Soon it would be completely dark. The three of them gathered together for dinner, and Chen Guang quickly found an excuse to leave.

An oil lamp was lit in the room, casting dim light. Although it was already late autumn, this place still felt stuffy and oppressive.

“Zhaozhao, let’s go out for a walk,” Shao Mingyuan suggested.

Qiao Zhao stood up: “Alright.”

For them to sit facing each other from now until bedtime would indeed be rather awkward.

Once they stepped into the courtyard, their vision immediately opened up. Before them was the garden landscape characteristic of the South. Even this ordinary inn still carried that unique gentle elegance, though unfortunately, dark clouds hung low, layer upon layer as if pressing down to the ground, making one feel stifled just looking at them.

“It’s going to rain,” Shao Mingyuan murmured, gazing up at the dark, heavy sky.

Qiao Zhao suddenly smiled with pursed lips: “Big brother, has your old rheumatic leg gotten better?”

Shao Mingyuan was rather amused and exasperated: “Second brother, stop teasing me.”

What old rheumatic leg? He wasn’t an old man.

Wait, could it be that Zhaozhao found him too old?

Looking down at the flower-bud-like young girl, Shao Mingyuan suddenly felt a hint of crisis.

Zhaozhao wasn’t even fourteen yet. In two more years, when he married her, he’d already be twenty-three.

Twenty-three! If it were someone else’s family, their children would already be six or seven years old—

The more Shao Mingyuan thought about it, the more troubled he became.

Perhaps when they returned to the capital, he should work harder and try to marry Zhaozhao next year. Next year, he’d be at least twenty-two.

The General silently made up his mind.

Noticing that someone had suddenly fallen into deep thought, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but look at him a few more times. Seeing that he still hadn’t come back to his senses, she simply turned her gaze to the distance.

She had been looking casually, but with this glance her eyes suddenly contracted sharply. She hurriedly tugged at Shao Mingyuan and lowered her voice: “Big brother, look at that person standing under the eaves over there. Am I seeing things?”

Shao Mingyuan came back to his senses and looked in the direction of Qiao Zhao’s gaze. He was equally startled, though the surprise on his face flashed by in an instant.

Not far away, under the eaves, stood a figure in dark robes. The lanterns hanging from the eaves cast a hazy light that blurred the person’s features.

But whether it was Qiao Zhao or Shao Mingyuan, both recognized him at a glance – that person was none other than Lord Shisan of the Jinlin Guards, Jiang Yuanchao!

Jiang Yuanchao seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his gaze, looking in their direction.

Shao Mingyuan calmly withdrew his gaze and said to Qiao Zhao in a low voice: “Let’s go back to the room.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao nodded without showing any emotion.

Jiang Yuanchao was a person of considerable depth. No matter how surprising his appearance here might be, they couldn’t show the slightest reaction on their faces. Otherwise, if he became suspicious, who knew what complications might arise.

The two had decided to return to their room, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yuanchao suddenly moved, striding toward them with his long legs.

To avoid arousing suspicion, the two had no choice but to stop.

Jiang Yuanchao quickly approached them and cupped his hands toward Shao Mingyuan with a smile: “Are you a new guest, brother?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes and stood beside Shao Mingyuan, her heart involuntarily breaking into a cold sweat for him.

Both she and Shao Mingyuan had dealt with Jiang Yuanchao many times. She didn’t believe that the second-in-command of the Jinlin Guards, second only to Jiang Tang, would be unable to recognize Shao Mingyuan’s voice.

“Yes,” Shao Mingyuan replied.

Hearing him speak, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

She hadn’t known this man could change his voice. At this moment, if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes and only heard the voice – deep with a touch of honesty – she wouldn’t have been able to tell it was Shao Mingyuan’s.

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhao’s heart tightened.

Oh no! A voice could expose someone’s identity, and scent could do the same. The string of aloeswood prayer beads she’d been wearing on her wrist might very well let Jiang Yuanchao recognize her!

Qiao Zhao lowered her head and shrank further behind Shao Mingyuan.

Jiang Yuanchao’s gaze dropped slightly, sweeping over Qiao Zhao’s form.

Shao Mingyuan shifted his body slightly, blocking Jiang Yuanchao’s line of sight, and explained with a smile: “My younger brother is naturally timid and somewhat afraid of meeting strangers. I hope you won’t take offense, brother.”

“How could I?” Jiang Yuanchao smiled with pursed lips, then suddenly looked at Shao Mingyuan and asked meaningfully: “Brother, you’re from the north, aren’t you?”

Shao Mingyuan raised his eyebrows: “Why do you ask that, brother?”

Jiang Yuanchao wore a faint smile at the corners of his lips: “From your accent, you don’t seem to be from around here, and people from this area rarely have your height.”

Shao Mingyuan laughed along: “Hehe, brother has good eyes. My younger brother and I are indeed not locals.”

“Oh, then what brings you here with your younger brother?”

Hearing Jiang Yuanchao’s interrogation, Qiao Zhao frowned secretly.

As expected of someone from the Jinlin Guards, wherever he went, he couldn’t change his habit of getting to the bottom of things.

They could naturally ignore questions from ordinary people, but faced with Jiang Yuanchao’s inquiries, they couldn’t very well not answer. Otherwise, if they aroused his interest and he sent people to watch them, that would be truly vexing.

Shao Mingyuan had the same thought as Qiao Zhao. Hearing Jiang Yuanchao’s question, he replied without hesitation: “My father came to Fudong at the beginning of the year to discuss a business deal, but after leaving home, there was never any word from him again. The family sent people south to search, but those who were sent out also never returned. My mother was worried, so she ordered me to come looking for Father.”

“Oh, I see.” Jiang Yuanchao’s smile was faint. “Since you’re traveling far from home, brother, why did you bring your younger brother along?”

Qiao Zhao sighed inwardly.

This Jiang Yuanchao was indeed not easy to fool. Not only was he hard to deceive, he was also extremely annoying – questioning strangers about this and that, as if it were any of his business!

Shao Mingyuan wasn’t stumped by Jiang Yuanchao’s question and explained with a smile: “My second brother may be short, but he’s already fifteen years old – not young at all. His personality is too shy, and he usually only likes to bury himself in books. I thought that reading ten thousand books isn’t as good as traveling a thousand miles, so bringing him out to broaden his horizons might help him change his girlish temperament. I convinced my mother to let me bring him along – it’s good for us brothers to keep each other company.”

At this moment, Qiao Zhao was hiding behind Shao Mingyuan, her figure mostly concealed by him.

Jiang Yuanchao’s gaze fell on the top of her head, and he couldn’t help but smile: “Looking at your younger brother, he does seem to have the look of people from around here.”

Miss Qiao was furious inside.

What was wrong with being short? What law did that violate? The teasing tone in Jiang Yuanchao’s voice was far too obvious!

Just then, thunder suddenly rolled across the sky, breaking the night’s tranquility.

Shao Mingyuan looked up at the sky and said naturally, “It’s going to rain. I’ll take my younger brother back to our room. Farewell.”

Jiang Yuanchao cupped his hands with an elegant bearing: “Farewell.”

Shao Mingyuan inconspicuously took Qiao Zhao’s hand: “Second brother, let’s go.”

Even after the two figures disappeared at the doorway, Jiang Yuanchao still stood in place, his expression thoughtful.

The rain outside still hadn’t begun to fall, and the room was dim and stuffy, but Qiao Zhao was already regretting having gone out for fresh air. She walked to the window and quickly closed it.

She sat down, and the first thing she did was roll up her sleeve, revealing a section of wrist as white as frost and snow.

Shao Mingyuan’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.