Qin Qiwu coughed awkwardly and walked over to the two of them, then pulled a document from her bundle.
As she searched, she thought to herself:
This was perfect, of course.
She had already figured it all out. When the time came, Young Master Fu could simply return to the General’s Residence with Miss Ji. He shouldn’t be unwilling—he didn’t seem to dislike Miss Ji, and wherever Miss Ji went, he followed.
After finding the document, Qin Qiwu went to question the post-station officer.
She flipped to the transport roster inside. It listed the names and portraits of the people assigned to escort the shipment that day.
“Do you remember who it was?” Qin Qiwu asked softly.
Xu Ancheng also looked at him expectantly.
The post-station officer stared silently at the portraits. Who had drawn these? They were so perfunctory that anyone who could recognize a person from them had to be a true genius.
Qin Qiwu silently placed several pieces of silver on the counter. The post-station officer glanced at them and quickly stuffed them into his robes.
He was going all out!
The post-station officer narrowed his eyes at the portraits and muttered, “Big eyes… round face…”
This was simply asking the impossible. Why did everyone in the portraits have practically the same face shape?
He furrowed his brow tightly, staring intently at the three faces with an expression of utmost seriousness.
Finally, inspiration struck. He pointed excitedly at the portrait in the middle. “It’s definitely him—Zhou Cheng!”
Ji Zhaoxi was jolted awake by the post-station officer’s voice and looked at the excited man across from her.
Xu Ancheng was also somewhat worked up. “Are you sure it’s Zhou Cheng?”
The post-station officer nodded firmly. “Absolutely!”
“If it isn’t… ahem… then you officials can take your silver back.”
The post-station officer looked a little embarrassed. If he was wrong, there was nothing else he could do.
Xu Ancheng let out a sigh of relief. The clues were becoming clearer and clearer.
By the time they left the post station, it was nearly dark.
“Miss Ji, we’ll be able to solve this case very soon. We should be back in the capital before long.” Qin Qiwu couldn’t help laughing.
They had been here for quite some time. From their initial helplessness to having gathered so many clues now, every step had been difficult.
Yet hearing this, Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help worrying.
Once they reached the capital, her task would become even more arduous.
There were so many young ladies and young masters in the capital. Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng would start bickering again.
Fu Xianyan frowned when he saw Ji Zhaoxi looking so troubled. “What’s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?”
She didn’t seem to have eaten much today. Could she be hungry?
Xu Ancheng also looked over worriedly.
Ji Zhaoxi spoke solemnly. “But once we return to the capital, you two will start arguing again.”
Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng both let out an “Ah?” and stared at her, not quite understanding.
Ji Zhaoxi was filled with distress. “Once we’re back in the capital, Miss Qin and Young Master Xu, you’ll start getting jealous of each other again. How could I not worry?”
She had no idea how many people she had driven away in the capital.
Just Xu Ancheng’s female cousins and Qin Qiwu’s male cousins alone numbered in the dozens.
Where had all those cousins even come from? She had nearly met every relative those two had!
The close ones and the distant ones alike—she knew them all!
She couldn’t even keep track of all her own relatives.
Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng’s faces immediately flushed crimson.
Xu Ancheng waved his hands repeatedly. “So that’s what you were worried about, Miss Ji. I promise I’ll properly turn those people down. I absolutely won’t let Miss Qin feel hurt.”
Qin Qiwu said quietly, “Me too… Miss Ji, don’t trouble yourself…”
She had never expected that the person suffering most because of her relationship with Young Master Xu would be Miss Ji. It was truly embarrassing.
Ji Zhaoxi didn’t believe them at all.
Those two had made the same promises before, but the moment she left, they started acting awkward with each other again.
Neither of them knew how to talk things out. Whenever they had a disagreement, they turned into blocks of wood and stopped saying a word.
Several times, she had thought they would never speak to each other again for the rest of their lives.
Xu Ancheng decisively shifted the topic to Fu Xianyan.
“What about you, Young Master Fu? What do you plan to do from here?”
Qin Qiwu quickly followed up. “That’s right, Young Master Fu. Would you like to return to the capital with us?”
Ji Zhaoxi said nothing, but her ears quietly perked up.
Ahem. If Fu Xianyan had nowhere to go, she could kindly take him in and bring him along to eat.
The night breeze was a little chilly, and there were already very few people on the street. Fu Xianyan’s voice was faint.
“Thank you, Miss Qin and Young Master Xu, but I still have some matters to take care of.”
It was a refusal.
Qin Qiwu sighed regretfully and glanced at Ji Zhaoxi, who stood silently beside her.
Xu Ancheng was also somewhat surprised. He had assumed Young Master Fu would follow Miss Ji.
Ji Zhaoxi kept her head lowered, so Fu Xianyan couldn’t see her expression. He only felt his throat suddenly tighten.
He did indeed still have something to do—something he had no choice but to handle.
Ji Zhaoxi kicked at a stone on the ground, her brows drawing tightly together.
Since that was the case, she would have to buy a rope in advance!
The evening wind carried a hint of chill, stirring the leaves into a soft rustling. The shadows of the trees swayed gently across the ground.
The atmosphere grew somewhat quiet. Xu Ancheng was nearly too awkward to breathe.
His gaze kept drifting toward the two people beside him.
Should he say something to liven things up? Otherwise, this was far too awkward.
Xu Ancheng scratched the back of his head and smiled. “Young Master Fu, you’re not going with Miss Ji? Then… does that mean we’ll be parting ways?”
The atmosphere became even quieter.
Xu Ancheng coughed. Never mind. Perhaps he really should stop talking.
Qin Qiwu gathered her courage. This was when she needed to step in—for Miss Ji and Young Master Fu.
“Young Master Fu, when are you planning to leave? We could have a farewell dinner when the time comes.”
The atmosphere froze.
Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng exchanged a glance, then silently lowered their heads.
All right. As it turned out, neither of them was very good at easing awkward situations.
Just when they thought Ji Zhaoxi and Fu Xianyan would continue sitting in silence, Ji Zhaoxi spoke.
“Fu Xianyan, did I say you could leave? We saved your life. You have to come with us!”
Ji Zhaoxi’s tone was perfectly righteous.
Xu Ancheng and Qin Qiwu were stunned. They had never imagined the matter could be resolved this way.
Based on their experience, Miss Ji and Young Master Fu would remain silent for several days, refusing to speak to each other, and then launch into a bittersweet separation arc. After that would come a reunion, followed by more bittersweet angst, and finally they would reconcile.
In short, there would definitely be angst!
Neither of them had expected Ji Zhaoxi to be so direct.
Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t care less about all those unnecessary complications. When the time came, she would simply tie Fu Xianyan up and drag him back.
She wanted him to come back and play chess with her, to play with her. Since Fu Xianyan had fallen into her hands, how could she possibly let him leave whenever he pleased?
The bandit-like side of Ji Zhaoxi was beginning to show.
Fu Xianyan let out a laugh, his eyes curving. “Of course I’m going to follow Miss Ji. But I have to take care of those matters first. That way, I’ll be able to follow Miss Ji wholeheartedly.”
Though if she wanted to tie him up and drag him back, he would be perfectly willing.
Ji Zhaoxi immediately relaxed.
So that was what he meant. She had thought Fu Xianyan was trying to escape her grasp. That was something she absolutely could not allow!
Fu Xianyan followed at Ji Zhaoxi’s side, carrying Ji Zhaoxi’s sword, the sesame cakes she had just bought on the street, a lantern, a riding crop, her clothes…
Fu Xianyan, laden with big and small bags, looked utterly delighted, and Ji Zhaoxi was just as happy.
Xu Ancheng gazed at the human-shaped rack ahead of him, as if he had suddenly learned something.
