An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

It was a midsummer day in Chang'an, when the sun was at its hottest in the year. At 9 o'clock in the morning, the three little girls were talking under a tree. The temperature was just right, with a few breezes blowing from time to time, so they didn't feel hot.

But once the Si hour passed, the wind seemed to have stopped, and even if it blew a little, it was hot. Originally, the few of them planned to chat for a while and then go back to the dormitory, but Dai Chengjun happened to come with Nie Ce.

Sang Ling almost thought he had mistaken someone.

After not seeing him for half a year, he has changed a bit. Now he has a very pure wheat-colored skin, and there is a line of dark stubble on his chin that has not been shaved clean. Although he looks a little weathered, he also exudes a more masculine air.

He walked past Dai Chengjun and came over.

The young man had a solemn expression and his movements were steady and powerful. He was totally different from the weak and frivolous young men in the gatehouse. The two little girls, Ban and Dai, smiled at each other and stood together in tacit understanding. Sang Ling felt a little awkward.

She didn't know how early or late he came back. Anyway, when she went to pay her respects in the hall of justice in the morning, she didn't hear anyone in the mansion say that the Marquis was coming back, and she didn't receive any news in the garden in the morning. Could it be that he came back at the last minute?

Judging from the light armor he has not taken off, it is probably the case.

But how did he get here if he is not from the Marquis's Mansion?

"I have to go have lunch." Dai Chengjun spoke first, and Ban Le agreed hesitantly, "Yes, me too, I'm going to have lunch too." After saying that, without waiting for Sang Ling to respond, the two of them ran away.

She had no choice but to stand up from the couch and rub her palms together. "When did you come back? What are you doing here?"

Nie Ce was more natural than her. He moved his sword behind his waist and took a big step to the wooden couch. She had no choice but to turn around and cast a questioning look at him.

"Auntie Cheng told me about the matter between Third Aunt and Ah-Zhu." He looked at her solemnly, "I apologize to you on behalf of Third Aunt." After saying this, he bowed and actually performed a proper salute.

He was much taller than Sang Ling, so he bent even lower than normal when performing a salute.

"What are you apologizing for?" She had no choice but to sit down sideways quickly - she twisted her body and refused his courtesy.

"You have been wronged, and someone should compensate you."

She looked at her toes and said, "I'm fine."

"It's fine. So you come here every day?"

It seems that Cheng Ai really can't keep her mouth shut. She went to complain as soon as she came back. Maybe she still expects Nie Ce to help her get justice?

She simply turned around in dismay, with her back to him, "This is a good place to read. It's close to the gatehouse. If there's anything I don't understand, I can always find a teacher."

"Only been here for half a year?" He continued to reveal her secrets.

"Yeah." She continued to be stubborn.

She heard laughter behind her and turned around to see Nie Ce propped up one leg and sat down. His posture was as casual as before - and now it even had a sense of oppression like a military commander.

"Sang Ling, if you feel unhappy in the mansion, just say it directly." He looked at the Pisces jade pendant on her waist and said in a softer tone, "I will come back this time and go to Dongyue first."

This was said as if it could support her.

She raised her hand to wipe her nose, and let the sudden emotions sink into the depths of her heart again.

"You don't have to worry about me, I will only remember the happy things." This is the truth, and she is doing it from the bottom of her heart.

Since she couldn't move around in the mansion and had no way to restore the truth of the matter, she couldn't allow herself to indulge in negative emotions any longer.

Otherwise, all you see is pain, and that’s all that’s left.

Nie Ce's eyes paused, and he did not respond.

Compared to the New Year, the Sang family's daughter now looked much thinner and visibly tired. For some reason, he suddenly remembered the time he met her in front of Ban's house in the middle of last year. At that time, half of her body was in the rain and she begged him to go to the palace to invite the imperial physician.

Even in such an urgent and embarrassing situation, she was still alive, just like the sun in the hot summer, hot and bright, and her fighting spirit was clearly visible. But now, less than a year after getting married, she has lost that vitality.

Even though he was urgently recalled and transferred by the emperor that year, when he left, he felt irony, absurdity, or anger towards the cousins ​​in his heart, and even he himself could not figure out why he felt so uncomfortable.

But after working in Jiaozhou for half a year, those sad thoughts seemed to disappear. When Maochen arrived in Chang'an, he first entered the palace, then went back to the Marquis' Mansion to talk to his mother, and then went to Wuyuan - he didn't even go to the Hall of Right and Wrong, because he wanted to see how she was doing and whether she was angry about his sudden departure half a year ago.

Until he disappeared, until he heard those things from Aunt Cheng's mouth... he seemed to be lifted up by something in an instant.

Before, he hated her for being so hesitant - she had clearly refused to run away but still did the same thing over and over again. He wanted her to let go of the past, throw away her private feelings, and face this marriage with integrity as a wife of the Nie family.

But in the end, it was this marriage that kept hurting her.

*

The two of them returned to the marquis's mansion together, and the jade lion was taken away by Ying Bushi.

Nie Ce also knew that there was a small path behind Qingshan Temple, and he even took her on a shorter route.

Going down a small slope, they arrived at the foot of the Huanlin Mountain range, passing a stagnant lake with withered yellow leaves floating on the surface of the water. On the opposite side of the lake was the mountain, and on the other side was a dense coniferous forest, which blocked most of the light. A chill suddenly spread on the dirt road in the middle, and Sang Ling slowed down his pace, looking around with his book bag in his arms.

Suddenly, a few turtledoves flew over my head and I heard an unknown low growl in my ears. I didn’t know if it was an illusion or not.

This path is closer, but it is also really creepy.

She looked forward and saw Nie Ce looking back at her. He smiled and walked back to take her book bag. "Don't worry, if there are any wild animals, they can't hurt you."

He seemed to see through her thoughts at once, so she quickened her pace and followed closely beside him, "I would rather take the old road just now." After hearing Nie Ce laugh twice, Sang Ling gave him a sidelong look but said nothing. At this moment, this man was her umbrella of protection. If there really were any bears or wolves, it would be best if they went straight for him, giving her some time to escape.

The two walked for a while longer. The forest was not as dense as before. The muddy road was finally illuminated by the sun. The darkness in the corners faded away, and the fear in people's hearts was not as deep. Nie Ce seemed to be thinking about something and said, "I asked mother about your maid."

"Yeah." She responded without saying anything else.

It was almost half a year ago, but she didn't expect Nie Ce to still remember it. Madam Zhaoyu was probably afraid of distracting him, so she wouldn't say that someone poisoned the wedding wine.

"What do you think?" he asked again. Sang Ling couldn't help but look sideways, "Hasn't the murderer been dealt with?"

"But I always feel something is amiss." He stopped walking and turned to look at me. "It is impossible that no one noticed when a servant was going to attack a maid inside or outside the wedding room on the wedding night."

Unless the other party was arranged long ago and has some skills, he can be killed immediately - she said silently in her heart, and Yuanshan Dai moved slightly, "Have you asked the eldest lady about this question?"

Nie Ce nodded when he heard this. "But mother said that this is the truth of the matter. She was so sure that I didn't ask any more questions. I just felt that something was fishy."

Even Nie Ce, who was not often in the mansion, felt that something was amiss. She could only raise the corners of her mouth and smile with deep irony, but she had no intention of opening her mouth to reply.

"What do you know?" Such a look naturally attracted Nie Cexiang's question.

This micro-expression was indeed intentional by Sang Ling. The reason why she had to be passive in the Marquis' Mansion was to give way to Nie Ce's official duties. But now, she was increasingly dissatisfied with Madam Zhaoyu's actions. If Nie Ce believed that Ya Nu was raped and murdered, she would not reveal a single word. But if Nie Ce himself found out that something was wrong, she would not hide it.

So she raised her head and stared, her tone heavy, "The eldest lady said that you are going to Jiaozhou at a critical time, and you must not cause trouble in the mansion."

"So?" Nie Ce immediately understood.

"Someone poisoned the wedding wine."