Hearing her suddenly call Quan Feitong “Brother Mu,” Lian Yu narrowed his eyes and watched quietly. Lian Jie and the others were also slightly surprised, and all the officials were stunned, but it was rare to see Quan Feitong slowly turn around, looking at Suzhen with a smile.

“Huaisu, please speak.”

This time, Quan Feitong didn’t say “Master Li.”

Li Zhaoting’s gaze paused slightly upon hearing this.

Suzhen smiled, “Brother Mu, that night on Ning’an Street, when Huaisu was rude to Miss Agu, you kindly reminded me, but Huaisu didn’t respond. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

Quan Feitong hadn’t expected her to bring up such a trivial matter. After a moment of surprise, he found it rather interesting and asked with a smile.

“Because, though Huaisu is foolish and naive, I’m no monkey to be played with by anyone. Sometimes I do understand human nature a little. At that time, you wanted Sixth Young Master to misunderstand something, didn’t you? So at that time, no matter who spoke up, I ignored them all.”

Suzhen watched with satisfaction as Quan Feitong quietly said “Oh,” slightly raising his eyebrows as he stared at her.

“All these years, elder brother has participated in every imperial examination, yet can only appreciate your own work in solitude, because perhaps apart from Minister Li’s papers this year that could arouse some interest in you, there was nothing else. This time Huaisu will certainly work hard—regarding Mochou’s case, I’ll submit an answer sheet that satisfies you.”

Suzhen spoke slowly. After listening, Quan Feitong couldn’t help but smile warmly. After quite a while, he slowly restrained his smile and said one word: “Good.”

At this moment, the afternoon sunlight was brilliant. People saw that white-robed Prime Minister’s eyes half-filled with previous coldness, half with amusement. The young man on the ground had eyes full of flame-like color, as if dyed by winter sun.

That evening, at the Huo family’s separate residence.

After bathing, tying her chest binding, and putting on her clothes, Suzhen leaned against the bed thinking about matters.

Both knees throbbed with pain. She cursed Lian Yu while rubbing her nearly exploding head.

In a moment of anger, she had publicly issued a challenge to A San, but in a battle where even the challenger didn’t know how to fight, how could she win?

Moreover, this was a battle she would lose no matter how she fought.

She remembered when everyone had left and only she, Lian Jie and others, and Lian Yu leaning back in his chair with closed eyes remained in the room, she had ingratiatingly asked Lian Yu how to try this case. Lian Yu completely ignored her, waving to summon Qinglong and Baihu, who carried her out and threw her down, then slammed the door.

After returning, she hadn’t even gone to see Mochou to hear her detailed account of the case. She only heated a large bucket of water, brought it to her room, and viciously ordered those four male animals not to come in and disturb her. After bathing, she collapsed on the bed half-dead.

She had to know Lian Yu’s intentions before she could handle the case.

But if Lian Yu chose to abandon Mochou and Scholar Xie for the nation’s sake, what should she do?

Lian Yu’s choice would be beyond reproach, and she should do the same.

National interests must be higher than individual ones.

But—but if even Mochou, despite her lover Scholar Xie ultimately abandoning her, was willing to endure torture everywhere just to bring down Pei Fengji, how could she bear to abandon her?

Those who died didn’t seem to be good people, but how many of these people others called lowly weren’t originally just trying to survive?

On the way back with Mochou, Mochou had briefly mentioned that the two dead sisters had given her quite a bit of silver that night, telling her and Scholar Xie to take it and start a small business.

She screamed loudly, glaring hatefully at the top scholar’s red robe and black silk official cap hanging on the screen.

Damn it, she came here for revenge!!

What was happening now!!

Other people’s affairs were none of her business!!

Her whole family was dead—it would be better if everyone else died too!!

She was good to others, but who would be good to her!!

“Li Huaisu.”

She closed her eyes and wailed once more. Suddenly, a voice descended by her ear.

She was startled, opened her eyes abruptly, and saw a gray-robed man wearing a mask standing before her bed. Without thinking, she reached for the bundle on her bed, then turned and flung it out, hearing the other person scold in a low voice, “What did you throw on my face?”

“Lime powder, for self-defense. Rough thief, I’ll beat you to death!”

Suzhen giggled, seeing the person cover his eyes with his hands. Just as she was about to pounce and remove this attacker’s mask before beating him up, she saw something peeking out from his front. Looking closer—that was… her flute!

Holy shit, that… this masked man was actually Zhaoting?!

She was immediately stunned. Just as she was both surprised and at a loss, the other person already scolded sternly, “Rough my ass. I’m Huo Chang’an. Li Huaisu, you idiot, if I wanted to be rough with you, would I need to steal anything? Hurry up and find something to clean this off me!”

Ah, what was this situation? Why was Zhaoting impersonating Huo Chang’an?

Suzhen was dumbfounded. After a while, she finally cried “Ah!” and rushed out. “Huo Chang’an” only heard many things being knocked over and falling in the room.

Suzhen went to the kitchen to get vegetable oil. Passing through the main hall, she saw Lengxue and the other three looking at her with expressions that said “are you stupid?” Moreover, incredibly, the steward she had seen at the Huo mansion before was also in the main hall. Seeing her pass, he bowed and smiled at her.

She understood somewhat now. No wonder Wuqing and the others were willing to let Zhaoting barge into her room—because they really thought Zhaoting was Huo Chang’an.

Zhaoting was truly amazing, even bringing the Huo family’s steward.

But why was he pretending to be Huo Chang’an?

She returned to the room with her questions, conveniently locking the door behind her.

No one could disturb her and Zhaoting!!

“Huo Chang’an” washed his eyes clean, frowning at the chairs scattered about the room, the large tub of bath water in front, and water droplets splashed everywhere. He thought, what kind of bathing was this—like a dog? Noticing that particularly noisy person had disappeared, he looked around and found Suzhen grinning mischievously while arranging her hair in front of the bronze mirror.

Those chairs were dirty and couldn’t be sat on. He silently walked over, grabbed her collar, and dragged her like a small dog to the bed, throwing her onto it. He then sat down beside the bed.