Qiao Mo gazed at the chessboard with serene composure.

He hadn’t done anything at all.

Qiao Zhao looked around and saw that the personal guards were all standing watch at a distance, so there was no need to worry about anyone approaching to eavesdrop. She sat down beside Qiao Zhao and spoke directly: “That poisoned fang—I’ve figured it out.”

Upon hearing this, Shao Mingyuan hurriedly sat down and asked, “What poison is it?”

Qiao Mo listened attentively.

“This poison should be extracted from a spider called the Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider.”

“Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider?” Shao Mingyuan murmured these four words, feeling that the spider’s name was quite unusual.

“The Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider should grow in the Lingnan region,” Qiao Mo suddenly spoke up.

Both Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan looked toward him.

“The Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider was originally called the Red-Eyed Wolf Spider because of its red eyes. According to local legends, a bride was bitten by a poisonous spider hiding on her sedan chair curtain when she was getting out of her wedding sedan. She didn’t even make it through her in-laws’ front door before the poison took effect, and she died. Later, the Red-Eyed Wolf Spider gradually came to be called the Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider, symbolizing how beauty dies in an instant.” Qiao Mo’s voice was gentle as spring water as he unhurriedly told the story of the Crimson Beauty Wolf Spider.

“Lingnan—” Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao exchanged glances, both thinking of the Lingnan Rebellion from twenty years ago.

Could it be that whoever attacked Master Wumei was connected to the rebel Prince Su?

Thinking of this, Shao Mingyuan said seriously to Qiao Zhao, “Miss Li, let this matter end here.”

If it truly involved Prince Su’s remaining followers and imperial rebellion, then it wasn’t something for people like them to get involved in.

“I understand.” Qiao Zhao didn’t object.

She couldn’t even manage her own family’s affairs properly, so she certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to meddle in something like imperial rebellion. Once involved in such matters, there would be no redemption.

At this moment, a personal guard approached and stood at a distance, saying, “General, there’s urgent news.”

Shao Mingyuan stood up: “Uncle, Miss Li, please sit for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

After speaking, he left the pavilion and headed straight for his study.

Back in the secure and reliable study, Shao Mingyuan sat down: “Bring me the urgent report.”

The personal guard presented the urgent report with both hands.

Shao Mingyuan looked at the marking on the urgent report and raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes showing traces of a smile.

It was a letter from Ye Luo. Could it be that Physician Li had already found the gel pearls needed to treat Uncle’s burns?

Shao Mingyuan broke the wax seal, pulled out the letter inside, and quickly read through it. His face gradually turned ashen, and his slender fingers holding the letter trembled slightly.

The personal guard held his breath and lowered his head, not daring to disturb him.

After a long while, when the atmosphere in the study seemed frozen, Shao Mingyuan spoke: “Go ask Master Qiao to come to the study.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seeing the personal guard about to leave, Shao Mingyuan said in a low voice, “Remember not to let Miss Li notice anything unusual.”

“This subordinate understands.”

After the personal guard closed the study door, Shao Mingyuan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and sighed.

Before long, the personal guard led Qiao Mo in: “General, Master Qiao is here.”

“You may leave first.”

Only Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Mo remained in the room.

Qiao Mo’s gaze swept over Shao Mingyuan’s grim expression, then moved down to rest on the urgent report placed on the desk.

He couldn’t see the contents of the urgent report, but he had already guessed it must be related to this suddenly received urgent message.

Qiao Mo waited for a moment. Seeing that Shao Mingyuan didn’t speak, he took the initiative to ask, “Has there been new developments regarding the mastermind who poisoned me?”

Shao Mingyuan slowly shook his head.

If it was already this difficult to speak to Uncle, how could he tell Miss Li?

“Marquis, what exactly is the matter?” Qiao Mo felt vaguely uneasy.

Even when telling him about the poisoning incident, Marquis Guanjun had never hesitated like this.

“It’s about Physician Li.” Shao Mingyuan finally spoke.

Qiao Mo looked at him sharply, his heart involuntarily rising high in his chest.

Shao Mingyuan sighed deeply: “I received an urgent report from my subordinates who were escorting Physician Li to the South Sea. After their group went out to sea and collected the gel pearls, they encountered a hurricane at sea. Except for one who was rescued by a passing ship, all the others perished.”

Qiao Mo staggered back several steps, leaning against the bookshelf, and said in a lost voice, “Including Physician Li?”

Shao Mingyuan slowly nodded.

Qiao Mo sat down in despair, painfully running his ten fingers through his hair, murmuring, “I caused his death, that elderly gentleman.”

Shao Mingyuan remained silent.

In the face of such a natural disaster as a hurricane at sea, he had no way to blame his subordinates for dereliction of duty, and because of this, his heart felt even more hollow and aching.

The two men sat silently in the study. After a long while, Qiao Mo looked at Shao Mingyuan as if awakening from a dream: “Zhaozhao—”

He respected Physician Li as an elder, but in truth, they hadn’t interacted much in the past. But Zhaozhao was different. To Zhaozhao, Physician Li was like another grandfather.

“Should we tell her?” Shao Mingyuan asked.

“Of course.” Qiao Mo replied without hesitation.

“Miss Li will be very sad, won’t she?” Shao Mingyuan asked softly.

Qiao Mo rubbed his brow hard and smiled bitterly: “Yes. However, we can hide the news for a while, but not forever. Rather than telling her later and making her go through the same grief while also resenting our concealment, it’s better to tell her now.”

Seeing Shao Mingyuan’s silence, Qiao Mo sighed: “Don’t worry. Although Zhaozhao will be very sad, she would rather have cruel honesty than well-intentioned concealment.”

“Uncle understands Miss Li very well.”

“Yes, I said before that she’s very much like my eldest sister.”

Shao Mingyuan lowered his eyes: “Then, regarding Physician Li’s matter, please ask Uncle to tell Miss Li.”

Qiao Mo looked at him with a mixture of tears and laughter, his gaze somewhat strange.

Shao Mingyuan confessed honestly: “I’m afraid Miss Li will cry.”

“Very well, I’ll go tell her.” Qiao Mo stood up. Though his face showed nothing, his steps carried heaviness.

They were men—no matter how bitter or painful, they had to grit their teeth and endure. But why should a girl like his younger sister have to bear these things? If possible, how much he wished he could suffer in her place.

Qiao Mo returned to the pavilion.

Qiao Zhao was casually tapping chess pieces. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and tossed the chess piece back into the container as she stood: “Big Brother—”

Her elder brother’s expression made her swallow the rest of her words.

Qiao Mo sat down across from Qiao Zhao: “Zhaozhao, sit.”

Qiao Zhao silently sat down.

“Zhaozhao, there’s something I need to tell you.” Qiao Mo began, but meeting his sister’s clear eyes, the following words seemed stuck in his throat.

Shao Mingyuan stood behind the silk tree, gazing toward the pavilion from afar, feeling inexplicably nervous.

“Big Brother?” Qiao Mo’s silence made Qiao Zhao’s lips gradually turn pale as she asked with suppressed trembling, “Is it about Grandpa Li? Something happened to Grandpa Li, didn’t it?”

She had lost almost everything she could lose. What else could there be now that would make her brother afraid to tell her?

“Big Brother!”

Qiao Mo reached out his hand and covered Qiao Zhao’s ice-cold hand: “Physician Li encountered a hurricane at sea and perished.”

Qiao Zhao straightened her spine and said nothing, her thin cheeks whiter than winter snow.

Qiao Mo gripped Qiao Zhao’s hand tightly and said gently, “Zhaozhao, Big Brother is here. You’re not alone. If you’re sad, just cry it out.”