How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

The Song family was the richest family in the city, with numerous servants and a courtyard that occupied an entire street. The courtyard was magnificently built, and guards stood at the gate, making it clear that the masters were either rich or noble.

Guo Zixing simply led Qingru towards the gate and said to her in a low voice, "His female relatives will probably entertain you in a little while. Don't worry, just observe and talk less. People from the Guo family don't need to be taken seriously."

Qingru nodded obediently, but she wasn't actually that worried.

Guo Zixing's uninvited arrival startled the Song family, who hurriedly sent someone to inform him.

Upon hearing that Young Master Guo had come with his female relatives, Song Yuanliang and his second concubine hurriedly came out to greet him, saying, "Young Master Guo, we are so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

Guo Zixing slightly raised his chin and said, "I heard that Master Song is ill, so I came to visit him."

Song Yuanliang touched his nose, feeling guilty for a moment, "My father is fine, he just caught a cold, took some medicine, and will be fine after a night's rest."

Guo Zixing snorted, "I see. Then I, as a junior, am even more eager to meet him."

He made a move to enter, and Song Yuanliang couldn't stop him, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and invite him in.

Qingru followed her in, quietly observing the surroundings as she went.

"How should I address you, Miss?" the second concubine greeted Qingru with a smile.

"His surname is Lü." That's all.

The second concubine had some doubts in her mind, but she led Qingru inside.

This Song residence truly lives up to its reputation as the wealthiest mansion; it is exquisite and luxurious in every detail, and the servants who come and go are also full of energy and dressed in fine clothes.

Upon arriving in the living room, as Guo Zixing sat down, the second concubine immediately ordered tea and snacks to be served. As a concubine, she could not act as if she were the mistress of the house, so although she was an "elder," she dared not act arrogantly and simply sat aside as a guest.

"Young Master, what brings you here today?" Song Yuanliang asked.

Guo Zixing picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and said casually, "It's nothing. I was at your house for a banquet yesterday, but I didn't see your father. I only heard later that he was sick, so I came to visit him."

"There is no need for you, young master, to personally visit us."

"No need for further words. I cannot rest easy until I see Master Song in person today. My Guo family has witnessed all the contributions Master Song has made to Sifang City over the years. If such a pillar of the city falls ill, it will be a great loss to our city. It is truly worrying." He spoke with great regret, raising his eyes to scrutinize Song Yuanliang, as if trying to discern something from his face.

Song Yuanliang thought to himself that this young master Guo was indeed living up to his name, with an eccentric personality, unpredictable behavior, and mood swings. And since he was also the eldest son of Marshal Guo, he couldn't afford to offend him easily.

"Since the young master is so concerned, then I will go with you." In the end, Song Yuanliang did not dare to disobey the eldest son of the Guo family. Fortunately, his family was prepared.

Guo Zixing's lips curved into a faint smile. "Very good!"

So Qingru followed the two to Song Wenqu's room. Along the way, the maids and servants would occasionally cast glances at her, but Qingru pretended not to see anything and followed behind the two into Song Wenqu's bedroom through the screen.

A coughing sound came from behind the screen. Qingru glanced over casually. Could he really be sick?

Song Yuanliang quickly stepped forward and said, "Father, Young Master Guo has come to see you."

Song Wenqu had already received the news. With the help of his second concubine, he managed to sit up and leaned weakly against the couch, his face pale and powerless. When he saw Guo Zixing, he simply nodded and said, "Thank you, Young Master Guo."

Guo Zixing said indifferently, "I am a junior, and since you are unwell, it is only right that I come to see you."

"Qingru, come and present the gift."

When Qingru heard her being called, she presented the gift box prepared by Guo Zixing to Master Song and opened it. "Two hundred-year-old ginseng roots are nothing special, just a token of the young master's goodwill."

The second concubine accepted the ginseng with an odd expression and said, "Thank you."

For a moment, Master Song's pupils widened. This was... Lü Qingru? Unsure whether Guo Zixing had come to test him, Master Song coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, "Thank you, young master."

Guo Zixing smiled enigmatically and said nonchalantly, "You're too kind. Since you're ill, I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving behind the second concubine full of doubts and Song Yuanliang dumbfounded.

Qingru followed behind him, feeling somewhat uneasy.

The ginseng she just took out, while not a priceless treasure, was still of exceptional quality. Who would have thought it would surprise Master Song so much? It seemed rather unusual; could there be another reason?

"So, does Master Song know you?" Guo Zixing suddenly turned to look at her and asked.

Qingru was taken aback. "No."

“But I noticed he seemed surprised when he saw you, as if he was surprised that you were there, or perhaps surprised that you were by my side.”

Qingru thought about it carefully but didn't notice this. "Really? I didn't notice it, but did you see clearly? Is Master Song really sick?"

Guo Zixing lowered his head in thought. The order to arrest the two Lü sisters was blatantly obvious, and with Song Wenqu's methods, he must have already noticed the Guo family's movements, which explained his surprise just now. But how could he know what Qingru looked like?

Guo Zixing glanced at Qingru, who seemed oblivious to everything, and sighed almost imperceptibly. "Fine, I'll let it go."

“Then Song Wenqu is not sick.”

"He's faking illness?" Qingru was very surprised. "Would he dare to lie to Commander Guo?"

"They may not be sick, but something must be wrong with their body. I smelled blood as soon as I walked in."

"The smell of blood?" Qingru frowned.

Guo Zixing hummed in agreement. "Aside from the sheets and blankets, there was no blood in the room. It's probably because there was a brazier burning in the room, and the smell of blood was dissipated by the heat."

"I see. It seems that Song Wenqu is indeed no ordinary person," Qingru exclaimed.

"Indeed, Song Wenqu is much more unfathomable than I imagined."

They're talking about Master Song here, and Master Song is also discussing this matter over there.

"Master, what does it mean that someone from the Guo family has come?"

Song Wenqu frowned. "Who are the Guo family? Why would they care about my life or death? I'm afraid the eldest son of the Guo family has other reasons for visiting this time. Just because I didn't show up once, the eldest son of the Guo family came to my door in person. Ha, if there is no other reason, then he is too petty."

"Master, is your body still able to hold on?" Madam Song was distressed by her husband's poor health, so she helped Song Wenqu lie down to rest.

Song Wenqu refused, waving his hand, "It's alright, you can go ahead and do your work."

Song Yuanliang waited at the door until the second concubine came out before stepping forward and asking, "Mom, is my father alright?"

"It's nothing." The second concubine lowered her voice and pulled Song Yuanliang into her room.

"I'm asking you, how's it going with Liu Xiang?"

"What do you mean, 'so what'? She's just a little girl," Song Yuanliang said dismissively.

The second concubine was exasperated. "You should know what it means when I call her over."

Song Yuanliang was very impatient. "I know, but I don't want to. I've told you before, I have someone in my heart. Don't try to get involved with other people."

"Who is it? You have to bring the person to me."

“She’s a classmate of mine, so don’t ask anymore. I’ll take her home when the time comes.” Song Yuanliang frowned unhappily and turned to leave.

Song Wenqu lay on the bed with his eyes closed, resting for a while before slowly saying, "Why didn't you find out that the eldest daughter of the Lü family is in the Guo family?"

Song Ren kept his head down, not daring to look up. "It's my fault for not doing my job properly. I searched all over Sifang City but couldn't find him. Later, I went to the Lü family's hometown, Jiuhuang Village, and the surrounding towns, but still couldn't find him... It's just..."

"Alright, I understand. It's normal that we didn't find it because it's under our noses. But the Guo family arrested Lü Peijun and issued warrants for the Lü sisters, yet now they're brazenly showing up with Miss Lü. You need to find out exactly what they're up to." Song Wenqu said slowly, his tone calm and unwavering.

Song Ren felt a chill run down his spine. "Yes."

"By the way, keep a close eye on that Lü Yanru. Have Song Yi watch her day and night, make sure she doesn't run away, and make sure no one rescues her," Song Wenqu instructed.

"Yes."

"As for Lü Peijun, let's leave him for now. With Lü Qingru around, the Guo family probably won't do anything to him for the time being," Song Wenqu continued to instruct.

"Yes."

"Also, has there been any unusual activity in the city recently?"

Song Ren shook his head. "This subordinate dares not make any presumptions. Please forgive me, sir."

Song Wenqu didn't say anything, only gave a soft hum.

"If there's nothing else, sir, I'll take my leave now."

"Go."

After Song Ren left, Song Wenqu sat up straight, his eyes narrowed, flashing with a cold light, as if he were plotting something.