Although Luo Yang’s clever scheme was used shrewdly, it had caused Zhao Quanzhi to completely lose face. This account definitely wouldn’t be settled so simply.

Presumably at this very moment, Zhao Quanzhi must be searching everywhere in the manor for that troublemaking servant.

Seeing that Luo Yang was still wearing servant’s clothes, Ji Yunshu reminded him: “You’d better hurry back. Otherwise, if Zhao Quanzhi finds out it was you, he’ll definitely make a big fuss about it and even implicate Young Master Wen.”

“Are you… worried about me? Or worried about that fellow named Wen?” Luo Yang was unhappy.

“You and I were brought into the manor by Young Master Wen. Naturally we can’t drag them into this.”

“What dragging or not dragging? If I really get caught, I’ll just say that fellow named Wen ordered me to do it and let them taste what it’s like to be wrongly accused.”

“Then wouldn’t you be putting someone in an unjust position?”

“I don’t care what’s just or unjust. They already owe me in the first place. They promised that once we reached the capital, they would grant me a future. But now we’re trapped here, unable to go anywhere, and they haven’t even mentioned it once—they’ve probably forgotten all about it! So who knows if I’ll even have that future? If I don’t, shouldn’t I be allowed to drag them down with me to teach them a lesson? At least I can vent my frustration!” Luo Yang said indignantly.

No matter when or where, he always had so many arguments. No one could out-argue that mouth of his!

But truly thinking about it from his perspective, Luo Yang’s anger wasn’t without reason. After all, so many days had passed, yet Wen Che still hadn’t given him an answer about what he’d previously promised. It was natural for him to be anxious and angry.

Ji Yunshu also knew that saying more would be pointless, so she urged him to quickly leave this place.

Before he left, Ji Yunshu didn’t forget to remind him about the two matters he’d agreed to handle for her.

“This young master remembers!”

Luo Yang raised his voice and vanished from the courtyard in a flash.

Ji Yunshu sat in the room rubbing her temples. Today had been quite exhausting.

But she didn’t know that just outside the window, a figure was leaning against the wall. Jingrong’s expression was stern and cold, his hands holding a black longsword. He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but he had heard every word of the conversation between Ji Yunshu and Luo Yang in the room. He had always thought Ji Yunshu was a soft, weak girl of deep sentiment, her heart and mind filled only with that person called “Jingrong.” He hadn’t known that woman had such a shrewd side, actually secretly investigating Wang Huai’s murder. While the Court of Judicial Review had searched all day without finding any clues, she had secretly collected multiple leads and was even preparing to conspire with Luo Yang to act out a play…

She really was no simple person!

The more curious he became about that woman, the more he recalled every word she had said to him.

Those words rolled through his mind again and again!

Filling him with confusion and inner conflict.

Was he truly “Jingrong”?

Was it truly as Ji Yunshu had said—that he had inexplicably disappeared in a great fire and then arrived in Qujiang?

But the only person who might know the truth, Su Ziluo, had repeatedly emphasized that he was merely a disciple of Master Gaohui from Dragon Mountain Temple!

All of this—all questions!

Now, he was following Su Ziluo’s orders to secretly protect Ji Yunshu until she found evidence to prove the Heir Apparent’s innocence.

In other words, he had to remain by her side without leaving for even a moment!

Inside the room, Ji Yunshu’s eyelids drooped. Seeing the candlelight in the room faintly flickering, a strong premonition suddenly surged in her heart. After pausing for a few seconds, she rose and walked to the window, pushing open the tightly shut window. A cold wind immediately rushed in from outside, chilling to the bone, sweeping across her face one stroke at a time, bringing a stinging sensation.

Outside the window, there was nothing but cold wind, lanterns, and a large tree—nothing else!

Her premonition had proven empty!

Jingrong had been avoiding her all along—how could he possibly appear here?

She shook her head slightly, laughing bitterly and helplessly. She couldn’t say she felt disappointed. In the end, she only let out a heavy sigh and closed the window!

When Jingrong saw the figure inside the room gradually approaching, he had immediately flashed up to the rooftop to avoid being discovered.

It was now late at night. The surroundings were impossibly quiet.

Ji Yunshu prepared to close the half-open door and rest when suddenly a cat’s meow came from inside the room.

“Meow~”

Hearing this, she looked down and saw a black cat had somehow slipped inside.

How could there be a cat in the manor?

She bent down to hold the cat in her arms, rubbing its little head. But the cat kept staring at the pastries on the table and crying out.

It must be hungry.

Her compassion overflowed for a moment. She carried the cat to the table and took out a piece of pastry for it to eat.

The black cat ate bite by bite. After a short while, it had eaten a small piece.

Ji Yunshu gently stroked its fur, a rare smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

At this moment, someone outside called softly: “Little Guozi? Little Guozi? Where did you run off to?”

Ji Yunshu glanced toward the door, then looked at the black cat eating pastries. Presumably its owner had come looking for it. She picked up the still-wolfing-down black cat and went outside.

A young maid was searching everywhere in the courtyard, softly calling “Little Guozi.”

“Are you looking for a cat?”

The young maid saw Ji Yunshu come out holding the small cat and immediately rushed over, grabbing the cat: “How did it run to your place?”

“A cat isn’t a thing—naturally it will run around.”

“In the middle of the night, if it got lost, I’d get scolded again!”

“Then you’d better hurry and take it away.”

The young maid saw what looked like pastry crumbs on the cat’s mouth. She immediately froze, then glared at Ji Yunshu fiercely, saying: “Miss, this cat is no ordinary cat. How could you just feed it things randomly?”

Ji Yunshu: “Uh…”

“Hmph!”

The young maid said nothing more, turned and left.

Leaving Ji Yunshu standing there somewhat flustered!

…

The next day.

Zhao Quanzhi hadn’t slept all night. Before dawn broke, he began searching for the servant who had brought him food and attended him while bathing last night, vowing to break that person’s arms and legs to properly get his revenge.

But he had searched through all the servants in the manor one by one, yet hadn’t found the person he spoke of—not even a shadow.

Zhao Quanzhi believed they were deliberately covering for him. His anger flared, and he cursed them one by one.

So now the entire courtyard was filled with kneeling servants.

One person said: “Young Master Zhao, among us there really isn’t the person you described. If there were, we would definitely hand him over.”

Zhao Quanzhi kicked him.

The servant kneeling at the front was kicked down to the ground, then quickly propped himself up again, saying: “We’re truly not lying.”

“Still dare to say you’re not lying? Could the person from last night have been a ghost?”

“This…”

“This what? Why don’t you hurry up and hand over the person? Otherwise, I’ll go have a talk with your old manor master.”

“Please don’t do that!”

“Then why aren’t you handing over the person?”

“But there really isn’t the person you described. Where am I… supposed to find him for you?” The lead servant looked utterly helpless, on the verge of tears, almost lowering his head to the ground.

Zhao Quanzhi glared at him fiercely, looking determined not to give up.

This commotion woke everyone else in the courtyard, and people came out one after another to watch.

One young master said: “Zhao Quanzhi, stop making things difficult for these dog slaves. Perhaps last night… you really did encounter a ghost—who knows!”

“Maybe even a seductive ghost.”

“Hahaha…”

Everyone laughed without restraint.

Zhao Quanzhi clenched his fists, swept his fierce gaze across everyone, and rebuked: “You pack of dogs can’t spit out ivory from your mouths. If you dare to mock me again, once we return to the capital, you’ll have hell to pay.”

If this were before, everyone would definitely have been somewhat intimidated, wouldn’t even dare to open their mouths to mock him. That was because previously Zhao Quanzhi had Li Shiyan backing him up, so no one dared offend him. But now…

A white-robed young man said: “Zhao Quanzhi, who do you think you are? Just the son of the Governor-General of Jiangguang, that’s all. Do you really think you’re someone? Showing off everywhere, flaunting constantly! If not for the Heir Apparent’s sake, who would pay attention to you? To put it bluntly, you’re just a dog under the Heir Apparent’s command. Now your master has killed someone. Once convicted, that’s a capital crime—beheading. Without the Heir Apparent, you won’t have anyone to protect you anymore. At that time… you’ll not only be a dog by the Heir Apparent’s side, you’ll be a dog in the entire capital!”

Someone chimed in: “Probably worse than a dog!”

“…” Everyone spoke one sentence after another, accompanied by sharp, bitter sounds of humiliation and mockery.