Chapter 639: Missing
Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Missing
Liang Yici was surprised. Her relationship with Xu Jingxi was usually quite unremarkable, yet he had suddenly started interfering with her martial arts training.
She shot back, "You’re being ridiculous!"
Then, she stormed off toward the training grounds.
She had thought Xu Jingxi would only show up occasionally. But to her surprise, when she went to a tavern for drinks with a few young officers her age, Xu Jingxi managed to track her down.
Liang Yici was in the middle of chugging from a wine jug while the four young officers beside her clapped and cheered her on.
Just as she was enjoying herself, the door to the private room was kicked open with a BAM.
The group froze and scrambled to their feet. Xu Jingxi strode in, his face dark.
He snatched the wine jug from Liang Yici’s hands and slammed it down on the table.
"Liang Yici! Do you have any idea what hour it is?"
Liang Yici’s eyes widened. "What are you doing now?"
Xu Jingxi’s stern gaze swept across the room. "You’re a young woman of marriageable age, yet you don’t even understand the need for propriety between men and women? You dare to be alone in a room with four men, drinking this much?"
With that, he grabbed Liang Yici’s wrist. "Come with me. I’m taking you home."
Liang Yici stumbled a few steps before coming to her senses and yanking her hand away.
"Xu Jingxi, what the hell is wrong with you? You interfere when I spar, and you interfere when I drink with my friends."
"Regardless, a young woman like you shouldn’t be out this late. It’s not right."
Seeing how fiercely Liang Yici was resisting, the young officers who had been drinking with her moved to surround them.
They shielded Liang Yici and shouted discourteously, "Third Young Master Xie, aren’t you overstepping your bounds? We serve under General Fang. Do you really think we would harm her?"
Xu Jingxi shot them a cold glare.
"This time, it may be you. But she has no sense of caution. What if it’s someone else next time?"
He looked at Liang Yici. "Come back with me."
Liang Yici shoved his hand away, completely baffled. "Xu Jingxi, if you lay a hand on me again, don’t blame me for getting rough!"
Seeing that Liang Yici was genuinely angry, the young officers behind her surged forward, and one of them gave Xu Jingxi a shove.
After a couple of shoves, fists started to fly.
Liang Yici rushed over to pull them apart. "Stop fighting!"
It wasn’t that Xu Jingxi couldn’t fight, but with four men ganging up on him, a bruise quickly formed at the corner of his mouth.
The other young officers were hot-blooded young men, and they assumed Xu Jingxi was harassing Liang Yici and wouldn’t leave her alone.
After all, they had long heard that this Third Young Master of the Xie family had been visiting the training grounds frequently. He was not only strict with Liang Yici, but also bizarrely demanded that she not get too close to other men.
On the border, the punishment for soldiers fighting among themselves was a beating with military batons.
「An hour later.」
Liang Yici and the four young officers were kneeling in the courtyard of the Fang Family residence.
The moon was high in the sky, and the main hall was brightly lit.
Xu Jingxi was leaning back in a chair, bruised on his brow and the corner of his mouth. A maid from the Fang Family held a boiled egg, gently rolling it over his injuries.
Liang Yici knelt defiantly, shooting occasional glances at Xu Jingxi in the hall.
He, in turn, was pressing a hand to his brow, his brows furrowed as if in pain.
General Fang hurried over with a container of medicine. "Jingxi, try this golden sore medicine. It’s from the palace."
She opened the lid and was about to apply it for him, but he gently pushed her hand away.
"Thank you, General. I can do it myself." Xu Jingxi’s tone was somewhat distant. Fang Qingdai paused for a moment, but didn’t object and handed him the ointment.
Looking at the injuries on Xu Jingxi’s face, her own expression darkened.
’These soldiers don’t know how to hold back. Xu Jingxi hasn’t trained in martial arts since he was a child, so of course he’d be injured fighting four men at once.’
Fang Qingdai walked out into the courtyard and berated them. "Have I not told you? When you are out and about, you still represent my camp! You are absolutely forbidden from doing anything that would bring shame upon me! But look at you—brawling in a tavern, ganging up on one unarmed man! Have you forgotten every military regulation I taught you?"
The four young officers didn’t dare to talk back, lowering their heads to admit their fault. "Please calm your anger, General."
Liang Yici gritted her teeth, unconvinced.
"Mother, why are you taking his side?"
"This is an official matter. You will address me as General!"
Liang Yici clenched her fists. "General... it was Xu Jingxi who kept harassing me! Ah Zuo and the others only stepped in because they couldn’t stand to watch!"
With that, she glared at Xu Jingxi. "Before you reprimand us, General, why don’t you ask him why he’s been laying hands on me time and again? He meddles when I train with others, and he meddles when I drink with Ah Zuo and my friends. If you were truly fair, you would be questioning his motives!"
Fang Qingdai froze. She turned to look at Xu Jingxi, who happened to be looking right back at her. Mother and son locked eyes, and an intense silence fell between them.
’Of course, Fang Qingdai understood why Xu Jingxi had done it.’
’He knew Liang Yici was his sister. He was looking out for her, unwilling to let others take advantage of her.’
’But Liang Yici didn’t know she had a brother, born of the same mother.’
Fang Qingdai composed herself, her expression becoming unreadable.
She issued her command. "Ah Zuo, the rest of you, return to the barracks and rest. When Third Young Master Xie has recovered, you will go to him and formally apologize."
"Yes, General." The four young officers departed, crestfallen.
Liang Yici felt this was unjust. "Ah Zuo and the others were defending me, and you still want them to apologize to Xu Jingxi? That’s completely unreasonable!"
Fang Qingdai pointed at her. "Have I spoiled you so much that you’ve forgotten all propriety? No matter the reason, four people ganging up on one is wrong!"
Liang Yici shot to her feet. "You’re just biased toward him! I’ve seen it for a long time. That’s why you buy him clothes every festival! You know he likes fine ink, so you personally go all the way to the Capital to buy the best for him. And now, when he’s harassing me, you, my own mother, won’t even take my side! You’re helping him!"
Fang Qingdai roared, "Silence!"
"Why should I be silent? Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I know why you treat him so well! It’s because he’s the son of your old flame, Second Master Xie! How can you face my father?"
Before Liang Yici could finish her sentence, a sharp SLAP echoed across her face.
She clapped a hand to her face in shock, her eyes, rimmed with red, staring at Fang Qingdai.
"You hit me? You hit me for another man’s son?"
Xu Jingxi saw things were getting out of hand and walked over. "It’s not what you think. Let me tell you the truth, I’m actually..."
Before he could finish, he was cut off by Liang Yici’s furious sobs. "I don’t need your hypocrisy!"
Fang Qingdai’s expression was complex. "Yici, you are forbidden from ever insulting Second Master Xie again. There are things you don’t understand because you’re still young. Once you’ve calmed down, I will explain everything properly."
Liang Yici clutched her cheek, her eyes filled with disappointment.
She turned and ran out.
"Liang Yici!" Xu Jingxi started to give chase but was stopped by Fang Qingdai.
She looked exhausted. "Go home. I’ll send people after her. And don’t let your father know about this."
Xu Jingxi was silent for a moment. Before he left, he asked Fang Qingdai, "If you and my father truly love your children, you wouldn’t keep hiding the truth from her. She has a right to know."
Fang Qingdai met his words with silence.
The next morning, however, Liang Yici still had not returned home.
Fang Qingdai sent men to search the entire Capital City and the military barracks, but there was no sign of her.
Three days passed. By then, even Shen Ningning had heard that Liang Yici was missing.