Not far away, a brocade-robed youth stood tall and crane-like, resembling pine and bamboo, with a faint smile playing at his lips.

Lin Hao dismounted and led Lin Xiaohua over to greet him. “Heir, are you going out?”

“No, I’m heading home.”

“Oh.” Lin Hao momentarily didn’t know what to say.

There wasn’t really any topic to discuss. What she truly wanted to talk about with the Heir of Prince Jing, she couldn’t casually say out loud.

For instance, your family will have their entire household executed—if she said such words, the Heir of Prince Jing would probably think her a complete fool.

In the awkward moment, Lin Hao caught sight of a new face from the corner of her eye and found a conversation starter. “Has the Heir changed servants?”

Qi Shuo glanced at Changning and smiled. “Second Miss Lin has excellent observational skills.”

Lin Hao’s mouth twitched.

Two living people who weren’t even twins—how could she not tell them apart?

He could praise her observational skills for this? She suspected the Heir of Prince Jing could make money from giving compliments!

Just as she was grumbling inwardly, she suddenly heard Qi Shuo ask, “Has Second Miss Lin… offended anyone recently?”

Lin Hao looked at Qi Shuo in surprise.

“Why does the Heir ask this?”

Qi Shuo was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Someone is tailing Second Miss Lin.”

Lin Hao was startled.

She was surprised, naturally not because someone was following her, but rather how the Heir of Prince Jing had detected it.

She had some understanding of Du Qing’s tracking abilities—at the very least, ordinary people would find it difficult to notice.

She had discovered Du Qing not because she sensed someone following her, but because of her understanding of her teacher.

So what about the Heir of Prince Jing?

Lin Hao turned her head to look at the youth walking beside her.

The sunlight of early summer was still gentle, sparsely falling upon him. That already fair face was like fine porcelain, cold white jade, possessing a fragile delicacy.

Could someone who had long been in poor health and suffered from heart disease be so perceptive?

“Cough, cough.” Qi Shuo raised his fist to his lips and coughed lightly twice.

Lin Hao suppressed her doubts and asked, “Is the Heir alright?”

Qi Shuo smiled. “I caught a bit of a chill last night, nothing serious. Perhaps because I’ve been accustomed to quietness since childhood, I’ve developed a habit of careful observation. Just now I inadvertently discovered someone following Second Miss Lin.”

So that was it.

Thinking of how she herself had some differences from ordinary young ladies due to being unable to speak since childhood, Lin Hao found Qi Shuo’s explanation fairly acceptable.

“Isn’t Second Miss Lin afraid?”

Seeing the puzzlement in Qi Shuo’s eyes, Lin Hao said without changing expression, “Terribly afraid.”

Qi Shuo: “…” If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have believed her.

Lin Hao wrinkled her brow. “But if I show my fear, the person following me will know that I know he’s following me, and wouldn’t that alert him?”

“Second Miss Lin is very thorough in her thinking. Do you suspect anyone?”

Lin Hao shook her head, looking somewhat troubled. “No, I can’t think of anyone I’ve offended.”

She appreciated the Heir of Prince Jing’s kind intentions, but she certainly didn’t want him to take notice of her teacher’s existence.

“Second Miss Lin should discuss this with your family elders. And if you go out in the future, don’t go alone.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Heir.” As they spoke, they had arrived at the entrance of the General’s Manor. Lin Hao expressed her thanks, led Lin Xiaohua, and bid farewell to Qi Shuo.

Qi Shuo watched as Lin Hao entered the gate, then instructed Changning, “When Xuanyi returns, have him come see me immediately.”

“Yes.”

After Qi Shuo strode toward Prince Jing’s Manor, Changning quietly glanced back at the General’s Manor, revealing a thoughtful expression.

Just now, the Heir had clearly been preparing to go out, but upon encountering Second Miss Lin, he said he was heading home—this was to exchange a few words with Second Miss Lin, wasn’t it?

Changning chuckled to himself.

He finally understood the reason for Changshun staying cooped up at home.

When Xuanyi returned to report, it was nearly evening.

Qi Shuo stood by the study window. Outside the window was a sky full of sunset clouds.

“Have you discovered the identity of the person following Second Miss Lin?”

Xuanyi lowered his head and clasped his fists. “This subordinate is incompetent. I lost track of him.”

“Lost track?” Qi Shuo’s expression darkened slightly. “Explain in detail.”

Anyone who could shake off Xuanyi was definitely not simple.

“That person first inquired about the General’s Manor’s situation, then walked eastward. This subordinate followed behind and gradually discovered he was going in circles.” Xuanyi’s face showed shame. “By then he must have sensed this subordinate was following him. After going around like this for quite a while, he found an opportunity to create a disturbance and shook off this subordinate…”

After listening to Xuanyi’s full account, Qi Shuo rubbed his temples. “This person must have received specialized training.”

Why would Second Miss Lin provoke such a person?

Inquiring about the General’s Manor’s situation… which meant the other party didn’t understand Second Miss Lin, or rather, didn’t know her at all.

The recent events at the General’s Manor had caused quite a stir. Anyone who knew Second Miss Lin was from the General’s Manor wouldn’t need to specifically inquire.

Looking at it this way, Second Miss Lin had very likely encountered this trouble today.

If he wanted to discover the other party’s identity, he still needed to ask Second Miss Lin where she had gone today, whom she had encountered, and whether anything unusual had happened.

“You may withdraw.”

Xuanyi didn’t move. “This subordinate has just received some information to report to the Heir.”

“Is it about that street performer youth?”

Surprise flashed through Xuanyi’s eyes. “Precisely. That street performer youth is named Xiao Feng. Today he entered a acrobatic troupe called Ruyi Troupe. This Ruyi Troupe is quite famous in the capital and is often hired by wealthy households to provide entertainment.”

Ruyi Troupe—it seemed he had remembered correctly.

“Continue having people watch him.”

“Yes.” Xuanyi bowed and withdrew.

Qi Shuo turned around and gazed toward the horizon.

The red clouds spreading across the sky turned dim—the day was drawing to a close.

If he wanted to see Second Miss Lin, he could only wait until tomorrow.

Qi Shuo walked out of the study, wandering aimlessly until he unknowingly arrived at the back wall of the garden.

On the other side of the wall was the General’s Manor.

It was said that the General’s Manor and Prince Jing’s Manor had originally been one large estate, the residence of the Regent Prince from the previous dynasty. But now a wall separated two households—wanting to meet wasn’t so easy.

Qi Shuo tilted his head slightly, staring at the wall bearing traces of time. As if possessed, he leaped up, his hands gripping the top of the wall.

“Heir!” Changshun, who had been following behind, was greatly alarmed and rushed over in a panic. “What are you doing!”

On the other side of the wall, vegetation grew lush and flowers bloomed throughout the garden, the scenery identical to that on Prince Jing’s Manor’s side.

Second Miss Lin wasn’t there.

This result was unsurprising. Qi Shuo released his hands and dropped back to the ground.

Changshun rushed over. “Heir, are you alright? Why climb the wall for no reason? What if you had fallen?”

“Exercising my body.” Having said this, Qi Shuo couldn’t be bothered with the chattering servant and lifted his feet to walk back.

Exercising his body?

Changshun followed behind Qi Shuo, looking back once.

From the other side of the wall, a swallow happened to fly over and land on the wall top. Immediately after, another swallow flew over and the two swallows nestled intimately together.

A scene suddenly surfaced in Changshun’s mind: Second Miss Lin climbing to the top of the wall, followed closely by the Heir also climbing to the top of the wall, and then the two of them like swallows—

Changshun’s expression changed as he vigorously shook his head.

Too terrifying!

After returning to the courtyard, Changshun sat down beside Changning and sighed deeply.

“Changshun, why do you look so worried?”

Changshun glanced at the doorway and lowered his voice. “Let me tell you, the Heir has gone astray.”