From cannon fodder villain to superpowered queen

Bi Yao pinched her nose, looking disgusted: "Young Master, are you sure this thing is hidden in the stable? This smell is awful!" Jiang Ruiyuan shrugged helplessly: "The clues point here, we can only try our luck." Time was of the essence, and Zhao Meng's patrol route could pass by the stable at any time, so the two dared not delay and immediately began searching.

The stable was cramped and filled with hay and horse tack. The air was thick with an indescribable odor that made Bi Yao feel nauseous.

Jiang Ruiyuan carefully compared the symbols on the slip of paper, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the stable.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on an inconspicuous wooden board next to the manger. The patterns on the board were strikingly similar to the symbols on the note!

He held his breath and tentatively pressed down on the wooden board. With a soft "click," the board caved inward, revealing a hidden compartment!

"Found it!" Jiang Ruiyuan exclaimed in a low voice, taking out a piece of parchment from a hidden compartment.

Bi Yao leaned closer and saw a simple map drawn on the parchment. A red dot was marked on the map, and next to it was a line of small writing: "Back garden, three steps away from the dry well."

Bi Yao couldn't help but look at Jiang Ruiyuan with admiration. This guy really has some skills!

Jiang Ruiyuan felt a warmth in his heart as he felt Bi Yao's gaze, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Just as the two were about to leave the stable, suddenly, a sound of footsteps approached from afar...

"It seems... someone is coming!" Bi Yao said in a low voice.

The footsteps grew closer, and Bi Yao's heart leaped into her throat.

In a split second, Jiang Ruiyuan reacted quickly and pulled her behind a haystack. The two pressed tightly together and held their breath.

At such close proximity, Bi Yao could clearly feel the warmth emanating from Jiang Ruiyuan, mixed with a faint scent of grass.

This taste...

I feel a little drunk!

A blush unconsciously rose to Bi Yao's cheeks.

Oops, it’s a heart-pounding feeling!

Jiang Ruiyuan also sensed Bi Yao's nervousness, so he gently patted the back of her hand to signal her not to panic.

Their eyes met, and it felt as if an electric current flowed between them.

Just as this ambiguous atmosphere was about to spread, the stable door creaked open.

"Hey, big brother, it's so late. Instead of studying the family business in your study, why are you here at the stables? Could it be... that you've become interested in raising horses?" The sarcastic tone made it obvious who it was.

Jiang Ruiming led Zhao Meng in, his face full of schadenfreude.

Zhao Meng scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "Young Master, what's so interesting about this stable?"

Jiang Ruiming sneered, "Who knows? Maybe my brother is looking for some treasure!" His gaze swept around the stable, finally landing on the haystack, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

He deliberately raised his voice and said, "Brother, is there some secret hidden in this haystack?"

Jiang Ruiyuan stood up calmly, dusted himself off, and said in a composed tone, "Third brother is joking. What secrets could there be in this stable? I just came to check on the horses."

"Is that so?" Jiang Ruiming walked to the haystack with a half-smile, making a gesture as if to reach out and push it aside.

Jiang Ruiyuan's eyes narrowed...

Jiang Ruiyuan's expression remained unchanged, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Instead of worrying about my whereabouts, Third Brother, you should focus more on the family business. The last collaboration with the Li family resulted in considerable losses, and Father has been quite critical of you." Jiang Ruiming's face stiffened; this was indeed his recent sore spot.

He glared at Jiang Ruiyuan fiercely, but had nothing to say.

Zhao Meng looked at this and then at that, not knowing what to say for a moment, and could only awkwardly scratch his head.

While Jiang Ruiming was distracted, Bi Yao quietly moved to the other side of the haystack and began to search the bottom of the haystack according to the instructions on the parchment.

"Found it!" Bi Yao was overjoyed as she touched a hard box.

However, the box was locked.

Without making a sound, Jiang Ruiyuan pulled out a delicate little tool from his sleeve, a gadget he usually used to study mechanical locks.

"Click, click..." The faint sound of the lock being opened was particularly clear in the quiet stable.

Just as the lock was about to be opened, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by loud shouts: "Young Master! Third Young Master! Something terrible has happened! Master has suddenly fallen ill!"

Jiang Ruiming's expression changed drastically. He didn't care about causing trouble for Jiang Ruiyuan anymore and hurriedly led Zhao Meng out.

Jiang Ruiyuan paused, stopping his unlocking motion.

He glanced at Bi Yao, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"It's too late..." Bi Yao said in a low voice.

Jiang Ruiyuan gritted his teeth, tightened his grip, and the sharp tool cut his finger, a drop of blood falling onto the box...