If it were any other time, hearing Third Master say this, Tang Jianxi wouldn’t say more. But today…

“I still must presumptuously ask once more.”

His gaze was cold as ice. “Xie Zhifei, can I trust you?”

Xie Zhifei was silent for a moment, looking into Tang Jianxi’s eyes and speaking word by word:

“If you don’t trust me, my heart probably knows it already. But if you do trust me, then I tell you—she’s more important than my life. I swear by my ancestors.”

And specifically by the Zheng family’s ancestors.

Tang Jianxi’s cold face finally revealed a smile.

Not only had the gamble paid off, his judgment hadn’t been wrong either.

“When Xue Zhao lifted her up, she softly called out four words: Father, Mother!”

Even though Xie Zhifei had mentally prepared himself, hearing these four words still made his pupils tremble violently.

“Third Master.”

Tang Jianxi revealed an understated forcefulness.

“My survival today is entirely because that person protected me from the shadows. Even if we can’t speak of repaying gratitude, as long as it involves someone connected to him, I, Tang Jianxi, must offer protection.”

Xie Zhifei’s eyes grew hot. He thought to himself that when he had time, he must drink heavily with this man.

The kind where neither returns until drunk.

“By rights, I should keep her at Muli Mountain, never to descend for the rest of her life. But I know this child has ambitions—Muli Mountain can’t hold her. So I used those words to lure Third Master here, in order to…”

Tang Jianxi paused. “Ask Third Master to join me in protecting her safety.”

Xie Zhifei suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

“Before I agree, I must know—what is her relationship to the former Crown Prince?”

Tang Jianxi didn’t hesitate. He dipped his finger in tea and wrote a character on the table: daughter.

Yan Sanhe was the former Crown Prince’s flesh and blood?

Xie Zhifei’s heart skipped half a beat, his entire person stunned.

On this journey, he’d actually calculated many possibilities.

But no matter how he calculated, he’d at most thought that given Yan Sanhe’s age, she might be a descendant of one of the former Crown Prince’s sons. He never imagined…

“Her birth mother was Shen Duruo.”

Tang Jianxi sighed softly. “Their story—I can give you the short version.”

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the entire cabin held no sound except the river water.

Xie Zhifei’s peach blossom eyes, lacking their usual brilliance, were dark as pitch.

Only now did the two threads finally connect completely—

Crown Princess Liang, in order to secure an heir for the Crown Prince, had taken away the newborn baby girl. To successfully send the baby girl out, the fire at the Crown Prince’s residence was very likely deliberately set by her.

Then this baby girl came into Grandfather’s hands.

Grandfather, to conceal the baby girl’s identity, used a stratagem of substitution.

Xie Zhifei vigorously rubbed his face and sighed deeply. “This truly exceeds my expectations.”

Tang Jianxi smiled bitterly. “Don’t say it’s you—even I, how could I have anticipated this?”

Yes indeed.

Who could have anticipated?

Who would dare anticipate?

The deposed Crown Prince Zhao Lin still had flesh and blood wandering the mortal world.

Xie Zhifei stood up, walked before Tang Jianxi, and suddenly swept aside his robe and knelt on one knee.

“Third Master?”

Tang Jianxi was shocked and quickly reached out to help him up. “What, what are you doing?”

Xie Zhifei pushed away his hand, his gaze heavy and powerful.

“In this world everyone wears a hundred faces. Today what’s real might become false tomorrow. My purpose in rushing here was actually worry about you—I didn’t dare gamble.”

Hearing these words, Tang Jianxi laughed in exasperation.

So he still didn’t trust him!

“But now I dare.”

Xie Zhifei’s brows and eyes lifted, his pupils deepening.

“On Sanhe’s behalf, I thank Master Tang for his protective care, and I ask Master Tang to please trust me completely. I will certainly protect her safety with my life.”

“Good, good, good!”

Tang Jianxi’s throat bobbed, his heart filled with indescribable feelings.

From learning of Yan Sanhe’s background from Xue Zhao’s mouth, for two days and nights he hadn’t closed his eyes once, both happy and deeply worried.

How could he protect this sole surviving seedling for her entire life?

A risky move.

He not only deceived Xie Zhifei into coming but also arranged for people on the boat.

If Xie Zhifei showed the slightest impropriety, his fate would be sinking to the river bottom.

Fortunately!

How fortunate!

“Brother Xie, please rise quickly.”

Tang Jianxi’s voice trembled slightly with emotion. “This matter, we still need to discuss carefully. We cannot reveal the slightest flaw.”

Xie Zhifei’s peach blossom eyes lifted slightly. “Exactly—we cannot reveal the slightest flaw!”

…

“Miss Yan, look, look carefully.”

Dan Eryi held his plump, white son, looking smug. “Does he look like me? Just tell me, does he or doesn’t he!”

“Such an attitude!”

Having given birth, Tang Mingyue had gained some weight, her features even softer.

“Sanhe, don’t pay attention to him. Ever since he had a son, he’s become crazy.”

Whenever he saw someone, he’d carry his son over and ask if the child looked like him.

He especially picked unmarried people to ask, and after asking, would provoke them: “I have a son—do you?”

If he weren’t Father’s son-in-law, he’d probably have been beaten to death.

Yan Sanhe said nothing, just smiled faintly.

Tang Mingyue didn’t mind her coldness and hooked her arm through Yan Sanhe’s.

“Come, I’ll accompany you to the front of the mountain to enjoy the night breeze. The weather’s good today—we might see a sky full of stars.”

“Waaah…”

“Mingyue, Mingyue, Mingyue…”

Dan Eryi rushed over like lightning. “Quick, the son is hungry.”

“Didn’t I just feed him?”

“My son has a big appetite.”

Tang Mingyue released Yan Sanhe and took the child, sitting down and turning away to loosen her clothing…

“See? I told you he was hungry.”

Dan Eryi squatted beside her, grinning. “He sucks so vigorously—he’ll definitely be smart in the future.”

Tang Mingyue shot him a look.

“Look, don’t his features resemble mine?”

“His hands too, long fingers just like mine.”

“Look at his ears—exactly the same as mine, thick earlobes. That’s a sign of good fortune!”

Tang Mingyue swatted away his hand. “Don’t touch him!”

“I’m just feeling him. He’s so adorable. Miss Yan, isn’t my son adorable… Hey, where did Miss Yan go?”

…

The night breeze brushed her face. Everything from the room behind her felt to Yan Sanhe like it came from another world.

So warm, so harmonious, yet so unreachably distant.

She walked out of the courtyard and looked up to find Tang Jianxi waiting outside.

“Sanhe, walk with me, will you?”

This father and daughter—one after another both calling her Sanhe, one after another wanting to walk with her. Did they plan this?

Yan Sanhe nodded.

In fact, she also had things to say.

Her conversation with Dong Chengfeng in the carriage—Xue Zhao must have heard it all. If Xue Zhao heard it, that meant Tang Jianxi heard it.

Moreover, her features resembled his closely. Though Tang Jianxi had only seen him three times, if he recalled carefully, he might find traces.

The old and young walked silently for a stretch.

“I only have Mingyue as a child. When Qiao’er and I close our eyes, we won’t even know if Mingyue is being bullied.”

Tang Jianxi licked his dry lips.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to recognize you as an adopted daughter. In the future, you sisters could look after each other.”

His tone was calm as still water, yet the deep meaning hidden within surged toward Yan Sanhe like turbulent waves.