A warm, large hand covered Feng Jiu’er’s clenched fist.

Feng Jiu’er turned her head to look at the man beside her, and only then did her cold, sharp breath ease.

She pressed her lips together and said, “Ninth Imperial Uncle, if it really is that person…”

“No matter who it is, I will always be here.” Di Wu Ya tightened his grip on Feng Jiu’er’s fist.

Feng Jiu’er met Di Wu Ya’s gaze, her crescent brows furrowing lightly.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, if it really is that person, I intend to fight my way back. Would you… agree to that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Di Wu Ya reached out a large hand and gently rubbed Feng Jiu’er’s small head.

“I told you — wherever you are, I will be there too.”

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and coughed lightly to mask how moved she felt.

If those words had come from anyone else’s mouth, she might have doubted their sincerity — but coming from her Ninth Imperial Uncle, she didn’t doubt them at all.

Di Wu Ya drew back his long arm and pulled Feng Jiu’er up, settling her into his lap.

Feng Jiu’er looked up at the man holding her, momentarily unable to speak.

“Rest for a while. We’ll figure everything out once we reach shore,” Di Wu Ya said, his voice not particularly gentle — it even carried a commanding edge.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t mind at all; she even found it rather warm.

She looked at him, nodded, and wrapped her arms around his lean, strong waist, closing her eyes.

The others still on deck all turned their gazes away, deliberately or not.

They were simply a little worried — this chair, which had barely been able to support the Prince’s weight on its own, now had Miss Jiu’er added to it as well. Would it hold up?

Still, given how skilled the Prince was in martial arts, he surely wouldn’t let Miss Jiu’er fall.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t care at all about what the brothers were worrying over; as long as she was in her Ninth Imperial Uncle’s embrace, she felt completely at ease.

He could give her all the security she needed, whether in the past or now.

Now that her own people had finally settled into a somewhat stable and peaceful life, Feng Jiu’er had no plans for the time being to fight her way back into the Feng Clan.

What’s more, since a certain man had given up an entire empire just for her sake, she had once selfishly thought — should she stay by his side and live a carefree life with him for a while?

Of course, all such decisions would have to wait until she found her father.

Her father was her only family. Whatever he decided would be her decision too.

And yet, who would have thought that even hiding so far away, he would still be found.

If this person really was Feng Qiongcang, or someone from the Feng Clan, this was an insult she would never be able to swallow.

After more than two days of nonstop travel, Feng Jiu’er, too, was exhausted.

In this reassuring embrace, she easily began to grow drowsy.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle.” Before falling asleep, Feng Jiu’er forced her eyes open and looked at the man holding her.

“What is it?” Di Wu Ya’s voice softened considerably as he met her drowsy gaze.

“Be sure to wake me when we reach shore,” Feng Jiu’er said, her eyes drooping.

“Alright.” Di Wu Ya nodded in response.

Having received Di Wu Ya’s affirmative answer, Feng Jiu’er closed her eyes once more.

Before long, her breathing evened out.

The early autumn weather wasn’t hot, but carried a slight chill.

The woman in his arms curled up a little. Di Wu Ya, holding her, stood up.

“My lord, we’re about an hour from shore. Take Miss Jiu’er inside to rest for a while,” Yu Jingfeng said, lowering his voice as much as possible.

Di Wu Ya didn’t respond. He carried the woman in his arms horizontally and walked toward the cabin.

In front of Di Wu Ya, Feng Jiu’er truly looked petite and pitiable — at a glance, it looked just like a father carrying his own daughter.

Di Wu Ya carried Feng Jiu’er into the cabin, and the ship fell silent, with only the sound of waves slapping against the hull remaining.

An hour later, the ship reached shore.

Di Wu Ya carried Feng Jiu’er and boarded a carriage.

The moment the carriage stopped in front of the residence where Feng Li lived, Feng Jiu’er woke up.

She glanced at Di Wu Ya, and her awareness returned instantly.

Feng Jiu’er got down from Di Wu Ya, immediately went over, and lifted the carriage curtain.

“Yu Jingfeng, where are we now?”

“Miss Jiu’er, this is Prince Ye’s residence.” Yu Jingfeng dismounted and helped lift the curtain from outside.

“My lord said to return to the residence and look around first, so he didn’t wake you the moment we landed.”

“Alright, I understand.” Feng Jiu’er turned to look at Di Wu Ya. “Ninth Imperial Uncle, let’s go — let’s see what’s going on first.”

“Mm.” Di Wu Ya nodded and followed in Feng Jiu’er’s footsteps.

Knowing that the Prince and Miss Jiu’er had arrived, several brothers came out to greet them in front of the residence.

Watching Di Wu Ya and Feng Jiu’er step down from the carriage, the brothers came forward.

“My lord, Miss Jiu’er.” Several brothers who hadn’t been seen in a while called out in unison.

Feng Jiu’er waved a hand, glanced around at her surroundings, then withdrew her gaze and walked inside.

“These past days, who’s been looking after my father, and was there anything unusual before he disappeared?”

“Reporting to Miss Jiu’er, Prince Ye has always been looked after by the four of us brothers. We’ve never entrusted any of his daily affairs, big or small, to anyone else.”

“The four of us took turns watching over Prince Ye, with at least two of us on duty even at night. And yet…” The brother following them wore a face full of guilt.

“Let’s go take a look first. No use talking about that now,” Feng Jiu’er said quietly.

What had to come would come; these were all her Ninth Imperial Uncle’s men, and Feng Jiu’er didn’t doubt their competence.

At this point, the priority should be finding her father first; whatever punishment was due wasn’t hers to decide.

Hearing this from Feng Jiu’er, the brothers all unconsciously let out a breath of relief, though they looked even more guilt-stricken than before.

“Miss Jiu’er, my lord, this way please!” Arriving at a winding turn, one of the brothers gestured ahead.

Feng Jiu’er had been taking in her surroundings since they’d first entered, and truthfully, this was indeed a beautiful place.

Even with autumn approaching, everything around them was still lush and green. The courtyard within the residence was vast, so vast one couldn’t even see the surrounding walls.

Behind the courtyard were two mountains; within the grounds were groves, a lake, small hills, and pavilions — everything one could think of was there.

Her father was just one person, yet her Ninth Imperial Uncle had prepared such a fine place for him to recuperate — it was more than enough.

And from the sound of it, this Guzhou City was one of the more prosperous places in this country.

To find such a fine residence in a bustling area must have cost a great deal of money.

The leading brother stopped and turned back to look at Feng Jiu’er: “Miss Jiu’er, ahead is where Prince Ye usually spends his daily life within the residence.”

“Prince Ye doesn’t like to wander around much; his routine is very simple.”

The brother turned back and gestured.

“On the other side of the lake is the chamber he chose for himself.”

“Prince Ye occasionally fishes by the lake, occasionally practices swordsmanship, paints, reads through books, and there’s also that grove over there — sometimes Prince Ye goes in for a walk too.”