Hearing Chun Tao’s respectful greeting calling out “Fourth Miss,” Bai Qingyan looked up toward Bai Jinzhi, who stood beside the gauze screen painted with misty mountain and water scenes. Her brows carried a gentle smile as she called out: “Xiao Si…”

Tears immediately rushed from Bai Jinzhi’s eyes, falling in continuous streams that soaked her clothing. She knelt on the yellow rosewood footstool beside Bai Qingyan’s bed, tightly embracing Bai Qingyan’s slender waist, sobbing aloud: “Elder Sister! You scared me to death!”

Bai Qingyan raised her hand to gently stroke Bai Jinzhi’s head, her voice tender: “Elder Sister is fine…”

Though she could see that her elder sister was indeed unharmed, Bai Jinzhi still couldn’t help but cry loudly, holding Bai Qingyan tightly without letting go.

Seeing Bai Jinzhi’s arrival, Bai Qingyan knew… the news of the chaos at Wude Gate in the capital had reached Shouyang, and her injury couldn’t be concealed either. She stroked Bai Jinzhi’s head, speaking softly: “Did you just abandon Shouyang like this to come to the capital?”

Bai Jinzhi only cried without answering. Only after crying enough did she finally look up, her eyes red-rimmed as she gazed at Bai Qingyan, sobbing while saying: “I left it to Bai Qingping! Elder Sister, rest assured… I ordered people to conceal Elder Sister’s injury! Eldest Aunt doesn’t know yet. When I took my leave, I said I was worried Elder Sister might be injured and afraid we’d worry, so might conceal it, which is why I had to rush to the capital to see…”

Bai Jinzhi didn’t finish her words. Though Dong Shi was also worried about Bai Qingyan, she hadn’t agreed to let Bai Jinzhi travel to the capital alone. Who knew this little girl would leave behind a letter and then ride straight to the capital at full speed, and recklessly bring not a single person with her?

Bai Qingyan took a handkerchief from Chun Tao’s hands to wipe Bai Jinzhi’s tears. Since one arm still couldn’t move, she could only instruct Chun Tao: “Help Fourth Miss up!”

Just as Chun Tao was about to step forward to help Bai Jinzhi, Bai Jinzhi acted like a child, hugging Bai Qingyan’s slender waist tightly and burying her head against Bai Qingyan: “I won’t get up! Won’t get up! I just want to hold Elder Sister like this…”

After Bai Jinzhi’s outburst, she began crying again.

No one knew that throughout this journey, Bai Jinzhi had been on tenterhooks, wanting to cry but forcibly swallowing back her tears.

The moment she learned something had happened to her elder sister, Bai Jinzhi felt as if she’d been pushed into an ice cave, her entire body chilled through and through.

Bai Jinxiu, who had just returned from preparing medicine for Bai Qingyan, had barely stepped into the courtyard when she heard Bai Jinzhi’s voice. Her lips couldn’t help but curve into a smile. She lifted the door curtain and entered the main room, taking the medicine bowl from the black lacquered gold-decorated square tray in Cuibi’s hands. Walking around the screen, she said: “I could hear Xiao Si’s crying from far away…”

Hearing her second sister’s voice, Bai Jinzhi hurriedly stood up in panic, wiping away her tears with her sleeves, somewhat embarrassed as she bowed to Bai Jinxiu: “Second Sister!”

“Rest assured, Elder Sister is truly fine. This time, Elder Sister set up a scheme, a necessary action to safely return to Shouyang! When speaking to outsiders, don’t forget… just say Elder Sister is awake little and sleeps much.” After instructing Bai Jinzhi, Bai Jinxiu sat beside the bed and handed the medicine to Bai Qingyan. “Elder Sister, Physician Hong said he changed the formula, the medicine will be more bitter… please bear with it.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, took the white porcelain bowl, stirred it with the spoon, then looked toward Bai Jinzhi and asked: “Did you go pay respects to Second Aunt when you returned?”

Bai Jinzhi hung her head and shook it. Her mind had been full of thoughts about her elder sister’s serious injury. Upon entering the main gate of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, she had come straight to her elder sister’s quarters. How could she have thought of anything else?

Seeing Bai Jinzhi like this, Bai Qingyan knew Xiao Si hadn’t gone. She said, “Go pay respects to Second Aunt and change your clothes! Chun Tao, instruct the kitchen to prepare some food for Fourth Miss!”

Bai Jinzhi responded, wiped away her tears with her sleeves, bowed to Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu with her head lowered, then left the main room.

Standing under the covered walkway, she let out a long breath. Fortunately, Elder Sister was unharmed. Bai Jinzhi had never dared imagine what she would do if something happened to Elder Sister!

Fortunately, Elder Sister was fine.

Bai Jinzhi secretly wiped her tears with her sleeves again, then took a deep breath, clenched her fists, looked up at the sunlight with squinted eyes showing a shallow smile, gathered her spirits, and went to pay respects to Second Madam Liu Shi.

After Bai Jinzhi paid respects to Second Madam, she returned to bathe and change clothes. Who knew she would fall asleep in the bathtub? Liu Shi was both amused and exasperated, having to ask the nanny to fish Bai Jinzhi out, dress the drowsy Bai Jinzhi, have someone wring out her hair, and only then let Bai Jinzhi go to bed to sleep.

Imperial Physician Huang’s granddaughter, Huang A’Rong, received news of Bai Jinzhi’s arrival in the capital and came to the Bai mansion that very afternoon to find Bai Jinzhi to play with.

Since Bai Jinzhi had returned to Shouyang, Huang A’Rong had fewer playmates. Huang A’Rong had a straightforward and active nature. Over the years, as young ladies from various families had grown up, most were confined at home practicing needlework. Apart from Bai Jinzhi, there was no one else who could play and get along well with Huang A’Rong.

Huang A’Rong excitedly told Bai Jinzhi about interesting events in the capital that Bai Jinzhi didn’t know about, while Bai Jinzhi listened with wide-open eyes.

“That group of wastrels just followed Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping to join the army. Who knew that barely three days after leaving the capital… they couldn’t endure it anymore and wanted to return! But that’s the army… not their own homes. I heard the leading general was fierce and directly used whips to beat them. Those wastrels all had delicate skin and tender flesh – how could they withstand whips! They beat that group of wastrels until… their faces were all marked!” Huang A’Rong exaggerated.

“What happened next? What happened next? Was Lu Yuanpeng’s face beaten into a tabby cat pattern! Did he make a fuss about returning?” Bai Jinzhi’s eyes sparkled.

“This time you guessed wrong!” Huang A’Rong spoke until her mouth was dry, deliberately creating suspense, leisurely picking up her teacup for a sip before sitting beside Bai Jinzhi to continue: “Later, I heard from Weng Weng… this group of new soldiers had just arrived at the northern capital when His Majesty wanted to transfer these new soldiers to Nan Jiang. So… each family tried to get their sons back to the capital! Only this Lu Yuanpeng… upon hearing about going to Nan Jiang, seemed determined as if he’d swallowed iron weights and wouldn’t leave! Sima Ping also carelessly followed along!”

“Isn’t Lu Yuanpeng afraid of being whipped?” Bai Jinzhi pondered.

“Perhaps he’s asking for a beating!” Huang A’Rong grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds. “Later, there was no more news, but I heard those wastrels who returned to the capital were all complaining bitterly, saying the military rations weren’t fit for human consumption – the rice was mixed with sand that could break teeth, the rice was so coarse it could scratch your throat when swallowed!”

Bai Jinzhi’s brows furrowed: “Rice grains mixed with sand?”

“Exactly!” Huang A’Rong shook her head. “I think these young masters are used to enjoying themselves in the capital and can’t endure hardship, so they’re exaggerating too much. They say that eating one mouthful of rice, you could spit out several grains of sand. If it were really like that… could Lu Yuanpeng, such a delicate noble young master, persist? He would have returned long ago! They slunk back in disgrace and couldn’t save face, so they’re deliberately saying this to preserve their dignity!”

Bai Jinzhi felt that although the group of wastrels who played around with Lu Yuanpeng were indeed delicate, they were used to being shameless. How could they lie about such things just for face?