“Grandmother, rest assured.”

Xie Erli knew the old lady’s heart knot and gripped her hand in return.

“Leave everything to me. I’ll arrange it properly.”

The two elders were almost carried away. Only the two brothers remained in the inn.

The two brothers looked at each other for a long time without speaking.

What could they say?

No matter how wrong, these were still their elders.

As the elder brother, he finally spoke first. “Tell me, what happened with the Ji family?”

“Do you even need me to say it? Elder Brother, you already knew long ago.”

“Is that what I’m asking?”

Xie Erli’s face darkened. “What does ‘a warning from the past’ mean?”

“That day I left the city to get some bruise medicine for the brothers at the Pei family’s Hundred Herbs Hall, and I ran into this young lady.”

Third Brother Xie slapped his forehead. “Right, I was the one who directed her to our house!”

“Through the Four Lanes?”

Xie Erli was displeased. “You certainly directed her down a fine path.”

Third Brother Xie’s gaze flickered as he stubbornly made excuses.

“Wasn’t it because she was talking about opening coffins or not opening coffins? I thought this young lady had quite a bold temperament and wanted to scare her a bit!”

Xie Erli’s expression immediately became tense.

“What’s this about opening coffins?”

Third Brother Xie rubbed his nose.

“The shop clerk was talking about the Ji family’s misfortune, and that young lady said they should invite an expert to see if the coffin had cracked.”

Xie Erli’s brow twitched. “Could it be the Ji family also…”

“Whether they did or didn’t, I don’t know.”

Third Brother Xie’s chest rose and fell several times. “Anyway, she said it’s a warning from the past, so we should take it as a warning from the past.”

Xie Erli was very clear about the Ji family’s misfortune. His brows knitted tightly as he thought the situation was extremely inauspicious.

“Elder Brother!”

Third Brother Xie sat down in his chair, his face full of seriousness.

“Everything else can be postponed. The urgent matter is to first find her grandfather’s heart demon. This matter involves our Xie family—I must go help her.”

Xie Erli’s jawline tensed tightly without speaking.

“Having me at the yamen isn’t essential; losing me isn’t crucial either. Besides, who am I? I’m Xie Sanye. Who would bother about whether I attend the yamen or not?”

Xie Sanye’s face was rarely serious.

“You didn’t hear her say it? The Yan family has only her left. For a young lady to investigate this and that—how inconvenient. Besides, time is also pressing.”

Xie Erli still didn’t speak.

“Given the current situation, if she really has the misfortune of something happening to her, won’t Old Ancestress and Father die of shame by bashing their heads against a wall?”

Xie Sanye’s long lashes moved slightly.

“Right, she said her grandfather’s heart demon is a letter. Which expert said this? How does this expert know? I must meet this expert. What if it’s wrong?”

This person wasn’t exactly proper, but his words were all genuinely proper.

Xie Erli’s heart softened.

“Such a major matter—I should discuss it with Father…”

“Discuss what? It would be good if Father can keep himself from jumping in the river.”

Xie Sanye sprang up.

“That young lady knows some martial arts. If I pursue now while she hasn’t gone far, I can catch up. But if it’s late…”

He sighed. “I won’t even be able to touch her shadow.”

“Fine. Take more people, bring enough medicine and silver, take care of yourself, don’t get exhausted. If anything comes up, send word home.”

This counted as agreement.

Xie Zhifei walked over and patted his elder brother’s shoulder, his peach-blossom eyes smiling crookedly to his temples.

“Can’t bear to part again, can you?”

“…”

Xie Erli choked.

This brat really needed a scolding every three days or his skin would itch.

…

Xie Sanye, whose skin was itching, watched his elder brother leave. Turning around, cold frost descended between his brows.

Seeing this, Zhu Qing quickly stepped forward. “Master?”

Xie Sanye: “Until the city gates open, she can’t leave.”

Zhu Qing: “I’ll send people to watch immediately.”

Xie Sanye: “Bring the silver and medicine along while you’re at it. After dawn, we’ll meet at the South City Gate.”

“Master!”

Zhu Qing was greatly alarmed. “Where is Master going?”

“Nowhere!”

Xie Sanye said leisurely, “Some things have too great an impact. Your master needs to digest them properly, wants to be alone… and quiet.”

Zhu Qing: “…”

Master always loved liveliness and hated being alone most. Now he wants quiet?

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up!”

Xie Sanye kicked out. Zhu Qing quickly dodged several zhang away. Just as he was about to mount his horse, he heard a voice say, “Come back.”

“Master?”

“Which alley did she go down?”

“Ding Yi is following. She went that way.”

Xie Sanye raised his eyebrows and contemplated for a moment before saying to Zhu Qing again, “Wait. There’s one more thing you need to do for me.”

“Master, give your orders!”

…

Yan Sanhe hadn’t walked far when she noticed someone following behind her.

Someone from the Xie family.

She paid no attention.

There were still two hours until the city gates opened. She was too lazy to find another inn, so she went directly to wait at the South City Gate.

The night streets and alleys were pitch-black, as if endless.

She walked very quickly.

Suddenly, two black shadows approached from ahead. As they brushed past Yan Sanhe, one of them suddenly bumped into her.

“Sorry, my brother drank too much.”

Drank too much?

Why is there no alcohol smell?

Just as Yan Sanhe frowned, those two people broke into a mad run.

“Plop!”

The dry rations fell to the ground. Only then did Yan Sanhe realize her bundle had somehow been slashed open, and the banknotes inside had disappeared without a trace.

Yan Sanhe cursed inwardly and quickly gave chase.

She hadn’t chased more than a few steps when she saw the person who had been following behind suddenly extend a leg and trip one of them.

The other one looked back at his accomplice, considering whether to go back and rescue him or flee first, when suddenly his lower back hurt and he was kicked to the ground.

“Want to run?”

Xie Zhifei crouched down and pulled the banknotes from that person’s chest, counting them. “Tsk.”

“Didn’t expect Miss Yan to carry quite a lot of travel money. A wealthy family indeed!”

Yan Sanhe stood in place, silent for quite a while before walking forward and extending her hand toward him.

Xie Zhifei didn’t give them to her. He crossed his arms over his chest, smiling mockingly.

Yan Sanhe ignored the expression on his face, her gaze fixed, her eyes growing somber.

Hey!

Without saying a single word, she wants to take things from Third Master’s hands?

Xie Zhifei’s gaze was contemptuous as he thought: Let me see which of us can outlast the other!

A moment later, facing those dark, somber eyes, he was already losing confidence in his heart.

He thought: Should I lower my head first?

His lips curved into a beautiful arc, utterly shameless as he said, “Miss Yan, though Third Master’s face is thick, I can’t withstand you looking at me like this. I’ll blush.”

“Thank you!”

Yan Sanhe—not one word more, not one word less—expressed her gratitude. The deeper meaning was—

Get lost!

Xie Sanye’s smile didn’t diminish. He lifted his foot. The person under his foot took the opportunity to lunge forward, rolling and crawling away.

Ding Yi on the other end saw his master let the man go and also barked lowly, “Get lost!”

After the men had rolled far away, Xie Sanye chuckled lightly. “I can give them to you, but there’s one condition. Let’s talk.”

Yan Sanhe’s face was expressionless.

Xie Sanye seemed not to understand what an awkward silence was.

“Look here—we haven’t even left the capital yet, and already there are pickpockets and robbers. It’s too dangerous. How about…”

He suddenly lowered his head. “I accompany you back, young lady?”