Two incense sticks’ time later.

The three arrived at the Su Manor.

Li Shiyan and Luo Yang were still completely confused.

They didn’t understand who Qi’er was bringing them to meet at the Su Manor.

Wasn’t Su Ziluo still locked up in prison right now?

“Miss Qi’er, who exactly are you taking us to meet? Ziluo is still locked in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison right now—I’m dying of anxiety.” Li Shiyan quickened his pace to walk alongside Qi’er, his expression anxious.

Qi’er looked straight ahead without responding to his words.

Soon, the three arrived at the side courtyard.

Qi’er stopped at the entrance and said: “You go in. I won’t follow you inside.”

Luo Yang peered inside a few times and said warily: “You’re not leading us into a trap, are you?”

“In any case, I’ve already brought you here. The person is waiting inside.”

With that, she left!

Li Shiyan and Luo Yang stood outside the courtyard, sizing up the interior for a few moments. Only after ensuring there was no danger did they enter.

In the main room, Ji Yinshu stood before the window. Winter had now arrived, and the leaves outside were falling uniformly downward with the breeze.

Occasionally, a few yellowed leaves blew in, landing on the windowsill and at her feet.

Late autumn was a season that weighed heavily on one’s spirits!

Ji Yinshu’s beautiful brows were now lightly furrowed, revealing worry that was difficult to erase…

At this moment, footsteps sounded behind her, approaching from outside.

Her eyes flickered lightly as she turned her head to look toward the doorway.

She met directly with Li Shiyan and Luo Yang’s two gazes of utter shock.

“Shu’er?”

Li Shiyan couldn’t believe it, his eyeballs round and bulging in their sockets, even carrying a trace of tears!

For a long while, he couldn’t react.

Luo Yang had the same expression and called out: “Miss Ji?”

Hadn’t she already left Yanjing?

How could…

Ji Yinshu walked over, her gaze sweeping back and forth over the two of them as she said in a gentle tone: “Young Master, Luo Yang, it’s been a long time. I asked Miss Qi’er to bring you here.”

Li Shiyan was stunned, then took a step closer to her, his voice trembling: “Ziluo said… you had already left. How are you still here? Could it be… you’ve been at Ziluo’s manor all along, and Ziluo lied to me?”

He finally reacted.

“Yes, I didn’t leave. It’s just that due to some reasons, I had no choice but to hide it.”

“What reasons? Do you know how long I…” felt lost and heartbroken! Li Shiyan’s words nearly escaped his lips. He immediately changed course: “Why did you hide it from me? If something happened, I could help too. Shu’er, I’m sincere toward you.”

“Young Master, there are some matters in this that I didn’t want to implicate you in.”

“What implicate or not implicate! We’ve known each other for so many years—am I afraid of your implicating me?” Li Shiyan felt very uncomfortable inside.

He felt he had become an outsider!

Ji Yinshu couldn’t defend herself with a hundred mouths—there were too many difficulties to speak of within this.

It couldn’t be explained clearly all at once.

Luo Yang opened his mouth, then continued: “Miss Ji, when you left the manor before without saying goodbye, I thought something had happened to you—it nearly killed me with worry! At the very least, we’ve… shared hardships together. We’re not outsiders, right? You shouldn’t have hidden this from me either.”

All the way from Zhuxin City, his feelings for Ji Yinshu had warmed bit by bit, from initial dislike to now being constantly on his mind, making him thoroughly experience the changes of inner emotions. But being a rough man after all, regarding such matters of love and affection, he inevitably appeared at a loss, making things both awkward and helpless.

Fortunately, he buried these feelings deep in his heart, not exposing them in the slightest!

Facing Li Shiyan and Luo Yang’s confusion and questioning, Ji Yinshu said: “I’ll tell you about this matter later. This time I asked you to come actually because of Mr. Su.”

Li Shiyan finally reacted: “Right, Ziluo! He’s still in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison now. Shu’er, Ziluo couldn’t possibly kill anyone.”

“Of course I believe he wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“Besides, Ziluo is such a clever person—how could he be stupid enough to openly poison someone?”

“Let me have you meet someone first!”

“Who?”

Ji Yinshu’s gaze moved past them, looking toward the doorway.

Hm?

Li Shiyan and Luo Yang simultaneously followed her gaze and turned to look.

They saw a figure standing outside the door!

That person stood tall and straight, wearing a long robe of dark satin, holding a long sword, backlit.

Luo Yang squinted and was the first to react: “It’s you?”

That person who wore a mask in the Nansai desert and took Ji Yinshu away.

And also… the person in Ji Yinshu’s painting!

Jingrong removed the half-mask from his face. Under the light, his angular features revealed a sharp and keen aura. His eyes, like black obsidian, appeared calm on the surface yet harbored cold severity! His entire body emanated an imposing presence, full of danger.

As that mask fell, Li Shiyan was astonished: “Prince Rong? So… I didn’t see wrong that night?”

Previously, when he had snuck into the Su Manor to find Ji Yinshu, he ended up seeing Ji Yinshu and Jingrong in the corridor. Unexpectedly, Jingrong mistook him for an assassin and stabbed him with a sharp sword on the spot. After he fainted and woke up, Su Ziluo said Ji Yinshu had already left!

Beside him, Luo Yang’s mouth hung open: “Prince Rong? A prince?”

He looked Jingrong up and down in disbelief.

Jingrong stepped inside, and Li Shiyan and Luo Yang simultaneously moved back a step!

“So afraid of me?”

As if they wouldn’t be afraid!

Li Shiyan laughed awkwardly, touching his previously stabbed arm with lingering fear.

He took a deep breath!

Luo Yang needn’t even be mentioned—he had witnessed his skills at the inn in the Nansai desert.

Naturally, he didn’t dare get close!

Besides, the person before them was… a prince?

He quietly asked Li Shiyan: “Is this person really a prince?”

Li Shiyan realized he had let something slip.

Ji Yinshu said: “Luo Yang, I’ll explain this matter to you later, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone, otherwise it will bring us unnecessary trouble.”

Luo Yang pressed his lips tightly together and swallowed: “I wouldn’t dare say anything! Not even if beaten to death.”

The man was a prince!

How could he dare provoke him!

If he’d known earlier that the person Ji Yinshu was looking for was a prince, he would have helped even at the cost of his life!

Li Shiyan recovered himself and asked: “What exactly is going on? How did you end up in Qujiang?”

Ji Yinshu explained: “After you left that year, Jingrong and I became separated due to some matters. After much searching, I found him in Qujiang.”

“What matters?”

“Better not to mention it. Fortunately…” She looked toward Jingrong. “I found him.”

Jingrong’s cold and severe expression softened somewhat under the projection of her gaze.

Li Shiyan didn’t understand: “But how could a great prince of Dalin disappear without any news at all? And…” He looked at Jingrong. “How did you end up here?”

Jingrong’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly as he said: “I don’t remember anything from before. It’s a long story.”

“Lost your memory?” Li Shiyan was startled, his eyes circling around Jingrong’s head, unable to believe it.

Jingrong felt uncomfortable being stared at, and a trace of killing intent immediately showed in his eyes, frightening Li Shiyan into quickly averting his gaze.