Chapter 15: 抓賊
[Catching a Thief]
So, for the next three meals a day, Ji Ling and the others would always welcome a guest who was not unexpected. Tang Xiaobao’s shock at the beginning and his calmness later on was perfect. The food was still the same, but there was something missing, which was not noticeable to Ji Tao, because the food was still delicious. Only the first time he made it, Ji Ling froze for a moment after eating it, and gave him a glance without a trace.
But after that, every night when Ji Ling had to work, he would receive a tonic made by Tang Xiaobao. After eating the food, the frown that had been vaguely frowning then relaxed.
“Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master seems to have sent someone to check something in the mansion?” After watching the maid bring down the finished bowl, and there were only the two of them in the room, Feng Ling opened his mouth.
Ji Ling did not seem to be surprised at all, and asked with an unchanged expression, “What is it?”
“The second young master seems to be very interested in the eldest young madam and has also been very interested in your medical history, young master.” Feng Ling pondered for a while and answered with discretion.
Ji Ling laughed softly, only his voice appeared a bit grim in the dark room, “If he likes it, let him investigate, just don’t let his claws extend too far.” Even the matters that he did not know, how can others find out?
“Yes.” Looking at Ji Ling who started to bury his head in his business after saying that, Feng Ling stood on the side like a statue.
Looking at the fragrant midnight snacks in front of him, Ji Tao said towards his favourite pet with a smile yet not a smile on his face, “Do you think this bowl of soup sent by my sister-in-law is the same as the one sent to my elder brother’s place?”
The maid delicately glanced at the colour of the soup, looked at her own young master who didn’t seem to be angry, and slowly said, “Naturally it should be the same, that someone would bother to make two different soups in the middle of the night, and also to stew it for so long. Besides, the second young master was born into wealth, the eldest young sister in law is more than flattered by you, how could he make you angry.”
Ji Tao reached out and pinched his delicate face, snickering, “I don’t know about others, but this big brother of mine probably doesn’t care.” However, looking at what he had been eating for days, and Tang Xiao Bao’s face that looked more and more pleasant, he said noncommittally, “If that fool is abandoned by my brother one day, it may not be possible for him to come to me as a chef, at least the dishes are well made.”
The maid leaned into his arms and complimented, “Young master, you are truly a good man.”
Hearing this, Ji Tao just smiled and did not answer. After he finished his soup and sent the maid to send the bowl back, he then said to his beloved servant, who had been acting as an invisible man beside him, “Find someone to go to my sister-in-law’s kitchen to check it out, I always feel that there are secrets hidden there.” After hesitating for a while, as if recalling some bad memories, he continued, “Be careful, this big brother of mine is very ruthless.”
After hearing this, the trusted aide hesitated for a while and responded, “Yes, this subordinate knows.”
Tang Xiaobao was busy in the kitchen making a new pattern of pastries, this was something he stumbled upon a few days ago when he went out to eat, and he liked it very much, only that Ji Ling didn’t like this sticky stuff, so he wanted to change the ingredients, so maybe it would be a bit more tasty. After these few days, Tang Xiaobao thinks he is a young master with a little temper, but he is not that bad. The skilled will get things well put on the steamer, Tang Xiaobao will be waiting at the side, the first time to make the fire, he needs to watch the fire.
Maybe it’s because Tang Xiaobao’s temperament is too good on weekdays, the maid squatting there to burn the fire couldn’t help but inhale and exclaimed, “The things that madam makes are just fragrant.”
When Tang Xiaobao heard this, he smiled and couldn’t help but say, “If you like it, I’ll make some more some other day and you can have it.”
Hearing Tang Xiaobao say this, the fire-burning maid’s face instantly turned white, waving her hand repeatedly, saying, “Madam, slave girl doesn’t need it.”
Originally, Tang Xiaobao still wanted to say a few more words, but seeing the maid’s face, he gave up the idea in an instant, and suddenly thought of the last time he raised this question that the servant was also terrified, and in the end, he didn’t dare to accept it. He just didn’t understand, he made something so delicious, Ji Ling and Ji Tao are the best representatives, yet why are these maids as if he forced them to eat?Tang Xiaobao felt puzzled.
Waiting until the evening when Ji Ling came back, Tang Xiaobao said his doubts, looking at Ji Ling waiting for him to answer. He knew that Ji Ling was very smart. This kind of question can definitely give him a reasonable explanation.
In front of him was Tang Xiaobao’s clear eyes, Ji Ling implicitly looked around at the subordinates, and faintly said, “Perhaps they don’t want you to work too hard, that’s why they don’t accept it.”
Tang Xiaobao heard this and thought they are now in ancient times, the subordinate signed a contract of death, life and death are the master of the house, human life is nothing, even more unlikely to let the master of the house cook something for them to eat. Thinking through this point, Tang Xiaobao suddenly realized.
Seeing Tang Xiaobao’s realization, Ji Ling urged him to go and wash up. Seeing him turn around and go out happily, Ji Ling used his hand to point at the table. That ‘ta ta’ sound was very clear in the room where no one was talking, but the voice was long enough for every servant in the room to hear, “What should be done and what should not be done. You must be clear in your mind.”
At night, Tang Xiaobao, like a good baby, will be rolled into a ball, rolled in a circle yet he still can not sleep. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t sleep.
“Can’t sleep?”
Hearing the voice that suddenly appeared beside him, although familiar, he was still reflexively startled. Tang Xiaobao turned his head to look, only to see Ji Ling looking at himself sideways. Looking at Ji Ling’s face, which had become more and more good looking since his health had improved, he was very stunning under the moonlight. Tang Xiaobao suddenly felt a bit shy, and quietly shrank down a bit towards the quilt. Somewhat embarrassedly as he said, “I don’t know why but I can’t sleep today.”
Ji Ling looked at him for a while and said faintly, “Why?”
Tang Xiaobao shook his head, he didn’t know why, he just couldn’t sleep.
Seeing Tang Xiaobao like this, Ji Ling moved closer to him, stretching out his hand to press on Tang Xiaobao’s body, cuddling him, “Go to bed early, there are still things to do tomorrow.”
Feeling the weight on his body, Tang Xiaobao’s face flushed red, and he shrank inwards again, but he still gradually fell asleep under the familiar scent. Half asleep, half awake, he only heard something moving outside, and then a fire was lit up. When he managed to open his eyes, he realized that Ji Ling had got dressed and got up at some point.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Xiaobao, who hadn’t woken up yet, had a nasal tone in his voice, which was sticky and somewhat cute.
Ji Ling glanced at him and rubbed his head, his voice was steady as always: “Nothing, there’s a thief in the house, we’re catching him.”
Hearing this, Tang Xiaobao immediately came to his senses, looked straight at Ji Ling, and said blankly, “Then should we go out and take a look?”
Ji Ling glanced at the fading sound outside, his eyes still pale, then looked at Tang Xiaobao and said, “It’s alright, there are many guards in the house, they should have caught them by now. You go to sleep, I’ll go out to take a look, I’ll ask them to guard you.” After saying that, he was ready to leave.
Feeling his cuffs being pulled by someone, and then seeing a pair of very slender hands, looking towards the owner, Tang Xiaobao was looking at him very worriedly, saying uncertainly, “Will it be unsafe for you to go out?”
Ji Ling held his soft and nice hands, and helped him to lie back, advising, “The nurse I hired is not an idle person.”
Until Ji Ling left, Tang Xiaobao looked at the direction of the door, not sure if Ji Ling smiled just now. Well, he should have smiled a little, he looks so good looking when he smiles.
When Ji Ling walked outside, Feng Ling, who had been waiting there for a long time, took out a cloak and put it on him, and then said in a low voice, “Young Master, the person has been captured.”
Ji Ling glanced at him and nodded, “Let’s go, tell the people to guard this place.”
“Yes, Young Master.” He sent more men to guard the courtyard where Tang Xiaobao was, then followed Ji Ling and left.
Still sleeping, Ji Tao was awakened by a burst of noise, opened his eyes and looked at the subordinates on guard, his tone was very bad, and casually threw an object over, “In the middle of the night, what are you guys arguing about, dog things.”
Knowing that his own young master is on top of the anger, the subordinate also did not dare to come forward to touch his eyebrows, just recalled the matter of this house or honestly went forward to explain, “The second young master, the thief entered into the house, it has been caught.”
Hearing this, Ji Tao instantly came to his senses and grabbed him by the collar, “Caught?”
“Yes, Young Master, it seems to be under interrogation right now.” The subordinate replied with trepidation. He was then pushed violently and fell to the ground.
Ji Tao hurriedly put on his clothes, and not a moment later his subordinate ran in with a heavy face. Ji Tao glanced at him, took a deep breath, and calmly said, “Let’s go and see who on earth is so bold as to break in in the middle of the night.”
“Yes.”
Waiting for the master and servant duo to arrive at the place, from afar, they smelled a bout of bloody odour, Ji Tao’s footsteps paused for a moment, they still walked straight in. Seeing the person lying there once they entered, the blood flow on the ground, all bloody. In addition to the executor standing next to the person, from time to time he sprinkled things on that person’s wounds, every sprinkle, that person will move a bit, and then gradually do not move anymore. The maids and boys’ servants’ faces pale likened to the ghosts. While his own big brother is sitting there, expressionless face watching all this, until he sees he came, only lifting his head to look at himself, revealing a faint smile, inexplicably letting a person’s body shiver.
“Second brother, you were also woken up?”
Ji Tao struggled to keep his eyes away from the red liquid on top of that beach, and revealed a decent smile towards Ji Ling, but there was always a fishy odour that constantly surrounded him.
Seeing Ji Tao’s face turn white, Ji Ling seemed to survey him with interest for a while before slowly opening his mouth.
