Your Highness, please stop chasing me.

“Someone from the Mu family just arrived. They said that the eldest son, Mu Feng, has suffered a health problem due to a conflicting medicine and urgently needs elixirs to prolong his life. They came specifically to me to ask for help,” said Prince Jing, patting Mo Shijie’s hand affectionately as he helped him up.

"Oh? Didn't Mu Feng just arrive in Yu Nan City last night? How come his old injury has flared up again today?" Mo Shijie asked in surprise.

Prince Jing shook his head and said, "It was Changsheng, who came from Mu Feng's side. He looked very anxious, so I didn't ask any further questions. Shijie, you have a marriage agreement with the Mu family, so you should go and visit him."

“Yes, Grandfather, I will visit the Mu family first thing tomorrow morning,” Mo Shijie nodded and said.

Although Mo Shijie looked down on his engagement with Mu Xue, he got along very well with the young masters of the Mu family, especially the eldest young master Mu Feng. Before he went to the frontier, the two of them often spent time together.

He believed that Mu Feng was honest and kind, and could be used by him.

The entire Mu family was composed of military officers, and Mu Feng perfectly inherited Mu Qinghe's honest and simple nature.

In Mu Xue's words: "A family of brute thugs, the kind who don't need to use their brains."

Prince Jing nodded and said, "Alright, I'm tired too. You should get some rest as well. I'm old and useless now." With that, he patted Mo Shijie's shoulder, put his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.

Mo Shijie bowed and said, "Seeing off my maternal grandfather."

After Prince Jing had walked away and disappeared from sight, Mo Shijie's confidant Liu Yi stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, we still haven't found the Fifth Miss."

"A bunch of useless trash, and one woman—you can't find her even with so many of you. They're either too old or too young; they can't leave Yu Nan City. Keep searching!" Mo Shijie said angrily, flicking his sleeve.

"Yes, yes, I'll go find it right away." After saying that, Liu Yi called his men and went out to search.

"Changji, give the order to go to the Mu residence tomorrow morning," Mo Shijie said to the guard beside him.

"Yes," Changji replied.

The night in Shenjing Lane was quiet, with summer insects chirping in the trees.

Most of the residents here are merchants, so each house has its own entrance and courtyard, making it quite secluded and quiet.

Too many things happened that day for Mu Xue and the other two, especially since Granny Kang was getting old and couldn't take any more exertion, so she went to rest early.

Seeing that Granny Kang was asleep, Su Su tiptoed back to the outer room of Mu Xue's boudoir.

Mu Xue lay in bed, feeling like she had forgotten something, but she couldn't remember it for a while, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

Hearing the noise from inside the room, Su Su asked, "Miss, are you having trouble sleeping?"

She came to check if Mu Xue needed anything done for her. As soon as she entered, she heard Mu Xue tossing and turning in bed like a pancake.

"Susu, you should go to sleep. I might have trouble sleeping in a new bed. Go to sleep." Mu Xue turned her back to Susu and started counting sheep.

None of them remembered that they had forgotten one person.

It was late at night when Mu Hu returned to the Mu residence after delivering the snake gall to the Wang family. Only then did he learn that Mu Xue had been kicked out of the residence by the eldest young master and had already left with Kang Mama and Su Su long ago.

Mu Qi pulled him aside and explained what had happened that afternoon. The more Mu Hu listened, the tighter his fists became.

"This is clearly someone instigating us, how can you believe it, young master?" Mu Hu roared angrily.

"Hey, keep your voice down, are you afraid others won't hear you?" Mu Qi quickly covered his mouth and said.

Then, Mu Qi added, "I've heard some rumors about this. It turns out that the Prince Jing's mansion sent people to bribe everyone in the yamen to spread rumors and distort the facts before the eldest young master even entered the city."

"That Mo Shijie is disgusting. He has two faces, one in public and one in private!" Mu Hu secretly rejoiced that Mu Xue had seen through his character early on, otherwise, with such a master, Mu Hu felt that his future days would not be easy.

"The eldest young master was a bit reckless this time. I guess someone secretly sent a message to the capital. You know how the general has treated our Mu family all these years," Mu Qi said with some worry.

Although he is not very old, he has a clear understanding of things.

"If the eldest young master is being deceived, shouldn't he send someone out to inquire? The Jiang family matter is still fresh in our minds, and if we inquire a little, everyone will know about it!" Mu Hu was somewhat puzzled.

Mu Qi gestured towards the courtyard where Aunt An was and said, "Tao'er, who lives over there, has a distant cousin named Fugui. He is now an attendant to the eldest young master and I heard that he is highly trusted by the eldest young master. He was the one sent to investigate the Jiang family case."

"What? Master, you were harmed by Aunt An?? That little brat, I'm going to kill him!" Mu Hu said, about to draw his sword and rush over to find Fu Gui.

“Third Brother, don’t worry, listen to me. I was there when the Eldest Young Master went to find the Fifth Miss. I saw that the Fifth Miss didn’t even try to explain. The Eldest Young Master told her to leave, and she left without even blinking. She packed her things incredibly fast, as if she had already planned to leave. That silly girl Su Su was the same, sticking close to the young lady, as if afraid she would be left behind,” Mu Qi said.

Mu Hu stamped his foot and said, "Why didn't Master wait for me to come back and take me with him?!"

Mu Qi looked at Mu Hu, grabbed him, and led him to a secluded spot. He carefully looked around before speaking, "Third Brother, are you crazy? How can you still be thinking of leaving with Fifth Miss at a time like this?"

Mu Hu looked at Mu Qi strangely, and suddenly felt that he was acting silly at this moment.

“My mistress is Miss. If I don’t go with her, what am I doing here in the Mu residence?” he said matter-of-factly.

With the return of the eldest son and Mu Xue's departure, Mu Hu has to face the suspicions he had previously refused to acknowledge.

"Third Brother, are you serious?" Mu Qi looked at Mu Hu in disbelief.

Mu Hu slowly pulled his arm away from Mu Hu's grasp, patted his shoulder and said, "We all know that the Jiang family's affairs were caused by the Jing Prince's Mansion, but the general still believed other people's one-sided stories."

Upon hearing his words, Mu Qi scratched his head in annoyance and said, "Perhaps, General, you have some unavoidable reason?"

Mu Hu smirked and continued, "If he really has something to hide, and can't even protect his own flesh and blood, then what about us?"

“The General’s heart died long before the Madam passed away. From that time on, I could no longer understand the General,” Mu Hu said somewhat dejectedly.

Mu Qi sensed the disappointment in his voice and said, "Third Brother, the General won't abandon us."

"The general abandoned us long ago," Mu Hu said softly.

Mu Qi looked at Mu Hu in disbelief. What had he just heard?

"No, no, it won't happen," Mu Qi said, shaking her head.

“Our third squad was supposed to be disbanded, which is why the general assigned us to the manor to look after the young lady. Do you remember what the general’s orders were?” Mu Hu didn’t look at Mu Qi; he leaned against the courtyard wall and said softly.

"...The general said that as long as the young lady survives, that's enough; the rest is up to her to fend for herself." Mu Qi recalled the order given by Mu Qinghe at the time.

“Yes. The abandoned squad is taking care of the abandoned young lady,” Mu Hu said.

He gradually adjusted his mindset and calmed his breathing.

He couldn't help but wonder if Mu Xue had abandoned him again.

No, that's not true. He did say that his surname is Mu, the Mu of Mu Xue (沐雪).

He believed she would contact him.

Mu Xue was unaware of the conversation between Mu Hu and Mu Qi.

She finally fell asleep after counting more than three hundred sheep.