Third Master Xie had no self-awareness of being detested. He raised his chin.

“Waiter.”

“What are Third Master Xie’s orders?” The waiter scurried over.

“Do you have paper and brush?”

“Is Third Master Xie going to…”

“Write a letter home to report I’m safe.”

“Third Master Xie has only been away one day and is already writing home. What will you do in the days ahead—write one every single day?”

“What do you know?”

Ding Yi’s eyes narrowed. “The Old Madam and master at home are worried about our young master. Besides, what’s wrong with writing one every day? Our young master is happy to write!”

That waiter had been waiting for exactly this response so he could continue flattering.

“Third Master Xie is truly, truly filial—rare, so rare.”

Third Master Xie smiled modestly.

“I wouldn’t call it filial—mainly my health is a bit poor. When a son travels a thousand miles, his parents worry. Let the elders have peace of mind!”

As soon as the words fell, Yan Sanhe shot to her feet.

Everyone was startled by her action.

The waiter asked in confusion, “Miss… what do you need?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t answer. Her gaze moved to Xie Zhifei’s face, staring without blinking.

“Repeat what you just said—not a single word less, not a single word omitted.”

These words were like a water-soaked whip, making everyone jump.

Ding Yi said angrily, “Who do you think you are, daring to speak to our Third Master like this?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t just speak like this—she did something even more excessive.

She rushed up to Xie Zhifei and, before anyone could react, grabbed the front of his robe.

“Quickly! Speak!”

Xie Zhifei looked at her pitch-black pupils and waved away Ding Yi and the others who had already surrounded them.

“I said, I wouldn’t call it filial—mainly my health is a bit poor. Writing letters lets the elders have peace of mind!”

Peace of mind?

Peace of mind?

Yan Sanhe released her grip, her gaze blank and fixed on some point, completely motionless.

Xie Zhifei waited a moment. Seeing no reaction from her, he quickly coughed.

Still no reaction.

He coughed again.

Still nothing.

“Young master, could she be possessed by a ghost?” Ding Yi asked uneasily.

Xie Zhifei said nothing, his face taking on a hint of coldness.

He waited a bit longer. Seeing Yan Sanhe still in that state as if two of her three souls had departed, he decisively reached out his hand.

Just then, Yan Sanhe gave a violent shudder and came back to herself. Her gaze caught sight of a large hand only two or three inches from her chest.

Her eyes widened in fury.

“Despicable!”

Without thinking, she raised her foot.

“Third Master, watch out!”

“Third Master, your crotch!”

Amid the alarmed cries, Third Master Xie’s reaction was lightning-fast. His waist arched backward first, then his legs jumped to the side, barely avoiding it.

Still recovering from the shock, Yan Sanhe’s fist had already swung over.

This time he couldn’t avoid it—one punch landed squarely on his nose bridge.

In the deathly silence, two streams of blood slowly trickled down.

Third Master Xie thought to himself that he had indeed misjudged earlier—this person wasn’t just a ruthless character, she was simply…

A living bandit!

Even the usually good-tempered Zhu Qing couldn’t stand it anymore. “Miss Yan, our Third Master called you several times.”

Ding Yi said indignantly, “Who do you think you are? In the capital, girls who want our young master to flirt with them are lined up one after another!”

Yan Sanhe felt utterly disgusted. She dusted off her clothes with both hands, as if afraid they’d been contaminated by something from Third Master Xie.

Zhu Qing and Ding Yi felt even more insulted than if they’d been insulted themselves. Just as they were about to speak again, the young master’s knife-like gaze swept over.

The two quickly retreated.

Third Master Xie wiped his nose with his sleeve.

“Actually, they’re not wrong. Though Miss is quite passable in looks, in my eyes you’re not worth looking at.”

Yan Sanhe frowned at him, seemingly not quite understanding what “not worth looking at” meant.

“I swear!”

Third Master Xie raised his hand. “I truly, truly have not the slightest interest in you. Earlier was purely a misunderstanding—I originally meant to pat your shoulder.”

“Don’t touch me!”

Yan Sanhe turned and walked out of the station.

Third Master Xie: “…”

“Young master, the blood is flowing down again.”

Third Master Xie touched it and hurriedly called out, “Quick, quick, help this young master stop the bleeding.”

The station instantly became a flurry of activity.

Walking outside, the cold wind blew, and Yan Sanhe’s mind immediately cleared considerably. Her grandfather’s past events flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern once more.

Flashing all the way to the final scene, she decisively shook her head.

Wrong!

It must be that she had misunderstood—no matter what, Grandfather couldn’t possibly have that thought.

She took several deep breaths and turned to walk back into the station.

Everyone who saw her enter felt their scalps tingle.

The station waiter glanced at his own crotch and shuffled into a corner with small steps.

Yan Sanhe ignored everyone and nodded toward Third Master Xie, who was pressing an ice block to his nose. “Prepare to depart.”

Xie Zhifei was shocked. “Now?”

Yan Sanhe: “Do you need to pick an auspicious day?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Xie Zhifei took a deep breath. “The two hours aren’t up yet. Traveling non-stop is too much to bear.”

The corner of Yan Sanhe’s mouth curved up in imitation of his, though it was a cold smile, as if saying: What, has your Xie family suddenly stopped being urgent?

Xie Zhifei pretended not to see it and probed, “What Miss Yan just asked me—did you think of something?”

Yan Sanhe: “No.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t believe it at all.

When she rushed over just now, there was clearly something in her eyes.

Moreover, they had agreed on two hours of rest, but now she suddenly wanted to depart…

“Then… what was Miss Yan’s purpose in asking?”

Yan Sanhe: “You don’t need to know!”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Hey!

So there’s actually a conversation that I, Third Master Xie, can’t continue!

…

Another night of racing—both people and horses were nearly falling apart.

Finding a station to eat, feed the horses, rest, then continue departing.

For five straight days, day after day like this. Forget the pampered Third Master Xie—even Zhu Qing, Ding Yi, and the others were secretly crying that they couldn’t take it.

Yan Sanhe’s face became uglier with each passing day.

By the fifth day, both her eye sockets had sunk deeply, her dark cyan robe hung empty on her body, and combined with the dark circles under her eyes, she rather resembled a female ghost.

Everyone said nothing aloud, but their gazes toward her were very different from the previous days.

Especially Xie Zhifei.

Others might not know clearly where Yan Sanhe had come from, but he knew perfectly well.

Forty days rushing from Yunnan Prefecture to the capital, and now racing back again without stop, never crying out in pain or exhaustion.

How could a young woman do this?

That evening they arrived at another official station.

Xie Zhifei glanced at Yan Sanhe’s utterly bloodless face. “Continuing to travel day and night like this isn’t a solution. Tonight we’ll rest for three hours. No one leaves until the time is up.”

Yan Sanhe heard but said nothing, walking to the side to silently gnaw on dry rations.

Xie Zhifei watched her, a sense of powerlessness creeping up his heart almost cruelly.

“Miss Yan, won’t you do me the honor of sharing a meal at the same table?”

“No!”

“Why?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t even lift her eyelids. “Facing people from the Xie family, I can’t swallow food.”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

He had a feeling as if all the blood in his body had congealed.

Just then, Zhu Qing hurried in.

“Young master, a letter from the master—just delivered.”