Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

"Who are they, and what are they doing out of town so early in the morning?"

The familiar voice made Liu Zhiyi's forehead twitch.

A guard whispered, "General, the insignia on this carriage belongs to the Prime Minister's residence."

"I'm not blind, do I need you to remind me?"

"From this day forward, every vehicle passing through will be thoroughly inspected. If you miss one, and a spy from Prince Chen's side infiltrates the capital, I'll skin you alive!"

The guard was berated and scolded, then lowered his head and dared not say another word.

Pei Yun Chu continued shouting in a thuggish manner, "Did you hear that? Everyone upstairs, get the hell out here."

Liu Zhiyi rubbed her forehead in exasperation, looking at Shuangyue beside her with a questioning gaze: Is it really that strict now that people are entering and leaving the capital?

The two shook their heads in confusion.

During this brief lull, Pei Yun Chu used the hilt of her sword to lift a corner of the carriage curtain.

Liu Zhiyi's pupils contracted, and her heart almost jumped into her throat. Oh no, she wasn't wearing makeup or a veil today. If he saw her, she would be doomed.

At the critical moment, his eyes darted around, and he cleared his throat, saying...

"If the general wants to see someone, there's no need to beat around the bush like this. Why try to get my attention like this?"

"..."

Liu Zhiyi continued,

"I knew the way the general looked at her yesterday was different; he must have fallen in love with her at first sight. But I just didn't believe it, brother. Frosty Moon, Frosty Snow, hurry up and help me down."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Pei Yun Chu immediately remembered who was sitting in the car. Thinking of the infatuated look in the other person's eyes yesterday, alarm bells instantly went off in her mind.

He had a look on his face that said he'd swallowed a fly.

"Who said I've taken a liking to you? Get out of here, this general has no time to see you."

"But……"

"What is it? Don't block the city gate and obstruct their entry and exit. If you dare to dawdle any longer, be careful, or I will punish you according to military law."

The guards on the side looked at the empty city gate and looked at Pei Yun Chu in confusion.

"Yes, sir, right away, right away."

The coachman, with a forced smile, quickly drove the carriage out of the city gate, and Liu Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the estate where the Shen family lived and drove the carriage straight in.

It was already broad daylight, and there were a few tenant farmers working in the fields. They were curious about the arrival of the farmers, but they didn't say anything.

And so, they arrived at the courtyard where the Shen family lived without any obstacles.

Three years had passed, but the place remained unchanged. Liu Zhiyi sent someone to knock on the door, and soon the door was opened from the inside. However, the person who opened the door was a young, unfamiliar woman.

Her hair was styled like a woman's.

Seeing a magnificent carriage suddenly appear at the courtyard gate, a hint of nervousness flashed in her originally timid eyes.

"Who...who are you looking for?"

Liu Zhiyi asked, "Where are Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen?"

The woman paused for a moment, then asked, "Who...who are you, and what business do you have with my father-in-law and mother-in-law?"

It seems this is the daughter-in-law of the Shen family, but I don't know if she is Shen Dazhuang's or Shen Erzhuang's.

But none of this concerned her. She was only there to make sure they were doing well and that no one was bullying them.

If there's nothing else, she'll leave.

Just then, a woman's cursing came from inside the courtyard.

"Hey, eldest son, who's at the door? It's not one of your poor relatives again, is it?"

I'm warning you, if you dare associate with them again, I'll have the boss break your legs, then divorce you and sell you into a brothel.

Is that... Zhao Meihua's voice?

Liu Zhiyi was stunned for a moment.

Is this still the same timid, soft-spoken middle-aged woman from three years ago?

The other person's curses didn't stop, and the words they uttered became increasingly offensive, while their voices grew closer and closer.

"Mom, I don't have one."

The young woman was so frightened that she hurriedly explained.

"If no one's here, what are you doing standing at the door? Are you slacking off again?"

"Mom, I don't have one."

"If you haven't made breakfast yet, are you trying to starve our whole family?"

"Let me tell you, my daughter has gone to all this trouble to come here. If you starve her, I'll beat you to death, you little slut."

Liu Zhiyi frowned as she listened.

The woman at the door gently pushed open the door and went inside.

"Auntie, it's been a long time."

When Zhao Meihua saw Liu Zhiyi's face clearly, she froze on the spot.

"You...you...Help! There's a ghost!"

Zhao Meihua was so frightened that she scrambled to her feet, trembling as she looked at Liu Zhiyi. This commotion instantly drew everyone out of the house.

"What's wrong, old woman? What happened?"

"Mother, are you alright? Where are the ghosts?"

Shen Erzhuang, with his sharp eyes, spotted Liu Zhiyi not far away. Startled, he rubbed his eyes vigorously with his sleeve, unable to believe his eyes.

"You...you're Xiaoyi's sister?"

"You're not dead? That's great, that's really great."

The rest of the Shen family members finally realized, belatedly, that there was a shadow next to Liu Zhiyi, while ghosts do not have shadows and dare not appear in broad daylight.

"You...you are really Miss Xiaoyi?"

Shen Dashan asked hesitantly, then added, "Is Zhuzhu still alive?"

When Liu Zhiyi heard that he immediately asked about Shen Ningzhu, she assumed he was worried about his best friend, and her expression softened slightly.

But thinking of her best friend's current situation, she was overcome with sadness and didn't know how to answer his question.

At that time, although they only spent half a month with the Shen family, the whole Shen family treated her and her best friend very well. As their biological parents, if they knew that their daughter was imprisoned and not free, they would probably not be able to bear it.

Should she tell them a white lie, after all, Shen Dashan and Zhao Meihua are old and frail, and she didn't want them to be too heartbroken and cause them any health problems?

No, that's not right.

Zhao Meihua seemed like a stranger to Liu Zhiyi, and who was the daughter she mentioned who lived here?

As far as she knew, Shen Ningzhu was the only daughter in the Shen family.

Before she could figure it out, a sharp shout came from the direction of Shen Ningzhu's room.

"Who is making such a racket here, disturbing my young lady's rest so early in the morning? Do you think you can take responsibility for this?"

Just then, a woman and her servant emerged from inside. The woman yawned delicately and said lazily,

"Summer Solstice, do not be rude, step back."

“Miss, you’re always so kind; you’ll suffer for it later.”

Liu Zhiyi's eyes gradually turned cold. The person who came was Shen Ningxue, who was dressed in a noble and elegant manner.

Standing beside her was her personal maid, Xia Zhi.

What's going on? They've been gone for three years, and their home has been stolen? No, strictly speaking, this estate was given to the Shen family by their best friend.

The Shen family can spend these things however they want, but they absolutely cannot let them fall into Shen Ningxue's hands.

She used to trip up Shen Ningzhu at every turn and even helped Princess Qingyi, trying to kill their best friend time and again.