By this time, Wen Rugui had already left for morning court. Wen Rusheng came up empty and asked the servants where the government office was located, then ran over to wait.

When Wen Rugui returned to his office, his subordinates reported that his clan brother had come looking for him.

Wen Rugui was a face-conscious man. In his heart, he didn’t really take Wen Rusheng seriously, but he cherished his reputation back home and didn’t want to be accused of looking down on poor relatives.

“Does Eighth Brother have urgent business with me?” Wen Rugui asked genially.

Wen Rusheng glanced left and right, hesitating to speak.

Wen Rugui’s brow furrowed.

Seeing his cousin’s face deathly pale and his unwillingness to speak in front of others, the matter was likely no small thing.

He dismissed the others and said gently, “There are no outsiders now. Whatever it is, Eighth Brother, just speak freely.”

Wen Rusheng glanced at the doorway and asked uneasily, “No one can overhear, right?”

“Eighth Brother, rest assured. No one can.”

Only then did Wen Rusheng relax. Lowering his voice, he said, “Tenth Brother, your younger daughter is a monster!”

“What?” Wen Rugui thought he’d heard wrong.

“I said… your younger daughter is a man-eating monster!”

Wen Rugui confirmed he hadn’t misheard. His expression immediately darkened. “Eighth Brother, are you still not fully awake?”

“I didn’t sleep at all last night!” Seeing that Wen Rugui didn’t believe him, Wen Rusheng grew anxious and gestured wildly. “I saw it with my own eyes—your younger daughter eating fingers, human fingers!”

Wen Rugui’s expression grew even worse. “If Eighth Brother is unwell, I’ll send you to see a physician. But you cannot speak such nonsense.”

Wen Rusheng shot to his feet, his face flushing red with urgency. “Tenth Brother, I’m truly not lying to you. I saw it in the garden last night!”

“What was Eighth Brother doing in the garden so late at night?” Wen Rugui’s tone was cold, clearly greatly angered by Wen Rusheng’s claims.

“I came back from drinking last night and went to check on Feng’er. I saw a shadow flash across his room. But there was no one in his room at all. In my worry, I went out to look for him and ended up seeing your younger daughter in the garden eating human fingers—”

Wen Rugui could bear it no longer and slammed the table. “Eighth Brother, you were clearly drunk and seeing things. Now you’re still spouting drunken nonsense.”

“Tenth Brother, why won’t you believe me?” Wen Rusheng was nearly in tears.

He didn’t dare confront a monster himself, but Tenth Brother was that monster’s father—surely he could subdue her?

“Believe what? Believe that my daughter, daughter of a dignified Vice Minister, is a man-eating monster?” Wen Rugui’s face was ashen, too agitated to maintain his gentle mask any longer.

Never mind that such talk was utterly absurd and preposterous—even if it were true, it absolutely could not be known!

At this moment, Wen Rugui was thoroughly fed up with this clan brother.

After all, this was someone who’d spent most of his life in a backwater place, actually believing in spirits and ghosts like some ignorant woman.

Believing such things would be his own business, but dragging Wen Rugui into it was intolerable.

“I swear I wasn’t seeing things—otherwise may Heaven strike me with lightning!”

Seeing him swear so earnestly, beyond his anger, Wen Rugui also felt somewhat uneasy. He said coolly, “As it happens, I don’t have much work at the moment. I’ll return with Eighth Brother to take a look.”

Wen Rusheng breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The two men hurried back to the Wen Mansion. Just as they stepped down from the carriage, they saw a young man with a servant boy walking into the estate.

Seeing the two of them, the young man cupped his hands in salute. “Father, Tenth Uncle.”

Wen Rugui frowned and glanced at Wen Rusheng.

Wen Rusheng looked utterly shocked and pointed at the young man. “Feng’er, you—you’re all right?”

Wen Feng’s face showed shame. “Your son did not return last night and caused you to worry.”

“Where did you go?” In his shock, Wen Rusheng completely forgot they were standing outside the main gate and asked loudly.

“Your son—”

Wen Rugui coolly interrupted Wen Feng. “Eighth Brother, if you have questions for Feng’er, ask them inside the estate. The office cannot be left unmanned indefinitely. I must return first.”

“Tenth Brother, Tenth Brother—”

Watching Wen Rugui board his carriage without looking back, Wen Feng looked utterly confused. “Father, what’s wrong with Tenth Uncle?”

In his impression, Tenth Uncle was a very affable person.

“Where exactly did you go last night?” Wen Rusheng was furious.

Wen Feng quickly pulled Wen Rusheng toward the entrance. “Father, let’s go inside to talk.”

Father and son entered the estate. They’d only taken a few steps when they saw Lin Shi approaching with her two daughters.

Wen Rusheng abruptly stopped in his tracks, his gaze involuntarily falling on Wen Hao’s face.

Wen Hao pressed her lips together in a smile.

Wen Rusheng shuddered and hastily averted his eyes.

“Eighth Brother and Feng’er went out together?” Lin Shi greeted them with a smile.

Lin Shi was a very simple person. In her view, this was her husband’s clan brother—whether poor or wealthy, since he’d come, they should treat him well and not let him feel slighted.

Wen Rusheng couldn’t help but glance toward Wen Hao, yet didn’t dare look directly. To Lin Shi’s eyes, it appeared as if he were making faces.

Lin Shi showed concern. “Eighth Brother’s eyes seem to be twitching. Should we call a physician to examine them?”

“No need, no need.” Wen Rusheng hastily declined and practically fled back to his quarters.

“Father, you seem rather strange today. Has something happened?”

Wen Rusheng’s face was pitch black. “Why didn’t you come back last night?”

“Your son was drinking with friends, accidentally drank too much, and my friend let me stay overnight.”

“Then why didn’t you have the servant boy return to send word?”

Wen Feng glanced at the nervous-looking servant boy. “Tingfeng stayed to look after me. Otherwise we would have had to trouble my friend’s servants—how awkward that would have been.”

“Feng’er, you mustn’t associate with bad friends—”

“It was the young master of the Minister’s household.”

“That’s good, that’s good. But last night—”

“What about last night?”

“Nothing…” Wen Rusheng swallowed the words he’d wanted to say.

Could it really have been his eyes playing tricks on him?

In a spacious, luxurious carriage, Lin Shi pulled open a drawer fixed to the carriage wall, revealing it packed full of preserved fruits and candied treats. She invited her two daughters to eat.

Wen Chan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mother, we’ll reach Grandmother’s house in less than a quarter-hour.”

“Once we reach your grandmother’s house, you won’t be able to eat these.” Lin Shi casually picked up a candied date and put it in her mouth. “The physician said your grandmother is getting on in years and should eat less sweet food, but your grandmother just can’t control herself…”

Listening to their mother fret about their grandmother, Wen Hao and Wen Chan exchanged glances, both with complicated feelings.

These peaceful, carefree days would soon be shattered.

Wen Hao had only eaten her third preserved plum when they arrived at the General’s Mansion.

The mother and two daughters descended from the carriage one after another. Wen Chan and Wen Hao flanked Lin Shi on either side as they walked inside.

Lin Shi suddenly stopped and pointed toward Prince Jing’s estate with curiosity. “I wonder what distinguished guest that elderly person is—Prince Jing’s estate has actually opened its main gates.”

Wen Hao looked over, puzzled.

In her previous life, when Mother had brought her and Elder Sister back to their maternal grandmother’s home, they hadn’t encountered any distinguished guests at Prince Jing’s estate.

With disaster looming so close for Grandmother and Mother, she had reviewed every event from this period repeatedly in her memory.

“Fangfei, go inquire who has come to Prince Jing’s estate.”

Hearing Lin Shi’s instruction, Wen Chan’s lips twitched slightly. “Mother, there’s no need to inquire, is there?”

Could Mother not indulge this gossipy hobby of hers?

“Making an inquiry costs nothing and saves me from endless curiosity.”

Wen Chan looked helplessly at Wen Hao.

Wen Hao smiled. “I’m a bit curious too.”

Wen Chan: “…”