“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei caught up, looking down at her pale profile, “Go sit in the carriage for now.”

Yan Sanhe said nothing, walking quickly.

Just as both feet crossed the threshold, the stuffiness in her chest disappeared instantly. Only then did she raise her head, “No need. I’ll wait here.”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Zhu Qing, who immediately fetched a round stool from the gatehouse.

“Miss Yan, please sit.”

The churning in her stomach couldn’t be suppressed so quickly. Yan Sanhe sat down without ceremony.

Xie Zhifei lifted his robe and sat on the threshold, his gaze level with Yan Sanhe’s: “How did you sense the Zhu residence had formations?”

Yan Sanhe pointed to her heart: “This felt uncomfortable.”

“What about now? Feeling any better?”

Yan Sanhe nodded.

Xie Zhifei saw her lips were somewhat chapped, “Let me have someone bring you hot tea?”

“No need.”

“Drinking some will make you feel better. Zhu Qing?”

“Yes.”

Xie Zhifei looked at her and quietly instructed, “If you can’t handle it, we’ll withdraw first and come back tomorrow. After all, we’ve made it through two months—no rush for this moment.”

His words of concern were like a spider web—dense and sticky, thick enough to trap someone.

Yan Sanhe couldn’t directly meet this person’s eyes. She nodded and turned her face to the side.

By the time Zhu Qing brought the tea, Young Master Pei had also come over, learning from Xie Zhifei’s example and plopping down on the threshold.

“Yan Sanhe, why can’t we sense any formations?”

Yan Sanhe took the tea bowl and lightly sipped, “Because I’m a spirit medium.”

“Spirit mediums are so impressive.”

Young Master Pei looked at Yan Sanhe with admiration, then slowly propped up his chin with one hand, puzzled:

“Strange—why would the Zhu family set up so many formations? Could they all be for warding off evil spirits?”

“How do you know they’re for warding off evil?” Yan Sanhe asked.

“Didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

Young Master Pei covered his mouth and said in a low voice: “I heard Brother Zhu’s room has some kind of formation set up specifically to ward off evil.”

“It’s probably not that simple.”

Yan Sanhe’s expression was serious. That uncomfortable feeling had been extremely intense just now, forcing her to quickly retreat.

Young Master Pei nudged Xie Zhifei with his elbow: Brother, from now on we need to visit the Zhu residence less. If we do come, we’d better bring blessed Buddhist amulets.

His brother still paid him no attention, his gaze falling on the fingers with which Yan Sanhe held the tea bowl.

The fingers were a bluish-white color, indicating she was gripping very hard.

Why grip so hard?

“What are you looking at?”

Young Master Pei, having failed twice to catch Xie the Fifteenth’s eye, was very dissatisfied with their lack of rapport. His elbow dug in forcefully, hitting right on the sore tendon of Xie Zhifei’s arm.

He gasped in pain.

“Surname Pei, if you don’t know your own strength again, watch me beat you.”

Just then, Yan Sanhe suddenly pointed at the threshold beneath their bottoms.

“There’s a formation on this threshold.”

Hearing this, Young Master Pei’s bottom felt like it was sitting on nails. He sprang up with a whoosh.

“Bang—”

His head slammed into the doorframe. Stars burst before his eyes. He wailed “Ai ya ai ya” a couple times, then said weakly:

“What’s wrong with the Zhu family? Setting up formations even on the threshold! Xie the Fifteenth, help me up, quick!”

Xie Zhifei stood and supported him while secretly breathing a sigh of relief: So she’d been so tense because she’d discovered the formation on the threshold!

At that moment, footsteps came from inside.

Xie Zhifei turned to look at the approaching figures, quietly explaining to Yan Sanhe.

“The person Sister-in-law is supporting is Master Zhu’s wife, Lady Mao. When Master Zhu was alive, he was quite henpecked.”

Yan Sanhe slowly stood up, her brow furrowing sharply as her gaze swept past Lady Zhu.

The mother and daughter approached and stopped. Without a word, Lady Mao grasped Yan Sanhe’s hand, choking up:

“Miss, waiting for you has been like wishing on stars and the moon—finally you’re here.”

Yan Sanhe coldly withdrew her hand and said to Lady Zhu in a rather dissatisfied tone: “Why have you gotten so thin?”

Lady Zhu was first stunned, then her eyes grew hot.

Last time when Third Brother hadn’t seen her for a long time, he’d said the same thing in the same somewhat harsh tone, tinged with blame.

But Lady Zhu knew clearly—these were sincere words.

She forced a smile, “I never imagined that you, Miss Yan…”

A young woman like you would actually know how to dispel obsessions and resolve demons.

Lady Zhu had only heard the phrase “dispel obsessions and resolve demons” from Xie Erliu’s mouth. Beyond her shock, thinking back carefully, she discovered everything had shown signs early on.

Why, when she’d just arrived at the Xie residence, did she only go to the master’s study?

Why could she stay at Quiet Contemplation Residence?

Why did Old Madam and the master treat her with enthusiasm mixed with flattery and cautious care?

Why did she often mysteriously disappear for many days?

It turned out this girl wasn’t an ordinary young lady.

“By the way, my brother and the others are removing formations right now. Mother was afraid Miss Yan would grow anxious waiting, so she pulled me along to come first.”

Lady Zhu glanced at the woman beside her: “This is my mother.”

Only then did Yan Sanhe nod at Lady Mao and ask: “Why are so many formations set up in the residence?”

Lady Mao sighed: “To be honest with Miss, I only learned today that there were formations in the residence. The Zhu family rule is to pass knowledge to sons but not daughters. Many things women cannot know.”

“Not only can’t know, can’t ask many questions either. Even if I asked, my brother and the others wouldn’t say.”

Lady Zhu emphasized again, “This is a rule passed down through generations in the Zhu family.”

Yan Sanhe nodded, indicating she understood.

“Miss Yan.”

Lady Mao observed Yan Sanhe’s expression while carefully saying: “You see, our family…”

Yan Sanhe coldly interrupted: “Everything—wait until after I’ve seen the person.”

For a moment, no one dared speak again. They didn’t know what to say, just waiting dryly like this.

Time slowly passed.

Fortunately, they didn’t wait long. Xie Erliu came and went, with a gray-robed man following behind—none other than Second Master Zhu Yuanzhao.

With so many people standing at the gate, Zhu Yuanzhao’s gaze immediately fell on Yan Sanhe.

He stepped forward and bowed: “Miss Yan, please try entering again.”

“This is Second Master Zhu.” Xie Zhifei quietly explained.

Xie Zhifei didn’t need to explain—Yan Sanhe also knew this person was Second Master Zhu, as he resembled Third Master Zhu quite a bit.

Time was the best medicine for treating all wounds.

Two months’ time—apart from his ashen complexion and dark eyes, Zhu Yuanzhao seemed unchanged in other ways.

Of course, Yan Sanhe had never seen what he looked like before.

She crossed the threshold and stood for a moment. Sensing no abnormality, she nodded at Zhu Yuanzhao: “Lead the way.”

Zhu Yuanzhao said nothing more and turned to walk ahead.

Yan Sanhe followed behind for a few steps, then turned to Lady Zhu: “Sister-in-law, don’t follow. Help Mother-in-law to the main hall to wait.”

Lady Zhu froze.

Yan Sanhe: “The yin energy is heavy.”

Places with heavy yin energy weren’t good for children or the elderly.

Lady Zhu understood Yan Sanhe’s words were directed at her mother, and her heart warmed again, “Mother, let’s go this way.”

Hearing about heavy yin energy, Young Master Pei quickly grabbed Xie Zhifei’s hem and gripped it tightly.

Two virgin bodies had the strongest yang energy. Amitabha Buddha, may all be well and forbidden.

Xie Zhifei glanced at the hand on his hem, wanting to curse something, but felt it better to save his saliva!

The group walked silently inward. Along the way, they didn’t see a single servant—clearly the Zhu residence had cleared the area.

They walked to a courtyard where, under the white lantern at the gate, a figure stood with hands behind his back.

That person was so thin and tall, as if one gust of wind could blow him away.

Yan Sanhe stopped without warning.