Chapter 155

【The inner courtyard doesn’t have a pond, and Anning cousin is a girl. If she really got drugged, she would naturally avoid everyone. It’s better for me to find an antidote for her!】

Qiao Jiaojiao decisively scrolled through the Merit Mall.

【For now, the Restoration Talisman is the most useful. It can serve as a backup, and I can afford it now.】

【Let’s see if there’s anything more targeted, like a Detoxification Talisman? This may not be poison, but is there a remedy talisman?】

As Qiao Jiaojiao scrolled through the options, her gaze suddenly froze.

【Clarity and Vigor Talisman? What a perfunctory name…】

【Let me see. It clears the mind, dispels negative states, and counters drugs, sedatives, aphrodisiacs, and other substances that disturb the mind.】

【Found it! This is it! It costs 80 merit points? Not expensive at all. As long as it can save Anning cousin, it’s worth any price!】

Just as Qiao Jiaojiao found the right item, Qiao Zhongguo had already entered the inner courtyard.

Now the front of the inner courtyard was filled with ladies attending the wedding banquet, so Qiao Zhongguo naturally couldn’t show himself. He went straight to the back of the inner courtyard.

This was the backyard of the Qiao family, where the Second Prince usually practiced martial arts.

Qiao Zhongguo was about to call for Mrs. Qiao when Qiao Shiyi appeared.

Qiao Zhongguo immediately recognized the person and asked urgently, “Shiyi, how is the situation in the backyard?”

Qiao Shiyi hurriedly replied, “General, Mrs. is currently in the backyard. Please follow me!”

Hearing this, Qiao Jiaojiao knew that something serious had happened!

Guided by Qiao Shiyi, Qiao Zhongguo quickly found Mrs. Qiao, who was personally holding a lantern and anxiously searching for something!

“Mother!”

“Wife!”

Qiao Zhongguo embraced Qiao Jiaojiao and went forward. He then saw Mrs. Qiao sweating profusely, her face extremely anxious.

“Wife, what’s wrong? Has something happened to Anning?”

As soon as Mrs. Qiao saw Qiao Zhongguo, tears welled up in her eyes. She didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly said:

“Husband, at the banquet just now, a girl accidentally spilled wine on Anning. Zuo Anning the table to change clothes, and her personal maid followed her.”

“Not long after Zuo Anning, the Grand Princess also got up to change clothes.”

“I didn’t know the Grand Princess was planning something against Anning, nor did I ask more people to follow. It wasn’t until Qiao Shiyi came to report that I realized something was wrong.”

“After that, Aunt Liu, Liu Mo, and I went out to look for her. We searched the banquet hall, the dressing room, and the backyard several times, but we couldn’t find Anning anywhere!”

“Husband, I’m really worried. This involves Anning’s reputation, and it’s crucial for her. So I didn’t dare to involve more people. What should we do?”

Listening to this, Qiao Jiaojiao’s anger surged!

【The same trick!】

【They both spilled wine on Tan Hanchi and Anning cousin by accident, then waited for them to go to the dressing room to make a move. It must be the Grand Princess’s doing!】

Mrs. Qiao became even more worried and anxious upon hearing this.

Anning had already been through a lot, and if something happened to her at the Qiao residence, as her aunt, she would be truly unforgivable!

Qiao Zhongguo noticed Mrs. Qiao’s concern and anxiety and hurriedly said, “Wife, don’t panic. Anning has stayed at the Qiao residence for a while and is very familiar with the backyard.”

“That child is clever. If she senses something is wrong, she won’t sit idly by.”

Qiao Jiaojiao nodded repeatedly.

【That’s right. When Anning cousin stayed here, we used to play in this backyard whenever Little West wasn’t around!】

【If the Grand Princess really succeeded, Anning cousin would hide to protect her reputation!】

Mrs. Qiao tightly gripped the lantern handle and forced herself to calm down upon hearing Qiao Zhongguo and Qiao Jiaojiao’s words.

Yes, don’t panic!

As Anning’s aunt, this is when Anning needs her most!

Put yourself in Anning’s shoes, where could she possibly hide? And where in the backyard would be hard for others to find?

Almost instantly, Mrs. Qiao had a flash of insight!

There was a special place in the backyard, where she had once used to trap Miss Meng!

Anning knew about that place too. If she wanted to avoid others, she might very well go there!

“Husband! The Locust Tree Formation! I remember now, the Locust Tree Formation!”

Mrs. Qiao immediately stepped forward and hurriedly walked near the dressing room, then turned in another direction.

As soon as Qiao Jiaojiao heard this, she also suddenly realized.

That’s right! That’s indeed an excellent hiding place!

The Locust Tree Formation was deep in the backyard, rarely visited by anyone. To prevent guests from getting lost, there were no lanterns hung there, and it was pitch black.

This was something Qiao Zhongguo had arranged on a whim. When the two brothers were younger, Qiao Zhongguo often threw them in there and let them find their own way out.

As the two brothers grew older, they could no longer be trapped by the Locust Tree Formation, and Qiao Zhongguo rarely went there anymore.

Entering this secluded path, one could only see vague shadows, and it felt somewhat eerie and terrifying.

Mrs. Qiao was concerned about Zuo Anning, so she immediately called out, “Anning?”

Almost simultaneously, a panicked voice echoed, “Miss! Is it Miss! Miss! Please come and save Miss!”

Qiao Jiaojiao was taken aback!

“It’s Aunt Liu’s voice! Anning cousin is really inside!”

Mrs. Qiao immediately stepped forward, and Qiao Zhongguo rushed to her side, tightly holding her hand.

“Wife, follow me!”

“Aunt Liu, shout again!”

Aunt Liu was already crying tears of joy, “Sir! Miss and I are here!”

Following the sound, Qiao Zhongguo decisively walked into the Locust Tree Formation, and soon Aunt Liu’s voice was within reach.

Qiao Zhongguo stopped, “Wife, just around the corner ahead. It’s not convenient for me to go there, and Jiaojiao is worried too. You take Jiaojiao and go.”

Qiao Jiaojiao quickly nodded.

“Yes, yes! Mom, please take me with you. I can save Anning cousin!”

Mrs. Qiao dared not delay and hurriedly ran over, taking Qiao Jiaojiao with her.

After turning around a fake mountain, Mrs. Qiao saw Zuo Anning lying on the ground.

In the light of the lantern, she saw Zuo Anning’s hair disheveled, her face flushed, her eyes dazed as she curled up, occasionally letting out a painful moan with a hint of ambiguity.

Her clothes were completely disheveled, revealing her fair shoulders, on which could faintly be seen several bloody scratch marks.

Aunt Liu was kneeling beside her, tightly holding Zuo Anning’s hand to prevent her from hurting herself.

“Anning!”

Mrs. Qiao’s heart ached terribly as she rushed to Zuo Anning’s side.

Aunt Liu saw Mrs. Qiao and cried even harder.

“Miss, please save Miss!”

Qiao Jiaojiao didn’t hesitate. Taking advantage of Mrs. Qiao’s distraction, she quickly went to the other side of Zuo Anning, silently saying to herself:

“Exchange!”

The next moment, she firmly pressed her right hand against Zuo Anning’s back, emitting a faint golden light…