Chen Jiu was startled by her words. "Don’t be ridiculous! How could that be possible?"

But inside, his heart leaped into his throat, because he’d had the exact same thought just a moment ago.

"But they both have the surname Zhi, and they look so alike..." Miss Liu frowned.

Chen Jiu suppressed the storm raging in his heart and said sternly, "But didn’t you say his wife died long ago? How could he have a daughter that old?"

"That’s true. His wife died in childbirth and didn’t have any children. He won’t even look at me, so it’s even less likely another woman would have had the chance to bear his child." Miss Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Jiu changed the subject. "Your brother is a Water Bandit Leader, after all. He has so many men under him. Does he usually live in such a shabby place?"

Hearing this, Miss Liu said, a bit upset, "This is the place where he and his late wife used to live. Whenever he’s in Yangzhou, my brother always comes back here."

"So you’re saying this is the only place your brother stays in Yangzhou?" Chen Jiu asked nonchalantly.

"Of course not..." Miss Liu said, then suddenly realized. "Chen Jiu, are you trying to trick information out of me?"

"Why would I trick you? I was just asking casually. Besides, given our relationship, would you really keep things from me?" Chen Jiu cleverly retorted.

"That’s true. You gave up everything to be with me." Miss Liu’s suspicions were dispelled.

Chen Jiu was secretly relieved.

’They say a pregnant woman’s mind slows down. It seems to be true.’

He cleared his throat and asked, "So what are your plans now? Are you still going to look for your brother?"

Miss Liu gave a bitter smile. "Why would I look for him? He wants to kill me and my child."

"That’s true. Who needs a man? You have silver, anyway," Chen Jiu nodded in agreement.

"I can do without other men, but Chen Jiu, I’ve discovered I can’t live without you." Miss Liu looked at him and said earnestly, "No man has ever been this good to me."

’He made me chicken soup with his own hands, betrayed his master for my sake, and just now, he even got hurt by my brother trying to save me.’

Chen Jiu: "..."

He averted his gaze. "I’m going out to buy some food. Wait here for me."

Miss Liu happened to be hungry, so she didn’t suspect a thing. She nodded. "Then hurry back."

...

Zhi Wan and Lady Wei had boarded the ship, ready to return to the Capital City.

After their luggage was stowed away, Zhi Wan left the cabin with Shuang’er to go talk with Lady Wei.

Lady Wei had also settled in. Seeing Zhi Wan arrive, they went up to the deck together for some fresh air.

They had just reached the deck when they saw a commotion on the docks. A group of Government Officials and guards in smart uniforms were searching the ships one by one.

Before long, the group of men dressed as guards arrived at their ship.

Lady Wei and Zhi Wan recognized the guards as their own household’s. They quickly called Jiang Shi over to ask what was happening.

Soon, Jiang Shi returned with news.

"Madam, Miss, they say a fugitive wanted by the Court may have boarded this ship. They are here on the Princely Heir’s orders to arrest the fugitive."

Hearing there might be a wanted fugitive on board, Lady Wei and Zhi Wan were both startled. "What kind of fugitive?"

"I’m not sure of the details, but they said the Princely Heir has come as well. It must be a very important fugitive wanted by the Court," Jiang Shi replied.

"Ah Zhan came to Yangzhou too?" Lady Wei was stunned.

Her son had said he had official business to attend to and had no time to accompany them to Yangzhou. Yet, only a day later, he had come to Yangzhou himself.

’But this just goes to show how important the fugitive must be.’

"Then what should we do? Will the ship still set sail? We need to get back to the Capital City today." Lady Wei was growing anxious. They were traveling on someone else’s ship, and with a scare like this, the ship’s owner might decide to change their departure time.

"If they search and don’t find the fugitive, the ship should still set sail. I will negotiate with the ship’s owner when the time comes," said Jiang Shi.

Lady Wei nodded and said no more.

When the ship’s owner learned that a fugitive wanted by the Court might be hiding on his vessel, and seeing that other ship owners were already cooperating with the government officers’ search, he certainly didn’t dare to obstruct them.

A short while later, the guards began searching the cabins one by one.

They searched all over the ship, both on deck and below, but found nothing. The guards had no choice but to disembark and search the other ships.

"Everything is fine now. Madam and Miss, please return to your cabins to rest. I’ve spoken with the ship’s owner; he says we will set sail shortly," Jiang Shi said.

Upon hearing this, Lady Wei and Zhi Wan returned to their respective cabins.

Jiang Shi and the other guards stood watch outside their two cabins.

After entering her cabin, Zhi Wan sat by the window in a daze.

After a while, she felt a bit stuffy and decided to open the window for some air.

The moment she opened the window, a figure swiftly darted inside.

She was about to scream when a hand clamped around her throat.

"Don’t scream, or I’ll kill you!" The intruder’s voice was ice-cold and filled with killing intent.

Zhi Wan froze in fear, and Shuang’er, who was beside her, also started to panic.

But when they got a clear look at the intruder’s face, the mistress and maid cried out at the same time, "Father!"

"Master!"

The intruder froze, his gaze sweeping over the two of them.

When he saw Zhi Wan’s face, the intruder was astonished. "It’s you!" His grip on her throat loosened slightly.

Meeting the girl’s eyes, which were filled with filial devotion, he paused and then said, "I’m not your father."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan snapped back to her senses and studied the middle-aged man before her.

This man looked exactly like her father, but his eyes held no warmth, and his tone was cold and world-weary. Her father, however, was a very gentle man who always spoke softly. Besides their identical appearances, their auras were completely different.

"Who are you?" Zhi Wan murmured.

The man didn’t speak, but the hand that had been gripping her throat was now lowered.

Zhi Wan suppressed her panic. Noticing his pale complexion, she said, "Please, sit down and rest for a moment."

"You’re not afraid of me?" the man asked, taken aback.

"If you hadn’t saved me at the restaurant yesterday, I wouldn’t be standing here unharmed. In any case, I know you won’t hurt me," Zhi Wan said with conviction.

Hearing this, the man said nothing more and sat down in a chair.

He seemed to want to take off his outer robe, but out of consideration for the two young women, he forced himself to resist the urge.

Zhi Wan poured him a cup of tea. "Please drink, Sir."

The man glanced at her, took the cup, and drank a few sips.

"Are you my father’s brother?" Zhi Wan asked tentatively.

’That’s the only way to explain why this man looks exactly like my father.’

’He and Father are probably twins.’

Just as the man was about to speak, there was a sudden knock on the cabin door.

Zhi Wan’s heart leaped into her throat. "Who is it?"

"It’s me." A low, familiar male voice sounded from outside.

’It’s my cousin!’

Zhi Wan was astonished.

Just as she was wondering what to do, the man darted out the window and quickly vanished from sight.

Zhi Wan breathed a sigh of relief. She composed herself before personally going to open the door.

Lu Zhan was indeed standing outside.

The moment she saw her cousin, Zhi Wan’s heart suddenly clenched with nervousness. She wrung her fingers and called out softly, "Cousin."

"What took you so long to open the door, Cousin? What were you busy with?" Lu Zhan’s gaze landed on her face, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.