Yue Jianfei turned to watch the three leaving figures, utterly bewildered.

After Tang Xiaohua had walked more than ten steps away, he finally reacted, taking large strides to catch up. “Xiaohua, what exactly do you want me to do? Speak clearly.”

Even now, with Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao both openly walking out, Yue Jianfei still showed not the slightest air of importance.

It was as if, from just now until this moment, in his world, only Tang Xiaohua existed.

Tang Xiaohua paid no attention to the person behind her, but Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao both glanced back at the same time.

“Xiaohua, you really won’t tell him clearly? He’s caught up.” Xiao Yingtao asked softly.

“Let him chase if he wants to chase.” Tang Xiaohua said with some disdain.

“Back in the day, the men who pursued me would probably stretch in a line from here all the way to Li City. Where would I have had so much free time?”

“Oh.” Xiao Yingtao nodded, glancing back again. “That’s true enough. My Xiaohua has the figure, has the looks.”

“And on top of that, both virtue and talent, skilled in both scholarship and martial arts, able to be both gentle and firm, able to be both fierce and adorable…”

“What in the world is ‘fierce and adorable’?” Tang Xiaohua frowned slightly, cutting off Xiao Yingtao’s words.

“Xiaohua, don’t mind it. It’s already quite something that Xiao Yingtao can come up with so many fitting four-character phrases to describe you.”

Feng Jiu’er, looking at the two beside her, smiled faintly.

“Jiu’er, what are you saying?” Xiao Yingtao stepped past Tang Xiaohua to look at Feng Jiu’er.

“Nothing, just praising you.” Feng Jiu’er smiled lightly. “I wasn’t finished—our Xiao Yingtao here is excellent at arithmetic, far more impressive than her talking.”

“When it comes to talking, I certainly can’t compare to you. Just now you scared poor Doctor Yang so badly he could barely stand.”

Xiao Yingtao glanced at Feng Jiu’er, then turned her gaze to Tang Xiaohua.

“Xiaohua, why did you make us walk so urgently? Where exactly are we going?”

“To see the old master.” Feng Jiu’er answered softly. “Xiaohua has always treated the old master like her own father, and she’s quite anxious about his condition.”

“She worked hard for half a year just to get the chance to bring a doctor to see the old master. Of course she has to make the most of it.”

“Did you really think Xiaohua was doing this for a man who misunderstood her?”

Tang Xiaohua glanced sideways at Feng Jiu’er, giving her a look of approval.

Yue Jianfei, who had been following all along, had felt somewhat reassured, but upon hearing Feng Jiu’er say this, grew tense again.

“Xiaohua.” Yue Jianfei quickened his pace. “I know I was wrong.”

The group left the courtyard; around the courtyard, servants and maids here and there were going about their tasks.

But Yue Jianfei paid no attention to any of it, following Tang Xiaohua all the way.

Many of the servants and maids of the Yue residence covered their mouths, averting their eyes, as if they had long grown used to this kind of scene.

The cold war between the master and his wife had gone on so long—it was about time things got better.

“Xiaohua, what do you want me to do? Tell me.”

Yue Jianfei quickened his pace, and Tang Xiaohua sped up at the same time.

Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao adjusted their pace to keep up with Xiaohua in the middle, walking faster and faster.

The two of them glanced at the person between them from time to time, nearly failing to keep up with Tang Xiaohua’s pace, and had to focus all their attention on their own legs.

And so, Master Yue followed his wife the whole way, leaving the small courtyard and walking along the path toward the main courtyard.

Yue Jianfei was anxious inside, yet didn’t dare catch up to Tang Xiaohua’s pace.

After more than twenty years of marriage, he understood his wife well.

If he caught up to her, she would only grow angrier—better to follow at a distance; that way his wife’s mood might improve a little.

“Xiaohua, do you have to walk this fast? My legs are going numb.” Xiao Yingtao asked, panting.

“And besides, haven’t you already forgiven Master Yue? If you’re this anxious about the old master, there’s no way you wouldn’t forgive Master Yue—so why are you still walking so fast?”

“What does my walking have to do with whether I forgive him or not?” Tang Xiaohua said disdainfully.

Even with her solid internal energy, walking this urgently and this far had left her breath somewhat ragged.

Of the three, the one walking most naturally was Feng Jiu’er.

She glanced at Xiao Yingtao but didn’t respond.

Still, Xiaohua’s reputation truly lived up to its name—no matter how willful she was, Master Yue would always indulge her.

At the very least, within the household, Master Yue’s standing didn’t come close to Xiaohua’s.

For a woman to receive over twenty years of a man’s devotion was, by any measure, fortunate.

Feng Jiu’er looked up at a snow-white cloud drifting in the blue sky, the corner of her mouth curving into a happy smile.

She didn’t know when her own man would be like Master Yue—disregarding his status, following behind her always.

He was a prince, born for an emperor’s fate; Feng Jiu’er felt her own thought was rather childish.

But thinking of how anxious Ninth Imperial Uncle got, the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened even more.

After finally arriving at the main house, Xiao Yingtao had already broken into a sweat.

There was no helping it—it was past noon, the hottest time of the day, and rushing along for over a quarter of an hour had tired her out.

A faint sheen of sweat had formed on Tang Xiaohua’s face, but when she stopped walking, she still managed to keep her face composed and her breathing steady.

Without Tang Xiaohua needing to say a word, the housekeeper immediately opened the door to the old master’s chamber.

Tang Xiaohua glanced left and right at the people present and stepped inside.

After Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao went in, Tang Xiaohua glared at the housekeeper and strode inside.

The housekeeper walked through the door, turned to look at Yue Jianfei standing at the entrance, nodded, and cupped his hands in salute.

“Go in and see if there’s anything I can help with—I’ll keep watch here,” Yue Jianfei said, waving his hand.

“Yes, Master.” The housekeeper cupped his hands again and turned to walk inside.

Yue Jianfei truly had patience—standing at the door for a full two hours straight.

He kept glancing inside from time to time, yet still didn’t dare go in.

After two hours, Feng Jiu’er, Tang Xiaohua, and Xiao Yingtao walked out of the inner room, with the housekeeper following behind them.

Yue Jianfei looked at the people coming out, his expression showing some anxiety, but he still didn’t dare take a step forward.

“Don’t worry, follow my arrangements and the old master will surely recover.” Feng Jiu’er said, turning to look at Tang Xiaohua beside her.

“Have someone make the two assistive tools Xiao Yingtao prepared right away—do it now, to have them ready.”

“Good.” Tang Xiaohua nodded. “This little thing can be made in a day.”

“Anything else you need? Just say so. I’ve wasted almost an entire day of your time—I feel a bit embarrassed about it.”

“You can feel embarrassed too?” Feng Jiu’er curved her lips. “Young Master gave me three hundred taels of silver—I still have time to spare for you.”

As for money, Feng Jiu’er wasn’t really short of it. Right now, what mattered most was seeing whether the Yue family could actually help find her father.

“Your Doctor Long charges a hundred taels per hour—my three hundred taels must be long gone by now, right?” Tang Xiaohua said with a smile.

Feng Jiu’er raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m not worth the price?”