The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Ji Lingfeng sat there quietly, his back to the bright light, as if enveloped in a mysterious halo. His long, jet-black hair, cascading like a waterfall, was simply held up with a delicate jade hairpin, further enhancing his nobility and elegance.

His brow bones were high and prominent, as if carved by a knife and axe. His deep-set eyes held a pair of pupils as black as night, like a bottomless abyss, drawing people in and making them unable to escape. His narrow eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing an innate arrogance and sharpness, as if nothing in the world could catch his eye.

Because he was positioned against the light, the sunlight streaming in from the window filtered through the windowpanes, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on him. At that moment, he seemed like a high, aloof, and noble god descending to earth, captivating all who beheld him.

At this moment, he was glancing sideways, his sharp gaze fixed on Shen Cao in front of him. Clearly, she already knew his true identity.

Recalling the look of terror she showed when he first glimpsed her through the inn's window, and her unusual behavior at the Shen family's restaurant, now that he thinks about it, if she already knew his secret, then everything that happened before would make sense.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Shen Cao was not impatient. She sat quietly with her head slightly lowered, patiently waiting for him to break the silence first. At this moment, Ji Lingfeng's gaze was fixed on Shen Cao. After staring at her for a long while, he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Miss Shen has indeed seen through my true identity long ago."

Upon hearing this, Shen Cao gently raised her eyes to meet his gaze and said slowly, "Since General Ji has already personally gone to the Grand Tutor's Mansion to thank my elder brother, he must understand that I will know your noble status sooner or later." After saying this, she raised the corners of her mouth slightly and revealed a faint smile.

Ji Lingfeng casually tapped the table with one hand, then glanced at her quickly before nodding slightly and replying in a slightly lazy tone, "Indeed." After a brief pause, he pressed on, "So, it seems that Miss Shen has now admitted that it wasn't your brother who saved me that day, but you yourself?"

Upon being asked this, Shen Cao's heart tightened, and she felt slightly uneasy. She first furtively glanced at the expression on the other person's face, and only after finding that he did not show any displeasure did she relax a little. Then, she answered softly and cautiously, as if walking on thin ice, "The situation that day was truly a last resort. I had no intention of deceiving you, General." After speaking, her beautiful eyes were filled with trepidation and unease as she stared intently at Ji Lingfeng's reaction.

A savior?! To be addressed like that by him is quite an exaggeration.

Was he that sick that day? She remembered that she had only given him a simple bandage and brought him food a few times.

She quickly waved her hands and said, "Oh dear, you're too kind. It's really nothing like a life-saving favor. It's just friends helping each other out. It's nothing to mention."

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she heard Ji Lingfeng chuckle softly.

The laughter rang out clearly in the silence, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery. He then said slowly, "According to what you've said, young lady, it seems we're not complete strangers, but rather friends?!"

Damn it! How can this guy be so petty? He's still holding a grudge about being called "sir" this morning.

Shen Cao cursed inwardly, but quickly put on a flattering smile and replied in a sweet, honey-like tone, "Of course! To be able to become your friend, General Ji, must be a great blessing that I must have accumulated through countless lifetimes of good deeds and merits in my past lives!"

Although Ji Lingfeng was still staring expressionlessly at Shen Cao, whose face was full of fake smiles, deep down he couldn't help but feel a little appreciative of her flexible and adaptable nature.

After all, her first reaction upon learning her identity was to desperately try to avoid and escape, which shows that she was wary and apprehensive about associating with the powerful and influential.

Therefore, it is clear that none of the flattery she just said was true.

"Is there a suitable place here to discuss important matters?" Outside the door, there was a bustling crowd and a constant stream of noise, interspersed with the cries of street vendors. Shen Cao led him through the lobby on the first floor, up the stairs, and finally to the door of an elegant private room called "Lan" on the fourth floor.

On his way upstairs, Ji Lingfeng had already noticed that the interior of this restaurant was ingeniously designed, with each level having its own unique features.

Upon reaching the fourth floor and entering the private room, his eyes were immediately struck by its exquisite layout.

The room was bright and clean, with tables and chairs arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner. Several exquisite calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, adding a touch of elegance to the room. On one side, a display shelf showcased a variety of antique treasures, a dazzling array that was a feast for the eyes.

After entering the private room, Shen Cao gently closed the door and shut all the windows tightly before turning to look at Ji Lingfeng.

At this moment, Ji Lingfeng's expression was solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke slowly: "Miss Shen, I came here today merely to try my luck. To be honest, I secretly suspected that the owner of this restaurant might be you."

Only after seeing you here in person did I finally feel relieved, and my heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. I have come here today without warning because I have a favor to ask of you, and I earnestly hope that you will lend me a helping hand.

Shen Cao gazed quietly at Ji Lingfeng, who had a solemn expression, and understood that the other party did indeed have something important that required her assistance.

So she didn't interrupt, but simply nodded slightly, then sat down and listened attentively to what Ji Lingfeng was about to say.

"Do you remember the restaurant where we discovered hidden weapons four months ago?"

Shen Cao nodded.

"I secretly investigated later and found that the restaurant had connections with the prince of Persia."

"And the weapons in that restaurant were all officially manufactured weapons of our Great Xia Kingdom."

"However, my men have investigated for so long, but they have only found some minor figures; there are no clues about the people behind them."

"So, you came here to investigate this matter?" Shen Cao frowned deeply, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed, and asked with a face full of suspicion.

Ji Lingfeng nodded slightly in affirmation: "That's right." His tone was calm and serious.

“You know, this operation must be carried out secretly, without revealing the slightest trace. However, given the situation of our group, completely concealing our true identities is not an easy task!” Ji Lingfeng said, shaking his head unconsciously, a hint of helplessness on his face.

"Originally, we planned to first buy a place to settle down, and then take a longer approach to find a way to change our identities. But who would have thought that this first step would encounter so many obstacles and be impossible to advance smoothly?" At this point, Ji Lingfeng couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Hearing this, Shen Cao's doubts deepened, and her already furrowed brows twisted into a knot.

Seeing her like this, Ji Lingfeng quickly explained, "That's why I specially sent Hefei to lead everyone to search almost the entire Xin'an County over the past few days, painstakingly looking for a suitable house."

Unfortunately, the result was extremely disappointing. Forget buying a satisfactory house; even renting a decent place to live seemed like an impossible task!

Have houses in Xin'an County really become so scarce?

Can't even rent one? That's unbelievable!

Hearing this, Shen Cao frowned and said helplessly, "Aren't your requirements for a house too high?"

However, after listening to the series of demands made by the other party, she could only sigh and rub her forehead.

Indeed, given his stringent requirements, finding a house that perfectly matches his criteria in Xin'an County would be extremely difficult. But even so, surely there must be at least one?

Just then, as if seeing through Shen Cao's doubts, Ji Lingfeng spoke without hesitation, "Actually, I already sent someone to inquire about this matter."

He paused, then continued, "From what I understand, since the end of last year, every decent house in Xin'an County that was for sale has been bought up by a group of people of unknown origin. Not only that, but they have also spent a lot of money to acquire houses that were originally intended for rent."

At this point, Ji Lingfeng shook his head slightly, indicating that the true identities of this group of people had not yet been ascertained.

Upon hearing this, Shen Cao frowned even more deeply.

If even capable and well-connected people like them can't figure out the background of this group, then this group is undoubtedly quite mysterious and keeps its true strength hidden.

Thinking of this, Shen Cao looked up at Ji Lingfeng and tentatively asked, "So, General Ji, you mean you hope I can conceal your identity and find you a place to stay?" Ji Lingfeng smiled slightly and nodded in response, "That's right. It's indeed much easier and more convenient to talk to intelligent people."

"Don't you doubt my identity?"

However, the man simply smiled and said softly, "I believe you." Those three simple words seemed to contain a thousand unspoken words.

Yes, he believed her.

I believe in you, not that you dare not. He didn't know where his trust in her came from.

"What if I disagree?"

Ji Lingfeng raised the corners of his mouth slightly, gazing at the woman before him with a half-smile, and said softly, "However, I firmly believe that Miss Shen is not such an unreasonable person."

Recalling everything that had happened before, Ji Lingfeng pondered to himself.

Her courage and meticulousness are evident in her act of risking her life to sneak into Chunhua Tower.

Moreover, through observing her actions and conduct over this period, it's easy to see that she is both courageous and strategic in her actions. More importantly, she is also an extremely loyal and affectionate person.

While waiting for her arrival, Ji Lingfeng had a conversation with the children who were responsible for cleaning.

Only after asking around did we learn that all of these children were homeless, and many of them were poor little beggars who had lost both parents.

Their faces were sallow and their bodies were thin, not because the restaurant owner deliberately skimped on their food, as he assumed, but because they had been struggling to make ends meet through years of begging on the streets.

She not only generously provided these children with shelter from the wind and rain, ensuring their basic needs were met, but she even found them jobs to earn a living. Such kindness is truly admirable.

He couldn't believe that someone so intelligent, decisive, courageous, and resourceful couldn't see the underlying issues behind their actions.

Sure enough, Shen Cao thought for a while and said, "I can agree to that, but I need you to guarantee that my family's safety will not be affected after the truth comes out."

"Of course, don't worry, I promise."

After receiving Ji Lingfeng's assurance, Shen Cao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little, but only halfway.

After all, the current situation is far too complex and severe to be completely reassured.

In fact, some time ago, Shen Cao had already noticed an unusual phenomenon—Xin'an County, a place that was originally peaceful and tranquil, has recently seen an increasing number of foreigners.

At first, she thought these foreigners were simply there to do business and make some money. However, as time went on, she gradually realized that things were far more complicated than that.

It turns out that many of these foreigners were not just staying temporarily, but had chosen to live here permanently.

What made Shen Cao even more uneasy was that, through careful observation, she could clearly discern that these people's identities were definitely not as simple as they appeared on the surface; they were by no means ordinary businessmen.

The reason was that she happened to notice the thick calluses on the tiger's mouths of those people. You should know that this feature usually only appears on martial arts practitioners, and only those who hold weapons for a long time will develop such a special mark.

From the moment he accidentally discovered those weapons that had been secretly hidden away, Shen Cao had a vague premonition that the Great Xia Kingdom would probably fall into turmoil and unrest sooner or later.

Ji Lingfeng's sudden appearance further confirmed and reinforced this idea deep within her. To be honest, Shen Cao didn't want to easily put herself in danger or risk getting involved in things that could bring her death.

However, she was well aware of the principle that "when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact." If the whole country was in chaos, who could remain unscathed? Therefore, choosing to help Ji Lingfeng at this moment was, in a sense, also helping herself.

However, given such a complex situation, it is indeed necessary to plan ahead and make thorough preparations in advance!