“Shixi, no need.” Shao Mingyuan pressed his hand on Chi Can’s shoulder. “I’ll go.”

Chi Can raised an eyebrow: “Where can you go to inquire?”

His friend had been away from the capital for years and was completely in the dark about affairs inside the imperial city. Moreover, given Shao Mingyuan’s status, if the emperor found out he was in contact with palace eunuchs, it could be a fatal matter.

“You all wait here for me. I’m going to see Jinlin Guard Commander Jiang Tang.” Shao Mingyuan dropped this statement and strode out with large steps.

Yang Houcheng sighed: “The Jinlin Guard Commander – only Tingquan could see him whenever he wanted. But Tingquan shouldn’t go to the Jinlin Guard headquarters, right?”

Chi Can sat down and expressionlessly gulped tea: “He’s not stupid.”

If the emperor found out that Jiang Tang was in contact with the Marquis Guanjun, both men would be in deep trouble. So the first thing these people who served as the emperor’s ears and eyes had to do was keep this matter tightly concealed.

Of course, the prerequisite was that Jiang Tang would meet with Shao Mingyuan.

Would Jiang Tang meet with Shao Mingyuan? This was also obvious – Jiang Tang wasn’t stupid either. No matter how loyal he was to the emperor, he would still consider future matters.

Chi Can raised his hand to rub his brow, sighing inwardly.

This was why these affairs were so troublesome.

Young Master Chi glanced at the young lady sitting upright and frowned even deeper: “Li San, you’ve finished eating. Go back.”

Why should a girl get involved in these messy affairs?

“I want to wait for General Shao to return.”

“Wait for Shao Mingyuan? What are you waiting for him? You’re not still expecting him to escort you, are you?” Chi Can stood up, his tone impatient. “Come on, I’ll escort you.”

He definitely wasn’t doing this to be alone with her – purely because she was being a hindrance here.

“I want to know how Big Brother Qiao is doing.” Qiao Zhao didn’t move an inch.

Chi Can stepped forward, looking down at the young lady from above. He unexpectedly noticed that her hair whorl was quite adorable, though his tone was somewhat harsh: “How Qiao Mo is doing has nothing to do with you. Don’t worry about things that don’t concern you.”

Why did she always care about these inexplicable people? She had promised to make him fork-tender venison jerky before, but had never kept it in mind!

Qiao Zhao suddenly stood up, eyes widening, biting her lip: “Whether it concerns me or not isn’t for Big Brother Chi to decide.”

Just because she had changed bodies, did wanting to get close to someone have to be this difficult?

In front of Chi Can, the young lady didn’t cry, but the sorrow in her eyes crashed straight into his heart. All that sorrow transformed into tears in his eyes.

His heart suddenly ached, and he unconsciously reached out to touch the corner of Qiao Zhao’s eye, murmuring: “You want to cry?”

Yang Houcheng, on the side, watched in stunned amazement.

No way – he was still breathing, and Chi Can was already treating him like background scenery, freely flirting with the young lady?

“Cough, cough, cough.” Yang Houcheng coughed loudly to remind someone.

Having grown up wearing split-crotch pants together, he knew his friend’s temperament all too well.

This guy definitely wasn’t someone to be constrained by worldly propriety. Once he decided to do something, he truly wouldn’t consider whether others’ hearts could handle it.

The warm fingertip landed at the corner of her eye. Qiao Zhao was equally surprised. After reacting, she tilted her head to avoid it, saying coldly, “Big Brother Chi is joking.”

Even if she would cry, she would never cry in front of Chi Can – otherwise, was she waiting to be mocked by him?

Chi Can glanced sideways at Yang Houcheng, then directly ignored his existence, reaching out to grab Qiao Zhao’s wrist and asking her: “What are you sad about?”

Qiao Zhao stared at Chi Can’s hand gripping her wrist, frowning: “Big Brother Chi, men and women should maintain proper distance.”

Chi Can laughed coldly in anger: “Li Zhao, now you’re telling me about the proper distance between men and women – where were you earlier? Who was it that grabbed my sleeve and wouldn’t let go? Who was it that rode the same horse with me? Now you’re telling me about proper distance? Let me tell you – it’s too late!”

It was simply unbearable. Running back and forth several times a day for Shao Mingyuan’s illness was one thing, but now she was heartbroken over Qiao Mo too. So what about him? What did he count as in her heart?

Did it mean that in the hearts of everyone he cared about, there would always be people and things more important than him?

This thought flashed by, making Chi Can’s chest suddenly ache.

Knowing she couldn’t match his strength and that struggling would look unseemly, Qiao Zhao didn’t move, only calmly asked him: “Then what does Big Brother Chi want?”

Human debts were hard to repay – she should have realized this long ago.

“Shixi—” Yang Houcheng couldn’t help but speak up.

Yes, what exactly do you want? Molesting a young lady in front of him wouldn’t do.

“Shut up!” Chi Can turned and roared at Yang Houcheng, then fixed his gaze directly on Qiao Zhao. Forcefully pulling her over, he said word by word: “I want you.”

With a thud, Yang Houcheng fell along with his chair.

The huge sound didn’t draw even half a glance from the two people in their standoff.

Qiao Zhao was completely dumbfounded.

What did Chi Can say? He didn’t mean it in the way she understood!

Right, and in front of Big Brother Yang too – no matter how shocking this person could be, he wouldn’t say something so outrageous.

Qiao Zhao lightly bit her tongue tip: “What does Big Brother Chi want me to do? Oh, is it that fork-tender venison jerky we agreed on last time?”

Please finish what you’re saying quickly – only saying half is too frightening!

Chi Can gazed deeply at Qiao Zhao.

Now that the words were spoken, the massive stone that had been weighing on his heart due to avoidance seemed to have been moved away, and his heart instead became calm.

Yes, what had he been conflicted about?

In that early spring southern town, a girl had run up to him, grabbed his sleeve, and said: Uncle, save me.

He had seen her play chess, seen her paint, seen her confident and prescient, seen her in many ways other girls didn’t have.

Even if she wasn’t yet fourteen, it wasn’t because he was psychologically twisted and had developed improper thoughts about a young girl, but because the one he liked happened to be her, whether she was thirteen or thirty.

He had already encountered the best – so what was there left to avoid?

To hell with shocking the world and turning heaven and earth upside down – what he wanted was her.

Chi Can curved his lips: “Li San.”

“Yes.”

He said word by word: “Listen carefully. I don’t want you to do something – I want you. I like you.”

Yang Houcheng, who had fallen and forgotten to get up, covered his face with his hands.

Good heavens, someone who would confess to a girl in front of a third person – in this world, aside from Shixi, there probably couldn’t be found a second such person.

Where was his face? Couldn’t this guy want even a little face?

Chi Can: What do I need face for? I want Li San.

Qiao Zhao momentarily forgot to react.

I like you.

These four words seemed to have been said by someone not long ago. Right, it was that Lord Shisan from the Jinlin Guards, Jiang Yuanchao.

When she was Qiao Zhao, she had married and lived to twenty-one, but had never heard these four words. Now that she had become Li Zhao, not yet fourteen, she had heard them twice.

Miss Qiao silently thought: These romantic entanglements – she didn’t want them!