The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 199 - 198

Chapter 198

As winter drew to a close, the snowfall began to lessen, and the weather in Qingyun City became much warmer. The soft sunlight shining above made the townsfolk, who had been hiding from the bitter cold for months, come out to resume their daily lives. Ke Jiaren remembered the day he first met Young Miss Mu Yingying. The weather had been freezing, and the snowflakes falling from the sky had made him feel lonely and hopeless.

Had it been someone other than Mu Yingying who found him that day, Ke Jiaren didn’t know what his fate would have been.

He might have frozen to death on the street, discarded like trash...

"Hot steamed buns..."

"Mantou for sale. Come and buy some, young man,"

Vendors called out to customers from both sides of the street, bringing the bustling atmosphere back to Qingyun City. Before embarking on his journey, Ke Jiaren wanted to see Mu Yingying and thank her. So, after leaving Doctor Tao’s medical clinic, he headed straight to the Mu Manor.

Ke Jiaren stood in front of the large gate with the character ’Mu’ for a long time, hoping to see the little girl come out. But after waiting and waiting, there was no sign of the person he was waiting for. Only servants and workers came in and out, but not the Seventh Young Miss Mu.

Perhaps she didn’t plan to go out today...

The boy began to lose hope of seeing and thanking her. It was already nearly an hour past his planned departure time. If he continued to wait, his journey would be delayed further.

With a look of disappointment, Ke Jiaren glanced one last time at the gate and whispered,

"One day, I will come back and repay the debt I owe you, Young Miss Mu Yingying..."

With that, he turned and walked away. But shortly after, the small figure of the Seventh Young Miss, Mu Yingying, appeared at the gate.

She walked out with her close maid, heading towards the carriage waiting at the front of the Mu Manor. As she walked, she didn’t notice the boy walking away on her right.

"Miss, where are we going today?" Su Su asked curiously as she followed behind.

"To Doctor Tao’s clinic,"

Mu Yingying replied. Su Su felt displeased that her young miss wanted to visit the beggar boy again. Just then, Mu Yingying turned to answer Su Su and happened to see a familiar figure. Though the back seemed recognizable, she didn’t pay much attention.

Ke Jiaren, on the other hand, did not look back to see that the Seventh Young Miss Mu was leaving the manor and heading towards the carriage. In the end, fate prevented them from seeing each other one last time...

The Mu family’s carriage moved away from the manor, heading towards Doctor Tao’s medical clinic. Throughout the journey, Mu Yingying’s small figure sat in the carriage, her mind occupied with thoughts of the boy she had helped. She wondered how he was doing now and whether his wounds had healed.

Since the day she brought him to the clinic, she hadn’t had a chance to visit him again due to various events happening at the Mu Manor. Now, she was worried about the boy’s condition and hoped he was doing well.

"Are you worried about that beggar, Miss?"

Su Su, sitting beside her, noticed the Seventh Young Miss’s anxious expression and asked curiously.

"I just want to know how he is doing," Mu Yingying replied honestly. She wished the carriage would reach Doctor Tao’s clinic faster.

"We’ll see him soon enough. Don’t worry, Miss," Su Su said, trying to comfort her young miss. Inwardly, she blamed the beggar for causing her young miss so much concern.

"Two more blocks and we’re there, right?"

Mu Yingying lifted the curtain to look outside, recognizing the route as they neared the clinic.

"Yes, we’re almost there,"

Su Su confirmed, adjusting her young miss’s cloak to keep her warm. Even though it was late winter, the cold wind could still cause her young miss to catch a chill.

When the carriage arrived at the clinic, Su Su helped Mu Yingying down. Seeing the little girl and her close maid, Doctor Tao quickly came out to greet them.

"Seventh Young Miss Mu,"

The middle-aged man smiled at the little girl. Her big, round eyes scanned the inside of the clinic before she asked,

"Doctor, how is that brother doing?" She looked around as she asked, trying to spot the boy.

Doctor Tao, noticing her searching gaze, smiled and said, "He left early this morning."

Mu Yingying’s face showed a hint of shock. "Has he recovered already? Why did he leave so soon?"

She remembered how severely injured he had been, with faint breathing. She couldn’t believe he had fully recovered in just one month. Did he leave because he didn’t want to accept her help?

"Did he leave because he didn’t want me to pay for his treatment anymore?" This was the only reason she could think of.

Hearing her words, Doctor Tao’s smile widened, then said, "No, he said he had matters to attend to, so he had to leave. But don’t worry, Seventh Young Miss. He’s very healthy now."

Hearing that the boy had recovered, Mu Yingying felt a sense of relief.

"Not even staying to return favor or thank his benefactor? How rude."

Su Su couldn’t help but complain upon learning that the beggar had left. It was just as she had thought—there was no way a beggar could repay her young miss’s kindness.

"It’s alright, Su Su. As long as he’s healthy, I’m very happy. Whether he thanks me or not doesn’t matter. I helped him out of kindness and didn’t expect anything in return,"

Mu Yingying said, smiling at her maid. However, Su Su felt the money spent on the beggar was a waste. The amount Mu Yingying had given Doctor Tao for the beggar’s treatment was significant. At the very least, the beggar should have stayed to express his gratitude. To Susu, it seemed ungrateful for him to leave so quickly.

"Miss, you saved his life. No matter what he had to deal with, he should have stayed to thank you first."

"Oh, Su Su, I told you it doesn’t matter. He probably had urgent matters to attend to." Mu Yingying gave her maid a warning look to stop her from complaining further.

"But..." Su Su wanted to say more but fell silent under Mu Yingying’s gaze. Eventually, the young maid relented and kept quiet.

"Well, I should be going now."

Since the person she came to visit wasn’t there, Mu Yingying turned to bid farewell to Doctor Tao. She bowed to the elder before heading back to the carriage.

Doctor Tao seemed to have remembered something and said after Mu Yingying, "That boy’s name is Ke Jiaren, in case you didn’t know."

Ke Jiaren...

Mu Yingying repeated the name in her mind, realizing that was the boy’s name. She bowed once more to Doctor Tao before she and her maid climbed back into the carriage.

Nine years later.

Capital City, Qingzhou Region

On the second floor of a luxurious restaurant in the commercial district, a twenty-three-year-old man sat calmly sipping tea in a private room. The right side of his face was concealed by a silver mask, hiding the ugly scar beneath. However, the mask couldn’t conceal his cold eyes. An aura of power and intimidation radiated from him, making those who encountered him feel both respect and fear.

"Would you like more tea or some snacks, sir?"

The restaurant worker asked after pouring tea for the young man. Despite feeling deeply afraid of this man, he knew he had to provide excellent service as the man was a customer.

The silver mask man didn’t respond for nearly a quarter of an hour. His sharp eyes observed the lively street below while his right hand idly twirled the hot teacup, as if he was waiting for something.

Gathering his courage, the worker asked the silver mask man again, "Uh...sir, would you like anything else?"

The young man finally shifted his gaze from the street to the steam rising from his teacup.

"What are the famous snacks of this restaurant?"

Relieved to finally get a response, the worker felt a bit more at ease. The tense atmosphere eased as he listed the restaurant’s famous snacks.

"Then I’ll take one of each that you mentioned,"

The silver mask man said nonchalantly, but it brought great joy to the worker. The restaurant’s famous snacks were not cheap; daring to order all of it indicated his wealth.

"Thank you, sir. I will prepare them for you right away," the worker said happily and hurried off to arrange the order for the young man before him.

The young man thought to himself that women always favored sweets. If he went to see her without anything, it would be very rude, so at least he should bring these snacks when visiting her. As he anticipated seeing her again, a smile appeared on his usually stern face.

Shortly after the worker left, the person the young man was waiting for entered the room. The newcomer knelt on one knee and reported,

"Your Highness, we have found the person you were looking for."

Upon hearing the report, a smile played at the corner of the young man’s lips, enhancing his imposing face with a brief touch of charm.

He was finally going to see her again...

"But..." The man who delivered the report looked troubled. After a moment, he continued, "There is a problem with her at the moment, Your Highness."

A problem?

The silver mask man echoed the word in his mind, his expression hidden behind the mask betraying his surprise.

The young man behind the silver mask was Ke Jiaren, the boy who had been discarded like worthless trash on the street nine years ago. However, his status had changed, and he was now the Crown Prince of the powerful Basui Region, which bordered Qingzhou to the east. Previously, an incident had led to him being captured and enslaved in Qingyun City.

After returning to Basui and navigating the treacherous political struggles with his siblings, Ke Jiaren had emerged as the new Crown Prince of Basui.

A year ago, he had traveled back to Qingyun City to repay the kindness of Doctor Tao and Seventh Young Miss Mu who had saved him. Upon arriving, he discovered that the Mu family had relocated to the capital, which brought him to this luxurious restaurant in the capital of Qingzhou.

Once in the capital, he had sent his guards to investigate the whereabouts of Seventh Young Miss Mu. Now, he finally received a report, but the information he heard caused him great concern. What had happened to Mu Yingying during all these years? Unable to contain his curiosity, Ke Jiaren urgently questioned his trusted guard.

"What has happened to her?"

Seeing the Crown Prince’s intense gaze demanding an answer, the guard promptly reported without missing a detail. "Currently, Young Miss Mu Yingying and her elder sister have been sentenced to death for allegedly poisoning Lady Ping An, Your Highness."

Ke Jiaren’s heart sank after hearing those words.

Sentenced to death?!

His normally composed and cold expression showed signs of alarm. How could Mu Yingying be accused of such a grave crime? He couldn’t believe that the kind-hearted girl from that day was capable of murder. Something was definitely amiss.

Mu Yingying could never do such a thing!

"When did this happen, and how is she now?"

Ke Jiaren’s voice grew more sterned, his demeanor intimidating. His cold eyes now reflected a mix of anger and urgency. Mu Yingying in his memories was a kind-hearted and compassionate girl; she would never poison anyone. It seemed clear that she had been framed...

When inquiring about that woman, the Crown Prince of Basui’s expression grew even more menacing. His close guard could surmise that this woman must be of great importance to him, prompting the guard to immediately report further.

"The execution is to take place at the central execution platform. The executioner will soon carry out the sentence, Your Highness."

She’s to be executed today!

Ke Jiaren didn’t wait for his guard to say more. He swiftly used his lightness skill to leap from the second floor of the restaurant, rushing off in a hurry.

"Your Highness, wait for me." The guard quickly followed with his own lightness skill.

The young man raced toward the central execution platform, his heart filled with urgency. He prayed that the executioner had not yet beheaded Mu Yingying. How could such a kind-hearted woman be sentenced to death under such implausible accusations?

He would never allow it!

Upon arriving at the execution platform, he found a large crowd already gathered.

"I can’t believe those two could be so wicked."

"Indeed, they poisoned their own blood sister, Lady Ping An. How could they be so heartless?"

"Heartless women like them would never consider anyone their sibling. They deserve the death penalty."

The crowd buzzed with various opinions. Some expressed pity, others agreed with the punishment. But none truly knew the reality behind this death sentence.

Ke Jiaren’s eyes scanned through the crowd, settling on the execution platform. There, he saw the familiar face and eyes of the little girl who had been etched in his memory for years.

It was her, Mu Yingying...

From the innocent, kind-hearted, and compassionate little girl of those days, she was now in ragged prisoner clothes. Her body was dirty and emaciated, her hair disheveled, but none of that could hide her bright, big, round eyes.

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