Chi Can’s words left Shao Mingyuan extremely embarrassed, and he couldn’t help but glance at the carriage parked quietly not far away.

He, too, felt this relationship was a bit complicated, and perhaps one day he should discuss this matter with Zhaozhao.

Thinking of this, the young general quickly dismissed the thought with alarm.

That wouldn’t do—if Zhaozhao used this as a reason to reject him when the time came, he would truly be left crying without tears.

The village chief walked over panting heavily: “Distinguished guests from afar—eh, aren’t you the young master who came here a few months ago?”

The village chief was halfway through his words when he recognized Chi Can.

The reason was simple—a man with looks as outstanding as this young man before him was something he had never seen in his entire lifetime.

Chi Can nodded slightly: “The village chief has a good memory.”

The village chief swept his gaze behind Chi Can, and the dozen or so upright young men made him quite startled.

“Young master, what brings you here this time?” The village chief still remembered clearly that when several young men came months ago, they had implicitly followed this most handsome young man’s lead.

Chi Can pointed at Shao Mingyuan: “It’s my friend here who has come to pay respects to the Qiao family.”

The village chief hurriedly sized up Shao Mingyuan.

The young man before him was tall and stately, standing straight as a pine, appearing to be a refined and jade-like noble young master, yet the bearing he unconsciously displayed was not to be underestimated.

Shao Mingyuan nodded respectfully to the village chief: “I am the son-in-law of the Qiao family.”

The village chief was greatly shocked: “Second Miss Qiao isn’t even ten years old yet, and she’s already married?”

Shao Mingyuan: “…”

He turned his head toward the carriage, where the curtain happened to lift, and the young lady inside looked over with calm eyes.

Shao Mingyuan felt inexplicably guilty and smiled at Qiao Zhao.

The young lady dropped the curtain.

Shao Mingyuan was momentarily stunned.

Zhaozhao, having heard the village chief’s words, was probably angry.

“Ahem.” Yang Houcheng coughed once, “Village chief, you must be confused—how could a seven or eight-year-old girl get married? He is the husband of First Miss Qiao.”

“First, Miss Qiao’s husband?” The village chief was stunned, then his body swayed as he pointed at Shao Mingyuan and shrieked, “You are the Northern Expedition General, Marquis Guanjun?”

The matter of the Qiao family’s eldest daughter marrying Great Liang’s most illustrious Northern Expedition General was known by everyone in Baiyun Village without exception.

Early in the year when the Qiao family suffered the great fire, many villagers had even wondered whether the Qiao family’s son-in-law would look after the Qiao family’s sole surviving orphan.

Later came news of the Northern Expedition General being enfeoffed as marquis and First Miss Qiao’s death in the Northern Territories, leaving the villagers only feeling pity for the Qiao family’s young master.

“Indeed, that is I.”

Shao Mingyuan’s answer brought the village chief back to his senses. He hurriedly withdrew his hand and said excitedly, “If you distinguished guests don’t mind, please come to my place for a cup of tea first.”

“We are much obliged to the village chief.”

“Marquis is too polite.” The village chief said these words, still feeling as if in a dream.

The famous Northern Expedition General, the Northern Expedition General who had beaten the Northern Qi barbarians to a pulp, was actually so young and handsome, gentle and courteous—it was simply unimaginable, utterly unimaginable.

Good heavens, he, too, was someone who had entertained Marquis Guanjun!

The group entered the village chief’s gate, and countless villagers poked their heads out, occasionally clinging to the village chief’s gate to ask: “Village chief, do you have enough stools at home?”

“Village chief, do you have enough teacups at home?”

“Village chief, do you have enough bowls, chopsticks, and plates at home?”

“Village chief, do you have enough people eating at home?”

The village chief was torn between laughter and tears.

What kind of nonsensical questions were these!

“Enough, all enough! Go home quickly—not sleeping at midday, what are you crowding around for!” The village chief waved his hand and mercilessly slammed the gate shut with a bang.

“Please forgive the spectacle, distinguished guests.” The village chief wiped the sweat from his forehead and invited Shao Mingyuan and the others into the main hall to sit.

Shao Mingyuan got straight to the point: “Village chief, we’ve come to stay for a while this time. I wonder if there are any vacant houses in the village where we could lodge?”

“There are vacant houses, just a bit run-down. There’s one place that’s not bad, but—” The village chief hesitated.

“Village chief, please speak freely if you have something to say.”

“It’s the house at the end of the village that originally belonged to the Tofu Beauty. Her family’s house was renovated just two years ago, but that house is haunted—the Tofu Beauty died in the large water vat in her courtyard early this year.”

Early this year?

Hearing this timing, Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but exchange glances.

Only then did the village chief notice Qiao Zhao, who had been sitting quietly behind everyone, and his eyes flickered.

Wasn’t this the little girl who had come with that best-looking young master early in the year? How had she come again?

Sensing the village chief’s scrutiny, Qiao Zhao lowered her eyelids, but her heart stirred.

The end of the village was closest to the apricot grove—could this Tofu Beauty’s death have some unknown connection to the Qiao family fire?

She was about to ask when Shao Mingyuan had already spoken: “Village chief, when did this Tofu Beauty you mentioned pass away?”

The village chief’s expression wasn’t good: “I remember this matter clearly—it was on the twenty-sixth of February this year.”

“Does the village chief remember everyone’s affairs in the village so clearly?” Chi Can asked coolly.

The village chief sighed deeply: “Other matters I might not remember so clearly, but what day the Tofu Beauty died—not just me, but no one in the village could forget!”

He said this while surveying everyone, finally resting his gaze on Shao Mingyuan’s face and sighing: “Because the Qiao family fire happened on that very day!”

As expected!

Qiao Zhao’s back tensed, her lips pressed tightly together. Just as her thoughts were surging, suddenly a large hand quietly grasped hers.

Qiao Zhao was startled, but fortunately, her temperament was steady, and she showed nothing on her face. Without needing to look, she knew whose large hand it was.

She didn’t want to be so perceptive, but helplessly, this hand had held hers too many times these past days—she was all too familiar with it.

This scoundrel Shao Mingyuan dared to hold her hand in front of so many people!

Qiao Zhao gritted her teeth secretly but didn’t dare move randomly, only letting that dry, slightly cool large hand grip hers tightly.

Fortunately, she was originally sitting to Shao Mingyuan’s side and behind him. Though someone’s behavior was bold, with the square table and wide robes with large sleeves as a cover, it wouldn’t be noticed by others.

Qiao Zhao was annoyed but also secretly relieved.

She didn’t ask for anything else now, only that no one would discover this!

But unexpectedly, while Miss Qiao chose to behave obediently for fear of being discovered, that large hand became restless, gently pushing open her hand, with slender fingers stroking across her palm one by one.

Her palm felt ticklish, and Qiao Zhao instinctively wanted to close her hand, but then stopped.

Shao Mingyuan was writing characters on her palm.

Qiao Zhao’s eyes closed slightly as she felt the direction of the strokes.

He wrote the same line over and over: I will always be with you.

Though it was a very simple sentence, at this special moment, a warm current suddenly flowed slowly through the bottom of Qiao Zhao’s heart.

When disaster struck, did her parents and relatives think of her? And had they thought that if Shao Mingyuan had been there, they wouldn’t have met such an end?

Shao Mingyuan, if only you had been there then.

What a pity—

Qiao Zhao’s palm gradually turned ice cold as she sighed in her heart.