Jiang Wenyuan turned slightly to avoid her formalities: "Miss Zhao, there's no need for such politeness."

Gu Qinlan gently helped Zhao Qingyu up and asked with concern, "Uncle, have you seen Qingyu's family? Has the letter been sent out?"

Zhao Qingyu gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her lips pressed together, her nervousness evident.

Gu Qinlan was worried that she was too nervous, so she quickly patted her back to comfort her.

Jiang Wenyuan gave him a reassuring smile: "I've seen them, and the letter has been sent out. The Zhao family has been searching in secret, but in this vast world, finding someone is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. When I contacted the Zhao family, they were already in chaos. Old Madam Zhao has been bedridden for over a month, and Madam Zhao's condition is also worrying."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingyu's tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, "It's my fault for failing to be filial. My grandmother was already frail, and I've made her suffer like this. And my mother..."

Gu Qinlan gently patted her shoulder and back, comforting her tenderly, "This is not your fault, you don't need to blame yourself so much. Now that we've made contact, their condition should be improving."

Jiang Wenyuan added, "Qin Lan is absolutely right. Before I came back, your father specifically asked me to bring you a letter."

Before he finished speaking, he slowly took out a letter from his sleeve and gently handed it to Zhao Qingyu.

Zhao Qingyu hurriedly took the letter, and when she saw the four affectionate words "To My Daughter" on the envelope, tears welled up in her eyes again.

She had no time to wipe away her tears. She hurriedly tore open the envelope, took out the letter inside, and as she read the lines of text, her emotions fluctuated. Sometimes she was in tears, and sometimes she laughed through her tears.

Gu Qinlan stood by, constantly wiping away her tears.

Finally, after reading the letter, Zhao Qingyu pressed it tightly to her chest, laughing and crying with excitement, "Sister, Father and the others haven't abandoned me. They're coming to take me home."

The heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart for days finally fell to the ground.

Gu Qinlan was also relieved for her: "That's wonderful, this is great news, don't cry anymore. Your father mentioned in his letter when he will set off to pick you up?"

Jiang Wenyuan explained, "The eldest and second sons of the Zhao family arrived in Jindu with me, but in order to protect the young lady's reputation, they did not enter Jindu City, but stayed in Bianliang to wait for the young lady's arrival."

Bianliang and Jindu are two days apart, which is not close, but not too far either.

Although the news of the eldest daughter of the Zhao family's disappearance has not been publicized, it is hard to guarantee that no one with ulterior motives will find out, such as the faction of the Third Prince.

Therefore, their decision to stay in Bianliang and wait was undoubtedly the safest one.

Zhao Qingyu immediately turned to look at Gu Qinlan and said resolutely, "Sister, I must set off for Bianliang immediately. I must leave today."

Gu Qinlan gently patted her hand and gently advised, "Don't be impatient. How can you travel alone? What if you encounter any unexpected events on the way? Be patient and wait for one day. I will accompany you tomorrow."

Although Zhao Qingyu was eager to return home, she knew that such things should not be rushed, so with red eyes, she nodded in agreement.

Gu Qinlan immediately got busy, arranging the trip, handling all the affairs of the manor properly, and preparing for all the details of the journey in advance.

As the mistress of the house, her solo travel would attract attention. Therefore, Gu Qinlan decided to take Zheng Fenghui with her, claiming that she was accompanying him to Bianliang to study.

It should be noted that no academy was willing to accept him in Jindu, so Bianliang naturally became the best choice.

The following morning, Gu Qinlan, accompanied by Zhao Qingyu dressed as a maid, her two personal maids, Zheng Fenghui and his page, as well as Jiang Wenyuan and several attendants, embarked on their journey in four carriages in a grand procession.

Throughout the long journey, Zhao Qingyu remained obediently inside the carriage, never even lifting the curtain to peek outside. Even during rest stops, she made sure to apply some makeup before carefully stepping down from the carriage.

Throughout the entire trip, Zhao Qingyu portrayed the role of the maid perfectly, with almost no flaws.

As night fell on the third day, the caravan slowly entered the territory of Bianliang City.

The Zhao family owns businesses in Bianliang City, among which a restaurant is the culmination of their hard work. At this moment, the two young masters of the Zhao family have been waiting for some time in the restaurant.

Gu Qinlan and her entourage drove directly to the entrance of the restaurant, feigning to stop for a rest. The attendants drove the carriage to the backyard and began their daily task of feeding the horses, while Gu Qinlan led the slightly uneasy Zheng Fenghui into the restaurant, with the rest of the group following closely behind.

Zheng Fenghui's face was tense, and he felt his right hand, which was being held by Gu Qinlan, was almost stiff. He tried to break free several times, but ultimately failed.

Gu Qinlan smiled and asked, "What? Are you ashamed of this?"

Zheng Fenghui stubbornly replied, "How could I? I just think holding hands like this is too eye-catching."

He would never admit that being held in this way made him feel extremely uncomfortable, and even somewhat uneasy.

He couldn't remember when the last time someone held his hand like this was.

Seeing Zheng Fenghui's insincere expression, Hongye and the others tried their best to suppress their smiles.

Upon entering the restaurant, Jiang Wenyuan walked to the counter and said to the manager, "Manager, please arrange a private room for us." As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly tapped the counter four times.

The Zhao family had already made thorough preparations. Upon receiving this special "secret signal," the shopkeeper immediately beamed with a smile: "Alright, distinguished guests, please come upstairs."

The innkeeper greeted them with a smile and led them upstairs. Zhao Qingyu was overwhelmed with emotion; the joy of soon reuniting with her family brought tears to her eyes, blurring her vision. She almost missed a step on the stairs and let out a scream.

It was lunchtime, and the restaurant lobby was full of diners. Several tables of guests who were sitting nearby couldn't help but turn around to look when they heard the exclamation.

Hongye and Fuyu supported her on either side, their lips curled in reproach as they muttered, "Look at you, you're such a useless thing. You accompanied Madam on one outing and you've made yourself sick. It's hard to tell whether you came here to serve Madam or just to cause her trouble."

Zhao Qingyu immediately lowered her head to show her apology: "This servant has caused Madam worry. Please punish me."

Gu Qinlan didn't even turn her head, but simply waved her hand gently and said magnanimously, "Never mind, you didn't do it on purpose. You should take better care of your health. I'll have someone invite a doctor to take a look at you later."

The surrounding diners, witnessing this scene, all assumed it was just a minor incident, and some even exclaimed, "That lady is truly kind, and these maids are so lucky to have such a good mistress."

A group of people went upstairs and entered the private room. Only then did Zhao Qingyu pat her chest and say, "I'm really useless. Luckily, Fuyu and Hongye reacted quickly, otherwise I would have exposed my true situation."

Gu Qinlan smiled and comforted her, "It's alright, we've already arrived in Bianliang, we can relax a bit now."