Jiang Xuening returned first.

When others were surprised she came back alone, Jiang Xuening acted out a surprised expression as planned, saying she hadn’t seen Zhang Zhe.

Xiao Dingfei was chewing on a blade of grass, originally bored out of his mind. But hearing these words, he looked at Jiang Xuening meaningfully, his eyes clearly writing: “Don’t know what shameful business they went off to do—protesting too much!”

But he figured these Heavenly Doctrine idiots were simple-minded and wouldn’t overthink things.

Indeed, the group really didn’t think much of it.

Before long, Zhang Zhe returned. Upon questioning, they’d simply gone in different directions. No one suspected they’d spoken privately. Of course, even if anyone did suspect, at most they’d think like Xiao Dingfei—pondering over their “sibling relationship” and what intimate activities they might have gotten up to.

The group rested here before setting out again for Tongzhou.

Jiang Xuening was in a rare good mood.

The afternoon sunlight emerged. Even in winter, it carried some warmth. These Heavenly Doctrine people—who knew if they’d received some news—seemed much more relaxed compared to the somewhat tense pace of the morning. They appeared unhurried, as if not pressed to make haste.

She muttered quietly: “This is really strange.”

Zhang Zhe heard and quite naturally said in a low voice: “They’re waiting for a report from Tongzhou.”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

Zhang Zhe added half a sentence: “They haven’t completely trusted my identity yet.”

Of course.

For someone to appear out of thin air like this—even if they believed eighty percent, the remaining twenty percent still needed verification from the Heavenly Doctrine side for absolute certainty.

If they carelessly let a wolf into the fold, the consequences would be uncontrollable.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xuening’s brow furrowed, inevitably feeling somewhat worried.

But traveling with everyone, it was again not a good time to speak.

She could only hold back whatever questions she had.

Xiao Dingfei, however, was feeling bored.

When they’d set out from the ruined temple that morning, he’d invited Jiang Xuening to share his mount and been mercilessly rejected, so he’d ridden his horse alone the entire way. By noon, he’d restrained himself from greeting Jiang Xuening. Yet now, riding ahead, he couldn’t help repeatedly glancing back.

This young lady was truly too beautiful.

Dressed plainly, at first glance she didn’t leave as deep an impression as those heavily made-up women. But her features and bone structure were there—the more one looked, the more attractive she became. That hint of natural bearing, the vague melancholy from earlier along the road, had now transformed into the openness of one breaking free from a cage. Her eyes and brows all carried a relaxed air, making her increasingly graceful and refined.

Xiao Dingfei had always known himself to be a shallow person who judged by appearances.

But occasionally, he wished he had some backbone.

However, when confronted with a woman of unknown identity who wouldn’t even deign to acknowledge him, he discovered that things like backbone were truly too difficult to maintain.

He finally tugged the reins, making his horse slow down. Soon he was riding alongside Zhang Zhe and Jiang Xuening, his face wearing a smile as if the morning scene of Jiang Xuening rejecting him had never happened. With apparent concern, he said: “We must act low-key along this journey, so there’s only this one set of clothes to give the young lady—truly our Heavenly Doctrine has been somewhat negligent. Later when we enter the city, we’ll get the young lady something prettier to wear.”

Jiang Xuening had noticed him approaching long ago.

Now, hearing his words, she merely let her gaze fall upon that snow-white steed beneath Xiao Dingfei: Truly worthy of being the mount of a wastrel who would one day make the Xiao clan jump in frustration—what an ostentatious display of wealth!

Red tassels hung from the horse’s neck, adorned with white jade and pearls, plus a golden bell.

As the horse’s hooves moved, the bell rang.

Anyone could tell where he’d arrived.

Both horse and rider were dressed with such flamboyance.

Zhang Zhe behind them said nothing.

He wasn’t an eloquent person, and besides, he had nothing to say to Xiao Dingfei.

Jiang Xuening’s lips twitched slightly: “No need to trouble yourself, Young Master Dingfei. But you and your horse truly are sufficiently ‘low-key.'”

Whether Xiao Dingfei caught the sarcasm in Jiang Xuening’s words was unclear. Instead, acting as if he’d received praise, he pressed his advantage shamelessly. Sitting on his horse, his body swayed leisurely: “After all, away from home with serious business at hand, one can’t help but keep a low profile and restrain oneself. Look, take those two up ahead.”

He gestured with his chin toward Feng Mingyu and Huang Qian in front.

Jiang Xuening looked toward those two.

Xiao Dingfei said: “Don’t think these two look all proper and upstanding—in the shadows, they’re just sent by the sect leader to watch over me. Ah, in life one must seize joy while one can. These people just don’t know how to enjoy themselves. Doing dirty work and hard labor all day long—what’s the point?”

If people didn’t do some dirty and hard work, you probably wouldn’t have anything to enjoy.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help silently complaining.

She smiled graciously: “Young Master Dingfei jests. Since you hold such a high position in the Heavenly Doctrine, surely you must have once been diligent as one who rises with the rooster’s crow, endured hardships like sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall, dressed before dawn and worked past dusk. You’re being too modest.”

Xiao Dingfei looked confused: “What are you saying? Do roosters have gall bladders?”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

She’d forgotten—this person was uneducated and couldn’t understand such literary phrases.

The smile on her lips threatened to crack for a moment. She adjusted in time, saying plainly and clearly: “I mean, you must be someone who has endured hardships, which is why you have your current position.”

Unexpectedly, hearing this, Xiao Dingfei actually laughed heartily and waved his hands repeatedly: “Wrong, wrong!”

Jiang Xuening was startled: “Wrong?”

Xiao Dingfei’s flamboyant brows and eyes held a few parts wicked and unrestrained energy. That romantic flavor was intoxicating to the bone. Though his casual hand gestures were showy, they also carried an air of commanding the world. He simply said: “I’m not one who can endure hardship. Young lady, you’re not in our sect, so you don’t know how difficult it is to rise to the top inside. Out of ten people, only two remain, and of those, one loses half their life. In this world, some people just have good luck, good births. Take this young master, for instance—some parents from who-knows-what corner gave me a face that was just right. I eat by my face, and also by being shameless. How about it—good-looking, aren’t I?”

As he spoke, he even pointed at his own face.

Arching brows, straight nose, peach blossom eyes. High cheekbones made his features more defined. Thin lips carried a slightly moist luster, the corners always curved up somewhat, with a hint of something untamed.

At first glance, one found him handsome and dashing.

But if one stared closely at the details of his features, gradually one would feel an indescribable sense of familiarity.

If it were someone else listening, they probably couldn’t fathom the depth of these words.

But Jiang Xuening was someone who’d returned from a previous life. What surfaced in her mind were the faces of Xiao Shu and her younger brother Xiao Ye, even Duke Dingguo Xiao Yuan. Overlapping with this face, there was a thirty percent resemblance.

As for the rest…

Rumor had it he greatly resembled Young Master Dingfei’s birth mother—namely, Marquis Yongyi Yan Mu’s sister, Lady Yan.

Eating by his face.

Also eating by being shameless.

These words held deep meaning.

Xiao Dingfei relied on the fact that no one could understand, spouting complete truths. At the end, he even winked at Jiang Xuening: “I’m a child of destiny. Following me brings blessings—won’t the young lady consider it?”

Jiang Xuening smiled faintly: “There’s no such thing as a free meal falling from the sky. If something is given, something must be taken. Your good fortune, Young Master, is probably more than others can bear.”

If something is given, something must be taken.

Xiao Dingfei, who’d been chattering endlessly just moments before, suddenly fell quiet. The expression on his face also froze. Who knew what he was thinking—he actually showed a moment of gloom. After a while, he huffed unhappily, lifted his chin to assume that arrogant posture, and finally sneered rather impolitely: “What the hell do you know!”

Surprisingly, Jiang Xuening didn’t get angry either, merely smiled as she watched him.

Somehow, Xiao Dingfei felt a bit intimidated. This was clearly his first time meeting this young lady, yet she wasn’t seduced by him, nor did she become shy. Instead, she remained calm and composed, appearing unafraid, as if she could precisely grasp his pulse.

Just that one look felt like being seen through.

It reminded him of that person surnamed Xie.

Years ago, he was still a little beggar asking for money outside the City God Temple, poorly clothed and barely fed. In the dead of winter, wrapped in a burlap sack, he’d been chased away and thrown to the ground, his knees and forehead covered in blood from the fall.

Looking up, he discovered he’d blocked the path of a group of nobles.

These people’s clothing wasn’t particularly luxurious. The man leading them was around forty years old, wearing powder-soled boots and a dark blue Hangzhou silk round-collar robe. He looked rather spirited, except his brow carried too much gravity. According to the blind fortune teller at the City God Temple, this was a face with killing energy—an extremely hard fate, his actions incomparable to ordinary people. The kind of person one absolutely should avoid by three steps, taking the side path when encountered.

He was immediately frightened. Seeing this person followed by dozens and dozens of people, seemingly heading toward the City God Temple, he hurried to get out of the way.

But unexpectedly, someone behind suddenly called for him to stop.

Thinking he was in trouble, he ran without a word. Of course, he couldn’t get far. He was quickly caught and dragged back before this group, immediately begging them to spare him.

That middle-aged man leading the group glanced behind himself.

The voice that had told him to stop earlier said: “Wipe his face clean.”

Xiao Dingfei’s face was wiped clean.

Only then was he held by the neck, forced to raise his face. Thus he finally saw, three steps away in front of him, standing not far from that middle-aged man…

A youth.

Or perhaps between youth and young adulthood.

Hard to judge precisely.

Because he was taller than ordinary people, but also thinner. His brows and eyes were cold and stern, his face congealed with a floating violent energy, with several parts of sickly air tangled within. When one saw his appearance clearly, that originally calm gaze suddenly transformed into fierce frost and ice.

More than ten years had passed, and Xiao Dingfei still couldn’t forget that gaze.

That gaze that always made his back run cold when he recalled it.

At that moment, he’d been too frightened to move.

Then he heard the middle-aged man call out: “Du Jun?”

That youth’s gaze took a long time to withdraw before he said: “Adoptive Father, he’s most suitable.”

Suitable for what?

He couldn’t understand at all.

But so what if he understood later?

It didn’t matter much.

From a beggar on the street to a young master in silk and jade—one could say he went from earth to heaven. He’d already suffered too much and didn’t want to suffer more. Others were born as nobles and generals with hereditary titles—why couldn’t he enjoy himself for once?

Moreover, this was something that person didn’t want.

And in the following decade-plus, he felt immensely fortunate about making the correct choice.

Because the days lived by the person who lost this name were ones he could never have endured no matter how much he gritted his teeth.

Even though he was the one who’d originally been born a lowly beggar.

“Do you know what abandoning this name and surname means for you?”

“I know.”

“And you still want to discard it?”

“Mother is gone, Father is unworthy. The name brings only humiliation, the surname crowns my hatred. Such a name and surname, I don’t want. I only thank Heaven’s mercy that danger reveals one’s nature. Though dwelling in safety, I dare not forget. I’m willing to abandon the old surname, discard the old name, cast off the old self. Are imperial descendants not the same as commoners? Even with ten thousand difficulties pressing upon me, I won’t change my resolve.”

Are imperial descendants not the same as commoners?

Even with ten thousand difficulties pressing upon me, I won’t change my resolve.

Xiao Dingfei thought—toward those three characters of name and surname, that person must have truly, deeply hated them, right?

Somehow, he suddenly felt somewhat dispirited.

Perhaps this pretty young lady was right—bearing this name indeed had gains and losses. But who told him he was born a beggar? Even if his days weren’t as carefree as he’d initially imagined, it was still better than suffering like those nameless people, with barely one life surviving out of ten, right?

There was no reason to calculate gains and losses further.

He’d just said “What the hell do you know,” and Jiang Xuening surprisingly didn’t get angry.

Only because she knew she’d touched on his sore spot.

Xiao Dingfei was too lazy to speak with her further. Twisting his neck, turning his head, spurring his horse, he merely said “casting pearls before swine” and rode forward again.

Jiang Xuening lowered her voice to Zhang Zhe behind her: “Does Lord Zhang find his name familiar?”

Zhang Zhe naturally knew: “Young Master Dingfei.”

Jiang Xuening’s mental abacus started clicking. She felt this was an excellent opportunity. Such a first-rate disaster—if she could arrange things properly before escaping from Tongzhou and send him back to that whole Xiao family household, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Thinking this, she instinctively turned back to discuss it with Zhang Zhe.

She hadn’t expected that Zhang Zhe, seeing her silent for so long, was also lowering his head to look at her.

Sharing one mount, even though Zhang Zhe was a gentleman and Jiang Xuening restrained herself with a fist’s distance between them, they still occasionally bumped due to the bumpy road. What about this moment of turning and lowering heads?

Caught off guard, Zhang Zhe’s dry lips brushed across Jiang Xuening’s forehead, stopping at her temple.

In that instant, both people froze.

The young woman’s smooth, full forehead was like a carefully polished jade.

Yet unlike the cold, rigid impression given by his face, the man’s lips weren’t hard—only slightly cool because it was winter after all, with wind constantly blowing.

But Jiang Xuening felt as if she’d been branded with a hot iron.

Her heartbeat stopped for a moment, then resumed beating more violently, pushing all the blood in her body toward her face. Her mind went completely blank. She entirely forgot what she’d wanted to say just now, almost immediately withdrawing. Saying “I was discourteous,” she raised her hand to touch her temple and quickly turned back around, as if afraid someone might notice something.

Facing away from the person behind her, her snow-white earlobes were already crimson as if about to drip.

Zhang Zhe’s hands still held the reins. His body, which had finally relaxed considerably, tensed up again. He sat rigidly on the horse, not moving for a long time.

Though Xiao Dingfei had ridden ahead, thinking of how he’d been rebuffed by Jiang Xuening still left him unwilling to accept it, so he couldn’t help looking back.

The result of looking back was witnessing this scene.

He immediately cursed inwardly “shameless couple bold in broad daylight corrupting public morals,” his face showing extremely displeased indignation. But being a scoundrel, he was also stirred by this scene into some improper thoughts.

Feng Mingyu and Huang Qian were discussing sending a scout ahead to Tongzhou to gather intelligence. Turning back to see him riding up with an unhappy expression, they both couldn’t help being stunned.

Xiao Dingfei said irritably: “At this crippled pace, when will we reach Tongzhou?”

Huang Qian frowned.

But Feng Mingyu knew this was an ancestor they couldn’t afford to offend. He sighed: “We were just about to send someone ahead to scout the branch hall. Young Master, are you in such a hurry because of urgent business?”

Xiao Dingfei sneered: “Nonsense!”

Huang Qian laughed dryly, attempting to say: “If you have something, why not tell us so the scout can handle it for you first?”

Xiao Dingfei glanced at him and laughed coldly: “This young master is eager to enter the city to visit prostitutes! Do you fucking dare let someone else go in my place? Try it!”

Feng Mingyu and Huang Qian: “…”

Mother of God, at a time like this, why doesn’t Heaven send down a lightning bolt to strike this bastard dead!