It was a drawing of rocks and stones.

On a blank sheet of paper was only this solitary rock formation, drawn with rough lines that would make it nearly impossible for anyone to find the location of the rocks based on the drawing alone.

However, Shao Mingyuan noticed something unusual in Qiao Zhao’s expression.

“Zhaozhao?”

Qiao Zhao stared blankly at the rocks that appeared on the white paper. Her lips moved, and only after what seemed like tremendous effort did she manage to utter a sentence: “I know where this is!”

Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but lean forward: “What place?”

Qiao Zhao looked up and met his gaze. Her butterfly-wing eyelashes trembled lightly as she pursed her lips and said: “This is the artificial mountain in my family’s garden!”

Shao Mingyuan was first stunned, then felt it should be exactly so.

Such a roughly drawn, unremarkable rock formation standing alone on white paper—if it weren’t something Zhaozhao was extremely familiar with, why would her father specifically have it delivered to her?

This letter would probably leave anyone else in the world completely puzzled, except for Zhaozhao.

Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but secretly admire Lord Qiao’s meticulous thinking.

This letter should be the worst-case scenario preparation that his father-in-law had made.

“There’s a cave in the artificial mountain in my family’s garden. The cave opening creates a cross-wind that I used to hide in during summer days when I was small to escape the heat. I memorized every line and contour of that artificial mountain by heart. Although the rocks in this letter are roughly drawn, I knew at a glance that it must be that place without doubt.” Qiao Zhao caressed the letter paper and murmured: “I don’t know what’s hidden in the mountain cave, or whether it was destroyed in that great fire.”

“Let’s go take a look.”

“County Magistrate Wang is watching.”

Actively drawing out the enemy was one thing, but having important items to search for was another matter entirely. For someone accustomed to maintaining control, naturally, they wouldn’t want unnecessary complications.

“At night.”

Qiao Zhao paused for a moment, then nodded: “Alright.”

In the middle of the night, the sky happened to be somewhat overcast, with dark clouds obscuring the moonlight, leaving only a few dim stars without light.

Outside was so dark it was unsettling.

In the darkness, Shao Mingyuan took Qiao Zhao’s hand and said in a low voice: “No moonlight—this makes it convenient for our activities.”

Miss Qiao had no idea what to say in response.

No moonlight was convenient for activities, so a certain someone could righteously hold her hand?

Of course, this time Qiao Zhao didn’t struggle.

Matters had priorities, and investigating the Qiao family garden was important business. In such darkness, she couldn’t even see the road clearly, so naturally having someone hold her hand gave her peace of mind. Otherwise, if she accidentally fell and got hurt, that would be manageable, but disturbing others would be the real headache.

Qiao Zhao’s compliance made Shao Mingyuan smile slightly.

The girl’s hand was soft as boneless silk, and he couldn’t help but grip it tighter.

Qiao Zhao quietly scolded: “Shao Mingyuan!”

In the darkness, he couldn’t see the girl’s expression, but felt this utterance of “Shao Mingyuan” was like a disobedient feather tickling his heart.

“Don’t make a sound,” the man leaned close to the girl’s ear and whispered.

As his words fell, he suddenly encircled her waist, rose from the ground, and with his other hand grabbed the top of the wall.

Outside the wall was thick and light darkness, with grass and trees whose outlines couldn’t be distinguished, standing quietly like ghosts.

Shao Mingyuan landed silently with Qiao Zhao and asked in a low voice: “Standing steady?”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

Shao Mingyuan released his arm from around the girl’s slender waist and said softly: “Then let’s go.”

“Did you deal with the person keeping watch?” Qiao Zhao asked quietly.

“Dealt with. Don’t worry about that. He’s sleeping soundly right now. Even when he wakes up tomorrow, he won’t know what happened—he’ll just think he accidentally fell asleep.”

In the darkness, the two walked hand in hand through the apricot grove.

The Qiao family compound had only broken walls and ruins standing in the night, emanating an eerie terror.

For the home where she had lived for many years, Qiao Zhao felt no fear in her heart. As the man beside her led her by the hand, walking inside, her heart held only bitterness.

She and the man beside her had been engaged very early, an engagement personally arranged by Grandfather.

In the two years before Grandfather passed away, he had constantly urged her to hurry up and marry over there, showing that the old man’s heart held great anticipation for her marriage.

Had Grandfather also looked forward to the day when she and the man beside her would walk hand in hand into their home in the apricot grove to visit him?

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhao tightened her grip, holding the man’s large, rough palm a bit tighter.

Shao Mingyuan naturally noticed this, and his eyebrows hidden in the darkness lifted slightly.

“Watch your step,” he leaned close to the girl’s ear and whispered.

“This way,” she said. For her own home, Qiao Zhao was familiar with every corner even with her eyes closed.

She gripped Shao Mingyuan’s hand tightly, stopping and starting in the darkness until they reached the artificial mountain.

The back garden was the area that survived the most intact after the Qiao family fire. The artificially stacked mountain rocks and the nearby pond hadn’t changed much, except the pond now faintly gave off the smell of rotting branches and leaves, no longer showing the beautiful scenery of lotus flowers beginning to bloom in past years.

The cave opening was pitch black, like a fierce beast hidden in darkness with its giant mouth agape.

Only then did Shao Mingyuan light the wind-resistant lamp he carried, using his tall figure to shield the light as he bent down to explore inside the artificial mountain cave.

Although the cave opening was narrow, inside was quite spacious. Under the lamplight, one could see the cave was filled with dust and weeds, with nothing else besides.

“General Shao, let me go in and take a look. Please hold the light steady.”

Shao Mingyuan held her back: “I’ll go in. It’s dirty inside.”

“No need. You’re too tall—you’d be constrained going in. Besides, I’m more familiar with it.”

Shao Mingyuan held Qiao Zhao’s hand: “Wait a moment.”

Qiao Zhao stopped and looked at him.

Shao Mingyuan held up the lamp and surveyed the surroundings, then bent down by the pond to pick up a bamboo pole, holding it to probe inside the cave.

He probed very carefully, not missing any corner or crevice.

Suddenly, something coiled around the bamboo pole, moving agilely and quickly upward.

Under the lamplight, Qiao Zhao saw clearly—it was a blue-green snake.

She didn’t scream, but her face immediately turned pale.

One could imagine that if she had gone directly inside just now, this snake might have crawled onto her body.

“Shao Mingyuan—” Qiao Zhao called quietly.

Quick as lightning, Shao Mingyuan reached out and flung the snake far away, then turned his head to ask her: “Were you frightened?”

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “No.”

“Go in then, be careful.” Shao Mingyuan straightened up and gently tossed the bamboo pole to the ground.

“Thank you.” By the dim lamplight, Qiao Zhao could vaguely make out his face.

His eyes appeared even brighter in the darkness, quite beautiful.

Qiao Zhao suddenly didn’t dare look anymore and lowered her head to crawl inside.

Shao Mingyuan placed the lamp inside the cave opening, and the cave interior immediately became bright.

Qiao Zhao raised her hand to feel along the stone walls inside the cave.

Every part inside was familiar to her—she could draw it with her eyes closed.

Father had only given her a paper with the artificial mountain drawn on it. Was he trying to tell her something was hidden here?

Qiao Zhao felt along the stone walls inch by inch, searching through all the stone crevices and gaps where things could be hidden in her memory, but found nothing.

The man standing at the cave opening suddenly extinguished the lamp and squeezed his large body inside.