Outside the main house, the servant sitting on the carriage saw Tang Xiaohua come out and immediately got down from the carriage.

“Madam, are you heading back?” the servant asked, his face full of smiles.

“Mm.” Tang Xiaohua nodded, glancing at the carriage.

“Madam, please!” the servant said with a smile, gesturing toward it. “Master was worried you’d be too tired from walking, so he had me prepare the carriage.”

Tang Xiaohua truly didn’t feel like walking back—she had walked so far already, and had also stood in the chamber for so long; she was tired.

She also knew it had been hard on her two sisters, and she couldn’t make them keep walking back with everyone else.

“Jiu’er, Xiao Yingtao, get on the carriage. It’s more comfortable there.” Tang Xiaohua said softly.

Xiao Yingtao knew they were heading back to the courtyard inside, and of course had no objection.

“Good.” She nodded vigorously and strode toward the carriage.

Feng Jiu’er glanced back at Yue Jianfei, then withdrew her gaze and followed Tang Xiaohua’s pace.

“Xiaohua.” Yue Jianfei, seeing his woman about to board the carriage, strode closer again.

“Go prepare a lavish dinner. Jiu’er and the others will be staying for dinner tonight, so stop following me around—what does that even look like?”

Tang Xiaohua tossed off this line and boarded the carriage without looking back.

The servant lowered the curtain for the women who had boarded, then turned to look at Yue Jianfei, his smile carrying a touch of bitterness.

“Master, I’ll see the ladies over first.”

“Go on.” Yue Jianfei waved his hand. “Be careful, don’t jostle Madam.”

“Yes, Master.” The servant nodded and drove the carriage forward.

The carriage departed, leaving Yue Jianfei alone.

He watched the carriage’s retreating figure, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

Not far away, hidden in a corner, Yang Hong’s face was already streaked with tears.

“Miss.” Xiao Tao gripped her hand. “Let’s leave first? It seems clear now that Master Yue won’t possibly…”

“No! I won’t give up.” Yang Hong shook her head firmly.

“Miss.” As Yang Hong tried to move forward, Xiao Tao tightly gripped her arm. “Don’t! Keep the green hills, and you’ll never lack firewood.”

“If we don’t leave now, even if Master Yue doesn’t do anything to you, Madam Yue certainly won’t let you off.”

“Let’s go, we’ll talk once we’re away from here.”

The moment the words fell, Xiao Tao, ignoring Yang Hong’s objections, pulled her away down another small path.

Tang Xiaohua, Feng Jiu’er, and Xiao Yingtao returned once more to Tang Xiaohua’s residence, walking straight into the chamber.

A maid brought in pastries and tea, then left, closing the door behind her for those inside.

Sitting in the main seat, Tang Xiaohua looked at the woman beside her and asked softly, “What exactly is going on? Tell me—I’m no blabbermouth, I can keep a secret.”

Feng Jiu’er, holding her teacup, set it down and turned to look at Tang Xiaohua. “I’ve come back this time to look for someone.”

“Look for someone? Who?” Tang Xiaohua frowned.

It seemed she wasn’t surprised by Feng Jiu’er’s words at all. Their Yue Family Hall specialized in gathering intelligence and dealing in information for a living—finding people was business they took on countless times a year.

Xiao Yingtao watched the two at the main seat, one hand holding a pastry, the other holding a teacup, utterly at ease.

With Jiu’er around, she had nothing to worry about—she’d just step in to help whenever Jiu’er needed it.

Feng Jiu’er glanced outside, then withdrew her gaze.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already given instructions—it’s safe to talk here.” Tang Xiaohua nodded.

“I know.” Feng Jiu’er curved her lips slightly.

Tang Xiaohua turned to meet her gaze, frowning slightly. “Honestly, what level has your internal energy actually reached? I really can’t tell at all.”

“Definitely beyond what you could imagine.” Feng Jiu’er said, without a trace of modesty.

“Impressive!” Tang Xiaohua glanced at Feng Jiu’er. “Go on then—like you, I’m quite interested in matters of making money.”

“Xiaohua, how could you tell Jiu’er is money-hungry?” Xiao Yingtao blinked, unable to help interjecting.

“With my eyes.” Tang Xiaohua glanced at Xiao Yingtao. “Not only money-hungry, but also quite smug—looking down on people before even fighting.”

Xiao Yingtao returned Tang Xiaohua’s words with a smile, set down her cup, and scratched her head.

“Xiaohua, no need to fight at all—even you and Master Yue together would be no match for Jiu’er.”

“Is she really that formidable?” Tang Xiaohua’s gaze shifted, returning to Feng Jiu’er.

She looked her up and down and said in a low voice, “Is she a thousand-year-old demon? Doesn’t look like one.”

“More formidable than a thousand-year-old demon.” Xiao Yingtao said with a smile in agreement. “Our Jiu’er is good-looking, good at fighting, good at earning money, and her martial arts are simply divine.”

“Xiao Yingtao, have you been drinking honey? Your mouth’s so sweet today?” Feng Jiu’er glanced at Xiao Yingtao.

When she withdrew her gaze, she realized Tang Xiaohua was watching her.

“Miss Tang, speak plainly if you have something to say.”

“I was thinking, before I help you find this person, shouldn’t I first check your identity?” Tang Xiaohua raised an eyebrow.

“Having a person of such importance arrive on my turf, and I know nothing about it—it doesn’t sit well with me.”

Xiao Yingtao, pastry still in her mouth, stared fixedly at Tang Xiaohua, even forgetting to chew.

Feng Jiu’er, by contrast, showed not the slightest hint of tension on her face.

She met Tang Xiaohua’s gaze and said softly with a smile, “When the time comes that you should know, I will certainly tell you.”

“For now, let’s hold off—no need to waste your family’s manpower and resources.”

Tang Xiaohua narrowed her eyes slightly, then finally nodded. “It doesn’t sit well, that’s true, but I won’t quarrel with money either.”

“And besides, it seems like if I really investigated, I might stir up trouble I don’t want—and trouble is the thing I hate most.”

Tang Xiaohua picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for herself and for Feng Jiu’er.

“For your sake, I’ll wait a bit, but don’t make me wait too long.”

“I won’t.” Feng Jiu’er said, lifting her teacup and offering it toward Tang Xiaohua.

Tang Xiaohua picked up her cup, clinked it against Feng Jiu’er’s, raised it, and drank heartily.

“Go on then.” She set down her cup and said softly, “Who are you looking for? If they can be found, I’ll definitely help.”

Feng Jiu’er gazed at Tang Xiaohua, turning somewhat serious. “Prince Ye—do you know him?”

“Prince Ye?” Tang Xiaohua frowned slightly. “How did you get tangled up with someone from the imperial palace?”

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yes, exactly—Prince Ye, who went missing from the capital.”

“As for why I’m looking for him, I’ll explain later.”

“So, do you have any news of him? I heard he went missing, and even the Emperor is searching for him—is that true?”

“Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.” Tang Xiaohua frowned. “But a while back, our Yue Family Hall did receive a letter from the palace.”

“I haven’t read the letter, so I don’t know what’s inside.”

“Where’s the letter? Can you get it?” Feng Jiu’er’s expression grew tense.

Right now, to Feng Jiu’er, nothing mattered more than the matter of Feng Li.