Dou Zhao’s heart pounded wildly.

Who could this “he” be?

The scarred man’s harsh voice rang out, “Go check if the Fourth Young Miss has woken up!”

Startled, Dou Zhao quickly climbed onto the arhat bed and lay down beside Su Juan.

“Such a delicate young lady,” someone grumbled while walking towards them. “My chop should keep her out for at least two hours. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Dou Zhao closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and feigned sleep.

The gaze lingered on her for a moment before footsteps echoed through the room, growing fainter. With a click, the door was locked again.

Dou Zhao relaxed, realizing her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

Had Bie Suxin found someone to rescue her? Had Bie Sulan lost track of her or been discovered?

She hadn’t expected to be knocked unconscious.

If something had gone wrong, she would have regretted it too late.

This decision had been far too risky!

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, leaving her in turmoil.

Suddenly, a soft creaking sound echoed through the room.

Dou Zhao looked towards the source in terror, only to see the window being pried open. Bie Sulan gracefully and nimbly climbed in from outside.

Excited, Dou Zhao quickly sat up.

Bie Sulan’s face lit up with a brilliant smile as she whispered, “Young Miss, Brother Chen and the others are outside. They’re just waiting for us to come out before they make their move.”

They wanted to rescue her in advance, probably fearing the kidnappers might use her as a hostage if a fight broke out.

Dou Zhao hesitated, glancing at Su Juan.

If she disappeared, would the kidnappers harm Su Juan?

Bie Sulan was at a loss, whispering, “Two or three kidnappers are patrolling outside. I can’t take Su Juan out with us.”

After a moment’s thought, Dou Zhao whispered back, “Su Juan and I will hide in the room. You notify them to make their move.”

Bie Sulan disagreed.

Dou Zhao asked, “Do you have a better idea?”

Bie Sulan had no alternative plan.

Dou Zhao woke Su Juan.

Still dazed, Su Juan’s eyes widened, and she was about to scream when Bie Sulan quickly covered her mouth.

Dou Zhao quietly explained the situation to Su Juan, concluding, “We’ll hide under the arhat bed.”

Even in this life-threatening situation, the Fourth Young Miss was thinking of her.

Su Juan’s eyes reddened, and she mustered her courage to say, “Fourth Young Miss, you and Sulan should go. They won’t harm me.”

“This is no time for heroics,” Dou Zhao said disapprovingly. “If we waste time, won’t we all be in danger?”

Su Juan lowered her head, tears falling in large drops.

Sulan said nothing more, pushing open the window and looking around for a chance to slip out.

Dou Zhao and Su Juan lay down under the arhat bed.

Sulan silently climbed back out.

The room fell silent. Dou Zhao and Su Juan barely dared to breathe. Outside, the kidnappers’ voices occasionally drifted in, heightening the tension. Dou Zhao felt her legs trembling.

As they waited, time seemed to stretch endlessly. Perhaps several incense sticks had burned, or maybe just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The window creaked open again, and this time, not only Sulan climbed in, but also Chen Xiaofeng and a robust middle-aged man with piercing eyes.

“Young Miss,” Sulan crouched by the arhat bed, peering underneath. “Brother Chen says if they can’t protect you, even tearing those kidnappers to pieces would be useless.” She then pointed to the middle-aged man, “This is Uncle Duan, who works as a guard with Brother Chen. Uncle Duan is very skilled. You and Su Juan stay under the Arhat bed until Lin and the others capture them. Then you can come out.” With that, she stood up and positioned herself in front of the bed.

Chen Xiaofeng and Uncle Duan took up positions on either side of the door.

Soon, the sounds of fighting and shouting erupted outside.

The scarred man cried out in terror, “Who are you people? We work for Master Xing of Lingshou County! Don’t let this be a misunderstanding between our kind!”

His plea was met with even more intense fighting.

The door burst open with a bang, and the scarred man rushed in with his knife. He froze for a moment when he saw an unfamiliar dark-skinned maid standing in front of the bed.

In that instant, Uncle Duan, moving like a ghost, had already grabbed the scarred man’s throat and twisted the hand holding the knife.

The scarred man yelped in pain. Chen Xiaofeng, a step behind Uncle Duan, delivered a vicious kick to the scarred man’s stomach. The man’s face turned pale, his knife clattering to the ground as his legs gave way. If Uncle Duan hadn’t been holding his neck, he would have collapsed entirely.

Uncle Duan spat contemptuously, his voice muffled, “And here I thought we were dealing with someone formidable. Turns out they’re just lowlifes!” He was unimpressed with the scarred man’s fighting skills.

“Who in the Northern Metropolitan Area could match Uncle Duan?” Sulan’s words dripped with honeyed flattery as she helped Dou Zhao and Su Juan crawl out from under the arhat bed.

“Thank you, brave sir,” Dou Zhao curtsied to Uncle Duan before asking Chen Xiaofeng, “Where are we?”

Chen Xiaofeng replied, “A small village on the border of Lingshou and Zhending, about twenty li from your estate.”

Lingshou County?

Wang Yingxue’s hometown.

Dou Zhao’s mind raced.

Outside, the sounds of fighting gradually subsided, replaced by intermittent groans.

Someone laughed, “Just a bunch of small fry. Chen Xiaofeng made it sound like we were facing real threats.”

Another voice chuckled in response, “It’s always better to be cautious.” Then added, “Tie them all up. We’ll see how the employer wants to handle them.”

Only then did Dou Zhao and the others finally relax their taut nerves.

She turned to Chen Xiaofeng and said, “Send someone with Sulan to my estate. Find Mr. Chen and have him pay you the ten thousand taels of silver I promised.” She still had matters to trouble Chen Xiaofeng and his men with, so paying the reward promptly would ensure their continued enthusiasm.

When Suxin had told Chen Xiaofeng that there would be a ten thousand tael reward for rescuing Dou Zhao, he had assumed she was speaking in desperation and hadn’t taken it seriously. He had thought that saving Dou Zhao might earn them one or two hundred taels at most, so when recruiting help, he had only promised one hundred taels. Now, hearing that there was a ten thousand tael reward, he was both shocked and delighted, at a loss for words. Even Uncle Duan stammered, “Miss Dou, is… is there a ten thousand tael reward?”

“Though I am young, my word is my bond. I never go back on what I say!” Dou Zhao replied calmly, her brow exuding an air of determination that commanded belief.

They had come with over twenty men. Even if Chen Xiaofeng took the lion’s share, each person would still receive several hundred taels. As a guard, one typically earned only twenty taels a year.

“I’ll go tell the others!” Uncle Duan exclaimed excitedly. He used the scarred man’s belt to tie him up tightly like a zongzi. “Thank you, Young Miss!”

The scarred man seemed to finally come to his senses. He roared angrily, “That bastard Pang Kunbai dared to trick us! He said you were just a little girl abandoned by your parents in the countryside with no one to look after you. How can you afford ten thousand taels of silver? He only promised me a hundred taels! I’m going to get him…” He struggled desperately to break free from Uncle Duan’s grip, but the man’s hands were as strong as iron bands, rendering him immobile.

Pang Kunbai!

So it was him!

Shock spread across Dou Zhao’s face.

She implored Chen Xiaofeng, “Please, Guard Chen, do me another favor—interrogate this man and find out what dealings he has with Pang Kunbai.”

They had barely broken a sweat and easily earned ten thousand taels. Now that she was asking for a small additional favor, even if it were somewhat troublesome, they wouldn’t refuse considering the generous payment.

Chen Xiaofeng immediately agreed.

The scarred man, however, began to shout, “Miss Dou, I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything if you let us go. We were also deceived by Pang Kunbai. Please be merciful, considering we were just doing a job for pay. Don’t hold it against us…”

Dou Zhao remained unmoved.

What if it hadn’t been her they had kidnapped, but some other defenseless woman?

She said to Chen Xiaofeng, “Please, Guard Chen, interrogate him for me.”

Chen Xiaofeng nodded.

Uncle Duan, admiring Dou Zhao’s decisiveness, took the initiative to drag the scarred man out.

Seeing Dou Zhao covered in dust from lying under the arhat bed, Sulan went to fetch water to help her clean up.

Dou Zhao asked, “Where’s Suxin?”

Sulan replied, “Sister was afraid of delaying your rescue, so she told Brother Chen the meeting place and returned to the manor first.”

Dou Zhao nodded, saying with concern, “I wonder how Grandmother is doing?”

Sulan reassured her, “They were after you, so they must have been lying!”

“Let’s hope so!” Dou Zhao sighed.

Sulan and Su Juan brought water to help her wash her face and redo her hair.

Chen Xiaofeng requested an audience.

His expression was strange as he lowered his voice, “Xing Laoliu confessed that he was instructed by Pang Kunbai to bring you here. Then Pang Kunbai would pretend to chance upon you and rescue you. After the job was done, besides the hundred taels of silver, Pang Kunbai also promised to send them to the Shaanxi Xing Du Si to serve as junior officers…”

Shaanxi Xing Du Si, Wang Xingyi’s territory.

Dou Zhao’s eyes flashed coldly. “Why not rescue me at the scene of the kidnapping? Why bring me here?”

“Xing Laoliu doesn’t know,” Chen Xiaofeng replied. “Pang Kunbai only told him to wait here, saying he would come to the rescue. When the time came, Xing Laoliu was to pretend to be overwhelmed and flee.”

“Did Pang Kunbai say when he would come?” Dou Zhao frowned.

“No, he didn’t.”

Dou Zhao lowered her head in thought. After a while, she looked up and said, “Guard Chen, I hate to trouble you again, but I’m afraid I must ask for your help once more with this matter.”

This was part of wrapping things up and having taken her money, they naturally had to see it through.

Chen Xiaofeng smiled, “Please, Young Miss, give your instructions.”

Dou Zhao then spoke quietly to Chen Xiaofeng for a while.

Chen Xiaofeng was first surprised, then his expression grew serious as he nodded repeatedly.