Wind und Rauch

Kapitel 35

Chapter Twenty-Two

At dawn, the rooster's crow interrupted Ouyang Tianyun's reverie. He came back to his senses, looked out the window, and sighed inwardly. He had spent countless sleepless nights over the past year... He picked up his sword, left his study, and went to the back garden to practice his sword as usual. He swung his sword, swung it wildly, as if he wanted to vent all the pain in his heart through the sword.

Suddenly, a figure darted out of the woods, sword in hand aimed directly at Ouyang Tianyun. Ouyang Tianyun recognized the newcomer and reacted immediately. They fought fiercely for a long time until both were exhausted, at which point they sheathed their swords and sat down on the ground.

"Why are you here? Have you found Elder Yu Xuan?" Ouyang Tianyun asked his friend.

"No, Ju'er said she can cure this illness, but it requires the help of a certain pill, and this pill is in the hands of a woman. As long as we find that woman, my mother will be saved," Qi Ruiyang explained.

Three months ago, Princess Qi inexplicably fell ill and became unconscious. They visited all the famous doctors in the capital, but none of them could wake her up. Someone said that only "Old Man Yuxuan" could save her, so he went to Tianshan to look for him. He searched for a month but couldn't find him. Later, he met Ju'er, who said she could cure her and that the woman with the pill should be in the capital. Helpless, they had to return to the capital first.

"You believe her?" Ouyang Tianyun wondered if the little girl was just joking.

"There's no other way, we're just trying anything now," Qi Ruiyang said wearily. He hadn't had a proper rest in three months, and besides, Ju'er liked him, so she wouldn't harm him. That little sparrow had been bothering him for a long time.

The two of them tacitly avoided mentioning Su Yuyin's matter, but they both knew in their hearts that they bore half the responsibility for her death!

Hey! What do you mean by "trying anything as a last resort"? You're really looking down on us! Ju'er, who was eavesdropping on their conversation from behind a tree, was so angry that she jumped up and down. That damned Qi Ruiyang, how dare he not believe her? She was, after all, Yu Xuan Elder's disciple. Although she was inferior to her senior brother in many ways, how could she not cure such a minor illness?

Just as she was about to rush over and argue with him, a hand covered her mouth and silently led her away from the scene.

"Don't shout, it's me!" Ouyang Tianyu warned her before she cried for help, lest people misunderstand that he was abducting a woman. He took Ju'er to his residence—Lanxuan—and only released her after confirming that no one was around.

"Senior brother!" Ju'er exclaimed happily as she hugged him.

"Why are you still like a little kid? You'll never grow up!" Ouyang Tianyu chuckled and patted her head. No wonder that prince always looked down on her.

"Senior brother—" Ju'er snuggled in his arms, pouting her little mouth high, "Why do you always say I'm like a little kid? I'm not!"

So affectionate and clingy, yet she says she's not a child? Ouyang Tianyu shook his head, at a loss for what to do with this junior sister.

"Oh, right, senior brother, where's your bride?" Where's Sister Shen? Didn't she agree to marry you? Where is she? Could she be lost? The more Ju'er thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Sister Shen came from another world; she wouldn't know the way! Good heavens! If Sister Shen is lost, where will she find another woman so perfectly matched with her senior brother to replace her? "Quickly! Where is she?"

"My bride?" Who is that? Ouyang Tianyu was so confused. It was his older brother who was getting married in a few days. How could he have a bride?

"Oh dear, it's Sister Shen! Has she come looking for you?" Oh no, she's really lost her now! Oh no, oh no! Ju'er cried out in her heart.

Sister Shen? "You mean Shen Jie?" Ouyang Tianyu asked uncertainly, but how did Shen Jie become his bride?

"Yes, yes, yes. It's Sister Shen Jie." Ju'er nodded and urged, "Senior brother, just say it!"

"I've met her, I've met her." What kind of tricks are these two women playing? One says Shen Jie is his bride, while the other says Ju'er sold him to her. Good heavens! What kind of women has he been running into?

"So? Are you satisfied with this bride?" Hearing that he had met Shen Jie, Ju'er's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down. Thank goodness, she wasn't lost! Ju'er patted her chest.

Satisfied? How could he not be? Over the years, he had met countless women, but he hadn't found any of them appealing. Until he met Shen Jie, he knew he would never love another woman in his life. But he didn't understand Shen Jie's feelings for him. Did she...love him?

"Shen Jie and I are just friends!" Perhaps that was all Shen Jie meant to him, and he could only keep his love hidden deep in his heart.

"Friends?" Ju'er asked, tugging at his sleeve. This blockhead senior brother was really driving her crazy. "She went to great lengths to get Sister Shen to agree to marry you."

"Uh...I...she..." Ouyang Tianyu's handsome face turned slightly red, and he stammered. He was really embarrassed to admit that he liked someone in front of others!

Good heavens! How could she have such a spineless senior brother? A "playboy," indeed? Who would believe that? Ju'er wailed inwardly. "Hmph, I don't want to talk to him anymore," she thought. "Where does Sister Shen live? I want to go visit her."

"She's not here right now; she'll be coming in a couple of days," Ouyang Tianyu explained. He missed her too!

"Where is she?" Not here? What is she doing?

Ouyang Tianyu looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then told her about it in a voice only he and Ju'er could hear. He knew that although his junior sister was mischievous and sometimes a headache, she was absolutely serious when it came to getting things done, and there were some things he could let her handle.

"This sounds like so much fun! Do you need any help?" Orange immediately became interested when she heard it sounded fun!

“This time… all you need to do is monitor Lei Jun’s every move.” Ouyang Tianyu decided to entrust this task to Ju’er.

"That's all?" What a waste of talent.

"Don't underestimate Lei Jun. He's not someone to be trifled with either," Ouyang Tianyu said seriously. He didn't think Lei Jun just wanted to be Lei Batian's dog. In his opinion, Lei Jun was much more troublesome than Lei Batian. "By the way, from now on, when you see Shen Jie, call her Lian'er, understand?"

"I know! Brother Yu!" Ju'er called out sweetly. This was their agreement; in public, they would not address each other as senior and junior brothers and sisters.

Today is the wedding day of Ouyang Tianyun, the eldest son of Green Jade Manor. Early in the morning, guests came in an endless stream to visit, filling Green Jade Manor to capacity.

The wedding procession, accompanied by music and fanfare, circled around Bianjing City before arriving at the inn where the bride was resting to fetch her. Because the journey from Lei Family Fort to Green Jade Manor was long, the bride had arrived in Bianjing two days earlier to await the formal wedding ceremony.

"Second Miss, hurry up, the wedding procession is here." Hearing the music, Shen Jie urged her on, covered Lei Shuangxue's head with the bridal veil, and helped her out with the other maids who were part of the dowry.

This Lei Shuangxue was truly terrifying. Not only did she look exactly like Su Yuyin, but even her aura felt familiar to Shen Jie. Was she a resurrected dead person? Or was she the real Su Yuyin...? The thought sent chills down her spine. She could foresee that the Ouyang family's future would not be peaceful, and many people might become victims in their treasure hunt, and she absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen.

After helping Lei Shuangxue into the sedan chair and drawing the curtain, Shen Jie raised her head and looked at the groom in front of her. He was as handsome as ever. She wondered if he knew what kind of woman he was marrying. Shen Jie was really worried about him.

Seemingly sensing her gaze, Ouyang Tianyun turned to look at her, and his eyes were fixed on her...

Chapter Twenty-Three

Shen Jie sat on the stone steps in front of the house, her chin resting on her hand, gazing up at the azure sky. She had been at Green Jade Manor for over ten days. Aside from the day of the bride's wedding ceremony, when she brushed past Ouyang Tianyu and they exchanged a fleeting glance, she hadn't seen him since. She knew he was busy—busy picking flowers, busy squandering money, busy making himself even more of a rogue and scoundrel. Recently, she'd even heard that that "good-for-nothing" had set his sights on the Ouyang family's heirloom. She guessed that Lei Shuangxue was probably trying to steal the same thing; it seemed he was deliberately trying to antagonize Lei Shuangxue!

Seeing that he had already taken action, Shen Jie was very happy. At least they were prepared. Now she only needed to keep an eye on Lei Shuangxue. She believed that Tianyu would handle the rest.

What's giving her a headache right now is Ouyang Tianyun. Ever since he caught her eye on their wedding day, his gaze always follows her whenever he sees her. If this continues, she'll be driven away by Lei Shuangxue sooner or later, and then how will she find another chance to get close to Lei Shuangxue?