“Why would I worry about you?” Qiao Mu, having calmed down, turned and shot Feng Jiang a glance.

“You’re nothing to me. Consider this a warning! Don’t ever say such nonsense to me again!”

What was wrong with her these past two days? Crying over a man, growing anxious over a man, unable to control herself because of a man?

If this kept up, she wouldn’t be Qiao Mu anymore—she’d be a bitter, resentful woman, and that was the one thing Qiao Mu despised most.

Qiao Mu said nothing more and strode out of the room.

“I’m warning the two of you—don’t ever say again that I like him. How could I possibly like him?”

“Such a foolish man—I don’t like him one bit!”

“From now on, I’ll keep watch outside. Whatever needs handling in here, you two deal with it—I don’t have the time for this nonsense!”

How laughable! Why should she be anxious on a man’s behalf? She was Qiao Mu—no one could disturb her emotions!

Qiao Mu didn’t look back, leaving under the puzzled gazes of Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao.

There came a “bang”—the door, having just been opened, was slammed shut without mercy.

When Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao turned their attention back, they saw Feng Jiang, now changed into fresh clothes, walking out of the room and appearing before them.

“What happened?” Xiao Yingtao furrowed her crescent brows.

“I don’t know.” Feng Jiang shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the closed door.

Feng Jiu’er handed the paper in her hand to Xiao Yingtao.

“Following this prescription, bring back at least ten doses. Remember, settle the bill with the steward first.”

“Alright.” Xiao Yingtao took the prescription and stood.

She turned back to glance at Feng Jiang and asked again, “What happened between you and Qiao Mu? She was clearly so anxious about you—why did she suddenly get angry?”

Feng Jiang looked at Xiao Yingtao, then turned to Feng Jiu’er with a pleading look, as if asking for help.

Feng Jiu’er stood and turned to him, shrugging. “Don’t ask me, I don’t understand it either.”

“They say women are fickle, but Qiao Mu isn’t the fickle type. If she’s truly taken this to heart, she won’t easily let it go.”

“Maybe she just doesn’t know how to express it.”

“Let’s go.” Feng Jiu’er headed toward the inner room. “Time for your treatment.”

When Jian Yi received word from Qiao Mu that Jiu’er wanted him, he pushed open the door to find Feng Jiu’er presenting only her back to him.

Right behind him, a still-dazed Feng Jiang walked in as well.

Xiao Yingtao glanced at him, walked past, and left.

In the chamber, only Jian Yi remained.

He looked at the still-open door for a moment, then walked over.

That night, Qiao Mu sat alone on the roof of the east wing’s main hall, drinking.

Suddenly, several shadows flickered before her eyes. She frowned, dropped her wine jug, and stood.

The figures in black, seeming to notice Qiao Mu, didn’t dare approach and instead fled in another direction.

Gripping her dragon-tongue silver spear, Qiao Mu pushed off with her toes and gave chase at speed.

The wine jug she had just set down rolled a few times before tumbling off the roof to the ground below, shattering with a crash.

Xiao Yingtao, who was still grinding medicine in the chamber, heard the noise and rushed out.

“Qiao, Qiao.” She tilted her head back, scanning upward. “Qiao, what’s wrong?”

Getting no response from Qiao Mu, Xiao Yingtao didn’t dare delay and ran straight to push open the doors of the main hall.

“Mr. Bao, Doctor Long—Qiao is missing.”

When Xiao Yingtao rushed into the inner room, Feng Jiu’er was in the middle of giving Feng Jiang acupuncture.

At the sound of her voice, Feng Jiu’er stood and turned to face her. “What happened?”

“Qiao was up on the roof drinking. Just now a wine jug fell, and I called out to her, but there was no answer,” Xiao Yingtao said anxiously.

“Let’s go.” Feng Jiang sat up.

“Do you not value your life! At least let me remove the needles first.” Feng Jiu’er turned and looked at him.

No matter how anxious Feng Jiang was, he had no choice but to lie back down.

“Xiao Yingtao, go check on her—find out exactly what’s going on.”

“Alright.” Xiao Yingtao nodded and ran back out.

Feng Jiu’er withdrew the silver needles from Feng Jiang’s body as quickly as she could, and the two of them vanished from the east wing chamber in the blink of an eye.

Jian Yi had taken a message back to Dragon Shadow and was temporarily away from the Bao estate. If something had truly happened to Qiao Mu, she would be alone with no one to help.

Qiao Mu didn’t drink—Feng Jiu’er wouldn’t have been this worried otherwise—but tonight Qiao Mu seemed to have had quite a lot.

Caught up entirely in treating her third imperial brother, she hadn’t paid attention to it, and now Feng Jiu’er was genuinely starting to worry.

When Feng Jiu’er and Feng Jiang rushed outside, they saw Xiao Yingtao standing outside the east wing, pacing back and forth.

“What’s going on?” Feng Jiang’s steps were even more urgent than Xiao Yingtao’s.

“I don’t know,” Xiao Yingtao said, shaking her head furiously. “I can’t find her.”

Suddenly, a deafening boom sounded—an explosion from the residence to the west, and flames roared up into the sky.

“Oh no!” Xiao Yingtao’s eyes went wide, and she spun around, sprinting toward the west wing.

In no time, two figures shot off like flashes of lightning, one to either side.

By the time Feng Jiu’er and Feng Jiang reached the west wing, the chambers there were almost entirely engulfed in flames, the scene a chaos of confusion.

“Qiao!” Feng Jiu’er shouted toward the fire.

“My lord, Qiao and Captain Yang are both still inside,” one of the guards said, hurrying back.

“Several men in black came just now. Captain Yang chased after them, and Mr. Qiao went in too, then… there was a boom…”

“My lord.” Before the guard could finish, Feng Jiang had already taken large strides toward the inferno.

“Mr. Bao.” Feng Jiu’er, no longer able to hold back, hurried after him as well.

Another explosion sounded from within. Just as Feng Jiang was about to plunge into the flames, Feng Jiu’er pulled him back forcefully.

Where Feng Jiang had just been standing, a flame-licked roof beam crashed down.

Had Feng Jiu’er not acted in time, the panicked Feng Jiang might not have managed to dodge it either.

“My lord, you mustn’t!” The guard caught up as well. “My lord, the enemy must have used some sort of trick fire-powder, otherwise the flames wouldn’t have spread so fast.”

“There are still several wives—they kept a chamber in the west wing for storing wine, and the explosions just now must be…”

Before the guard could finish, another explosion sounded from inside.

Feng Jiang flung out his hand, throwing off Feng Jiu’er, and leapt over the burning beam, vanishing from her and the guard’s sight.

“My lord.” The guard called out, but his feet hesitated.

“Go put out the fire, quickly!” Feng Jiu’er shoved the guard forward and followed after Feng Jiang.

The guard gave a sharp nod and turned to leave.

He’d assumed their lord had gone mad for the sake of his own wives, never imagining that their lord’s heart had instead been claimed by a woman disguised as a man.

As the guard ran off, the steward arrived at the sound of the commotion.

Another, even louder explosion rang out from within. The steward’s legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees.

“Sheng, my son Sheng, my son!”

A guard had just told him that Yang Sheng, his son, was still inside.

The steward stared at the raging fire, tears streaming, his eyes hollow and lifeless.

Several guards rushed up with water, but it did nothing.

Xiao Yingtao, having caught up, tried several times to charge into the sea of flames, only to be driven back each time.

The scene was filled with cries and wails, utter chaos.