for men aren’t on this side…” She did not finish her sentence, but the implication made the gathered ladies contemplate.

If Jiang Li had not gone to the lavatory, nor delayed herself getting lost on the road, being in the same room as Ye Shijie would have been normal in the eyes of others.

However, it would still be a somewhat questionable situation.

For the newly appointed Assistant Minister of Revenue, this was not a favorable incident, and of course, it was also a blow to the reputation of Miss Jiang the Second.

Yet, Miss Jiang the Second was very fortunate to have narrowly missed it.

People also thought about the abnormal behavior of Miss Jiang the Third as she entered the room, as if she knew all along that Miss Jiang the Second would be in the tea room, and Ji Shuran, who even pushed the door open without knocking…

it was all very thought-provoking.

Seeing that Jiang Li had deflected all suspicion onto herself in just a few words, Ji Shuran was furiously resentful, but in that instant, she couldn’t think of an appropriate response and had no choice but to look to Consort Li and Lady Ji Chen for help.

Just as Consort Li was about to speak, someone suddenly stumbled in from outside, rushing straight to Madam Ningyuan.

It appeared to be one of Madam Ningyuan’s maids.

The maid shouted in panic, “Madam, something has happened to the young master!”