“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei’s voice was suppressed very low.

“About this afternoon’s matter, I apologize on behalf of Madam. For my sake, please don’t hold it against her.”

Yan Sanhe: “…” How did he know about that too?

Xie Zhifei’s chest rose and fell slowly. “From now on, Third Master will also stand in front of you. How about that?”

An indescribable emotion surged violently through Yan Sanhe like a tidal wave.

“Buyan, Buyan, carry me back.”

There was an urgency in her voice that even she hadn’t noticed, like a soldier who had lost a battle with only one path left—

To flee in defeat!

Li Buyan tied the bundle to herself, scooped her hands under Yan Sanhe to lift her up, and glanced sideways at the man on the arhat bed.

The man’s face was swollen terribly, yet the corners of his mouth held a trace of a smile.

You old fox of the romantic world!

Li Buyan cursed him silently on Yan Sanhe’s behalf.

…

“Why is my Sanhe leaving so quickly?”

After the master and servant had disappeared from sight, Pei Xiao still craned his neck to look. “I haven’t even spoken a few words with her yet!”

Xie Zhifei said nothing but gave Zhu Qing a meaningful look.

Understanding, Zhu Qing walked to the lit side room.

“Xiao Hong, go to the small kitchen—Master wants a night snack. Lüqi, go to the old madam’s quarters and pay respects on Master’s behalf.”

“Yes!”

The two maids left Shi’an Courtyard one after the other.

Zhu Qing closed the study door and personally stood guard outside.

Inside the study, Mei Niang sat properly on a round stool, keeping her voice low as she reported to Third Master all the important information gathered over the past dozen days or so.

The account house served two purposes for Third Master: making money and gathering intelligence.

In this world, two types of businesses could discreetly reveal a family’s rise or fall: antique shops and gambling dens.

The decline of aristocratic families never showed on the surface—they sold ancestral treasures, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Prosperous families, on the other hand, secretly bought treasures.

Who was buying, who was selling—antique dealers knew it all.

As for gambling dens?

Setting aside the gambling addicts who sold their children, if Young Master Liu from the east district came eight times last month but only five times this month—

Those three fewer visits meant Young Master Liu’s silver wasn’t flowing freely, which meant the Liu family was on the decline.

If Young Master Liu came ten times this month, those two extra visits indicated he’d recently come into unexpected wealth.

Xie Zhifei used the gambling den and the Northern City Patrol Office to gradually monitor the movements of the capital’s powerful families for the Crown Prince Grandson.

After Mei Niang finished her report, Xie Zhifei had her leave.

Once she was gone, he said to Pei Xiao, “Ming Ting, I can’t hold on anymore,” and had Zhu Qing carry him back to his room.

Though he’d trained this body for years, the foundation was too weak. His earlier bold words that scared off Yan Sanhe were because he didn’t want her to see how exhausted he was—too tired to even speak.

Zhu Qing laid him on the bed and used a damp cloth to wipe the cold sweat from his master’s face bit by bit.

“Master deliberately let word of Mei Niang’s visit reach Madam, didn’t you?”

“You truly understand me.”

“Was it for Miss Yan’s sake?”

“Mm!”

Third Master opened his eyes a crack, looking at the person by his bed. “I just wanted to show her that while that girl is a proper young lady, her son is far from being a proper gentleman.”

…

In the Quiet Reflection Residence.

Yan Sanhe lay flat on the bed, her mind still thinking about Jing Chen’s matter.

The urgent priority was to first find out Jing Chen’s identity in the mortal world, but with just these few items from the bundle, it would be difficult.

“Buyan, tomorrow go to the Water Moon Nunnery again for me and…”

“My dear young miss, you can ask me to fight, but to ask questions…”

Li Buyan, afraid of bumping Yan Sanhe’s injured foot, slept on the bamboo couch under the window. “When have I ever had that kind of brain? Just ask Third Master.”

Yan Sanhe couldn’t bear to hear that person’s name right now.

In this world, many people were born with good appearances, but inside they were empty shells.

Third Master was not like that.

Third Master was born with a good appearance, but when you peeled back one layer inside, another unknown layer was revealed. Peel that back, and there was another…

How many layers there were, besides himself, no one knew.

What was more deadly was that this person would occasionally beckon to her gently, tempting her to explore whether what lay inside was treasure or danger.

“Why ask him?” Her voice lacked any warmth.

“This kind of interrogating criminals business—he’s done it habitually, definitely more clever than me.”

“Where’s he clever? I haven’t noticed. I’d rather do it myself…”

“Yan Sanhe, you’d better listen to Doctor Pei’s words. Injuries to tendons and bones are different from other things—they need rest, and proper rest at that.”

Li Buyan knew her thoughts. “Don’t be embarrassed. Didn’t he say himself he’d stand in front of you?”

“Who needs him to stand there?”

Just hearing those words made Yan Sanhe annoyed. “Does he think he’s an umbrella or something?”

Li Buyan rarely saw Yan Sanhe being petulant and laughed heartily. “What’s wrong with an umbrella? It can block wind, block rain, and when the sun comes out, it can block the sun too.”

Yan Sanhe propped herself up slightly and looked down at Li Buyan.

“That’s not what you used to tell me. You said women can’t rely on anything or anyone—they have to rely on themselves.”

“That’s right, but isn’t your leg injured right now?”

Li Buyan climbed up from the couch and tucked a handkerchief from under her pillow into Yan Sanhe’s hand, then gently pressed her back down.

“Jing Chen’s heart demon was discovered by the nunnery almost as soon as she was buried. From what I saw, Third Master’s injuries should be mostly healed in six or seven days. There’s no rush with this matter—you just focus on properly resting your foot.”

Li Buyan looked at her gently.

“If he keeps his word, we’ll ask for his help and thank him properly. If he was just speaking casually, we won’t need to trust him in the future.”

Yan Sanhe: “…” That actually makes some sense.

“All right, stop thinking. Sleep. Your injury especially requires avoiding excessive thinking.”

“I injured my foot, not my brain.”

“It’s all the same—sleep!”

Yan Sanhe clutched the handkerchief tightly and closed her eyes.

Whether from true exhaustion or because Li Buyan was by her side, gradually her breathing slowed.

“Can’t sleep without clutching a handkerchief in your hand—I wonder who indulged you in this habit before.”

Li Buyan returned to the bamboo couch, pillowing her head on her arm. She herself suddenly had no sleepiness at all.

Her unwillingness to go to the Water Moon Nunnery, besides lacking the brains for it, the real reason was that she didn’t dare leave Yan Sanhe’s side for even a moment now.

If Madam Wu pricked with words today, what if tomorrow she decided to act physically? This girl had an injured leg and could only endure being beaten and scolded.

What Water Moon Nunnery, what Jing Chen… none of it was as important as her.

…

In the dead of night.

A black shadow landed in Shi’an Courtyard.

Zhu Qing’s eyes flew open as his hand reached for the sword by his pillow.

“Brother Zhu Qing, it’s me!”

Zhu Qing put down his sword, jumped out of bed, and gently pushed open the window. “In the middle of the night, what are you doing?”

“Where’s my master?”

Huang Qi walked to the window. “There’s an urgent matter at the Buddhist Registry. We need to wake him up immediately.”

Zhu Qing felt somewhat strange.

What urgent matter could that backwater office of the Buddhist Registry possibly have?