Nong Nu Jiao

Cen Lingyi entrusted Yan Huaijiao to Lingzhi's care, and then chased after Song Mingchi in the direction he had left.

By this time, it was already dark, and the wedding banquet was about to begin. All the guests were gathered in the front hall, while the Lu family's back residence was very quiet, without a single person in sight.

Cen Lingyi looked around through the grass and trees.

I clearly saw Song Mingchi's figure turn the corner and enter this place, but why can't I see him anywhere?

"Lingyi, over here."

Song Mingchi emerged from the shadows and waved to her.

"Jingxiao," Cen Lingyi greeted him as she stepped forward, "I thought you weren't coming today."

"How could that be? I won't go back on my word." Song Mingchi explained, "Something came up and I was delayed."

The two walked forward side by side.

"Did you go and help me watch the kids?"

Cen Lingyi asked him in a low voice.

"I've checked," Song Mingchi paused, then said, "and I've also investigated. It's your child."

He lied to her.

That child doesn't resemble her at all.

He used a few tricks to get the old couple to tell him that Lu Huaiyou had brought the child back from the orphanage to comfort her.

That damned Lu Huaiyou married Princess Anshun and still has to coax her. What is he up to?

He wasn't telling her the truth because he planned to take her away.

Neither Yan Chenghui nor Lu Huaiyou were any good people.

Cen Lingyi suffered even more hardship and humiliation in the Eastern Palace.

He will continue to help her find a child; she can no longer stay in the Eastern Palace.

Even if she doesn't stay with him, he doesn't want to see her continue to suffer.

"Did you bring him over?"

Cen Lingyi looked up at him, her eyes slightly moist.

That really was her child.

After all the twists and turns, the child is still alive and healthy, which is wonderful news for her.

Song Mingchi didn't dare to look her in the eye, and looked straight ahead as he said, "I've already brought him to my side. I've prepared everything for your journey, and I will escort you."

"No need, you go about your business, I can walk by myself."

Cen Lingyi refused.

He has already helped her enough.

Given his status and abilities, he has a bright future ahead of him, and she doesn't want to hold him back.

Are you feeling better?

Song Mingchi glanced at her sideways, a hint of heartache in his eyes.

"Much better, I should be fully recovered in another two days."

Cen Lingyi raised her eyebrows and smiled at him.

Under the lamplight, her smile was soft and sweet, with delicate eyebrows and white teeth, making her beautiful and charming.

Seeing that she could still laugh like that, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart and felt even more sorry for her.

Have you seen my sister?

Cen Lingyi asked him again.

"We only met briefly that day, but Lu Huaiyou was very vigilant and kept a close eye on us." Song Mingchi glanced around and quickened his pace: "Keep up."

The two of them slipped into the Lu family's ancestral hall.

The Lu family was not a wealthy family, and their ancestral hall was not large. Two tiny flames burned inside, illuminating the surrounding memorial tablets, making it look eerie.

Cen Lingyi had come here before with Lu Huaiyou, but she had never knelt down to pay her respects.

Because she is not the real daughter-in-law of the Lu family.

Today, Lu Huaiyou is getting married. He must have come to the ancestral hall to worship before, because the air is filled with the smell of candles and incense.

Seeing this atmosphere, she couldn't help but slow down.

"Don't be afraid."

Song Mingchi noticed her fear and extended his arm to her.

Cen Lingyi held his sleeve tightly.

It was pitch black here, and she was genuinely scared.

"Over here."

Song Mingchi led her to the end of the ancestral hall.

"Is there another door here?"

Cen Lingyi had never known before that there was actually a room inside this ancestral hall.

"They have them on the other side too."

Song Mingchi explained in a low voice.

"Who?"

The door was pushed open, and a terrified female voice came from inside.

"Sister? Is that you, sister?"

Cen Lingyi recognized the voice; it was her half-sister, Cen Wanrou.

The inner room was even darker than the outside, and it was difficult to see the situation inside the small room. All that could be smelled was a musty odor.

This room must be perpetually dark.

"Little sister?"

Cen Wanrou composed herself and exclaimed in disbelief.

"Sister, it's me."

Tears welled up in Cen Lingyi's eyes, but she dared not cry out loud.

My sister is being locked up in a place like this; she must be suffering even more than me.

If she cries, her sister will be even more unable to hold back.

"Little sister..."

Cen Wanrou walked forward in the dark and hugged Cen Lingyi tightly.

Cen Lingyi held back her tears, but she couldn't help it and burst into tears while hugging Cen Lingyi.

Influenced by her, Cen Lingyi could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

This was the first relative she saw after the Cen family's misfortune.

Cen Wanrou was the second child in her family, born to Aunt Liu. She was gentle and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

She and Cen Wanrou had a good relationship. They often talked and played together. Even when they had conflicts, they were all trivial matters, and they would make up as soon as they turned around.

In the darkness, the two sisters embraced and wept bitterly.

"You two stop crying. We don't have much time left. Lingyi, I want to take Wanrou out with me."

Song Mingchi spoke up from the side.

"I... Lu Huaiyou said there are people searching for me outside, I can't go out..."

Cen Wanrou barely managed to stop crying, and choked out.

"He's just trying to fool you." Cen Lingyi held her hand tightly. "Father only sentenced me to exile, while you and I were only sentenced to the brothel. Why is the court searching for you?"

Lu Huaiyou said different things to the sisters.

"I've thought about that too, but then I remember he's your husband, he wouldn't lie to me, so I..."

Cen Wanrou explained in a low voice.

"He is not my husband. He is getting married today; he is marrying Princess Anshun."

Cen Lingyi raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face.

"Huh?" Cen Wanrou was stunned. "How could that be? He told me he would definitely treat you well and never leave you..."

Based on Lu Huaiyou's behavior in front of her, she always felt that her sister had met the right person.

"Let's not talk about this now, let's go out first."

Cen Lingyi led her outside.

"Will they recognize me?"

Cen Wanrou was a little uneasy.

"We'll go to the servants' quarters and find you some clothes to change into. Jingxiao, do you have a place for my sister to stay?"

Cen Lingyi turned around and asked Song Mingchi.

Song Mingchi followed closely behind the two sisters: "Of course."

Cen Lingyi was very familiar with the Lu residence. She led Cen Wanrou and Song Mingchi and successfully found a set of clothes in the servants' quarters for Cen Wanrou to change into.

The two sisters walked forward hand in hand.

"Sister, do you know where Father and Mother are?"

This was the matter that Cen Lingyi was most concerned about.

This will determine what she does next.

When the incident happened in the manor, she and Cen Wanrou were sent to the brothel at the same time. Aunt Liu spent all her private savings and even sold herself to raise enough money to redeem Cen Wanrou.

Because of this, Aunt Liu cried for a long time, repeatedly apologizing to her.

Cen Lingyi could understand. After all, Cen Wanrou was Aunt Liu's biological daughter. Given the choice, who would choose someone else's child?

Cen Wanrou, a woman, regained her freedom but had nowhere to go, so she had no choice but to follow her parents and brothers on the road to exile.

"I followed my parents to Longyou, a poor place with sandstorms everywhere. It was winter, and the hardship was unbearable." Cen Wanrou choked up a little. "My father's shoes had worn out, and the skin on his feet was so raw that you could almost see the bone. That day, when we reached a remote mountain path, I went to a roadside house to borrow a needle and thread to sew the soles back on for my father. But when I returned, they had all disappeared without a trace."

She raised her hand and wiped away her tears.

Later, she often thought back to that time, and imagined that her parents were probably suffering from cold and hunger, or had encountered bandits and were no longer alive.

She was filled with grief, but dared not tell Cen Lingyi.

My younger sister has always been delicate, how could she withstand such a blow?

"Didn't the officers and soldiers look for them?"

Cen Lingyi's heart was filled with doubts.

How could so many people just vanish into thin air?

Moreover, why didn't the imperial court investigate?

Could it be true, as Lu Huaiyou said, that he rescued the person and hid them away?

Lu Huaiyou doesn't have that much ability.

From her sister's few words just now, she had already realized that Lu Huaiyou had lied to the two sisters.

She had long since lost trust in Lu Huaiyou.

"We've searched for days, but we can't find him. He's vanished without a trace, without a single clue."

Cen Wanrou couldn't help but sob.

"And then? How did your sister come back?"

Cen Lingyi held her arm tightly with heartache.

The journey from the capital to Longyou was so long, and it was all on foot. Moreover, she was with her parents who had been exiled. My sister must have suffered countless hardships.

"I couldn't find my parents, and I had nowhere to go, so I turned back, thinking of going to the brothel to find my aunt, but she had been redeemed. I had nowhere to go and nowhere to go. Just then, I met Lu Huaiyou. He said you married him. What happened between you two?"

Cen Wanrou grabbed her hand, looking very worried.

However, she was also very pleased.

After going through so much, it is already extremely fortunate that the two sisters were able to reunite alive.

"This is a long story. Sister, you go out with Jingxiao first, and I'll find an opportunity to meet you later and tell you the details."

Cen Lingyi was almost at the Lu family's gate, so this was definitely not the time to speak.

"Okay, take care." Cen Wanrou turned to look at her, her eyes brimming with tears: "Little sister, you've lost so much weight."

"My sister too."

Cen Lingyi held back her tears.

I received good news from my sister today.

My parents are just missing.

Next, she will take her sister, the child, and Lingzhi to Longyou to find her parents.

She couldn't believe that so many living people could just disappear into thin air.

"Jiaojiao".

Lu Huaiyou's voice suddenly came.

Cen Lingyi and the other two turned around at the same time and saw Lu Huaiyou wearing a wedding robe and walking quickly toward them.

Song Mingchi stepped forward, protecting Cen Lingyi and her sister.

"Second sister, are you really planning to leave like this? Outside..."

Lu Huaiyou stepped forward and observed the expressions on the three people's faces.

He felt frustrated.

This morning, he had thought about this matter, but he felt that Cen Lingyi would not have many opportunities to leave the East Palace, so he should not be able to find out where he hid Cen Wanrou.

He was too busy, so he slacked off and didn't move Cen Wanrou's location.

But Song Mingchi was overlooked.

Now, the only person who could maintain contact with Cen Lingyi is gone.

"No one is searching for my second sister outside, Lord Lu, why are you lying to us?"

Cen Lingyi walked out from behind Song Mingchi and stared at him intently.

Lu Huaiyou had told her before that her sister had suffered a shock and that the Second Prince was keeping a close eye on her, so she couldn't let her sister see her. She only spoke a few words through the door to confirm that it was indeed her sister.

Lu Huaiyou then told her sister that there were people searching for her outside.

He lied to both sides.

She had always thought Lu Huaiyou was gentle and reliable.

Now, she seems to hardly recognize him anymore.

"Stop wasting your breath on him, let's go."

Song Mingchi beckoned Cen Lingyi to leave.

"Cen Lingyi, where are you going?"

With a sharp voice, Yan Chenghui slowly emerged from the darkness, holding the tiny Yan Huaijiao in his arms.