Jian Yi was a little incredulous. “I… also have some?”

Had he not still owed Feng Jiu money? That day, Feng Jiu had calculated it clearly — he still owed her six taels of silver. Furthermore, he had said that as long as she gave him food and a place to stay, he would remain here and work for the time being.

Feng Jiu’er raised her head, meeting his gaze, and smiled. “Although you said you only wanted food and no wages, I have always been fair in my dealings. During this period, you worked alongside everyone else to treat the injured, putting in sincere and dedicated effort. I shouldn’t withhold your monthly wages.”

Jian Yi said nothing. Had he truly put in sincere and dedicated effort in treating the injured?

He had simply muddled through those few days in a daze — yet those days had truly felt remarkably fulfilling.

That night, he stored away the monthly wages he had received, using a small box.

This was the first time he had earned money — not from killing, but from saving lives.

Also the first time he felt that the money he had earned carried not even a trace of bloodshed, no longer like it had been before.

Looking at the few silver pieces inside the little box, he suddenly felt as though he possessed the entire world.

After carefully and reverently putting the small box away, Jian Yi began to feel a small nagging worry again.

Feng Jiu’s right hand…

Tonight, Tianji Hall had an extra guard — Mu Mu.

Qing Ye circled the outside several times and could find no gap in the defenses whatsoever.

Getting inside was not actually difficult at all. The difficult part was whether one could truly do it without anyone ever knowing, without a single ghost catching wind of it.

But she had not expected that, by sheer coincidence, not long after nightfall, Feng Jiu’er had actually gone out the door.

Feng Jiu’er went to the World’s First Manor tonight. Lately, with all the attention consumed by the temple street bridge collapse and treating the injured patients, the old Manor Master had been entirely neglected.

Fortunately, the old Manor Master was sometimes reasonably obedient — upon receiving Jiu’er’s letter, he had dutifully eaten and slept, patiently waiting for her to come by.

Tonight, when she came, he had even eaten an entire extra large bowl of white rice.

“Grandfather’s condition has already improved considerably. It’s just that his mind is occasionally still a little… like a child’s. As long as you keep him company more often, he will gradually recover.”

Coming out of the Camellia Courtyard together with Lan Yue, Feng Jiu’er looked at the mask he had put back on his face, her gaze soft.

Lan Yue said nothing. Ever since the last time she had knocked the mask from his face, his attitude toward her had grown even colder.

But Feng Jiu’er was different — this time, she was even more forward and warm than the last visit.

“Uncle…”

His face, Lan Yue’s, turned frosty in an instant. Long Yan was about to say something, but Feng Jiu’er continued, “Uncle, go back to your courtyard. Let me take your pulse and have a look.”

“There is no need.” Lan Yue refused coldly.

Long Yan was a little anxious. The last time Feng Jiu had prescribed medicine, after the Manor Master took it, the blotches on his face had visibly lightened. Those greenish veins hidden beneath the skin had also clearly faded considerably, which showed that the medicine Feng Jiu had prescribed was working on the Manor Master.

He truly did not understand what the Manor Master was resisting — why he simply could not bring himself to trust Feng Jiu.

For Long Yan’s part, he was genuinely quite willing to trust Feng Jiu.

“Uncle, you look even more handsome today — one glance and you can tell your face is looking better. Why say there’s no need?”

Feng Jiu’er rushed forward and, incredibly, grabbed hold of his arm with both hands.

Long Yan was startled. The Manor Master had never been willing to be close to any young woman. This… this Feng Jiu was a grown young lady!

Lan Yue’s expression turned more and more disagreeable. He wanted to fling her off forcefully, but she clung to his arm so tightly that, unless he used his inner force, he truly could not shake her loose.

Yet if he used his inner force, the other party had not the slightest guard up — one push would surely damage her heart meridians.

What was this girl thinking? Being so warm and forward like this — what did she want?

“Uncle, I have no family either. You are my family now. Having family feels truly wonderful.”

Feng Jiu’er lowered her head, looking at the two shadows cast on the ground. She did have family — but the Feng Family, to her, could not truly be called a home.

In the Feng Family, only the grand elder had ever been good to her. But, most likely because of her father and elder sister, she had grown utterly despairing of the entire Feng Family.

She had never had much contact with her grandfather either, so the feeling between them was not deep.

But the Long Family was different. Perhaps even Feng Jiu’er herself could not articulate why it felt different — she had not had much contact with them at all.

Yet she simply acknowledged it in her heart: the Long Family was her home, and her grandfather and uncle were her closest blood kin.

That sense of being bound by blood and flesh was something the people of the Feng Family had never once given her — as though the only blood flowing through her was that of the Long Family, and she bore not the slightest connection to the Feng Family.

Jiu’er did not know why she harbored such an absurd notion, yet she simply adored her grandfather, simply adored her uncle — even though they had no idea she was still alive.

“Let go.” Lan Yue’s face was iron-dark, glaring at her.

“But you’re my uncle — why should I let go? If Uncle truly dislikes me that much, just strike me dead with a single palm.”

“You think I wouldn’t dare?” Lan Yue raised his hand.

Long Yan instantly panicked. “Manor Master, Miss Feng is only joking with you. She… she is just a young girl with a playful nature. Manor Master, please don’t lower yourself to her level.”

“Don’t worry, Elder Brother Long. Uncle won’t hurt me.”

“You…”

“If Uncle wanted to hurt me, he would have acted long ago. Why dither and raise his hand to frighten me, yet not bring the palm down?”

Feng Jiu’er stuck out her rosy tongue, grinning cheekily, and didn’t forget to glance up at Lan Yue — a challenging look.

Long Yan was truly about to be frightened to death by her. How was this girl so utterly fearless? Did she not know that their Manor Master genuinely despised young women who took the initiative to get close to him?

Yet… the Manor Master had raised his hand but not struck. What did that mean? It seemed… truly a little irresolute.

Lan Yue genuinely did want to bring the palm down and send this reckless, ignorant wild girl flying.

But… looking at that face of hers, covered in a cheeky grin, his palm truly could not come down.

“I said, let go.” Lan Yue’s expression was still very cold, yet he lowered his hand.

A little girl — lowering himself to her level would only show he lacked dignity.

But this clinging to his arm — what did that mean? Sticky and clinging, like a shameless little dog!

This girl was, however one looked at it, a businesswoman — the owner of Tianji Hall. How could she be so utterly shameless?

Long Yan quietly wiped away a cold sweat. He had not expected the Manor Master to be truly at a loss against Feng Jiu. He suspected his own eyes were playing tricks on him.

The cold-as-frost Manor Master was actually letting a young girl hold his arm, walking along the path with an expressionless face.

This bizarre scene left not only him agape — even the servants they passed along the way looked as though they had seen a ghost. One of them was more dramatic than the rest and walked directly into the pond at the side of the path, plunging in with a tremendous splash!

Even the Manor Master could be entangled — this was nothing short of ushering in the dawn of a new age.

Speaking of which, what had gotten into Feng Jiu today? What audacity!