She was… Long’er’s daughter, the Old Manor Lord’s granddaughter?

Feng Jiu’s breathing grew slightly uneven—just what did this man mean by that? He…

And yet what Zhan Qingcheng said next sent her breathing into complete disarray.

He said calmly, “She truly is your granddaughter. Her name is Jiu’er.”

“Ninth Lord!” Feng Jiu spun around abruptly to look at him, her fingertips trembling.

What did he mean by this? Had he known her identity all along? Had he known from the very start that she was Feng Jiu’er?

Zhan Qingcheng lowered his gaze to her small face, so overwhelmed with shock it was beyond words, his voice as cool and composed as ever. “You go by Feng Jiu. Should I instead have called you Physician Jiu in front of the Old Manor Lord?”

Feng Jiu froze—shock, astonishment, and an indescribable jumble of emotions all at once.

What exactly did the Ninth Imperial Uncle mean by this? Could it be that he hadn’t known all along that she was Feng Jiu’er after all? Could it be that this “Jiu’er” was simply because her name was Feng Jiu, and so he had naturally called her “Jiu’er” as well?

But she was disguised as a man… did the Ninth Imperial Uncle also know she was actually a woman?

Zhan Qingcheng said nothing more, his calm gaze utterly unreadable.

But right now, this Ninth Lord’s intention was clear enough—since Feng Jiu was too young to pass as Lanyue the Manor Lord’s older sister.

So pretending to be his sister’s daughter was far more fitting, and would not arouse the Old Manor Lord’s suspicion.

Both Long Yan and Lanyue already knew Feng Jiu’s true gender, and so they assumed this Ninth Lord knew it too, which was why the lie had come so smoothly.

Lanyue, looking again at Zhan Qingcheng, though still unsure of the man’s identity, found this explanation eased the coldness in his eyes somewhat.

Pretending to be his sister’s daughter, his own niece, was certainly better than having her pretend to be his sister herself.

In his heart, his sister was sacred—no one was allowed to impersonate her!

So this title of “niece” was, at least, somewhat more bearable.

The key question was whether the old man would accept it, whether his mood would be a little less troubled.

Long Yan, too, felt that the role of granddaughter suited Feng Jiu much better—this way, the Manor Lord would not feel that someone had offended his sister’s memory, and the Old Manor Lord would not be so distressed either.

“That, Old Master, she—”

“Jiu’er! You really are my Jiu’er, my Long’er’s daughter!”

The Old Manor Lord seemed to find something to hold onto once more, the despair from moments ago instantly turning into delight.

He seized Feng Jiu’s hand and pulled her in front of Lanyue, still glaring fiercely at his son.

“Even though she isn’t your sister, she is still your niece. How could you bully her?”

“He—” Feng Jiu glanced at Lanyue, and the moment their eyes met, there was still a touch of awkwardness between them.

But Feng Jiu quickly pushed the awkwardness aside—everything was, after all, only for the old man’s peace of mind.

She smiled at Lanyue. “Uncle, you’re not allowed to bully me from now on. Grandfather will beat you on my behalf, understand?”

“You…” This mad girl—calling him “uncle” had inexplicably stirred something within him.

Lanyue let out a breath, pressed his lips together, and finally swallowed down his temper. “Understood. I…”

He paused, glanced at Feng Jiu again, a touch exasperated. “From now on, Uncle… Uncle won’t bully you.”

“Then you have to promise to dote on Jiu’er!” There was a glint of laughter in Feng Jiu’s eyes. She suddenly realized that this icy man, who had nearly taken her life just this morning, was actually rather endearing.

Especially given how noble his standing was—Manor Lord of the Number One Manor Under Heaven—and yet how obedient he was in front of the Old Manor Lord. That helpless quality of his was honestly quite touching.

He truly was a good son. An exceptionally, exceptionally good one.

In truth, there was a moment when Feng Jiu genuinely wished all of this were real.

If the Old Manor Lord truly were her grandfather, doting on her so dearly, and Mister Lanyue truly were her uncle—awkward, perhaps, but still loving toward this family, toward everyone in it.

If it were all real, how wonderful would that be.

The Old Manor Lord kept holding tightly onto Feng Jiu’s hand, still overcome with emotion. “Jiu’er, you… you call me Grandfather. You… call me that again, call me Grandfather again, quickly!”

“Grandfather.” This time Feng Jiu didn’t hesitate at all, smiling softly at him. “Grandfather!”

The Old Manor Lord was so moved he could barely speak, gripping her hand tightly, utterly unwilling to let go.

Zhan Qingcheng, who had been standing in place without moving this whole time, found the chill around him growing heavier and heavier, his gaze fixed on Feng Jiu’s small hand held so tightly by the Old Manor Lord, looking as though he was about to lose his temper at any moment.

Lanyue suddenly stepped forward, blocking this Ninth Lord’s line of sight.

Long Yan gave a light cough as well, stepping up beside Lanyue, likewise blocking Zhan Qingcheng’s view.

Honestly—could this possibly be Young Mistress Feng Jiu’s secret lover? Why did he look as though someone had just stolen his woman right in front of him?

The Old Manor Lord was already this old—even as a man, he could pose no threat to him at all. To be on guard even against an old man like this was rather excessive, wasn’t it?

Perhaps only Feng Jiu and the Old Manor Lord failed to notice the chill radiating from Zhan Qingcheng. At this moment, the two who had just “recognized” each other had no idea how affectionate they truly were toward one another.

“Grandfather, you must behave yourself from now on. You have to eat properly. We won’t take medicine anymore, but whatever meals Jiu’er prepares for you, you must eat every bit of it, alright?”

“Good, good! Whatever Jiu’er tells Grandfather to eat, Grandfather will eat it all. Grandfather will be good.”

In truth, the Old Manor Lord still felt some unease, which was why he kept holding onto Jiu’er’s hand, unwilling to let go.

“Grandfather will be good, but… can Jiu’er promise Grandfather that you’ll stay by Grandfather’s side from now on, and never leave again?”

Though Long’er had become Jiu’er, he was no longer in such utter despair—but even so, the Old Manor Lord was truly uneasy in this moment.

After Long’er had left all those years ago, she had never returned. If Jiu’er left too, would she never come back either?

Long Yan cleared his throat lightly, hurrying to rescue Feng Jiu from the situation. “Old Master, Jiu… Miss Jiu’er still has matters of her own to attend to outside. She can’t stay here all the time.”

“No, no! You be quiet! Don’t talk nonsense, get out, get out now!” How dare he try to coax his Jiu’er into leaving him! That was simply too much! He ought to have him flogged for it!

Feng Jiu couldn’t help but smile faintly—this dear old man really was rather overbearing, with quite the air of a great general in his prime.

Still, what Long Yan said held some truth—she really couldn’t stay here forever.

Squeezing the Old Manor Lord’s hand, she said gently, “Grandfather, Jiu’er really does have some matters to attend to outside. How about this—Jiu’er will come visit Grandfather often from now on, alright?”

“But… if Jiu’er leaves Grandfather, Grandfather will miss you so much.” The Old Manor Lord looked utterly wronged. “What will Grandfather do if he misses Jiu’er so much?”

He truly could not bear to let Jiu’er leave. If Jiu’er left and never came back, what would he do?