Qiao Yunqing wasn’t exactly anxious.

He checked his luggage and found that the bow, crossbow, and dagger were missing.

He immediately understood that Qiao Xin wasn’t acting on impulse.

Knowing his own frail body, he was self-aware enough to realize that chasing after her now, half an hour later, would be pointless.

Worse, he might end up as a meal for some wild beast.

It was better to wait for his eldest and third brothers to return and discuss a feasible plan.

On the other hand, Heng Wen was pacing back and forth in the room, clearly restless.

Seeing that Qiao Yunqing was still in the mood to sip tea, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Second Brother Qiao, aren’t you worried at all?”

They always put on a good show of brotherly camaraderie in front of outsiders, so calling him “Second Brother” came naturally.

Qiao Yunqing noticed the concern hidden behind his curious gaze.

A faint smile touched his thin lips as he said, “Of course, I’m worried. But what can I do? I’m not skilled in martial arts. If I go now, I’ll only be a burden to Mother. I know her better than you do—she never does anything without a plan. We’ll wait for Eldest Brother and Third Brother to return and see if we can gather more people. That would be far better than charging in alone.”

Heng Wen had no choice but to suppress his frustration and sit down to wait with Qiao Yunqing. “Should I go look for them?”

Qiao Yunqing calmly refilled his tea and remained composed. “No rush. They have plenty to deal with today. Someone will come looking for us soon.”

“Who?” Heng Wen didn’t quite follow.

“Who started this mess?”

Heng Wen clicked his tongue in realization.

He had been too anxious to think clearly—how could he forget about the Fan family?

Seeing that Heng Wen had settled down, Qiao Yunqing subtly leaned in and asked in a low voice, “You’ve mostly recovered. When do you plan to return?”

Heng Wen raised an eyebrow. “Second Brother, are you trying to kick me out? I’ve paid for my meals, you know.”

“Don’t play dumb. If you don’t return soon, the people in charge at your estate will start treating you as if you don’t exist. I heard that your father has already submitted a petition to appoint the heir. You may resent them, but what about your grandparents? Haven’t they treated you well? The Old Marquis can only hold them off for so long. If you keep staying silent and out of sight, how many more times do you think he can intervene?”

If not for the fact that Heng Wen was his eldest brother’s full-blooded sibling, Qiao Yunqing wouldn’t have bothered with this.

Heng Wen looked at him in shock and unease.

His expression darkened.

This had only happened yesterday, and he had only just heard about it from his guards today.

Yet somehow, this supposedly simple village scholar already knew everything in detail.

This Second Brother of his was even more cunning than he had imagined—definitely playing the fool to deceive others.

But what truly unsettled him was the realization that, while he had been fighting for his life, his own mother and father had so quickly decided to abandon him.

Had all their past affection been a lie?

He didn’t want to believe it.

His aunt must have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

But the truth was right in front of him, and he had no choice but to face it.

His grandparents would still need his protection in the future.

His mind drifted to the rumors he had heard in the capital about his mother and his aunt.

Qiao Yunqing wasn’t about to let him sit there in denial.

He mercilessly tore through the illusion. “Your mother may be your biological aunt, but she has two sons of her own. Do you really think she’ll truly stand by you? There’s a kind of ‘kindness’ that lifts you up high—just to throw you down harder.”

Heng Wen, like a wounded little beast, instinctively retorted, “Stop trying to sow discord! My aunt isn’t that kind of person—this must have been my father’s idea!”

“Oh? Then why are you still here? Your guards could find you—do you think your father couldn’t? And who really holds power in your household? Don’t tell me you don’t know. Your father has been stationed at the border for years. Can you be sure those people still obey him?”

Heng Wen glared at him in anger.

He knew Qiao Yunqing was telling the truth, but why did he have to say it out loud?

Wasn’t he just trying to drive him away?

Did he have to twist the knife like this?

Tch. As long as Qiao Xin didn’t personally tell him to leave, he was staying put.

Qiao Yunqing toyed with the teacup in his hands, his tone carrying a veiled threat. “I don’t care about your family’s messy affairs. If you hadn’t been helping our family financially these past few months, and if Mother didn’t treat you well, I would have thrown you out long ago. But since you were once my Third Brother, I’ll give you some advice—stay out of sight if you must, but don’t let the capital forget about you.”

Heng Wen looked at the man before him, who could change faces faster than flipping a book.

Awkwardly, he muttered, “Don’t worry. I get it. When the time is right, I’ll leave.”

Qiao Yunqing placed his cup on the table and glanced at him sideways, preparing to end the conversation. “Three to five days at most. Mother asked me to tell you—the weather is only going to get worse. Although Weizhou Prefecture’s Lijing City is just 300 to 400 miles away, if the heavy snow seals the mountain roads…”

Heng Wen’s heart sank.

He had to take this seriously.

Qiao Xin’s weather predictions were never wrong.

If she had sent Qiao Yunqing to warn him, it meant the situation was severe.

Before he could ask more, a knock sounded at the door from outside.

“Brother Qiao!”

Qiao Yunqing opened the door and asked, “Brother Zide, what brings you here?”

Fan Jihuai: “???”

Wasn’t this an obvious question?

It was all because of his reckless mother!

Still, since it was his family’s servant who had caused this mess, he had to take responsibility.

Even if Qiao Yunqing was angry, it was understandable.

Both of them were skilled at putting on a show.

Ignoring Qiao Yunqing’s inscrutable expression, Fan Jihuai wore an expression of deep remorse and said, “It was my family’s old servant who spoke carelessly and caused this misunderstanding. When my elder brother heard that Madam Qiao had gone to Laohu Town, he became extremely worried. He immediately sent me with some men to meet her. Brother Qiao, would you like to come along? It might ease your mind.”

“I’ll go with you!” Heng Wen emerged from the room, sword in hand, clearly already prepared. “Second Brother, you should stay and watch over the children. I’ll go in your place.”

Qiao Yunqing glanced at him.

Considering that Heng Wen was trained in martial arts and more capable in a fight, it was indeed better for him to go. He stepped aside and nodded in agreement.

Then, he turned to Fan Jihuai and said, “Very well, Brother Zide. I am merely a scholar, completely unskilled in combat. I would only slow you down. This is my fourth brother—he has some martial training. I will entrust him to accompany you. Be careful along the way.”