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The person referred to as “Third Brother” by Qi Yiran was none other than Qi Hao, the eldest illegitimate son of Qi Wenyong.
“Hush!”
Qi Hao gently shushed Qi Yiran, and she immediately swallowed the remaining sounds.
Approaching the kneeling Qi Yiran, Qi Hao said, “Third Brother has brought you some food.”
Qi Yiran had been locked in this airtight ancestral hall for a whole day, feeling both frightened and hungry. Upon hearing Qi Hao’s words, tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she whispered while crying, “Third Brother is always the kindest to me.”
Qi Hao looked at Qi Yiran’s affectionate gaze towards him and felt content.
Qi Yiran was born to the Xie family and was the legitimate eldest daughter of a concubine, while Qi Hao was an illegitimate son.
Although the relationship between legitimate and illegitimate children should have been tense, Qi Yiran and Qi Hao shared an extremely close sibling bond.
Qi Hao opened the food box he brought, revealing a steaming bowl of porridge, a steamed bun, and two small plates of meat and vegetarian dishes.
Considering the circumstances of their confinement, this was already a favorable arrangement.
Moreover, he had brought food that Qi Yiran loved to eat. She took the chopsticks and began eating.
While they were eating, Qi Yiran curiously asked, “Third Brother, how did you manage to get in?”
Qi Hao explained the incident of discovering the small door of the ancestral hall.
He added, “But don’t even think about sneaking out. If Uncle sends someone to guard you and they find you missing, you’ll surely face even greater trouble.”
Qi Wenzhen’s authority in the mansion was still substantial. Even though Qi Hao dared to secretly bring some things here, it was impossible for him to take Qi Yiran out.
Upon hearing that she couldn’t leave, Qi Yiran felt like the food in her mouth had lost its taste.
She angrily gripped the chopsticks in her hand, as if she was holding onto something she disliked.
“It’s all that wretched woman’s fault. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be stuck in this place!”
Thinking about Shen Yu’an, Qi Hao furrowed his brows and asked, “What exactly happened between you two?”
Qi Yiran didn’t hold back anything from Qi Hao. She recounted the encounter with Shen Yu’an exactly as it had happened.
“That woman disrespected me first, yet Uncle only punished me.”
Snap! The chopsticks in Qi Yiran’s hand broke in response, and the splintered wood pierced deeply into her fingertip.
“Hiss~” Seeing the bloodstain on Qi Yiran’s finger, Qi Hao quickly enclosed her hand in his own.
Qi Hao had acted this way towards her before on regular occasions, so Qi Yiran didn’t find anything amiss.
However, the rage within Qi Yiran intensified. She viciously declared, “Once I’m out of here, I’ll make sure that despicable woman suffers a horrible fate.”
Thinking of something else, she added, “And that wretched servant too. If she hadn’t spread false rumors, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“When I’m out, I’ll take revenge by killing her.”
Qi Hao didn’t perceive Qi Yiran as a scheming temptress, and instead concurred, “If someone angered Yiran, then yes, that person deserves to die. However, we only need to deal with Shen Yu’an.”
“After all, that wretched servant has received fifteen lashes already. She’s let out more steam than she’s taken in. I think it’s better for her to die in such agony, don’t you agree?”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the general’s mansion, Ji Xun had also found Shen Yu’an, who had disappeared overnight.
Ji Xun nudged Shen Yu’an’s shoulder and whispered, “Impressive. You vanished for just a night and managed to infiltrate the general’s mansion. You even became the benefactor who saved that little girl twice.”
Shen Yu’an rolled her eyes and shifted to the side.
Qi Wenzhen was busy with official affairs during the day, so Qi Wenqin was the one who welcomed Ji Xun when he arrived.
Qi Wenqin inquired, “I meant to ask Mr. Ji last time, why did you come to the south? Are you staying with your elder there?”
“I was also thinking of paying a visit to him.”
Ji Xun straightened his posture, his gentle smile reminiscent of a gentleman’s. “All things are fated. Master roams the world, and I have no idea where he is currently.”
Qi Wenqin appeared somewhat regretful.
He asked about the current residence of the Shen family and expressed his intention to visit frequently in the future.
With night approaching, Shen Yu’an and Ji Xun exchanged a glance and then politely requested to take their leave.
Qi Wenqin stood up and urged, “If Miss Shen and Mr. Ji don’t have urgent matters, you might as well stay a few more days.”
Shen Yu’an followed Qi Wenqin’s lead and continued, feeling somewhat hesitant, “Coming back to the capital this time, I indeed have some pressing matters to attend to. Otherwise, I would have surely lingered at the general’s mansion for a few more days.”
Xin Rui, who was sitting with them, asked, “If you don’t mind, Miss An’an, you can tell us about these urgent matters. We can see if there’s anything we can help with.”
Xin Rui called Shen Yu’an by her nickname to make her feel less estranged.
The purpose of Shen Yu’an and Ji Xun’s visit this time was to establish cooperation with the general’s mansion. With the opportunities provided by Qi Wenqin and Xin Rui, they naturally had to follow through.
The two of them settled back into their seats.
Ji Xun began, “Currently, the prices of paper on the market are quite high. Miss Shen’s family has many siblings, and after seeing the expensive paper available, she took it upon herself to figure out the paper-making process. Surprisingly, she managed to do it. Our purpose for coming to the capital this time is precisely for this matter.”
“Paper-making?!!!” Xin Rui exclaimed in astonishment.
Shen Yu’an explained, “That’s right. However, it’s not a trivial matter. We thought of seeking opportunities here in the capital.”
Qi Wenqin inquired, “Miss Shen, how confident are you in this paper-making method? Factors such as materials, paper quality, and success rate will all influence this endeavor.”
Shen Yu’an replied with a confident smile, “Since I dared to bring this method to the capital, I am naturally one hundred percent confident in it.”
One hundred percent!!! Qi Wenqin was astonished. After two encounters, he felt that Shen Yu’an wasn’t the type to speak without purpose. So, her saying this with such confidence likely meant that she truly had that much assurance.
The words he was about to blurt out circled his mind for a moment, and he responded, “Since Miss Shen also mentioned seeking opportunities in the capital, and considering that you’ve already saved Zhu Zhu upon your arrival, this can also be seen as a kind of fate. How about the two of you wait a little longer in the mansion and discuss this matter with my Elder brother when he returns?”
“What do you think?”
Shen Yu’an directly brought up what Qi Wenqin hadn’t said, “Is Uncle Qi suggesting that he wants to cooperate with us?”
Qi Wenqin laughed heartily and gestured for someone to call his elder brother back as soon as possible.
He turned to Shen Yu’an and said, “If the method Miss Shen mentioned truly holds up as you’ve described, then allow me to echo my brother’s sentiment. I also wish to be counted among those who can collaborate with Miss Shen.”
Shen Yu’an smiled, realizing that their mission for coming to the capital was already more than halfway accomplished.
After Shen Yu’an shared the paper-making matter, Qi Wenqin had the maids and servants waiting inside the room exit and stationed around the area to prevent eavesdropping.
Shen Yu’an didn’t have to wait long before Qi Wenzhen returned.
Upon learning about Shen Yu’an’s paper-making endeavor, Qi Wenzhen’s astonishment wasn’t any less than that of Qi Wenqin and Xin Rui when they first heard the news.