"General Changning?!" The leader’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. His legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling like a reed in the wind: "General... General Xiao! I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please forgive me for offending your people!"
Xiao Yu let out a cold snort, his tone laced with bone-chilling frost: "Get out!"
The men, as if granted a reprieve, scrambled away, not daring to even look back, as if a demon were chasing them.
Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief. She tucked away her dagger and offered a slight bow to Xiao Yu, her tone tinged with gratitude: "Thank you, General Xiao, for your intervention."
Xiao Yu glanced at her, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny: "Miss Shen, why are you here?"
Shen Qing smiled faintly, her voice calm: "I came out to handle some matters. I didn't expect to run into trouble."
Xiao Yu’s brow furrowed, his voice laced with displeasure: "This is no place for you. Go back at once."
Shen Qing shook her head, her tone resolute: "General Xiao, I have urgent matters to attend to. I cannot leave yet."
Xiao Yu’s expression darkened, his voice sharp with interrogation: "What matter could possibly be more important than your own safety?"
Shen Qing was about to answer when Qing'er tugged on her sleeve, whispering: "Miss, the villa outside the city is still an hour away, and it’s getting late. We..."
Hearing this, Shen Qing felt a stir. She looked up at Xiao Yu, a flash of craftiness in her eyes: "General Xiao, since you have time today, why not do me one more favor?"
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow, his tone wary: "What kind of favor?"
Shen Qing smiled slightly, her tone pleading: "I need to get to the villa outside the city, but it is quite a distance, and walking will surely take too long. Would you be willing to give me a ride on your horse?"
Xiao Yu’s expression stiffened. "Miss Shen," he replied coldly, "it is improper for a man and a woman to have such close contact. This is inappropriate."
Shen Qing blinked, her tone innocent: "General Xiao, if you save a life, you must see it through to the end. Since you’ve already saved me, why not help me a little more? Besides, I am but a weak woman—traveling alone is truly dangerous. Surely you wouldn't want to see me run into more thugs?"
Caught off guard by her display of innocence, Xiao Yu was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he said coldly: "Miss Shen, you are quite the schemer."
Shen Qing chuckled softly, her tone playful: "You flatter me, General."
Just as Xiao Yu turned to leave, Ziyu suddenly leapt from his shoulder onto Shen Qing, biting the hem of her skirt and refusing to let go.
Xiao Yu frowned and scolded in a low voice: "Ziyu, come back!"
Ziyu acted as if it hadn't heard him, clinging to Shen Qing and even rubbing its head against her arm, as if begging for affection.
Shen Qing couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to tap Ziyu’s head lightly: "Ziyu, you really are a rascal."
Seeing this, Xiao Yu’s expression darkened further, his tone tinged with helplessness: "This beast is acting quite strangely today."
Shen Qing blinked, her tone teasing: "General Xiao, it seems Ziyu has chosen me. It doesn't even want you, its master, anymore."
Xiao Yu let out a sharp snort, his tone warning: "Miss Shen, please conduct yourself with dignity."
Finally, with a resigned sigh, Xiao Yu climbed onto his horse and reached out a hand toward Shen Qing: "Get on."
Shen Qing smiled faintly, grasped Xiao Yu’s hand, and vaulted onto the horse. Her movements were as light as a swallow, as if she were well-accustomed to riding. A flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Yu’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Qing'er, go back to the estate first and wait for my news," Shen Qing said.
Qing'er nodded, her eyes full of worry: "Miss, please be careful."
Shen Qing waved her hand to reassure her. Xiao Yu pulled the reins, and the black horse bolted forward like an arrow released from a bow.
On the horse, Shen Qing pressed close to Xiao Yu’s back, the wind whistling in her ears. She tilted her head slightly to look at his stern profile, wondering to herself: Why would Xiao Yu be here? Could he be investigating something too?
Seeming to notice her gaze, Xiao Yu said coldly: "Miss Shen, have you seen enough?"
Shen Qing chuckled, her tone teasing: "Since you are so handsome, General, surely a few extra looks are not too much to ask?"
Xiao Yu frowned, his tone warning: "Miss Shen, please conduct yourself with dignity."
Shen Qing pouted and said nothing more. She knew that Xiao Yu was a cold-hearted man; he was not someone easily moved.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at the villa outside the city. Xiao Yu pulled the horse to a stop and said coldly: "We’re here."
Shen Qing jumped down and gave Xiao Yu a faint smile: "Thank you for the ride, General."
Xiao Yu looked at her, his voice detached: "Miss Shen, this place is remote. As a woman traveling alone, what exactly is your business here?"
Shen Qing’s eyes flickered, her tone meaningful: "If you are curious, General, why not come inside and see for yourself?"
Xiao Yu’s brow furrowed, and just as he was about to refuse, he heard a commotion coming from within the villa. His expression sank; he dismounted and whispered: "Let’s go. Let's take a look."
A hint of a smile touched Shen Qing’s eyes as she followed Xiao Yu into the villa.
The estate was in ruins, overgrown with weeds. Several dilapidated huts stood crookedly, as if ready to collapse at any moment. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the occasional caw of a crow made the place seem eerily grim.
Xiao Yu frowned, asking in a low voice: "Miss Shen, what is your true purpose in coming to such a place?"
Shen Qing smiled faintly, her tone mysterious: "You will know soon, General."
As they spoke in hushed tones, a low, sobbing sound drifted over from nearby.
Shen Qing’s eyes sharpened. Following the sound, she saw a woman in ragged clothes crouching before a broken hut, using a faded handkerchief to wipe down a rickety wooden table.
"Aunt Cuier?" Shen Qing called out softly, as if afraid to disturb something.
The woman jerked her head up. Her clouded eyes filled with panic, as if she had been gripped by some terrifying specter.
Her lips trembled, and her voice was hoarse and broken: "Who... who are you? Don't come closer... don't come closer..."
Shen Qing’s heart sank. The Aunt Cuier before her was no longer the gentle, capable maid she remembered; her eyes were unfocused, and her face was etched with the ravages of time and deep, ingrained fear.
Shen Qing stepped forward slowly, her tone gentle: "Aunt Cuier, it’s me—Shen Qing, the eldest daughter of the Shen family."
At these words, Cuier’s expression shifted violently, and the handkerchief dropped from her hand.
"Eld... Eldest Miss?" she stammered, her voice shaking. "How did you come to be here?"
Shen Qing knelt down and took Cuier’s calloused hands into her own: "Aunt Cuier, I have come today to ask you about my mother."