The young lady tilted her head, her smile faint: “Probably, perhaps, it’s because Big Brother Jiang’s subordinates have been discovered by me twice.”

She paused, then added: “Consecutively.”

Jiang Yuanchao: “…” He should have made that fool Jiang He scrub toilets every day!

Somewhat embarrassed and angry, Lord Shisan stepped forward, looking down at Qiao Zhao condescendingly: “Then aren’t you afraid?”

Qiao Zhao was stunned for a moment, then smiled: “I thought the famous Jinlin Guards mainly handled investigations and house raids. Surely they wouldn’t make things difficult for a helpless young lady like me? Especially—”

She looked deeply at Jiang Yuanchao once, reminding him: “I’m just the daughter of a minor Hanlin Academy editor.”

“The daughter of a Hanlin Academy editor?” Jiang Yuanchao narrowed his eyes, suddenly raised his hand, and gently pinched Qiao Zhao’s chin. “Then could Miss Li tell me why, as the daughter of a minor Hanlin Academy editor, you would cry so heartbrokenly upon seeing Young Master Qiao?”

Qiao Zhao’s slender eyebrows knitted together lightly.

So this was why people from the Jinlin Guards were the most detestable—they disregarded everything and acted wantonly.

Probably in their eyes, there was no distinction between men and women, only two categories of people: those who were suspicious and those who weren’t suspicious yet. That’s why they could casually lay their hands on a young lady.

Qiao Zhao didn’t dodge.

Under absolute martial force, a delicate woman like her avoiding and screaming would only be futile and self-humiliating.

She just quietly looked at Jiang Yuanchao like this, her gaze calm and unperturbed. Even though she felt the skin touching her chin was somewhat rough, she remained composed.

Jiang Yuanchao’s gaze, thus caught off guard, crashed into the depths of the young lady’s eyes.

In that instant, he suddenly thought of someone, suddenly felt his hand burning, and awkwardly released his grip on the young lady’s chin, hurriedly averting his gaze, his ears faintly heating up.

Qiao Zhao was somewhat surprised.

People like them would also feel embarrassed?

A grown man randomly touched her face—she would remember this account.

“I cried upon seeing Young Master Qiao because Young Master Qiao’s face was disfigured.”

“Just because of that? What does his disfigurement have to do with you?” Jiang Yuanchao didn’t believe it.

Qiao Zhao glanced at him, righteously confident: “Of course it’s because Young Master Qiao was handsome. If he had ordinary looks, disfigurement wouldn’t show much difference, and I wouldn’t have cried.”

Jiang Yuanchao raised his eyebrows.

He had the feeling that her mention of “ordinary looks” was referring to him!

Although he wasn’t as handsome as Qiao Mo, he wouldn’t be indistinguishable if disfigured, would he!

Jiang Yuanchao suddenly felt he had no way to deal with the young lady before him.

Those methods the Jinlin Guards used on criminals, he naturally wouldn’t use on a young lady. And this girl wasn’t afraid of him; every time they faced off, this girl subtly held the upper hand.

This realization made Lord Shisan somewhat frustrated.

He raised his hand to touch his nose, coughing lightly: “You should go home. I’ll escort you back.”

“No need.” Qiao Zhao flatly refused, pointing with her hand: “My maid hired a carriage, so I won’t trouble Big Brother Jiang. Goodbye, Big Brother Jiang.”

After speaking, the young lady lifted her skirt and gracefully walked toward Binglu waiting by the roadside, patted the little maid’s shoulder, and got into the carriage.

Jiang Yuanchao curved his lips in a smile, strode over with his long legs, and sat down next to the coachman.

Qiao Zhao, who hadn’t yet had time to lower the carriage curtain: “…” This person’s skin was thick enough!

Jiang Yuanchao calmly took the whip from the coachman’s hands, lightly flicked the horse’s legs, and the carriage slowly began to move.

Binglu came to her senses as if waking from a dream, urgently calling: “Wait, I haven’t gotten on yet!”

The little maid ran over and jumped onto the carriage, hands on her hips, asking: “Who are you?”

Seeing Jiang Yuanchao smile without speaking, looking leisurely and casual, Binglu became furious and reached out to push him: “Hey, get down quickly! What kind of person are you?”

Jiang Yuanchao remained unmoved, looking toward the young lady who was lifting the curtain: “Miss Li, your maid has quite a temper.”

“She’s just doing her duty. But Big Brother Jiang confuses me somewhat—this behavior of yours is truly unnecessary.”

Jiang Yuanchao’s expression didn’t change, saying lightly: “How could it be unnecessary? You young ladies are inexperienced in the world—do you think hiring a carriage makes you safe?”

He glanced lightly at the coachman: “What if the coachman is a bad person? If he takes you two young ladies to a deserted place, by then it would be too late even to cry.”

The innocent-faced coachman: “…” This wasn’t fair! You young lovers flirting and quarreling—what did it have to do with him? He was just a coachman and had even given up his whip. What more did they want?

“Then I’ll trouble Big Brother Jiang. Binglu, come in.” Qiao Zhao lowered the curtain.

“Yes.” Binglu glared at Jiang Yuanchao once, bent down, and crawled into the carriage.

The plain bamboo-green cloth curtain swayed slightly. Jiang Yuanchao withdrew his gaze and lightly raised the whip in his hand.

The personal guard who had been sent by Shao Mingyuan to secretly escort Qiao Zhao saw this scene and couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

What was happening?

Wasn’t that young lady the sweetheart that their general had fallen for at first sight? How could she be leaving with that Lord Shisan from the Jinlin Guards?

The personal guard pondered for a moment, then understood, and couldn’t help but become anxious for the general: Oh my, General, look at others—they’re personally acting as coachmen! You just sent a mere personal guard over, and secretly protecting at that. Isn’t this a crushing defeat?

No, this small personal guard must play a big role!

The personal guard hurriedly followed.

Inside the carriage, Binglu whispered complaints: “Miss, who is that person? He looks annoying!”

Who would urge the carriage to move without waiting for the head maid to get on?

Qiao Zhao lowered her voice, smiling as she curved her lips: “Very annoying indeed. He’s from the Jinlin Guards.”

“Ah!” Binglu let out a sharp exclamation, quickly covered her mouth tightly, and only after a long while removed her hands, asking carefully: “Jinlin Guards? The Jinlin Guards that constantly raid homes and exterminate families?”

“Yes, that Jinlin Guards.”

“Oh heavens, Miss, how did you provoke the Jinlin Guards?” Binglu’s eyes rolled, her face turning pale: “Could it be that Master has committed some crime?”

“No.”

Father had been committing crimes all along, it’s just that no one bothered with a Hanlin Academy editor who had been there for over ten years.

Binglu breathed a sigh of relief: “If it’s not Master, then there’s no problem.”

Thinking about it, no one else in the household could provoke the Jinlin Guards.

The little maid secretly lifted a corner of the door curtain, examining the upright back of the driver, and with sudden inspiration, lowered the curtain and turned to smile at Qiao Zhao: “Then this servant understands—it must be because Miss is beautiful, and that person wants to pursue Miss—”

The Jinlin Guards couldn’t possibly remain bachelors their whole lives, right?

“Cough cough cough—” Violent coughing sounds came from outside the carriage.

The coachman, who had been robbed of his job, coldly looked at the young man coughing with a slightly red face, contemptuously curling his lip: Told you it was a young man deliberately approaching to pursue the young lady! Even using him as a matchmaker—truly, the world was declining, and people’s hearts weren’t what they used to be!