Zhang Fang keenly sensed this, and he quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and decisively covered Li Huai'an's mouth.

Li Huai'an's attention was completely focused on the two people in the room. He didn't notice Zhang Fang's sudden attack at all, and before he even had a chance to react, he lost consciousness and fainted.

Zhang Fang laboriously dragged Li Huai'an into an empty room next door.

When Li Huai'an woke up, still feeling dizzy, he was somewhat annoyed.

He was about to confront Zhang Fang when he suddenly realized that if he impulsively barged into the room, what could he possibly change?

He could even guess what his father would say: "An'er, I'm just playing along with them. It's normal for a man to occasionally pick some wildflowers along the way and enjoy them."

If he showed even the slightest dissatisfaction, his father would say, "An'er, think about it. If your father didn't hold the position of Duke, would your official career have been so smooth and unobstructed? Would your mother have been able to be such a comfortable Duchess?"

Thinking about all this, Li Huai'an felt as if his heart was tightly tangled in a mess, making it hard to breathe.

He sat on the bed in agitation. Although there was a faint scent of incense burning in the room, the fragrance only made him feel more restless and uneasy.

Right now, he absolutely couldn't bring it up with his father, nor could he tell his mother about it. Fortunately, the household finances were still in his mother's hands, and his father needed to report to her before withdrawing money.

After some thought, he decided to subtly hint to his mother to investigate where his father's money had gone.

Li Huai'an suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. He looked up and saw that the person was Zhang Fang, who had drugged him.

He immediately stood up, bowed respectfully, and said in a low voice, "Thank you very much, Uncle Zhang. If it weren't for your quick thinking, I'm afraid I would have done something wrong."

“Huai’an, there’s no need to be so formal with Uncle Zhang.” Zhang Fang held the scroll and tea he was going to give to Bai Wei.

He handed the things to Li Huai'an, glanced at the next room and said, "Your father has been gone for a while. He should be back at the manor by now. It's getting late. Take your things and go home quickly so your mother won't worry."

Li Huai'an gratefully accepted the gifts and followed Zhang Fang out of the Cangchun Tower.

Zhang Fang waved to the beggar squatting in the corner, and the beggar immediately darted around the corner. A short while later, a sedan chair appeared in front of Li Huai'an.

He looked at Zhang Fang with a puzzled expression.

"Uncle Zhang, what's this?"

"Let's go back in a sedan chair," Zhang Fang gently patted Li Huai'an's shoulder and explained, "A horse-drawn carriage is too noisy; a sedan chair is much quieter at night."

Li Huai'an suddenly realized that Zhang Fang didn't want anyone to know what he had given him.

He thanked Zhang Fang, bowed his head, and climbed into the sedan chair.

When he returned to the mansion, it was nearly 9 PM. Instead of going to the main courtyard to find his mother, he quietly took his things and went to the Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

The Pear Fragrance Courtyard was pitch black. Li Huai'an thought to himself that Zhao Rou must have waited and waited for him for a long time without seeing him, and then mistakenly thought that he had gone to someone else's room, so she turned off the lights and went to rest.

When he sneaked into the house in the dark, Le Kui, who was on night watch, heard the noise.

Thinking a flower thief had broken into the courtyard, she grabbed a handful of peaches and used all her strength to hit Li Huai'an.

With a crisp sound, the tea canister that Li Huai'an was carrying fell to the ground and shattered as he dodged Le Kui.

Li Huai'an's face immediately turned ashen.

"Le Kui, I am Li Huai'an!" he said angrily in a low voice.

"Sir! Please forgive me! I thought he was a womanizer!"

Le Kui exclaimed in surprise, quickly dropped the peaches in her hand, and took a tinderbox to light the candlestick.

Zhao Rou, who was inside, also heard the commotion outside. She had already put on a gauze robe over her undergarments, and was tightly holding a jade pillow in her hands, watching the doorway warily.