Chapter 18: Encountering... An Old Friend in a Foreign Land?

Ye Xinyan had no time to care about the gazes of the people around her. Though there is a saying that sight also has physical attributes, that notion is too ethereal and elusive. As long as you can ignore it mentally, it will not affect you in any way.

However, actual, substantial disturbances were another matter entirely.

In the early spring, the ground had become slightly soft, and because they had a wheelbarrow, Ye Xinyan and her companions could not stray too far from the official road when stopping for a meal.

It was now Noon, and apparently in a rush to travel, a few horses sped past on the official road. Following the sound of the horses' hooves, dust flew into the air, heading straight for the roadside where Ye Xinyan sat eating from her bowl.

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but they really did kick up a lot of dust, and they were eating, right?

Okay, okay, the official road is for traveling, not eating, and those who can ride horses are always of higher status than poor commoners like them. Besides, even without considering status, she wasn't in any position to chase after the galloping horses and cause trouble.

Just accept it.

But why did they turn back, come again? And why did the horses that kicked up the dust stop not far from them?

Though she had fallen on hard times and was doing her utmost to adapt to this life, she shouldn't be bullied like this, right? Couldn't they see they were eating?

Ye Xinyan shielded her bowl with her hand and looked up, slightly annoyed.

Well, she couldn't provoke them, so better to let it go.

Seeing the five tall and burly riders, Ye Xinyan lowered her head again, prepared to be low-key and continue sipping her wild vegetable soup, with her back turned. Poor and powerless, what choice did she have but to comply, lest even greater danger befall her?

Just as she was about to turn away, Ye Xinyan suddenly felt something was amiss and abruptly looked up again.

That's right, she should know the man in the lead, that Jiang... what was his name again?

Ye Xinyan turned to look at Nanny Jin, only to see that Nanny Jin's face was pale and she was also looking back at her.

It seemed she was right; she hadn't mistaken the person. Among the group of five, the one leading was her predecessor's former husband, Jiang Yifan. The several men following him were his attendants, who all looked shocked at this moment, staring at her as if they had seen a ghost.

Ye Xinyan watched Jiang Yifan warily, trying to reassure herself. In the original owner's memory, Jiang Yifan shouldn't be so crass as to want her dead. Getting rid of her had already been a satisfactory outcome for him.

Jiang Yifan, sitting on his horse, was indescribably shocked when he confirmed that the young woman with unkempt hair was indeed Ye Xinyan. He had merely glanced inadvertently, sensing subconsciously that the figures on the roadside seemed familiar, and it truly turned out to be Nanny Jin and Ye Xinyan.

Although the woman had changed significantly, hadn't Ye Xinyan caused him countless troubles over the last three years? She had once brought him to a point of utter despair, making him believe he would never escape this foolish woman, almost pushing him to the edge of giving up completely. His recognition of Ye Xinyan was naturally incomparable to that of an ordinary person.

Not to mention Nanny Jin was with her.

This woman's foolishness was real, yet in her escape from Duke An's Mansion, she displayed an extraordinary ability. To think that under the pursuit of Duke An's Mansion, two unprepared women managed to flee, it certainly wasn't a matter of just luck.

Jiang Yifan's gaze lingered on the faces of Ye Xinyan, Nanny Jin, and Qi Younian for a few moments, his brow furrowing slightly. Why was there an old man with them?

His gaze then fell on the bowl of plain wild vegetable soup in Ye Xinyan's hands.

At the end of last year, news came out of Duke An's Mansion that the legitimate granddaughter who was sent to the ancestral temple had fallen ill due to her inability to adapt to the temple life and had already passed away.

Jiang Yifan was extremely shocked when he heard the news. He knew very well what Ye Xinyan's physical condition and temperament were like. How could she have fallen ill from melancholy? And how could she have died in such a short period of time? Could it be that she hadn't been content even in the ancestral temple, and the Duke's Mansion had dealt with her?

With this thought, Jiang Yifan felt a mix of disgust for Ye Xinyan's failure to recognize the times and sorrow for this distinguished woman. It seemed that being born into a prominent family wasn't all that enviable.

Therefore, seeing the repulsive Ye Xinyan here, he felt both surprised and relieved. After all, she was still alive and hadn't lost her life because he had decided to divorce her.

On the other hand, Jiang Yifan once again was certain that Ye Xinyan was not a woman who followed the rules. Confined to the ancestral temple yet still able to escape, causing the great Duke's Mansion to fail to find her, ultimately they had no choice but to abandon her, announcing her death outright.

And this Ye Family miss, always domineering, arrogant, and unreasonable, although she had escaped, was she not living too miserably? His eyes focused on the wild vegetable soup in Ye Xinyan's hands. Could she, the great miss of Duke An's Mansion, actually stomach such a thing?

Jiang Yifan's gaze returned to Ye Xinyan's face, only to find that the surprise, dissatisfaction, and wariness had disappeared from her face. Instead, her eyes were gleaming craftily as she stared straight at him.

Jiang Yifan shivered immediately. He had a personal experience of how troublesome this woman could be. It was not easy to get rid of her, so he should leave quickly. As for whether this woman called Ye Xinyan was dead or alive and what her current situation was, it had nothing to do with him.

He tugged at the reins, preparing to turn his horse around.

Upon seeing Jiang Yifan's intention to leave, Ye Xinyan immediately became anxious and called out loudly, "Wait a moment!"

Jiang Yifan, still too inexperienced, couldn't help but glance back.

Shi Yu, standing beside him, silently facepalmed. The young master was usually smart. Why would he be so foolish at this moment? What more was there to see? Regardless of whether she was the Ye Family woman or not, what did it have to do with you, young master? Haven't you suffered enough?

Ye Xinyan, seizing the moment Jiang Yifan glanced back, quickly stepped forward and said, "You know, it's like encountering an old acquaintance in a foreign land, haha."

She didn't dare say encountering an old friend; judging by the original host's past actions, it would seem Jiang had probably hoped never to see her again, no matter where they were.

Sure enough, Jiang Yifan looked at Ye Xinyan with a cold face, not speaking a word. Encountering an old acquaintance was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, but what was meeting Ye Xinyan supposed to be for him?

Ye Xinyan thickened her skin and continued, "Could you... possibly..." Ye Xinyan looked around and, seeing no one else nearby, continued, "Could you lend me one hundred taels of silver?"

Nanny Jin, who was already terrified, fearing Jiang Yifan might harbor ill intentions and bind them to take them back, was even more frightened when she heard Ye Xinyan brazenly stopping Jiang Yifan. If Young Master Jiang bound them and delivered them back to the Duke's Mansion, what would they do? But upon hearing Ye Xinyan's following words, Nanny Jin almost dropped the bowl from her hands.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly, and the bowl did not fall to the ground, but most of the soup had been spilled.

Nanny Jin's mouth hung open, staring blankly at Ye Xinyan... Miss... the miss was really losing too much face, wasn't she?