When Yan Yuyao arrived, Zhan Xinjia was sitting in front of the lifted curtain, wearing an overcoat and gazing absently at the vast night snow.

The bright torchlight illuminated the snow on the ground, casting a soft, thin light on the profile of her face. She tilted her head, resting it against the curtain beside her, holding a cup of tea that was growing cold.

A biting north wind tousled a few strands of hair at her temples. She lowered her head, her eyelashes, gleaming with a pale gold sheen, lowered and slightly closed.

Occasionally, frost flowers would fall on her eyelashes, resembling cold branches.

Yan Yuyao was a little unaccustomed to Zhan Xinjia being so quiet. In his memory, this girl had always been lively, unruly, and infuriating. Now she seemed strangely quiet and pitiful.

He paused, instinctively glancing into the shadows of the path he had come from. Out of the corner of his eye, he could vaguely see a glimpse of a snow-blue robe—

Some people stand here for a long time, confined to day and night, covered in wind and snow.

She wanted to say something, but after a moment's thought, Yan Yuyao sighed inwardly and shook her head with a wry smile.

Forget it, what's it to him?

The soft rustling of footsteps on the snow startled Zhan Xinjia from her thoughts. She sat up straight, put down her teacup, pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, and went inside.

Although her face was still weak and pale, and she was getting thinner, her spirits had improved a lot.

Under the candlelight, her clear eyes were as bright as ever, shining brightly.

"Ahem... Please sit down."

He coughed a few times with his fist to his lips, and Zhan Xinjia poured him a cup of tea.

"When you insisted on coming to the mine with me last time, I wanted to ask you, did you come to Canghan City to find Yan Wuju?"

Although the three brothers don't seem to have a good relationship and each does their own thing, they are still blood relatives.

In her memory, or rather, according to the rumors she had heard, Yan Wuju seemed to be an unpredictable and wicked person. But it was understandable, after all, he had been imprisoned for so many years and his legs were crippled. It was normal for him to be a little twisted and abnormal.

That's why Zhan Xinjia had the preconceived notion that Yan Wuju and Mu Yunlan were accomplices.

After all, Pei Yi said that his mission was to overthrow the current Dasheng and support Yan Wuju to ascend the throne. As the biggest beneficiary of the incident, Yan Wuju had no reason to be innocent.

Moreover, he also has half of Nanjun blood, so Zhan Xinjia couldn't help but think of him as the perpetrator of the tragedy that happened to the Zhan family back then.

But why would Yan Wuju save her?

Yan Yuyao didn't expect her to ask this. He took a sip of tea, then crossed his legs and started shaking them in a very unseemly manner.

"I thought I had fooled you with that cool excuse last time. Oh well, after hearing that my strange older brother had disappeared from the capital, I decided to come and look for him."

After saying that, Yan Yuyao suddenly sat up straight, propped her head up with one hand, and looked sighing.

"How should I put it? Yan Wuju has always been a strange person since he was a child. He is aloof, taciturn, and has little presence."

Because he was half-Nanjun blood and his mother died early, he wasn't particularly favored by his father. His other brothers didn't interact with him much either; only my elder brother and I occasionally paid him any attention.

Not to mention that when Dasheng went to war with Nanjun, his awkward status was no different from that of a hostage.

After being placed under house arrest for several years and becoming crippled in both legs, he became even less talkative and would always sit alone in a corner, looking gloomy.

After I said that, do you think my brother Wang doesn't sound like a good person?

Actually, quite the opposite is true.

In my memory, Yan Wuju, apart from being a bit quiet and gloomy, has never actually done anything heinous. He just prefers to immerse himself in his own world.

There were rumors before that he was plotting a rebellion and trying to usurp the throne, but that's even more impossible. Yan Wuju actually dislikes the throne, or rather, he's indifferent to power and status.

If anything, things started to seem strange after the woman from Prime Minister Mu's family married into Prince Yan's household.

At this point, Yan Yuyao was also a little puzzled.

"Hey, I don't think Yan Wuju has any reason to like anyone!"

Moreover, the atmosphere during their wedding was very strange. He kept a cold face and didn't look at the bride once. The bride also forced a smile. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were having a ghost marriage.

I visited them again before leaving Beijing. I could only describe them as polite to each other, but they didn't seem to have much affection for each other.

I can even guarantee that it's absolutely impossible for Yan Wuju to join Mu Yunlan in rebelling against Nanjun! He has no interest whatsoever; he has no desire for it. For him, plotting to usurp the throne is far less enjoyable than fishing by the pond.

Upon receiving the letter, Jia frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

"So you suspect that Yan Wuju was coerced, which is why you came out to find him and ask him for an explanation?"

Oh dear... there's really no need to ask anymore, since Yan Wuju has been dead for many years and now all that's left is an empty puppet shell.

After all that, it turns out the villain she thought she was was just an autistic young man. It turns out Yan Wuju was also forced into love by "Pei Yi". Not only was Mu Yunlan kidnapped, but Yan Wuju was also in despair.

He wasn't with "Pei Yi" at all, which is why he followed his instincts to save her in the mine last time.

What he needs most is relief...

Having finally understood what she wanted to ask, Zhan Xinjia's mind stirred, and she suddenly winked mischievously at Yan Yuyao, resting her chin on her hand.

"How is my daughter? Is she still in Canghan? She didn't even make a fuss about wanting to go home?"

Before Yan Yuyao, who was troubled by this matter, could answer, a limping footstep came from outside the tent. Speak of the devil, and he appears. Cui Wanzhao had already stormed in angrily, leaning on her cane.

She launched into a tirade against Yan Yuyao.

"How many times have I told you! I want to go home! If you don't want to send someone back, I'll ask General Qu to find someone to take me. Are you sick in the head? You're actually secretly stopping General Qu's people."

Yan Yuyao didn't say anything, but went forward to help her.

"What are you doing wandering around outside in this heavy snow, you lame person? And you still want to go home like this? Forget riding a horse, even a carriage would shake your bones apart. Oh my god, can't you be quiet for a few days? Can't you take good care of your injury? I didn't say I wouldn't take you back."

"Take me back?!"

Cui Wanzhao stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "I don't want to go with you. You saved my life before, and I've repaid that debt. We have absolutely no connection now, so please don't try to get involved with me."

As she spoke, Cui Wanzhao nestled close to Zhan Xinjia, resting her head against the girl's soft, fragrant neck, looking like a little bird clinging to her, as if she couldn't be more aggrieved.

She mumbled in a sweet, low voice.

"Godmother, look at him!"

Zhan Xinjia looked at Yan Yuyao with a cold gaze that instantly turned icy, his eyes sharp and imposing.

"Um?"

Yan Yuyao: "..."

Fear.

He had no doubt that a powerful slap could strike his face at any moment.

No, he used to think he was so dashing and awesome, able to flirt with countless women without getting attached to them.

It seems the real master of picking up girls has someone else all along!

But Yan Yuyao was still unconvinced.