Seeing Jiang Shiran frown, Ouyang Weiyu’s heart sank.

Could it be that she was unwilling to agree?

Jiang Shiran leaned lazily against the carriage wall and glanced at her: “Alright, I understand. Go back and wait for news.”

Ouyang Weiyu’s eyes suddenly lit up, and tears flowed uncontrollably as she cried while desperately expressing her gratitude: “Thank you, Miss Jiang! Thank you, Miss Jiang—”

Jiang Shiran snorted impatiently: “Stop being long-winded. Hurry up and tidy yourself up. With your hair all disheveled, people will think I did something to you again.”

Mentioning this made Jiang Shiran angry.

She didn’t mind not pretending to be a gentle and virtuous lady like those people, but she wasn’t vicious enough to deliberately disfigure someone. With her archery skills, there shouldn’t have been any problems—so how did the arrow end up hitting Li San’s face?

It must have been because Li San moved around in fear. Next time she saw her, she’d ask for a clear explanation to avoid bearing such an evil reputation for nothing!

The more Jiang Shiran thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She drove Ouyang Weiyu off the carriage and went straight home.

Kou Zimo, who had been hiding nearby, came to Ouyang Weiyu’s side and asked with a worried expression: “Weiyu, how did it go? Did Miss Jiang agree?”

Ouyang Weiyu, who had re-arranged her hair, grasped Kou Zimo’s hand and cried and laughed: “She agreed! She agreed!”

Kou Zimo also showed genuine joy: “That’s good that she agreed. She’s the precious daughter of the Jinlin Guards’ Commander, so she’ll be able to find out news about Uncle.”

“Yes, yes.” Ouyang Weiyu wiped her tears haphazardly, her emotions running high. “My grandfather and the others have been running around everywhere seeking help with no success, and my mother has fallen ill from worry. I never expected I could get news of Father through Miss Jiang. When I go back and tell Mother and the others, they’ll be overjoyed.”

Speaking to this point, Ouyang Weiyu felt frightened in retrospect.

If she had poisoned Lan Xinong, she would probably already be a cold corpse being carried out by now. What would Mother and the others’ reaction be upon receiving such news?

Ouyang Weiyu suddenly didn’t dare to think further and murmured: “Thank goodness for Miss Li San—”

Ouyang Weiyu’s expression changed slightly: “Sister Zimo, do you think Miss Li San’s facial wound can be healed? Will it leave a scar? If that happens, wouldn’t Miss Li San be too pitiful?”

“Yes, I also think Miss Li San is truly unfortunate.” Kou Zimo unconsciously raised her hand to touch her face, and a figure appeared in her mind.

That person had unparalleled grace and had once made countless women’s hearts flutter. Now with a ruined face, all those once-adoring gazes had turned into fear and disgust—how painful must that feel?

Miss Li San was a girl, and appearance was even more important for her than for men. If scars were left on her face, perhaps—

The more Kou Zimo thought about it, the more regretful she felt.

“Sister Zimo, I’m currently caught up in trouble, and it’s inconvenient for me to move about freely. If it’s convenient for you, please send someone to inquire about Miss Li San’s news. Knowing her situation would put our minds at ease.”

Kou Zimo nodded: “You’re right. I’ll send someone to keep an eye on the Li family’s movements when I return. If there’s news about Miss Li San, I’ll have someone inform you.”

“Mm.”

Only then did the two part ways.

Here, Jiang Shiran sat in the carriage and lifted the window curtain to ask Jiang He: “Which ‘Guardian’ are you under?”

“This subordinate follows Lord Shisan.” Jiang He straightened his chest and replied.

“Thirteenth Brother?” Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiran’s imposing manner immediately relaxed, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up. “So it was Thirteenth Brother who ordered you to protect me?”

Jiang He felt this Miss Jiang had suddenly become strange, and twitched the corners of his mouth as he replied: “Yes.”

Jiang Shiran played with her hair ends and asked with a smile: “What’s your name?”

“This subordinate follows Lord Shisan’s surname Jiang and is called Jiang He.”

“Jiang He, what a good name. This was given to you by my Thirteenth Brother, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Shiran frowned.

This person was dull, far inferior to her Thirteenth Brother. How could Thirteenth Brother have such a subordinate?

“Jiang He, let me ask you—what did Thirteenth Brother say to you?”

“Ah?” Jiang He was stunned, completely unable to understand what this young lady meant.

“I mean… how did he tell you to protect me?”

“Lord Shisan said that if anything happens to you, this subordinate should bring his head to see him.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiran was immediately filled with sweetness and asked: “Is Thirteenth Brother at the office now?”

“He should be.” Jiang He replied uncertainly.

“Coachman, go directly to the Jinlin Guards’ office!” Jiang Shiran called out loudly, then lowered the window curtain and said nothing more.

Jiang He looked completely baffled, but thinking that he needed to find the master to report anyway, he followed along.

Jiang Yuanchao finished handling the matters at hand and pushed open the window to gaze at the courtyard scenery when he heard a cheerful voice: “Thirteenth Brother—”

Soon, a red-dressed young lady entered, smiling like a flower, bright and charming.

Jiang Yuanchao showed a faint smile: “Ran Ran, how do you have time to come here today?”

“To see you! If not for him, I wouldn’t have known that Thirteenth Brother sent someone to protect me.” Jiang Shiran pointed at Jiang He.

“Really?” Jiang Yuanchao’s lips curved in a shallow smile as he looked at Jiang He.

Jiang He instantly felt his scalp tingle and shrank his neck.

Although the master was smiling, he somehow had the terrible premonition that he’d be skinned alive later.

Jiang He quietly slipped out while the two were talking.

“Thirteenth Brother, have you been busy lately?”

“Not bad. How about Ran Ran? Today was the Fushan Society gathering—did you have fun?”

Mentioning this immediately made Jiang Shiran frown and pout: “No fun at all, so annoying. Someone made me lose face terribly.”

“Oh?” Jiang Yuanchao looked at Jiang Shiran with a shallow smile, appearing to listen patiently.

Jiang Shiran felt sweet inside and explained: “There’s a newcomer to the Fushan Society, and by the rules, I happened to be chosen to test her. Thirteenth Brother, you don’t know—that person relies on having a doting mother, and specifically bullies her elder sister, who lost her mother at a young age. Don’t you think such a person is very detestable?”

“Very detestable indeed.” Jiang Yuanchao chuckled in agreement.

“Exactly! So I thought I’d give her a lesson and had her stand as a target while I shot peaches, to see if it would scare her into a sorry state. It went well at first, but who knew that during the third arrow, she moved around wildly, and as a result, the arrow hit her face.” The more Jiang Shiran thought about it, the more annoyed she became, pouting: “Thirteenth Brother, you know my archery skills. At such a close distance shooting peaches, how could I have missed? She was just making me look bad and causing people to call me vicious behind my back.”

Jiang Shiran shook Jiang Yuanchao’s sleeve and asked coquettishly: “Thirteenth Brother, don’t you think I’m wronged?”

Jiang Yuanchao’s slightly long eyes half-narrowed, making it impossible to read any emotion, while the corners of his mouth still held a gentle smile. His tone carried a hint of indulgence: “Very wronged indeed. But I imagine that young lady was frightened, and being injured on the face was her punishment. Ran Ran shouldn’t be angry with her anymore.”

“No way, Thirteenth Brother, you send someone to inquire about her for me and see how she’s doing. If she dares to spread bad rumors about me, I won’t spare her!”

“Which family’s daughter is she?”

“Her father seems to be some minor Hanlin compiler, surnamed Li. She’s the third daughter of the Li family.”