On the third day after An'an's "disappearance," the atmosphere in Prince Jing's mansion plummeted to freezing point. At first, everyone assumed she had simply changed into men's clothing and gone outside the city to treat the poor, as usual, and would return later. However, when night deepened, and the corner where she often climbed over the wall remained silent, and her usual medicine box and several rare medical books on external injuries had vanished, panic, like cold vines, instantly gripped everyone's hearts.

"Damn it!" Xiao Chengjing slammed his hand heavily on the desk, the fine sandalwood groaning under its weight. His face was ashen, his eyes blazing with fury and a deeper, almost consuming fear. "How dare she! How dare she be so willful and reckless!" Like an enraged lion, he paced restlessly in the study, each step heavy as if treading on someone's heart.

Shen Yuewei sat to the side, her face equally pale, but her eyes were much calmer than her husband's. However, the knuckles of her hand, which was tightly gripping a handkerchief, were also white. She looked at her husband, who was both furious and panicked, and her heart was filled with a mix of emotions—anger at her daughter's audacity, endless worry about her traveling alone, and even a vague, maternal understanding.

“Chengjing,” Shen Yuewei’s voice trembled slightly, yet remained exceptionally clear, “Now is not the time to lose your temper. The most urgent matter is to find An’an and ensure her safety!”

“Safety?!” Xiao Chengjing turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes glaring at his wife. “The North! That’s a battlefield! Swords and spears have no eyes! She’s a girl, even if she disguises herself as a man, how long can she keep it a secret? What if… what if…” He didn’t dare to say the rest of the sentence. Just imagining that scene made his heart ache, and he almost couldn’t stand up straight.

"I know! I'm more scared than you!" Shen Yuewei's voice suddenly rose, choked with sobs, and tears finally streamed down her face uncontrollably. "That's our daughter! The flesh and blood I carried for ten months and gave birth to! But Chengjing, think about it calmly, An'an... she didn't act on impulse! She studied medicine, improved prescriptions, collected war reports from the northern frontier, and even... even secretly concocted those skin-changing ointments. How long has she been preparing for this day? Her ambition, her determination, you and I have both seen it, it's just that we... have been unwilling to face it!"

Xiao Chengjing was rooted to the spot by his wife's words. Looking at her tears, the anger in his heart was replaced by a helpless panic and heartache. He slumped into his chair, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly. Only Shen Yuewei's suppressed sobs and his heavy breathing filled the study.

After a long silence, Xiao Chengjing finally raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice terribly hoarse: "...You're right. Now...finding her and protecting her is the top priority." He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and regained the decisiveness befitting Prince Jing, "Shadow!"

A dark figure appeared silently in the corner of the study: "Your Highness."

"Issue my order!" Xiao Chengjing's voice was cold and hard as iron. "All spies within Jiangnan, search for the young lady's whereabouts with all your might, especially along the official roads and waterways to the north! Search every post station and inn along the way, inch by inch! Report back immediately upon finding any trace, but do not alert her! Also..." He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes, "Send a message by carrier pigeon to Marquis Lu Zheng of the Northern Garrison in the north, and... Yuewei's younger brother, General Shen Wensong of the Longxi Army. Tell them..." He closed his eyes, uttering those words with difficulty, "An'an may... be disguised as a man and have infiltrated the border army. Tell them... to keep a close watch in secret, and if they discover anything, protect her at all costs! But... do not make a fuss, and do not alert her!"

"Yes!" Shadow acknowledged the order and vanished instantly.

Shen Yuewei walked to her husband's side and gently took his cold hand: "Chengjing..."

Xiao Chengjing gripped his wife's hand tightly in return, as if it were the only piece of driftwood, his voice filled with deep weariness and lingering fear: "Yuewei, I...was I too strict with her? I...I was just afraid..."

“I know,” Shen Yuewei leaned on his shoulder, tears streaming silently down her face. “We are all afraid. But our An’an, she has the world in her heart, and she has those soldiers who shed blood on the frontier. She is not a caged canary. What we can do is believe in her, and then… pave the way home for her.”