Gu Jin Chao looked up at Ye Xian. He had always been expressionless, but now his face showed surprise, gradually turning to anger.

He was angry with her, his hand gripping her arm tightly.

“Why aren’t you speaking? How did you fall into Xie Si Xing’s hands? Did he do anything to you or not?”

He questioned her repeatedly, almost wanting to grab her and force her to explain quickly.

Gu Jin Chao was beautiful. If these people dared to take advantage of her… Ye Xian felt a cold rage churning inside him.

Gu Jin Chao smiled lightly and said: “Sit down first, then I’ll explain everything clearly.”

Ye Xian stood towering over her, looking down coldly.

Gu Jin Chao tugged at his sleeve, and only then did Ye Xian stop confronting her and sit in the round-backed chair beside her.

As soon as he sat down, he seemed to notice something, his brows furrowing deeply. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand: “Why is your hand bleeding?”

Gu Jin Chao lowered her eyes. Earlier, when Xie Si Xing wasn’t paying attention, she had torn off several South Sea pearls from her waistband and scattered a few along the way. But Xie Si Xing had drugged her, and if not for the pain, she couldn’t have stayed conscious. She didn’t know if it would work, but it was her only desperate move.

After Yu Zhu escaped, she would certainly return to Wanping soon. When Chen San learned of her situation, he would send people to look for her, and that would be her evidence. She didn’t know if he could find his way there…

She had been kidnapped by Xie Si Xing and still didn’t know what would happen next. Perhaps her reputation would be damaged, but that wasn’t a problem for Gu Jin Chao. In her previous life, she had survived even after being discovered having an affair with her stepson. She believed that staying alive meant anything was possible. So she definitely wouldn’t die just to preserve her reputation.

Ye Xian took a deep breath and said with a cold smile: “Gu Jin Chao, I truly admire you!”

He strode to the latticed door.

…

When there was no movement from inside for a long time, Li Xian Huai was the first to feel puzzled.

So this Xie Si Xing had brought someone remarkable!

He knew his master best, who generally showed no interest in women. What kind of heavenly beauty had Xie Si Xing brought back to keep him inside for so long? Li Xian Huai couldn’t figure it out.

Xie Si Xing also found it strange. He had originally brought Gu Jin Chao here. First, seeing how beautiful she was, if the Young Master appreciated beauty, he would inevitably be moved by her appearance. If this Young Master didn’t care for beauty, he could use Chen’s woman to do many things—her value was quite substantial.

…This Marquis of Changxing’s heir didn’t seem like someone who valued beauty, so he shouldn’t have stayed inside for so long.

The people outside stood with hands lowered, no one daring to speak.

Finally, the latticed door creaked open, and Ye Xian walked out wiping his hands.

Xie Si Xing’s heart leaped with joy. He cupped his hands in greeting: “Is the Young Master satisfied?”

Ye Xian completely ignored him and called to Xie Yuan: “Quickly bring some gauze and medicine, and invite Imperial Physician Guo here.”

Xie Yuan saw blood on Ye Xian’s hand and hurriedly bowed before leaving.

Only then did Ye Xian look at Xie Si Xing, with a gaze that chilled him to the core. Xie Si Xing sensed trouble—Ye Xian’s expression didn’t look pleased at all! He stepped back, saying softly: “Is the Young Master injured?”

Ye Xian ignored him and turned to Li Xian Huai, directly pointing at Xie Si Xing: “Arrest him immediately, tie him up, and throw him in the side room. Guard him personally. I’ll come to question him later.” After speaking, he returned to the corridor room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Xie Si Xing’s face turned ashen!

He shouted: “Young Master Ye, I respect you as a person of consequence. What are you trying to do!”

Xie Si Xing couldn’t imagine in his wildest dreams that after seeing that woman, Ye Xian would have him arrested! Who exactly was that woman? Back then, he had interrogated those few guards, and they only said she was Madam Chen, not revealing a single word more. Xie Si Xing had presumed that since Gu Jin Chao was so young, she must be the wife of some young master in the Chen family. He had been truly arrogant, not taking Gu Jin Chao seriously, not even questioning her!

Now it seemed Ye Xian knew this woman!

Li Xian Huai, however, didn’t have so many conflicting thoughts. He had a good habit: regardless of what the matter was, as long as the Young Master ordered it, it was right, and following his instructions would never be wrong! Years of experience have proven this statement completely correct. So he immediately pulled out the curved knife he carried in his sleeve and rushed toward Xie Si Xing.

Li Xian Huai moved quickly, but Xie Si Xing was even faster. He stamped his foot on the ground and revealed a dagger, repeatedly kicking at Li Xian Huai’s curved knife!

Before entering the Marquis’s mansion, they had been searched. He hadn’t dared to openly carry a knife. Xie Si Xing was accustomed to using a long knife; this dagger was his last line of defense, and he wasn’t skilled with it. Moreover, Li Xian Huai was no simple man—after a few moves, he had figured out Xie Si Xing’s style and revealed a grinning smile: “Your kung fu is good, but unfortunately, you’ve angered our Young Master! You’d better surrender. The Marquis’s mansion is full of traps. Even if you could defeat me, you couldn’t escape!”

He was so excited that his speech was full of Sichuan dialect.

Xie Si Xing sneered: “Nonsense! Beat me first, then we’ll talk!”

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a pain in his back. His movements slowed, and he turned to see a guard in the shadows holding a crossbow.

Ye Xian truly didn’t avoid using numbers to his advantage! Xie Si Xing was furious—if he had known, he would have brought everyone along. He wanted to see who would prevail! The most fearsome were those who neither adhered to principles nor scrupled at their methods.

Surrounded, no matter how skilled Xie Si Xing was, he had no chance. Soon he was tied up by Li Xian Huai.

Li Xian Huai wiped away his sweat, thinking that Xie Yuan’s brother was indeed formidable. If it had been just him fighting alone, Xie Si Xing might have escaped.

Having caught him was good. Li Xian Huai dragged Xie Si Xing to the side room.

…

Medicine was sprinkled on the wound, and then wrapped with gauze.

Only one candle was lit in the room, casting a dim, yellowish light.

Ye Xian’s slender white fingers wound around the gauze circle after circle. Seeing him speechless, Gu Jin Chao couldn’t help but think: that Ye Xian was sensitive and meticulous. He seemed very skilled at this sort of thing… It was somewhat reminiscent of when they still associated with each other during her time at the Gu family.

That day when he killed Xiao You, he came to see her at Daxing that night.

After she walked a few steps, he nearly collapsed due to his weak constitution. Gu Jin Chao had seen it, but she hadn’t said anything.

Now, she was contemplating the matter of Xie Si Xing.

Everything was already quite clear. In her previous life, Chen San had perished in Sichuan, and Ye Xian had been involved, perhaps along with others. In her previous life, Ye Xian’s father and grandfather had died because of Prince Rui. He must hate Zhang Ju Lian’s faction and also hate Chen Yan Yun.

Thinking of these fair, slender hands, more beautiful than a woman’s, once covered in blood—Chen’s family, Zhang’s family, countless people’s blood.

But he hadn’t done these things yet; none of this had happened!

Gu Jin Chao came to her senses and quickly reminded herself.

She recounted her experience to Ye Xian, though not in too much detail. Then she said: “Young Master, could you send a message to Third Master? Let him know I’m here… My abduction, I’m afraid…”

She was now a married woman; her reputation was naturally very important.

His helping to dress her wounds was also inappropriate. Ye Xian pursed his lips and said softly: “I understand. This matter won’t be spread.”

Ye Xian now understood why Chen Yan Yun had sealed the city.

With Gu Jin Chao missing, how could he not be enraged? He was probably ready to kill someone by now. Unexpectedly, Xie Si Xing and his group were truly bold, daring to target Gu Jin Chao.

Imperial Physician Guo rushed over in the night.

Ye Xian arranged accommodations for Gu Jin Chao. She lay behind the curtained bed, with only one hand extended outward.

She felt a bit uneasy, having heard that some skilled in medicine could even discern a person’s identity from their pulse. However, she didn’t know whether Imperial Physician Guo truly didn’t know, or if he had detected something but dared not speak. Outside the curtain, she heard Imperial Physician Guo say: “This young lady has no major ailments, just a touch of cold, and shows signs of blood and qi deficiency. I’ll prescribe a few doses of medicine, and she’ll be fine after taking them.”

Ye Xian had someone escort him out, and the two young maids lifted the curtain.

“Rest for now. These two maids will attend to you,” he said indifferently.

Gu Jin Chao called after him: “Young Master… you… this is the Marquis’s mansion. I fear it’s not appropriate for me to stay here!”

If others found out, she would never be able to explain herself.

Ye Xian remained silent for a long time, then smiled bitterly: “Chen Yan Yun is supposedly a masterful strategist, yet he couldn’t even protect you. Do you still side with him?”

What did Ye Xian mean by these words? She had married Chen San, so naturally, she would side with him. Moreover, Gu Jin Chao truly loved him now and couldn’t bear to hear others speak ill of him. Having been alone and fearful for so long, she missed him…

Just as Gu Jin Chao was about to say something, Ye Xian had already turned around quickly: “Don’t worry, I’ll send someone to tell him in the morning.”

No matter how willful he was, he wouldn’t be so confused.

He had someone bring the evening meal. A bowl of white porridge, cold bamboo shoots, and several exquisite pastries.

With her injured hand, Gu Jin Chao was inconvenienced, so she let the young maid help her eat the porridge. She had already bathed and was leaning against the arhat bed while eating. Ye Xian sat across from her, watching her eat. Gu Jin Chao had quite a strong taste in food, eating most of the cold bamboo shoots and preserved vegetable pastries. She wasn’t quiet when drinking porridge either, taking the porridge from the spoon into her mouth with kitten-like movements as if enjoying the food greatly. Watching her made him feel a bit hungry.

Gu Jin Chao took a few bites and couldn’t eat anymore… The feeling was somehow strange. She seemed to have never interacted with Ye Xian like this before.

Ye Xian was watching intently and asked her: “Are you full?”

Gu Jin Chao couldn’t very well say it was because he was watching, so she pushed away the porridge bowl and nodded.

Ye Xian felt a bit disappointed; he had found it quite entertaining to watch. It was like feeding his parrot… No, it was even more fun than feeding his parrot.

Just as he was about to have the maid bring water for Gu Jin Chao to wash up, Li Xian Huai hurriedly reported from outside.

Ye Xian walked out, his brows furrowed with impatience.

“Didn’t I tell you to watch Xie Si Xing? Why are you here?”

Li Xian Huai was practically burning with anxiety. He quickly stepped forward and said: “Young Master, Chen San has arrived!”

He added: “He came with Duke Zheng, and is waiting outside now. He says it’s urgent… Both the Marquis and the Old Marquis have retired for the night. I saw official troops they brought waiting in the alley outside. What should we do?”