The next day was New Year’s Eve, and it should have been Qiao Mu and Feng Jiang’s wedding day, yet there wasn’t a trace of festive joy.

The night before, Feng Jiang had left.

When Qiao Mu went to find him, only a letter remained in his room.

Not long after dawn, Qiao Mu, gone half-mad, had shouldered her silver dragon-tongue spear and stormed out.

Fortunately, Long Shiyi, who had risen early, ran into her and pulled her back.

Feng Jiu’er had slept very deeply the night before. Di Wu Ya had personally changed her clothes and kept watch by her side all night.

When Xiao Yingtao came to knock on the door, the person inside still hadn’t woken.

“Jiu’er, something’s happened! Something’s happened to the Third Prince!” she shouted loudly, gave the door a quick knock, and pushed it open, walking in.

Yu Jingfeng, who had been resting in the hall, sat up and strode forward to meet her.

“Xiao Yingtao, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Yingtao came to the door of the inner chamber and pounded on it hard.

“Jiu’er, something’s happened, something’s happened to the Third Prince.”

“Jiu’er, get up quickly! Hurry! Otherwise Qiao Mu is going to lose her mind.”

Yu Jingfeng hadn’t expected Xiao Yingtao to be so direct, and by the time he tried to stop her, he couldn’t.

He came to Xiao Yingtao’s side and said in a low voice, “Xiao Yingtao, my prince has returned—what exactly is going on?”

“I know your prince is back. The Third Prince has gone missing. Quick, wake them up.” Xiao Yingtao was very anxious, and kept knocking on the door.

“Jiu’er, the Third Prince went to find Feng Jin. Jiu’er, get up right now.”

“Qiao Mu has gone mad! Get up and stop her right now, she wants to go save the Third Prince by herself, Jiu’er!”

Feng Jiu’er had slept very deeply the night before, but just before dawn, she began having a strange dream.

She dreamed that Ninth Imperial Uncle had returned, and also dreamed that her father had been captured, and that someone whose face she couldn’t make out had collapsed in a pool of blood while trying to save her father.

Although she couldn’t make out this person’s face, watching him fall made her heart ache terribly.

This person mattered a great deal to her.

Who exactly was he?

“No!” Feng Jiu’er suddenly screamed and sat bolt upright.

“Girl.” Di Wu Ya held her with one arm, his other hand stroking her head.

He looked down at her and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

Feng Jiu’er took a deep breath and looked up to meet the man’s gaze, her eyes rimmed red.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, I had a dream, I dreamed…”

“Jiu’er, something’s happened!” Xiao Yingtao’s voice came again. “Something’s happened to the Third Prince, get up quickly.”

“Jiu’er!”

Feng Jiu’er turned to look, and her eyes immediately went wide.

A flash shot through her mind—the utterly bloodless face from her dream, wasn’t that her third imperial brother’s?

Feng Jiu’er pulled away from the man’s arms, got out of bed, and rushed toward the door, not even stopping to put on her shoes.

“Xiao Yingtao, what did you say?” Feng Jiu’er pulled open the door, her face full of alarm.

Xiao Yingtao looked into Feng Jiu’er’s eyes and was momentarily stunned herself.

“Jiu’er.” The voice that came out of her was somewhat softer.

“What did you say? What happened to my third imperial brother?” Feng Jiu’er grabbed hold of Xiao Yingtao’s sleeve.

“Xiao Yingtao, say something! What exactly happened to my third imperial brother?”

Xiao Yingtao didn’t know that Feng Jiu’er had had a nightmare, and so naturally couldn’t understand why she was so much more anxious than expected.

There was grief in her eyes, and hatred, and killing intent.

Seeing Feng Jiu’er like this made Xiao Yingtao wonder, almost against her will, whether something truly terrible had happened to the Third Prince.

“Jiu’er.” Xiao Yingtao, frightened by Feng Jiu’er, seemed to have lost her wits for a moment.

Only then did Feng Jiu’er release Xiao Yingtao, forcing herself to hide the fear the dream had left in her.

Di Wu Ya came over and draped a robe over her.

Feng Jiu’er said nothing, letting herself be carried back inside.

“Jiu’er, the Third Prince is gone.” Xiao Yingtao, finally coming back to herself, said quietly.

When Feng Jiu’er heard this, she gripped tightly at the hem of Di Wu Ya’s robe.

“What exactly is going on?”

At a time like this, she had to stay calm, or else Qiao Mu really would lose her mind.

Feng Jiu’er could hardly imagine what reckless thing Qiao Mu might do upon learning that her third imperial brother had gone missing.

If it were her—happily planning her wedding to the one she loved just last night, only for him to vanish today—wouldn’t she go mad too?

“I don’t know either.” Xiao Yingtao shook her head helplessly.

“I heard Qiao Mu went to find the Third Prince early this morning, and he was gone—only a letter was left in his room.”

“Qiao Mu went mad, shouldering her silver spear to go save him, and in the end Long Shiyi and several of the brothers had to stop her.”

“Jiu’er, I really don’t know what’s going on. Go take a look quickly.”

Feng Jiu’er was set down by the bed. She put on her shoes while Di Wu Ya brought over another set of clothes.

Xiao Yingtao said nothing more, stepped forward, and pulled the room’s door shut.

By the time Di Wu Ya and Feng Jiu’er made their way over, quite a few people had already gathered in the courtyard.

Qiao Mu hadn’t exactly been subdued—she simply couldn’t fight off so many people alone.

Holding her silver dragon-tongue spear, she rested for a moment before glaring furiously at everyone present.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone—get out of my way! Or don’t blame me for being unkind!”

“Qiao Mu, whatever it is, let’s wait for Miss Jiu’er to arrive and talk it through, all right?” Yang Sheng absolutely refused to step aside.

From his disheveled clothes and the dust on his face and hands, it was clear he had already taken quite a beating.

“Yang Sheng, get out of my way!” Qiao Mu snapped up her silver dragon-tongue spear and pointed it at him.

“If Feng Jiang dares run out on our wedding, I will absolutely bring him back!”

“Yang Sheng, get out of my way! Move it!”

Qiao Mu’s eyes were red with fury—today, no one, whoever they were, was going to stop her!

In her bloodshot eyes, beyond the anger, there was even more worry.

Qiao Mu didn’t want to show her worry, as if believing that if she didn’t worry, nothing bad would happen to him.

“Qiao Mu, don’t be rash!” Long Shiyi tried to move in and take her silver spear.

Qiao Mu spun around and glared at Long Shiyi. “Get out! All of you get away from me, go!”

“Qiao Mu.” Just as Qiao Mu was losing all restraint, Feng Jiu’er’s voice, carried by her inner strength, rang out.

Everyone turned to see a woman in a snow-white robe standing at the entrance.

The man beside her wore an identical snow-white robe.

The two of them, one tall and one shorter, were both so handsome and beautiful that they made an utterly enviable pair.

But at this moment, no one had the heart to think about anything else.

“Jiu’er.” Yue Qinchun walked over and placed the letter in her hand into Feng Jiu’er’s own.

“This is the letter Qiao Mu found. Take a look.”

Feng Jiu’er took the letter without pausing in her stride.

She walked straight to Qiao Mu’s side, reached out her pale, slender hand, and grasped the head of the silver spear.

Qiao Mu looked at her for a moment, then lowered the spear.

“Let’s talk inside.” Without waiting for Qiao Mu to respond, Feng Jiu’er said softly, then turned and walked toward the main hall.

Qiao Mu gripped her silver spear tightly, picked it up, and followed.

Her footsteps were so heavy they were painful to watch.

If not for this happening, Qiao Mu would have been a bride today.

But right now—where was the groom?