Gao Shuying, holding a torch, spurred her horse and caught up with Wei Chi.
Wei Chi's torch went out, he stopped his horse, and lit a new one by the roadside.
"Whoa." Gao Shuying pulled on the reins and dismounted.
Wei Chi: "Weren't you going to arrest someone? What are you doing following me?"
"Whoever follows you is the person I'm going to catch, and they're very likely heading in this direction."
The torch got damp, and even though it was doused with oil, it might go out as soon as it was exposed to a gust of wind.
Seeing this, Gao Shuying gave him a new one.
The tinderbox flared up instantly, illuminating both faces.
“Wei Chi, you want me to quit this line of work? I can consider it, but I have one condition: you must also leave the government office.”
“You’ve saved up quite a bit, shall we go into business? When will this constant running around ever end?”
Only on nights like these, when it's pitch black and one seems far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world and the burdens of tasks, can Gao Shuying find a moment of true peace and speak her mind.
“No, if I can’t find the Chu family’s daughter, I will stay in the state government office forever. Only this identity will make it easier for me to investigate that matter.”
"Is she that important to you? She was lost when she was just a few months old, before you were even born."
“She is my cousin. My aunt cried until she went blind, and my uncle missed her day and night. His health deteriorated, and he already had a full head of white hair ten years ago.”
“My uncle saved my parents’ lives. Their child was lost and they were unable to have children again, which became a lifelong pain. How could I not fulfill this wish?”
Wei Chi rarely talks this much.
The torch crackled and burned, and a silence fell over the surroundings. The night was vast and boundless, as if time had stood still forever, and only the two of them remained in the world. This scene stirred his innermost feelings.
"A few days ago, I heard about a remarkable person who can draw what a person looks like at different ages based on what they look like as a baby. I will find that person."
"They're gone."
Wei Chi got up and took two steps, then turned his head and said, "If you promise me, I will give you all the money I have saved over the years. But it's my business, so don't interfere."
Gao Shuying's expression shifted, not because of the money, but because of his sentiment.
"I don't want money, I want people."
“I’ll search with you. If we find it, we won’t have to work so hard.”
Although protecting the peace and tranquility of the people is valuable and meaningful, she has also grown tired over the years.
"I advise you not to waste your time and effort. Maybe in ten or eight years, maybe my aunt and uncle will have passed away, and we still won't be able to find them," Wei Chi said, pouring cold water on the idea.
"That doesn't matter."
He looked at her, somewhat choked with anger: "You don't even care about your own marriage? There are still plenty of outstanding men your age who aren't married, and you—"
"Who says people have to get married to live? I am me, and you are you. How I choose is none of your business."
Gao Shuying mounted her horse and said, "My business is rather urgent, so I'll go first."
He rode away, leaving Wei Chi covered in yellow sand.
Wei Chi watched the figure disappear into the darkness, then slowly closed his eyes, his sword planted firmly on the ground, motionless.
After a long while, he finally got up.
Early in the morning, after having breakfast, Qiao Lian'er hurried home.
Her family must be worried about her not coming home all night.
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