’That voice sounds rather familiar.’
The master and servant pair didn’t notice Shen Yanchuan’s presence and continued to hurry forward.
The young maid said, "Shiluan City is wonderful in every way, except for this fickle weather lately! You’ve gone out every day for the past few days and co back soaked every ti!"
Even with an umbrella, the sudden gusts of wind and heavy downpours still easily soaked the hems of their skirts and their shoes and socks.
She whispered, "You’ve only just started to recover. It would be terrible if you caught another chill."
The woman smiled and shook her head. "Autumn weather is always changing. Besides, it’s just a bit of rain. It’s nothing serious."
The young maid couldn’t help but say, "Even so, it wouldn’t be too late to rest at ho for a few days and co out when the weather clears! We’ve just arrived, after all. We’ll have plenty of ti to look around later!"
But the woman didn’t respond to that. She just smiled and urged, "Let’s hurry back. It’s getting late, and the roads will be difficult to walk on."
The young maid’s attention was imdiately diverted. "Ah! Alright!"
The two figures gradually receded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the pale, white mist.
Shen Yanchuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Is that... Su Pei’er and her personal maid?’
’After leaving the Capital City, they actually ca here?’
"HYA!"
Suddenly, a man on horseback charged around the street corner, his horse galloping so fast that it sent rainwater splashing everywhere.
Even though he saw soone ahead, he showed no intention of slowing down.
Shen Yanchuan shifted his feet and angled his body slightly to the side.
The man galloped past, his entire deanor fierce and domineering.
Shen Yanchuan’s gaze lingered on the horse’s hooves for a mont.
The man and his horse quickly departed. Shen Yanchuan retracted his gaze and continued on his way out of the city.
’Shiluan City is indeed strange in every way.’
Not long after Han Tong’s case was closed, Su Pei’er left the Capital City.
He hadn’t paid it any mind at the ti, assuming she simply wanted to leave that place of sorrow.
But now, she had appeared here of all places.
Especially after hearing her conversation with her maid just now—she had been going out every day for several days straight.
She was a newcor here and likely had no connections. Why would she go out day after day?
What was she doing?
Also, if he rembered correctly, before Su Pei’er left the Capital City, Ye Yunfeng had once delivered dicinal soup to her.
’Of course, there’s nothing going on between Ye Yunfeng and her, but...’
An image of a pair of dark, clear eyes holding a faint smile flashed through his mind.
Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
...
「Qingzhou.」
Ye Chutang felt Xiao Wu’s forehead, then instructed Ye Yunfeng that he only needed to brew one more day’s worth of dicine.
Ye Yunfeng naturally had no objections to the task, but as he took the packet of herbs to the small kitchen, he couldn’t help but tease her.
"Only Xiao Wu being sick could make Sister this attentive."
’If it were , Sister probably wouldn’t even write a prescription!’
Without looking up, Ye Chutang said, "If you were ten years younger, I’d tend to you, too."
The two words "tend to" were spoken lightly, but they sent a chill down Ye Yunfeng’s spine.
He didn’t dare to imagine what it would be like for his sister to personally "tend to" him.
’My arms and legs would probably still be attached, right?’
Ye Yunfeng coughed and said with a sheepish smile, "How could I trouble you, Sister? My body is as tough as iron; I never need you to worry about ! Well, I’m off to brew the dicine for Xiao Wu—"
Before his voice had even faded, he had already scampered off.
Just then, Ye Jingyan returned.
"Sister." He was dressed in a long, brocade-white robe embroidered with bamboo leaves. With his clear, handso features and tall, slender figure, he looked more and more like a modest and noble gentleman.
Ye Chutang looked up. "How did it go?"
Ye Jingyan nodded lightly. "The horse is ready. The official story is that one of our horses injured its leg when we arrived, and we’re buying a replacent. But, Sister, when do you plan to depart?"
"Tonight."
Ye Jingyan frowned slightly. "So soon?"
"It’s already a bit late." Ye Chutang gently smoothed Xiao Wu’s hair.
If she hadn’t been worried about Xiao Wu’s illness, she would have left the day before yesterday.
Xiao Wu looked up at her, her eyes blinking, seemingly filled with guilt.
’Did I hold Sister Chutang up from her important business?’
Ye Chutang chuckled and tapped the little girl’s nose.
"Your getting sick actually gave your sister here a perfect excuse to stay indoors without raising suspicion."
This way, even if she didn’t leave the house for several days, no one would find it strange.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu finally relaxed and gave her a sweet smile.
But then she rembered that her Sister Chutang was leaving tonight. A wave of reluctance washed over her, and she threw herself into Ye Chutang’s arms, refusing to let go.
Ye Jingyan knew she had long since planned this trip and that she rarely changed her mind once a decision was made. Although he was worried, he still nodded.
"Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll take care of everything here."
Ye Chutang naturally wasn’t worried about him. Yan was now fourteen, and it was perfectly legitimate for him to handle many of the Ye Family’s affairs.
Seeing his serious expression, Ye Chutang couldn’t help but smile.
"It seems to you’re the one who’s worried. This isn’t the first ti I’ve gone out alone. Relax."
’That’s true.’
Back when they were in Jiangling, his sister would leave on her own every so often.
The duration was never fixed. Sotis it was just for one night; other tis, it was for three to five days.
Neither he nor A Feng knew what their sister was doing on these trips, but they never asked.
’Anyway, Sister always has her reasons for everything she does.’
’But... to say he wasn’t worried would be a lie.’
Ye Jingyan hesitated for a mont before asking, "Sister, how many days will you be gone this ti?"
Ye Chutang thought for a mont. "If everything goes smoothly, about seven or eight days. If I’m delayed on the road, it might be longer. But it won’t delay our return to the Capital City."
Ye Jingyan had already guessed as much.
From the mont his sister had them request a month’s leave, he knew she had other plans.
He nodded. "Then... be careful on your journey, Sister."
...
「That night.」
Ye Chutang changed into practical clothes and slipped out of Qingzhou, silent and alone on her horse.
It wasn’t raining at the mont, but the night wind was cold. Ye Chutang gripped the reins tightly, spurred the horse with her legs, and urged it into a gallop.
She brought only Silver Tael and dried rations, with nothing else to weigh her down, so her speed was much faster than a horse-drawn carriage.
After two days of relentless, sleepless travel, Ye Chutang finally saw the city standing tall in the distance.
—Shiluan City.
...
「In the dead of night.」
Lian Zhou had been waiting in the room for a long ti when he finally heard the sound of the window being pushed open.
He imdiately stood up. "Master! You’re finally back!"
Shen Yanchuan took off his bamboo hat, from which a few drops of rain fell. With a light twist of his slender fingers at his chin, a thin human-skin mask was peeled away, revealing his exceptionally cold and handso face.
Lian Zhou couldn’t help but say, "This is sothing you could have left to your subordinate. Why did you have to go yourself, sire?"
Ever since he had ntioned the iron mine outside the city, his master had been intent on investigating it, even having Lian Zhou pose as him here while he went personally.
Recalling what he had seen that day, the corners of Shen Yanchuan’s lips curled up slightly.
"You have to see it with your own eyes to know if it’s real or not."
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