Wang Daxia instantly transformed from the ailing Xi Shi to a man whose rage blazed for beauty’s sake.

The constable from Shuntian Prefecture, seeing his fear, said, “Our Captain Wu discovered the clues and rescued Doctor Wei. She’s currently at the Shuntian Prefecture headquarters.”

Lu Ying immediately raised his blade and waved his hand grandly, leading his trusted men. “Let’s go.”

When the Shuntian Prefecture headquarters was pursuing the escaped carriage driver, it also alerted the Central City Military Commissioner—the area around Chaoyang Gate fell under the Central City Military Commissioner’s jurisdiction. However, despite the joint efforts of Shuntian Prefecture and the Central City Military Commissioner, they still let the driver escape. He vanished into the streets, disappearing into the sea of people, and they returned empty-handed.

When Lu Ying, Wang Daxia and others arrived at the Shuntian Prefecture headquarters, Prefect Wang Niqiu personally greeted them at the entrance. “Commander Lu, Captain Wang, long time no see.”

Actually, it had only been five months since they last met. The previous time Wang Daxia came to the Shuntian Prefecture headquarters was during the case of Chen Qianhu and his son’s murder, when Wang Daxia was being pursued all the way there by Embroidered Uniform Guards like Zhou Xiaoqi. At that time, Wang Daxia was just a commoner, and during court questioning he had to kneel on a rush mat to respond.

Now that Wang Daxia had become a Captain, Wang Niqiu naturally treated him with courtesy.

Wang Daxia didn’t care about such empty courtesies. After returning the greeting, he asked, “Where is Doctor Wei?”

Wang Niqiu said, “Doctor Wei is not seriously harmed, just lost a lot of blood. I sent brown sugar water, red dates, and longans to Wei Caiwei—all good for replenishing blood.”

Wang Daxia rushed off to find Wei Caiwei. Lu Ying bowed to Wang Niqiu. “Trouble the Prefect to take this subordinate to see the carriage that kidnapped Doctor Wei.”

To alert those outside, Wei Caiwei had cut her arm and bled approximately the amount of six months’ worth of menstruation. With blood and qi depleted, her body couldn’t handle it well. Her face was pale, her lips were also light in color, and she felt waves of cold throughout her body. The brown sugar water Wang Niqiu sent could warm her stomach but not her body, so she cupped the tea with both hands for warmth.

Wang Daxia burst in. The guards protecting nearby all recognized the Four Scourges of the Northern City and naturally knew about the rumors between Wang Yanei and Doctor Wei, so they tactfully ran off.

With no outsiders present, Wang Daxia became bolder. He sat beside her and even held her hands. “Wang Niqiu still has the nerve to say you’re fine. Why are your hands so cold?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after recuperating for a month.” Wei Caiwei looked him over. “Your wounds haven’t healed yet. Don’t run around so frantically anymore.”

Youth meant quick recovery. In just three days, Wang Daxia had regained his vitality. He said, “I’m fine. I’m thick-skinned and tough, but you… using fresh blood as a warning signal—only you could think of that.”

Having lived two lives and experienced many vicissitudes, Wei Caiwei was able to seek solutions in crisis. “This was already the best outcome—just losing some blood. If the carriage had left the city gates and taken remote paths with no human traces, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”

Wang Daxia said, “Someone must have been watching you for a long time, otherwise it wouldn’t have been such a coincidence for them to approach and kidnap you when you were hiring a carriage. Was there a summons from the palace? You just left the palace this morning—did Beauty Shang call you back?”

“It wasn’t Beauty Shang.” Wei Caiwei said, “I was planning to go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters to find you and see how your injuries were.”

Hearing this, Wang Daxia felt a warm current flow to his heart, but it was also bittersweet. He said, “I’m sorry. Despite all our precautions at the Embroidered Uniform Guard, we still dragged you into the struggle with the White Lotus Sect. It seems the White Lotus Sect’s assassins wanted to strike at you.”

Wei Caiwei frowned and said, “I feel something’s not right. When you consecutively destroyed two White Lotus Sect lairs before, did you ever find White Lotus Sect scriptures or treasure scrolls?”

Wang Daxia thought for a moment and shook his head. “No. The place at Red Sleeve Recruitment was directly blown up and burned—nothing was found. But in the several warehouses of the Ten Thousand Goods Trading Company, including where Sect Leader Zhao Quan lived, no treasure scrolls were discovered.”

Wei Caiwei said, “I’ve never heard Ding Wu mention finding treasure scrolls either, so I’ve always been suspicious. The White Lotus Sect operates extremely covertly—otherwise the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t have failed to detect these two malignant tumors for ten years. Written materials are the easiest to provide evidence. I heard from Ding Wu that when the White Lotus Sect spreads treasure scrolls outside to fool believers, they mostly do it orally, passed down by word of mouth. First, this is convenient for spreading; second, White Lotus Sect believers are basically illiterate common people from the bottom of society.”

“So why would the people who kidnapped me risk carrying treasure scrolls? If they failed, wouldn’t they lose both the person and the scrolls? This completely contradicts the White Lotus Sect’s usual cautious attitude. I suspect the carriage driver who kidnapped me was not from the White Lotus Sect.”

Wang Daxia pondered. “During the Gengwu Rebellion, how many common people in the capital lost relatives? The White Lotus Sect in the capital is like rats in sewers—everyone shouts to kill them, and their reputation stinks the most. If the one who kidnapped you wasn’t the White Lotus Sect, then they deliberately framed the White Lotus Sect. This way, even if the kidnapping failed and the plot was exposed, they’d have a scapegoat, making the Embroidered Uniform Guard unable to suspect them.”

Wei Caiwei ate a fresh crisp date. “Whether it was the White Lotus Sect who acted, we can find out by having Ding Wu check with the White Lotus Sect’s main altar in Fengcheng. Among the people I’ve recently offended, only Eunuch Wei from Prince Jing’s residence would be capable of such a meticulous kidnapping. Could it be him?”

Wang Daxia said, “Prince Jing moved his entire household to Anlu in Hubei yesterday. Eunuch Wei is the head eunuch of Prince Jing’s residence, so he naturally accompanied them. They’re not in the capital.”

Since Prince Jing was despised and Emperor Jiajing wouldn’t even allow him to enter the palace to bid farewell, Wei Caiwei didn’t know that Prince Jing had already gone to Anlu.

Having ruled out the White Lotus Sect and Prince Jing, Wei Caiwei asked, “The Chen Qianhu family line has been extinguished. Do they have any formidable relatives or friends?”

Wang Daxia said, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The Chen family poses no threat.”

Wei Caiwei looked around and whispered, “Could it be that when I falsely transmitted the imperial edict to save you that day, some fish escaped the net and came to take revenge on me?”

Wang Daxia said, “With my and Lu Ying’s skills, it’s impossible to leave anyone alive. If they insist on hunting me down, they have to pay the price. Even for revenge, they would target me first—why would they focus on you?”

That made sense. Wei Caiwei said, “Then it must be Yan Shifan.”

Wang Daxia said, “If Minister Yan wanted to move against you, he would have acted long ago. His target is still me—didn’t he already get my father’s official position taken away?”

It wasn’t this, and it wasn’t that either. Wei Caiwei thought for a moment. “Could it be Lu Renjia, Bu Yaolian, and Wu Lianchi who humiliated me at Taotie Tower?”

Wang Daxia slammed the table and stood up. “They dare!” However, these three men had their degrees stripped away and were banned from examinations for life, cutting off their futures. Could they have become desperate and taken the risk of revenge against Wei Caiwei?

Wang Daxia went out to order Wu Xiaoqi to take men to investigate the recent movements of the three men.

Wei Caiwei picked up a brush and wrote the White Lotus Sect, Eunuch Wei and Prince Jing, Yan Shifan, and the trio of perverts on paper. “I think the culprit is among these four factions. The White Lotus Sect might deliberately expose flaws to make us think they’re being used by others. Eunuch Wei and Prince Jing are the same—I had trouble the day after they left, making people unable to suspect them. But heaven knows how many assassins Prince Jing’s residence has raised over the years. What if they just stayed in the capital?”

“Yan Shifan thinks you and I have a close relationship, so he kidnapped me to threaten you—”

“No, he wouldn’t think that way now.” Wang Daxia suddenly interrupted.

“Why?” Wei Caiwei asked.

“This—” Wang Daxia was like a child who had done something wrong, hanging his head as he said, “Lu Ying wants to make a deal with me…”

Wang Daxia explained that Lu Ying was actually a woman who, to protect Ding Wu who was undercover with the White Lotus Sect, tried every means to stay on duty with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

“…We each get what we need—it’s just acting. But even His Majesty misunderstood my relationship with Lu Ying, so Yan Shifan would naturally think the same. I’m now Master Lu’s prospective son-in-law. Yan Shifan definitely wouldn’t displease Master Lu over a small figure like me. He won’t target me anymore, so he certainly wouldn’t use you to coerce me, because I’m now considered Lu Ying’s person.”

“Ah?” Wei Caiwei never expected that in just three days of staying in the palace, such major changes had occurred outside. It had become a love triangle story of: she loves me, I love her, I miscarried and broke up with her, he loves me, I love him, he broke up with me to curry favor with her family’s power, she loves him, he loves her, he and she are together, and I’m single alone.

Wang Daxia said, “Of course, I have a three-year agreement with you, so it depends on your opinion.”

“I agree to this marriage.” Wei Caiwei immediately said, “Lu Ying is considering the bigger picture. I don’t have her breadth of mind and perspective—I just want to protect Ding Wu. However, I’m not that narrow-minded either. You and Lu Ying can act however you want. You just need—”

Wei Caiwei glanced at Wang Xiaoxia. “Boys doing business outside need to protect themselves well. My requirements aren’t high—as long as your virgin body remains intact. I won’t mind anything else.”

Wei Caiwei readily agreed because this matter could not only protect Ding Wu and Wang Daxia, but also allow Lu Ying to avoid marrying Sun Xiang, the youngest son of the prestigious Yuyao Sun family from Jiangnan, preventing her from repeating the tragedy of early widowhood and spending her life thereafter with only a temple lamp for company.

Truly killing three birds with one stone—what a wonderful opportunity!

Wang Daxia never expected Wei Caiwei to be so direct, agreeing immediately and even telling him to protect his chastity. His handsome face instantly flushed red. “I… you… how can you say such things? You’re not even married yet… you should be more modest.”

Seeing Wang Daxia’s red face and pure innocence, Wei Caiwei felt a surge of tender affection. In this new life, Wang Daxia, Ding Wu, and Lu Ying could all live better than in the previous life. No matter how arduous and dangerous the path of rebirth, it was worth it.

Wei Caiwei said, “If I were a modest person, how could I write a marriage contract and set a three-year agreement?”

Wang Daxia awkwardly touched the back of his head. “But you… you can’t directly mention things like virgin body.”

Wei Caiwei teased, “Can’t you do it?”

Wang Daxia immediately raised his hand to swear, “Of course I can do it! Even if you beat me to death, I couldn’t submit to Lu Ying. Even now I still consider her a life-and-death brother and superior. How could I possibly sleep with a superior officer—besides, Lu Ying doesn’t even look favorably upon me. You have to believe me!”

“I believe you.” Wei Caiwei said, “Come closer—I have something else to tell you.”

Wang Daxia brought his face closer.

Wei Caiwei said, “Closer.”

Wang Daxia stretched his head forward from his shell like a turtle.

Wei Caiwei: “Even closer.”

Wang Daxia stretched his neck again—this was the limit. Between him and her was only the distance of a sheet of window paper.

Sigh, just like in the previous life, he couldn’t understand my hints.

Wei Caiwei took the initiative to break through the distance of that sheet of window paper. Just like in the previous life, she kissed his lips.

At the moment of being kissed, Wang Daxia turned into a stone sculpture.

Her lips were so sweet!

Of course they were sweet—she had just drunk a cup of brown sugar water.

When Wang Daxia came to his senses and was about to pounce forward to kiss her back, Wei Caiwei ended the kiss like a dragonfly touching water. “There, I’ve taken your first kiss. Now you can act boldly and confidently with Lu Ying.”

Author’s Note: Omega Daxia has been marked by Alpha Banxia.