"Xiao Cong!" Liu Qingxu's first thought was of the child in his hands. Terrified, she flew up at her fastest speed.
But someone moved even quicker than her, snatching Xiao Cong away before Zhou San hit the ground.
Recognizing it was Jiang Jiu, Liu Qingxu instantly breathed a sigh of relief, then stepped forward to take the frightened Xiao Cong into her arms.
"Be good, Xiao Cong, it's alright now. The bad man has been defeated!" she soothed while patting him, glancing down at the grass.
Zhou San's neck was gushing fluid continuously, his eyes bulging wide open—dead beyond any doubt.
Afraid of scaring Xiao Cong, she quickly carried him toward the bamboo hut.
Inside the bamboo hut, Xiao An and Hai You had already been untied.
Seeing the additional man in the room, Liu Qingxu paused briefly at the doorway, then set Xiao Cong down and stepped forward to give a respectful bow.
"Thank you."
"Hmm." Yan Siyuan accepted her gratitude without the slightest hesitation.
Liu Qingxu straightened up and suddenly lifted her outer garment.
Wrapped around her waist was a rope from which hung several palm-sized cloth pouches. Had she not revealed it herself, no one would have guessed her clothing concealed such a 'hidden world.'
Yan Siyuan's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Liu Qingxu took out a folded piece of paper from one of the pouches—it was the agreement they had signed.
"Lord Si, you no longer owe me anything." She smiled as she handed over the agreement.
Yan Siyuan was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to dissolve their contract at this moment.
All for these few children?
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the three little ones still wiping tears on the floor.
Withdrawing his gaze, he raised a hand to push her wrist away, his expression stern as he walked out of the bamboo hut.
"A gentleman's word is his bond. I promised to earn eighty thousand taels of silver for you, and I will not go back on my word!"
"…" Liu Qingxu watched his tall, receding figure, both surprised and puzzled. She was giving him his freedom, yet he refused it?
"Sister Liu!" Once Yan Siyuan left, the three children gathered around her.
Seeing the fearful tears on their faces, Liu Qingxu bent down to pat each of their heads, softly comforting them, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Sister will take you home now."
On the way back, the eldest, Hai You, recounted how they had been captured.
Only then did Liu Qingxu learn that Zhou San's motive for kidnapping them was to exchange them for money.
It turned out that since the opening of Laughing Book Hall, it had attracted much attention. Although she had opened a book hall, in the eyes of outsiders, it was seen as a charity house. Rumors had spread—no one knew by whom—that this charity house was opened by a very wealthy philanthropist.
Although Zhou San worked for the government office, he was addicted to gambling. It was said he had recently lost a great deal of silver and, to repay his debts, had set his sights on Laughing Book Hall. He believed that since the owner was both charitable and exceptionally wealthy, kidnapping a few children might allow him to extort a hefty sum. Even if the owner wasn't truly charitable, for the sake of maintaining the 'philanthropist' reputation, they wouldn't ignore missing children.
It had to be said, Zhou San had guessed correctly.
But the vicious and desperate man never expected that his knowing violation of the law would ultimately cost him his life.
Seeing the three children return safe and sound, Dai Fangzhi and Qiu Shi were overjoyed, promptly leading the children to the inner room to wash and change.
Liu Qingxu didn't give them many instructions after all, they were the ones usually taking care of the children. When it came to comforting the children, they understood better than she did. If she started nitpicking now, it would seem like she was accusing the couple of not doing well enough.
She quietly went to the classroom where the children studied.
Unexpectedly, she found the classroom lit with lamps, and Lord Si was sitting by the firelight, flipping through the books on the lectern.
Just as she was about to speak, Dai Fangzhi also arrived.
Seeing Lord Si's interest in those books, he hurried forward to explain, "These poems and songs were all compiled by Miss Liu herself. Miss Liu's knowledge is profound—she is truly a rare talent in this world!"
Pfft!
Liu Qingxu almost burst out laughing.
To be honest, she felt a bit embarrassed. Because these poems and songs weren't actually composed by her—she was merely a 'transporter'!
Who could blame her when this otherworld didn't have the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, or Qing dynasties!
Yan Siyuan looked up, his gaze deep and complex as he stared at her, like two X-rays trying to see through her flesh and examine her internal organs clearly.
"You composed these?"
"Ahem!" Liu Qingxu couldn't help but cough dryly, then smiled slightly. "Just some clumsy poems, written for fun in my spare time. Please don't laugh."
Clumsy poems?
Yan Siyuan frowned. Each of these poems was exquisite, every line a masterpiece—how could they be called clumsy?!
Since when did Liu Jingwu's daughter possess such literary talent?
Why had such unparalleled talent never been discovered before?
"Well, it's getting late. I need to find a place to rest. I'm not sure if the inn is closed yet—I'll go check," Liu Qingxu quickly changed the subject, then said to Dai Fangzhi, "You and Sister Qiu have been worried for a whole day and night. Take tomorrow off—everyone should rest well."
"Miss Liu, don't worry. We'll take good care of the study hall. Such a thing will never happen again," Dai Fangzhi said, bowing to her with clasped hands.
"Then we'll be off. I have some other matters to attend to tomorrow, so I'll come see you all later," Liu Qingxu said. She walked over to the lamp, directly extinguished the flame, then groped in the dark to snatch the book from someone's hand and handed it to Dai Fangzhi.
Without caring whether that someone was willing or not, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside.
In the darkness, Yan Siyuan pressed his thin lips tightly together, his sharp gaze boring into the back of her head.
Just how many secrets did this woman have!
Outside the study hall, she saw Yu Hui and Jiang Jiu together.
Liu Qingxu stepped forward and asked Yu Hui, "Where the hell did you run off to all night?"
Yu Hui scratched the back of his head with a grin. "Miss Liu, Lord Si said he didn't want to stay at the temple anymore, so he had me book a few rooms at 'Fortune Inn' so everyone could rest after finishing their work."
Good heavens!
Just because she was going to Prince Zhen Manor to play thief, he had been busy at the manor all night!
Liu Qingxu glanced at Lord Si beside her.
She was grateful to him and his two servants. Even before she asked them to do anything, the three of them had voluntarily stepped up to assist her.
However, working alongside this man made her feel immense pressure. Even though he was supposed to be her helper, it felt as if he were the one leading.
She had no idea what this man's background was. He appeared to be in his early twenties, yet his composure was intimidating—especially that cold aura of his, carrying an invisible dignity and pressure. The more time she spent with him, the more she felt he was unfathomable.
She always wanted to keep her distance from him…
"Miss Liu, what should we do with Zhou San?" Jiang Jiu asked.
"Uh…" Liu Qingxu then remembered Zhou San's corpse. She furrowed her brows in thought for a moment before saying, "Summon that Chen Kui here and tell him the truth about Zhou San's cause of death. If the yamen doesn't believe Xiao An and the others' testimonies, then bring up Prince Zhen. I refuse to believe the yamen would still shield the criminal through favoritism. If they dare, I wouldn't mind personally twisting their heads off! Anyway, with Prince Zhen's token in hand, we can pull off a big one and then flee far away—no one can touch us!"
Yan Siyuan glanced sideways at her, feeling a surge of blood and qi in his chest, yet unable to spit it out.
Jiang Jiu and Yu Hui nearly burst out laughing. To avoid her noticing, they quickly responded and left, "Miss Liu, we'll go handle it right away!"
Once they were gone, Liu Qingxu glanced at the man beside her again.
"Is Lord Si's injury not serious?"
"Almost healed."
"That's good." Hearing his cold, stiff voice, Liu Qingxu rubbed her nose, feeling a bit like she was asking for trouble. Not wanting to continue the awkward conversation, she changed the subject. "Didn't you say you booked a room at the Fulai Inn? Let's go then!"
But after saying it, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Why did it sound like they were going to check into a room together…
Watching her walk away, the coldness in Yan Siyuan's eyes faded significantly, and the corners of his thin lips quietly lifted.
Liu Qingxu was a typical night owl, and with tonight's matter not fully resolved, she was even less likely to fall asleep.
Upon arriving at the Fulai Inn, she had the waiter bring some food to her room.
Yan Siyuan didn't stand on ceremony either and simply sat down in her room.
Having known each other for this period of time, this was the first time they were sharing a meal at the same table. Logically, finally enjoying a good meal should have made for a cheerful atmosphere, but as soon as Liu Qingxu looked up at the stern face across from her, the words on the tip of her tongue just wouldn't come out.
She simply focused on eating, chopsticks in her right hand and a chicken leg in her left, taking a bite of vegetables followed by a bite of chicken leg, munching away noisily.
Yan Siyuan didn't touch his chopsticks for a long time, merely staring at her exaggerated eating manners. Though there was no look of disdain in his eyes, there was a hint of seeing something bizarre.
"You truly don't wish to marry Prince Zhen?"
"Uh…" Liu Qingxu looked up, swallowed the chewed chicken leg meat in her mouth, then smiled indifferently. "I've never thought about getting married."
"What if Prince Zhen is a rare, good man?"
"Ah!" Liu Qingxu suddenly sighed. She knew they were curious about her marriage prospects, and it wasn't their fault for being nosy—after all, all the suitors who had proposed to her were noble figures. Anyone would be curious about her thoughts. "I know what I'm doing. Even if Prince Zhen truly is a rare, good man, he and I have no fate. If I really married him, I'd only hold him back."
"How so?" Yan Siyuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I have quite a few concerns; it's hard to explain." Liu Qingxu shrugged.
"Tell me."
Liu Qingxu had truly underestimated his nosiness. She had intended to roll her eyes at him, but after glancing at the pitch-black night outside the window, this long, drawn-out night was indeed hard to endure—especially when the man across from her wasn't speaking, the atmosphere was truly oppressive.
She set down her chopsticks and the half-eaten chicken leg, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe her hands, poured herself a cup of water, and after taking a sip, cradled the cup with a faint smile. "Not only am I suspicious by nature, but I’m also particularly narrow-minded. Look at the world we live in—anyone with a bit of status or position is surrounded by multiple wives and concubines. There are many couples who grow old together, but how many remain devoted and as deeply in love as they were at the beginning?"
"If Prince Zhen promised you unwavering devotion, what would you do?" Yan Siyuan’s eyes flickered with a hidden light. This woman didn’t want him, but what if he insisted?
"Heh!" Liu Qingxu chuckled softly as she stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky. A trace of melancholy surfaced in her eyes. "When I used to recite poetry, I’d just stare at the ceiling. Only now do I understand the helplessness of ‘raising my head to gaze at the moon, lowering it to think of home.’ What right does someone without a future have to talk of love?"
"Are you not from Yuyan Guo?" Yan Siyuan’s dark eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Liu Qingxu turned around and, seeing the astonishment in his eyes, realized she had said too much. Smiling, she returned to the table, picked up her chopsticks again, and began eating earnestly.
She had expected him to continue sitting there, watching her eat. To her surprise, after staring at her for a moment, he also picked up his chopsticks.
Compared to her, however, his table manners were exquisitely elegant, more pleasing to the eye than those deliberately posed for a photo. She suddenly felt like a rough brute, while he was the refined young lady raised in a secluded boudoir.
"Lord Si, I think from now on we should eat separately," she blurted out.
"Why?" Yan Siyuan paused mid-motion, chopsticks in hand, lifting his eyelids to fix her with a heavy gaze. He hadn’t even complained about her, yet she dared to complain about him?
"Eating with you makes me look like a starving ghost reincarnated."
"…" Yan Siyuan’s lips twitched sharply. At least she had some self-awareness!
"So, to avoid ruining your appetite, I won’t invite you next time we eat. And don’t worry about me—my schedule is irregular, with no fixed meals day or night. Just take care of yourselves." Liu Qingxu grinned.
"It’s fine, I don’t mind," Yan Siyuan lowered his eyes and continued eating.
"But…" Liu Qingxu’s grin stiffened. He didn’t mind, but she did! Eating across from an expressionless face felt like dining opposite a human-shaped statue—it was truly awkward. Still, she swallowed her words and forced a dry laugh. "Alright then, suit yourselves."
Yan Siyuan didn’t respond or speak again.
But once he started eating, Liu Qingxu suddenly noticed that every time she reached for a dish, he would follow suit and take from the same plate.
As she ate, her expression darkened.
What was this guy’s problem? Afraid of poison, so he waited for her to taste it first?
Didn’t he worry about eating her saliva?
Eventually, she simply picked up a plate, dumped its contents into her bowl, and pretended nothing had happened, lowering her head to wolf it down.
Yan Siyuan held his chopsticks, staring at the empty plate. "…"
At daybreak, Jiang Jiu and Yu Hui arrived.
Yu Hui handed her two heavy bundles. Liu Qingxu was pleasantly surprised—she hadn’t expected them to be so thoughtful, having packed her belongings from the temple for her, saving her the trouble of making another trip.
Jiang Jiu reported to her that Zhou San's matter had been handled, and the authorities would not pursue their killing.
Liu Qingxu did not doubt his ability to handle affairs, especially since they were operating under Prince Zhen's banner. She did not believe the authorities would dare to do anything to them. Even if the authorities discovered something amiss from Prince Zhen's side, they would have already fled by then.
After a busy night, she let the three servants rest first.
She slept from morning until noon.
Just as she was about to call the waiter to bring some food, the waiter suddenly knocked on her door, saying someone was looking for her.
Thinking it was Dai Fangzhi, she quickly opened the door.
However, upon clearly seeing the man outside, her face instantly turned pale.
The visitor was none other than Crown Prince Yan Rongxi!