Thud!

The normally composed and dignified man tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground.

Zhu Qing: “…”

Xie Xiaohua: “…”

Before Zhu Qing could react, Xie Zhifei had already scrambled up from the ground. “Speak! What major incident happened?”

Young Master Pei grabbed his own neck and demonstrated a few times. “My father said her neck was pinched until it was black, blue, and purple—so swollen she could barely breathe.”

Xie Zhifei’s towering rage erupted all at once.

“Who did it?”

“Who else? Lu…”

“Steward Xie, you go about your business. Zhu Qing, guard the door.” Xie Zhifei dragged Pei Xiao toward the study.

Pei Xiao belatedly realized the four-character phrase: walls have ears.

After the two entered the room, Zhu Qing closed the door and stood guard steadily outside.

“It was someone from Lu Shi’s side. What a complete bastard—to use deadly force on a young woman. Absolutely despicable!”

A cold glint flashed in Xie Zhifei’s eyes. “What else did your father say?”

“My father…”

Young Master Pei sighed. “He told us to remind Miss Yan to take it easy and not throw her life away over this.”

Xie Zhifei pointed to his neck. “Did your father examine it for her?”

“He gave her medicine to dissolve bruises and disperse blood stasis, though I don’t know if she applied it.”

Thinking of Yan Sanhe’s jade-white neck being choked beyond recognition filled Young Master Pei with indignation.

“Damn it all! If she wouldn’t talk, she wouldn’t talk—why try to kill her? Is there no law? I say he has a guilty conscience.”

Xie Zhifei gazed out the window without making a sound.

When someone’s secrets are exposed, they’ll naturally act desperately like a cornered dog. From this, it was clear Yan Sanhe’s visit hadn’t gone smoothly.

Given that girl’s temperament, she definitely wouldn’t give up and would definitely find another opportunity to visit. How should he help her?

“Xie Fifty, say something!”

“There’s nothing to say. You go see her right away.”

“What about you?”

“Why must you drag me into everything?”

Xie Zhifei turned around with obvious displeasure. “When it comes time for the wedding night, will you need to drag me into that too?”

“Bullshit!”

“This is your best opportunity to show your devotion.”

That made sense!

Young Master Pei turned to leave without another word, then after a few steps circled back. “I can’t go empty-handed—what should I bring?”

“Bring whatever you want.”

Xie Zhifei’s expression showed some impatience. “You come ask me about such trivial matters? What’s that head on your neck for—decoration?”

With his mind on Yan Sanhe, Young Master Pei rarely bothered arguing with him.

Seeing him leave so hastily, Xie Zhifei felt uncomfortable all over again. He flopped onto the bed, his heart heavy.

After lying there a while, he suddenly sat up and removed the jade pendant from his person.

“Heads, I’ll go see her. Tails, I won’t.”

He tossed it up.

Tails.

Xie Zhifei’s eyes dimmed. He made excuses for himself. “Doesn’t count. Again.”

He tossed again.

Still tails.

“Best two out of three.”

Toss.

Still tails.

Xie Zhifei stared blankly, then collapsed into the bed, cursing inwardly:

Damn heavens! What’s wrong with me going to see my own sister? Why won’t you let me go?

…

Young Master Pei brought nothing with him except himself to the别院.

Yan Sanhe had already retired for the night, but hearing he’d come, she forced herself up to see him.

Her neck was uncovered and unobstructed—the sight truly shocking. Pei Xiao had prepared a whole speech, but upon seeing Yan Sanhe’s neck, he forgot everything and could only curse fathers and mothers.

After listening to him rant for a while, Yan Sanhe covered her mouth and yawned, hinting she was tired.

Though Pei Xiao saw this, he pretended not to. He still had questions to ask.

But before he could speak, Li Buyan moved closer. “Young Master Pei, did you come from the Pei residence or from the Xie residence?”

“The Xie residence. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing!”

Li Buyan smiled through clenched teeth. “On behalf of myself and my young miss, please send Third Master our regards.”

Young Master Pei: “…”

“It’s getting late!”

Yan Sanhe stood up. “Mingting, you should head back early. The injury on my neck just needs medicine for a few days—no need to worry.”

“Don’t rush off!”

Pei Xiao quickly stopped her. “About Lu Shi…”

“No progress for now. We’ll find another way later.”

Yan Sanhe used the simplest words to shut him up. “Buyan, see Young Master Pei out.”

“Young Master Pei, please.”

Looking at Li Buyan’s smiling face, Pei Xiao immediately understood why Xie Fifty called her a shit-stirrer.

Always causing trouble.

After undressing and getting back into bed, Yan Sanhe hadn’t had time to think about anything when Li Buyan flew over like a gust of wind and lay down, propping her head up with one hand and gazing at her with some depth.

“Yan Sanhe, you still owe me an answer.”

“What answer?”

“The answer about romantic love from Muli Mountain.”

Yan Sanhe mimicked her posture, propping herself up on her side without any concealment. “The answer is that I do indeed have feelings for him.”

The blockhead had finally figured it out.

Li Buyan blinked, signaling her to continue.

“At the foot of Muli Mountain, when he was injured, I didn’t control my gaze well… After he noticed, he looked away. In that instant, I suddenly understood something.”

“What?”

Yan Sanhe closed her eyes, recalling that scene. That suffocating feeling of powerlessness surged up again.

A person’s gaze can’t lie—whether they like you or not is all in their eyes.

When he gently shifted his gaze away, she felt as if in a dream where her body suddenly dropped, as if her entire being had stepped into empty air.

Just now, when Buyan asked Young Master Pei where he came from and he said the Xie residence, it meant Xie Zhifei knew about her neck injury.

His not coming was actually making his attitude clear.

“Perhaps he’s only curious about me, perhaps he’s mindful of the Xie family obligations, perhaps it’s all just for fun—in any case, it shouldn’t be taken seriously, and I shouldn’t take it seriously.”

Having been a blockhead for seventeen years, experiencing heart palpitations for the first time only to have them last but a brief instant—this made Li Buyan’s nose sting.

“Buyan, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Yan Sanhe lay down, staring at the bed canopy. “Especially after seeing Lu Shi, I understood something even more clearly—since ancient times, passionate women meet heartless men.”

“Well said!”

Li Buyan also lay down, her face somewhat nonchalant. “We must both guard our hearts.”

If we can’t guard them, just think of Tang Zhiwei, Yan Sanhe said to herself.

…

With everything out in the open, Yan Sanhe slept soundly through the night without a single dream.

The next morning, after breakfast, she and Li Buyan headed straight for the courier station.

Those who run escort agencies have branches throughout the land, also called courier stations. The Han Family Fort’s station in the capital was located on East Main Street.

Yan Sanhe took out a jade pendant and placed it on the table.

The steward in blue robes was shocked to see the pendant—such a young woman carrying their fort master’s jade pendant!

Seeing the pendant was like seeing the person himself.

The steward quickly said, “How may I help the young miss?”

Yan Sanhe: “I need you to investigate someone for me.”

Hearing this, the steward knew this woman was an insider.

The Han Family Escort Agency’s public business was escorting goods and cargo, but only a few people knew that privately they also took on jobs gathering information—provided the client could pay the price.

“Whom does the young miss wish to investigate?”

Yan Sanhe pulled out a letter from her robe and placed it before the steward.

“This contains my name and the person I want investigated. If you can’t make the decision, you can send a pigeon to consult your fort master. I’ll return in two days.”

With that, she stood up and walked out of the station shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Buyan.

After they’d gone far, the steward opened the letter and was stunned.