Who exactly is Chapter 103 targeting?
They galloped along, and what would normally take a quarter of an hour was halved in time. Pei Yanzhi dismounted and headed straight for Qiu Yinong.
At this time, the autumn air was thick with dirt and mess. Because the renovation was still ongoing, the items were piled up in a messy manner. As he entered the store, Chang Wu was instructing him to confirm the placement of the carved porcelain vase.
Upon seeing that the person who came was Lord Junhou, he hurriedly bowed. Pei Yanzhi waved his hand, looked around, and when he did not see the person in his heart, the expression on his face finally changed.
He stepped forward, grabbed Chang Wu by the collar, veins bulging on his hand, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is your lady?"
Chang Wu was terrified and replied in a trembling voice, "The lady... the lady is not here today!"
Upon hearing this, Lord Junhou's expression changed drastically, and Chang Wu hurriedly explained, "Chunzhi did come by today. I said that the carpenter made a frame for us according to the blueprints, but there are many details that I don't understand, so I need you to come in person, Miss."
"But after Chunzhi left, the young lady did not come. I thought she was busy and didn't think much of it. I was planning to go to the manor to ask her tomorrow."
Seeing Chang Wu's terrified expression and noticing the chaotic state of the surroundings, they guessed that the man was not lying.
The large hand that was gripping his collar loosened slightly.
So the person got lost on the way?
Was it for him? Or for her?
He knew he had countless enemies, but no one dared to make a move in Yang County. However, if it was aimed at her, a hint of murderous intent flashed in Pei Yanzhi's eyes.
At this moment, Lian'er also arrived. As soon as she came in, she asked Chang Wu, "Didn't I send someone over this afternoon to ask Madam? Why hasn't anyone replied yet?"
Chang Wu was shocked and hurriedly asked, "What happened to the young lady? I wasn't at the shop when the people you sent this afternoon..."
Pei Yanzhi paced around the room a few times, his face already clouded with gloom. He coldly ordered outside, "Go and investigate. Thoroughly check the road from Yongning Lane to Nanshun Street."
"Check again for any suspicious persons who left the city after noon today. Report back immediately if you find any information."
"Yes, my lord," Lu Changming and Wu Yang replied in unison.
Chang Wu dismissed the servants from the shop. By this time, it was getting dark, and the streets were becoming quiet and deserted, with no trace of the daytime hustle and bustle.
Pei Yanzhi sat on the second floor, a room that Ji Shu had originally prepared for her to rest and check accounts. Now, he sat at the head of the table, while Chang Wu and Lian'er stood below.
He casually flipped through the blueprints she had brought from Yongning Lane these past few days, his eyes dark and unreadable as he looked at the objects she had meticulously depicted.
"Say it again, what exactly happened today?"
Lian'er then told the whole story truthfully after the young lady woke up in the morning, including that she had eaten breakfast and then drew some pictures.
After having lunch, we went over the betrothal gift list with her again in the courtyard.
After finishing her work, Chunzhi returned to the mansion and said that Qiuyinong needed her to come over. At noon, the two of them disappeared.
Pei Yanzhi sat quietly to the side, and after listening, he remained silent for a moment. The whole room was silent, and Lian'er felt that even her own breathing sounded harsh.
Pei Yanzhi's face was even more gloomy than the night outside the window, as if he could devour people at any moment.
Suddenly, a voice came from above: "So, not only are the two of them missing, but the carriage and its driver have also disappeared?"
It was only at this point that Chang Wu realized the seriousness of the matter. If he was going to blackmail the woman, he would definitely send someone back to deliver a message, outlining the terms he would offer.
But it was already dark, and not only was there no one to deliver the message, but even the carriage and driver had disappeared.
Chang Wu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and, mustering his courage, asked, "Could it be that a thief might see how beautiful the young lady is and abduct her on the street?"
Pei Yanzhi propped his forehead up, feeling as if a huge hole had been torn in his heart, leaving him empty and adrift. He thought about how he had held her as they fell asleep last night, and how he could still smell her fragrance in the room.
But where did the person go?
...
Meanwhile, in the Wei family's library in the east of the city.
As Wei Ziming came out of his father's courtyard, he ran into Wei Heng, perhaps because of everything that had happened in Chongzhou.
Wei Heng looked much more gloomy than before she went to Chongzhou, and it was rare to see her bright smile on her face.
He looked at his sister with a smile on his lips: "What's wrong? Why haven't I seen you embroidering your dowry in your room today?"
Wei Heng pursed her lips, looked at her brother, and suddenly asked, "Brother, has Brother Xingjian not returned yet?"
She could sense that Xingjian had become a different person since he returned from Chongzhou. Even though their wedding was approaching, she never saw him again.
"Oh, you mean Xingjian? Wasn't he sent by your uncle to train the new recruits?"
He said dismissively, "Heng'er, don't overthink it. Since the two of you came back, Xingjian has never mentioned breaking off the engagement. He must still care about you."
Wei Heng raised her eyelids, her eyes slightly red. "But brother, you know that after I came back, not only did he not come to see me, but even when I wanted to visit him, he always refused to see me."
"He's either not at home, or he's out."
"He didn't want to see me at all; he was completely furious with me..."
Seeing her sorrowful expression and noticing that it was getting dark, he was worried about the person in the library, and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.
She softened her tone and said, "Alright, only you can be the wife of the Crown Prince of Yanzhou. It's impossible for anyone else. You can rest assured."
"Even if Ji Shu comes to Yanzhou, so what? How can someone of her background possibly sit in that position?" He patted his sister's shoulder.
He added, "Brother, I do have important business to attend to today. I'll come to see you again tomorrow when I have time, okay?"
After saying this, he lightly flicked his sleeve, nodded slightly to Wei Heng, and strode away.
Wei Heng looked at her brother's back. The fragrance that had just passed by seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had smelled it before.
After pondering for a moment without finding a solution, he asked Yinzi, "Where has my brother been these past few days?"
Yinzi first shook her head, then said, "This servant noticed that you seemed to have come from the library today. You must have been reading these past few days."
This is even more puzzling. How long has it been since my elder brother came of age that he has stopped reading books? And now he's suddenly reading books again.
Having seen many women come and go around her brother, she ultimately didn't think much of it.
After leaving the courtyard, Wei Ziming headed straight for the nearly abandoned library. Before long, he saw Geng Er standing at the entrance.
He strode forward and asked, "How was it? Did you resist?"
Geng Er bowed deeply: "Young master, that lady did not resist, but..."
Wei Ziming was about to step inside when he heard this and paused, frowning deeply: "Speak plainly if you have something to say."
"But the food that young lady brought in that evening remained untouched, and she didn't drink any water either."
Wei Ziming's eyes were covered with a thin layer of ice. He said "I understand" and went inside.
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