“Yan Sanhe! Yan Sanhe!”

Yan Sanhe’s brush tip slipped, ruining a stroke of calligraphy.

Pei Xiao pushed open the door, gasping for breath. “Have they returned?”

Yan Sanhe put down her brush and said flatly: “Not yet!”

Damn it!

They haven’t returned and you can still sit still?

Pei Xiao sat down on the bed in a huff, using his eyes to accuse Yan Sanhe of heartlessness.

He hadn’t even eaten his New Year’s Eve dinner properly before hurrying over, his heart panicking terribly.

“You think… nothing bad happened, right?”

“Young Master Pei, stay calm!”

How could he stay calm!

Young Master Pei cried out inwardly. That aunt had infiltrated Prince Han’s residence—if something happened…

Before he could think further, the door banged open with a “slam.” Ding Yi rushed in urgently: “Miss Yan, Zhu Qing is injured. Third Master asks…”

“What about Li Buyan?”

A bolt of lightning rushed over, grabbing Ding Yi’s collar. “Is she injured?”

Ding Yi froze. “Hero Li…”

“Speak quickly!” Pei Xiao roared heart-rendingly.

“She’s perfectly fine.”

Aiyou!

My little heart!

Pei Xiao slapped him. “Pausing dramatically when speaking—who taught you this bad habit? Change it for me!”

Ding Yi: “…”

Yan Sanhe looked deeply at Pei Xiao. “What did Third Master ask? Speak quickly!”

Ding Yi: “He asks to prepare hot water, put several more charcoal braziers in the room. Young Physician Pei will come shortly.”

Yan Sanhe: “Is Zhu Qing seriously injured?”

Ding Yi: “Not seriously.”

Yan Sanhe: “What about Huang Qi?”

Ding Yi: “Gone to invite Young Physician Pei.”

Yan Sanhe’s heart returned to its place, but she heard Pei Xiao beside her say coldly: “Invite what Young Physician Pei? Why isn’t my father coming?”

“Go be jealous over there.”

Yan Sanhe pushed Pei Xiao aside. “Ding Yi, did this trip yield results?”

“Miss Yan, yes!”

…

Zhu Qing’s wound was on his lower abdomen, sliced by a sword edge—a five-inch gash. Pei Jing stitched it up in a few quick motions.

Originally he shouldn’t have come on this trip, but the Pei family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was eaten together by the entire Pei clan. Father was the clan head and couldn’t leave.

After stitching, Pei Jing wrote a prescription and handed it to Xie Zhifei.

Xie Zhifei clasped his hands. “Thank you for your trouble. Ding Yi, see Young Physician Pei out for me.”

Pei Jing turned to pack his medical kit. Walking before Li Buyan, he nodded and smiled: “Miss Li, long time no see.”

“Indeed, long time no see.”

Because she’d found the person and they’d all escaped unharmed, Li Buyan was in excellent spirits and joked: “Not only has Young Physician Pei’s medical skills advanced greatly, even you yourself have become much more handsome.”

Pei Jing’s face flushed with two patches of red. “Miss Li, farewell.”

Li Buyan pulled him back. “Don’t rush off. Let me introduce you—this is Yan Sanhe, my best friend.”

Pei Jing had heard of Yan Sanhe but never seen her in person. He didn’t dare look much and bowed to Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe nodded at Pei Jing. “Please give my regards to your esteemed mother. She’s worked hard this year.”

“Miss Yan, rest assured. I’ll definitely deliver the message.”

Pei Jing picked up his medical bag and walked before his eldest brother. “Brother, Father asks you to return early. Tomorrow morning we must perform ancestral rites.”

Pei Xiao made an “mm” sound with an expression of “you brat, get lost quickly.”

Xie the Fifth’s sharp gaze flew over: Be more polite to him. You’ll need him in the future.

Pei Xiao ignored it.

Still be polite?

Good-looking people can no longer be treated politely in the future!

…

As soon as Pei Jing left, Li Buyan checked the doors and windows, then recounted everything she’d seen and heard at Prince Han’s residence in complete detail.

When she finished, even the charcoal fire in the room seemed frozen. The shock lasted long without subsiding.

The entire matter was clear now—

The person who made a move on Yan Sanhe was Prince Han.

The person who played the qin for Yan Sanhe and injured her was Advisor Dong.

Advisor Dong was the expert hiding behind Prince Han. He held a very high position in Prince Han’s residence—even the residence guards obeyed his commands.

So the question arose.

In the silence, Yan Sanhe slowly spoke: “Third Master, why would an advisor in Prince Han’s residence possess items belonging to the former Crown Prince?”

Xie Zhifei shook his head.

Yan Sanhe: “Mingting, why would he exchange mine for such an important item?”

Pei Xiao shook his head.

Yan Sanhe: “Li Buyan, what did he mean by playing the qin for me?”

Li Buyan shook her head.

Yan Sanhe: “Huang Qi, isn’t this person mysterious? Worth investigating thoroughly?”

Huang Qi habitually shook his head.

After shaking a few times, he realized and quickly nodded instead.

“If we’re to investigate…”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted. “Ding Yi, where should we start?”

Under everyone’s gaze, Ding Yi squatted on the ground and covered his head with both hands.

“Miss Yan.”

On the bed, Zhu Qing, pale from blood loss, spoke leisurely: “The name Dong Xiao must be false. Otherwise the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t have failed to find him.”

“Rest and recover properly. Don’t tax your brain.”

Yan Sanhe turned to meet Xie Zhifei’s eyes. “Third Master, speak. How do we investigate this person?”

“No rush.”

Xie Zhifei narrowed his eyes slightly and asked instead: “We must first clarify one matter—is this person enemy or friend?”

This question struck at Li Buyan’s heart. “Must clarify it.”

Enemy?

This person captured Yan Sanhe, injured Yan Sanhe—a genuine enemy.

Friend?

This person clearly saw her but didn’t cry out, just let her, an assassin, slip away under his nose.

Seeing Yan Sanhe’s gaze turn toward her, Li Buyan quickly added: “Don’t ask me. I’m still confused.”

I’m not looking at you!

Looking at Young Master Pei beside you.

“Mingting, do you think enemy or friend?”

Young Master Pei furrowed his thick brows, sinking into deep thought.

Enemy?

This person stood in Prince Han’s camp, plotting strategies for him—utterly irreconcilable.

Friend?

He let Li Buyan go, causing his own identity to be exposed.

“Can’t say. I’m confused too.” Young Master Pei paused. “But I think this person is somewhat sinister.”

Yan Sanhe pressed: “Sinister in what way?”

Young Master Pei: “He can use music to hypnotize people. That alone is sinister.”

“There’s another sinister point.”

Li Buyan: “On New Year’s Eve, one person standing in a pitch-black courtyard without lighting a single lamp—like a ghost.”

“Since we can’t distinguish enemy from friend, let’s investigate first and see.”

Yan Sanhe looked at Xie Zhifei. “Third Master, what do you think?”

Xie Zhifei: “That’s the only way.”

Pei Xiao propped his chin. “Uses a false name—hard to investigate. Person is in Prince Han’s residence—hard to investigate. Where do we start?”

Yan Sanhe: “The qin playing!”

Xie Zhifei: “The qin playing!”

The two spoke almost in unison.

Yan Sanhe: “People in this world who can play the qin aren’t many to begin with.”

Xie Zhifei: “Men who can play the qin are even fewer.”

Yan Sanhe: “His qin playing manner was extremely flowing and natural. He should be an expert.”

Xie Zhifei: “Only experts can hypnotize.”

Yan Sanhe: “He wouldn’t play the qin to a cow. That piece must have had meaning.”

Xie Zhifei: “Do you remember that piece?”

Yan Sanhe: “The parts I heard, I definitely remember.”

Li Buyan clapped her hands, her face excited. “Next, we spend money to find someone skilled at and knowledgeable about the qin to inquire carefully and find that piece.”

“No need to spend money.”

Xie Zhifei: “I happen to know one such person.”

Li Buyan: “Who?”