Li Cheng was stunned for a moment.

It took him a long time to react.

He stroked his chin, his gaze shifting back and forth between Marquis Nanguo and Jingrong and Ji Yunshu.

“What? Marquis Nanguo, you know them?”

Marquis Nanguo didn’t respond to him, his gaze fixed straight on the two people behind him.

Ji Yunshu froze for a moment, but then quickly reacted.

She stopped pretending.

“I didn’t expect you to recognize me.”

“Since you are my benefactor, no matter what you transform into, I would naturally recognize you.”

“Actually, after we met last time, the shopkeeper of that store already told me your identity. However, Marquis, you’ve hidden yourself deep enough. Although when I saw you back then, I already noticed those peacock tail feathers on you, I still thought you were just a noble engaged in commerce. I never expected you were a marquis.”

Marquis Nanguo said in a deep voice: “Sometimes, people cannot make their own choices.”

So much helplessness within!

Then he said: “I wonder if now, we might have a word in private?”

Ji Yunshu glanced at Jingrong.

After receiving the latter’s consent through eye contact.

She agreed: “Alright.”

And Li Cheng did not participate in the three people’s conversation.

More accurately, Marquis Nanguo wouldn’t let him participate.

In the end, leaving him behind, the three went to a private room in a teahouse and sat down.

The waiter bowed and asked: “What do you esteemed guests need?”

Marquis Nanguo waved his hand: “We don’t need anything.”

“Then shall I bring two pots of good tea?”

Marquis Nanguo directly took out an ingot of silver, placed it on the table, and instructed: “Don’t let anyone else come up to the second floor for now.”

Seeing the silver, the waiter’s eyes immediately lit up.

He quickly collected the silver, then persuaded all the people drinking tea on the second floor to leave one by one.

Amid a chorus of curses, the second floor returned to quiet.

During this time, Jingrong and Ji Yunshu had already wiped clean the charcoal ash from their faces.

Their handsome faces were revealed.

It must be said, the man was handsome, the woman beautiful.

Jingrong’s gaze fixed on Marquis Nanguo across from him, raising his hand in thanks: “Marquis, thank you for earlier.”

Clearly seeing through everything.

Marquis Nanguo said: “Fortunately I arrived in time. If I had been any later, I couldn’t have saved you either. At this moment, you would probably already be in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.”

“However, why would Marquis Nanguo know we were at the Ministry of Revenue?”

“That’s a long story.” Marquis Nanguo didn’t want to beat around the bush. Looking at them, he asked directly, “I arranged to meet you two here because I want to know—who exactly are you trying to find at the Ministry of Revenue?”

Uh!

The peculiarity in these words was immediately apparent.

He wasn’t asking why they disguised themselves to go to the Ministry of Revenue’s archives?

But directly asking whom they went to find?

Clearly, Marquis Nanguo knew their purpose for going to the Ministry of Revenue like the back of his hand.

Immediately, Jingrong became more vigilant: “It seems the Marquis pays close attention to our whereabouts.”

Marquis Nanguo explained: “To tell you the truth, back then in Dalin, you saved my child who nearly died in the womb. You are my benefactors—this kindness must be remembered in my heart. Not long ago, I unexpectedly encountered Miss Ji and learned that you had already arrived in Huyi. I wanted to repay the favor, but Miss Ji repeatedly declined. However, one must repay kindness—this cannot be forgotten! I took it upon myself to secretly dispatch people to investigate your residence, and inadvertently learned your purpose for coming to Huyi—it turns out you’re looking for someone. I believe the person you’re looking for must be very difficult to find, which is why you would risk going to the Ministry of Revenue. Fortunately, I learned in advance that the Second Prince was rushing to the Ministry of Revenue, so I hurried over. Just right—not a moment too early, not a moment too late. Now I want to do my utmost to help you find the person you’re looking for. I know many people in Gaoding. As long as I make some discreet inquiries, there will be leads. I will definitely do everything in my power to help you find them. This is surely better than you risking going to the Ministry of Revenue, isn’t it? Moreover, you’ve already alerted the enemy now. To investigate again will be very difficult.”

These words were full of sincerity.

Jingrong also agreed with what he said.

Indeed, they had already alerted the enemy. To try to go to the Ministry of Revenue again was simply impossible.

After hearing these words, Ji Yunshu fell into silence.

She was very clear that this Marquis Nanguo before her was not simple.

And he was hiding extremely deep!

So as for his “good intentions,” should they trust them?

This still required consideration.

Seeing the two remain silent for a long time, Marquis Nanguo also understood their concerns.

He said: “If I intended to harm you, I wouldn’t have gone to the Ministry of Revenue earlier! You can trust me completely.”

Word by word, spoken with great weight.

Ji Yunshu’s heart pounded for a long while, her ten fingers tightly twisted together.

Finally—

She spoke a person’s name.

“Chahe.”

Chahe!

When Marquis Nanguo heard this name, his entire person seemed to be struck by electricity.

He violently froze!

But the shock on his face swept past in an instant.

Concealing it very well.

Even the excitement surging in his eyes was barely visible…

Suppressing the tears in his eyes, looking at Ji Yunshu’s incomparably familiar face, restraining his trembling voice, he calmly asked: “This person… what is their relationship to you?”

Ji Yunshu replied: “As for the relationship, the Marquis need not know. If you can help find this person, I would be immensely grateful.”

Marquis Nanguo’s hands resting on his knees clenched into tight fists.

Trembling quite severely.

“Alright, I will definitely help you find this person.”

…

After the three separated.

On the carriage returning to the old residence, both Jingrong and Ji Yunshu had grave expressions.

After a long while, the former asked: “Did you notice that Marquis Nanguo was very strange?”

The latter’s gaze looked straight ahead: “Go on.”

“We’ve always been searching for someone in secret, so it’s impossible that news of us going to the Ministry of Revenue to find someone could have leaked out. Even Li Cheng wouldn’t say anything! Moreover, every time we discuss this matter, there are no outsiders present. But according to what Marquis Nanguo said, he secretly dispatched people to investigate. But no matter how he investigated, he shouldn’t know so much, unless…”

His voice gradually grew softer.

And before he finished speaking, Jingrong continued: “Unless we connect our previous speculations together!”

Ji Yunshu paused. Then she said: “If that’s really the case, then the reason that person called Lian Que broke into the ruined temple to kill and save people back then was presumably under Marquis Nanguo’s orders. This shows that the two people in the sacks were not simple—otherwise it wouldn’t have involved Marquis Nanguo! And at that time, Lian Que also took us for enemies and wanted to silence us. But when he saw that I had the jade token Marquis Nanguo gave me years ago, he didn’t kill me. Instead, he ordered a retreat. Afterward, he tracked us all along, wanting to confirm our identities! After understanding everything clearly, he became friends instead of enemies with us. So when we were trapped in the Third Prince’s manor before, that’s why he secretly helped us.”

Jingrong: “Exactly, that’s it! So everything connects together.”

Is it really like this?

Is Marquis Nanguo helping them purely for the sake of past kindness?

I’m afraid there’s an even greater secret within.