Ye Yunniang, upon hearing these words, thought of Jiang Mingzhe.

She raised her hand only to lower it again, shaking her head. "I just want to raise Pan'er," she said.

"You're still young; you can't only think about Pan'er," Aunt Guihua consoled her. "Your mother said at noon that a person must consider themselves too. I think she's right—you should think more about yourself."

"What you say makes sense, Aunt Guihua. But Pan'er is still little. I’ll consider it in a couple of years." Ye Yunniang didn’t outright refuse.

"That’s the right way to think," Aunt Guihua said, satisfied. She stood up and went to the kitchen, returning with two bowls of brown sugar water.

"Here, drink this."

Ye Yunniang took the bowl and sipped.

She wanted to say something, but her head spun, and her body went weak.

"Aunt Guihua, you—why?"

"Yunniang, I’m sorry," Aunt Guihua said, reaching out to steady her as she swayed.

The gate of the Li household swung open, and two strong young men entered, carrying a wooden chest between them.

With practiced efficiency, they lifted Ye Yunniang and placed her inside.

Her eyes, the only part of her still able to move, fixed on the room—where Li Pan and Li An lay sleeping.

Only when the lid closed, cutting off all light, did she finally blink.

Inside the chest, she was carried onto a waiting carriage.

After roughly half an hour, the carriage stopped.

The chest was opened, and Ye Yunniang was lifted out, placed onto a bed.

Watching the sky darken outside the window, her unease grew.

"I ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍wonder how Mother is doing?"

Li Wu, leading Cai Damei and Li Nan, climbed halfway up Little North Mountain before stopping at a crooked-neck tree.

No one saw what Li Wu pressed near the roots, but suddenly, a cave entrance appeared beside the tree.

"Wolf Fang, I’ll hide inside the cave," Li Wu announced, stepping in.

Li Nan followed.

Cai Damei entered last, but after a few steps, Li Wu and Li Nan had vanished ahead.

She turned—just in time to see the stone door of the cave sliding shut.

"No—!" Cai Damei screamed, sprinting toward the entrance.

Too late. The door sealed, leaving only a crack through which she could see Li Wu and Li Nan standing outside.

Li Wu smirked. "Today’s the day you die, Cai Damei." With the great Buddha statue guarding Little North Mountain, even if Li Jun and Li Min turned into vengeful ghosts, they’d never reach her.

Beside him, Li Nan’s eyes darted nervously, unable to meet Cai Damei’s gaze.

She shoved at the door with all her strength—it didn’t budge.

"Li Wu, where’s Wolf Fang?" Cai Damei cared little for her own fate; she only wanted her son’s wolf-tooth necklace.

Li Wu pulled it from his robe, dangling it mockingly.

"Give it to me!" She stretched her hand through the gap, desperate.

Instead of handing it over, Li Wu raised his arm to hurl it away—but Li Nan seized his wrist and snatched the necklace.

"Li Nan, are you betraying me?" Li Wu snarled.

"This doesn’t break our deal," Li Nan shot back, passing the necklace through the gap to Cai Damei.

"Forgive me, Aunt Cai," he murmured, shamefaced.

Cai Damei clutched the necklace, inspecting it in the dim light. It was the same one Jun’er had worn since childhood.

Certain it was genuine, she looked up at Li Nan. "Do your parents know?"

"My father doesn’t."

Li Wenkuo was unaware—but Aunt Guihua knew and had taken part. Cai Damei thought of Ye Yunniang and the two children back at Li Nan’s house.

"Tong Mo must protect Ye Yunniang."

Meanwhile, Ye Yunniang, who had lain motionless for who knew how long, finally felt strength returning. She struggled to sit up.

A sound at the window made her turn.

Tong Mo vaulted inside, grinning. "Hungry? I brought flatbread. The kind here is delicious."

"Pan’er, An’er, Mother—" Ye Yunniang forced out the names of those she worried for.

"Li Pan and the boy are fine, under watch. No word on your mother, but the adults are handling it." Tong Mo shoved the flatbread into her hands.

Too weak to hold it, Ye Yunniang dropped it.

"Oops, forgot about the drug," Tong Mo muttered, catching the bread.

He fished a small vial from his robe, tapped out a pill, and pried her jaws open to pop it in.

"There."

"There what?" Ye Yunniang’s voice was clear—she could speak again. She tested her limbs, pushing upright to leave.

Tong Mo blocked her. "Not yet."

"What do you want?" Suspicion laced her tone; his carefree smirk set her on edge.

"Can’t explain. Just know this—I, Tong Mo, swear you’ll be safe." He thumped his chest.

She rolled her eyes. His words rang hollow.

"Cooperate with our next task, and I’ll personally ensure Jiang Mingzhe gets help—better odds of coming home alive." Arms crossed, he waited for her gratitude.

Ye Yunniang slid off the bed, steadied herself against the table, and headed for the door.

Tong Mo stepped in her path. "Deaf?"

"Move," she said coldly.

"You’d abandon your lover? Heartless."

"My affairs with Second Master Jiang are none of your concern. And your ‘help’? I don’t trust it." She recalled Jiang Mingzhe’s warning on the ship:

"Yunniang, no matter who offers what, never bargain with my safety. I will return."

She always heeded his words. Tong Mo’s deal wasn’t worth a second thought.

"I’ll tell Jiang Mingzhe what a viper you are—make him leave you and that belly of yours," Tong Mo threatened.

Another eye-roll. She strode for the exit.

Footsteps approached outside.

Before panic could take root, Tong Mo forced another pill into her mouth.

"You—" Her legs buckled.

He caught her, hauling her back to bed.

Then, monkey-like, he sprang onto the rafters, perching there to munch his flatbread.

From the bed, Ye Yunniang glared daggers at him. If looks could kill—

Tong Mo grinned around a mouthful of bread.

The door creaked open.

A richly dressed middle-aged woman entered.

From above, Tong Mo mouthed soundlessly: Madam Huang.

Madam Huang circled the bed, scrutinizing Ye Yunniang head to toe—then raised her hand to strike.

A hand caught her wrist mid-swing.

Slap!