Jiaojiao is getting married, and the male leads fall for her and fight over her.

Chapter 198 Meeting old friends in a foreign land

Shen Shuyi instantly realized that something must have happened to the woman's daughter to make her so distressed.

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that the woman was from Hezhou, surnamed Liang, and was on her way to attend a funeral. Her daughter had died in childbirth, and she was heartbroken. On her way back to Hezhou, she encountered a snowstorm and sought shelter here.

I never expected to run into Shen Shuyi here.

In the woman's eyes, meeting Shen Shuyi seemed to be an arrangement of fate.

Upon learning that Shen Shuyi was only staying there and was an orphan, Madam Liang's eyes lit up, and she excitedly grasped Shen Shuyi's hand: "Would you be willing to be my goddaughter, young lady?!"

Shen Shuyi was taken aback, she really didn't expect that Liang would have such an idea.

She doesn't have any long-term plans yet, and just wants to stay here for a while before making any decisions.

Liang's suggestion actually made her somewhat interested.

If she has hidden in Hezhou, even if the Pei brothers are still sending people to look for her, they may not necessarily succeed.

I wonder what this woman's family does for a living. Will they arrange a marriage for her later?

Seemingly aware of her concerns, Madam Liang added, "If you become my goddaughter, you can do whatever you want. I won't restrict you. I will take care of you as if you were my own daughter."

"I want to make my own decisions about my marriage. I can leave whenever I want. I am an independent individual. Is that okay?"

Looking at Shen Shuyi's similar features, Madam Liang nodded repeatedly: "Of course."

Shen Shuyi was increasingly tempted, and just as she was about to agree, A-Jian gently tugged at her sleeve and winked at her.

Shen Shuyi knew A-Jian's concerns; she was simply worried that Liang was a fraud.

But she could tell that Liang was definitely not a liar. Judging from her words and actions, she knew that Liang was either rich or noble, and Liang's sadness was not feigned; she could distinguish between sincerity and pretense.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Shen Shuyi patted A-Jian's hand.

And so, Shen Shuyi and Liang Shi hit it off immediately.

However, she did not want to become Liang's adopted daughter. She only agreed to stay at Liang's house for a while so that she could leave whenever she wanted without being so attached.

If anyone asks, just say she is a cousin from the Liang family.

Although Liang was somewhat disappointed, she knew that a forced relationship would not be happy. She was already very pleased that Shen Shuyi was willing to stay at her home for a while.

After the snow stopped, Shen Shuyi followed Madam Liang to Hezhou.

Coincidentally, just as she entered the city gate in Liang's carriage, she heard a familiar voice from next door: "Brother, is there any news about your cousin?"

The owner of that voice was none other than Pei Xizhou.

Shen Shuyi herself did not expect that on her very first day in Hezhou, she would run into Pei Xizhou.

Not to mention she herself was nervous, A-Jian also held her breath and gripped her hand tightly.

Seeing A-Jian's pathetic state, Shen Shuyi herself became less nervous.

"A-Jiu, what's wrong?" Madam Liang noticed that Shen Shuyi and her servant's expressions were not quite right and asked with concern.

To prevent unforeseen circumstances, Shen Shuyi adopted the alias Ajiu.

Shen Shuyi simply shook her head, not daring to utter a sound, afraid that Pei Xizhou would hear her.

"We'll be home soon, don't worry. My husband will be very happy to see you." Madam Liang gently patted Shen Shuyi's hand, liking her more and more as she looked at her.

The girl's eyes really resembled her daughter's, but the girl spoke eloquently, yet claimed to be an orphan, which the girl didn't quite believe. She suspected that the name A-Jiu might not even be true.

But what does it matter? She's already very happy that the girl can stay at her home for a few days.

Before long, Shen Shuyi arrived at the gate of Liang's husband's house. Liang's husband's family was none other than Lord Xiao, the prefect of Hezhou.

Shen Shuyi was indeed a little surprised, but she had already guessed that Liang's husband's family was either rich or noble, so she wasn't too surprised.

Seeing that the girl was so calm, A-Jian also pretended to be calm.

She felt that the girl was truly fortunate to have met such helpful people. The peasant woman she had met before was also very kind, and the Liang woman she met later turned out to be the wife of the prefect.

Now that the young lady has moved into Lord Xiao's house, wouldn't she be living a life of luxury again?

Thinking this way, she felt that the girl's life had hope again. She felt that a girl like her should be pampered and cared for.

Lord Xiao came to greet Madam Liang in person, and when he saw Shen Shuyi beside Madam Liang, he couldn't help but take a second look.

The girl's eyes are just too similar to her daughter's.

Liang explained to him: "This is Miss Ajiu, whom I met on my way home. She is an orphan, so I invited her to stay at our house for a while."

Shen Shuyi greeted Lord Xiao with grace and poise, saying, "This humble girl, Ajiu, pays her respects to Lord Xiao."

Lord Xiao quickly replied, "Miss Ajiu, there's no need for such formalities."

And so, Shen Shuyi followed Lord Xiao and his wife into the prefectural government office.

Shen Shuyi thought to herself, even if Pei Dongzhou had extraordinary abilities, he wouldn't be able to find her once she moved into this place.

The fact that Pei Xizhou was here made her somewhat uneasy.

At that moment, she was unaware that not only Pei Xizhou had arrived in Hezhou, but Pei Dongzhou was also nearby.

Ever since rescuing people from the reservoir, Pei Dongzhou's illness has been intermittent and hasn't gotten better. Qingfeng thinks that the young master's illness is partly due to his heartache, because he's worried about his cousin, which is why his health has been lingering.

Once, when the young master was delirious with fever, he kept muttering about his cousin, which shows how important she was to him.

Although the young master had taken all the prescribed medicine, he still couldn't get better. Over the years, he had rarely been sick. He had always been very healthy, recovering quickly even from serious injuries in the past, yet now he was defeated by a mere cold.

Sometimes he really hated his cousin's heartlessness. The young master treated her so well, almost to the point of tearing out his heart, but she just left without a word, abandoning the young master and the old lady who loved her.

Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't have left like that.

Qingfeng carried the medicine into the carriage: "Young Master, please take your medicine first."

Pei Dongzhou took the medicine bowl, and for a moment he seemed to be lost in thought, as if remembering something.

Qingfeng knew that the young master had thought of his cousin again.

"Only when the young master is fully recovered can we find Miss Biao as soon as possible," Qingfeng advised.

He secretly wished he could never find the cousin again, lest she bring trouble to the young master.

"Where did my cousin go?" Pei Dongzhou finished his medicine in one gulp, seemingly asking Qingfeng, but also seemingly talking to himself.

Qingfeng thought to himself that he didn't know, but at least she was hiding somewhere. A scourge like Miss Biao could live for a thousand years; she certainly wouldn't just disappear like that.

"We might see him soon. The young master's illness hasn't improved much. Should we consult a doctor first?" Qingfeng said worriedly, "We mustn't let it develop into a chronic condition."

(End of this chapter)