“Mingting, this matter is my fault. If you want to hit or scold me, come at me, just don’t startle her.”

“Ha!”

Young Master Pei opened his eyes. “So I’m that unreasonable shrew?”

“You’re my good brother, the kind you only meet once in eight hundred years.”

Xie Zhifei’s feet couldn’t move, but his hands worked fine. He reached behind Pei Xiao’s neck, gently massaging to smooth his ruffled feathers.

“What virtue did I, Xie Wushi, accumulate in my past life to gain you in this one? Truly, my fate is too good.”

Get lost, lost, lost!

Young Master Pei had that breath stuck in his chest, neither rising nor falling, but his expression had already softened considerably.

“From now on, whatever happens to me, I’ll tell you everything. Definitely won’t hide anything.”

Xie Zhifei furrowed his brow: “Also, I definitely won’t value romance over friendship. She’s first, you’re second.”

“This still isn’t valuing romance over friendship?”

“She’s a spirit medium. I don’t have the guts to rank you first.”

Xie Zhifei’s face showed grievance. “Don’t you think that’s the actual situation?”

What anger was left?

What resentment remained?

Young Master Pei wanted exactly this apologetic attitude. Once the attitude improved, ten thousand bristling hairs could all be smoothed down.

“Fine, put away that obsequious face of yours.”

Young Master Pei was magnanimous: “Speak. What’s the matter you called me along for?”

Getting to business, Xie Zhifei immediately withdrew his hand and spoke seriously: “Huairen keeps asking me about the Zhu family’s heart demon matter. We need to discuss the approach for what comes next.”

If Zhu Xuanjiu’s heart demon involved the Directorate of Astronomy, the matter would truly be enormous.

Should they tell Huairen?

How to tell him?

Also.

Long-term planning still required planning.

What’s the next step?

Where to go?

All needed careful thought.

Pei Xiao had one head and two big problems, thinking: Could Young Master still jump off this carriage in time?

Just as he was thinking, the carriage suddenly stopped.

“Third Master, it’s First Master’s carriage.”

Hearing it was his own elder brother, Xie Zhifei’s head swelled even larger than Young Master Pei’s. Why so fast?

He quickly shot Pei Xiao a look.

“My legs are inconvenient. You go down and greet my brother.”

“I won’t!”

Young Master Pei shrank his head. “Your brother is the person I most fear seeing right now.”

Xie Zhifei was nearly dying of anger. Before his knife-like glare could strike, the carriage curtain was lifted. Xie Erli stood outside in official robes, expression somber.

Xie Zhifei quickly waved.

“Brother, don’t freeze yourself. Quick, get in the carriage. Things are half clear. Mingting, you tell our brother!”

And I’m second?

Dog bastard turns around and sells me out.

Pei Xiao ground his back teeth and reached out to pull Xie Erli in.

Xie Erli climbed into the carriage and waved away Pei Xiao. “Speak. What happened to your leg?”

Seeing him being carried into the Zhu Manor, at first he’d assumed it was just physical weakness, but on closer inspection, the leg was injured.

Xie Zhifei wore a full smile: “Caught a blade from a bandit while apprehending him.”

“Where’s Zhu Qing?”

“He was lured away by a diversion tactic.”

“The truth?”

Even lies had to be told as truth!

Xie Zhifei hummed affirmatively. “The person has been sent to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If Big Brother doesn’t believe me, you can ask someone familiar there.”

“Third Brother, bandits who escape can be caught again, but you only have one life.”

Xie Erli’s expression was serious: “Take it easy.”

“That’s exactly what I criticized him about. This kid doesn’t care about his life when things happen.”

Pei Xiao smiled through gritted teeth. “Big Brother, scold him more. Wake him up, quick!”

Xie Erli’s gaze shifted: “Tell me about the Zhu family matter.”

“…”

Pei Xiao saw the cold light in Xie Erli’s eyes. No choice—he could only explain everything clearly from beginning to end.

After hearing it all, Xie Erli’s face showed no expression.

Pei Xiao raised his eyebrows at Xie Zhifei: What’s the situation?

Xie Zhifei blinked: Don’t know.

Pei Xiao: Him being so expressionless is rather eerie!

Xie Zhifei: Who says it isn’t?

Pei Xiao: How about… you persuade him?

Xie Zhifei: You persuade!

Dog bastard!

Pei Xiao coughed. “Big Brother, this matter…”

“His heart demon matter definitely isn’t small.”

Xie Erli’s expression was unprecedentedly grave.

“You two tell Miss Yan to be extremely, extremely careful. Absolutely cannot act rashly.”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Pei Xiao: “…”

…

“Madam is awake!”

“Madam is awake!”

The shout from inside the side room made everyone waiting outside shudder.

No one moved. All eyes looked toward Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe took a deep breath. Just as she was about to go in, Madam Mao’s voice suddenly came from inside—

“It hurts, so much pain… Oh, I hurt…”

The voice pressed out from her throat, neither high nor low, yet like a whip savagely lashing each Zhu family child.

Third Miss covered her face weeping.

“Old Steward.”

Yan Sanhe: “There’s pain-relieving medicine decoction, right?”

Old Steward: “Yes, yes, it’s been kept warm on the stove.”

“Bring it to me.”

The medicine decoction was quickly brought. Yan Sanhe took the bowl and entered the side room.

Inside the room, curtains hung tightly closed, three charcoal braziers burned vigorously.

On the bed, Madam Mao curled in the bedding, her entire body reduced to mere bones, eye sockets deeply sunken, showing the aspect of the next world.

Yan Sanhe: “Open the windows for air, light more lamps in the room.”

Two maids quickly moved—one opening windows, one lighting lamps.

“Go out. Close the door.”

“Yes!”

Yan Sanhe sat by the bed, set down the medicine bowl, and reached to pull back a bit of the bedding.

“Madam, it’s me, Sanhe.”

Madam Mao struggled to open her eyes.

The first time she failed. The second time, she slowly opened them to a slit.

It’s her.

“You’ve finally come.”

I’ve waited so long.

“Just finished with matters.”

Yan Sanhe looked at her. “Came to feed you medicine and chat with you.”

Hearing this, Madam Mao reached out from the bedding, slowly arranging her hair, expression somewhat ashamed.

“Looking like this, I’ve made you laugh, Miss.”

“Same as when I first met you—just as beautiful. Come, open your mouth.”

Madam Mao obediently opened her mouth. A spoonful of medicine decoction went in, half flowing back out.

Yan Sanhe took out a handkerchief and gently wiped for her. “Madam, what’s your full name?”

“Mao Huibao.” Her voice was barely audible.

“Huibao?”

Yan Sanhe smiled: “Like a precious jewel—truly a good name.”

Madam Mao’s eyes curved slightly. “My mother said the same thing.”

“Huibao, I have a story here. Do you want to hear it?” Yan Sanhe slowly fed another spoonful of medicine decoction.

Madam Mao looked at Yan Sanhe and closed her eyes briefly.

“Once upon a time, there was a girl named Asheng. She had no memories and lived with her grandfather in a place with green mountains and clear waters, living a life free from worldly strife.”

Yan Sanhe: “One day, Asheng had a dream. In the dream, her family was killed by a group of men in black, dying miserably.

When Asheng woke, she felt the dream was very real, as if she’d personally experienced it.

So she asked her grandfather: Grandfather, everyone else has parents, but I only have you. Where is my father, where is my mother?

Grandfather’s expression changed several times before he finally answered: Asheng, your parents both died in a plague.

Asheng believed him and quickly pushed the dream aside. But she didn’t know that night, her grandfather lay in bed silently weeping until midnight.”

Madam Mao listened intently. “Asheng’s parents definitely didn’t die from plague.”

“Indeed not.”

Yan Sanhe looked at her.

“Huibao, if you were the grandfather, would you tell Asheng the truth? Or let her live happily?”