Old Man Qi turned back and gave his wife a look. His gaze was cold, as if he believed Madam Wu was herself a fool.

Madam Wu's lips twitched and she spoke in a mumbled voice.

​​

"I know you're blaming me. If I had known that this little fool was actually this clever, this powerful… I wouldn't have cut relations with her."

"What's the use in saying any of this now? She's rich now and we'll receive none of it in the slightest. Perhaps this is fate," said Old Man Qi. 

Madam Wu was at a loss for words for a moment. Suddenly, she thought of something. 

"There's still a chance to turn things around."

"Hm?"

"Didn't the old lady go to Qingzhou City to attend her aunt's funeral? She even said she'd be staying over there for half of the winter. I was thinking she'd be back right after the holidays! The old lady is much smarter than us and would definitely have some ideas on how to get rid of this little girl."

"…"

'Hopefully, that'll be the case,' thought Old Man Qi. 

To say that he did not harbor even the slightest grudge against Madam Wu would be a lie. 

However, he could not take it out on his wife now that it was already in the past. There was no use for him to take out his anger on her. 

If his mother came back… maybe she would be able to finally get rid of this second daughter of his. After all, Qi Qingyao had been afraid of her grandmother when she was a child...

…

Qi Qingyao was sleepy after her meal. She went to wash her feet before changing her clothes and getting into bed with her three children in her arms. 

Another side of the wall. 

Jiang Yeqian and Si Jin had been staring at each other for a while now, neither of them having intentions to go to bed first. Jiang Yeqian looked at the bed, hinting at Si Jin to go to sleep on the inside. Si Jin simply folded his arms and stood beside the bed. He looked at it for a bit, not entertaining the faintest possibility of sharing the same bed with Jiang Yeqian. Cold wind billowed in as Si Jin opened the window.

He said calmly, "You should sleep first. I'm going out for a walk."

Jiang Yeqian looked at his posture, realizing that Si Jin was planning to jump out the window. He asked, "Aren't you going to wear your mask?"

"I don't have many enemies like you do. Anyway, it's already late at night. I don't want to slip and fall to my death just because I couldn't see properly through my mask." Spitting these words out, he then jumped from the second floor. 

Not even two seconds later, Jiang Yeqian picked up his mask, put it on, and followed suit out the window. 

He tailed Si Jin quietly for a bit but after the third turn, he cursed, "Damn it!" Jiang Yeqian did not think that he could actually lose someone, given his skill caliber. 

That young man, what was his backstory?

Jiang Yeqian wandered around Baishui Town on his own. He wanted to check if any of Li Ruoxuan's people were still around. After walking through two streets, he realized that someone was following him this time. Jiang Yeqian slowly strolled into a third street and after making sure that there was no one in the alleyway, he called out in a low voice, "Why don't you come out?"

From the dark shadows, a young person clad in black clothes walked out. The youth looked at the masked man and cupped his fists lightly in greeting.

"Sir."

Jiang Yeqian was startled by such a response. 

"I've finally found you." Zhao Xin confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed the Head Grand Secretariat, and he immediately knelt on one knee out of respect. 

Jiang Yeqian frowned. Taking off his mask, he looked at Zhao Xin and waved his hand at him, signaling Zhao Xin to get up and speak. 

Zhao Xin was so excited by the sight of his master's eyes that he almost could not help tears forming in his eyes. 

Zhao Xin was a close aide to Jiang Yeqian when he was chief. 

He would often carry out tasks on his master's behalf. 

When his master went missing in Qingzhou City, he spent a lot of manpower and resources looking for him, but nothing came of it.

Zhao Xin had been going around Baishui Town today to try his luck as he did daily, but his expectations were low. He could never have expected that he would actually run into a man with a figure and mannerisms so similar to that of his master.

He followed this person diligently, never losing sight of him. 

Who would have thought that it actually was his master!

Jiang Yeqian saw that Zhao Xin was about to signal to his people and quickly instructed, "Don't announce to anyone else that I'm still alive. Are there any recent updates on Li Ruoxuan?"

"The State Perceptor is still sending people out to look for you everywhere," he responded.