Calling him an old acquaintance was merely recognition—attracting trouble from a Jinlin Guard was enough to make Qiao Zhao turn and leave immediately.

Staring at Qiao Zhao’s hurriedly departing figure, for a moment, Jiang Yuanchao wanted to pull out a mirror to see if he had grown so hideous as to frighten people away.

With his height and long legs, he caught up to the girl whose stature hadn’t fully developed in just a few steps.

Looking at the person blocking her path, Qiao Zhao asked without revealing her thoughts: “Does Uncle have business with me?”

Jiang Yuanchao felt his teeth ache and couldn’t help protesting: “Little girl, if you’re willing, you could call me Big Brother Jiang.”

Facing the girl’s expression as calm as water, he added: “Just now facing Marquis Guanjun, I didn’t hear you call him uncle.”

He and Marquis Guanjun were similar in age—wasn’t this discrimination?

Call Shao Mingyuan uncle?

This thought made Qiao Zhao quite uncomfortable.

Whether it was Chi Can or Jiang Shisan before her, to her former self, they were merely chance encounters, but Shao Mingyuan was different—he…

Qiao Zhao thought about it and was speechless.

She and Shao Mingyuan couldn’t even be called a chance encounter. Their first meeting had ended with him shooting her dead with an arrow…

But that person was ultimately her nominal husband. She had been his wife for over two years—how could she bring herself to call him “uncle”?

Qiao Zhao’s mind flashed with that person’s appearance.

Weary all over, dust-covered, with azure stubble sprouting on his chin, yet this made his face appear even whiter, cold and clean as snow jade. But there was warmth in his eyes that, when one gazed into them, would stir the softness in one’s heart.

A general whose hands were stained with countless blood, yet possessing such a contradictory temperament…

“You’re different,” Qiao Zhao said honestly.

“How are we different?” Jiang Yuanchao asked with a smile.

Just because that kid was a bit whiter and more handsome than him warranted such differential treatment? Today’s young girls were far too realistic.

The world was declining, and people’s hearts were no longer what they used to be!

Perhaps because he had been paying attention to this little girl for too long, finally speaking with her face to face, even Jiang Yuanchao himself hadn’t noticed he was talking more than usual.

Qiao Zhao blinked.

This person was being unreasonable—what did her thoughts have to do with him? Indeed, Jinlin Guards were all people not to be provoked.

She stepped back and replied: “Too many girls are watching him. If I called him uncle, I’d be afraid of being pelted to death with embroidered shoes.”

Jiang Yuanchao was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly.

His voice was very gentle, and his laughter was also soft, making even his entire expression appear warm and moist. But only in this moment did his smile reach his eyes. Just when he had been joking with her earlier, it was still like spring night rain—delicate and tender yet shrouded in spring chill, and the careless would catch cold without any defense.

Qiao Zhao instinctively disliked people with such temperaments.

She admired men like her grandfather.

Drinking wine heartily, laughing loudly, living freely and openly.

“So, Uncle, may I leave now?” Qiao Zhao asked.

“Call me Big Brother Jiang.”

“Big Brother Jiang, may I leave now?” Qiao Zhao went with the flow.

This person seemed eight or nine years older than her. Calling him uncle was perfectly proper—she didn’t know what he hoped to gain from such insistence on the form of address.

“Have we never met?” Jiang Yuanchao asked with a half-smile.

Miss Qiao replied with a serious face: “Big Brother Jiang loves to joke. I’m such a proper young lady who never steps outside the main gate or secondary gate—where would I have met you?”

Never stepping outside the main gate or secondary gate? Then, who was it that had been kidnapped earlier?

This little girl had great potential as a Jinlin Guard—lying without a change in expression or heartbeat.

Qiao Zhao smiled as she looked at Jiang Yuanchao.

If he could expose her, she would ask what his purpose was in paying attention to a little girl like her during his journey north.

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhao suddenly had a thought.

Wait!

Chi Can and the other two had gone south purely as entertainment for bored young nobles—logically, this shouldn’t have attracted Jinlin Guard attention. This meant Jiang Shisan wasn’t paying attention to her because he had first noticed Chi Can and the others.

So, which aspect of their group of four had originally caught Jiang Shisan’s attention?

Thinking deeper, Qiao Zhao arrived at an answer—Xingzi Alley, the Qiao family.

Could it be that the Jinlin Guards had been watching her family all along?

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but look up at Jiang Yuanchao.

Did this person know some inside information about that fire?

Qiao Zhao’s heartbeat quickened. When she noticed Jiang Yuanchao pondering her expression, she suddenly smiled brightly: “But we could still get to know each other.”

Perhaps there would be a chance to probe the situation?

Jiang Yuanchao: “…” Were today’s young girls all so unpredictable? He could no longer fathom her thoughts at all!

While Jiang Yuanchao was bewildered, Qiao Zhao had already said openly: “My surname is Li. I am the daughter of Academician Li, third in birth order, living on Xingzi Alley on West Street.”

Since this person probably already knew this information by heart, she did not need concealment.

Jiang Yuanchao stepped back, becoming alert.

What was the little girl telling him all these details for? He hadn’t planned to visit her residence to propose marriage!

“May I ask where Big Brother Jiang’s home is?”

Jiang Yuanchao’s expression changed slightly as he coughed: “Cough cough, I suddenly remembered I have urgent business, so I’ll take my leave first.”

With that, he cupped his fists, took his long strides, turned, and left, disappearing in just a few steps.

A hint of amusement appeared in the eyes of Qiao Zhao, left standing in place.

He fled in fear?

She shook her head and turned to leave.

Jiang Yuanchao returned to the tree where his subordinates waited, telling them with a serious face: “Let’s go.”

The two subordinates had strange expressions.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sir, just now—”

“What happened just now must not be mentioned to others!” Jiang Yuanchao’s face turned cold.

Being back in the Capital wasn’t as free as in Jia Feng—some things required caution. That little girl, he temporarily didn’t want her to enter those people’s line of sight.

Where exactly had she seen him?

Jiang Yuanchao pondered while walking forward.

The two subordinates exchanged glances.

The one who had spoken earlier said quietly, “Am I seeing things? Why do I feel like our superior was just scared away by that young lady?”

The other nodded in deep agreement.

Jiang Yuanchao suddenly stopped, turning to sweep his cold gaze toward the speaking subordinate.

That person’s legs trembled as he rushed forward: “Sir, please forgive me! I was talking nonsense!”

The other chased after, grateful he hadn’t spoken earlier, frantically trying to perform before his superior: “Exactly! What nonsense truth was he speaking!”

Jiang Yuanchao: “…” He was blind to have made these two goods his confidants.

“Scram!”

The embarrassed and furious Lord Jiang departed with a flick of his sleeves.

Qiao Zhao returned to the carriage, where Old Madam Deng asked with an amiable smile: “Why did you come back?”

“There were too many people. I was afraid that if I got lost again, I wouldn’t be able to see Grandmother,” Qiao Zhao said sincerely.

If she were kidnapped again, she might not be able to escape so smoothly.

Old Madam Deng, who had been widowed young and hardened for most of her life, had never heard such heartwarming words. Her heart immediately softened.

Sigh, she, as a grandmother, had felt frustrated with this child for being kidnapped, blaming her for causing trouble and implicating the family—she really shouldn’t have!

Old Madam Deng pulled Qiao Zhao into her arms and patted her: “Zhaozhao, don’t be afraid. It’s all in the past.”