The Double

Chapter 642 - 194: Rescue the Beauty

Chapter 642: Chapter 194: Rescue the Beauty"To think you would dare to bully my own people, you’ve really got some nerve."

After uttering those words, the man and woman in front of Jih Heng suddenly lunged at him!

It seemed they intended to take advantage of Jih Heng’s momentary distraction to launch a sneak attack. The young man’s smile grew cold as he opened and closed his fan, blocking the flash of silver heading toward his face. No one knew what material his fan was made of; it appeared soft and delicate, yet it was impervious to blades. Even the attacker’s knife couldn’t pierce through it. In the next moment, that fan gently swept across the necks of the two attackers, as if a butterfly kissing the blossoms of a newly opened peach tree, soft as a gust of wind.

The entire sequence happened too quickly for anyone to clearly discern Jih Heng’s movements. He then retracted his fan, standing before the two individuals with an indolent and detached smile. The man and woman maintained their previous stance, a line of blood appearing on their necks before they collapsed to the ground with a "thump."

A deadly strike.

Jiang Li struggled to look ahead, only to find the crimson figure standing before her inexplicably comforting. He turned his head to look at Jiang Li, his brows slightly furrowed, a smirk on his lips as he said, "To be this cunning and still fall into someone else’s hands."

Jiang Li’s eyes stung a bit.

Although Jih Heng spoke thus, he bent down to help Jiang Li up. When he grasped her arm, it seemed he only then realized she had been drugged, her entire body limp. He clicked his tongue and had no choice but to wrap his arm around her shoulder, lift her off the ground, and carry her horizontally.

His tall stature made carrying the frail girl effortless. Jiang Li’s clothes had been torn to shreds by her abductor, but fortunately, Jih Heng’s wide robe could envelop her securely. Carrying Jiang Li, he stepped over the bodies of the man and woman on the ground, looking utterly disgusted, as if fearful of soiling himself with even a speck of blood.

By now, the inn’s clerk and manager, having heard the commotion, were long gone, and the outside was empty. Jih Heng carried Jiang Li out, reaching the street outside. With such a beautiful man standing on the street, passersby cast curious glances his way. He sighed as if he found the attention bothersome. It was unclear how he had arrived since he had neither a horse-drawn carriage nor a sedan chair, and thus, he had no choice but to carry Jiang Li slowly along the street.

Though Jiang Li knew her face was still veiled and marred with rashes, which meant that even with Jih Heng carrying a girl in his arms, no one on the street would recognize who she was, she still blushed with shame at being carried by a man in front of strangers.

Shen Yurong was someone who strictly adhered to etiquette and prided himself as a gentleman. Even during their romantic moments, he had never done anything too audacious. Even after they got married, Shen Yurong was the type who would never hold Xue Fangfei’s hand in public. At the time, Jiang Li didn’t think much of it, even finding such old-fashioned conduct rather charming.

Jih Heng and Shen Yurong were entirely different people. Jih Heng had some similarities with Xue Zhao, but while Xue Zhao’s boldness was that of a carefree youth, Jih Heng was certainly no longer a youth. He was uninhibited because he liked to do as he pleased, without concern for anything.

Jiang Li suspected that Jih Heng hadn’t held many people before because the way he held her was like carrying a child. Jiang Li could see the night sky as dark as ink, with lights slowly lighting up along the way. This was the foreign Huangzhou, but perhaps because of Jih Heng’s presence, she felt nothing to be afraid of.

Jih Heng didn’t seem to care about the stares of others; instead, his appearance was too dazzling for them to gaze upon, making people lower their heads after a few looks, especially the young girls on the street who were bolder and stared intently at Jih Heng, not caring that he held a girl in his arms.

After walking for an indeterminate amount of time, Jiang Li felt Jih Heng stop in front of a residence. He knocked on the door, and soon someone came to open it. As the door opened, a familiar voice rang out, "My lord... hmm? Miss Jiang the Second?"

It was Zhao Ke’s voice.

Jiang Li was surprised that despite her disheveled appearance, Zhao Ke could still recognize her. Immediately afterward, Zhao Ke said, "My lord, did you go out tonight in

Lu Jiu was taken aback, then realizing something, he glanced between Jih Heng and Jiang Li, and then left the room. Zhao Ke and Wen Ji also departed.

Now only Jih Heng and Jiang Li were left in the room.

Jih Heng helped Jiang Li up, allowing her to sit up against the bed. He casually removed her veil. His movements were very natural, but Jiang Li felt her heart "thump" suddenly, and she felt somewhat at a loss.

She had seen her face in a Bronze Mirror, and it had also reflected in the water bowl she drank from, full of blotches and red marks, terribly horrifying, akin to a fierce ghost. No matter what, she was still a woman, and her once fine face becoming like this always made her feel stifled. Especially in front of Jih Heng, Jiang Li recalled the Duke favored beauty and detested ugliness, even wanting the manservants in his residence to have handsome appearances; seeing herself like this, he would surely find her repulsive.

Her heart was in turmoil, unable to move, and all she could do was lower her gaze, to be out of sight, out of mind. If she didn’t see Jih Heng’s expression, she wouldn’t have to worry. A rebellious frustration welled up in her, yet she didn’t understand why she was so fixated on this moment of invisibility.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Jih Heng raised an eyebrow, "Don’t dare to look at me?"