The crowd of onlookers uniformly stepped back to either side, clearing a wide path for gossip.

The incomparably handsome young man walked over, holding a folding fan and wearing a slight smile at the corners of his mouth.

Young Master Chi’s face was truly outstanding—quite recognizable in the capital—and people immediately identified him.

“Hey, isn’t that Young Master Chi from the Eldest Princess’s residence?”

“Yes, yes, how could Miss Li Third be with him?”

Someone immediately got excited and slapped their thigh: “Could there be a secret romance?”

The more rational ones hesitated: “But Miss Li Third doesn’t seem to be as good-looking as Young Master Chi.”

“Come on, Miss Li Third is still young and hasn’t fully matured yet. In a few more years, she might barely measure up…”

Miss Qiao: “…” Thank you so much—she wasn’t deaf!

Watching the young man who was renowned alongside her brother walking toward her step by step, Qiao Zhao’s feelings were quite complicated.

Although she appreciated his good intentions, wasn’t this person here to cause more trouble?

Qiao Zhao felt utterly helpless as she watched Chi Can approach her.

Looking past Chi Can toward the direction he had come from, she saw Shao Mingyuan and two others standing behind the crowd.

Shao Mingyuan was tall, and although he stood behind the crowd, he had the upright bearing that stood out like a crane among chickens.

Against the backlight, his facial expression was hard to discern.

Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze.

“Are you the Earl of Changchun?” Chi Can stood before the Earl of Changchun, his every gesture naturally graceful. “My lord recognizes me, doesn’t he?”

The Earl of Changchun smiled: “How could I not recognize Young Master Chi? That year, when the Empress Dowager held the Double Ninth Festival banquet, my wife and I both attended. I still remember Young Master Chi sitting beside Her Majesty, eating crabs.”

Upon hearing this, Chi Can became somewhat displeased.

Don’t mention eating crabs—that time he had diarrhea for two days!

“Good that you recognize me.” Chi Can smiled and pointed at Qiao Zhao with his folding fan. “My lord, listen well—this morning Miss Li Third was with me at Chunfeng Tavern discussing business the entire time. She couldn’t possibly have appeared in any disreputable places. So please, my lord, discipline the people in your household and stop them from speaking nonsense!”

“This—” The Earl of Changchun knew this young master was lawless. Even ordinary nobles and the two princes had to yield to him by three parts. He didn’t know how to deal with this situation.

The Earl of Changchun’s wife, strengthened by maternal instinct, couldn’t care about so much and sneered: “Since Miss Li Third was with Young Master Chi the entire time, then Miss Li Third was just defending her brother earlier.”

With Young Master Chi? Heh heh, for a young lady to be publicly stated as being with an unmarried man—was that supposed to be something pleasant to hear?

Miss Li Third could forget about getting married in the future!

Marry Young Master Chi? Don’t be ridiculous—given the Eldest Princess Changrong’s temperament, would she agree to let a daughter-in-law with such a reputation enter her household?

Qiao Zhao walked directly to Li Hui: “Third Brother, I know today’s matter has nothing to do with you. Don’t go with them.”

“Third Sister, please go home quickly. I was the one who injured that person—”

“You did not.” Qiao Zhao firmly interrupted Li Hui’s words, completely ignoring the countless gazes focused on her. “This morning I was indeed at Chunfeng Tavern, and there are witnesses. You don’t need to take the blame upon yourself for the sake of my reputation, because it has already lost its meaning.”

Li Hui’s expression changed slightly as he murmured: “Third Sister—”

Qiao Zhao turned around and faced the Earl of Changchun directly, declaring resolutely: “Since my lord says the people at Bichun Tower saw someone disguised as a man sneak in, why not call that person here in front of the neighbors? Once that person sees my third brother’s face, they’ll naturally know whether it was him or not.”

“Right, call the people from Bichun Tower over!” The onlookers all loved watching drama unfold. Upon hearing Qiao Zhao’s suggestion, they immediately clamored.

The Earl of Changchun sneered: “The old woman who witnessed the assailant has already died from a sudden heart attack!”

What? Dead? The onlookers immediately perked up.

The key witness was dead! Things were getting more and more interesting.

Li Guangwen’s expression changed.

The eyewitness was dead? This kind of coincidence was truly troublesome!

Although an inexplicable young man had appeared to testify for his daughter, clearing her of suspicion, it was precisely because of this that the eyewitness became especially important. Otherwise, based solely on what the Earl of Changchun’s little beast said before falling unconscious and the physician’s testimony, his son’s suspicion couldn’t be cleared.

The Earl of Changchun was confident about this point and said coldly, “So let’s still make a trip to the courthouse and let the magistrates handle the case. The magistrates are perceptive and will naturally uphold justice.”

Still going to court?

Upon hearing this, the onlookers were excited but also regretful—it was already lunchtime, and they should have brought dry rations if they’d known.

Behind the crowd, Yang Houcheng muttered anxiously: “Miss Li’s situation looks rather bad. Although Shixi ran out to say Miss Li was with him, which cleared Miss Li, her brother seems to be in trouble. Tingquan, Zi Zhe, how can we help her? How about I go out and say Young Master Li was with me this morning?”

Zhu Yàn shook his head helplessly: “Stop adding to the chaos. Letting Shixi run out earlier when we weren’t paying attention has already caused enough trouble.”

“Then what do we do? Just watch Miss Li being bullied?”

Zhu Yàn looked at the silent Shao Mingyuan: “Tingquan, what do you plan to do?”

Shao Mingyuan looked over the crowd.

Under the sunlight, the plain-dressed young lady was as delicate as a snowflake, as if she might melt away with a breath of wind, yet her expression remained composed, showing no trace of panic.

“Let’s wait and see. I think Miss Li should have a solution.”

This girl was not a vine that depended on trees for survival—she was a poplar, a pine tree, with pride emanating from her very bones.

Sometimes, what she might need was not ill-timed help, but silent trust.

“But what if Miss Li has no solution? I really can’t think of what she could do.” Yang Houcheng scratched his head.

Shao Mingyuan chuckled softly: “If there truly is no solution, I’m still here.”

He looked at the Earl of Changchun, who had softened by three parts when facing Chi Can, his tone light but carrying unquestionable firmness: “As long as I’m here, they won’t be able to take anyone away.”

Qiao Zhao stepped forward and stood facing the Earl of Changchun.

One tall, one short; one burly, one delicate—yet in terms of presence, she yielded not an inch.

She slightly raised her serene face and met the Earl of Changchun’s gaze: “My lord keeps talking about going to court, but shouldn’t there be something more important to do right now?”

“What?” The young lady’s calm and confident gaze made it impossible for the Earl of Changchun to ignore her words, and he reflexively asked.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “For instance, making your son wake up.”

“What did you say?” The Earl of Changchun’s face twitched.

Upon hearing her mention her unconscious son, the Earl of Changchun’s wife spat: “Wake up? Even the best imperial physicians said my son would have difficulty waking up, and you say such nonsense!”

At this moment, a commotion arose as someone who looked like a household servant ran while shouting: “My lord, Madam, the young master has awakened!”