“Sister Hua, do you know the Night Prince?” Xiao Yingtao asked, blinking.

“Of course I know him — he just doesn’t know me.” Tang Xiaohua nodded, not looking the least bit like she was joking.

“Actually, I met him once, just a single glance, and I fell for him.”

“Later I found out his heart already belonged to someone else, so I could only leave with a broken heart, all on my own.”

As Tang Xiaohua spoke of this painful memory, her expression turned somewhat somber.

Xiao Yingtao bit her lip, unable to hold back a laugh. “But if the Night Prince doesn’t even know you, can it really count as… knowing him?”

“Of course it counts, it absolutely counts!” Tang Xiaohua glanced up and glared at Xiao Yingtao, then turned back to Feng Jiu’er.

“So what you mean is, the Night Prince’s disappearance back then was something you two arranged.”

“And now, someone who couldn’t stand him living so leisurely has taken him away from his new residence?”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “To be honest, the Night Prince went to a country called Qiangu Prefecture — I wonder if Sister Hua knows of it?”

“Later, we got word that he’d gone missing, so we rushed people over right away to search, but still couldn’t find him.”

Feng Jiu’er picked up her empty cup and let out a light sigh.

“We found a lead that all but confirms the Night Prince was brought back to the Feng Clan, so we hurried over here without stopping.”

“I can say I’m from the Feng Clan, or I can say I’m not. As for my background, I’ll tell you when the time is right.”

“The key thing right now is…”

“Outrageous!” Before Feng Jiu’er could finish, Tang Xiaohua went cold with anger. “Right now, of course the most important thing is finding the Night Prince!”

“Just who would dare lay a hand on my Night Prince? Then again, isn’t the Night Prince’s martial skill supposed to be so formidable — what kind of person could possibly take him away?”

“The Night Prince had suffered serious injuries to begin with. We don’t know the exact details either,” Feng Jiu’er sighed.

“What we do know now is that he’s gone missing, and it’s very likely he was brought back to the Feng Clan.”

“I’m well aware the Emperor doesn’t care for the Night Prince.”

“Now that I hear the Emperor wants to find him, I don’t know if he’s truly searching, or secretly hiding him away while putting out word that he’s looking?”

Feng Jiu’er composed herself and continued. “We already have people over in the capital — if there’s news, it’ll be relayed back to us.”

“I heard the Yue Family Hall specializes in gathering intelligence, so I had someone go ask for an audience. You two didn’t even know who it was and simply turned them away with a ‘not receiving visitors.'”

“So I had no choice but to get close to you through treating illness. The results turned out pretty well — today is only the third day, and I’ve already become sworn sisters with the head of the Yue Family Hall.”

Feng Jiu’er really hadn’t expected that Tang Xiaohua would turn out to be an admirer of her own father.

With the Yue Family Hall’s help, finding her father would be at least somewhat easier.

“What head of the household?” Tang Xiaohua frowned. “This family is run by Yue Jianfei — I’m nobody’s head of anything.”

“But why does it feel to me like Sister Hua is the true master of this house?” Xiao Yingtao said with a smile.

“No, no.” Tang Xiaohua looked at her and shook her head. “I’m not the master of anything.”

“Too much modesty wouldn’t be like you, Sister Hua.” Feng Jiu’er smiled lightly.

“No, I really am not.” Tang Xiaohua shook her head again.

“Still, since this concerns the Night Prince’s happiness, I, Tang Xiaohua, will do everything in my power. I’ll go find Yue Jianfei in a moment and tell him what’s going on.”

“This is a matter of great importance — we’ll have to plan this out carefully together.”

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, standing to pick up the teapot herself and pour a cup. “Sister Hua, thank you for the trouble.”

“As long as there’s news, money is no object.”

“I could tell from the start that this girl was no ordinary person — either rich or noble.” Tang Xiaohua stood, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold back.”

A knock sounded from outside — knock, knock, knock.

“Madam, the master has been standing outside for a good while now — shall I let him in?” came the voice of the maid who had just left.

“Let him in.” Tang Xiaohua drank a cup of tea and glanced sideways toward the door.

“Yes, Madam.” The maid’s voice came in again.

Not just Feng Jiu’er, but Xiao Yingtao too, both turned their attention to the words “let him in” — it seemed Sister Hua’s temper hadn’t cooled down yet.

Before long, the maid pushed open the door to the side chamber.

Yue Jianfei walked in carrying a tray.

“Xiaohua, the servants made some bird’s nest soup — I brought it over for you all.”

The moment Yue Jianfei entered, he looked at Tang Xiaohua with a smile.

Passing by Xiao Yingtao, he stopped and set down a bowl of bird’s nest soup.

Xiao Yingtao stood up at once at the sight of Yue Jianfei. “Master Yue, this is too much trouble.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? How much bird’s nest soup has that woman eaten at our house during this time?” Tang Xiaohua glared at Yue Jianfei, disdain in her voice.

“Pies falling from the sky — only fools pick them up for free. What’s wrong with charging for it? She’s eaten and lived here for free for so long — has she spent little of our money?”

“The worst part is, she hasn’t gotten a single real thing done, and made the old man wait half a year for nothing.”

Knowing he was in the wrong, Yue Jianfei didn’t say anything further on the matter.

He carried the tray over to the head of the table, picked up a bowl of bird’s nest soup, and set it beside Feng Jiu’er. “Miss Long, please.”

“Thank you, Master Yue.” Feng Jiu’er nodded politely at Yue Jianfei.

Yue Jianfei nodded back, then turned his gaze to Tang Xiaohua. “Xiaohua, you should try some too — it was just made fresh.”

“I know I’ve committed a grave wrong. Whatever it is you want, just say the word, and I’ll see it done — as long as you’ll forgive me.”

Tang Xiaohua glanced at Yue Jianfei, frowned slightly, and turned her gaze to the seat across from Xiao Yingtao.

Yue Jianfei immediately nodded, carried the tray away, and went to sit down in that seat.

Tang Xiaohua lifted the lid off her bowl of bird’s nest soup and leaned down to smell it.

“Don’t stand on ceremony, you two — this is top-grade bird’s nest, not something you can necessarily buy out there.”

She picked up her spoon and stirred the soup, then looked up at the man across from her.

“There’s something I need you to handle. As long as you find out the Night Prince’s whereabouts, I’ll treat this whole matter as if it never happened.”

“The Night Prince?” Yue Jianfei was still holding the tray, not a trace of a master of the house about him.

He frowned and turned his gaze to Feng Jiu’er.

“Is it Miss Long who’s looking for the Night Prince? Are you with the Emperor?”

“She’s not with the Emperor,” Tang Xiaohua said sternly. “It was them who arranged for the Night Prince to leave the Feng Clan in the first place — but now, the Night Prince has been abducted.”

“What Jiu’er means is, the Night Prince was very likely brought back to the Meng Clan. Their coming to the Feng Clan is precisely to try to bring the Night Prince back.”

“What do you mean by that? Did the Emperor really ask you to help find the Night Prince?”

“Mm.” Yue Jianfei nodded. “A few days ago, I did receive a letter from the Emperor.”

“But I’m worried he means the Night Prince harm, so on the surface I agreed to it — in truth, I’ve been complying outwardly while defying it in secret.”