“Faster, well…”

Pei Xiao’s gaze couldn’t help drifting toward Li Buyan. “That would require finding that person at Duanmu Palace.”

Duanmu Palace?

Ask the Imperial Crown Prince’s Heir for help?

Yan Sanhe pondered for a while. “I won’t make this decision. Let Old Master Zhu weigh it himself.”

For some reason, she had no favorable feelings toward any crown princes, crown prince heirs, or princes.

Animals had an instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm.

So did humans.

Her intuition told her that getting entangled with these people was not a good thing.

Li Buyan assumed Yan Sanhe’s attitude was because of her and quickly said, “Then let the Zhu family decide themselves. If they need to owe favors, let them owe them.”

There was a knock at the door.

A server came in carrying food boxes, placing dishes on the table one by one.

Young Master Pei leaned over to look. “You ordered so much?”

“To nourish your bodies.”

Li Buyan poured warmed wine for Yan Sanhe. “This is deer blood wine, very nourishing. Drink one cup.”

Young Master Pei opened the wine bottle and sniffed. “Oh, it really is! We should save some for Xie Fifty—he’s been working himself to exhaustion lately, running around. He needs nourishment too.”

Speak of the devil and he appears.

Third Master Xie pushed through the door in his fur-lined cloak, bringing a cold draft with him.

Yan Sanhe looked up at him. In the lamplight, this man’s face was gaunt, with faint shadows beneath his eyes.

Xie Zhifei removed his cloak and tossed it into Young Master Pei’s arms.

Young Master Pei glared at him—couldn’t you be gentler?

Xie Zhifei pretended not to notice, sat down, grabbed the wine cup in front of Yan Sanhe, tilted his head back and drained it, then placed the cup in front of Li Buyan, signaling her to fill it. His eyes looked at Yan Sanhe.

“Don’t rush. Let me eat something to fill my stomach first.”

With that, like a starving ghost reborn, he devoured the food in a whirlwind, leaving the other three stunned.

After Li Buyan poured him a cup of wine, she raised her eyebrows at Young Master Pei: Where did he go?

Young Master Pei pouted: Hasn’t had time to ask yet.

Li Buyan: From the look of him, did he go robbing?

Young Master Pei: You troublemaker, what are you thinking?

The two exchanged meaningful glances, completely missing the subtle change in Yan Sanhe’s expression.

Just now when Xie Zhifei tilted his head back to drink, his neck had revealed several purple bruises, as if someone had strangled him.

Yan Sanhe calmly averted her gaze, took a new teacup from the side, poured some hot tea into it, and placed it by Xie Zhifei’s hand. Finally, she raised her chin at Li Buyan and the others.

“Let’s eat too.”

Xie Zhifei tilted his head to look at the hot tea by his hand, then at the person beside him. His heart filled with an indescribable warmth.

He kicked Pei Xiao with his toe. “Just now at the city gate, I spoke without finishing. Tell me more about the Zhu family situation.”

Young Master Pei had a belly full of words to spill. He quickly set down his chopsticks and began recounting everything.

Xie Zhifei ate voraciously but listened very carefully. When he heard about the Zhu household’s eldest master and the cook’s daughter sleeping together, he immediately said, “There’s a problem here.”

“See, this is called ‘great minds think alike.'”

Young Master Pei sighed, then continued his account.

When he finished everything, Xie Zhifei had also eaten his fill.

He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, rinsed with tea, and looked at Yan Sanhe with an apologetic expression:

“Looking into the other four masters of the Zhu household will have to wait five days.”

Yan Sanhe looked up sharply.

“Tatar spies were discovered in the capital. His Majesty is furious. Not just the Five Cities Military Commission—even the Embroidered Uniform Guard have everyone out searching. No one dares to be idle.”

Xie Zhifei explained, “The entire capital needs to be searched inch by inch, person by person. This is a matter of utmost importance that cannot be delayed. I can’t spare the time right now.”

Yan Sanhe understood the implication.

“So finding Geng Songsheng will also be delayed.”

“Correct.”

Xie Zhifei said, “I’ve already sent Zhu Qing to find him, but it won’t be fast. About fifteen days should do it.”

Yan Sanhe observed, “I can afford the delay, but the Zhu family…”

“So we must seek out that person at Duanmu Palace.”

Xie Zhifei leaned close to her ear, lowering his voice. “He has people at his disposal.”

Yan Sanhe’s heart raced wildly.

This man’s warm breath sprayed right by her ear, giving her goosebumps all over.

“Don’t get involved in this matter yourself.”

Xie Zhifei leaned back in his chair lazily. “Let the three Zhu masters figure out how to beg for help themselves.”

“Oh!”

Li Buyan felt this man had been looking quite agreeable lately. “Third Master actually thought of the same thing as me—rare indeed!”

“To receive praise from Hero Li is an honor for this Third Master!”

Xie Zhifei’s casual gaze didn’t even sweep in her direction, still focused on Yan Sanhe.

“Given my sister-in-law’s temperament, she definitely won’t hide this from my elder brother. I’m staying at the Xie residence tonight to whisper some suggestions in my elder brother’s ear.”

Yan Sanhe finally dared to touch her burning ear. “What suggestions will you make?”

Xie Zhifei was silent for a moment. “As a man out in society looking all respectable, the heart actually isn’t that big. I’ll advise him to prioritize the bigger picture!”

“No need.”

Yan Sanhe said, “You only need to tell him: this is a knot in Zhu Weixi’s heart. If this knot can’t be untied, she’ll be preoccupied with it for life. Once untied, she’ll be the Xie household’s eldest madam again, and will only be the Xie household’s eldest madam.”

“Good, I’ll say exactly that.”

Xie Zhifei stood up. “I have other matters. I need to leave now.”

“Leaving so soon? Where are you going?” Young Master Pei also stood.

“To handle yamen business.”

Xie Zhifei took his fur-lined cloak from the rack and draped it over his arm.

“Finish eating and go home early. Don’t linger on the streets. The capital isn’t peaceful these days. Any suspicious person will be arrested first and questioned later, no exceptions.”

Reaching the door, he turned around, his deep eyes giving Yan Sanhe a meaningful look.

“You don’t need to be too afraid. If something really happens, I can always protect you.”

His words exploded in the room like firecrackers, with considerable impact.

Yan Sanhe felt somewhat dizzy, somewhat joyful, but mixed with a trace of unease.

Uneasy about what?

Yan Sanhe couldn’t quite say.

But she vaguely felt this man had changed—he was no longer the smooth-talking Third Master Xie who spoke casually.

She could tell he had been very serious with that last sentence.

Li Buyan felt somewhat dazed by the explosion.

What was going on with this man lately? Not only handling matters efficiently, but also speaking so pleasantly. He looked so agreeable.

Young Master Pei felt his molars itching from the explosion.

Why did the stinking brat only say that to Yan Sanhe? He himself was the closest person to him—shouldn’t those words have been directed at him too?

Just then, the door was pushed open again.

Xie Zhifei’s head poked in. “I forgot one thing. Mingting, would you mind making a trip to the Zhu household?”

“Why do I have to…”

The complaint had barely started when Pei Xiao swallowed the words back down his throat.

His relationship with Zhao Huairen was closer. If he didn’t make this trip to the Zhu household, who would?

“I’m busy now. Yan Sanhe, Hero Li, you two take your time eating.”

Pei Xiao pushed his chair back and scampered out of the room.

Xie Zhifei stretched out his long arm and pulled him into an embrace, saying quietly, “Only tell Old Master Zhu about this. Don’t mention a word to anyone else.”

“I’m not stupid.”

Pei Xiao’s mind turned. “What about Huairen’s side?”

“I’ve already sent someone to his shop. He should have gotten word by now.”

Xie Zhifei blinked very lightly.

“You must keep the connections between both sides solid. I feel that this time even Heaven is helping Huairen.”