If it weren’t difficult, would I need to ask you, Yan Sanhe?

“Think of a way.”

Xie Zhifei leaned forward, his gaze always resting on her face. “Consider it a favor I owe you.”

Yan Sanhe raised an eyebrow. “Does Third Master’s word count?”

Xie Zhifei looked at her quietly for a while, the corners of his mouth holding a trace of an elusive smile. “What do you think?”

That bastard is using his beauty as a weapon!

A tingling sensation rushed to Yan Sanhe’s heart.

She stood up abruptly and paced around the room a few times, unable to bear it any longer. After evening out her breathing, she said: “This favor—I will collect on it.”

“As long as it’s not murder and arson, and doesn’t violate my conscience, I can agree.”

Those are your own words!

Yan Sanhe laughed coldly to herself and spoke very straightforwardly.

“The old lady’s inner demon was a dog. The dog was related to Wu Guanyue. Wu Guanyue was related to the Zheng family case. In the end, the person who resolved the old lady’s inner demon was Ji Lingchuan.”

Xie Zhifei rested his chin on his hand, looking at her, then blinked. “The chain of connections is correct.”

“The old lady and Wu Guanyue were childhood sweethearts. She learned the Zheng family case was committed by Wu Guanyue. She feared the court would discover her relationship with Wu Guanyue.

Feared that one day the fugitive Wu Guanyue would come seeking refuge. Feared it would affect her son’s official career, feared it would affect the Ji family’s glory and wealth. Thus she lived in constant fear, and prolonged worry became an obsession.”

Yan Sanhe sat back in the chair and lifted her chin. “Third Master, how’s this excuse?”

Truly fucking beautiful!

Both cause and effect, everything reasonable and logical, woven seamlessly!

Xie Zhifei’s eyes shone with excitement. “Yan Sanhe, I really want to praise you, but I’m afraid you’d get too proud.”

Is that so?

Yan Sanhe tapped the table with her fingers. “Rather than praising me, Third Master should think about how to make Ji Lingchuan keep his mouth shut.”

“No need to think.”

Xie Zhifei picked up his teacup. “He’s been in official circles all these years. He understands the gravity of this matter very clearly. I only need to give him one warning, and he’ll take this secret to his grave.”

What I need to think about is another matter.

Xie Zhifei tilted back his head and downed the tea.

How to drag you, Yan Sanhe, into the water with me to investigate the Zheng family case.

…

Xie manor.

“Master, Master!”

Steward Xie ran into the study frantically. “Elder Master is back, Third Master is back, Miss Yan is also back!”

Xie Daozhi was overjoyed. “Where are they?”

“The carriage just reached the alley entrance. This servant ran ahead to report to Master.”

“What about the Ji family?”

Steward Xie whispered a few words in Xie Daozhi’s ear. Xie Daozhi let out a long breath of relief. “Quick, quick, prepare hot water and hot food.”

“Elder Master sent word that dinner will be in Chunen Hall, and he’ll bring Miss Yan to meet people.”

“She agreed?”

“Could Elder Master’s words be false?”

“Then why don’t you hurry and tell the old lady this good news?”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Wait!”

Xie Daozhi called him back. “Tell the kitchen to make tonight’s meal lavish, with more dishes that Third and Miss Yan like to eat.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Come back!”

“What other instructions does Master have?”

Xie Daozhi paced back and forth excitedly, then said seemingly out of nowhere: “Call everyone. Don’t leave anyone out.”

Steward Xie understood. “Yes, call everyone, call everyone!”

…

The carriage stopped at the Xie manor entrance.

Yan Sanhe habitually looked up at the plaque, somehow feeling as if she’d been gone for a lifetime.

“Miss Yan is back. You’ve worked hard.”

Steward Xie smiled so wide his eyes couldn’t be seen, his tone more affectionate than if seeing his own mother. “Hot water is all prepared. Miss…”

“Shut up!”

Although it felt like a lifetime ago, Yan Sanhe still remembered this fat man had Tang Yuan spy on her.

Steward Xie was dumbfounded.

Hadn’t they said she would be introduced to everyone? How could this ancestor still look like “half-cooked rice”?

After the two young ladies walked past him, Steward Xie turned to Third Master behind him with a bitter expression.

Third Master Xie acted as if he hadn’t seen anything and went after Yan Sanhe on his own.

Steward Xie: “…”

After three months apart, why doesn’t Third Master even look at me?

Xiaohua, have I fallen out of favor?

Xie Zhifei caught up with Yan Sanhe. “You haven’t been to Chunen Hall. I’ll come get you later so you don’t get lost.”

Later?

Yan Sanhe didn’t know why, but she sensitively thought of the crude words he’d said to Cai Si. “No need. Tang Yuan knows the way.”

Third Master Xie wasn’t someone who could be dismissed with a simple “no need.”

“Tang Yuan can only guard outside and can’t enter. Everyone will be there today. I’ll take you to meet people.”

“Your brother will take me!”

“My brother said he’s leaving this matter to me.”

Third Master Xie turned his head. “Right, Brother?”

How could Xie Erli undermine his own brother’s face? He nodded very calmly. “Miss Yan, please forgive me. I still have some official business to handle and will arrive late.”

Mm!

You’re even busier than someone who’s been away for three months on a long journey!

Yan Sanhe nodded, not exposing the brothers’ scheme.

Li Buyan properly followed behind Yan Sanhe. When they reached a place with no one around, she quickly took two steps forward. “You’re plotting against Third Master?”

Given Yan Sanhe’s temperament, as long as she didn’t want something, no one could force her.

These two brothers were clearly singing in harmony, yet she still nodded…

Something was fishy!

“Murder and arson cases are major cases. Whether in the capital or in other provinces and departments, they’re all recorded.”

Yan Sanhe: “He’s with the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s Office. He seems to have connections in the Ministry of Justice, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Northern Bureau. I want to investigate through his connections.”

Otherwise, why would she work so hard to think up excuses for him?

Li Buyan nodded. “Finding him is right, but you still need to think carefully about how to keep him from getting suspicious. Third Master’s curiosity is more than ordinary!”

“No rush.”

Yan Sanhe gently rested her head on Li Buyan’s shoulder.

“I haven’t sensed the next inner demon yet. We have plenty of time to think carefully!”

…

The study.

Xie Daozhi looked at Third, who had become so thin he’d lost all shape, his eyes reddening with heartache.

Xie Erli said: “Father, rest assured. I’ve already instructed the kitchen to prepare separate meals for Third. The accounting office has also been notified.”

He tilted his head. “Third, is two thousand taels enough?”

“Not enough!”

Xie Zhifei lied with perfect composure. “On the road, I was also robbed of over eight hundred taels. Mingting and I could only eat one meal a day. We nearly starved to death.”

“Have the accounting office add another thousand taels.”

Xie Daozhi also pulled out a banknote from his drawer. “Eat whatever you want. Don’t scrimp.”

Xie Zhifei showed no intention of being polite and stuffed it directly into his breast.

“Father, Brother, Old Lady Ji’s inner demon is a long story. I still need to pay respects to Grandmother and Mother. I’ll make a long story short.”

No matter how short he made it, Xie Zhifei still took a full pot of tea’s worth of time.

When he finished, the atmosphere in the entire study became heavy, just as Xie Zhifei had expected.

After a long silence, Xie Daozhi said: “Since the old lady’s inner demon has been resolved, let this matter rest. Especially the relationship between Wu Guanyue and the old lady—don’t mention a single word outside.”

“Third!”

Xie Erli immediately added: “Remind Mingting to be careful. Disaster comes from the mouth.”

This was exactly what he’d been waiting for them to say.

Third Xie saw they had no suspicions at all, and his heart suddenly relaxed.