Time Is Slow - Chapter 30
“You… how do you know?” Li Jiao’s face flushed with embarrassment.
Having such a fiancé was nothing to be proud of.
Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but sigh.
How did she know? With a mother like He Shi, it was hard not to know.
Whenever anything unfortunate happened to this pair of siblings, He Shi was always the first to excitedly inform her daughter, persistently trying to get closer despite receiving cold treatment in return.
“What kind of twisted logic is this? Eldest Sister’s engagement was broken off. Are we supposed to celebrate with drums and gongs?”
Qiao Zhao asked matter-of-factly, “Escaping from a scoundrel like that, shouldn’t that be celebrated with drums and gongs?”
She averted her gaze and locked eyes with Li Jiao. Her pupils were dark and bright, exuding an unsettling clarity that made it seem as if nothing could escape her sight.
Li Jiao looked away uncomfortably and tugged at Li Hui.
“Third Brother, let’s go.”
“Eldest Sister, you’re always too soft!”
“Third Brother, stop making a fuss. Third Sister, take care and rest well. I’m heading back first.” Li Jiao turned and walked away quickly, with Li Hui hurrying after her.
The beaded curtain swayed, producing a pleasant, lingering chime.
Ah Zhu bent down, picking up the scattered chess pieces.
Binglu scoffed at the curtain, muttering, “Miss shouldn’t have even served them tea. Two against one, bullying her like that!”
“Enough. Help Ah Zhu pick up the pieces, I still want to continue playing.”
“How are you supposed to keep playing?” Binglu asked, baffled.
Once Ah Zhu gathered the pieces, Qiao Zhao picked them up one by one and placed them back on the board.
Her movements were unhurried, but her mind was racing.
The kidnapping of the original Li Zhao was certainly not as simple as it seemed.
Even though the memories left behind contained no suspicious details, observing from an outsider’s perspective, Qiao Zhao could see many intriguing things.
On the day of the Flower Festival, Li Zhao hadn’t originally planned to go out. It was only after overhearing that Du Feiyang, the heir of the Gu Changbo Manor, would be attending that she changed her mind.
The Gu Changbo Manor was Li Jiao’s maternal family, and Du Feiyang was her cousin.
In order to see him, young Li Zhao had set aside her usual resentment toward Li Jiao and stuck closely by her side.
The Flower Festival in the Great Liang was a bustling affair, the perfect opportunity for kidnappers to strike.
Li Zhao had been spoiled but lacked wisdom. In the chaos of the festival, she lost track of her companions and found herself alone. She became an easy target for abductors.
Sometimes, getting rid of someone was frighteningly simple.
Then, in her panic, Li Jiao had made a scene, spreading the news that her third sister had gone missing, ensuring that she would never find her way home again.
Even if Qiao Zhao considered the situation from every possible angle, the conclusion remained unchanged. Now, returning under Li Zhao’s identity, she had unknowingly helped Li Jiao escape an undesirable marriage while also winning her sympathy.
It was a loss for no one. Except, of course, the original Li Zhao.
Qiao Zhao continued placing pieces on the board, contemplating the intricate schemes of the inner court, and feeling a chill deep within her heart.
—
Meanwhile, Li Jiao strode hurriedly out of the western courtyard, her mind in turmoil.
Was it just her imagination? Why did it feel as though that girl had seen through everything she had planned?
She had never expected a kidnapped girl to return safe and sound.
Of course, even if she did return, there was no reason to be afraid. The annulment of her engagement with Earl Changchun’s son was still a victory.
The Earl’s youngest son was a notorious scoundrel. Yet, since the marriage had been arranged by their mother before her passing, their father had been reluctant to break it, yielding to pressure from their maternal relatives.
She had devised this two birds with one stone plan long ago. It had been flawless.
Then why did Li Zhao look at her as if she had seen through everything?
Impossible. Li Zhao was a fool! How could she have figured it out?
Lost in thought, Li Jiao nearly ran straight into Li Guangwen.
He caught her by the shoulders, looking at her in surprise.
“Jiao’er, what’s wrong?”
Snapping back to reality, Li Jiao met her father’s concerned gaze, her voice unconsciously catching.
“Father.”
“What’s going on?”
“I… I’m fine. I’ll be heading back now.” Li Jiao bowed hastily and walked away.
Li Hui caught up but was stopped by Li Guangwen.
“You just came from the western courtyard? What happened to your sister?”
Li Hui’s expression darkened.
“It’s all because of Li Zhao! She bullied Eldest Sister again!”
This situation had clearly occurred too many times before. Li Guangwen instinctively frowned in displeasure.
“Was she causing trouble again?”
Li Hui snorted in response.
Li Guangwen sighed, looking his son up and down.
“Aren’t you supposed to be studying at the Imperial Academy? Why are you home?”
As the only grandson of the western residence, Li Hui had been spoiled and raised with some arrogance. He huffed, “I heard Li Zhao caused Eldest Sister’s engagement to be broken off. I was worried about her, so I came back.”
“Ah…” Li Guangwen paused, then advised, “You and your sister have always been close. Go comfort her, tell her not to be too upset. Sometimes, a setback can be a blessing in disguise.”
That engagement had always been a source of dissatisfaction. Though Li Jiao’s reputation might suffer in the short term, in the long run, this might not be such a bad thing.
If it weren’t for the Gu Changbo Residence blocking the annulment, he would have done it long ago.
Perhaps because of this thought, despite his second daughter causing such a huge mess, Li Guangwen unexpectedly found that he wasn’t all that angry.
Li Hui clearly noticed this as well and complained discontentedly, “Father, are we just going to let Third Sister off like this? If she doesn’t rein in her temper, who knows how many people she’ll implicate in the future!”
Li Guangwen’s expression turned stern.
“Hmm, I must go and properly teach her a lesson!”
Relying on He Shi? That would be nothing but a joke.
Only then did Li Hui feel somewhat appeased. He saluted and said, “Father, then I’ll go comfort Eldest Sister.”
“Mm, go ahead.” Li Guangwen nodded and strode toward the western side courtyard.
The pomegranate tree in the courtyard had sprouted even more lush green buds, and the plantains by the window were vibrant and dripping with dew. The entire courtyard exuded tranquility and elegance, with only the crisp sound of Go pieces being placed on the board echoing in the air.
Entering with a stern expression, Li Guangwen saw the young girl sitting cross-legged, holding a white piece in one hand and a black piece in the other, playing a game of Go by herself.
Playing against herself?
A thought flickered through Li Guangwen’s mind, and he momentarily forgot his original purpose. He signaled the two maidservants not to make a sound and walked forward.
Qiao Zhao was deep in concentration, contemplating her next move for a long while before finally placing a piece.
Suddenly, a low voice exclaimed, “Good move!”
She looked up and saw her father standing beside her, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at the board. Despite being in his thirties, his expression still carried a youthful vibrance.
He looked as pure as jade.
“Father.”
She was about to stand up to greet him when Li Guangwen stopped her.
“Come on, continue!”
Without hesitation, he sat opposite Qiao Zhao, picked up a white piece, and began to ponder.
Time passed slowly. When the game finally ended, Li Guangwen stood up and laughed heartily.
“That was satisfying! Truly satisfying!”
Feeling entirely refreshed, he left with a contented smile, leaving Qiao Zhao utterly perplexed.
What exactly did Father come here for?
It wasn’t until Li Guangwen was almost at his study that he suddenly halted and smacked his forehead in frustration.
He had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important. Then, it finally hit him!
He had completely forgotten to reprimand his troublemaking daughter!