The woman and child cried and shouted, but Qin Shuying merely smiled coldly, completely ignoring them without offering any explanation. Under the protection of Ziteng and Lu Ye, she quickly turned back.

Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei naturally had to follow.

Qin Yunyun said: “This woman is spouting nonsense—is there no law and order left?”

Xu Peiwei was also still shaken: “Where did this fierce woman come from? How could she mistake Seventh Cousin for her Yao Niang?”

Qin Shuying had no time to respond to them, because more and more people were gathering over there, and the woman and child seemed to be catching up. Although the guards were protecting them, many men had arrived, both old and young, who seemed to know the woman.

Fortunately, Lu Ye had covered the woman’s eyes with powder—otherwise, if the woman had seen her face, it would have been even more troublesome.

The woman was saying something to the gathering crowd, and the crowd became agitated.

All of this happened in an instant—including Qin Shuying’s decisive turn to leave and Lu Ye throwing powder packages at the woman and child—all instantaneous events.

After walking a few steps, Qin Yunyun said: “Seventh Sister, I can’t walk anymore! With so many guards, nothing will happen.”

Xu Peiwei also said: “Yes, nothing will happen.”

Qin Shuying didn’t respond at all and ignored them, walking as swiftly as flying. Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei secretly groaned—Qin Shuying was a sheltered young lady who usually appeared delicate and weak, so how could she walk so fast?

Ziteng and Lu Ye were also almost flying, swift as the wind.

In no time, Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei were left behind.

But seeing that Qin Shuying was heading toward the carpenter’s shop, Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei exchanged glances and relaxed slightly—Madam Xu was there.

Qin Shuying’s group quickly reached where the carriages were parked and entered the shop.

Seeing it was Qin Shuying, the shop assistant was slightly stunned—when this young lady had left, she had a veiled hat, so why was it gone now? Holding a round fan to cover her face, she appeared very beautiful.

Entering the shop, Qin Shuying seemed to know the way like a regular, passing through the front shop, walking into the back courtyard, pushing open a door on the right side of the yard, and stepping inside.

Ziteng and Lu Ye followed closely, with Ziteng closing the small door.

The three quickly disappeared into this shop’s courtyard.

When Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei followed in and caught their breath, they went to the room where Madam Xu was having tea, thinking Qin Shuying could only be there.

Who would have thought—Qin Shuying wasn’t there!

The three became frantic and searched everywhere, but couldn’t find Qin Shuying.

The three were dumbfounded!

Could she have flown away?

Moreover, the shop assistant had said he personally saw Qin Shuying and two maids enter.

Not just one assistant—several people had personally seen that young lady enter with her maids.

The assistant thought that actually, this shop had another door one could exit through, but that young lady couldn’t possibly go that way—that was the men’s toilet!

So he felt it unnecessary to mention it.

Qin Yunyun stood stunned—this was clearly not part of her plan.

“What, what’s going on? Where did she go? Did you really see Seventh Miss enter with your own eyes?”

Madam Xu was anxiously pacing in circles. She had brought them out, so what did it mean if someone went missing?

Whether the shop assistants or Qin Yunyun and her companion, all definitively said they had personally seen Qin Shuying enter.

Just as everyone was searching, the noisy sounds outside grew louder and louder. Madam Xu was startled and instructed the maid beside her: “Why is it so noisy outside? What’s happening?”

The maid went out to look and came running back pale-faced and panicked: “This is terrible, Madam! There are so many people outside, saying they want to find some Yao Niang…”

Madam Xu was already irritated, and seeing her panicked appearance, couldn’t help but become angry, scolding: “Unrelated matters—what’s so terrible about that? Hurry and find the person—that’s what matters!”

The maid steadied herself and was about to speak with a bitter expression when the people outside had already surged over. At a rough glance, there was a dark mass with no end in sight—men, women, old and young, with many carrying sticks and other weapons, pushing and shoving several injured guards. The woman and child walked at the front.

“Mother, it’s them!”

The child pointed at Qin Yunyun and the others, saying loudly.

Only then did Madam Xu understand why her maid had been pale-faced—their own guards had been injured by this group of people, and they were coming directly for them.

Madam Xu was startled, and Qin Yunyun and Xu Peiwei involuntarily stepped back.

When had they ever seen so many emotionally agitated people?

Even though they had personally arranged this situation.

“Boss Zhang, what are you trying to do?”

A clever shop assistant went to inform the shopkeeper, and a middle-aged man still holding a plane came out, asking the man standing at the front of the crowd in a booming voice.

The man called Boss Zhang said: “Shopkeeper Wu, this has nothing to do with you. We’re just here to find those people.”

Boss Zhang pointed at Qin Yunyun and the others.

Shopkeeper Wu looked at the few of them, then at Boss Zhang, and said: “What’s this about?”

Before Boss Zhang could answer, the child cried out: “Shopkeeper Wu, my sister-in-law has come back! She was just with these few people!”

Shopkeeper Wu was also stunned: “What? Really?”

“We all saw it—if you don’t believe us, ask them!” The child pointed to the surrounding people, crying.

The woman pointed to her face, half-covered in powder, and said: “When she saw I recognized her, she threw powder all over my face and blinded my eyes. Shopkeeper Wu, Yao Niang is my family’s daughter-in-law. Even if she ran away for three years, she’s still my family’s daughter-in-law. Since she’s back, let her come out.”

Shopkeeper Wu looked toward Qin Yunyun and the others. Madam Xu said: “Shopkeeper, we don’t know any Yao Niang you’re talking about. Is there some misunderstanding?”

The child shouted excitedly: “Just now sister-in-law was with those young ladies—I saw it with my own eyes!”

His face was also smeared with white powder, making his original appearance unrecognizable. With his neck stretched out and his voice shrill, he looked quite pitiful.

Madam Xu looked toward Qin Yunyun. Now she seemed to understand somewhat—these people were probably talking about Qin Shuying?

But how could Qin Shuying be some Yao Niang?

Just as Madam Xu was about to speak, Cai Luan said to the child: “But the person you’re looking for has already disappeared!”

The child was stunned, and Qin Yunyun imperceptibly nodded at the child.

The child looked toward the woman. The woman’s previously intense expression suddenly seemed frozen, and then she said in a lost voice: “Really gone?”

Cai Luan said: “The person you’re looking for—is it one of our young ladies?”

The child said: “Exactly.”

Cai Luan said: “Then that’s right—she ran away just now.”

“This…” the woman hesitated.

Suddenly, someone in the back of the crowd shouted loudly: “Don’t believe her words! I clearly saw Yao Niang enter this shop! It must be one of the young ladies wearing veiled hats! Lift their veiled hats—lift them up and we’ll know!”

Several people echoed: “That’s right, that’s right! Lift their veiled hats—it must be one of them!”