Jiang Shiran suddenly widened her eyes: “Thirteenth Brother, you’re defending her again!”

Jiang Yuanchao could barely maintain his forced smile and sighed: “Ran Ran, put down the whip. Let’s go back.”

He couldn’t understand at all what the young lady was thinking or where she saw any defense.

With so many people present, how could he defend her?

For her, that would probably not be fortunate but troublesome.

The helplessness in Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes stabbed at Jiang Shiran’s sensitive nerves: “Why must I leave whenever I encounter Third Li? Am I inferior to her?”

Qiao Zhao’s cold voice rang out: “Could you two not argue in front of the private room we reserved?”

Jiang Shiran immediately sneered, crossing her arms as she looked at Qiao Zhao: “Is it so impressive that you reserved the Heavenly First room? I say, Third Li, do you just enjoy stealing other people’s things? It was like this with my father, like this with Thirteenth Brother, and like this with Marquis Champion too!”

A young man’s icy voice came from behind: “Hmm, how is it that I don’t know what my fiancée has stolen from Miss Jiang?”

Jiang Shiran whirled around.

Shao Mingyuan strode over, reaching out to grasp Qiao Zhao’s hand as he looked toward Jiang Yuanchao: “If this Marquis remembers correctly, it should still be office hours now? Lord Jiang already has the leisure to bring his fiancée to a tavern?”

Jiang Yuanchao smiled faintly: “I can’t compare to your lordship’s leisure.”

Shao Mingyuan looked steadily at Jiang Yuanchao for a moment, his tone carrying a subtle warning: “If Lord Jiang can’t manage his fiancée, next time I’ll go have a chat with Grand Commander Jiang.”

Jiang Yuanchao smiled without saying more.

Only then did Shao Mingyuan look toward Jiang Shiran, his eyes without the slightest ripple: “I’d like to ask Miss Jiang what exactly my fiancée has stolen from you. If she truly stole something, this Marquis can return it for her.”

Jiang Shiran bit her lip and remained silent.

In such circumstances, could she say that Third Li had stolen Thirteenth Brother’s attention, stolen her father’s care, stolen Zhenzhen’s prince consort?

Seeing Jiang Shiran’s silence, Shao Mingyuan chuckled lightly: “If my fiancée hasn’t stolen anything from Miss Jiang, then I hope Miss Jiang will apologize to her.”

“You want me to apologize to Third Li?” Jiang Shiran immediately glanced at Jiang Yuanchao.

Jiang Yuanchao was quite displeased with someone repeatedly saying “my fiancée,” but he tacitly accepted the fact that Jiang Shiran should apologize.

Regardless, his adopted sister’s pampered temperament needed to be reined in.

“Thirteenth Brother, you also think I should apologize to her?” Shao Mingyuan’s words hadn’t affected Jiang Shiran much, but Jiang Yuanchao’s tacit agreement caused her heart to ache.

“Ran Ran, you were indeed somewhat impulsive today. Some words shouldn’t be spoken carelessly.”

“I wasn’t speaking carelessly!” Jiang Shiran stepped back half a pace, biting her lip hard. “Why do other people’s fiancés wholeheartedly protect their fiancées, while Thirteenth Brother, you stand on the side of someone I hate?”

“Ran Ran, this isn’t about protection or not—”

Jiang Shiran kept backing away, her eyes full of anger and hurt: “I don’t want to hear these explanations. Thirteenth Brother, I’ll never speak to you again!”

After saying this, she glared fiercely at Qiao Zhao, turned, and ran away quickly.

Once Jiang Shiran left, Jiang Yuanchao’s face showed no excess emotion. He nodded slightly to Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao: “My apologies for disturbing your pleasant time.”

Qiao Zhao watched calmly as Jiang Yuanchao walked down the stairs without looking back, passed through the main hall, and headed toward the tavern’s entrance. She felt slightly relieved.

She now felt an instinctive resistance toward that person, hoping their future interactions would be as few as possible.

“Zhaozhao, let’s go inside.” Shao Mingyuan pulled Qiao Zhao into the room, saying indifferently, “Don’t let irrelevant people spoil your mood.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao responded quietly.

When Jiang Yuanchao emerged from the tavern, Jiang Shiran was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking that Jinlin Guards were secretly protecting Jiang Shiran and that there were still many matters to handle at the office, he stood briefly before turning back toward the Jinlin Guards’ headquarters.

It began to snow, falling in scattered flakes that quickly formed a layer on the slate stone street. By evening, the sky was low and dark, and the fallen snow had piled up a foot high.

In the Jiang residence, Jiang Tang stood under the covered walkway, watching the rustling snowflakes with inexplicable unease.

“Go ask if the young miss has returned from the palace yet.”

Soon, a Jinlin Guard came to report: “Grand Commander, the young miss left the palace long ago, then went to the office to find Lord Thirteen and went shopping together.”

Hearing that Jiang Shiran had gone shopping with Jiang Yuanchao, Jiang Tang smiled: “No wonder she’s reluctant to come back. But it’s getting late and it’s snowing. Go find the young miss and them.”

The Jinlin Guard accepted the order and left.

Jiang Tang didn’t want to return to his room, so he stood by the corridor pillar, gazing thoughtfully at the flowers and trees in the courtyard whose true appearance was covered by falling snow.

Before he knew it, he had been standing for nearly half an hour when he heard footsteps and turned around.

Seeing Jiang Yuanchao walking over with several Jinlin Guards, Jiang Tang frowned slightly: “Thirteen, why didn’t Ran Ran come back with you?”

“Adoptive father, Ran Ran and I separated at Hundred Flavors House at noon.”

“Separated? Then where did you go?”

“After we separated, I returned to the office.”

Jiang Tang’s expression darkened: “You mean Ran Ran has been alone all afternoon?”

That girl was already angry with him when she left home, and with Thirteen not accompanying her, her mood must have been even worse.

“What are you standing around for? Quickly go find the young miss!”

“Yes!” Several Jinlin Guards secretly glanced at Jiang Yuanchao and accepted the order.

Jiang Tang raised his eyebrows: “Thirteen, adoptive father knows there are many matters piled up at the office for you to handle, but Ran Ran was already in a bad mood today. Didn’t you notice?”

Jiang Thirteen smiled bitterly: “It was Thirteen’s carelessness.”

His adopted sister’s moods were like June weather—cloudy one moment, sunny the next. If he had to constantly coax her, he wouldn’t be able to do anything else.

“That girl has a big temper. Not coming back at this time means she’s sulking and will probably stay out for several days.” Jiang Tang sighed.

Since childhood, this daughter of his running away from home had become routine. Fortunately, skilled Jinlin Guards were always following her, so he didn’t need to worry about safety.

But still—

Jiang Tang glanced at Jiang Yuanchao, somewhat displeased: Thirteen’s feelings for Ran Ran seemed far more brotherly than romantic…

While he was pondering, a Jinlin Guard rushed in, his face pale: “Grand Commander, we found, found the young miss!”

There was something wrong with these words, and Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes flickered.

Jiang Tang felt inexplicably heavy-hearted and scolded: “Do you have any semblance of a Jinlin Guard? Where is the young miss?”

Had Ran Ran caused trouble again?

The Jinlin Guard’s legs went weak, burying his head low: “Grand Commander, you should go see for yourself—”

In a secluded alley two streets away from Hundred Flavors House, accumulated snow reached past people’s calves. At the end, by the wall corner, a small mound rose slightly. Jiang Tang stared at that spot, unable to even move his feet.