Now I know why Guanyin has a thousand hands: because two hands aren't enough to fan her.

The restaurant was bustling with activity.

A man wearing a straw hat listened to the sounds coming from the private room and gently knocked on the door: "Madam Ye, is that carriage in the northeast corner of the backyard, the one with the character 'Ye' on it, yours?"

Through the door and window, the woman spoke: "What is it?"

The man smiled and said, "That carriage was hit by a drunkard. The horse is almost dead."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man turned around and quickly went downstairs. He disappeared in no time.

Ye Qingzhou opened the door, wanting to ask for clarification, but couldn't find anyone. She was in a hurry to leave, but worried that Jiang Jinghong wouldn't be able to find her when he returned with his purchases. So she borrowed paper and pen from the waiter, left a note, and hurried downstairs.

Walk through the bustling lobby and head towards the quiet backyard.

This is one of the best restaurants in the city, and the backyard is spacious with several carriages parked there.

Why is it so quiet? Utterly quiet. Ye Qingzhou could only hear her own footsteps, one after another, pattering.

Northeast corner. It's over there.

Huh?

Ye Qingzhou thought he was seeing things and took two more steps forward. The carriage was perfectly fine, wasn't it? The white horse was still alive too.

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her, and a soft laugh came from the person: "The driver of this car is indeed a woman."

What happened to the female car owner?

Ye Qingzhou turned around and saw a man wearing a bamboo hat, which concealed his face. He was dressed in hemp clothing and looked quite ordinary.

The broadsword in his hand was certainly no ordinary weapon.

"Leave everything valuable behind," the man said viciously.

"What if I don't?" Ye Qingzhou said calmly. She earned her money coin by coin. Why should she give it to you just because you want it?

The man didn't speak, took two steps forward, and swung his broadsword directly at Ye Qingzhou's nose. The blade whistled through the air, gleaming brightly, as he roared, "Give me the money!"

The knife was too close; danger was imminent. Ye Qingzhou belatedly realized his fear, his limbs stiffening as it slowly spread through his body like blood seeping into his veins.

Her hands trembled slightly. She tried to pull the purse off, but couldn't. She had to lower her head slightly to take a closer look.

Don't be afraid... Don't be afraid...

Ye Qingzhou pulled off the purse, her hands still trembling slightly. She had to force a smile while holding the purse in both hands: "It wasn't written on the carriage. How did you know my surname is Ye?"

Seeing her smiling face, the man sheathed his knife, but cautiously refrained from taking it himself, gesturing for her to place it aside: "Hey, you surnamed Yu, come out! The money's mine. The person's yours."

Yuxi?

Return my ass!

Mentioning Yu Xi filled Ye Qingzhou with anger. She threw her purse high into the air and shouted, "I won't give you ten thousand taels of gold!"

The man watched helplessly as the purse flew away, quickly turned around, cursed, and ran after it.

Yu Xi, who had been hiding in the northwest corner, also rushed out and went straight for the purse: "Ten thousand taels? That's mine!"

"superior!"

Ye Qingzhou seemed to hear Jiang Jinghong's voice.

Two men dressed as shop assistants, one held off the two men while the other went to pick up the purse.

Jiang Jinghong, carrying a kitchen knife that appeared out of nowhere, rushed over with worry in her eyes and shielded Ye Qingzhou in her arms.

The waiter brought over the purse, which Jiang Jinghong took and handed to Ye Qingzhou.

"Jinghong, I kept the things you gave me safe and sound. I was just lying to him."

"Money isn't important, you are." Jiang Jinghong was still a little flustered. She gripped the kitchen knife tightly in her hand and kept glancing at the man in the straw hat.

Ye Qingzhou opened his purse and casually handed the shopkeeper a handful of copper coins: "Thank you both."

Jiang Jinghong had already given him the money, and he received another tip. The waiter happily thanked the two of them.

Seeing that he couldn't gain anything, the man in the straw hat tossed aside his hat and coat, used a trick to escape.

While the two men were arresting someone, Yu Xi went to climb over the wall, and Jiang Jinghong immediately gave chase.

Yu Xi quickly climbed over the wall and straddled it. However, Jiang Jinghong grabbed his trouser leg.

He turned around and glared at Jiang Jinghong with hatred: "Do you think you can win her heart? Before her parents died, they told her to be obedient and live a good life with me. She is filial and soft-hearted. Sooner or later, she will come back to me."

Jiang Jinghong was taken aback. Ye Qingzhou rarely mentioned her deceased parents. She wondered if this was the reason why her marriage proposal had been postponed for months.

Taking advantage of Jiang Jinghong's momentary daze, Yu Xi leaped over the wall.

Ye Qingzhou saw the two of them talking, but only caught a few words. By the time she arrived, Yu Xi had already run away.

Ye Qingzhou snorted: "I hate it when people tell me to be obedient!"

Jiang Jinghong's heart skipped a beat, and the pent-up anger subsided: "Why? Don't you listen to your parents?"

“Dad only cares about the accounts, saying he can’t manage things at home. Mom says that as long as the beatings aren’t too severe, you can just tolerate a few scoldings. When they were alive, Yu Xi was still a little afraid of them. After they passed away, the four of us in Yu Xi’s family showed our true colors.”

"If they're right, I'll listen. If they're wrong, why should I listen? They just keep throwing platitudes at me. Their necks are so thin, they don't listen to any reason, they have no conscience at all. How disgusting!"

Now I know why Guanyin has a thousand hands: because two hands aren't enough to fan her.

Mentioning Yu Xi, Ye Qingzhou's cheeks puffed up with anger, and she snorted repeatedly.

Jiang Jinghong slung the kitchen knife behind his back and pinched her round cheek with one hand.

It leaks air as soon as you squeeze it.

Ye Qingzhou gently placed her hand on his hand.

Jiang Jinghong's large hand suddenly grasped both of her hands. Seeing that she was no longer angry, he felt relieved.

It seems that Yu Xi and the other person have a long-standing grudge and it's unlikely they'll get back together.

The two walked hand in hand, about to head back. Ye Qingzhou looked back at the carriage: "That man lied to me, saying the carriage was hit and the horse died. Luckily, the horse is alright."

She has a soft heart. She feels sorry for people, and she also feels sorry for the white horse that has been with her for many years.

Yu Xi's words echoed in Jiang Jinghong's ears again. He did indeed know Ye Qingzhou quite well.

Why is he so persistent? Could it be that he still loves Qingzhou?

What will Yu Xi do next?

Jiang Jinghong's heart suddenly tightened, and she secretly tightened her grip on Ye Qingzhou's hand.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry? I saved your favorite fish maw and ham stew." Ye Qingzhou's hand was held firmly, unable to move an inch.

"I'll stay with you tomorrow, okay?"

"Huh?" Ye Qingzhou asked, somewhat puzzled. Looking into Jiang Jinghong's earnest eyes, she smiled gently and nodded in agreement. Looking down at the road, she sighed inwardly: Tonight won't be easy either.