Jiang Su Su is back!

**********

Translated by : Mazu

Edited by : Anks & Ely

**********

Trigger Warning: brief mentions of child loss and suicide.

A plain carriage came to a slow stop at the gate of the Jiang fu. Xia Yan, who went out to greet the guest, trembled when she saw two maidservants supporting a beautiful girl stepping out of the carriage.

The girl was none other than Jiang Su Su. She was obviously taller than she had been three years ago. Perhaps due to her long stay in the family ancestral temple, her temperament seemed calm and her past arrogance had gone completely, leaving only a faint sense of aloofness. There was a smile on her lips and the scar on her face had disappeared without a trace. Her facial features were vivid and beautiful. Furthermore, it was intriguing to see that even though her appearance was beautiful and virtuous, she also seemed to have a newfound seductive charm. Anyone who closely followed her every move would become a little distracted.

When Xia Yan first saw her face, her heart was filled with joy. Then, while awkwardly holding her waist, she leaned forward and looked at Jiang Su Su's face again. "Su'er, how did your face heal?"

The physician who had visited the fu at that time had said that the scars on Jiang Su Su's face might never heal completely, though if he were to find some rare and precious medicinal ingredients in the future, the scars might lessen. But at present, Jiang Su Su's skin was like a perfectly peeled boiled egg with no trace of disfigurement.

Jiang Su Su looked at her and chuckled softly. "It healed on its own[1]." Her glance at Xia Yan was so soft that Xia Yan unexpectedly felt a flutter in her heart. For some reason, the Jiang Su Su in front of her was so unfamiliar, as if she were a different person. But on closer inspection, she was also still the same. She held back her suspicion and said, "Su'er, it's great that you're back. You're so heartless, unwilling to see your mother for the past three years..."

[1] T/N: 时间到了，自然就好了 – literally, the time has come, naturally it's healed.

Jiang Su Su pretended not to hear her. Her gaze went past Xia Yan and fell on a soft sedan chair that had appeared in front of the fu's gate.

It was a mahogany[2] coloured soft sedan chair carried by four imperial guards in uniforms. Even though the sedan chair was exquisite and gorgeous, nothing was revealed about the status of the person inside. There had been many onlookers watching the excitement along the way, eager to see which fu the nobility was from.

[2] T/N: 海棠 is Chinese flowering crabapple. 海棠色 refers to the colour between red and light wood, similar to that of pearwood or mahogany.

The sedan chair stopped at the gate of the Jiang fu.

Jiang Su Su stared at the sedan chair without saying a word.

Two maidservants in beautiful dresses came out from the back of the sedan. They opened its beaded curtain with a smile and welcomed the person inside to come out.

An incomparably beautiful girl in a red dress stepped out with mesmerizing elegance. She moved at an unhurried pace, and with each step she took, Xia Yan dug her fingers deeper into her palm.

Finally, the girl in red stood in front of Xia Yan. She spoke with a smile, "Ruan nianggreets Mother, Second Sister. It's been a while."

Xia Yan felt the suffocation in her chest rush to her face. The news of Jiang Ruan's grand spectacle in the palace had already spread throughout the capital. As Xia Yan thought of this, she itched to tear Jiang Ruan to shreds. Why did such good luck not fall on Jiang Su Su! And now, when Jiang Su Su had finally returned to the fu, Jiang Ruan picked the exact same time to appear as well. The contrast between the two was evident and the people outside could see it clearly, so perhaps by tomorrow more rumours would be spread throughout the capital . Afterall, people always flattered their superiors and trampled those inferior to them. In the same way, both of them had entered the ancestral temples at the same time, but now, Jiang Ruan returned in glory whereas Jiang Su Su arrived in a humble carriage. Xia Yan's heart was about to burst with rage. Jiang Ruan clearly did this on purpose!

Jiang Su Su looked at Jiang Ruan calmly and suddenly smiled. "Da Jiejie, it's been a long time. You look even more beautiful."

Even though her(JSS) appearance was plain and a little travel-worn, somehow, her whole body revealed a distinct charm. Even a woman could not help but feel moved at the sight of her. Furthermore, if one had to describe her with one word, it would be... demoness. Indeed, Jiang Su Su's body exuded the scent of sandalwood, her clothes were plain, and she wore no rouge or powder on her face. She truly felt like a fairy maiden. But her each and every move... unexpectedly carried temptation. One shouldn't take a look, because with a glance, one's soul was lost.

Jiang Ruan withdrew her gaze and smiled. "Second Sister, you went far away, so you might not know. The Empress Dowager recently conferred me the title- Hong'an Junzhu. Although you and I are sisters, and Mother and I are also mother and daughter, the rules must be upheld. If word of it were to spread, people might call it a contempt towards the imperial family. So, Ruan niang cautions boldly that in the future, it's better to follow the established rules to avoid those at the Censorate hearing about it and thus having Father investigated."

Jiang Su Su, who had looked calm, heard this and her cheeks tightened ferociously; she looked distorted and unnatural. Then slowly, she looked up at Jiang Ruan, and the expression in her eyes changed instantly. Finally, her calm returned. With a faint smile, she bent her knees and saluted Jiang Ruan. "Su niang greets the Junzhu."

Jiang Ruan smiled and told her to get up. Xia Yan almost crushed her teeth. Jiang Ruan thought for a moment and looked thoughtfully at Xia Yan's lower abdomen. "Mother is exempted from this rule. Now that Mother is pregnant, if she's hurt, even Ruan niang can't be absolved from blame."

Xia Yan caught her gaze and was startled. She subconsciously protected her lower abdomen with both hands, staring at her closely. Then, she forced herself to smile. "What are you talking about?"

Jiang Ruan's smile turned even gentler. "Mother is being so protective. Those who don't know will think I'm going to do something to the child in Mother's belly. Mother worries too much." She turned her head and happened to see Jiang Su Su looking at Xia Yan's stomach. Her eyes were filled with such an astonishing light that it would make people shiver. Jiang Ruan became secretly wary in her heart, and with a smile, she said, "Seeing Second Sister like this, she also likes the little one in Mother's belly. It seems as though Mother will soon be able to add a little brother to the fu." After saying that, with a smile she left without any further ado, directing her maidservants to follow her into the fu.

Xia Yan subconsciously looked at Jiang Su Su's eyes, and was shocked by her expression. Jiang Su Su looked at her lower abdomen with no tenderness or love. It was as if her eyes weren't looking at her belly but at a delicious dish, and in the next second, she would pounce and eat her up.

Xia Yan now regarded the baby in her belly as her lifeblood. Seeing Jiang Su Su's hideous expression, she immediately took a step back. However, she had made such a big move that Jiang Su Su immediately returned to her senses. The greed in her eyes suddenly disappeared. Then, with a faint smile, she said, "Mother, I'm going in first."

With that, she looked again meaningfully at Xia Yan's belly and then stepped slowly into the fu. Xia Yan remained still in stunned silence, thinking about the look in Jiang Su Su's eyes just now. For some reason, her heart was chilled.

* * *

During the next few days in the fu , nothing special happened. The Empress Dowager's rewards were moved into the Jiang fu, but no one dared to try to appropriate them. Jiang Chao was busy with Xuan Li outside the whole day; she had not seen him since she returned to the fu. Jiang Quan would of course not take the initiative to find this daughter, Jiang Ruan, for a chat. Lu Zhu learned that Jiang Dan had become more and more reluctant to go out over the past three years and her temperament had become even more introverted. Old Jiang Madame's body had also begun to show a marked decline. On the day of Jiang Ruan's return, after calling Jiang Ruan to come over and chat briefly, Old Jiang Madame was left exhausted.

Xia Yan's pregnancy had already passed the first trimester. Naturally, there would be no problem if she raised it carefully. However, in her previous life, the child in Xia Yan's belly wasn't born because Xia Yan suffered a miscarriage a month later. At that time, it was found out that the miscarriage was due to the actions of Fifth Yiniang, Hong Ying. Subsequently, Jiang Quan was furious and locked Hong Ying up in the woodshed. Later, it was discovered that Hong Ying had found a rope to hang herself and died there. But looking back on it now, there seemed to be many questionable points. Although it was very likely for Hong Ying to have carried out this despicable act against Xia Yan, hanging herself didn't seem to fit her temperament.

If this world followed the traces of the past life, Xia Yan's unborn child couldn't be saved. It's just that Hong Ying...Jiang Ruan was very curious. Was that scheme actually carried out by Hong Ying?

While she was deep in thought, Lian Qiao opened the curtain and announced, "Miss, Fifth Yiniang is here."

Jiang Ruan raised her eyebrows. Hong Ying moved very fast.

She gave the order to send Hong Ying in. Hong Ying was more exquisitely dressed than she was three years ago. Even though she still didn't look magnificent or opulent, everything from her clothing to her jewellery was good. It seemed that Jiang Quan had treated her well during this time. It was like this. When she had just returned to the Jiang fu in her previous lifetime, at exactly this time, Hong Ying had started competing with Xia Yan. And now that Xia Yan was pregnant, it was much easier for Hong Ying to attend to Jiang Quan.

Hong Ying warily sat down opposite Jiang Ruan. She had had a very comfortable and contented life over the last few years. The many things that Xia Yan had previously done had caused a knot in Jiang Quan's heart and since the two were not very close, she had taken the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Jiang Quan had begun to pay more and more attention to her, but unexpectedly Xia Yan had gotten pregnant at this crucial time.

Fortunately, Jiang Ruan was back. Hong Ying had always felt a kind of inexplicable awe of Jiang Ruan. After witnessing all the different kinds of terrible means instigated by this seemingly gentle Eldest Young Miss three years ago, she had the intention to draw Jiang Ruan to her side. This time, her insight had been proven right. Jiang Ruan had obtained Empress Dowager Yi De's favour. Jiang Xin Zhi had risen steadily and was highly valued by Zhao Guang. And now, Jiang Ruan had become a junzhu. Thus, if she followed Jiang Ruan's methods, wouldn't the fu end up under her(Hong Ying)rule?

When she thought of this, Hong Ying spoke humbly with a deferential expression. "This concubine greets the Junzhu."

"Fifth Yiniang, there's no need to be overly courteous." Jiang Ruan held the teapot in front of her. "Fifth Yiniang and I are all one family. There is no need to be polite." With a smile, she looked at the woman in front of her. "After three years of absence, I can see that Fifth Yiniang has lived well."

"It's all thanks to Eldest Miss' blessing." Hong Ying smiled. "Eldest Miss is the blessed one."

Jiang Ruan smiled and exchanged greetings with her. After a while, sure enough, Hong Ying ventured to ask her. "Does Eldest Miss know that Furen is pregnant?"

"Father is having a child in his old age. Who doesn't know about it in the fu? Ruan niang is neither deaf nor blind." Hearing the faint ridicule in Jiang Ruan's tone, the corners of Hong Ying's eyes suddenly twitched. However, the play still had to go on. With a worried look on her face, she said, "What I'm about to say may seem ridiculous to Eldest Miss. It is just to say what this concubine is worried about."

"Oh? What does Fifth Yiniang worry about?" Jiang Ruan asked with a smile.

"This concubine thinks of Eldest Miss as her confidante. So, this concubine emboldened herself to speak to Eldest Miss. It's great that Furen is pregnant but in recent years, due to matters related to Master, Furen has had many misunderstandings with this concubine. And if she gives birth to a little young master, perhaps she will lose her temper even more at this concubine." Hong Ying looked anxious, as if she were really nervous.

"What Fifth Yiniang said is too serious." Jiang Ruan smiled and comforted her. "Mother is kind-hearted. How can she be angry at Fifth Yiniang? Besides, my father wouldn't let it go. If Fifth Yiniang is wronged, Father would be the first to refuse to let go of this matter. "

Hong Ying took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, blotting her fake tears away. With a wry smile, she said, "It is my good fortune that Master treats me well. But, it has always been dangerous for women to give birth. It might be unpleasant to hear, but if something goes wrong with Furen, the blame will surely fall on me. This concubine's bitter grievances perhaps can't be absolved. I have been alone all my life in this fu. If I am really charged with that, perhaps...perhaps I will be left for dead even without an intact corpse."

Jiang Ruan looked at Hong Ying calmly. There was some truth in Hong Ying's words, and it was obvious that she was smart and had anticipated this outcome. However, since she already thought of this, how had she been caught in Xia Yan's net in the previous lifetime. Jiang Ruan didn't believe that Xia Yan's miscarriage in the past life was caused by Hong Ying. In fact, Hong Ying was a very smart woman who was adept at judging the situation. She wouldn't do anything that was risky and uncertain. In that case, the miscarriage was just a crime forced on Hong Ying by Xia Yan. So how did Xia Yan lose her child in the previous life?

In spite of this thought, Jiang Ruan smiled at Hong Ying. "What Fifth Yiniang just said is really terrifying. There are so many people in the fu protecting Furen's baby, so Fifth Yiniang has nothing to be afraid of. Ruan niang thinks that Fifth Yiniang's top priority should not be to delve deeply into the child in Furen's belly, but to have her own child."

She, an unmarried girl, openly discussed the matter of having children with the fu's yiniang. There was not a bit of shyness on her face at all, as if this was a natural thing. Although Hong Ying was shocked in her heart, she answered with a blush on her face, "Eldest Miss, it's not that this concubine doesn't want to have a baby, but...but..."

A girl born in the brothel had to take a drug from an early age, which could not only make a woman's body fair and smooth but also make her body give off a peculiar fragrance. Naturally it was a means for girls to win over benefactors. However, there was also a side effect to such a drug- infertility.

When Hong Ying first entered the fu, she truly only wanted to gain Jiang Quan's favour and be liked by him. Eventually, she succeeded. But, the longer she stayed in the house, the stronger her desire to have a child grew. Men's favour might not last long, but if there was a child, a son, her status would be promoted by leaps and bounds. She didn't try to overthrow Xia Yan because Xia Yan was backed by the Xia fu, but she would have been satisfied if Jiang Quan were to consider both her and Xia Yan as equals.

Every time Jiang Quan took a rest in her courtyard, Xia Yan would send Li momo with soup to avoid pregnancy, and she ensured that she finished drinking it. Then, every time after Li momo departed, she made herself choke and forced herself to spit out all of the soup. Even so, she had secretly asked a physician about the drug she had taken in the brothel when she was young and he told her that her chances of conceiving were very slim.

Her inability to conceive a child was a thorn in her heart. Meanwhile, Xia Yan was now pregnant. After all her painstaking efforts to gain everything in front of her, would everything return to as it was before? She was unwilling.

But what could she do? She never got pregnant.

Jiang Ruan took a sip of tea leisurely and asked her indifferently. "Why can't you be pregnant? There is no woman in the world who cannot conceive children. "

Hong Ying was stunned. She raised her head to look at Jiang Ruan. "Eldest Miss, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Ruan looked at her with pity. "What to do, Fifth Yiniang, Ruan niang also sympathizes with you. But to live safely in the fu, you must first have a child. Do you understand? If you want children, you will have children. "

Hong Ying took a moment to digest the meaning of Jiang Ruan's words. She was so shocked and looked at Jiang Ruan as if she didn't know this young woman at all. "Eldest Miss..."

Jiang Quan gave her a slight smile. "It's Fifth Yiniang's life. Ruan niang has no right to interfere."

Hong Ying's heart was suddenly in chaos. Jiang Ruan's subtle words unexpectedly revealed a solution: graft the flower of one tree onto another[1]!

[1] 移花接木 (yíhuājiēmù) – lit. to graft flowers onto a tree / to surreptitiously substitute one thing for another (idiom)

If this matter succeeded, she would ascend to a higher position in the fu. That being so, it was also very risky, and if discovered, it would be for the great crime of muddying the clan's lineage, and punishable by being bludgeoned to death. She was shocked to hear Jiang Ruan's calm manner in making this suggestion and felt incredulous. As a daughter of the fu, how could Jiang Ruan propose to use other people's blood to inherit a position in the Jiang fu?

Had she ever regarded herself as Jiang's family?

Hong Ying was restless and couldn't think of anything else for a moment. Jiang Ruan's words, although frightening, held an inexplicable temptation to her. But, she couldn't make up her mind and thus replied hurriedly, "Eldest Miss' words, this concubine...this concubine has listened. I just remembered that there are still things to do, so I won't bother you anymore."

Jiang Ruan didn't urge her to stay either. With a smile, she said, "Fifth Yiniang, please think it over. Don't rush... but also, don't wait until Mother suffers an accident."

When Hong Ying heard this, her heart palpitated once again and she didn't stay any longer. She left hurriedly with her maidservant.

Lian Qiao saw her flee in a panic, then pushed the door open and came inside. "Why is Fifth Yiniang so frightened?"

Bai Zhi stood silently. Lian Qiao touched her nose. "She must have been intimidated by Miss' charm."

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. Lu Zhu then pushed the door and came in also. With excitement and fear on her face, she turned and locked the door tightly. Then she closed the window, pulled up the curtain and walked over to Jiang Ruan.

Lu Zhu bent down and whispered, "Miss, you asked this servant to investigate Su Xin Yuan; I've discovered something."

Jiang Ruan looked at her. "There must be something wrong. What did you discover?"

"There's nothing wrong," Lu Zhu smiled mysteriously. "This servant just listened to what was said in the kitchen. Second Miss led an ascetic life in the ancestral temple thus her body was weak. But since her return, her maidservants, Hu Die and Qing Ting, have asked the kitchen to prepare hens and they personally stew chicken soup every day to supplement Second Miss' health.

"What's so strange about that?" Lian Qiao asked.

Lu Zhu shook her head. "I remember that Second Miss hates chicken soup the most. What's more, Second Miss practised Buddhism in the ancestral temple. If she lived such an ascetic life as they said, she was naturally very devout. But if she was so pious, how can she kill living beings and eat their meat as soon as she returned to the fu. Isn't that...It's violating Buddhist precepts. "

Jiang Ruan couldn't help laughing and looked at Lu Zhu with admiration. Lu Zhu's observation skills had become much stronger now. The fact that she could think of all of this, it was really remarkable.

When Lu Zhu saw Jiang Ruan's expression, she was also very proud. She said, "This servant thought it strange, so I paid more attention to this point. Sure enough, there is indeed more. Can you all take a guess?"

Lu Zhu really treated this place as a storytelling tea shop. Lian Qiao couldn't wait and asked urgently. "What's going on?"

"Hu Die and Qing Ting said they were making chicken soup, but there was nothing else prepared except for the chicken. When making soups to supplement health, Dong Quai (Angelica Sinensis), as well as red dates, should be put in. Is it possible to use a whole chicken?" Lu Zhu explained. "I gave the sweeping maid at Su Xin Yuan two silver so that I could go in and search. I was accompanied by Xiao Huang, the gatekeeper- he has a sensitive nose. Unexpectedly, a chicken carcass was dug out from under the clump of roses in Su Xin Yuan. All of its blood had been bled dry and its feathers were torn apart." Lu Zhu still felt a lingering fear. "The wound was hideous; I was so scared looking at it. After reburying the carcass in a hurry, I rushed back. "

Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi were silent. They both looked solemn. After a while, Lian Qiao asked, "Miss, is Second Miss possessed by demons? Otherwise, why did she perform such witchcraft?"

"Miss, Second Miss is so scary now. How about staying in the palace for a while? Anyway, Second Miss won't dare to pass in front of the Empress Dowager." Bai Zhi also reminded her.

Jiang Ruan looked at Lu Zhu. "When you saw that chicken carcass, was there a cut wound from the knife where the blood was?"

"No." Lu Zhu frowned. "This servant was quite mischievous when she was little. Once the next-door Aunt's Barred Rock chicken[2] pecked me, and so I chased and bit it back. I saw clearly that it was not a knife wound, nor did it look like an animal bite, but rather a human bite. "

Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao gasped.

Jiang Ruan's head bowed in deep thought.

Since she met Jiang Su Su at the Jiang fu's gate a few days ago, Jiang Ruan felt there was something abnormal about Jiang Su Su. Although she couldn't say it specifically, Jiang Su Su was not only like a different person, she also perceived something weird about Jiang Su Su's body. The past few days, Jiang Su Su never left Su Xin Yuan and even rarely went to see Xia Yan. It was unusual for her to stay in the courtyard all day, and not knowing what she did there. Therefore, Jiang Ruan ordered Lu Zhu to investigate, but she didn't expect to discover such a result. It was really bizarre

"This servant also thought that Second Miss was very odd." Lu Zhu said. "That day, I clearly saw that there were no scars on Second Miss' face. Her wounds were so severe before, but I don't see traces of them at all now. How is this possible if she isn't a demoness?"

"There are no demons in this world." Jiang Ruan said faintly. And even if there were, she was determined to not be afraid. She herself had died once. If this fact was known by others, they would view her as such as well. It was just that Jiang Su Su was so abnormal that she felt unsettled. This forced her to be vigilant.

At the moment she couldn't do anything about it. So she thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Lu Zhu, prepare a carriage for me. I'm going out right away."

"Where are you going, Miss?" Bai Zhi asked curiously.

"To Dong Feng Lou."

* * *

In the imperial study.

As he stared at the book in front of him, the Emperor wore a deep frown that showed he had encountered a thorny problem. After a while, he asked, "Based on what you just said, the people of South Xinjiang have already planted their spy within the palace."

The young man, dressed in black, standing before him answered faintly, "Yes."

"Zhen has been negligent these past few years." The Emperor suppressed his extreme anger.

"Before zhen can get even with them, they have already targeted zhen first. It's simply too reckless!"

"Not only that," Xiao Shao said, "The sudden dispatch of troops from the Tianjin kingdom has a lot to do with them."

"Those barbarians in South Xinjiang are cruel and cunning. Their methods are ruthless. I really didn't expect them to have such a scheme. If the Tianjin kingdom is disturbed, they must perceive some benefit in it. Ah Shao, stay in the capital and investigate the matter of this planted spy. Even if zhen has to overturn the whole capital, zhen will find that person!"

Xiao Shao nodded.

The Emperor looked at him and suddenly sighed. "You've narrowly escaped death in Miaojiang for three years. I know your thoughts. But now you see..." There was sorrow between the Emperor's eyebrows." All the people in the palace wish for zhento die early. Zhen understands the thoughts of Old Eighth and Old Fifth more than they realize. The Crown Prince also has the same virtue. Zhen can protect his life for a while but not for his lifetime. As for the civil and military officials in the court, they are just crooks in my eyes. Do you really think zhen doesn't know their thoughts? AhShao, you... "

"Your Majesty," Xiao Shao interrupted, "If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."

If anyone happened to see it, they would be surprised by the relationship between the Emperor and Jinying Wang. After a pause, the Emperor waved his hand feebly. "That's all, you can leave."

Xiao Shao walked to the door and heard the Emperor's voice from behind. "You are now at a marriageable age. If you are interested in any family's daughter, tell me, I will grant you the marriage."

The man in black didn't stop. He departed from the imperial study without hesitation. Only the Emperor's sigh remained.

* * *

Although Dong Feng Lou was the largest treasure shop in the capital, not many people went there. It was because the dazzling array of jewels inside were priced exorbitantly and each of them was a rare treasure. If not for the wealthy high officials and the nobility, no one could purchase the things there.

Today, however, a carriage was parked at the gate of Dong Feng Lou.

The people passing by cast curious looks. They wanted to see which family's young master or miss it was. But, when they saw a remarkably beautiful girl in a red dress alighting from the carriage, everyone immediately knew. This was the capital's current great personage[3], Hong'an Junzhu. Not to mention her beauty, Hong'an Junzhu also received Empress Dowager Yi De's favour. Her rewards were countless. Of course, she could visit Dong Feng Lou.

[3] 炙手可热 (zhìshǒukěrè) – lit. burn your hand, feel the heat (idiom) / fig. arrogance of the powerful / a mighty figure no-one dares approach.

After admiring her for a while, they saw that the young girl in red went into the building with two maidservants.

When Jiang Ruan entered, a beautiful attendant came over. "Miss, would you like to see jewellery?"
Jiang Ruan glanced at her. "I want to see Ye Feng."

The attendant was startled and shook her head. "Miss, have you come to the wrong place?"

Jiang Ruan smiled before she stretched out her hand, took out something from her sleeve and waved it in front of the attendant. "Is it alright now?"

When the attendant saw clearly what was in Jiang Ruan's hand, she suddenly changed her look and respectfully said, "Miss, please follow this servant."

Jiang Ruan put the dagger given by Xiao Shao back into her sleeve. Inwardly, she said, this thing is really useful.

They went to the weapons shop on the second floor. Then the attendant pressed the celadon lion's head on the wall and a small door opened to reveal an elegant room next to it. The attendant saluted[4] her with both hands clasped on her left waist and both legs bent. "Miss, please come in. Boss Ye is inside."

[4] 福身子: a woman's salute, hands and fingers interlocked and placed on the left waist while bending the legs.

When Jiang Ruan stepped inside, she heard an impatient voice speaking. "With so many things going on all day, is Master really going to put me under house arrest for a lifetime? Can't I just apologize to Eldest Jiang Miss?"

Jiang Ruan stopped walking and asked with a smile. "What's the apology for?"

Ye Feng looked back impatiently. "Of course for the Treasure..." The remaining half-sentence was swallowed in his mouth. His mouth opened wide with surprise. "Jiang, Jiang, Eldest Jiang Miss?"

Jiang Ruan sat down on the chair opposite him. "I have an urgent matter. I want to see your master."