"Never seen her."
Chu Ruoyan dismissed the question with a disinterested wave before flopping onto the bed.
She truly couldn’t fathom Yan Zheng’s thoughts.
When she dealt with Hongxiu, he hadn’t said a word. But the moment she turned her attention to Lady Jiang the Younger, he stepped in to stop her…
And just now, she had even taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, yet he had simply walked away!
In her memories, he had always been eager for such moments.
Since when had he turned into some virtuous, untouchable saint?
While she was lost in thought, Nanny Zhou, who had been waiting for her to continue, finally spoke up after a long silence. "Young Miss, the Cao family sent word that your aunt, Lady Chu Jing, heard of your mishap and set out in her carriage this afternoon to visit you. But it’s been three hours now, and she still hasn’t returned. They sent someone to inquire."
"Oh, I see."
Her tone remained icy and indifferent. Nanny Zhou and Yulu exchanged glances, both visibly startled.
The implication was crystal clear—Chu Jing had come to visit but never arrived, likely encountering trouble along the way.
Yet Chu Ruoyan, who had always been closest to this aunt, now acted as if it were none of her concern.
Yulu stammered, "Y-Young Miss… aren’t you the least bit worried?"
"Worried? Why should I be? It’s not like my worry will bring her back." Chu Ruoyan sat up, puzzled by their horrified expressions. After a moment, it dawned on her. "Oh, because she’s my aunt, I’m supposed to worry—is that it?"
Yulu was too stunned to reply, tugging nervously at Nanny Zhou’s sleeve.
Nanny Zhou was equally shocked by the young miss’s sudden change in demeanor but managed to say, "Indeed. And given how close you’ve always been with Lady Chu Jing, it’s only natural…"
"So that’s how it is!"
Chu Ruoyan’s face lit up with realization.
No wonder Yan Zheng had stopped her from targeting Lady Jiang the Younger—she was her aunt, and they’d apparently gotten along well before…
So she couldn’t touch family. But outsiders were fair game, right?
She abruptly rolled off the bed. "Prepare the horses. We’re going out!"
Before Nanny Zhou and Yulu could react, she frowned and added, "Didn’t you say I wasn’t worried about her? Fine, let’s go find her now!"
Meanwhile, Yan Zheng headed straight for Tianyi Tavern.
Qin Yiru, who had just lain down, was yanked back up, fuming. "Can’t a man get any rest around here?! You—wait, you’re the Yan boy?"
Yan Zheng took a step back and clasped his hands politely. "Old Master Qin, I must ask again—is there truly no way to restore Ruoyan’s emotions?"
Qin Yiru rolled his eyes and pointed at Yun Lang, who had just emerged. "Ask him. His mother suffered even worse than your wife—fully afflicted by the 'Butterfly’s Dream of Zhuangzi,' stripped of all emotions and senses. It’s been over a decade, and there’s still no cure… Listen, Yan boy, your wife is already doing well. At least she can speak and smile. She hasn’t turned into a block of wood!"
Yan Zheng’s heart sank. Across from him, Yun Lang arched a brow with a smirk. "What’s this? Had a fight with your little blind wife? Knowing she lacks normal emotions, shouldn’t you be more accommodating? Or have you had enough and plan to abandon her?"
The last remark carried a veiled threat. Yan Zheng’s eyes narrowed. "That’s none of your concern, Pavilion Master."
He turned to leave, but Yun Lang barked, "Halt!"
Yan Zheng didn’t pause. Yun Lang’s voice turned icy. "Isn’t she fine as she is now? Why insist on dragging her back to the past?"
Yan Zheng finally stopped but didn’t turn around.
Yun Lang sneered at his back. "Yan the Third, you call yourself her husband, but do you truly understand whether she’s happy or not? From what I know, she spent years in the Chu household walking on eggshells, and in your Yan family, she’s had to weigh every step. Now, without emotions, she’s also free of worries. She does as she pleases—isn’t that better?"
The imperial chancellor finally turned, his ink-black eyes flickering with realization. "So, in your eyes, this is what ‘better’ looks like."
"What else? Her past self, bottling up every joy and sorrow, forced to shoulder the burdens of both the Chu and Yan families—was that better?" Yun Lang scoffed, his peach-blossom eyes filled with disdain. "If that’s the case, I’d rather her be as she is now. Even if she turns the world upside down, I’ll bear the consequences for her!"
The words dripped with ambiguity, almost as if he’d overturn the heavens for her sake.
In the past, Yan Zheng would have snapped back. But this time, he only studied Yun Lang intently. "Are you and Ruoyan related?"
Yun Lang’s pupils constricted. Even the drowsy Qin Yiru jolted awake. "Y-You—how did you—"
Before he could finish, Yun Lang stuffed a pastry into his mouth.
After a cold stare, Yun Lang said, "Whatever my ties to her, know this—the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion will always stand behind her."
Elsewhere, in front of Zhang’s Shop.
Xue Ling spotted Chu Ruoyan’s carriage from afar and rushed forward. "Thank goodness you’re here, cousin! It’s all my fault—I shouldn’t have let Mother go alone just because I wasn’t feeling well. Now she’s missing, and with her condition… if anything happens, I’ll never forgive myself!"
Chu Ruoyan raised a hand to cut her off. "Where did she disappear?"
Xue Ling blinked, then pointed dumbly. "There… in front of Zhang’s Shop…"
Chu Ruoyan strode over. The coachman who had driven Chu Jing’s carriage dropped to his knees with a thud. "It’s my fault! All my fault! I failed to protect the mistress! I deserve death, I—"
"Get to the point!" Chu Ruoyan rubbed her temples. What was wrong with these people? Did they think rambling would magically bring her aunt back?
The coachman stammered, "Y-Yes! We passed by this shop earlier, and the mistress said she wanted to buy some plum blossom cakes for you, Young Miss. I parked the carriage and went in to buy them. But when I came back… she was gone!"
"At first, I thought she’d stepped out for a stroll. But after half an hour, there was still no sign of her. I searched everywhere but found nothing, so I hurried back to report to the old madam."
Chu Ruoyan asked, "What about her maid?"
The coachman froze. "You mean Zhu’er? She’s missing too!"
Now this was interesting. Two grown women vanishing in broad daylight on a bustling street…
A smirk curled Chu Ruoyan’s lips as she whispered instructions to Nanny Zhou.
Nanny Zhou nodded. "I’ll handle it at once!"
Soon, she returned with a gong and struck it with a deafening clang.
The noise drew every passerby’s attention as she announced, "Listen well! Our mistress was last seen in front of this shop this afternoon. Anyone who can locate her will be rewarded with a gold ingot—no questions asked! Those who provide useful leads will receive a silver ingot!"
The street erupted.
A gold ingot could sustain an ordinary family for a year.
A silver ingot was equivalent to the harvest of an acre of fertile land.
Within moments, a crowd surged forward, and Nanny Zhou swiftly herded them aside for questioning.
Xue Ling watched with concern and said, "Will this really work? It feels like searching for a needle in a haystack..."
Chu Ruoyan didn’t respond. Her gaze fell on the shopkeeper who had just rushed out of Zhang's Shop, and with a pointed finger, she ordered, "Bring him here."
