Qiao Qiu calmly said, "I'm not talking nonsense. The old Shen Junbai is indeed dead. The one who is alive now is a soulless Shen Junbai. No matter who this Shen Junbai marries, he will not bring happiness to that person."

Well, it's not entirely soulless; it still has a self. But it's the same as not having one, since I'm not going to marry it anyway.

“You…” He Suyue didn’t know what to say, she didn’t even know what kind of expression to make.

"Suyue, let's go."

He Suyue stamped her foot and turned to lead the way.

Qiao Qiu smiled and followed, her eyes clear.

Changfeng Escort Agency is not the number one escort agency in Shuzhou City, but it is an escort agency with a history of over a hundred years and a good reputation among escort agencies.

Qiao Qiu could tell, otherwise Shen Junbai wouldn't have asked them for help in delivering the land deed.

Chief He was a sprightly middle-aged man, clearly a seasoned veteran of the martial world, exuding an air of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world). He warmly welcomed her arrival, ushering her inside almost immediately.

Qiao Qiu came this time to find out why He Suyue came to find her and confessed her feelings, so when Chief He sent He Suyue away, she immediately explained her purpose.

“Uncle He, since Su Yue calls me elder brother, I can’t bear to see her sad. My intuition tells me that this matter is related to me. If that’s the case, please don’t hide it from me, Uncle He.”

Chief He stroked his beard and said, "I knew this girl would be desperate and come looking for you. I'll just ask you one question: once your three-year mourning period is over, will you be willing to marry my daughter?"

Qiao Qiu twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Although Jun Bai is down on his luck, he is not someone who can be forced. I treat Su Yue like my own sister and have never had any improper thoughts."

Chief He snorted coldly, "But her heart belongs entirely to you. Are you just going to let her waste her youth waiting for you? I'm just helping her sever her ties with you and arranging a marriage for her. What's wrong with that?"

"Uncle He, which family did you promise Su Yue to?" Qiao Qiu's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. Chief He's initial intention was correct, but his methods were too extreme.

"Liu Ran, the young master of the Liu family in the east of the city, is a perfect match for my daughter."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiu raised an eyebrow in surprise. Should she say that Chief He's judgment was truly unparalleled? After much deliberation, he actually chose the very person she was about to send to prison.

"May I ask, Uncle He, does Su Yue like this young master Liu?"

"Marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers, leaving no room for her to decide whether she likes it or not."

"Uncle He, you are mistaken. Why should people of the martial world be bound by etiquette? What matters is their temperament? If Su Yue's happiness is ruined because of Jun Bai, wouldn't that be Jun Bai's fault?"

Chief He looked intently at her. "Shen Junbai, you are the young man I admire most, but this matter has nothing to do with you."

“Uncle He was in such a hurry to arrange the marriage for Su Yue because of Jun Bai, how can you say it has nothing to do with it?” Qiao Qiu retorted without backing down, looking back at Chief He without fear. “Jun Bai will be leaving Shuzhou soon. He can promise Uncle He that he will not see Su Yue again, but please don’t gamble Su Yue’s happiness with this argument.”

After hearing this, Chief He fell silent. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Even you can think of Yue'er's well-being. How can I, as her father, be less considerate than an outsider? I promise you, I will reconsider Yue'er's marriage."

Qiao Qiu was a little surprised that Chief He would agree so quickly, but she still had to say what needed to be said, so she continued, "It is Su Yue's good fortune that Uncle He is willing to do this. Jun Bai will keep his word and leave as soon as he has finished dealing with the matters in Shu Prefecture."

Chief He knew that this matter was not Shen Junbai's fault. It was his daughter's unrequited love. Shen Junbai was actually innocent, but as a father, he couldn't bear to watch his daughter daydream about something unattainable.

Thinking about it, Chief He felt that he was still somewhat sorry to Shen Junbai. "Junbai, it is Uncle He who has wronged you, but for the sake of my daughter's happiness, I have to be a little selfish. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask someone to tell me, and I, He Zhennian, will go through fire and water for you."

“Uncle He, there’s no need to be so polite. What parent doesn’t love their child?” Qiao Qiu said, standing up and cupping her hands in greeting. “Jun Bai has other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now and won’t bother you any longer.”

"I'll see you off." Chief Escort He stood up to see you off.

Qiao Qiu walked to the door, turned around, and said, "Wait."

...

After leaving Changfeng Escort Agency, Qiao Qiu moved away from the Shen residence, and her whereabouts became a mystery for a time.

Many people who were "obsessed" with Shen Junbai panicked and searched everywhere for the boy's whereabouts.

He Suyue was one of them. She believed that her brother must know where Shen Junbai was, so she tried to find out by begging and pleading. But no matter what she said, He Qixie would just say "I don't know" and dismiss her.

Undeterred, He Suyue continued to follow He Qixie. However, He Qixie was either out having dinner with friends or training the men in the escort agency; he neither went to see Shen Junbai nor did he continue his work of finding a buyer for the mansion.

He Suyue was horrified to discover that she seemed to have truly lost contact with Shen Junbai. She hid in her room and cried, afraid to let her father see. In just half a month, she had lost a lot of weight.

He Qixie felt heartbroken seeing his sister like this, but he had no choice but to remain silent.

When he came to the little bamboo house again at night, he sighed once more.

This is the only place Shen Junbai left behind in the Shen family's estate. Built against the mountain, not far from the village and adjacent to the main road, the house has a small courtyard enclosed by a bamboo fence in front and a fishpond outside a large bamboo balcony in the back. The house is simple, with four rooms in total: three in the front, one in the back. The front three rooms include a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom; the back room is used for storing miscellaneous items.

This place is hundreds of times better than Shen Junbai's old family mansion, let alone the Shen family mansion. He Qixie really doesn't understand why he doesn't go back to his hometown and insists on hiding here from Yue'er.

Moreover, it's truly unbelievable that a pampered young master like him could live here alone so comfortably.

He Qi Xie knocked on the courtyard gate.

"The door wasn't locked."

Hearing the familiar voice, He Qixie pushed open the wooden gate to the courtyard and, unsurprisingly, saw the white-clad youth sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.

Under the cool moonlight, the young man seemed to remain serene and ethereal, like a banished immortal.

"Aren't you afraid of not being able to sleep if you drink tea so late at night?"

Qiao Qiu twitched the corners of her mouth, put down the teacup she had finished drinking, and said indifferently, "Isn't this just what refreshes you?"

He Qixie sat down at the stone table. "You've already sold the house, and you've almost squandered all your assets in Shu Prefecture. Why are you still here?"

Qiao Qiu touched the rim of the cup and said, "Didn't I promise to teach you martial arts? Stay and fulfill my promise."