She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Her voice was loud and clear, and the shop instantly fell silent.

The waiters all perked up their ears, and the guests stopped what they were doing, all turning their gazes toward Wen Yin.

Shen Jingshu was taken aback by her straightforward question, then looked at her with a wry smile, "Sister Wenyin, did you fall in love with her at the palace banquet?"

Wen Yin's cheeks flushed red. She stamped her foot and said coquettishly, "Good Jing Shu, stop teasing me. I... I really want to know."

Seeing her like this, Shen Jingshu couldn't bear to tease her anymore. "Young Master Gu is not yet married."

Wen Yin's eyes lit up instantly, "Really?"

"Yes, really." Shen Jingshu nodded, "but..."

"Just what?"

"It seems that the Second Young Master Gu's days at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion are not going smoothly."

Shen Jingshu carefully considered her words and briefly described Gu Changyi's situation.

"Although he is the second son of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, he has been estranged from his parents and brothers since childhood and is quite neglected in the mansion. If you really have feelings for him, you should probably be prepared."

Wen Yin's smile gradually faded. She remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and looked at Shen Jingshu with a firm gaze. "I'm not afraid."

Seeing her determination, Shen Jingshu smiled, took a box of "Zhu Yan Luo Dai" from the counter, and handed it to Wen Yin, saying, "This box of Luo Dai is for you, sister."

"You just gave me these ten-gold-coin snail-shaped inkstones so easily?"

Wen Yin was somewhat surprised, after all, Gu Shiyi had just paid a full one hundred taels of silver.

Yaoqin, who was standing nearby, chimed in at the right moment, a faint smile playing on her lips, "The other day, my young lady was talking about finding a nice item for Miss Wen. Today, by sheer coincidence, it's just the right time."

“Well, there’s no need for such formalities between us,” Shen Jingshu said with a smile, pushing Wen Yin away. “It’s getting late, you should go back quickly so your aunt won’t worry and put you out of the house again.”

Wen Yin bid farewell to Shen Jingshu and happily left Sanchunxiao with the box of "Zhu Yan Luo Dai".

Shen Jingshu watched Wen Yin leave and sighed heavily.

According to the predetermined trajectory of her previous life, Wen Yin would be confined to the palace for the rest of her life. If she could arrange a marriage before then, it might be a way to change her fate. However, regarding Gu Changyi, putting aside his situation in the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, if what Prince Qi said was true, then the Duke of Dingguo's mansion would definitely be a hidden danger.

Wen Yin is naive and has been well protected by Minister Wen. If she were to rashly get involved in the conflicts of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, she might get hurt. She must find a way to both fulfill Wen Yin's wishes and protect her.

Shen Jingshu shook her head, turned and walked into the backyard of Sanchunxiao. Yaoqin followed closely behind and said, "Miss, this matter seems strange. You must be careful."

Shen Jingshu nodded slightly and went to Chu Xiangling's room.

The room was fairly tidy, but upon closer inspection, a corner of the bedding on the bed was slightly lifted, as if someone had hurriedly gotten up. The teacup on the table was upside down, with a few drops of tea remaining. She then went to the chests and dressing cases to check them one by one; inside, Chu Xiangling's clothes and jewelry were neatly arranged, not a single item missing.

Chu Xiangling disappeared last night. If she had escaped, she wouldn't have left without any valuables. If she had been kidnapped, the room wouldn't be so tidy, with only a few minor traces.

But why did she suddenly disappear? Did she encounter some danger, or is there another reason? Is it possible that she left behind some clues?

Shen Jingshu's gaze swept around the room, trying to find a clue, but everything in the room was too normal, which made her even more uneasy.

"Wuchen," Shen Jingshu called out.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Wuchen appeared out of nowhere, asking, "What are your orders, young lady?"

"Go find your young master and tell him I'm waiting for him at Sanchunxiao; I have important matters to discuss with him."

"Yes." Wuchen accepted the order and left.

Shen Jingshu stood alone in Chu Xiangling's room. Prince Qi had asked her to remind Jiang Jin'an to be careful of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Could it be that Chu Xiangling's disappearance was related to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion?

Shen Jingshu was completely baffled, so she decided to wait until Jiang Jin'an arrived before discussing it with him properly.

About an hour later, Wuchen returned, followed by Jiang Jin'an, who was dressed in black casual clothes.

"You came."

Jiang Jin'an looked at Shen Jingshu's serious expression and asked, "What happened?"

She told Jiang Jin'an everything about Chu Xiangling's disappearance and the reminder from Prince Qi.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jin'an's eyes sharpened. He turned to Wu Chen and instructed, "Immediately send someone to check the list of people Chu Xiangling has recently been in contact with. Also, send someone to secretly investigate the movements of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Report any unusual activity immediately."

"What do you think?" Shen Jingshu asked after Wuchen left.

Jiang Jin'an remained silent for a while before saying, "I will check Chu Anshan's files. I'll be quite busy these days, so don't leave the manor unnecessarily. If anything comes up, have Wuchen send me a message."

“Oh, right, sir,” Shen Jingshu suddenly remembered something, “Sister Wenyin seems to have feelings for Gu Changyi…”

Shen Jingshu briefly explained Wen Yin's situation, "Sister Wen Yin is a kind and gentle person, and I'm worried that she might get caught up in the conflicts within the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."

Jiang Jin'an: "Although Changyi is the second young master of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, he grew up under the care of Old Madam Gu and is not close to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Unlike his father and brothers, he is upright, quite talented, and not a wicked person."

"You mean, it's okay for Wen Yinruo to be with him?" Shen Jingshu asked.

"As it stands, there seems to be nothing wrong," Jiang Jin'an said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingshu breathed a slight sigh of relief, and the worry between her brows eased somewhat. "That's good. Thank you for your trouble, sir."

"There's no need for thanks between us." Jiang Jin'an paused, his eyes softening slightly. He looked at her face for a moment and then cautioned, "Be careful in everything you do, and don't act rashly."

"I will." Shen Jingshu smiled slightly, raised her eyes to meet his gaze, and said, "Please take care, my lord."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

After leaving Sanchunxiao, Jiang Jin'an returned to Yuelai Inn, gave a few instructions to his subordinates, and then returned to the Commandery with Lin Yu.

He sat upright at his desk, surrounded by piles of long-forgotten files. He flipped through them quickly, reading ten lines at a glance, yet not missing a single detail.

Lin Yu stood aside, not daring to make the slightest sound, for fear of disturbing his train of thought.

Finally, in a long-forgotten dossier, Jiang Jin'an found a record about Chu'an Mountain.

He stopped, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Lin Yu stepped forward, examined it closely, and exclaimed in surprise, "This Chu Anshan is really Chu Xiangling's father?"

According to the records, Chu Anshan was originally a famous poison-making expert in the capital. He concocted all sorts of strange poisons, the most famous of which was a highly toxic poison called "Drunken Life, Dream Death," which was colorless and odorless, killing people invisibly and once caused a period of panic in the capital.

Later, he was captured by the Duke of Dingguo's men, but escaped by faking his death. However, the Duke of Dingguo's men did not let him go. They secretly tracked down his whereabouts and eventually captured him. They then secretly executed him on the grounds that he had poisoned a court official with the "Drunken Life, Dreamy Death" method.

After Chu Anshan was executed, his wife and daughters disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Jin'an closed the file. It turned out that she wanted to avenge her father.