After Xia Xiuyan left the stall, the person hiding beneath dared to gently shift his numb body into a new position, asking softly: “Who was that just now?”

“Xia Xiuyan, son of Princess Mingyang and General Xia.”

Zhang Rong’s eyes suddenly widened as he grabbed her robe’s hem: “What did you say? You sent Xia Xiuyan to find her?”

Qiu Xinran glanced at the person by her feet and asked seriously: “Did Minister Zhang truly collude with the Dieyue people?”

“Impossible!” The youth replied decisively, his gaze instantly darkening at the mention. “My father was framed.”

Qiu Xinran nodded. “If that’s the case, the Heir will go find her.”

“How do you know?”

“Someone in court colluded with the Dieyue people to kidnap him—naturally he wants to know who more than anyone else.” Qiu Xinran looked at him strangely, as if puzzled he couldn’t even understand this. “To investigate this matter thoroughly, he won’t ignore it.”

Zhang Rong had never dealt with Xia Xiuyan before. In his impression, the other was merely a somewhat gloomy, sickly heir—saving others was questionable, let alone self-preservation. Otherwise, how could he have been so easily abducted at the traveling palace?

He frowned darkly with unease: “Can he truly save my younger sister? What if he harbors resentment toward my father and takes revenge on Hui’er?”

“I’ll be honest with you—whether the Heir can save your sister and what he’ll do with her, I have no certainty.” Qiu Xinran sighed. “But right now you can’t leave the city, and you need to rescue her before the pursuers arrive. In such haste, I can’t find anyone else. Meeting the Heir here by chance is already the best option available.”

Zhang Rong knew her words held some truth, but the situation didn’t seem much improved for him.

He’d endured countless hardships escaping from exile, not to avenge his parents, but to rescue his younger sister from the brothel. Unexpectedly, he’d happened upon Wei Yi on a boat. When conflict arose between them, outnumbered, he could only create panic on shore by staging people falling into the water, causing the riverside officials to scramble in confusion so he could escape in the chaos. Unfortunately, he himself was seriously wounded. In his hurry, he’d arranged to meet his sister at the Temple of the God of Wealth with three willow trees planted outside.

Now here he was, pursued and unable to leave the city, while his sister’s fate remained unknown—he didn’t even know if she’d escaped successfully. Thinking of this made it impossible for him to wait here any longer.

Seeing him grit his teeth to leave, Qiu Xinran didn’t stop him, only thought for a moment before saying: “From what I know of the Heir, he’s cautious with his own judgment. If you hope he’ll help you, you’d better let him know you have something worth his assistance.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

For over a decade, Zhang Rong had been heaven’s favored son. Overnight his family was destroyed. He’d fled all the way back to the capital, and upon entering the city first sought out his father’s old friends, only to be betrayed and nearly captured. For several days he’d hidden in the city, fearful and furtive. Never had he expected that in the end, a complete stranger—a fortune-teller—would help him. Having tasted the warmth and coldness of human nature these past six months, this “thank you” came from his heart.

Qiu Xinran didn’t seek his gratitude. She waved her hand: “Go now. If Minister Zhang truly died wrongly accused, I wish you swift vindication and reunion with your sister.”

Zhang Rong pressed his wound and looked deeply at her. Qiu Xinran warned: “If you’re caught again, don’t betray me.”

Even at such a perilous moment, the youth was amused by her wary expression, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly: “If the day comes when the Zhang family’s injustice is cleared, Zhang Rong will repay this with his life, even if I must walk through fire and water.”

****

When Xia Xiuyan left the divination stall and reached the vicinity of Qujiang Pavilion, he noticed several pleasure boats still moored along the shore. He turned and entered a riverside teahouse, finding a window seat on the second floor.

Before long, Gao Yang came upstairs. What he’d learned matched closely with what Qiu Xinran had said. Xia Xiuyan gazed at the riverside, pondering slightly, as if weighing something. After a moment, he instructed: “I need you to handle something for me…” He beckoned, whispering something in his ear. After listening, Gao Yang’s face showed some hesitation.

“What is it?”

“This matter is somewhat suspicious. This subordinate worries…”

“No matter. This affair doesn’t concern us originally—even if it’s a trap, it’s worth investigating.” Xia Xiuyan instructed: “The Jingzhao Prefecture has probably already dispatched people to search. You must ride swiftly and arrive before them.”

“Yes.”

After Gao Yang departed with his orders, Xia Xiuyan remained seated in the teahouse for a while. The riverside crowds gradually dispersed. When the sun began to slant, he finally went downstairs and walked toward the Drunken Spring Tower.

Passing the fortune-telling stall from earlier, Xia Xiuyan instinctively glanced at the divination stand he’d passed before, and indeed saw that pale yellow figure still in the same spot. However, a female customer now sat before the stall with a maid attending her, having a fortune interpreted.

He slowed his pace and drew closer, hearing her say: “…If I’ve divined correctly, does the young miss already have someone in her heart?” As soon as she finished speaking, the maid beside the female customer widened her eyes and scolded softly: “You… what nonsense are you saying?”

“Jinqin, don’t be rude.” The female customer at the stall blushed slightly, then asked quietly: “What else can you see, Master?”

Qiu Xinran lowered her head to look at the divination slip again, saying meaningfully: “This person’s fate is extraordinary—perhaps the son of a hereditary noble. Unfortunately, his connection with his parents is poor. One parent likely died young, and he himself…” She raised her head, her gaze meeting Xia Xiuyan’s standing behind the woman, and couldn’t help but stammer.

But the female customer before the stall showed excited emotion, completely unaware of her reaction, and pressed on: “What about him?”

Qiu Xinran struggled to maintain composure on her face as she finished the rest: “His own health should also be poor.”

The young miss before the stall drew in a sharp breath, losing her composure as she grabbed Qiu Xinran’s hand: “Then can you see what connection I have with him?”

Xia Xiuyan stood to the side with arms crossed, wearing an expression of barely suppressed amusement. Qiu Xinran’s face showed no change as she put away the divination slip, saying gently: “Matters of fate cannot be spoken plainly, or what might have been will cease to be. I can only say that in this world there are countless karmic connections, and not all are romantic bonds.”

The young miss showed sadness at these words, yet persisted unwilling to give up: “Truly none at all?”

The maid noticed the man standing nearby, her expression growing tense. She quietly tugged at her young miss’s robe hem, reminding her softly: “Miss, we should return.”

The female customer reluctantly stood, handing over the payment promised earlier, yet couldn’t help asking: “Master, do you set up your stall here daily?”

Qiu Xinran’s face was covered by the veil, her expression unclear, adding an air of mystery: “The young miss and I share the fate of one divination. If fate allows, naturally we can meet again.”

The female customer rose regretfully. Only upon turning did she discover that at some point a man of seventeen or eighteen had appeared standing behind her—could he also be here for a fortune reading?

He had handsome features with red lips and white teeth. She couldn’t help but look again. But seeing him also lower his eyes to look at her, she couldn’t help blushing and hurriedly left with her maid.

After boarding the carriage not far away, looking through the window she saw that the male customer had already sat down before the stall—apparently truly there for a divination. Watching that back, she somehow felt it vaguely familiar, yet couldn’t quite recall where she’d seen him before.