Perhaps some matters, some misunderstandings, were better left for Ziqing and Jun Beiyue to explain to Jun Buli themselves.

Baili Weisheng shrugged, thinking to himself that he’d go find Ziqing and the others in a moment and first tell them about this time discrepancy issue, so they’d at least be prepared.

He was about to leave, but noticed Jun Buli was in no hurry to go!

Baili Weisheng paused slightly, seeing Jun Buli speaking softly to Consort Li. Though he couldn’t hear what was being said, it was clear from his tone—gentle, as though comforting her!

This child had always had a good temperament even as a boy, remarkably patient, remarkably good at soothing people. Baili Weisheng had discussed this with Ziqing before.

Ziqing had said she liked this quality in him, only worried he might change as he grew older. Now it seemed he hadn’t changed much at all!

Only, seeing this gentleness and patience directed at a woman like Consort Li left Baili Weisheng genuinely uncomfortable!

Though he had no idea what the relationship between Consort Li and Jun Buli actually was, at this moment he felt strangely like a jealous woman himself!

The moment this thought surfaced, Baili Weisheng immediately shook his head, startled by his own reaction!

And it was at this moment that he truly remembered his own girl—wondering how she was doing now.

Hadn’t he told her, more than once, to keep a tight leash on Jun Buli? How had another woman ended up at his side?

As Baili Weisheng mulled this over, he didn’t dwell on it too seriously—after all, this was Jun Buli’s own affair; which woman he liked was his own business.

What surprised Baili Weisheng, and left him with a lingering sense of unease, was that even upon learning Ziqing and Jun Beiyue had returned, Jun Buli could still so patiently soothe a woman.

Whether Jun Buli was harboring resentment toward his parents, or simply too overwhelmed to face them and thus choosing to avoid the moment, his attitude toward Consort Li right now was, at the very least, surprising.

Could it be he was genuinely serious about this woman?

After a good while, Consort Li finally let go of Jun Buli. As Baili Weisheng walked alongside Jun Buli toward the main hall, he probed carefully. “Kid, where’s my girl?”

Jun Buli thought for a moment before saying, “Baili Xiaosheng?” The way he phrased it as a question suddenly struck Baili Weisheng as odd, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. He nodded. “That’s the only girl I’ve got. Who else would it be?”

Jun Buli smiled faintly. “It’s been over ten years, hasn’t it? I’m not sure how she’s doing now either.”

At these words, Baili Weisheng stopped dead in his tracks, stunned.

Yet Jun Buli remained perfectly calm. “Is something wrong?”

Baili Weisheng suddenly grabbed Jun Buli’s collar, an inexplicable fury surging up, yet he couldn’t quite bring himself to lash out, not knowing what to say.

Jun Buli frowned too, snapping, “Damn scholar, what are you doing!”

“Over ten years, and she never once came to find you? Never came to find me either?” Baili Weisheng demanded, worried about his girl for perhaps the first time in his life.

The words “over ten years” seemed to touch a nerve in Jun Buli—even without showing it outwardly, others could clearly sense his hesitation.

At this moment, Yingzi hurried forward to pull Baili Weisheng’s hand away, explaining, “Seven or eight years ago, the young master sent me to look for her a few times. Nanzhao was in complete chaos back then, and the Baili family had almost no one left. After asking around a few times, we learned she’d been in secluded cultivation the whole time! Later the beast-clan Baili family fell into decline, and the Xiao family took over—after that, we lost all trace of her.”

In truth, Jun Buli had been consumed with internal and external affairs at the time, and constantly troubled by his parents’ unexplained disappearance. During those years, before his ministers, he’d been as tyrannical and domineering as could be, but returning alone to his private quarters, he’d been utterly listless, as if all life had been drained from him.

Aside from stabilizing Da Zhou’s realm and preserving the territory his parents had fought so hard to win, Jun Buli had cared about nothing else.

As for Baili Xiaosheng, he’d only ordered Yingzi to search for her twice; Yingzi had gone looking a few more times on his own. There were many rumors—some said that after the Baili family’s decline, she’d gone out to sea; others claimed she’d married and become someone’s wife.

Over ten years—Jun Buli would change, and Baili Xiaosheng would change too.

“So she never came looking for me?” Baili Weisheng asked coldly.

Yingzi shook his head. If they couldn’t even find her, how would he know why Baili Xiaosheng hadn’t come looking for Baili Weisheng?

This master-and-disciple pair had always been hard to fathom, honestly. When they’d left the Baili family back then, Baili Xiaosheng had even declared that if Baili Weisheng didn’t come find her, she’d destroy the Poison Den!

In those years, Yingzi’s attention had mostly been focused on the young master.

In truth, the current calm at Prince Yao’s estate, in the palace, in the court—it had only settled into peace these past two or three years.

Further back, Hongyi and Guxi had had to keep watch outside the young master’s door every single night, terrified that if he grew unhappy or upset, he might do something drastic.

“Something must have happened.”

Baili Weisheng calmed himself, murmuring to himself.

“Yingzi, send people to investigate right away!” Jun Buli immediately ordered.

Hearing Jun Buli’s words, Baili Weisheng took a deep breath and said flatly, “Let’s go. There are some things I need to tell your parents. Once that’s done, I’ll go find her myself.”

Jun Buli said nothing more, following him silently onward.

Yet Baili Weisheng still couldn’t help himself, asking again, “Kid, do you remember how, as a child, you used to cling to that girl, following her around like a happy little puppy?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Jun Buli’s eyes, and he coughed lightly. “Did I?”

“Everyone knows this, come on!” Baili Weisheng shot him a glare.

“I don’t remember,” Jun Buli said honestly, and after a moment, added, “That was when I was little. Many years ago now.”

Baili Weisheng didn’t answer, didn’t even look at him, gazing up at the sky the whole way.

An indescribable sense of loss welled up wave after wave in his chest. He, normally so quick-tongued, so free with his words, suddenly found himself utterly speechless in the face of time.

If Jun Buli had angrily demanded to know why he’d left without a word, and only now came asking after his disciple’s whereabouts, perhaps he would have felt more at ease!

But Jun Buli’s attitude had been so calm, so composed.

That meant he hadn’t deliberately forgotten Baili Xiaosheng—he’d genuinely forgotten his childhood playmate!

Truly forgotten!

Children, in truth, could be the most heartless, the most cruel.

A childhood friend—even one you’d spent two or three years constantly together with—once separated long enough, once grown up, could be forgotten entirely, as if they were a complete stranger!

The Xiong Xiaobao of the past had clung to Baili Xiaosheng every single day; the Jun Buli of today had already forgotten that childhood bond entirely.

To him, Baili Xiaosheng was now so unfamiliar, so distant—he seemed to know only that she was Baili Weisheng’s disciple, nothing more.

Watching Jun Buli walk calmly forward, Baili Weisheng’s lips curved into a helpless smile. He supposed he should be grateful this kid at least hadn’t forgotten him, Uncle Scholar.

Soon enough, they arrived before the main hall, and only then did the composed Jun Buli finally lower his gaze…