Qiao Zhao knew she had misspoken. Meeting everyone’s surprised gazes, she looked up at Chi Can and asked steadily: “When are we returning to the capital?”

The three men fell silent for a moment.

After all, she’s just a young girl. When encountering such a tragic event, what she can’t stop thinking about is hurrying home, Zhu Yàn thought.

Yang Er was thinking: The young girl spoke out of turn. Shixi must be even angrier now, right?

Chi Can was indeed very angry.

This girl had claimed to revere Master Qiao, yet faced with the Qiao family’s destruction, she remained unmoved, only thinking about returning home as quickly as possible. This showed her cold nature—perhaps even her supposed reverence for Master Qiao was just meant to deceive him.

Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze.

She had barely managed to cover up her loss of composure, hadn’t she? As for others’ disgust, she had no mood to deal with it now.

“So you distinguished guests are from the capital. How rude of me, how rude.” The village chief personally refilled tea for the four, breaking the subtle, awkward atmosphere.

Qiao Zhao was immersed in her thoughts.

Calculating the time, news of her death hadn’t reached here yet. Her husband’s family was in the capital, and her maternal relatives were also in the capital. When her older brother left this place, the most likely destination was undoubtedly there.

But after such a terrible disaster befell the family, why hadn’t her older brother stayed at Xingzi Forest to observe mourning, instead of leaving in such haste?

Qiao Zhao vaguely felt something was strange, but the enormous grief weighing on her heart made it difficult to think deeply. Only one thought remained: return to the capital and find her older brother!

Whatever else the others said, Qiao Zhao didn’t hear any of it until Chi Can stood up and said flatly, “We still need to hurry back to Jia Feng city, so we won’t stay for a meal.”

She followed the three men outside in a daze.

Chi Can led his horse, his eyes sweeping over displeasedly: “Stop dawdling. If you don’t hurry up, you can just stay here.”

Stay behind?

Qiao Zhao’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

If possible, she wanted to stay more than anyone—this was her home!

“Do you want to stay?” Chi Can raised an eyebrow, becoming even more impatient.

Qiao Zhao shook her head, stepped forward, and extended her hand toward Chi Can.

Chi Can unceremoniously grabbed her wrist and lifted her directly onto the horse.

The wind howled fiercely, cutting across Qiao Zhao’s face like a blade while simultaneously cutting into her heart.

The spring wind could be this cold, too.

Thinking this, Qiao Zhao turned back one last time, taking a deep look at the village being left behind.

At that moment, the evening clouds filled the sky, merging with that apricot grove that separated all ugliness and beauty into one expanse, leaving only the village’s tranquil peace.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose, everything seeming just as it had in the past. Only the young girl riding away on horseback knew what she had lost.

When the dust stirred up by the horse’s hooves had completely settled, a figure flashed from a corner of the apricot grove and likewise left this place.

Qiao Zhao’s group rushed through the city gates before they closed, choosing the finest inn in the city to stay.

After the city gates slowly closed, someone hurried over.

“The gates are already closed. If you want to enter the city, come early tomorrow!” the guard said impatiently.

The person pulled out a token from their chest and flashed it before the guard.

The guard’s expression immediately changed, stammering: “So you’re… you’re…”

“Stop your nonsense and open the gate quickly!”

“Yes!” The guard hastily opened the city gate. Only after that person had walked far away did he dare to raise his hand and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

“Boss, who was that person?” a subordinate came over.

The guard looked around, then lowered his voice to utter three terrifying words: “Jinlin Guards!”

That ordinary-looking Jinlin Guard walked through the city with great familiarity, entering a certain courtyard.

Under a crabapple tree in the courtyard sat a man in black clothes, drinking alone at a stone table, with several men standing silently not far away.

As soon as the Jinlin Guard entered, the several men immediately looked over with alert expressions. Seeing it was him, they relaxed.

The man quickly came before the black-clothed man and bowed: “My lord.”

The black-clothed man set down his wine cup, glanced at him, and asked: “Any unusual activity at Xingzi Forest?”

“Reporting to my lord, today three men and one woman went to Xingzi Forest. The woman was dressed as a man. Then the four went to see the village chief of Baiyun Village.” The man paused here, then continued: “They’re from the capital and have already entered the city.”

The black-clothed man nodded, then turned to scan the group.

The several men immediately wore solemn expressions.

“You all go investigate what those people’s backgrounds are.”

“Yes.”

The next day, before dawn had fully broken, the four quietly left the city, abandoning their horses for a boat and traveling northward.

Their situation was quickly reported to the black-clothed man.

“Chi Can, son of the Eldest Princess Changrong; Zhu Yàn, heir of Marquis Taining; Yang Houcheng, heir of Marquis Liuxing—” The black-clothed man recited the three names, his tone pausing as his usually calm face showed some confusion. “Li San, daughter of Academician Li?”

He pondered for a moment, murmuring: “How did a young girl end up together with those three?”

Several subordinates all stood with their hands at their sides, clearly not daring to interrupt their superior’s contemplation.

The black-clothed man gave orders: “From the capital to Jia Feng, one must pass through Bao Ling. Contact the Jinlin Guards stationed in Bao Ling city and see if they have any information.”

“My lord, what about Xingzi Forest?” one ordinary-looking subordinate asked.

“Continue watching. That fire at the Qiao family was somewhat unusual.”

Just as he was speaking, a subordinate entered: “My lord, a letter from the capital.”

The black-clothed man reached out to receive it, opened the letter, and after just one glance, froze.

“My lord?” the subordinates couldn’t help but speak.

The black-clothed man crushed the letter in his grip, his tone flat: “Pack my luggage. The Grand Commander orders me to return to the capital immediately.”

The subordinates were greatly shocked, but the black-clothed man did not explain. He walked out of the room with his hands behind his back, looking up at the crabapple tree that had just begun to bud, and curled the corner of his mouth slightly.

Having been in Jia Feng for so long, it was time for him to return. He just wondered what mistake Jiang Wu had made for the Grand Commander to want him replaced.

The black-clothed man quickly suppressed this slight doubt, and thinking about traveling the same route as those rather interesting four people, couldn’t help but smile.

On the boat carrying Qiao Zhao’s group back, however, the atmosphere wasn’t very good.

Zhu Yàn held a chess piece, and the usually gentle man had reached the edge of collapse, saying helplessly: “Shixi, if you’re in a bad mood, just vent it out. Isn’t playing chess while sulking just torturing people?”

Chi Can lifted his eyelids slightly and said coolly: “This is me venting!”

Zhu Yàn was choked speechless.

So he was the one being tortured!

He couldn’t help but cast a pleading look toward Yang Houcheng.

Yang Houcheng spread his hands, indicating he was powerless to help, and jerked his chin toward Qiao Zhao’s direction.

Zhu Yàn’s eyes lit up, then he shook his head.

Forget it. If he was being tortured, so be it—why drag the young girl into it too?

Chi Can caught the two men’s exchange of glances. Seeing Zhu Yàn reject Yang Houcheng’s suggestion, his eyes swept over Qiao Zhao sitting quietly in a corner, and he said flatly: “Li San, come play chess with me!”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhao’s eyebrows moved slightly, then she silently stood up and came to sit across from Chi Can.

Zhu Yàn looked at her apologetically and got up to yield his seat.

Qiao Zhao sat down and continued the game from where the two had left off.

Leaning against the railing, Zhu Yàn complained quietly to Yang Houcheng: “Shixi is holding in his anger—why involve others?”

Yang Houcheng glanced at Qiao Zhao, who sat with her back to him.

The young girl sat with an elegant posture, like a quietly blooming plum blossom.

He chuckled softly and teased, “Zi Zhe, are you feeling protective of her?”

“Don’t talk nonsense—she’s still a girl who hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony—”

“So you’re saying once she has her ceremony, it would be acceptable?”

“Yang Houcheng!” Zhu Yàn’s face darkened.

Seeing his friend was truly annoyed, Yang Houcheng finally dropped the joke and said quietly: “Don’t you know Shixi’s moody temper by now? If he doesn’t vent his anger, none of us will have a good time on this journey.”

“Haven’t I been playing chess with him all along?” Zhu Yàn sighed.

Since this trip to Jia Feng was his doing, whatever bad luck came up, he’d take it first—he could only accept it.

“What good does that do? Haven’t you noticed that Shixi is particularly displeased with that young girl? Who told her to speak so confidently, insisting that bringing her along to visit the Qiao family would help him achieve his wish, and the result—”

As the two were talking, they heard the clear sound of a collision and both looked over.

Chi Can had thrown his chess piece into the container and said coldly, “I’m not playing anymore.”

Qiao Zhao held a chess piece, looking at it unhurriedly and calmly.

This person had too little composure—no wonder Grandfather hadn’t taught him back then—

Thinking of Grandfather, then of that fire, Qiao Zhao felt a sharp pain in her heart, her expression becoming as numb as a wooden puppet.

Chi Can felt even more stifled seeing this, and sneered: “Li San, didn’t you say that without bringing you along, I’d have difficulty achieving my wish? Well, what was the result of bringing you?”

These words were like a sharp blade, stabbing viciously into Qiao Zhao’s heart.

Enduring the pain, she asked Chi Can softly: “I wonder what Big Brother Chi sought when visiting the Qiao family?”