The spring breeze caresses the willows, and the sun shines brightly.

Bai Yutang leaned against the outside of the cabin, one leg slightly bent, feeding the fish in the lake with fish food in his hand. His eyes were lowered, and a smile played on his lips, exuding an indescribable air of carefree ease.

Little Persimmon squatted by the boat, staring intently at the koi in the lake, and took a bite of the pastry he was holding.

Bai Yutang turned his head slightly, saw her gaze, and a thought struck him. He asked, "Want to eat fish?"

Little Persimmon: "Mmm."

Bai Yutang: "..."

They had been in Bianliang for nearly seven days. Besides bringing food for Yan Liang, Bai Yutang spent his time taking Xiao Shizi around the city. Bianliang was bustling and beautiful, and Bai Yutang wanted to enjoy the scenery, while Xiao Shizi was only interested in the various delicacies available in the city.

Bai Yutang remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'll take you to Wangxianlou for fish at noon. You can have these pastries first."

Little Persimmon mumbled an indistinct "Okay."

Bai Yutang tossed the fish food in his hand far away, and watched as the koi swam vigorously toward it, soon forming a circle and vying for the food.

Just as the fish were about to disperse after the food was eaten, someone sprinkled more food in that spot, instantly attracting even more koi to gather there. The brightly colored koi bobbed up and down, their dense mass losing its original vibrancy, appearing glaring and even nauseating.

Bai Yutang looked up at the painted boat opposite him. The young man who had just thrown fish food was standing by the boat looking at him and said, "Brother, you have a fine taste."

He spoke with a smile in his eyes and a light tone, an attitude that should have made people feel friendly, but Bai Yutang was somewhat displeased because of his high position.

Seeing that Bai Yutang did not respond, the young man did not seem embarrassed and asked, "My name is Zhao Lu. May I ask your name, sir?"

"Bai Yutang".

Bai Yutang didn't even glance at him.

"Bai Yutang, the Golden-haired Rat?" Zhao Lu cupped his hands in greeting. "I've long admired your name."

"How come I didn't know I had such a great name?" Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow.

"Recently, news of Master Bai capturing Marquis Pang Yu of Anle has spread throughout Bianliang City. Isn't he quite famous?" Zhao Lu's words were full of hidden meaning, waiting for Bai Yutang's answer before continuing to ask.

Bai Yutang remained noncommittal. The news circulating from Kaifeng Prefecture all stated that he had captured Pang Yu, but there was no mention of Yan Liang. However, if the news of Yan Liang escorting Pang Yu were to spread, it would likely incite public outrage and widespread condemnation. Therefore, they had not revealed any information about Yan Liang.

Zhao Lu tried to strike up a conversation with Bai Yutang, but Bai Yutang remained aloof and indifferent, causing Zhao Lu to lose his smile and feel somewhat displeased.

He's just a nobody in the martial arts world, yet he calls himself Fifth Master. Even if you call him "Jade-haired Rat," he's still just a rat.

As he was thinking, he met the gaze of the little girl beside him, who was staring intently at him. The girl's eyes were very deep, and she was staring at him without blinking. Zhao Lu's heart skipped a beat, and he calmly said goodbye to Bai Yutang, who responded with a cold reply.

Zhao Lu's face stiffened at the cold response. He had a smile in his eyes when he was facing them, but when he turned around, he bent down and went into the cabin with a cold face.

He sat in the cabin, thinking about the young girl beside Bai Yutang. A young girl shouldn't have piqued his interest, but that young girl…

—I feel like I've seen him somewhere before.

Little Persimmon looked up at Zhao Lu's pleasure boat sailing away and said to Bai Yutang, "He's unhappy."

Bai Yutang smiled and said, "What does his displeasure have to do with me? Even if he is royalty, I am not afraid."

If Bai Yutang remembered correctly, the name of the Prince of Xiangyang's heir was Zhao Lu. If Zhan Zhao hadn't mentioned it to him before, he probably wouldn't have recognized the Prince of Xiangyang's heir, Zhao Lu, when he arrived in Bianliang.

Bai Yutang didn't ignore Zhao Lu because he was a member of the imperial family. If he admired someone, he could get along with them regardless of their status or circumstances. It was just that he found this young man extremely unpleasant.

Because of Zhao Lu, Bai Yutang lost his good mood for boating on the lake. Besides, boating on the lake with Xiao Shizi was extremely boring; all Xiao Shizi did was eat. It would probably be more lively if there were more people.

After the two finished their meal at the restaurant, Bai Yutang, as was his habit, carried the food back to Kaifeng Prefecture. Just as he was about to head towards the dungeon, he caught sight of two figures in a courtyard and changed direction, heading towards that place.

"You've come out?" Bai Yutang asked in surprise. "Did you find a clue?"

Yan Liang smiled at Xiao Shizi, who ran over and stood beside him, looking up at him, and repeated, "A clue?"

Yan Liang smiled and said, "No, it's just that Pang Yu's father had a few words with Lord Bao."

Next, Yan Liang briefly recounted the events of the morning to Bai Yutang. Pang Yu, eating his food, nodded in agreement, while Xiao Shizi stared intently at the food in Pang Yu's bowl, making Pang Yu unsure whether to eat or not.

"Didn't you eat?" he asked in a low voice.

"I ate." Little Persimmon was still staring at the food in his bowl.

"Then why are you staring at my bowl?"

"Just... take a look."

Pang Yu: "..."

Fine, go ahead and watch. You watch yours, he eats his.

When Yan Liang mentioned that Xu Yiwei was a young man with a scar on his forehead, Bai Yutang stopped him, "You mean that person has a scar on their forehead?" He remembered the person he had met yesterday.

"That's right...you've seen him before?"

Yan Liang was both surprised and delighted. He was surprised by the coincidence, but delighted that it had come so easily. All he had to do was know that Xu Yi had found him in the capital.

“I ran into him at Wangxian Tower yesterday.” Bai Yutang thought about the man’s reaction at the time. “He was furious when he heard that Pang Yu bore no resemblance to the portrait.”

Yan Liang: "...It seems to be him."

Even so, Yan Liang couldn't be certain that the person Bai Yutang saw was Xu Yiwei. It wasn't until Bai Yutang looked at the portrait drawn by Mr. Gongsun and said that it only resembled him by five points that Yan Liang was certain that the person was Xu Yiwei.

“I think the portrait only shows a five-tenths resemblance, but it’s him,” Yan Liang said confidently.

Because of Bai Yutang's discovery, Bao Gong, Mr. Gongsun, and Zhan Zhao have reunited and are now discussing the matter in the council hall.

After hearing Yan Liang's assertion, the others were half-believing and half-doubting, but he alone was absolutely certain. As for Pang Yu... he watched and listened in the whole time.

After all, they didn't witness Xu Yiwei being tricked by Yan Liang, nor did they know how Xu Yiwei went from being suspicious to having his suspicions dispelled.

Yan Liang understood Xu Yiwei's anger, because if he had been fooled and fooled successfully, he would also be angry after learning the truth.

Currently, only Yan Liang and Pang Yu have seen Xu Yiwei, so it cannot be confirmed that the person Bai Yutang saw was Xu Yiwei. Lord Bao pondered for a moment and said, "The only solution now is to trouble Young Hero Bai to search for the person you saw earlier in Bianliang City. Brother Yan…would you be willing to accompany Young Hero Bai to identify whether that person is Xu Yiwei?"

Frankly speaking, Yan Liang had nothing to do with the Chenzhou case. The only thing he did was rescue Pang Yu and accompany him to Bianliang. Bao Gong was initially worried that Yan Liang's motives were impure, but seeing that Yan Liang's words and demeanor were extraordinary, and that Pang Yu trusted him greatly, he figured Yan Liang was not a person with ulterior motives.

Yan Liang smiled and agreed, "Why not? It would be an honor to share your burdens, sir."

Judge Bao nodded, then looked at Pang Yu and said, "Brother Yan can leave the Kaifeng Prefecture if he cooperates with the investigation, but you, my lord... it would be better if you didn't go out for the time being."

Pang Yu nodded hurriedly: "I understand. As long as I eat and drink well, that's fine."

Judge Bao said, "Young Marquis, please rest assured and stay here. This mansion will surely clear your name."

"Thank you very much, Lord Bao," Pang Yu said.

Judge Bao was quite surprised; Pang Yu's transformation was truly beyond his expectations. His eyes were clear, his figure was thin, and he had grown much taller. More importantly, although he was still somewhat afraid of him, he was extremely respectful.

After the young people left the council hall, Gongsun Ce sighed softly, "Young Marquis Pang has changed a lot."

Bao Gong agreed, saying, "He is probably not a bad person by nature, and he has learned a lot from this ordeal."

That is precisely why they should hurry up and clear Pang Yu's name, restoring his innocence.

At the same time, Zhao Lu sat in his study with a sullen face. He had come to Bai Yutang to inquire about the fortune teller that Xu Yiwei had mentioned. There was no mention of this person in the rumors in Bianliang City, which was strange.

Bai Yutang was alone in Guangzhou, while Xu Yiwei encountered the fortune teller and Pang Yu in Donghua Town. Donghua Town is far from Guangzhou, so what happened to Pang Yu that led to Bai Yutang's capture? The rumors didn't explain this, only the result without the process, which made Zhao Lu anxious and impatient.

Marquis Anle Pang Yu is nothing to fear; he's just a fool. What Zhao Lu wants to know is what the fortune teller actually knows and what he said to Bao Zheng.

But Bai Yutang's cold and aloof demeanor rendered him ineffective in showing any kindness. Besides, there was that young girl beside Bai Yutang…

The more anxious Zhao Lu became, the more composed he appeared on the surface. When Xu Yiwei pushed open the door and saw that expression, his heart tightened, and he closed the door behind him and walked away.

"Do you have any sisters in your family?" Zhao Lu asked bluntly.

Xu Yi was taken aback, his eyes darkening: "No."

Zhao Lu seemed thoughtful, while Xu Yiwei was somewhat puzzled. He had been stranded in Xiangyang when he was ten years old and was taken in by the heir of the Prince of Xiangyang. Logically speaking, Zhao Lu shouldn't be asking such a question, because he knew his situation better than anyone else.

"Do you still remember what happened in your family?" Zhao Lu asked again.

Xu Yi felt a vague unease, but still answered him seriously, "It's been so long, I have no recollection of it."

Zhao Lu looked at him carefully again, and after a long while said, "Perhaps I misunderstood. You may leave."

Xu Yi hesitated and asked, "Is something the matter...?"

Zhao Lu said coldly, "This is none of your business. Just focus on your own things and recover from your injuries as soon as possible. I have a lot for you to do."

Xu Yiwei's expression hardened, and he bowed respectfully, saying, "Yes, sir."

Where Zhao Lu couldn't see, the resentment in his eyes was about to burst forth, but when he raised his head again, his face was still respectful.

Xu Yi strode through the corridor, his steps light and breezy. The wound on his back throbbed, but this pain paled in comparison to the excruciating agony he felt upon seeing his parents' corpses.

As the saying goes, physical wounds are easy to heal, but emotional wounds are hard to heal.

The wound in Xu Yiwei's heart has never healed.

Author's Note: I'm here!

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, did everyone eat dumplings?

The Lunar New Year is almost here, which means final exams are coming up.

I need to study hard too.

Advanced mathematics is killing me! (orz)