Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Fourth Master (4)
She looked up and searched around, her gaze landing on Li Jing Pavilion.
She lifted her skirt and walked to the entrance of Li Jing Pavilion. There was no one guarding outside, and the gate was only closed. Xiqiu hesitated at the door for a moment, and then Sixing quietly called out to the inside: "Fourth Miss?!"
Xiqiu listened carefully but heard no sound inside. If Tong Xiyan came out from here, where else could she go? There were people everywhere in the Marquis Mansion. Although she often came to the mansion, she couldn’t say she was very familiar with it. And being alone, how could she have wandered far?
Thinking for a moment, she asked Sixing to push the gate. Sixing hesitated slightly but then pushed it open.
The courtyard was silent. By the faint light of the lantern, she took a brief look at the layout of the courtyard. The courtyards in the Marquis Mansion were mostly similar, and this one was no exception. There was a flower bed in the courtyard without any flowers planted, and some dead leaves were scattered on the path, indicating that this place was not often visited.
However, the air was filled with the scent of alcohol!
Xiqiu frowned slightly. Sixing and Chunyan exchanged a glance and said, "Miss, wait at the door. Chunyan and I will go in and have a look."
Xiqiu hesitated for a moment. There was no one living here, and since it was inside the heavily guarded Marquis Mansion, there was presumably no danger. She was just worried that if someone discovered them suddenly, it would be hard to explain. Fortunately, it was night, so probably no one would come. After thinking it over, she nodded, "If Fourth Sister isn’t here, come out quickly." Could Tong Xiyan be hiding here and secretly drowning her sorrows in alcohol?
The two nodded. Xiqiu handed them the lantern, and after they headed to the back courtyard, she stepped back to stand at the gate waiting.
"What are you doing here?" Suddenly, a voice sounded behind her, startling her. She instinctively covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming, her body already moving back two steps against the wall to find the person who spoke.
Then she saw a tall, robust shadow standing at the gate. In the dim light and shadow, she recognized who it was. Xiqiu lowered her hand and looked at him, displeasure in her voice: "Fourth Master Xiao, is this how you greet someone?!"
Fourth Master Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes. This was the first time Xiqiu showed any emotion other than a smile in front of others. He awkwardly coughed, his gaze unwavering on Xiqiu, his tone unconsciously softened as he repeated, "What are you doing here?" Then he raised his eyebrow at her, as if asking if she was satisfied now?!
Xiqiu returned to her calm expression, gracefully inclined her body in a salute, and replied, "Fourth Sister’s cat is missing. I’m helping look for it. I accidentally came in here, sorry! Once my maids come out, I’ll leave!"
Suddenly, Xiqiu recalled that every time she’d met Fourth Master Xiao, she was in a very sorry state. The first time, she hid behind a tree outside First Master’s study with nowhere to go. The second time, in Xiao Yanzheng’s room, she was bitten but dared not move, enduring the pain in embarrassment. And this time, she’d accidentally barged into his former residence and got "caught red-handed" by him.
Fourth Master Xiao stood at the top of the gate’s steps, his hands behind his back, always looking at Xiqiu. His face was shrouded in shadow, so Xiqiu couldn’t see clearly, but those slender phoenix eyes shone with a faint light, easily visible, making them very distinctive!
"Looking for a cat?" He finally moved, only his eyes shifting as they glanced around, and then he said in a bland voice: "Have you found it?"
At this question, Xiqiu couldn’t help but rub her forehead, and she replied, "I don’t know. We have to wait until my maids come out to find out." At this moment, she rather hoped Tong Xiyan wasn’t inside. If she truly brought Tong Xiyan out in front of Fourth Master Xiao, who knows what he would think.
Fourth Master Xiao nodded seriously, without intending to leave or enter. His tall figure nearly blocked the door completely. He pondered for a moment before saying, "The wound... did it leave a scar?"
Xiqiu raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and finally caught up with his train of thought. She instinctively touched the slightly raised part of her hand. Normally, it wasn’t noticeable because the scar was a similar color to her skin, but if you felt it, there was a grainy bump like scar hyperplasia. Without much thought, she replied: "It left a little mark, but it’s not obvious."
"Left a scar?" Fourth Master Xiao frowned, his gaze landing on Xiqiu’s hand. Xiqiu almost suspected that in such dim light, he could really see it. She heard his slightly cold voice asking: "The medicine for the wound... you didn’t use it?"
"Ah?" Xiqiu tucked her hand back into her sleeve, nodded slightly, then shook her head saying, "No!"
"Threw it away?"
Xiqiu almost sighed inwardly. How should she respond? Should she say thank you for the medicine, but it was inconvenient to keep it so I tossed it, or that the medicine was not effective, I did use it, yet a scar remains.
She chose the former: "I didn’t use it." Sort of implicitly agreeing with his assumption.
Fourth Master Xiao didn’t speak, let out a faint snort through his nose, and his gaze fell onto the path leading to the backyard...
With that snort, Xiqiu seemed to catch a light scent of alcohol from him... similar to the one lingering in the courtyard.
Could it be that he had already been drinking here before they came in?
Xiqiu’s face suddenly flushed red, realizing that saying she came to find Tong Xiyan’s cat might have been a lie he had already seen through. Feeling a bit guilty, she averted her eyes, hoping Chunyan and Sixing would come out quickly so she could leave immediately.
But the courtyard was silent, apart from their breathing. Fourth Master Xiao remained at the doorway, his peripheral vision on Xiqiu, saying, "Your maids might have left through the side door?"
Xiqiu was stunned, "There’s a side door?"
Fourth Master Xiao didn’t look at her, only responded: "There’s a side door in the backyard, not far from Second Brother’s courtyard!" Xiqiu furrowed her brow, thought for a moment, then shook her head saying, "While I’m here, they wouldn’t have left first." But deep down, she was uncertain. If it were just her here, Sixing and Chunyan would certainly return. But with Fourth Master Xiao present, they might have felt afraid or worried about implicating her and might have gone out the side door to wait for her outside.
"Hmm." A barely audible sound, Fourth Master Xiao again fell silent.
If Sixing and Chunyan really took the side door, and Fourth Master Xiao wouldn’t leave the doorway, she couldn’t just stay here indefinitely, right?
"Since you’re back, Fourth Master, you must have business to attend to. I’ll wait outside then!" Xiqiu smiled slightly, walked a few steps forward, and raised her hand, pointing to the doorway, indicating for him to step aside.
Fourth Master Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking at her: "It’s far from here, you’re not going out through the side door?"
Whether I go or not seems unrelated to you, right? Xiqiu continued smiling, "No need, the path here is easier to walk."