Hearing this, Chen Yunfan’s smile vanished.

"You got hit too?"

Cui Qingwu nodded. "Elder Chang came by this morning. He confirmed my condition was the same as yours from the day before yesterday and brewed a medicinal soup using that same prescription."

Chen Yunfan turned away, speechless.

Any inclination he had to tease her evaporated at the thought of that bastard from the other night.

"So, do you know who he is?"

"I don’t."

Cui Qingwu paused, then continued, "But he should have some connection to the Xiao Family."

Chen Yunfan looked at her again. "The Xiao Family?"

Cui Qingwu adjusted her sleeve to cover her injured arm as she spoke.

"I believe so."

She then gave him a carefully selected account of what had happened the previous night.

Naturally, she omitted her and Huan’er’s true identities and purpose.

After listening, Chen Yunfan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Someone wanted to frame the Xiao Family for Liu Jing’s death, and he killed them?"

After a moment’s thought, he clapped his hands together. "That’s it. He’s definitely connected to the Xiao Family."

"Good, very good. That bastard drugged me, then he drugged you. He clearly doesn’t take us seriously at all."

Seeing this, a strange light flickered in Cui Qingwu’s eyes. She asked, "Where exactly were you drugged by him, Yunfan?"

"The West Market... hmm?"

Their eyes met. "We have to find him!"

"I’d like to see what kind of nerve he has to offend both the Chen and Cui Families!"

After speaking, Chen Yunfan and Cui Qingwu shared a knowing smile.

"It’s been so many years, Qingwu. You seem to have changed a bit."

"In what way?"

"I can’t quite put my finger on it. But you’re not as stiff and old-fashioned as when we were kids."

’Stiff and old-fashioned...’

The smile on Cui Qingwu’s face vanished. A little vexed, she turned away from him.

"If that’s the case, Yunfan, why don’t you go find a girl who isn’t ’stiff and old-fashioned’ to have breakfast with."

"Er..."

Chen Yunfan stared at her, dumbfounded. ’There shouldn’t have been anything wrong with what I just said,’ he thought.

’That was a compliment, wasn’t it?’

... 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Chen Yi was also up bright and early.

A night spent in Cultivation of the Four Symbols Skill left him feeling invigorated.

Even though the wounds on his arm and waist hadn’t fully healed, it didn’t hinder the progress of his Cultivation.

’Five days to advance from the Lower Stage of the Seventh Grade to the Middle Stage... the progress isn’t slow.’

Of course, he was only comparing himself to himself.

If an outsider found out someone had broken through a minor Realm within the Seventh Grade in just five days, they would probably try to hack him to death.

’I’ll aim to break through to the Middle Three Grades by the end of the month.’

With that thought, Chen Yi washed up and got dressed.

He then quietly buried the torn, bloodstained black clothes in the Purple Bamboo Forest before casually strolling back.

After Xiaodie helped Xiao Wuge and Pei Guanli get ready, the group ate breakfast together.

Though he had sustained some injuries last night, it didn’t affect Chen Yi’s appetite in the slightest.

As usual, he had four large steamed buns, two bowls of hot congee, and two portions of glutinous rice cakes, which left him about fifty percent full.

Xiao Wuge’s appetite was also quite good, but he seemed to have developed some sort of trauma, refusing to even glance in Pei Guanli’s direction.

Apparently, the Tiger Girl had already covered her congee with a thick layer of chili peppers.

In contrast to them, Xiaodie, who was usually a foodie, kept her head down the entire time, stirring her bowl of congee into a mush with her chopsticks.

Chen Yi saw this and chuckled inwardly.

’The little maid is still agonizing over what happened last night.’

After a moment, he looked out the window and said, "Xiaodie."

Xiaodie jumped. "Here!"

Chen Yi said leisurely, "I was just thinking about what we should have for lunch."

"How about hot pot?"

Xiaodie immediately looked up at him, her eyes already picturing a divided pot of spicy and numbing broth.

But before she could speak, Chen Yi shook his head. "No, no. It’s too hot today. It’s not a good day for something so spicy."

"Braised fish head? No, that doesn’t seem right either. A bit too bland."

"Or maybe beef and potato stew?"

"I heard yesterday that a tenant farmer on the fief accidentally worked an ox to death. How about we eat that?"

After hearing him list the dishes, Xiaodie’s attention was completely captured. She forgot all about last night’s embarrassing incident and nodded repeatedly.

"Young Master, that sounds great! Beef! We don’t get to eat beef very often."

When she met Chen Yi’s smiling gaze, her face flushed slightly, and she immediately lowered her head again.

"Y-Young Master, are you making fun of me?"

"Why would I make fun of you? It’s settled. Go tell the kitchen staff later that we’ll be having beef for lunch."

"Okay..."

Upon hearing this, Pei Guanli was about to raise her hand in agreement when she suddenly remembered she had to go out today, and her head drooped.

"Brother-in-law, I don’t want to go out anymore."

Chen Yi shook his head very seriously. "No, you do."

"..."

At his words, Pei Guanli could only muster a tragic expression and nod firmly. "I already promised Sister Tingyun and the others that we’d go to North City today."

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a little over half a month. We’re going to buy some things for the holiday."

"Sister Huatang and the others need to send things back to the Celestial Sect, and I need to send some things home too."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "You’re not going back to the Mountain Race for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Pei Guanli said nonchalantly, "It’s just Ah Ma at home. My brother went into the mountains to pay respects to Granny Shan. It would be lonely and boring if I went back."

Since she put it that way, Chen Yi didn’t try to persuade her further.

"There’s still some time. If you change your mind, you can still make it back."

"I know, Brother-in-law. Sometimes I feel like you’re just like my older brother."

"What?"

Seeing Chen Yi’s stern face, Pei Guanli stuck out her tongue and quickly scurried out of the room.

Not until she was near Jiaxing Garden did she shout from a distance, "Just like a little old man!"

After shouting, before Chen Yi could say anything, Pei Guanli was already laughing.

She skipped and hopped away.

Listening to the fading sound of her bell, Chen Yi couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

’Having this Tiger Girl around Spring Lotus Garden is quite lively.’

After breakfast.

Chen Yi couldn’t think of anything else to do for the moment, so he took Xiao Wuge to go fishing in the pavilion.

He hadn’t fished in a while and his hands were itching to try.

Even knowing he would likely catch nothing, he eagerly baited his hook and cast his line.

Xiao Wuge sat next to him on the pavilion railing and copied him, casting out his own line.

The once-calm pond instantly became lively.

To be precise, it was still quiet on Chen Yi’s side; the liveliness was all on Xiao Wuge’s.

He didn’t even have bait on his hook, yet the Golden Carp swarmed around it as if they were mad.

This delighted Xiao Wuge, who couldn’t stop grinning.

Chen Yi was used to this. He silently turned halfway, not even giving Xiao Wuge a sideways glance.

People’s joys and sorrows are not interconnected.

It was just like this moment: one person gets skunked, while another has a bountiful harvest.

Xiaodie brewed tea nearby as usual, watching the backs of the man and the boy while looking forward to the beef and potato stew for lunch.

But as she thought about it, her mind drifted back to last night’s events.

Her little face immediately felt like it was on fire, and her heart began to pound.

It was, for the most part, the shyness of a traditional and conservative girl in the presence of an outstanding man.

After a long moment, she finally calmed down and handed the teacups to Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge.

"Have some tea."

Chen Yi took a slurp, his eyes still fixed on the ripple-less surface of the pond, and muttered:

"Today, these fish... erm... this tea, is utterly tasteless."

Just as the three of them were comfortably enjoying the summer sun, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded from behind them.

Xiaodie turned around and exclaimed, "Sister Cui’er, what’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Cui’er arrived outside the pavilion. Looking at Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge, who had turned at the sound, she said breathlessly:

"Y-Young Master, it’s terrible."

"The Young Mistress, she... she’s sick."

Chen Yi frowned slightly, put down his fishing rod, picked up a nearby towel to wipe his hands clean, and asked:

"Did she catch a cold? Does she have a fever?"

"I think... I think so. Her forehead is very hot, and she’s coughing."

"Alright, I’ll go have a look."

Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie wanted to go too, but Chen Yi stopped them.

"Be careful not to catch it. You two stay here."

With that, Chen Yi followed Cui’er to Jiaxing Garden.

He had just reminded Xiao Wan’er yesterday to stay warm, and today she had a cold.

’It’s always the bad predictions that come true...’