Feng Jiu’er, holding a plate, suddenly froze mid-motion.

Yes. Once gone, truly gone.

Just like that man — in this lifetime, it could never happen between them. She would lose him forever, unable even to allow herself to miss him.

It wasn’t his fault, but his mother had wronged the Long family in such a way that she would never let that woman go.

Once she’d settled things with his mother, would he still be willing to look at her? Or would he simply run her through with his sword?

Feng Jiu’er gave a bitter smile, not realizing how tightly she was gripping the plate in her hand.

Jian Yi appeared beside Feng Jiu’er without her noticing, reaching out his palm to take hold of the plate in her hand.

The first time he tried to take the plate, he hadn’t succeeded.

Jian Yi’s action pulled Feng Jiu’er’s awareness back.

She came back to herself and glanced at Jian Yi, loosening her grip. Only then was Jian Yi able to easily take the small plate from her hand.

He looked at her, brows furrowing slightly. “It’s too late tonight. Let’s go back and rest.”

Feng Jiu’er coughed lightly and turned, her back to him.

“At the very least, let’s search this place thoroughly. Not for any other reason — simply for the dozen-plus people who died so tragically.”

“Jiu’er is right. No matter how hard or tiring it is, I want to do my part for these victims,” Xiao Yingtao’s voice carried over from the other side.

Having had her thoughts seen through by Jian Yi, Feng Jiu’er didn’t feel like turning back around.

Once she threw herself into work, the gloom inside her always seemed to dissipate. Hadn’t it been like this all this time?

Just then, a familiar presence drew near, a large hand appearing in her field of vision as someone pressed close behind her.

Jian Yi pulled out a drawer, stepped away from Feng Jiu’er, and set the thing he was holding down behind her.

Feng Jiu’er turned around, looking at this tall, handsome, warm, righteous hero Jian Yi, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

Heaven had let her run into this inhuman massacre case — surely not to make her dwell again on those painful memories.

There was so much she needed to cherish — family, kin, and a group of brothers who felt like family too.

Feng Jiu’er took the drawer from Jian Yi’s hands and set it down on the table beside her.

“Bring me down every drawer, in order if possible.”

Evidence wouldn’t simply lay itself out on the table for you to find — you could only search for it slowly, with your own two hands.

The three of them left the kitchen, and by the time they returned to the cave dwelling the Fortress Lord had arranged for them, it was already deep into the night.

Feng Jiu’er, Xiao Yingtao, along with Qiao Mu and Xing Zizhou who had come in afterward, spent nearly the entire night studying the poison found both inside the bodies and in the kitchen.

Early the next morning, someone knocked on the door of Feng Jiu’er’s chamber.

The night before, two men and three women had shared the same chamber, which had two inner rooms and large beds.

The three women had collapsed from exhaustion without bothering to check whether Jian Yi and Xing Zizhou had gotten any rest at all.

Jian Yi went and opened the door, only to find Captain Nanmeng standing outside, his expression anxious.

“Has Miss Feng woken up?” Captain Nanmeng asked in a low voice.

“What is it?” Jian Yi’s voice was deep, clearly not wanting Feng Jiu’er to be woken too soon.

But just then, Feng Jiu’er, having thrown on her clothes carelessly inside the inner room, came forward to greet him.

She saw Captain Nanmeng’s brows knit tightly and knew something must have happened.

“Nanmeng, what’s wrong?”

Jian Yi glanced back at the woman approaching, frowned, and pulled her behind him.

“Miss Feng, how is the antidote for the poison coming along? Even the Fortress’s physicians have no idea what to make of the sample you sent over.”

“This morning, something happened with Old Liang’s side?” Captain Nanmeng’s expression grew more anxious still.

“Speak clearly!” Feng Jiu’er tied her sash and stepped out from behind Jian Yi.

“The brothers on watch found a fine piece of jade in the young servant’s chamber — the one the Fortress Lord gave to the Lady of the Fortress as a gift.”

“Originally everyone suspected the young servant was behind it, but now even the Lady of the Fortress has been implicated.”

“The reasoning being that the Lady of the Fortress saved the young servant’s life?” Feng Jiu’er frowned slightly.

“Yes.” Captain Nanmeng nodded. “Everyone knows about this, and the young servant has always been deeply grateful to the Lady of the Fortress.”

“If it really was the Lady of the Fortress who told her to do it, she wouldn’t have refused.”

“What’s the motive?” Feng Jiu’er asked through a yawn.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about urgency — the truth was, she’d barely slept an hour or two last night and still wasn’t fully awake.

“Motive?” Captain Nanmeng blinked.

“Yes, the motive for murder.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Why would the Lady of the Fortress want to poison a dozen-plus members of the Liang family? Killing requires a reason.”

“The motive lies with Old Liang’s youngest daughter.” Captain Nanmeng sighed lightly. “Lately, the Fortress Lord has been especially attentive to Old Liang’s youngest daughter.”

“Before the new year, she was trapped in the deep forest, and it was the Fortress Lord who found her and brought her back safely.”

“Many people assumed the Fortress Lord might take Old Liang’s youngest daughter as a concubine. Whether the Lady of the Fortress holds a grudge over this, no one knows…”

“So did he take her in or not?” Feng Jiu’er cut off Captain Nanmeng’s words.

Captain Nanmeng met her gaze and shook his head.

“The Fortress Lord never responded to the matter one way or another. No one knows what’s on his mind. This might just be idle speculation among the people here — who can say?”

“Miss Feng, have you made any progress on your end? I don’t believe the one who poisoned them was really the Lady of the Fortress. She’s always been kind and gentle — how could she possibly…”

“In the end, it’s always men’s fault!” Feng Jiu’er let out a cold snort.

Captain Nanmeng looked at her, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

“If men didn’t constantly pine after one woman or another, would there be so much scheming and rivalry among women?” Feng Jiu’er continued, her voice indifferent.

“Some people see through it and can let go if they can, or leave if they can’t. But some can’t see through it at all, and that’s when conflict arises.”

“The pitiable ones are always those caught in the middle.”

Whatever the reason, the children of the Liang family were innocent — including the one who hadn’t even had the chance to be born yet.

Not just Feng Jiu’er — Qiao Mu and Xiao Yingtao, who had come out behind her, also grew angry hearing these words.

If it really was just over jealousy for favor, and it had cost so many lives — the murderer deserved to die, but didn’t the Fortress Lord deserve to die too?

After grumbling a few words, Feng Jiu’er turned to go back inside.

“Go get us something to eat. Once we’re fed, I’ll come over naturally.”

Feng Jiu’er’s words pulled Captain Nanmeng’s mind back. He startled, then quickly clasped his hands and bowed toward Jian Yi.

“Yes, I’ll have someone prepare it right away. But…” Captain Nanmeng still had some things he didn’t quite understand.

“Does Miss Feng mean that you suspect the Lady of the Fortress too? I…”

Before Captain Nanmeng could finish, there was a “bang” — Jian Yi had shut the door.

Anyone Feng Jiu’er had already dismissed, Jian Yi had no patience for.

He didn’t know exactly when it had started, but his views and thoughts had already come to be shaped almost entirely by Jiu’er’s influence.

Habits, formed without his even noticing, had sunk deep into his bones.

Too deep to pull away from now.