The military manual remained unchanged, momentarily transporting He Yan back to the days when she first married into the He family.

After she became blind, she never took out this military manual again. She had thought the book was either undiscovered or long burned by Xu Zhi Heng. She never expected it would return to her hands now. However, how did this book end up in Second Madam He’s possession?

“Tell me, what does my mother mean by giving me this book?” He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. “Could she have recognized me?”

Before Xiao Jue could speak, He Yan immediately shook her head in denial. “Impossible. Even in my previous life, I could count our meetings on one hand. My mother probably couldn’t remember what I looked like then, let alone now.” She laughed self-mockingly. “Now I’m also starting to overthink and imagine things.”

However, when she recalled the moment Second Madam He pressed the military manual into her hands, she vaguely caught a glimpse of affection and reluctance in the other’s eyes.

How could this be possible?

Second Madam He had another daughter. Compared to herself, He Xin Ying had grown up by Second Madam He’s side, truly being her precious pearl. Unlike herself, who had never even called her “Mother.” He Yan had always thought she could face the He family members with a heart of steel, but when she rushed into Second Madam He’s room and saw He Xin Ying sleeping in the same bed with her mother, able to have such intimate late-night talks even after marriage, she felt jealous.

Thinking carefully, her family bonds in her previous life had always been sparse. Parents were distant, husband the same. Although it was all in the past life, and although she now had companions by her side, some regrets would remain there, impossible to make up for throughout her entire life, like a hole covered by sand – when the wind blows, it’s still empty and heart-wrenching.

He Yan didn’t want Xiao Jue to notice her dejection, so she changed the subject. “However, this military manual now perfectly solves my urgent problem. Those handwritten notes found earlier in Xian Chang Hall were from too long ago, and He Ru Fei could excuse them by saying his handwriting changed later. This military manual is from more recent times. As long as we carefully compare it with He Ru Fei’s current handwriting, we’ll surely find discrepancies, and moreover… it’s a military manual, heaven is helping us.”

Xiao Jue nodded. “The correspondence with the Wu Tuo people will also come in handy when the time is right.”

“He Ru Fei kept these letters probably because he feared the Wu Tuo people and Minister Xu might betray him, so he kept them as insurance, hiding them in the Ling Long box to be safe,” He Yan pondered. “I don’t know whether to call him cunning or foolish.”

It was precisely his paranoia that had left evidence in others’ hands.

“I don’t feel safe keeping these things,” He Yan thought for a moment and said to Xiao Jue, “You should keep them instead. No matter how bold He Ru Fei is, he wouldn’t dare cause trouble at the Xiao residence.”

She looked up at the sky; daybreak wasn’t far off. They had spent the entire night on this, “I need to go back. When dawn comes, He Ru Fei will send people to search all of Shuo Jing. I’m worried something might happen.”

“I’ll escort you back.”

He Yan nodded. Though she tried to appear normal, the matter with Second Madam He still weighed heavily on her mind. Although no one currently knew about her threatening Second Madam He to open the door, who knew if He Ru Fei would suspect Second Madam He? Even if she was a member of the He family… given He Ru Fei’s ruthlessness, if he could be cruel to her, what about Second Madam He? He Yuan Liang completely disregarded the father-daughter relationship, so how much of the husband-wife bond could remain?

“Don’t worry, I’ll have people infiltrate the He residence to watch over Second Madam He,” as if seeing through her concerns, “Nothing will happen to her.”

He Yan looked up at him, slightly relieved. “Thank you for that.”

Even so, she still seemed somewhat dejected. Xiao Jue’s gaze swept over her lightly as he said, “He Yan.”

“What?”

“In two days, it’s my birthday.”

He Yan made an “oh” sound, suddenly realizing something as she lifted her head, “Then… is there anything you want? I can buy it for you as a gift.”

“Do you have money?” he asked.

“Didn’t you give me some banknotes last time?” He Yan answered smoothly, but upon seeing his expression, she smiled sheepishly, realizing it might be inappropriate to use someone’s money to buy them a gift, “But… that’s all the money I have.”

“My embroidery skills aren’t good either, and I can’t embroider a handkerchief in just a day or two. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? It’s too late to make anything now. How about… I go pick up a stone and chisel it into a shape you like?”

Back in Liang Zhou Wei, Chu Zhao would stay up late at night just to pick stones; perhaps all these young masters from wealthy families had such peculiar hobbies.

Xiao Jue’s face darkened as if recalling unpleasant memories. “Not necessary.”

“Then what do you want?” He Yan moved closer to ask. Thanks to Xiao Jue’s distraction, her previous low spirits had somewhat lifted, and now she was genuinely concerned about Young Master Xiao’s birthday gift.

“I want to go to the night market,” Xiao Jue glanced at her, “Bring the banknotes, and whatever I like, you’ll buy it for me.”

Now He Yan understood – Second Young Master Xiao wanted to experience being pampered. However, usually, it was men accompanying women to the night market, buying them flowers, jade, and hairpins. How had it reversed with her?

“I never thought you’d have such an unimaginable hobby,” He Yan muttered quietly behind his back.

“What did you say?” Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow.

He Yan turned around, smiling sweetly, “I meant, since it’s our young master’s birthday wish, I’d climb mountains of blades or wade through seas of fire to fulfill it. It’s just visiting a night market, right? I’ll bring all the banknotes with me and buy you whatever you want, how’s that?”

The girl’s face was close by, completely unaware of how inappropriately close she was to him. Xiao Jue turned his head slightly, his lips curling up as he uttered a soft “Mm.”

After Xiao Jue escorted He Yan back to the residence late at night, it was already very late. He Yan simply went to bed for a good sleep to make up for lost rest, and when she woke up, it was already noon. Qing Mei had prepared lunch, and He Yan sat at the table rubbing her sleepy eyes, picked up her chopsticks, and asked, “Qing Mei, is there any news outside today?”

Qing Mei was helping He Yan serve soup when she heard this and responded in surprise, “Miss, how did you know something happened outside? Early this morning, when I saw you sleeping soundly, I didn’t dare wake you. When I went to buy vegetables in the street, I heard that Flying Hong General’s residence was robbed last night. Valuable items were stolen from Flying Hong General’s room. Now the city gates have been sealed, and officials are searching everywhere for suspicious persons.” After speaking, she muttered to herself, “But how could there be such a bold thief who would dare to steal from Flying Hong General’s residence? Isn’t that seeking death?”

She didn’t know that the bold thief was sitting at the table, calmly drinking the hot soup from her bowl.

Just thinking about how He Ru Fei must be panicking like a headless fly right now made He Yan feel incredibly satisfied, making her want to drink several more bowls of soup. She thought that with He Ru Fei’s paranoid nature, for a long time to come – no, rather, as long as those letters weren’t found, He Ru Fei would continue to be on pins and needles, unable to sleep at night.

It was truly gratifying.

He Yan’s guess wasn’t wrong. At this moment, the He residence was in complete chaos.

From last night until now, all suspicious persons in Shuo Jing city have been investigated, but there was still no trace. He Ru Fei’s face was extremely dark, and the servants didn’t dare to provoke his temper at this crucial moment.

“Ru Fei, what should we do now?” He Yuan Sheng was extremely nervous. He could vaguely guess what kind of lost item could make He Ru Fei go to such lengths, sparing no effort to find it. This item in someone else’s hands would be fatal leverage, especially given the current situation.

“Father, don’t you find it strange?” He Ru Fei spoke coldly. “The intruder entered and left the residence as if there were no barriers, familiar with every part of the residence. They even knew about the secret compartment in my study and could open the Ling Long box…”

“You mean there’s a spy in the residence?” He Yuan Sheng asked.

“It’s not impossible,” He Ru Fei said.

“But all the servants in the residence now are born into the family, and your study – except for yourself, servants can’t enter, let alone the secret compartment in the bookshelf. If there’s an insider… who could it be? Could it be…” He Yuan Sheng’s eyes narrowed, “Do you suspect your Second Uncle?”

“He doesn’t have that courage, nor that intelligence.” He Ru Fei’s eyes flashed with contempt. He Yuan Liang was now even more useless, so when there were matters to discuss in the residence nowadays, He Ru Fei couldn’t be bothered to call him. He Yuan Liang was also happy to take it easy; he was never one to shoulder responsibilities. The only useful thing he had done in his life was raising He Yan as his daughter. Other than that, he was completely worthless.

“Then you suspect…”

“Second Uncle may not have the courage, but Second Aunt might. Because of He Yan’s matter, she likely harbors resentment against us. Women are always ruled by emotions – who knows if she might hold a grudge and do something unexpected.”

He Yuan Sheng frowned, “In that case, we can’t keep this woman around.”

He Ru Fei shook his head: “We can’t act rashly now. If it is her, that makes things easier – at least we can trace it back to find the mastermind behind this. Besides, having another hostage in our hands will make future actions more convenient.”

“But won’t keeping her cause trouble?”

“As long as we don’t let her leave the residence and keep people watching her, it’s fine if she lives,” He Ru Fei said coldly. “However, He Xin Ying also returned to the residence last night. The theft happened the same day she returned – I wonder if that’s just a coincidence.”

“He Xin Ying?” He Yuan Sheng’s face darkened. “She’s a member of the He family, she wouldn’t dare…”

“It’s just suspicion,” He Ru Fei interrupted. “Have someone get close to her people, see if she knows nothing. If the Second Aunt wants to protect He Xin Ying, she won’t tell her the truth. It’s just that Xu Zhi Heng has been acting strange lately.”

Thinking of Xu Zhi Heng, He Ru Fei felt another wave of displeasure. Working with such a fool was probably the most annoying thing.

“Leave this matter to me,” He Yuan Sheng pondered for a moment. “You stay at the residence and wait for news.” He then stood up and left.

After He Yuan Sheng left, He Ru Fei sat alone in his chair, his thoughts unsettled. As He Yuan Sheng said, the first thought was that there was a spy in the residence, which explained the intruder’s familiarity with the layout. But he knew clearly that the secret compartment in his study’s bookshelf wasn’t something a spy could discover, and then there was the Ling Long box.

When He Yan had given him the Ling Long box back then, she had said that under heaven, only the two siblings could open this box. After He Yan died, he became the only person in the world who could open it, which was why He Ru Fei had placed the secret letters inside. Just to be more secure, he had added another mechanism to the box.

He thought he would never encounter this mechanism in this lifetime, yet last night he heard the whistle. The Ling Long box had been opened.

Either He Yan had lied back then, or there was a third person in the world who knew how to open this box besides the two of them.

Or…

Xu Zhi Heng’s terrified expression flashed before his eyes, his voice filled with indescribable panic.

“It’s… it’s He Yan, she’s back… she’s back!”

With a crash, He Ru Fei violently swept the teacup off the table. He stood up and looked at the long sword on the wall. The Qing Lang sword gleamed with a faint, deep green luster. He twisted his lips into a sneer.

Back, is she? He wasn’t afraid.

…

Over the next day, news of the theft at Flying Hong General’s residence spread far and wide, but the thief was never found. The entire Shuo Jing city was in chaos, quite lively indeed. He Yan, however, enjoyed a rare relaxing day, just drinking tea and sleeping at home, which even made Qing Mei somewhat surprised.

Two days later, night fell early. There was no snow outside, making it a rare clear night. After washing up, He Yan prepared to go out with Xiao Jue.

After their night investigation of the He residence, Xiao Jue had told her that today was his birthday, and he wanted He Yan to accompany him to the night market. They had agreed to meet at her doorstep, and judging by the time, He Yan should head out.

Qing Mei chose a silver-red embroidered vine pattern jacket for her, paired with a matching soft silk brocade long dress. She carefully arranged her hair in a hundred-flower style, with the end draped over her shoulder, making her look somewhat adorable. He Yan examined herself in the mirror from different angles, feeling quite uncomfortable. “This is too flashy. Today is Xiao Jue’s birthday, not mine. Why be so formal?”

Qing Mei smiled while putting coral earrings on her ears, “But Miss, you’re going to the night market with Commander Xiao. There will be many people at the night market who will recognize you both. Of course, you need to look formal, after all, you’ll be seen by others.”

He Yan blocked her attempt to add more hairpins, “All right, this is enough. I think it’s about time, I should go.” With that, she went to get the rabbit fur cloak lying on the chest.

This cloak belonged to the original Young Lady He’s chest. Among all her clothes, this was the only one that looked somewhat plain – Young Lady He probably didn’t like this cloak much, so it was pressed to the bottom of the chest. But this was the warmest piece He Yan could find. Come to think of it, when she first woke up in Young Lady He’s the body, He Yan found it so delicate and weak that a breeze could knock it over, yet in her chest were only gossamer-thin dresses as if winter never existed.

He Yan picked up the cloak, about to put it on when Qing Mei snatched it away.

“What are you doing?” she asked, puzzled.

“Miss, what you’re wearing is enough, better not take this cloak.” Qing Mei looked at the rabbit fur cloak in her hands. “This one is quite old, and it makes you look bulky. Under the night lights, it won’t flatter you.”

He Yan was speechless for a moment. “But I’ll be cold without it! Just wearing this dress out, I’ll freeze to death. I can’t sacrifice my health just to look good, can I?”

But the usually agreeable Qing Mei was particularly insistent today. “No, Miss, between looking good and being cold, of course looking good is more important. Besides, if you dress warmly yourself, what about Commander Xiao?”

“What about him?”

“Think about it,” Qing Mei explained patiently. “You’re both going to the night market, right? Commander Xiao will surely wear an outer garment. The colder you are, Miss, the more it will show your delicate nature needing care. When Commander Xiao sees this, he’ll feel sympathetic and give you his outer garment to wear, which will greatly benefit your relationship.”

Hearing this, He Yan spoke with disbelief: “What kind of twisted logic is this? If he gives me his clothes, won’t he be cold too? Why must one of us freeze? What grudge is there?”

“How can this be twisted logic?” Qing Mei argued confidently. “Men in this world tend to pity delicate women. Miss, you do everything yourself, how will Commander Xiao realize you need care? Don’t doubt me, this is what Guard Chi Wu told me himself. He’s a man and Commander Xiao’s close guard, so he must understand Commander Xiao well. Just do as he says, it won’t be wrong.”

He Yan: “…”

Was Chi Wu sick? Did he have nothing better to do than think about such things? He had even led the good-natured Qing Mei astray. Was Xiao Jue the type to cherish and pity women? Back during the mountain hunt, countless young ladies wore thin clothes to watch, with at least eight or ten of them throwing themselves at Xiao Jue, but he never gave his sable fur coat to anyone.

“This is all nonsense, complete rubbish!”

Qing Mei pushed He Yan toward the door. “Anyway, Miss, you can’t wear this rabbit fur cloak out today. Just listen to your servant this once.”

With a “bang,” the door closed, nearly hitting He Yan’s nose. He Yan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the door. But it was getting late, and if He Yun Sheng returned from school and found out He Yan was going out at night with Xiao Jue, there would surely be another quarrel. He Yan thought about it and figured it would be fine – her body had endured wind and rain in Liang Zhou Wei and was quite sturdy, not likely to fall from a mere breeze. One night should be manageable.

With this thought, she stepped out.

As luck would have it, just as she went out, a carriage stopped at her door. Fei Nu had become quite skilled as a coachman, and Xiao Jue stepped down from the carriage.

Today he wore a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with dragon patterns, covered with a black fox fur cloak, and a sandalwood hairpin in his ink-black hair that fell to his shoulders, looking particularly elegant and beautiful. When he looked over, the lamplight accentuated his straight nose and distinct lips, his eyes as captivating as autumn waters.

He Yan swallowed. In truth, with her looks, standing here alongside Xiao Jue, people’s sympathy and affection would likely not be directed at her.

Qing Mei had worried unnecessarily.

Birthday principle: Usually when it’s your birthday, there will be candy.