The two shouted louder and louder, attracting the curious gazes of the passing maids and servants.

Despite the pain in her chest, Shen Qing stepped forward and pulled the two people away, saying, "Let's go! We'll talk about it when we get back!"

Qi Zhenheng forcefully shook off Cheng Zhiwen's hand that was twisting his collar, picked up the oil-paper umbrella from the ground, and helped Shen Qing walk forward.

Cheng Zhiwen stood there for a while, watching their figures, before following them back into the courtyard.

Shen Qing led Qi Zhenheng into the house, and as soon as they sat down, he asked anxiously, "Brother, is there still any chance for me to overturn the case?"

After she finished speaking, she noticed the raindrops on his melon-shaped hat, got up, went to open the wardrobe door, took a clean towel, and wiped it off for him.

When Cheng Zhiwen entered the room and saw this scene, her face instantly darkened. She closed the door, walked to the sofa, and sat down, her eyes fixed on Shen Qing, who was wiping Qi Zhenheng's hat.

His hands, which were placed at his sides, clenched into fists.

Qi Zhenheng said, "When I went to the capital that time, I met with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. I guess they were actually aware that this defeat had nothing to do with the Gao family's military supplies, but if they didn't execute the Gao family, they would have to execute the generals on the front lines. In recent years, there have been constant provocations from foreign enemies on the border, and the court would certainly be reluctant to execute the generals, so they could only take action against the Gao family."

Shen Qing calmly said, "So the soldiers on the front lines didn't actually have diarrhea; they just wanted to use me as a scapegoat."

Qi Zhenheng nodded gravely: "I sent people to the military camp to investigate, and there was no case of mass diarrhea."

Cheng Zhiwen smiled sarcastically: "So there was no case at all, so how can there be an overturning of the case? If the Qing court wanted someone to die, they would just issue an imperial edict, and that person would die. There was no need to reason with them."

Shen Qing was in despair.

Qi Zhenheng said urgently, "Qing'er, come with me, let me protect you..."

Shen Qing shook her head: "No need, I don't want to be a burden to you."

Qi Zhenheng softened his tone: "So what are your plans for the future?"

“Brother Qi,” Shen Qing looked at him with red eyes, “tell me, do I still have a chance to go back to Jiangzhou in this lifetime, a chance to be Shen Qing again?”

Qi Zhenheng remained silent.

Shen Qing found out.

There are still nearly twenty years until the Qing government collapses. In these twenty years, she can only be a "dead person".

Shen Qing smiled weakly: "Since there is no hope of overturning the case, I will hide in the Cheng family for a while. After the storm passes, I will go to the countryside where no one knows me and find a place to live to spend the rest of my life."

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhenheng looked towards the inner room.

On the large bed, two sets of men's and women's pajamas were lying on top of each other; under the bed were two pairs of slippers.

There was only one bed in the whole house, so it was easy to guess that Shen Qing slept in the same bed as Cheng Zhiwen while living in the Cheng family home.

Qi Zhenheng looked at Shen Qing with anguish and pleaded, "Qing'er... come with me, I'll find you a place to hide..."

Shen Qing looked at him and also recalled the days they worked together at the Weaving Bureau over the past four years.

She wanted to go with Qi Zhenheng; she didn't want to live in the Cheng family's house. But she couldn't; she couldn't be a burden to Qi Zhenheng.

She couldn't be a burden to Cheng Zhiwen; she had to walk alone.

The thought of the lonely days of hiding and wandering that awaited him for the next twenty years caused Shen Qing great pain.

This pain made her miss and cherish these old friends even more.

She hugged Qi Zhenheng sadly and cried, "Brother, let's reunite in twenty years."

Qi Zhenheng also hugged her, tears streaming down his face.

Cheng Zhiwen watched silently, clenching her fists.

With a loud bang, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Cheng Zhiwu strode in, but stopped when he saw Qi Zhenheng, feigning surprise: "Lord Qi has arrived?"

Qi Zhenheng released Shen Qing and looked at Cheng Zhiwu: "Brother Zhiwu, it's been a long time."

Cheng Zhiwen frowned and stood up, asking with displeasure, "What is it, elder brother?"

Cheng Zhiwu smiled and said, "You received several cash payments last month, but the accounts don't match up, so I came to check them with you."

At this moment, Jiang Shen and Zi Yan rushed in from outside: "I'm sorry, Mr. Cheng, we told the young master that you were receiving guests and it was inconvenient for you to come in. The young master, he..."

Cheng Zhiwu turned his head and gave Ziyan and Jiang Shen a fierce look.

Zi Yan was startled and lowered her head.

Cheng Zhiwen stood up and walked towards Cheng Zhiwu: "What accounts don't match? Let me take a look with you."

After saying that, he gave Jiang Shen a look, then pulled Cheng Zhiwu away from the room.

Jiang Shen sent Zi Yan and the other maids to another place, while he stood guard at the door, which remained open.

Qi Zhenheng looked at Shen Qing: "Does Cheng Zhiwu often barge into your room like this?"

Shen Qing looked embarrassed: "A few times."

Qi Zhenheng stared intently at the doorway, lost in thought. After a moment, he pulled Shen Qing to her feet and said, "Come on! You're coming with me today! The Cheng family isn't safe!"

Shen Qing refused again.

Qi Zhenheng kept trying to persuade her until Cheng Zhiwen returned.

The three of them ate lunch with their own thoughts on the matter. Shen Qing's chest pain worsened, and she couldn't finish her meal. Cheng Zhiwen and Qi Zhenheng helped her to bed to rest.

In the afternoon, the doctor came, took Shen Qing's pulse, and prescribed medicine.

Cheng Zhiwen and Qi Zhenheng escorted the doctor to the courtyard.

Qi Zhenheng asked anxiously, "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The doctor stroked his goatee and said, “I told you last time that the patient is extremely weak and his pulse is almost undetectable. You still made him go out and run around, which will inevitably deplete his body day by day and eventually lead to an irreparable situation.”

Cheng Zhiwen had always been aware of Shen Qing's physical condition, and he immediately realized that it was because he and Qi Zhenheng had argued in the garden earlier, that Shen Qing had fallen and gotten caught in the rain, which caused her health to suddenly deteriorate.

He remained silent, secretly resolving never to let Shen Qing's emotions fluctuate again.

Qi Zhenheng, however, was unaware of Shen Qing's health problems. Hearing the doctor's words, he became even more anxious: "Doctor, she's always been in good health, how could she suddenly become like this? Is it because... she had a difficult time for a month..."

The doctor said, "This didn't happen in just a month or two; it's a chronic condition, with the seeds of infection sown at least five years ago. If the patient doesn't take better care of themselves in the future..."

The doctor shook his head and sighed, "His life is in danger..."

Qi Zhenheng was so shocked that he took several steps back, his eyes red as he looked at Shen Qing inside the room.

She leaned against the headboard, her face pale and gloomy, looking as weak as a porcelain doll that might break at any moment.

"You see why I was so against you taking her away, right?"

Cheng Zhiwen appeared behind him at some point, also looking at Shen Qing in the room.

"Before you came today, she lived in my courtyard, well cared for and undisturbed, living a comfortable and peaceful life. But as soon as you arrived, you wanted to take her away and started arguing with me. How could she not break down?"

Qi Zhenheng snapped out of his daze, turned to look at Cheng Zhiwen, and said resolutely, "I can give her a comfortable life too! Wait two days, until she recovers, and then I'll take her away!"

Cheng Zhiwen narrowed her eyes: "Then don't blame me for being impolite!"