She nearly choked on her tea, coughing several times with her face all scrunched up: “It must be that I’m tired today. If I still had strength, those words would be worth several iron punches.”

Was this any way to compliment someone?

His expression was serious, his deep eyes fixed steadily on her without moving.

After a long while, Ruyi realized speechlessly that this person seemed to be serious.

“Go on then.” She waved her hand irritably, “Why did the Lord think I had no humanity before?”

“Dozens of kidnappers, more than twenty household servants—you killed them without mercy when you said to kill. Does that seem like someone with humanity?”

“Shen Qiyuan, I’ll say it again—I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t even get a drop of blood on my hands. They killed each other.” Ruyi extended her jade-like index finger and waved it seriously in front of him, “Don’t slander my innocence with empty words.”

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, his eyes carrying slight mockery.

Evidence or no evidence was just worldly convention. They both knew perfectly well what the facts were—why bother with pleasant explanations?

Ruyi finally grew impatient: “Fine, fine, fine. I harbored murderous intent, I have no humanity. What does the Lord want to do about it?”

Capture her? Seal her? She might not necessarily lose to him in a fight.

However, the person before her was very peaceful, without a trace of killing intent in his handsome brows and clear eyes.

He only said, “Grand Preceptor Liu will send people everywhere to search for you these next few days. You might as well accompany me on a trip to the outskirts of the city.”

“What for?” She wasn’t very interested.

Shen Qiyuan didn’t say, but with a flip of his hand, he took out a box from his sleeve pocket and gave it to her.

Ruyi took it and opened it to see a pair of teardrop-shaped red agate earrings lying inside. When the candlelight flickered, an aura of luxury hit her face.

A flash of amazement crossed her eyes, but she snapped the lid shut with a “pop” and looked at him sideways: “Everyone outside says the Lord is an honest official who doesn’t care for material possessions. Looking at it now, that’s not entirely true.”

“Saw it on the street and picked it up casually,” he said. “Consider it thanks for saving Fuman.”

Casually picked up on the street, yet it came in a brocade box printed with the Treasure Studio hallmark?

Ruyi smiled but didn’t expose him, only moved closer and said softly: “Since I’ve accepted the Lord’s gift, let me teach you something: in the future when you meet a beloved young lady, you can’t speak like this—it will make people angry.”

He asked with little concern: “Are you angry?”

She shrugged: “I’m not a young lady.”

Nor did she care why he was giving her things.

His expression grew lighter, and Shen Qiyuan responded perfunctorily before changing the subject: “I originally came here to tell you that the Marquis of Ningyuan beat the drum at the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs half an hour ago.”

But now it seemed everything was within her calculations.

Ruyi took out the earrings and put them on, tilting her head with a smile: “Does this count as the Lord colluding with me? Your lifetime of integrity might all be ruined because of me.”

“Shen will do his duty properly,” he said expressionlessly. “Once there’s evidence, I will memorialize the emperor and determine Grand Preceptor Liu’s crimes.”

“Very well.” She answered carelessly.

Shen Qiyuan was very displeased with her confident attitude. There were many variables in worldly affairs—what made her so certain she could succeed? Since ancient times, the righteous path has always been enduring; when have schemes ever come to good ends?

But when he turned his head, he happened to see her gently swaying the earrings she had just put on.

The bright red agate was carved into a gentle, delicate shape. Set against her white, lustrous earlobes, they looked like sweet fruit hanging from forbidden branches, trembling at the slightest touch.

He was stunned.

There was wind in the evening, making the candle flames in the room flicker unsteadily. In this hazy light, she looked up at him with charming allure and asked: “Does it look good?”

Shen Qiyuan came to his senses, awkwardly lowering his eyes and moving his somewhat stiff fingers, saying nothing.

“It doesn’t look good?” She drooped her eyebrows and pouted as if to remove them.

“…Keep them,” he said with difficulty.

Watching his beautiful Adam’s apple bob gently, Ruyi nodded with pleasure: “Then I’ll keep them. What a lovely red color.”

“It’s blood agate.”

“I’m not talking about the earrings.” She pointed to her cheek, her eyes lazy yet alluring, “I mean here.”

“…”

Standing up abruptly, Shen Qiyuan stepped toward the door.

Immediately behind him came a burst of proud and wild laughter: “Lord Shen, don’t be so easily flustered.”

Angrily closing his eyes, he said through gritted teeth: “We depart at the Hour of Mao tomorrow. Don’t dawdle.”

The response was a meaningfully drawn-out “Yes,” winding around like silk wrapping around roof beams.

First floor, main hall.

Zhao Yanning had just told Fuman that his temper had improved recently when they heard a loud “bang.”

Both looked up to see only a swaying door.

“Was that Lord Shen who just passed?” Zhao Yanning was very puzzled.

Fuman shook her head without thinking: The Lord’s conduct has always been graceful and refined—he would never kick a door. It must have been the wind being too strong.

“Oh.”

The two lowered their heads and continued analyzing whether today’s customers leaving midway was a problem with the food or with him.

Shen Qiyuan walked out a distance and was blown by the wind before calming down.

He suddenly smiled.

He had long known what kind of person she was—what was there to be angry about? As long as he didn’t take it seriously, who could truly make a fool of him?

“My Lord.” Zhou Tingchuan ran over and cupped his hands, “The carriage has been thoroughly searched, and we’ve checked all along the route. No evidence was found. We also didn’t see any trace of the assassin the Marquis of Ningyuan mentioned.”

He had run urgently and was quite sweaty, casually pulling out a handkerchief to wipe himself.

Shen Qiyuan looked up and happened to see the magpie embroidery on that handkerchief.

“Tingchuan.”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“I’ve lost a handkerchief.”

Zhou Tingchuan was confused: “What kind of handkerchief? Is it important?”

“Very important.” He said methodically, “Lotus-colored silk base with a magpie embroidered on it.”

Zhou Tingchuan:?

He looked down at the handkerchief in his hand, then up at his serious-faced superior, momentarily suspecting his brain had broken: “Wasn’t this handkerchief given to me by Miss Liu?”

“No, I once raised a magpie that later died. I had an embroiderer make this specially to commemorate it.” Shen Qiyuan pointed lightly, “If you don’t believe me, look—there’s my given name in the upper right corner of the handkerchief.”

Shen Ziyan, courtesy name Qiyuan. Except for the current emperor, no one could call him by his given name.

And now, when Zhou Tingchuan unfolded the handkerchief, he saw the characters “Ziyan” embroidered in the upper right corner.

He gasped: “I looked at it today—there weren’t any embroidered characters here!”

“That means you took the wrong one. This isn’t the one Miss Liu gave you.” Shen Qiyuan said without changing expression or heartbeat, “Give it back to me.”

The people from their Ministry of Justice valued evidence above all in their words and actions. Faced with iron-clad evidence, no matter how strange Zhou Tingchuan felt, he still reluctantly handed over the handkerchief.

Shen Qiyuan nodded elegantly, took the handkerchief and casually stuffed it into his sleeve pocket, then strode away.

Zhou Tingchuan remained standing there, counting on his fingers, trying to remember where he had been and how he could have lost his handkerchief.