How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

This was a family matter for the Zhang family, so Qingru didn't say much.

Returning to the villa after a long absence and seeing the familiar scene, Qingru felt a sense of relief.

Following Guo Zixing into the study, Qingru laid out the camera and other items one by one.

Guo Zixing glanced at her but didn't pay much attention. It was Qingru who looked at her. She had become even thinner. Her already slender face was now sunken in, her eyes looked even bigger, and she was visibly exhausted.

A feeling of heartache welled up inside him. "You've worked so hard," he said.

Qingru was filled with emotion, which finally turned into a sigh. She shook her head helplessly, "It's nothing. Put the camera away. It's full of evidence of the yarn factory's abuse of female workers." She pointed to the bundle on the table next to her.

Guo Zixing lifted it up and looked at it. The once brand-new camera was covered in dirt and had a corrosive smell, probably because she had buried it in the ground and had just dug it out.

Her usually cold and aloof expression softened slightly, a wave of guilt washing over her. If it weren't for her family's machinations, she would still be the young lady of the Lü family, instead of being so exhausted and overwhelmed as she was now.

A piece of her cold, hardened heart crumbled, and she couldn't help but stroke Qingru's icy cheek, saying with tenderness, "You should rest first. I'll take care of the rest; you don't need to show your face."

Qingru nodded, without mentioning a word about the hardships and dangers of those days.

He frowned as he looked at the documents, then touched them with immense care, filled with hope. These documents were enough to expose all the shady dealings of the Japanese textile factory, and those girls could finally receive help.

Thinking about these things, Qingru felt full of energy.

After explaining to Guo Zixing where Guiying and the others had come from and where they were going, he said with a hint of embarrassment, "...I have nowhere else to go, and I can't bring them to your villa, so I'll just settle them at the police station for now."

"Okay, I'll have Zhang Xun carefully bring them over first thing tomorrow morning. Just stay put and we'll talk about Niu Da and Niu Er after this is all settled." Guo Zixing made the arrangements after a moment's thought. These people were witnesses, and it was best if they didn't end up outside the Daoist community.

Qingru tacitly approved his arrangement, then thought of Niu Er and his gang, and hurriedly asked with concern, "How is it? Did you find out Niu Er's real name? Did you catch his wife?"

Thinking about this, Guo Zixing was also furious. "No, Niu Er and his wife are tight-lipped and can't be pried open at all. But they've already sent someone to Shanghai. Since she once tried to sell you to Qinhuai Tower, she'll probably go and give them an explanation."

Qingru sighed, then frowned with worry. "That's not necessarily true. Niu Er and his wife are cunning by nature; I'm afraid they're not so trustworthy."

Guo Zixing sneered, "This group of people is indeed vicious and ruthless, but they have one 'advantage': they are extremely trustworthy to people in the underworld."

Hearing Guo Zixing's words, Qingru was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond. "Then what do you plan to do?"

Guo Zixing glanced at her, his concern unaware of his own presence, and said, "You should take care of your health first."

Her cheeks were burning, and Qingru lowered her eyes to prevent Guo Zixing from seeing her flushed face.

Guo Zixing chatted with her for a while longer before leaving.

He had just stepped out of the room when he met Zhang Xun walking towards him, carrying a file folder.

"Young Master, please take a look at this."

Guo Zixing stopped, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then opened the file bag. The further he read, the more serious his expression became. He finished reading the entire document, then looked up towards Qingru's room.

Zhang Xun knew what he was worried about and said softly, "Don't worry, Miss Lü doesn't know about her father yet."

Guo Zixing remained silent for a long time before finally giving in. "Keep it from her for now. I'll ask my father what he thinks tomorrow." He turned to Zhang Xun and instructed, "Find a few people to keep an eye on Niu Da and Niu Er. Let me know if there's any news."

Zhang Xun respectfully agreed, and as Guo Zixing was leaving, he suddenly called out to him.

"Young Master, Miss Qingru is a smart woman. You might as well speak frankly."

Guo Zixing paused, turned his back to him, and said, "I have my own plans, you don't need to say more." After saying that, he left.

The issue of Lü's father remains a hidden danger. If Qingru were to learn the truth one day, would she still be completely open with him? Guo Zixing knew the answer with his own feet, but he didn't want to think about it too much. At least for now, everything was still under his control.

Whether it's Zheng Peilan or Qingru, he wants their connections, status, money, and wealth.

The next morning, Qingru was startled as soon as she woke up.

"Ah!" She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "When did you get here?"

Guiying, Qiushuang, Xiaofuzi, Xiao Erlang, and Hongyu all stared at her with ten eyes.

"I told you, don't keep staring at her."

"It was you who made the noise and woke people up."

"It's so early, you should wake up."

"Sister Hongyu, you shouldn't have let them in."

"Stop..." Qingru covered her ears, wondering what they were curious about. "I know you care about me, but this isn't the right time for you to talk. You're all talking back and forth, it's giving me a headache. Now, all of you, get out and let me wash up first, okay? Get out, get out."

The group exchanged glances, none of them willing to back down.

But she still pouted and reluctantly left. Little Erlang, still clinging to the doorway, kept reminding her, "Hurry up!"

Once everyone had left, Qingru finally breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out of bed.

She got dressed, washed off the covering from her face, looked at herself in the mirror to make sure everything was alright, and then opened the door.

Outside, Guiying and the others had been waiting impatiently, and immediately surrounded the room as soon as they heard the door open.

"Sister Qingru, you're so beautiful! But you're too thin. It breaks my heart to see you like this." Xiao Erlang looked at her with bright eyes.

Hongyu also praised her repeatedly, "Qingru, you are much prettier than usual."

Qiu Shuang and Xiao Fuzi were as if they had seen a ghost. Who was this person in front of them? They couldn't connect the person in front of them with the dark-faced village girl from before.

The change is just too drastic, it's like a complete upheaval, unbelievable!

Qingru touched the tip of her nose, feeling a little uncomfortable with their praise.

Guiying, on the other hand, had an expression that said, "I knew it all along."

Qiu Shuang couldn't believe it at all, "You...you are Lü Xiaocui?"

Qingru nodded and confessed, "To be precise, my name is Lü Qingru. I went to the yarn factory to rescue Guiying and, incidentally, to collect evidence of the factory's abuse of female workers."

"Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Of course I'm scared, but I can't just watch you get hurt. Besides..." Qingru glanced at Guo Zixing, who was approaching from a distance, "With this important figure around, he'll help us. He's the one I've been talking about for backup. There was just a slight mishap, otherwise we would have gotten out more smoothly yesterday."

Today, Guo Zixing was dressed in his uniform, with a cloak over it. His clothes fluttered as he moved, outlining his strong physique and adding to his refined air. Tall and elegant, he possessed a commanding presence, and despite his young age, he exuded a dashing and handsome charm. A misty aura shrouded his eyes, like cold stars on a winter night, carrying an air of noble aloofness.

The group of people were so captivated by the sight that they became completely mesmerized.

Qiu Shuang murmured to herself, "There really is such a man in this world..."

Guiying patted her on the shoulder, signaling her to be mindful of the occasion. Qiushuang suddenly snapped out of her daze, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

"You're awake. How did you sleep?"

Qingru smiled at him and said, "Very good."

Guo Zixing raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "Hongyu, take the person away first. I have something to discuss with Miss Lü."

Hongyu nodded quickly and led the group out of the courtyard.

Qiu Shuang hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, "Don't we need to bow or anything?"

Guiying remained unfazed and pulled Qiushuang back, saying, "No need, they are not people we can reach."

Now that only Qingru and Guo Zixing were left in the courtyard, they instantly felt more at ease. "I just heard you hurt your foot, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Qingru stretched her feet to show him, "See, you can still move freely, it's no problem. What brings you here?" Judging from his expression just now, it seemed like he had something to say.

“It’s nothing serious. I need to go to the Song residence. If you’re free, you can come with me.”

Qingru asked in surprise, "Why is it me?"

“Yesterday was such a big event as my grandmother’s birthday banquet, but Song Wenqu didn’t come. Only his second concubine came to deliver a birthday gift, saying that he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. I went to find out if it was true.”

"You think he's faking illness? But why would you say that?"

Guo Zixing shook his head. "It's not that I don't have suspicions, but I always feel something is amiss. You come with me; perhaps we can find some clues. These wealthy merchants are very cunning. The situation is unclear right now, and it would be bad if they caused chaos in Sifang City."

Qingru hesitated for a moment, "Then what about my foot..."

Guo Zixing waved his hand, "It's nothing. If my female companion had injured her foot, she would come to visit him, but he can't even come to congratulate me in person. This shows his disrespect."

"Okay, wait for me a moment."

After Qingru returned to her room and tidied up, she and Guo Zixing set off for the Song family.