Gu Jinchao brought her maids and elderly female servants to the front courtyard reception room, where maids continuously delivered dishes and pastries inside. Standing in the corridor, she glanced over and saw the Third Master Chen’s guards surrounding the reception room. Chen Yizheng, who stood by his side, was at the door calling over the elderly female servant who delivered the food to question her.

The elderly servant bowed to him, then came to Gu Jinchao and said: “Reporting to the Second Miss… that official requested that you change to a set of silver bowls and chopsticks.”

Gu Jinchao thought briefly, then instructed the kitchen manager beside her to bring silver bowls and chopsticks.

The people around the Third Master Chen were extremely cautious. A person of his position had no choice but to be careful about everything.

She then called Biyue over to ask: “…Have the Old Madam and the Second Master come over?”

Biyue respectfully answered: “…The Second Master came wearing his official uniform but was stopped by the guard wearing the chengzi garment. The Old Madam also came after him but likewise wasn’t allowed in. She went to the side hall with the Second Master.”

The Second Master Gu Deyuan had come wearing his official uniform… Hearing this, Jinchao let out a light sigh. Madam Feng’s intentions were all too obvious.

She didn’t leave immediately but supervised the servants as they served all the dishes one by one. Finally, they served the steamed four-gilled bass and had the manager take the crabs back. The Third Master Chen’s visit was likely about the Vice Minister of Revenue position, so serving too many rich dishes probably wouldn’t be appropriate.

After more than an hour, Manager Li came out from inside to report to her: “…Minister Chen was just discussing literary composition with the Master, and the Master didn’t seem too tense. He only ate a few light vegetable dishes. Seeing that it was getting late, the Master invited Minister Chen to stay overnight, and Minister Chen accepted. Everything is fine, you can rest assured and go back to rest…”

Gu Jinchao nodded, remembering that Madam Feng was still waiting in the side hall. She should go pay her respects. So she brought Qingpu and headed toward the side hall.

The reception room had side halls on both sides. Outside the western side hall was a bamboo grove, connected to the western wing rooms of the front courtyard through a narrow passageway. Madam Feng and Gu Deyuan weren’t inside the side hall but were standing outside talking. Two maids stood nearby holding ram’s horn glass lanterns.

Gu Jinchao heard her second uncle’s voice: “…Ever since the Daxing Granary incident, I’ve been suspicious of Fourth Brother…”

Jinchao frowned, looked back at Qingpu, and signaled for her to stay there and keep quiet. She then lifted her skirt and tiptoed toward the bamboo grove, getting closer to the two people.

All the maids and elderly female servants were standing at a distance. Madam Feng and Gu Deyuan stood facing the moonlight. Madam Feng’s voice was faint: “What do you think is wrong with Fourth Brother?”

Gu Deyuan continued: “…Think about it, the missing twenty-some-ten thousand shi of grain from Daxing Granary—he couldn’t have filled that gap even if he had emptied the Ji family’s assets! It couldn’t have been the Ji family helping him. We even asked the Marquis of Changxing’s household for help, but they didn’t pay much attention to us. Who could Fourth Brother have found with such heavenly connections that could easily fill such a large hole…”

“I asked Fourth Brother, but he refused to tell me. He’s keeping a lot of secrets from us… Last time during the routine inspection by the Censorate, I was worried they’d discover I had received silver from the Deputy Magistrate, so I asked the Fourth Brother to secretly help me, but he said he had little influence and refused to help. Now he’s involved with Minister Chen… Fourth Brother isn’t of one mind with us, Mother. You must keep a close eye on the people in Fourth Brother’s household. I’m afraid that when we need his help in the future…”

Madam Feng hesitated: “Deyuan, did you… did you privately accept bribes? Why did the Deputy Magistrate give you silver?”

Gu Deyuan seemed impatient: “Mother, why are you asking about this? You don’t know the hardships of being an official… Whether I take it or not is a problem. Besides, our Gu family isn’t wealthy, and with Fourth Brother’s branch of the family added, aren’t our expenses even more?”

Madam Feng stopped talking about Gu Deyuan’s affairs and turned to Gu Dezhao: “…After all we’ve done for Fourth Brother, he still dares to defy me about remarrying. I raised him with such difficulty, and this is how he repays me… Don’t worry, if you need anything in the future, just tell me directly. I don’t believe he can disobey me!”

Listening from the shadows, Gu Jinchao felt extremely frustrated. How could her second uncle say such things? Although the Fourth House had several people, they were all unmarried girls—how much could they spend? Her father’s original property brought in more than ten thousand taels of silver annually, and this money went to the Gu family. How much of it reached the Fourth House? On the contrary, everyone in the Second House was very wealthy. How many clothes and jewelry did Gu Lian have each month? Her second uncle would take out several hundred taels whenever he went out to treat colleagues to drinks. Most of her father’s income must have gone to the Second House…

Did he take bribes because of the Fourth House? That was laughable!

Gu Jinchao vaguely recalled that in her previous life, Gu Deyuan had lost his official position, seemingly because of embezzlement…

Just as Gu Deyuan was about to continue speaking, he looked up at the bamboo grove and said sternly: “Who’s there? Come out immediately!”

Only then did Gu Jinchao notice that in the moonlight, her shadow was cast on the stone slabs, partially obscured by bamboo shadows, appearing indistinct. With just one movement, Gu Deyuan had spotted her! After a moment’s thought, she decided it was best to stay hidden in the bamboo grove… She immediately ran deeper into the bamboo grove, waving at Qingpu to hurry back to Yanxiu Hall.

Madam Feng said: “It looks like a woman, probably some maid from the household…”

Gu Deyuan ordered the elderly female servants to take several young servants with torches to search, “What we said today can’t be heard by others. Find this person for me, and don’t let anyone else notice!”

The elderly female servant hurriedly led people to search.

If Madam Feng discovered she had been eavesdropping, there would certainly be big trouble. Gu Jinchao looked around and saw that the passageway led to the western wing rooms…

The torchlight outside the bamboo grove was getting closer.

She bit her lip, lifted her skirt, stepped onto the railing, and leaped onto the passageway.

She definitely couldn’t let the elderly female servants catch up with her. Usually, only maids came and went through the western wing rooms. If she could find a room to hide in and then take the small path behind the wing rooms to her father’s place, no one would discover her.

Having made up her mind, Gu Jinchao randomly opened the latticed door of a wing room and hid inside. She stood in the room watching the movement outside, but before she could react, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulled it behind her back, and covered her mouth.

Someone spoke coldly by her ear: “Who are you?”

Gu Jinchao was startled—how could there be someone in the wing room? This voice… it sounded like the Third Master Chen!

No lamps were lit in the room; only faint moonlight filtered through the Korean paper windows.

The Third Master Chen held both her hands with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. She was completely controlled by him. Jinchao could even smell the faint, gentle sandalwood scent on him. She didn’t struggle or make a sound but moved her hand slightly as a signal.

The Third Master Chen had visited the Gu family to test whether Gu Dezhao was capable of serving as Vice Minister of Revenue. After just a couple of questions, he could see that Gu Dezhao was merely diligent but not particularly intelligent—not suitable for important tasks. When Gu Dezhao invited him to stay overnight in the western wing room, seeing that it was already late, he didn’t refuse. Chen Yi and the others were guarding outside the passageway of the wing room. He had just blown out the lamp and was about to rest when unexpectedly someone rushed into the wing room!

His first reaction was to restrain this person, thinking it might be a skilled operative sent by someone else, but he didn’t expect it to be a young girl. The moment he covered her mouth, the Third Master Chen recognized her as Gu Jinchao. She had a faint scent of camellia about her.

This was the Gu family residence—how did a legitimate daughter of the Gu family end up here?

The Third Master Chen frowned and whispered: “So it’s you… Coming to the western wing room at this time, aren’t you afraid of being mistaken for someone else and getting hurt!”

Gu Jinchao turned her head to look at him, her eyes bright and alert.

The Third Master Chen couldn’t be thinking she had come specifically to find him…

That would be a huge misunderstanding.

A flash of torchlight passed outside the latticed door. The Third Master Chen frowned, held her close, and moved behind the screen.

With such a commotion, Chen Yi and the others guarding outside the passageway quickly discovered it. From outside came his lowered voice: “…The Third Master has already retired. You all need to leave quickly; don’t disturb the Third Master’s rest!”

The elderly female servants and young servants carrying torches, searching for someone, only then realized they had disturbed the important official. Frightened, they hurriedly said, “This servant has intruded,” and withdrew from the western wing room.

After everyone had left, the Third Master Chen finally removed his hand from her mouth and said ambiguously: “I thought you came to find me, but it seems I was overthinking… Why are you being chased like a thief in your own home?”

Gu Jinchao thought for a moment and said to him: “It’s hard to explain in a few words… Thank you for your help. Perhaps you could release me now, and I’ll leave immediately without disturbing your rest.” The Third Master Chen was still holding her hands.

The Third Master Chen, as if he hadn’t heard, continued: “Next time you come to see me, don’t appear like this. I recognized you, so I didn’t harm you, otherwise you wouldn’t be so comfortable.” His tone was flat as he released Gu Jinchao’s hands and removed the lamp cover from the high table, lighting the candle.

The candlelight flickered for a moment before gradually brightening. The Third Master Chen’s silhouette was cast in the candlelight, making him appear very tall. He wore only a thin straight-collared robe. When their bodies were pressed together earlier, she could feel that the Third Master Chen was very warm. Gu Jinchao did not doubt that if the Third Master Chen had used force, he could have easily broken her hand… Could he have been trained in martial arts?

Gu Jinchao thought randomly while surveying the western wing room’s arrangement. Tea-colored vajra-patterned Hangzhou silk curtains separated an inner room, where a carved five-bat offering longevity patterned pear wood long table was placed, along with several stools. Behind the curtains was a treasure cabinet, a painted marble screen, and inside was a black lacquered raised bed… The western wing room was indeed very well furnished.

The Third Master Chen brought over a candlestick and pointed to a stool beside her, saying: “Sit down first.”

Chen Yanyu also poured her a cup of hot water, giving it to her to warm her hands. “I accidentally touched you earlier… your hands seem a bit cold.”

That was an accidental touch?

Gu Jinchao put the teacup on the long table and forced herself to say: “Sir, this humble girl won’t sit… If others discover I’m missing, it might be difficult to explain. As an upright official, you naturally shouldn’t be implicated in such matters.”

Chen Yanyu looked at her for a long time before smiling: “…I understand.” He paused before continuing, “It doesn’t matter.”

What did he mean by “it doesn’t matter”? How could it not matter…

Gu Jinchao felt she couldn’t hold back anymore, her cheeks turning slightly red. She felt that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t be appropriate, so she bowed and prepared to leave.

The Third Master Chen’s voice drifted from behind her: “When I saved your father, you said that if I ever needed anything, you would help me with all your strength. I wonder if those words still stand?”

Jinchao halted her steps. The meaning of the Third Master Chen’s words was that he wanted her help?… What could she possibly help him with?

Yet Jinchao didn’t hesitate much: “Of course they stand.”

The Third Master Chen thought she looked very serious.

After a long while, he asked another question: “…Do you understand what I said at Baoxiang Temple last time?”

Gu Jinchao closed her eyes briefly before smiling: “Jinchao doesn’t quite understand. It’s very late now, I must take my leave.”

The Third Master Chen was stunned for a moment, and only after she had disappeared did he break into a smile.