After an unknown amount of time, Qing'er opened the door, looking utterly dejected. She saw Xiao Jian still waiting outside, and even Yongqi, Xiao Yanzi, Fu Erkang, Xia Ziwei, Fu Ertai, and Benjamin were there. "Why are you all here?"

Little Swallow looked at Qing'er with heartache, "Qing'er, if you're unhappy, just say it. We're all here for you."

"Don't worry, who am I, Qing'er? How could such a small difficulty defeat me?" Qing'er smiled at everyone, pretending to be relaxed.

"Xiao Jian, I want to take a bath and change my clothes, and then go back to the palace to see the Empress Dowager. She must be worried sick right now."

"Okay, I'll have someone arrange it right away." Seeing that Qing'er was willing to talk to him, Xiao Jian quickly had someone make the arrangements.

Xia Ziwei stepped forward and took Qing'er's hand. "Qing'er, if you want to take a bath and change your clothes, Xiao Yanzi and I will help you. We are both women, so you don't need to be shy."

Qing'er shook her head slightly, "Okay Ziwei, thank you, but it's okay."

“I know you’re all worried, but after this incident, Biyunxuan’s defenses must have been strengthened, and they definitely won’t come back.”

After the hot water was prepared, Qing'er stayed in the room alone, while Xiao Jian, Xiao Yanzi, and the others guarded her outside.

As Qing'er looked at the bathtub in front of her and at the clothes on her body, the intimate scene with that man last night became clearer and clearer.

She began to remove her clothes one by one, and looking at the various hickeys on her body, her heart ached more and more. She sat in the bathtub, constantly scrubbing herself, trying to wipe away the marks, but no matter what she did, she couldn't remove them.

"Xiao Jian, I'm sorry..."

Now, with her withered and faded appearance, how could she be worthy of a general like him?

After taking a bath and changing into new clothes, Qing'er pretended to be relaxed and chatted with everyone, then silently returned to the palace as if nothing had happened.

When they arrived at Cining Palace, Xiao Yanzi escorted Qing'er inside alone, while the rest of them waited outside.

Little Swallow stepped forward to explain, "Your Majesty, it was because I was playing last night that Qing'er was unable to return to the palace on time. Fortunately, I made amends today and brought Qing'er back safely."

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Qing'er is back now, isn't she?" Qing'er smiled and walked towards the Empress Dowager, squatting down in front of her to comfort her.

"For Qing'er's sake, I'll spare you, but this is a one-time exception!" The Empress Dowager's heart was finally at ease when she saw Qing'er return safely.

"Then, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave." Knowing that the Empress Dowager must still have something to say to Qing'er, Xiao Yanzi did not linger any longer.

On her way out of Cining Palace, Xiao Yanzi grew angrier and angrier. Who on earth had kidnapped Qing'er?

Who brought Qing'er back?

After Qing'er returned, she had an emotional breakdown. Was she really...?

But Qing'er didn't say anything, and they couldn't ask her either. What if it was true? Wouldn't that reopen Qing'er's wounds?

Xiao Jian walked silently to one side, lost in thought.

After everyone arrived at Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi sent the four beauties and four talented men outside to keep watch, while the others inside discussed what exactly happened with Qing'er's arrest.

"Brother, Qing'er, she..."

Of all those present, only Xiao Yanzi was the most suitable to speak to Xiao Jian at this moment.

However, before she could finish speaking, Xiao Jian looked at her with a serious expression and said, "No matter what happens, Qing'er is my wife, and that will not change!"

Fu Erkang frowned and looked at Xiao Jian, asking, "Xiao Jian, your decision to leave the palace with Qing'er must have been a sudden one, right?"

Xiao Jian nodded. "Yes, I never revealed this before. It was only yesterday that I couldn't stand Lan'er constantly pestering Qing'er, so I suddenly took Qing'er out of the palace."

"After leaving the palace, I let Xiao Bin wander around as he pleased, and it wasn't until noon that we headed to Biyun Pavilion."

Little Swallow frowned and said, "So, someone has been watching you all along and seized the opportunity to kidnap Qing'er."

“Yesterday, Qing’er said she wanted to take a bath. I was waiting outside when someone started causing trouble downstairs. The shopkeeper couldn’t handle it, so I went down. Because of this, Qing’er was taken away.”

Yongqi pondered, "A feint, deliberately diverting your attention, taking the opportunity to take Qing'er away, disappearing for a night, and then sending Qing'er back..."

Xia Ziwei continued, "A woman's reputation is of utmost importance. If someone kidnaps you and disappears for a whole night and morning, what could happen during that time..."

Xia Ziwei grew increasingly frightened as she thought about it, "The person behind this must be trying to ruin Xiao Jian and Qing'er's relationship..."

If it were an ordinary person, and their fiancée was taken away, disappeared for a night, and then returned unharmed, who would believe there wasn't something fishy going on?

But Xiao Jian and his group were different. They had unwavering faith in Qing'er, so they knew that group's plot would never succeed!

"I'm worried that Qing'er might do something rash." Xiao Jian's words echoed the concerns of everyone else.

Regardless of whether Qing'er was actually sexually assaulted, if she was, would she accept it?

Will she accept herself as she is and continue to marry Xiao Jian?

"Brother, you'll have to talk to Qing'er about this."

Yes, only if Xiao Jian talks to Qing'er openly will she be able to get over this.

Besides, if nothing happens, wouldn't they have fallen right into their trap?

Yongqi looked at Xiao Jian with concern: "This matter cannot be delayed. I'm worried that Qing'er will get stuck on something..."

"Can I go to Cining Palace to see her that night?"

Logically speaking, he should be preparing to leave the palace at this moment; as an outsider, he cannot stay any longer.

Yongqi frowned and said, "I'm afraid we can't meet at Cining Palace; that would be too dangerous."

Benjamin then found an opportunity to speak, "Then why not at my Ruyi Pavilion? It just so happens that Huang Lvlan and the others are finishing work tonight, and my master is also going back to the East Hall."

The brothers Fu Erkang and Fu Ertai looked at them with concern. Fu Erkang sighed, "You two will arrange the meeting between Xiao Jian and Qing'er that night. Ertai and I have to go to the Qianqing Palace to report to the Emperor and continue investigating who took Qing'er away."

Including the person who tried to seduce Yongqi last time, the series of accidents, and the attempts to separate Yongqi, Xiaoyanzi, Xiaojian, and Qing'er, the people behind these events are either after Xiaoyanzi and Xiaojian, or they are after the royal family.

"Your Majesty, your subjects Fu Erkang and Fu Ertai pay their respects." When the two brothers hurriedly arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qianlong was already waiting for them.

"Erkang, tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?"

Fu Erkang recounted the events of the previous day, from Qing'er and Xiao Jian going out for a stroll to Qing'er being arrested and then being sent back. Upon hearing this, Qianlong frowned.

Fu Erkang continued, "Your Majesty, your subject and the Fifth Prince both suspect that someone is watching Xiao Jian and Qing Gege. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Qing'er was taken away from Xiao Jian's own place?"

"How is Qing'er doing now? That girl has lived in the palace for so long, with so many people protecting her, when has she ever suffered like this?"

Fu Ertai shook his head. "It's not good. We don't know what happened to Qing'er after she was taken away, and we dare not ask..."

"You mean..." Although Qianlong didn't finish his sentence, he already understood what they meant.

He asked anxiously, "What did Xiao Jian say?"