Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Jiang Sese was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the hand.

It was a man's hand, with distinct knuckles, long and strong, carrying a slightly cool touch that could be clearly felt through her thin clothes.

Jiang Sese steadied herself, still shaken, blinked, and subconsciously looked up following the hand that had been supporting her.

Bamboo shadows swayed, and the moonlight was faint.

The interplay of light and shadow outlined his impeccable features: a sharp, defined jawline, a high, straight nose, and tightly pursed thin lips, exuding an aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

Even in casual clothes, the aloof and dignified air befitting a person in a superior position remained undiminished.

At a glance, Jiang Sese knew that this must be Xie Jue, the eldest son of the Xie family who had passed the imperial examinations three times and was deeply favored by the emperor.

Jiang Sese's mind went completely blank for a moment. She never expected to encounter the person she wanted to cling to in such a situation.

Jiang Sese had completely forgotten what she was going to say at this point.

It feels almost the same as meeting a top celebrity.

Bamboo shadows swayed, and moonlight, like shattered silver, shone through the gaps in the bamboo.

The dim, yellowish light of the lantern also illuminated the young woman who had suddenly looked up in fright.

The woman before me was slightly out of breath from running and being frightened. Her hair was disheveled, with a few strands of black hair clinging to her smooth forehead and snow-white neck.

In the swaying light and shadow, her face was breathtakingly beautiful.

Like a Udumbara flower suddenly blooming in the dark night, it possesses an almost eerie and stunning beauty.

The moonlight and lamplight intertwined on her face, creating a silhouette of light and shadow that added a touch of breathtaking fragility and allure.

Xie Jue's gaze lingered briefly on her face before he released his grip and shifted his gaze to Xie Xun, who was standing not far behind Jiang Sese.

"Big brother..." Xie Xun's voice rang out.

Xie Jue walked over and said to Xie Xun, "Come with me, I'll have Qing Shuang take you back."

He didn't even glance at Jiang Sese again.

Jiang Sese touched her face and sighed. It seemed that the original owner's face was indeed not very pleasing to the eye.

The original owner was beautiful, but her beauty was too ostentatious and flamboyant.

For men, a wife should be virtuous; as long as she is dignified and virtuous in appearance, that is enough.

As for beauties? They're nothing but playthings.

Thinking of the original owner's reputation, Jiang Sese quietly stepped aside, lowered her head, and tried to minimize her presence. She was hoping to improve the young master's favorability.

The original owner was able to shamelessly call Xie Huaizhang "cousin".

Jiang Sese, however, did not have the courage to call Xie Jue "Big Cousin".

I'm afraid if she really did call out, Xie Jue would feel that she had lowered his status.

The two were not related at all.

One was the pride of the first wife, and the other was the niece of the second wife's concubine.

If the two of them were even remotely related by blood, Jiang Sese would dare to hug his leg, act coquettishly, and call him "brother."

But right now, Jiang Sese really didn't dare.

I can only stand by and be a quail.

Fortunately, the milk jelly she sent to Aunt Sun during this period was not in vain.

Before Xie Jue led him away, Xie Xun hesitated for a moment, but did not forget to turn to Jiang Sese, his face showing remorse, and said, "Sister Sese, it's my fault for making you worry."

Jiang Sese thought to herself, "This kid really deserves all the love he's received; he didn't forget his sister just because he saw his brother."

The kid's words explained why Jiang Sese was here so late.

Jiang Sese didn't dare to look up, but continued to say with her head down, "Well, I remembered that you usually praised the young master, so I guessed you might come here. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I am relieved."

Xie Xun was then taken away by Xie Jue.

Jiang Sese was both disappointed and relieved.

Just as Jiang Sese was about to go back, she saw a figure carrying a lantern coming towards her.

It is morning dew.

Chaolu bowed to Jiang Sese and said with a smile, "Miss, it's getting late. The young master asked me to escort you back. Please follow me this way."

Jiang Sese was surprised for a moment, and a subtle feeling of being flattered swept through her heart. She quickly said, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Chaolu."

As Chaolu looked Jiang Sese up and down, her eyes revealed undisguised astonishment.

The eldest son actually instructed her to deliver someone?

It's still this cousin with a bad reputation...

This is even more amazing than seeing the sun rise in the west!

Apart from his own younger sister, the Fourth Miss, has the eldest son ever cared whether any young lady had a lantern when she walked at night?

Not to mention specifically assigning someone to deliver it.

The two walked in silence for a short distance, leaving the edge of the bamboo forest and stepping onto the corridor leading to the west courtyard.

Jiang Sese thought for a moment, then turned her head slightly and gave Chaolu a sincere and grateful smile, saying softly, "Miss Chaolu, your young master is such a kind person."

Upon hearing this, Chaolu's face immediately broke into a proud smile, and her voice became a little lighter: "Of course, our young master is kind and gentle to his servants and fair in his dealings. Who in the whole capital doesn't..."

Chaolu suddenly stopped speaking, realizing that she shouldn't have said those words to this young lady.

This young lady's desire to marry into a wealthy family has been brewing for a long time; everyone in the household says she wants to become Prince Chu's concubine.

Although Chaolu liked Jiang Sese and thought she was beautiful and had a good personality, she absolutely did not want her to provoke her young master.

These two are worlds apart.

Chaolu hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help looking at Jiang Sese with a hint of inquiry, and said in a low voice, "To be honest... apart from our fourth young lady, this is the first time the eldest young master has instructed me to send someone away."

After Chaolu finished speaking, she seemed to realize that she had been abrupt, so she quickly added, "What this servant means is that the eldest young master rarely cares about these trivial matters."

The amount of information in those words made Jiang Sese's heart skip a beat.

First time?

Besides her younger sister Xie Yihua?

Isn't this...a bit too special a treatment?

However, Jiang Sese dared not imagine that Xie Jue was treating her differently.

Perhaps Xie Jue was worried that she would wander around and stay here forever?

Jiang Sese suppressed the turmoil in her heart, her face showing just the right amount of realization and a hint of embarrassment. She raised her hand to gently tuck her wind-blown hair behind her ear and said with a natural smile, "I suppose it's because the young master is so thoughtful. He saw me running out so carelessly without even carrying a lantern, afraid I might fall again, right?"

Upon hearing this, the surprise in Chaolu's eyes indeed diminished considerably.

Also.

It's really easy to trip in this dark place.

He instructed them to send her away, probably because he was afraid something might happen to her, which would only cause more trouble.

After thinking about it, Chaolu smiled and nodded in agreement, saying, "That's true. In the future, when you go out at night, it would be safer for you to bring someone with you and carry a lantern."

"Miss Chaolu is right," Jiang Sese readily agreed.