Li Guangwen was pushed and stumbled backward.

Li Hui steadied Li Guangwen and angrily said, “Why are you pushing people?”

Li Guangwen waved his hand, “Hui’er, don’t say anymore. They’re working hard too.”

As he spoke, he went to pick up smaller stones to carry.

“I say, you’re so weak you can’t even tie up a chicken, what are you adding to the chaos for? Just wait properly on the side,” the bailiff said impatiently.

Though this scholar spoke reasonably well, coming here to help was just causing trouble.

“I’m not causing chaos. Look, I can move stones this big.” Li Guangwen hugged a stone and walked toward the cart.

Seeing this, Li Hui pressed his lips together and bent down to pick up stones like his father.

The bailiff found this father and son pair truly peculiar and couldn’t help asking Li Hui, “Which family is the young master from? Could it be that family members went up the mountain yesterday?”

“Mm.” Li Hui didn’t elaborate and probed, “I heard that officers came to clear the area yesterday and dug up several corpses?”

“Really? I wouldn’t know about that. I was only transferred here to work today. Young master, I can see that you and your son are both scholars. How could you move stones? You should wait over there instead.”

“If we can move away one stone, that’s one less, so the road can be cleared sooner.”

At this moment, commotion arose: “There are more corpses—oh my, they’re two young girls—”

A thud sounded, followed immediately by a cry of pain. This voice was all too familiar. Li Hui immediately looked over and saw Li Guangwen hugging one foot, hopping around in pain.

“Father!” Li Hui hurried over. “What happened to you?”

“A stone hit my foot. Never mind that, quickly help me go see what’s happening over there.”

Hearing that it was two young girls, Li Hui felt equally uneasy in his heart. Worried that Li Guangwen couldn’t bear it, he supported him and said, “The ground over there is difficult to walk on. You sit here and wait first. Your son will go take a look.”

Li Guangwen’s foot hurt terribly, so he had no choice but to stop insisting.

Li Hui stepped on the scattered stones and soft earth as he walked over. Before he even reached the place, he saw several bailiffs carrying two corpses over.

Having been buried for a night, and with it being midsummer, the two corpses had already become deformed, completely unrecognizable from their original appearance. One could only barely distinguish from their clothing and hair ornaments that they were unmarried girls, with one wearing a maid’s attire.

Li Hui’s legs went weak, and he retreated several steps.

What kind of clothes did Third Sister wear when she went out yesterday?

Damn it, he had gone to school and knew nothing at all!

“How was it?” Seeing his son return, Li Guangwen asked urgently.

Li Hui shook his head.

“It’s not your Third Sister?” Li Guangwen, hugging his bloodied foot that had been struck, smiled like a child.

Li Hui held back but still couldn’t bring himself to lie to his father: “Your son couldn’t recognize them. Those two corpses have already become deformed. One can only vaguely distinguish that they were a young lady and a maid.”

Li Guangwen was completely stunned.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came. Three young men dismounted and walked over shoulder to shoulder—it was Chi Can, Yang Houcheng, and Zhu Yàn.

Chi Can immediately spotted Li Guangwen sitting there in a daze and strode over with large steps: “Uncle Li.”

Li Guangwen looked up and murmured, “It’s you—”

“Uncle Li, you… What’s wrong?” He had heard the news early in the morning and immediately rushed to the Marquis Guanjun’s residence, only to find it empty. Shao Mingyuan had never returned.

Third Miss Li must have had an accident!

These days Chi Can would occasionally visit Li Guangwen to play chess, and the two had developed a good friendship as chess partners. Li Guangwen’s eyes moistened, and he pointed toward where the corpses were placed: “My daughter—”

Chi Can’s expression changed dramatically. He retreated several steps before steadying himself, then quickly walked over.

Seven or eight corpses lay there, all covered with white cloth.

Chi Can swept his gaze over them and saw two corpses covered with white cloth that were smaller, placed closely together. His face immediately turned snow white. He slowly half-knelt down and reached out to lift the white cloth.

“Shixi—” Yang Houcheng came to Chi Can’s side and couldn’t help calling out.

Chi Can showed no reaction and suddenly lifted the white cloth.

The female corpse under the white cloth was hideous in appearance. The garment on her body, now unrecognizable in color, indicated her identity as a maid.

Chi Can suddenly gasped, closed his eyes, then lifted the other white cloth.

Yang Houcheng couldn’t help but look away, unable to bear watching anymore, but Chi Can stared fixedly at the female corpse’s face.

The female corpse’s face was bloody and mangled, swollen like a steamed bun. Even the closest person probably couldn’t recognize her.

Chi Can stared blankly and asked Yang Houcheng softly, “Is it her?”

Yang Houcheng remained silent.

Chi Can suddenly reached out his hand. Just as he was about to touch the female corpse’s face, Yang Houcheng grabbed him: “Shixi, what are you doing?”

Chi Can’s voice shook terribly: “I, I just want to take a look.”

“Shixi, don’t be like this.” Yang Houcheng felt extremely uncomfortable. “The person has already become like this, completely unrecognizable!”

“No, no, she can be recognized.” Chi Can broke free from Yang Houcheng’s hand and took out his handkerchief to gently wipe the female corpse’s forehead.

Once, twice, three times—he wiped very seriously, very carefully.

Li Guangwen, supported by Li Hui, had somehow come over and stood silently watching from the side.

Chi Can was completely unaware of this. All his attention was focused on what was before him.

Finally, the bloodstains and mud on the female corpse’s forehead were wiped clean, revealing a small patch of smooth skin.

Chi Can closed his eyes, then fiercely embraced Yang Houcheng and pounded his shoulder: “It’s not her! Yang Er, did you see? It’s not her!”

Yang Houcheng was equally happy and nodded repeatedly: “Right, right, it’s not her! Shixi, you thought of this—I didn’t even think of it!”

He had forgotten that Miss Li had a small red mole on her forehead.

Chi Can smiled, lacking his usual intoxicating languidness, instead showing a foolish air: “Of course, you’re not me—”

Yang Er placed Li Third in the position of a friend, but he had placed her in his heart.

How could that be the same?

“It’s not my daughter?”

Only then did Chi Can wake up as if from a dream. Looking at the horrifying female corpse so close at hand, he was thoroughly disgusted. He quickly threw his handkerchief to the ground, stood up, and said to Li Guangwen: “Absolutely not her.”

Li Guangwen began to smile foolishly: “Good that it’s not her, good that it’s not her.”

Mm, he suddenly found this young man a bit more pleasing to the eye. If Zhaozhao could return safely, as long as she liked him, he wouldn’t stand in the way.

Zhu Yàn walked over, placed his hand on Chi Can’s shoulder, and said softly: “Shixi, let’s go over there to talk.”

“What is it?” Chi Can and Yang Houcheng followed Zhu Yàn to a secluded spot.

“I just asked one of Tingquan’s guards. They said Tingquan climbed straight up from that cliff face yesterday. I’m thinking Tingquan must have gone to look for Miss Li.”

Chi Can’s eyes lit up: “You mean Li Zhao is still alive?”

Zhu Yàn smiled: “At least Miss Li wasn’t buried here. Otherwise, Tingquan had no reason to go up. Don’t you think so?”

Chi Can and Yang Houcheng couldn’t help but nod.

“Don’t worry. As long as Miss Li wasn’t in trouble at the time, Tingquan would be able to bring her back safely.”

Chi Can thought for a moment, then lifted his feet and walked toward Li Guangwen.