“You fell asleep while playing chess with me?” Chi Can asked coolly.

Qiao Zhao startled awake, her hand moving swiftly as a chess piece fell with a crisp sound.

“You saw wrong,” the girl said in a soft, sweet voice.

She had only dozed off for a moment.

“I was watching—you clearly had your eyes closed just now.” Chi Can spoke with a smile, but his tone made one’s scalp tingle.

“Look and see if I made any wrong moves,” the girl said, her fingers white and tender as jade, lightly pointing at the catalpa wood chessboard.

During her secluded life, time had passed slowly, and playing chess was perfect for filling leisure hours. Having been able to play against her grandfather, facing this man before her, she truly could play correctly even with her eyes closed.

Thinking this way, it seemed somewhat like bullying.

Chi Can’s gaze unconsciously followed where the girl’s finger pointed. Seeing that her move had caused him another devastating loss, for the first time he began to doubt his own judgment.

This girl couldn’t possibly have been sleeping just now, could she?

“Stop playing. Pack up quickly—we’re about to dock,” Yang Er interrupted their conversation, suppressing his laughter.

Soon, the boat reached shore. As Yang Er had said, they didn’t enter the city. Chi Can found a horse corral outside the city with practiced ease and selected three healthy horses.

He patted a horse’s back and said to Qiao Zhao, “None of us three can conveniently share a mount with you. I’ll take you into the city first to find an inn.”

“I can ride,” Qiao Zhao said.

Chi Can paused, looking down at the little girl whose height didn’t even reach his armpit. His lips twitched as he selected another horse: “Since you can ride, then we’ll take you along.”

“Thank you.” Qiao Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and showed a big smile as she walked toward the chestnut horse.

Yang Er couldn’t help whispering to Zhu Yàn: “Why did Shixi suddenly become so agreeable?”

Zhu Yàn glanced at Qiao Zhao’s small stature and guessed unkindly: “Probably thinks the little girl can’t get on and wants to see her make a fool of herself.”

“I think Shixi is going to be disappointed. That girl is quite mysterious—at her age, she can already beat you at chess. Maybe her horsemanship is even better than mine.”

Zhu Yàn stared straight ahead with a strange expression.

Yang Er looked in that direction and saw the big chestnut horse throw the little girl aside and trot away leisurely.

The little girl got a face full of dirt and coughed violently.

“Indeed, excellent horsemanship,” Zhu Yàn burst into laughter.

Looking at the horse that had run away, Qiao Zhao was somewhat dazed.

She really could ride…

“You can wait for us at the inn,” Chi Can said with a smile, not bothering to hide his satisfaction at the corners of his eyes and brows.

This person just couldn’t wait to leave her behind, Qiao Zhao thought with lowered eyes.

She wouldn’t complain about anything, though.

To these three men, she was just a chance encounter. They should be thanked for being willing to help her.

But this time, she could only “repay kindness with ingratitude.”

“I want to go with you all. Big Brother Chi, carry me—”

“Absolutely not! Men and women shouldn’t touch!” Chi Can refused categorically.

This girl—how could she be so thick-skinned?

“I don’t mind.”

Chi Can rolled his eyes and said bluntly: “Of course I know you don’t mind, but I do!”

Don’t blame him for speaking harshly—if his temperament were any gentler, he probably wouldn’t dare leave his house in the capital.

Hearing Chi Can speak so directly, Qiao Zhao laughed softly.

That year, this man had shamelessly pestered her grandfather in just this way. Now it was her turn to pester him—there was truly a sense of karmic retribution.

“What are you laughing at?” Chi Can frowned.

This girl was somewhat uncanny. He couldn’t treat her like an ordinary twelve or thirteen-year-old girl.

“I’m laughing because if you don’t take me on this trip, you probably won’t get what you wish for.”

Chi Can’s gaze suddenly became sharp as he met the girl’s half-smiling eyes. He laughed coldly and mocked: “Little girls just love being mysterious, thinking this will make me take you along? Hah, it’s fine to take you—unless you can tell me where we’re going.”

“Shixi, stop teasing Li San,” Yang Er said with some sympathy.

Zhu Yàn chimed in: “Yes, or I’ll take her with me.”

Chi Can raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Yàn was the heir of the Marquis of Taining—not only was his status noble, but he was also exceptionally talented, having passed the imperial examination at a young age. Though he usually seemed gentle-tempered, he was quite proud. For him to be willing to take along a little girl was truly unusual.

Feeling embarrassed under Chi Can’s gaze, Zhu Yàn coughed lightly: “Don’t overthink it. I just feel it’s fine to bring her along.”

Chess character reflects personal character. A woman who could decisively defeat him shouldn’t be capable of seeking connections for personal gain. Moreover, she was just a little girl who hadn’t grown up yet.

“Apricot Grove, the Qiao family,” Qiao Zhao parted her lips and spoke five words.

Three pairs of eyes suddenly turned to her.

“How do you know?” Yang Er blurted out.

Qiao Zhao felt slightly relieved.

She had guessed correctly!

Chi Can had visited her grandfather over three years ago. Though her grandfather was no longer here, her father and brothers had returned to Jiafeng. She really couldn’t think of any other reason why the noble son of Princess Changrong would endure the hardships of travel to come to Jiafeng other than for a visit.

They were very likely coming to visit her father.

If she had guessed correctly, Chi Can would take her along, whether out of curiosity or wariness.

If she had guessed wrong—

If Chi Can’s group wasn’t going to her home, then naturally she did not need to insist on following them.

Ultimately, after making her startling statement, she had nothing to lose.

But the three men’s expressions had changed.

Chi Can even forget about “men and women shouldn’t touch” and grabbed Qiao Zhao’s wrist: “How do you know? Who are you?”

“I guessed,” Qiao Zhao smiled. “I’m the daughter of Academician Li from the capital, living on West Street in Apricot Alley.”

Saying this, Qiao Zhao paused slightly.

Apricot Alley…

Her home was in Apricot Grove, while little Li Zhao’s home was in Apricot Alley.

What a coincidence.

“Don’t talk about useless things. You know that’s not what I’m asking,” Chi Can examined Qiao Zhao seriously once again.

The first time he had looked at her this way, he had merely marveled at this little girl’s cleverness.

But this time, he felt this girl was… damn uncanny!

Qiao Zhao blinked, displaying a little girl’s pure innocence to the fullest: “It’s not as complicated as Big Brother Chi thinks. I’m just—”

She paused, then continued: “I just deeply admire Master Qiao, so I guessed that you three big brothers came to Jiafeng to visit Master Qiao’s home.”

In literature there is no first place, in martial arts there is no second. Master Qiao Zhuo, who decades ago could be universally acknowledged by scholars as the foremost talent, naturally deserved the admiration of all scholars.

With such superior chess skills, the little girl standing before the three men was naturally also literate.

“Master Qiao… has already passed away,” Chi Can said with an indefinable tone.

Qiao Zhao’s heart ached as she looked up to meet his gaze: “Yes, but Master Qiao is still here.”

Master Qiao referred to her father, the former Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, who had returned to Jiafeng with his family to observe mourning after her grandfather’s death.

Unlike her grandfather’s carefree and unrestrained nature, her father had a serious temperament. In terms of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, truly speaking, he was not her equal.

But the world didn’t know this.

“You guessed this?”

“Jiafeng has no famous mountains or pleasant waters. It’s not hard to guess why you three big brothers came here from the capital.”

Chi Can stared directly at Qiao Zhao. After a long while, he asked again: “And how are you so certain that without taking you along, I won’t get what I wish for?”

He had come to Jiafeng with a purpose, naturally.

Qiao Zhao smiled sweetly and tilted her head playfully: “Once we reach Apricot Grove, Big Brother Chi will know.”

Chi Can mounted his horse and extended a hand toward Qiao Zhao: “Get on.”

Qiao Zhao placed her hand in his. Feeling a great force, her entire body instantly soared through the air and landed on the horse’s back.

As they galloped like lightning, her ears were filled with the whooshing sound of wind. The man’s low, lazy voice came from above her head: “Those two are more agreeable than I. Why didn’t you ask them to take you earlier?”

Ahem, though his good looks were the most important reason, he still hoped to hear something novel.

Qiao Zhao replied with a smile: “Naturally, it’s better to trouble one person than two.”

She was someone who repaid kindness. She had already noted her debt to Chi Can—she couldn’t owe another person as well.

Chi Can’s face darkened.

So she was singling him out to boss around!

He knew this girl wasn’t cute at all!