“Alright.” Qiao Zhao agreed directly.

Lady He was stunned for a long while.

Her daughter being so obedient, she was not used to it.

After Lady He left, Qiao Zhao closed her eyes to rest for a moment, then instructed A’Zhu: “Help me dress.”

A’Zhu silently brought over the clothes for going out.

Qiao Zhao looked at her with approval: “A’Zhu, you’re very thoughtful.”

While helping Qiao Zhao dress, A’Zhu said softly: “This servant is very worried about Miss’s health, but this servant knows you must go. I only hope you remember to take care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry. You need to watch over things in the courtyard. If Madam and the others look for me, just say I’m sleeping.”

“This servant understands.”

After Qiao Zhao finished preparing, she notified Binglu that she was going out. Binglu was shocked and covered her mouth: “Miss, you’re ill and still want to go to Marquis Guanjun’s residence?”

“Don’t waste time, let’s go.”

The master and servant quietly slipped out and took a carriage straight to Marquis Guanjun’s residence.

Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Mo were drinking tea together under a tree in the courtyard, their gazes occasionally sweeping toward the courtyard gate.

Qiao Zhao’s late arrival made both men feel somewhat uneasy.

“Big Brother—”

“What is it, Wanwan?”

Qiao Wan pouted aggrievedly: “Big Brother, I’ve called you twice already.”

Qiao Mo smiled: “Sorry, Big Brother was just thinking about something. What’s the matter, Wanwan?”

“Big Brother, will you come watch me ride horses today? I can already ride by myself now.”

Qiao Mo raised his hand to rub Qiao Wan’s head: “The weather has been very hot lately. How about we wait until it cools down in a few days?”

With Physician Li’s unfortunate demise, he still needed to discuss with his eldest sister about establishing a memorial tomb for Physician Li. How could he have the mood to play with his youngest sister?

“Alright.” Though Qiao Wan was somewhat disappointed, she had always obeyed Qiao Mo’s words. She turned to pull at Shao Mingyuan’s sleeve: “Then, Brother-in-law, come with me. Wanwan wants Brother-in-law to see how well I ride.”

Qiao Mo frowned: “Wanwan, don’t bother your brother-in-law. Your brother-in-law also has matters to attend to.”

“What does Brother-in-law have?”

“Your brother-in-law is waiting for Miss Li to come discuss business. Wanwan, go play first. When the sun sets, your Brother-in-law will accompany you to run a lap at the training ground,” Shao Mingyuan said.

“Alright.” Qiao Wan walked away dejectedly. On the way, she encountered Qiao Zhao being led over by a personal guard.

“Wanwan—” Qiao Zhao called out.

Qiao Wan looked up at Qiao Zhao and said sulkily: “Sister Li.” After greeting her, the little girl walked away with pursed lips.

“General, Miss Li has arrived,” the personal guard announced at the courtyard gate.

Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Mo both stood up simultaneously.

Qiao Zhao gestured for Binglu to go rest on her own, then walked toward the two men.

“Big Brother, General Shao, I didn’t sleep well last night and got up late.”

“That’s fine. Miss Li should get more rest.”

“Then let me give General Shao acupuncture first.” A physician cannot heal herself—her illness this time stemmed from excessive grief. The important thing wasn’t taking medicine, but relaxing her mood and resting well. But how could grief be quickly relieved? She couldn’t guarantee when she might collapse, so it was better to finish the important matters first before discussing anything else.

The room was very quiet. The young woman’s expression was serious as she accurately inserted silver needles into their corresponding positions one by one. She appeared perfectly normal, but the heat transmitted through her fingertips made Shao Mingyuan somewhat worried.

“Miss Li doesn’t look very well.”

Qiao Zhao glanced at him and said softly, “After hearing such news, naturally, one cannot sleep well.”

“I’m sorry—”

Qiao Zhao felt a bit irritated and said indifferently, “How could encountering natural disasters be General Shao’s fault? Can General Shao only say ‘sorry’ and nothing else?”

Say something else? Frankly speaking, regarding how to comfort a young lady, he indeed had no experience.

Shao Mingyuan thought seriously for a moment and asked: “Yesterday’s gift—did Miss Li like it?”

“Gift?”

“That mynah bird. It was originally called Xiao Hei. I wonder if Miss Li gave it a nice name—” Noticing the strange expression on the young woman’s face, Shao Mingyuan swallowed the rest of his words.

That mynah could speak human words, saying all kinds of auspicious phrases. Could it be that Miss Li didn’t like it?

Qiao Zhao looked at the man with an innocent expression with an indescribable expression and asked: “Why did General Shao think to give me a mynah bird?”

The young general thought to himself: Because you didn’t seem to like the silver ingots very much.

Of course, he couldn’t possibly say this aloud. The young general cleared his throat: “That mynah speaks very interestingly.”

Miss Qiao couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.

Constantly calling her “wife”—this was what Shao Mingyuan considered interesting?

“Has General Shao heard that mynah speak?”

Shao Mingyuan nodded: “Of course. I only gave it to Miss Li because I found its speech interesting, hoping that with its company, Miss Li could be happier.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s good that Miss Li likes it.”

Qiao Zhao put away the needles and asked about Physician Li: “General Shao, would it be convenient for me to see Yeluo’s urgent report?”

While putting on his clothes, General Shao said, “It’s in the study. Please come with me, Miss Li.”

The study was not far away. Qiao Zhao followed Shao Mingyuan over and immediately saw a figure painting hanging on the western wall.

The painting depicted a woman in plain clothes standing beside a spray of honeysuckle flowers, holding a flower delicately with her hand, her expression serene. It was unmistakably her original appearance.

Seeing Qiao Zhao staring intently at the painting, Shao Mingyuan called out: “Miss Li?”

Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze: “This painting—”

“Uh, the woman in the painting is my wife,” Shao Mingyuan said frankly.

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but look back at the painting on the wall again.

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “It’s not as lifelike as Miss Li’s paintings.”

“I heard that General Shao went to war on his wedding day—”

Based on just one glance from atop Yan City’s walls, he could paint it this well—she already found it remarkable.

Shao Mingyuan’s eyes deepened, and he said softly: “Miss Li, this is Yeluo’s letter.”

Qiao Zhao silently took the letter.

She could feel that Shao Mingyuan was unwilling to discuss matters concerning his deceased wife.

After reading the letter word by word, Qiao Zhao kept her head down for a long while without speaking.

“Miss Li, my condolences.”

Qiao Zhao gripped the letter and quietly composed her emotions, then looked up at Shao Mingyuan: “The letter says their ship was overturned by a hurricane, and when Yeluo woke up, he was already on a passing vessel. That means he never saw Physician Li’s remains, correct?”

The young woman’s eyes were clear, reflecting the man’s young and handsome face. There was light in her eyes, making the reflected image shine brilliantly.

Shao Mingyuan knew this was the light of hope that arose when a person faced devastating news they were unwilling to believe. Just like himself—in how many midnight dreams had he stood again beneath the walls of Yan City in the Northern Territories, waking up drenched in sweat after shooting that arrow, always giving him the illusion that he had never shot that arrow, and his wife was still waiting for his triumphant return in the flower-filled capital.

“Yes, Yeluo did not find Physician Li’s remains,” Shao Mingyuan said.

On the vast sea, not finding bodies after a maritime disaster was the norm. He understood this, and Miss Li understood it too.

“When Yeluo returns, please notify me immediately, General Shao.”