FBC – Chapter 96 Caught the Wrong Person?

His gaze suddenly landed on the dark stain on the hem of her skirt. “She’s injured?”

Lu Laosan quickly replied, “No, no, that’s the coachman’s blood.”

Ji Xuanyu’s heart settled a little, but his voice remained calm. “How do you know the one you brought in is Gu Wanru?”

If the one who had been abducted was Gu Hua, the scandal would ruin her reputation. Might as well run with the lie and let his subordinates believe they had captured Gu Wanru.

Huang Laosan answered, “There were four women in the carriage. Two of them were dressed as maids. One of them pushed her out and said she was the young madam. The maid tried to argue but was killed by the one who pushed her.”

“Tsk tsk, that woman was bold. Looked like she was pampered her whole life, yet she killed without batting an eye.”

Lu Laosan noticed Ji Xuanyu’s expression darkening, and his heart skipped a beat.

Did they… catch the wrong person?

They couldn’t admit that — the consequences would be dire.

He added quickly, “I heard the maid who was killed was named Jin Kui, and the other one is called Biyu.”

Ji Xuanyu knew the people around Mu An and Gu Wanru well. Jin Kui and Yin Zhi had always followed Gu Wanru.

Biyu was Mu An’s concubine-room maid — she didn’t get along with Gu Wanru.

Now he was even more suspicious. Logically, Biyu should’ve wanted Gu Wanru to be the one pushed out.

Back when Gu Wanru and Gu Hua studied together, Gu Wanru was proud like a peacock, while Gu Hua was like a pitiful stray cat.

No one in the Gu family treated her like a human being.

Ji Xuanyu looked down at the woman in the chest — her clothes were luxurious and stylish, clearly from Xiubo Workshop.

But earlier today, Gu Wanru had been wearing a new style too, albeit in a cheap fabric — similar to what the girls at Yichun Courtyard wore — and only had a single gold hairpin in her hair.

Ji Xuanyu frowned. “Find an older woman to help her out.”

Huang Laosan and Lu Laosan exchanged a look.

The young master wanted an elderly woman to help her…?

Soon, two old servant women were fetched and dragged the woman from the trunk, laying her directly on the bed.

“Find a plain set of clothes for her — something a common woman would wear.”

This outfit was far too conspicuous.

While the older women went to find something suitable, Ji Xuanyu looked at the woman’s hair. “She didn’t wear any jewelry?”

Huang Laosan jumped, quickly producing a jade hairpin with both hands. “She did. I was afraid it’d get damaged, so I took it off and kept it safe. I was planning to offer it to you, Young Master.”

Ji Xuanyu took it and rubbed the pin between his fingers. The jade was top quality.

Huang Laosan added flatteringly, “This is warm jade from the Western Regions. Finely carved, and marked with the insignia of Linlang Pavilion. It’s worth at least five hundred gold coins. When I took it, she got anxious and tried to snatch it back. The other woman was dressed much more plainly and only wore a single gold pin. That’s why I thought she must be the Young Madam of the Duke’s estate.”

Ji Xuanyu didn’t respond, slipping the hairpin into his robe.

Huang Laosan felt a pang of regret.

The old women soon returned with a plain outfit. Ji Xuanyu walked out of the room, and the others quickly followed.

Lu Laosan tried to gauge the young master’s mood.

For the past month, he’d been ordered to monitor the Gu Residence and the Duke Yong Estate — especially focusing on Concubine Pei and the Duke’s son and daughter-in-law.

Unfortunately, the young madam rarely went out, and whenever she did, she was fully veiled. No way to see her true face.

The young master had been playing both Jiang Shizi and someone from the palace — all in preparation to bring down Pei Trading Firm. After all, that family was rich.

He’d even learned that six years ago, the young master had been pushed off a cliff by Concubine Pei of the Gu family — only saved thanks to their sect leader.

He’d been in a coma for five months, bones shattered in multiple places. Took nearly a year before he could even get out of bed.

His health never fully recovered.

Tonight’s meeting had been planned to let Mu An and Gu Wanru meet with Lord Guo to finalize their cooperation. Once successful, they’d take a hefty fee and then secretly swap the Pei Family’s donated cotton supplies with fakes, using Xuanjitang’s merchants to resell the genuine goods to the court and become imperial suppliers.

Once exposed, Pei Family would collapse, and the three factions would divide the spoils.

But then two unexpected events occurred: First, the marriage bestowed by the County Princess was blocked, and Jiang Shizi insisted on abducting the Gu sisters.

Second, the young master only permitted them to kidnap the older sister — not the younger.

As they were pondering all this, the old woman exited the room.

“She’s been changed.”

Lu Laosan handed her a string of coins and looked at Ji Xuanyu, unsure what he planned next.

He and Huang Laosan exchanged glances — both seeing the anxiety in the other’s eyes.

If they’d really grabbed the wrong person…

Lu braced himself and said, “Young Master, maybe you should check again. Don’t you recognize the Gu sisters?”

Of course Ji Xuanyu wanted to see her.

It had been six years. He’d waited six years!

Just as he was about to go in, he suddenly saw the woman inside sit up on her own, feeling around the room.

Through the window, her curvaceous figure was outlined by the oil lamp — he froze.

His dear Hua was abused by her older sister and stepmother since childhood, never fed well, never clothed properly. At eleven, she was as small as a seven- or eight-year-old.

Could she really have changed so much in six years?

Since waking up from that fall, he’d been thinking constantly about keeping his promise — to take her away from that wretched Gu household.

To pamper her, love her, protect her.

Later, to gain the power to protect her, he had stained his hands with blood, betrayed Da Liang, and became a spy for the enemy.

Eventually, he gained the sect leader’s trust, and when he returned to Bianjing, he found that Gu Wanru had already married Mu An and become the noble daughter-in-law of the Duke’s household.

And Gu Hua had also been brought into the estate by Gu Wanru.

Their spy network had thoroughly investigated the Gu family, the Pei Family, and Gu Wanru.

Yet he still longed to see her… and feared seeing her.

He was no longer the gentle Brother Ji of the past. Now, he was ruthless, calculating, covered in blood.

More importantly, he had betrayed his homeland — he lived each day on the edge of a knife.

He feared dragging the girl he once loved into the abyss, ruining her future.

What if she liked her life now? If he selfishly took her away and made her suffer all over again, he’d blame himself forever.

Better to destroy the Pei family for her — kill Concubine Pei and Gu Wanru.

Then… he’d meet her again.

If she was willing, he’d definitely take her away.

They were still young. He’d make up for everything — cherish her with all his heart.

Ji Xuanyu hesitated a moment.

“Lu, go in and ask her who she is.”

Lu nodded and pushed open the door.

Ji Xuanyu stood by the window, ears straining.

Gu Hua had just woken up. There was a painful cut on her neck, and her head was spinning. Seeing a captor come in, she panicked, shrank back against the cabinet, and grabbed a wooden dipper, smashing it against the wood. Holding a sharp shard to her neck, she rasped:

“Don’t come any closer! Or I’ll kill myself! If I die, you’ll get nothing! The Marquis of Wenchang and the Duke’s estate will never let you go!”

Ji Xuanyu frowned.

His Hua had a soft, sweet voice — not this hoarse rasp.

In contrast, Gu Wanru’s voice was lower.

And Gu Hua hated the Gu family. Why would she think they’d come save her?

She’d always been timid — even when bullied by her sister, she didn’t dare speak up. Now suddenly she was bold enough to threaten suicide?

Lu quickly raised his hands. “I’m just here to ask one question. Just answer honestly and I won’t touch you.”

Gu Hua panted heavily. “Ask.”

“Are you Gu Wanru, or her younger sister?”