"Jiaojiao has disappeared and her whereabouts are unknown. Aren't you even a little bit concerned?"

Shen Qingcheng was furious, and the veins on his hands bulged as he barely managed to restrain the urge to make Shen Qingye suffer even more misery and injury.

"She's gone missing? How is that possible?"

Shen Qingye didn't believe it. "She ran away from Huguo Temple to Langya Pass and hasn't been home for more than half a year. She's probably just out having fun this time. Brother, don't worry for nothing and waste your time. I'm in so much pain. Why don't we find a doctor to take a look at me first, and then go pick up Yu'er? Maybe when we get back to Dayan, she'll be there too."

These words were truly chilling; even the eavesdropping waiter regretted reporting the news to Shen Qingcheng.

If I had known this would happen, I should have made Shen Qingye lie on the ground until he was completely unconscious!

Shen Qingcheng prided himself on being a calm and composed person, but at this moment, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Ah—Big brother! Why did you hit me too..."

"Don't hit me..."

"I want to tell my mother, ah..."

"I'm sorry... Ah!"

"Help! Ah..."

Amidst a series of piercing screams, Shen Qingcheng locked the door and turned to instruct the waiter.

"Find a doctor again in three days. He doesn't need to be cured in one go. Just make sure he doesn't die. On the tenth day, have him take Chenyu back to Great Yan."

The waiter stood ramrod straight: "Mission accomplished!"

嘿嘿嘿，谁不爱重新揍人上锁的大哥呢。

...

Since Shen Jiao disappeared, the Gu family has fallen into an unprecedented state of depression, and even the carp in the Green Lotus Pond have stopped swimming.

The servants no longer dared to gather in groups of three or five to chat.

Since a traitor was found in the household, Madam Gu has rigorously screened all the servants.

Mr. Gu and Gu An have not returned home for three days. Mrs. Gu has lost her appetite and cannot sleep.

She looked at the empty seats, took a sip of soup, and lost her appetite.

"Granny Xi, tell someone to remove the meal."

"Madam, your health is your most important asset. You haven't been eating properly for the past few days. How can you endure this? Please eat something more," said Granny Xi with great concern.

She was afraid that before the princess returned, the lady would ruin her health.

"I can't eat without Jiaojiao."

Madam Gu shook her head. Due to lack of rest, her face was extremely haggard, her eyes were red, and she felt very guilty.

“Granny, the thought of Jiaojiao’s current situation breaks my heart. If… if I had been a little more careful that day and had a guard with me, this wouldn’t have happened, and she wouldn’t have been kidnapped by the thieves.”

It's not scary to encounter unexpected situations; what's scary is realizing afterwards that you could have avoided them.

“This is not your fault, madam.”

Granny Xi watched Madam Gu grow up, and she felt bad when her mistress was sad.

The princess was endearing; although she was not related to the Gu family by blood, she genuinely treated him as her young master.

"It's just that the thieves were too cunning. Don't worry, Madam. Master, Young Master, and Young Master Ji will definitely bring the Princess back safely. The Princess will be alright."

Madam Gu forced herself to pick up a piece of her daughter's favorite fried chicken leg, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Granny, they say that after hardship comes happiness. Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao has finally been able to live a more comfortable life..."

After searching for three days without success, Master Gu and Gu An guessed that Shen Jiao was not in Shengcheng.

The father and son dared not waste any time. After sending someone back to the mansion to deliver the message, they led a group of secret guards and rode at full speed in the general direction in which the thieves had fled.

...

Heading north from Shengcheng is the fastest way to cross the southern border, but it's not a wide, official road; instead, it's a maze of winding, crisscrossing paths.

Most of the time there was no road, with a bottomless abyss on one side and steep cliffs on the other. Iron cavalry galloped forward, relying on their iron hooves to trample through the dense bushes and grass, trying to find a shortcut.

Three days later, at dusk, the tyrant and his entourage finally ended their arduous journey and arrived at a small town.

The Dragon Shadow Guards returned after searching around the town.

"Your Majesty, your subordinate has discovered another earring in the southwest."

The guard presented Ji Yan with a silver moon flower-shaped openwork jade earring.

Along the way, they sometimes found small pearls on hairpins, gemstones on shoes, or even a handful of caramel-flavored melon seeds.

The guards couldn't help but admire Miss Shen's intelligence; if she hadn't left traces along the way, they wouldn't have been able to catch up so quickly.

Ji Yan took the earrings and placed them in a small bamboo basket, which contained tokens that the hamsters had stripped naked from head to toe to offer.

At this moment, another bodyguard returned from the search.

However, he also captured two men in black, both wearing ghostly masks.

"Your Majesty, your subordinates have apprehended two loiterers. It seems that Miss Shen did indeed pass through this area."

Ji Yan raised her hand and crushed the two heads of the man in black. The guards immediately took out a water bottle and helped the tyrant wash his hands.

He wiped the water stains clean and said coldly, "Advance rapidly to the southwest."

Shen Jiao was completely unaware of all the chaos that had occurred; she only hoped that Ji Yan could discover the mark she had left behind.

Before leaving home, she was Princess Mingle, dressed in designer brands and adorned with gold and silver.

After leaving the house, she was a penniless, destitute beggar who couldn't even find a single melon seed to buy.

That day, the man in black tried to cut off her leg, but fortunately, he was stopped by another accomplice. The reason was roughly as follows—

The client insisted on keeping her alive. This woman looked badly injured and barely alive; with her leg broken, she would likely die.

As it turns out, although Party A has high demands and many trivial matters, sometimes, they will inadvertently provide Party B with a small amount of security.

Shen Jiao's long, slender, white legs were saved.

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