Wu Laosan said helplessly: “What’s the use of saying this now? As for Feng Cheng… sigh, I hope he won’t go too far.” Seeing that Yunyi was still hanging her head, thinking she was sad because of his scolding, he sighed: “I didn’t mean to scold you on purpose, it’s just… there are some people we can’t afford to offend.”

“Your daughter understands. What happened earlier was my fault. How about… when Chunxiu’s anger subsides a bit, I’ll go apologize to her?”

“That’s all we can do.” Saying this, Wu Laosan returned to the house with a heavy heart, not noticing the coldness in Yunyi’s eyes.

At dusk, Wu Laosan took the empty wine jar back to the wine shop and retrieved the few coins he had left as deposit there. The wine shop wasn’t far away—by all logic, it should take at most the time of one incense stick to make the round trip. But Yunyi waited at home for nearly half an hour without seeing Wu Laosan return.

Worried, she took a lantern to look for him at the wine shop. Although Wu Laosan had no blood relation to her and she wasn’t the real Wu Meixue, during these days, Wu Laosan had given her the paternal love she had never experienced in her lifetime. Unconsciously, she had already come to regard Wu Laosan as true family.

When Yunyi reached the wine shop and inquired, the workers there said Wu Laosan had left long ago. But Yunyi hadn’t seen any sign of Wu Laosan on her way there. Where could he have gone alone?

Using the weak light from her lantern, Yunyi searched all around and finally found Wu Laosan in a secluded alley. His condition wasn’t good—his body was covered with injuries, and there was even a tooth that had been knocked out lying on the ground.

Yunyi hurried to help him up: “Father, what… what happened to you? Who beat you?”

Wu Laosan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head: “No one beat me. I just fell carelessly myself. It’s fine, nothing serious. Let’s go home.”

Yunyi would never believe his words and said coldly: “It was Feng Cheng, wasn’t it?”

A flash of fear crossed Wu Laosan’s face as he shook his head repeatedly: “I already said I fell myself. Where are your thoughts going? It’s so cold outside. Girl, help me back. When you get old, you become useless—one fall and you can’t walk properly. Good thing I didn’t fall in the mountains.”

Yunyi’s expression changed repeatedly before finally settling into calmness as she said gently: “Then you must be more careful in the future.”

Hearing this, Wu Laosan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With Yunyi’s support, he made his way home. When Yunyi found medicinal wine and was rubbing his swollen areas, Wu Laosan suddenly said: “Girl, you should return to the Governor’s residence tomorrow.”

Yunyi’s movements paused: “Why? Doesn’t Father like having your daughter home to keep you company?”

“Of course I like it, it’s just…” Wu Laosan’s voice halted, then he forced a smile from his swollen face: “You’ve been home for so many days, I’m afraid someone at the Governor’s residence might be unhappy. So after thinking it over, I believe you should return earlier.” He took the medicinal wine from Yunyi’s hands: “Quickly go pack. I can apply the medicine to the remaining areas myself. Go on.”

Yunyi looked at him: “Father is afraid Feng Cheng will trouble your daughter, isn’t he?”

Wu Laosan said somewhat uncomfortably: “I already said it has nothing to do with the Feng family. Why won’t you believe me? Would your father lie to you?”

Yunyi sighed: “Your daughter isn’t a three-year-old child. I can tell whether the injuries on Father’s body came from falling or from being beaten.” Her voice became hoarse: “It’s your daughter’s fault for causing Father to suffer.”

“Silly girl, it’s just minor injuries, nothing serious. Don’t be sad.” He stroked Yunyi’s long hair hanging behind her and said worriedly: “I’m just worried about you. Girl, listen to your father—don’t get into conflicts with the Feng family girl anymore. We can’t afford to provoke them.”

Meeting his worry-filled gaze, Yunyi nodded: “Your daughter understands. I won’t get into conflicts with her anymore.”

Getting her promise, Wu Laosan showed a trace of a smile and said repeatedly: “That’s good! That’s good!”

After Wu Laosan went to sleep, Yunyi returned to her own room. However, she didn’t rest but changed into dark green narrow-sleeved clothing and covered her face with a handkerchief. Then she quietly opened the door and left, running through the empty streets in the deep night. Thunder rumbled continuously along the way, and silver serpents occasionally streaked across the sky, bringing momentary brightness. It looked like there would be a heavy rain tonight.

To avoid exposing her identity, she had endured Feng Chunxiu’s behavior again and again, but the latter had become increasingly excessive, repeatedly challenging her bottom line. This time she had even laid hands on Wu Laosan. She really… deserved to die!

The Wu and Feng houses weren’t very far apart. Yunyi soon stopped at the Feng family’s gate. Inside was pitch black without any lights—they must have all retired for the night.

Yunyi leaped over the courtyard wall and silently entered the Feng residence. After her feet touched the ground, her right hand moved slightly, and an extremely sharp dagger slid from her sleeve into her tight grip.

Yunyi didn’t know which room Chunxiu slept in, so she could only search room by room. Fortunately, the silver serpents were dancing at this moment, and the occasional light was enough for her to see clearly who was sleeping in each room.

When she reached the third room, she finally saw Feng Chunxiu. Yunyi slowly walked to the bedside and raised the dagger in her hand toward Chunxiu’s neck, which was exposed outside the quilt. With just one thrust of this blade, Feng Chunxiu would surely die!

Just as she gripped the dagger tightly and prepared to strike, thunder crashed outside the window. Following the thunder came a thick, long silver serpent that cut through the darkness of the entire room. At that moment, Chunxiu suddenly opened her tightly closed eyes. In that instant of light, she saw Yunyi standing beside the bed and… the dagger in her hand!

“Ah!” The next moment, Chunxiu was screaming loudly, and the rain that had been brewing for so long finally began to fall.

She could wake up early or late, but she had to wake up at this moment. Yunyi cursed silently in her heart and stabbed viciously at Chunxiu. The latter reacted quickly, hurriedly escaping from the bed with a deathly pale face, dodging the deadly dagger.

At this time, urgent footsteps came from outside—Feng Cheng and his wife, along with Chunxiu’s brother, who had been sleeping in the adjacent room, heard the commotion and rushed over.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” they asked while pushing open the door. Seeing them enter, Chunxiu hurriedly threw herself at them, crying in panic: “Father, Mother, save me! Someone wants to kill me!”

Feng Cheng and his wife were greatly startled. Feng Cheng quickly raised the lantern in his hand and illuminated the room in a circle, then said puzzledly: “Where is anyone trying to kill you?”

Chunxiu timidly pointed to a spot: “Look, isn’t she right there?”

Feng Cheng walked over and looked carefully, then lit the oil lamp in the room: “Look for yourself—where is anyone?”

Chunxiu looked around and indeed saw no one. As she breathed a sigh of relief, Feng Chunming said: “Sister, were you dreaming?”