When Old Madam Xie entered, the inn had been cleared completely, not a single outsider remaining.

Even so, Xie Daozhi had everyone withdraw to the alley entrance, having Steward Xie personally guard the main door.

“The old madam’s legs aren’t good. Third, you go call the person down.”

“Yes!”

Xie Zhifei bounded up to the second floor. Just as he was about to knock, the door creaked open.

He clicked his tongue, his gaze lightly sweeping over Yan Sanhe’s grayish-blue single-layer garment, and smiled. “Well, what a coincidence!”

Yan Sanhe didn’t respond, stepping sideways past him.

“Wait!”

Yan Sanhe turned, looking at him coldly.

“That, um…”

Xie Zhifei touched his nose, his expression half-smile, half-not. “White ginseng powder can actually be used like that—brilliant move!”

Yan Sanhe calmly withdrew her gaze, turned, and walked down the stairs.

Xie Zhifei: “…”

So in her eyes, I’m just air?

In the main hall, besides the Xie father and son, there was now an elegant and noble-looking old madam. Yan Sanhe’s gaze swept over her before she stopped at a moderate distance.

If she hadn’t guessed wrong, this should be Grandfather’s former second wife—the Yang family matriarch.

Old Madam Xie’s expression was extremely agitated.

Supporting herself on the table, she stood up and took two steps forward, staring at Yan Sanhe and examining her up and down, her eyes seemingly glued to Yan Sanhe’s body.

“Old ancestor!”

Xie Zhifei jumped down the stairs and helped steady her, smiling. “Where have you seen someone stare at a young lady like that? You’ll scare her away for sure.”

“I…”

“Come, come, come. Whatever needs to be said, sit down and say it.”

Xie Zhifei raised his chin, his words carrying a barb.

“Miss Yan, please sit as well. After such an exhausting night of horse riding and window jumping, you must be tired. Please sit, everyone sit!”

Yan Sanhe didn’t sit.

She pulled the yellowed marriage contract from her sleeve and held it near the candlelight, touching it lightly.

The flames whooshed up, and in moments, the contract burned completely clean.

The Xie family members’ faces all changed in unison, seemingly unable to believe that the thing they feared, that had made their hearts tremble, had just been reduced to ash so lightly.

What was she trying to do?

Just then, Yan Sanhe pulled out another paper from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

“The guarantee letter you wanted—I’ve pressed my fingerprint.”

Xie Erli said in surprise, “Miss Yan…”

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze swept over half of Xie Erli’s face as she reached into her sleeve and pulled something else out. This time it was a banknote—a full five hundred taels.

“Your medical expenses.”

She placed the banknote on the table and stepped back several paces, her voice light yet forceful. “Now we should be even!”

Everyone: “…”

Yan Sanhe raised her head. “May I leave now?”

The inn’s candlelight was bright, and everyone could see clearly every subtle expression on the young woman’s face.

If they weren’t mistaken, when she raised her head just now, the corners of her mouth carried a disdainful expression.

She still dared to show disdain?

Xie Daozhi’s fury, which had just been calmed, was ignited again.

“Yan Sanhe, this capital isn’t somewhere you can come and go as you please. You’ll need to see whether I agree or not.”

Yan Sanhe: “You want to stop me?”

Xie Daozhi slammed the table and stood up abruptly. “You won’t leave this room until you explain everything clearly.”

Yan Sanhe: “What else don’t you understand?”

Xie Daozhi: “What about the incense? Why did it break for no reason?”

Yan Sanhe was very frank: “You’re not his heart demon. I was wrong, so the incense broke.”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Daozhi gritted his teeth. “It’s not something that can be brushed aside with ‘I was wrong.’ You’ve toyed with me repeatedly and injured my son. This matter…”

“Old ancestor, what’s wrong?”

Xie Zhifei’s alarmed cry interrupted Xie Daozhi’s words.

Xie Daozhi turned to look, only to see the old madam staring at the half-burned red candle with a deathly pale face, her eyes unmoving.

“Mother?”

Old Madam Xie showed no reaction at all, her entire being like a soul that had left its body.

Xie Daozhi couldn’t help but be alarmed. Just as he was about to pinch her pressure point, he saw the old madam’s eyes turn, slowly moving to rest on Yan Sanhe.

“Miss, what did you just burn?”

Yan Sanhe: “Your marriage contract.”

“He, he, he…”

The words suddenly stopped.

Xie Zhifei, who was closest, saw the old madam’s face turn from deathly pale to flushed red in an instant. Terrified, he quickly reached out to rub the old madam’s back.

Old Madam Xie caught her breath and urgently continued: “Why did he still keep it?”

“I want to know too!”

I want to know too, Grandfather.

What was the point of keeping the marriage contract, keeping that letter? Was it because of guilt? Or was there another reason?

Yan Sanhe didn’t want to look at the Xie family members even once more. “Whether you believe it or not, that’s how things are. Everyone, may I leave now?”

Want to leave again?

Xie Daozhi said coldly: “You may not!”

Yan Sanhe saw right through what Xie Daozhi was thinking. She pointed.

“Ask your mother whether my grandfather gave her a divorce document. If he did, the Xie family will be safe. If he didn’t…”

She suddenly smiled coldly.

“I advise you to let me leave soon, investigate what Grandfather’s true heart demon is, otherwise…”

Xie Daozhi’s pupils contracted sharply.

The meaning was all too clear—the coffin not closing was real, the transformation of obsession was real, the heart demon was real, and the possibility of the Xie family being implicated was also real.

“Mother.”

Xie Daozhi’s gaze shifted. “Did Yan Xing give you a divorce document?”

“He…”

Old Madam Xie’s face was deathly pale beyond description. Her hand gripping the cane slowly tightened, revealing protruding blue veins one by one.

“Mother, speak up!” Xie Daozhi suddenly exploded in rage.

He had crossed swords with Yan Sanhe several times, each time being forced to a dead end. Late at night, he still had to humble himself to come to this godforsaken place. A dignified close minister to the emperor, manipulated to this extent—it was simply the greatest humiliation of his life.

Moreover, this matter involved the entire Xie household, young and old.

Old Madam Xie bit down hard on her jaw, refusing to speak. Turbid tears fell continuously in large drops, her gaze not looking at anyone else, only at Yan Sanhe.

After a long while, she choked out: “Child, tell this old woman the truth. When you held my eldest grandson hostage and injured him, was it because…”

“Mother!”

Xie Daozhi roared. “What’s the use of saying these useless things? Whether Yan Xing gave you a divorce document or not—that’s the life-and-death matter at hand.”

The moment the words fell, Old Madam Xie suddenly raised her hand. Her cane swung down hard, striking directly at Xie Daozhi.

Xie Erli: “Grandmother!”

Xie Zhifei: “Old ancestor!”

Amid the two alarmed cries, Old Madam Xie slowly stood up, looking at her son through gritted teeth.

“How dare you call Yan Xing by his name?”

“…”

“Kneel down!”

Xie Daozhi stared blankly at the old woman before him, completely unable to believe this blow had come from her.

From childhood to adulthood, she had never touched him with a single finger.

“Kneel down!!”

The old madam struck her cane with resounding “thud, thud, thuds.”