Lady Mao’s expression changed instantly, her lips trembling with anger: “Zimo, is this how you speak to your mother?”

Kou Zimo suppressed her sorrowful expression and softened her tone: “Mother, I’m not being contrary to you. I’m merely expressing my feelings.”

“Your feelings? You’re single-mindedly thinking of your cousin, aren’t you?” Lady Mao’s voice rose slightly.

Kou Zimo smiled self-mockingly: “Mother is overthinking. This has nothing to do with Cousin. I simply cannot accept marrying the same man as my sisters.”

“But your cousin is already dead!”

“But the Champion Marquis remains my brother-in-law.”

Seeing the determination in her eldest daughter’s eyes, Lady Mao suddenly felt somewhat dispirited and waved her hand: “Go back to your room first.”

Kou Zimo curtsied gracefully: “Daughter takes her leave.”

Just as her eldest daughter reached the doorway, Lady Mao spoke: “Zimo.”

Kou Zimo stopped.

“Regardless of what you think, remember one thing—you and your cousin are impossible!”

“Daughter understands.” Kou Zimo dropped this sentence and hurried out.

When Shao Mingyuan entered Tingfeng Residence, he immediately smelled a faint medicinal fragrance and involuntarily quickened his pace.

Qiao Mo was lying on the bed with his eyes slightly closed, sleeping deeply.

Seeing this, Shao Mingyuan stopped and observed for a while before quietly retreating to the outer room.

“What did the physician say?”

“We’ve already consulted two physicians. Both said it’s wind evil invading the body due to being frightened. Young Master previously suffered burns from fire, which had already damaged his vital energy. His body has been very weak, so this illness struck him down like a mountain collapse.” Nanny Qing replied.

Shao Mingyuan’s expression was rather grim. After leaving Tingfeng Residence, he went to the main courtyard to bid farewell to Old Madam Xue: “Grandmother, if there are any changes in my cousin-brother’s condition, please notify me immediately. Or if there’s anything needed, you can leave it all to me to handle.”

Hearing these words, Old Madam Xue felt very comforted and nodded: “The Marquis needn’t worry too much. If there’s truly anything, this old lady will send someone to inform you.”

Only then did Shao Mingyuan leave the Minister’s residence, but he didn’t return to the Marquis Jing’an’s residence. Instead, he went directly to Chunfeng Tavern.

At this time, Chunfeng Tavern had few patrons. Shao Mingyuan went to the private room where Chi Can and the others usually stayed, ordered a pot of wine, and drank alone.

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dancing circles of light on the wine table. Some fell on the man’s slender fingers, making those already fair fingers appear somewhat transparent.

Despite such hot weather, Shao Mingyuan felt not a trace of heat.

He sat at the wine table by the window for a long time before finally making up his mind and instructing someone: “Go to the Li residence to contact Chen Guang. Have him ask Third Miss Li to come to Chunfeng Tavern.”

“General Shao wants to see me?”

Binglu nodded eagerly: “Chen Guang asked this servant to tell you. General Shao is still waiting at Chunfeng Tavern now.”

The little maid looked at Qiao Zhao expectantly: “Miss, will you go?”

Qiao Zhao was quite speechless.

Why did she feel that if she said she wouldn’t go, the little maid before her would start crying?

“I’ll go.” The second assassin was like a stone weighing on Qiao Zhao’s heart. Rather than staying in the residence, lost in wild thoughts, it was better to chat with Shao Mingyuan—perhaps there might be some unexpected gains.

“Ah, then this servant will go tidy up.” Binglu ran into the inner room like a whirlwind and soon came out holding a set of hibiscus-colored dress and skirt, saying excitedly: “Miss, wear this outfit when you go out today. This color looks good!”

She put down the dress and opened the cosmetic case, rummaging for a long time before taking out a gold hairpin with red gold holding South Sea pearls, holding it up and asking: “Miss, how about this gold hairpin?”

Before Qiao Zhao could respond, she put down the gold hairpin and picked up a jade-carved flower hairpin, saying: “This color suits Miss better. Let’s use this one.”

Qiao Zhao could no longer bear it and reached out to pinch Binglu’s face: “Don’t waste time. Just go out like this.”

“Eh, right, right, we can’t keep General Shao waiting.” Binglu nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, “Miss is still the most thoughtful.”

Qiao Zhao: “…”

The Li residence wasn’t far from Chunfeng Tavern. After greeting Lady He, Qiao Zhao took Binglu and left.

“Third Miss, the General is inside.” Chen Guang directly brought Qiao Zhao and her servant through the back door and led them to stop in front of a room.

The door suddenly opened, and Shao Mingyuan stood inside, smiling politely at Qiao Zhao: “Miss Li, there’s a stone table and stone benches under the grape vines in the back courtyard. I’d like to invite you to have tea there. Would that be acceptable?”

“Fine.” Qiao Zhao agreed readily.

She didn’t care where they talked, but it seemed Shao Mingyuan was quite mindful of propriety between men and women.

This discovery inexplicably made Qiao Zhao view the man before her more favorably.

“Please follow me.”

As Shao Mingyuan had said, there was indeed an arbor of lush grape vines in the back courtyard. Clusters of grapes were hidden among the verdant, dripping green leaves, their unripe appearance making one’s mouth water with sourness just from looking.

Shao Mingyuan invited Qiao Zhao to sit down, personally poured tea and pushed it in front of her, smiling: “In another half month or so, the grapes here will be ready to eat. They taste much better than those sold outside.”

Seeing that Shao Mingyuan wasn’t getting straight to the point, Qiao Zhao wasn’t anxious to ask either. Her gaze swept across his jade-white face, and she smiled: “General Shao has only just returned—how do you already know the grapes here are good?”

Shao Mingyuan picked up his teacup, his tone quite casual: “When I was young, I once stole grapes here with Shixi and the others.”

After a good while, Qiao Zhao said: “I never expected General Shao was so mischievous before.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled.

“What did General Shao want to see me about today?”

Glancing at Chen Guang standing not far away, Shao Mingyuan said, “Chen Guang told me about the matter Miss Li asked him to handle.”

Qiao Zhao nodded without showing any surprise.

Chen Guang was Shao Mingyuan’s personal guard—it would be abnormal if he didn’t tell Shao Mingyuan about such matters.

She had never intended to hide it from Shao Mingyuan anyway.

“I wonder why Miss Li would be so devoted to planning for my cousin-brother?”

“Cousin-brother?” Qiao Zhao questioned back.

“Doesn’t Miss Li know? Young Master Qiao is my wife’s elder brother.”

Qiao Zhao pressed her lips together.

Of course, she knew. She just didn’t know this person called him “cousin-brother” so smoothly.

“So I’d like to presumptuously ask—why is Miss Li so devoted to my cousin-brother?”

Under the grape arbor, the man across the stone table wore white clothes and had black hair, his lacquer-black eyes like a deep pool, making it impossible to guess his current emotions.

Clearly, in front of Jiang Yuanchao, Qiao Zhao had easily said “I like him” to explain her attention to Qiao Mo, which differed from others. But now, these words couldn’t come out.

Perhaps it was because this person had such a connection with her brother—if someday these words reached Big Brother’s ears, it would be too awkward. Qiao Zhao thought silently.

“Because Grandfather Li asked me to support each other with Big Brother Qiao in the future.”

“Big Brother Qiao?”

“That’s right. Grandfather Li said that Big Brother Qiao and I are his two closest junior relatives in this world. During the days he’s not in the capital, he hopes we can support each other. I’m fulfilling a trust and being loyal to my duties.”