“How could you be fine? Shu’er, you must be in pain. Every time you say you’re fine, no matter what happens, you always say you’re fine. I don’t like it when you’re like this, Shu’er. If it hurts, it hurts; if you’re sad, you’re sad—why won’t you say it? And Shu’er, whenever you feel wronged, you never say anything. You always hide it in your heart. Mother said that you can’t keep things bottled up inside—it will make you sick easily. Once you’re sick, you won’t be happy. If you’re not happy, you’ll be sad. Shu’er, aren’t you sad?”

He tilted his head, his eyes—exceptionally bright in the moonlight—flickering with slow, wooden confusion.

As he said these words, Ji Yunshu’s eyes couldn’t help but redden. Her heart felt like it was producing stomach acid—bitter, yet she couldn’t describe that feeling.

Fortunately, those reddened eyes were hidden in the darkness.

After a long while without receiving any response from Ji Yunshu, Wei Yi continued, “Shu’er, actually you’re very good. I know that when you sent me to Brother Muruo, it was to cure my illness, hoping I would get better. I know all this. You’re very good to me, and very good to Brother Jingrong too. It’s just that you never say it. Shu’er, you must have many things on your mind. Mother said that girls who don’t talk much all have things on their minds. Will you tell me about them?”

If it were any other time, with Wei Yi chattering on endlessly like this, Ji Yunshu would definitely have a headache.

But at this moment, her heart felt like a warm breeze had blown through it, wrapping around her entire being from the inside out, holding her tightly and securely.

She shook her head slightly.

“Wei Yi, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Why not?”

“As long as you live happily, that’s everything I can give you. Other matters—the more you know, the worse it is for you.”

“Why?”

Ji Yunshu’s hand gently rose, stroking his fine, soft hair. She tilted her neck to meet those clear, bright eyes.

She said, “Wei Yi, I regret it a bit now. I wish so much that you could stay like this forever. I don’t want you to be an ordinary person. I don’t want you to understand everything. Being happy and carefree—that should be your life.”

She truly regretted it!

Actually, wasn’t Wei Yi like this just fine?

Being a person without worries was the happiest thing!

Wei Yi stared at her blankly, as if he understood, yet also as if he didn’t.

He simply straightened his back and patted his chest firmly, saying, “Shu’er, don’t worry. I can take care of myself now, really.”

After speaking, he pulled out from his sleeve the cloth with blood-written characters and the bell collar, spreading them in his hand. He continued, “Shu’er, didn’t you say to have me send these two things out? I promise you, I’ll definitely find a way to do it.”

Ji Yunshu’s expression became serious. She glanced toward the outside and grasped Wei Yi’s hand.

She reminded him, “Keep your voice down. Don’t let the people outside know.”

“Understood.”

“Wei Yi, listen carefully. Just think of it as me playing a game of hiding things with you. Now pretend your stomach hurts. Tell the people outside you need to go out. Then say you’re hungry and want to go to the kitchen. Those people don’t want any trouble either, so they definitely won’t argue with you. By that time, it will be after mealtime. There won’t be many people in the kitchen, but there should be someone. See if anyone is taking things out, or if there are any leftover scraps of food—hide the items in there.”

“Hide them in the leftovers?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I understand.”

“But if it doesn’t work, come back immediately. You absolutely must not let anything happen to yourself.”

“Yes.”

Wei Yi nodded heavily.

Then he stood up and said, “Shu’er, I know what to do. When I was at home, Brother Shan often played hiding games with me. I won against them every time.”

“Don’t let anything happen to yourself.”

“Yes.”

Wei Yi turned around and clenched his fist to pound hard on the door.

The two bandits guarding outside heard the commotion. With dark faces, they walked to the window nearby and asked inside, “What are you pounding for?”

Wei Yi said, “Brother, my stomach doesn’t feel well.”

“So what?”

“I want to go to the outhouse.”

“What outhouse? It’s so spacious inside—can’t you just take care of it in there?” the man scolded.

“No!” Wei Yi retorted loudly, “I don’t want to do it here. I want to go to the outhouse. Take me to the outhouse…”

He kept clamoring!

The two people outside could be heard starting to discuss it.

“We’d better take him out quickly.”

“No, the chief ordered us to watch him carefully.”

“But the chief also said not to let anything happen to him. Besides, right now the chief is in a bad mood. If this gets to him, we’ll be in trouble. Moreover, he’s just a fool—what tricks could he play? We’re still in the stronghold.”

That person thought it over carefully for a moment and realized this reasoning made sense.

So he relented and agreed, “You take him. I don’t want to stay with a fool.”

“Fine!”

And so—

They opened the door.

That person dragged Wei Yi out, not forgetting to complain, “You’re the most troublesome one. After being forced to drink so much wine, you’re still this clearheaded. That thing the young scholar gave you to drink really works. I should try it sometime.”

Bang—

The door was closed again!

Ji Yunshu could still faintly hear Wei Yi’s voice.

“Don’t pull me. I don’t like you. You were the one who forced me to drink the most just now. I hate you.”

“I don’t like you either, fool.”

“You’re the fool! Your whole family are fools.”

The voice grew more and more distant, more and more indistinct…

Ji Yunshu’s chest tightened into a knot, extremely worried.

And while worrying, she suddenly felt a painful jabbing at her waist. Her brows furrowed slightly in discomfort. She reached out and removed the object from her waist.

Held between her fingertips was a square, flat piece of wood about five centimeters in size. It felt very smooth to the touch, and its four corners had been polished very round.

She didn’t know what kind of wood it was made from. The colors on it alternated between light and dark, like a spreading ink wash painting—very beautiful.

And at the center of the wooden piece was carved an exquisite pattern.

It resembled ancient writing, or perhaps oracle bone script, or even more like a flower.

Her fingertips lightly traced over the pattern, and in her mind, a fragment of memory from the original owner’s mind flashed.

“Yunshu, this is what your mother left for you. Remember, you must keep it with you at all times. You can’t tell anyone, and you can’t take this plaque out. Keep it well and never lose it.” It was the voice of the nanny who had taken care of her back then.

“Why?” A tender, childish girl’s voice (the original owner, Ji Yunshu).

“Don’t ask so many questions. Just remember what I said. This is what your mother left for you, so it’s the most important thing in the world. You must protect it with your life.”

If she remembered correctly, these words were spoken to the original owner by the nanny who cared for her when she was seven or eight years old.

Over the past five years, Ji Yunshu had heard bits and pieces of this vaguely in her mind.

And over these five years, she had actually searched through quite a few documents but had never been able to find any information about that plaque.

Until recently, when she saw the doll in Aunt Xie’s bundle—

On that worn doll was embroidered a pattern identical to the one on this plaque.

That was why she was so determined to investigate that case, even if… it might cost her her own life!