“Your savior? Then she ought to be from the county office as well.”

Xiaowu felt delighted when he noticed Chu Yunshen did not deny it when he said Chu Yunshen liked her.

From the looks of it, Xiaowu got it spot on. Now that Chu Yunshen had fallen for someone, Chu Yunshen had visibly changed and even wanted to share the news with him.

“Was that the reason you wanted me to summon the women? But…”

Xiaowu’s hesitance even made Cheng Xiaoxiao’s strange behavior halt.

It was unprecedented for Chu Yunshen to hurry Xiaowu over personal matters.

This was absolutely insane!

Cheng Xiaoxiao realized how much she meant to Chu Yunshen, so she promptly continued going about behaving like a crazy cat as she reveled in joy.

“Considering her incredible aura, I am sure that those unrefined women here can’t compare to her.”

“That is true. I did not manage to find her during the past few days either.”

Chu Yunshen automatically nodded in agreement as he thought about the face he could not remember.

He had already searched the county office high and low. Even Mu Bai made fun of how energetic he was.

However, he was unable to find her at all. In his heart, he even wondered if it was all just an illusion.

The moment he finished his sentence, Chu Yunshen frowned as he slumped into deep thought for a long time as though he was considering something important.

All Cheng Xiaoxiao noticed was how Chu Yunshen nodded seriously!

Oh god!

She felt as though she was going to die from bliss!

Cheng Xiaoxiao felt as though her heart was in her mouth. She wished she could lunge into Chu Yunshen’s arms, kiss him nonstop and tell him she was the girl in the painting.

Xiaowu assumed Cheng Xiaoxiao didn’t know what they were talking about, so he started chatting with her, “Aren’t you interested in our conversation? After all, she saved you both. Shouldn’t you have some impression of her?”

Since Cheng Xiaoxiao was keenly aware that it was impossible for her to make it an opinion, all she wanted to do was to lie on her back after the excitement died down.

Xiaowu was still deeply engrossed in conversation and failed to detect the change in Cheng Xiaoxiao’s mood.

“Aren’t you an intelligent cat? Can’t you help us find the young woman?”

She really wished he didn’t bring it up!

Find how?

Where on earth could she find the girl?

That young woman was none other than her!

Got it?

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked at Xiaowu as though he was an idiot. She even rolled her eyes in an attempt to clarify how hopeless Xiaowu was.

If she was capable of moving now, she would definitely scratch Xiaowu right away.

Although she was happy with his sheer praise for her, it remained true that he was an idiot, so she had to scratch him!

Cheng Xiaoxiao ground her teeth. She was on the brink of exploding.

“Enough. We have gotten held up here long enough. Prepare to return to the capital.”

Chu Yunshen interrupted this invisible war between them at the perfect time.

Now that Xiaowu’s curiosity was sated, he left after Chu Yunshen gave the order.

Before Xiaowu left, he looked at Cheng Xiaoxiao’s injured paws and asked curiously, “Master, don’t you think it is serendipity for the cat’s paws to be injured in the same places as the young woman?”

Shut up!

Cheng Xiaoxiao glared at him hard. She disregarded her thickly bandaged paws and scratched him.

Chu Yunshen laughed gently when he saw their interaction.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was worried that he might notice something amiss, so she did her utmost to shrink backward in an attempt to keep a low profile.

Chu Yunshen did not let her have her way. After Xiaowu came back to confirm they were ready to leave, he quickly brought her up the horse carriage.

The entourage made good time and arrived home before long.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was hurriedly placed under Wan Xia’s care before Chu Yunshen left for the teahouse Xiaowu was talking about.

“Master, the scout reported that Su Ming has been coming here for tea every morning for three days. Also, he spent a lot of time drinking tea. Sometimes, he even stayed until it was closing time in the evening before he left.”

Chu Yunshen studied beat-up teahouse and wasn’t in a hurry to bring men in.

A few straw mats were pieced together for use as a curtain to help block the wind and sand. Other than a young man dressed in a green robe who looked relatively decent, the rest of its patrons consisted of poor folk who were weary of travel.

The owner was nowhere to be seen and the employee was standing at the counter dozing off.

“Clear the place.”

At Chu Yunshen’s order, Xiaowu led a group of men into the teahouse and cleared everyone out before they encircled the young man in green robes.

He used his long slender fingers to lift the curtain before he walked unhurriedly to the center of the teahouse. The people who had initially surrounded him quickly gave way.

“Leave us.”

Xiaowu felt hesitant on hearing Chu Yunshen’s order. “Master…”

“You stay.”

Xiaowu was relieved to hear this. He gestured for the rest of the men to leave and they promptly encircled the teahouse outside.

Su Ming seemed to have already expected Chu Yunshen to come, so there was hardly any change in him when he heard Chu Yunshen enter the teahouse.

“Your Highness, long time no see. What do you mean by this?”

Su Ming was dressed in scholars’ robes today and seemed to have an extraordinary aura from a distance. He was drinking tea leisurely.

“Sir Su, you sure have airs. Aren’t you going to pay respects to His Highness?”

Xiaowu was unmoved when Su Ming acted friendly. Instead, he scolded Su Ming right away.

Su Ming laughed brightly. “You sure are as blunt as ever.”

“Greetings, Your Highness. What brings you here today?”

Xiaowu placed all the evidence they recovered from Jin City before Su Ming.

“Sir Su, you might have forgotten some things after all the time you spent away from court. Why don’t you check these out to help jog your memory?”

Su Ming remained nonchalant. It seemed as though he was completely disconnected from the world and might float away and disappear any second.

He sat before the table and went through every single document carefully like he was told.

There was a sincere expression on his face that made it seem as though the evidence had nothing to do with him and he was seeing it for the first time.

“I have finished reading them.”

Su Ming placed the last piece of paper back on the table and seemed composed. Even Xiaowu almost mistook Su Ming as innocent.

“I have genuinely committed these crimes.”

Xiaowu could not wrap his mind around this sudden turn of events. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

In theory, there was hard evidence against Su Ming, so it made sense for him to admit to his crimes. Even if he wanted to defend himself, Chu Yunshen wouldn’t have given him the chance.

But something seemed amiss here.

Why had he admitted to his crimes so readily?

“I admit to these crimes, but I would like to see His Majesty. Once I see him, I will tell you everything.”

Su Ming raised his head calmly and looked into Chu Yunshen’s eyes fearlessly.

He seemed completely at ease and unafraid.

“Sir Su, this matter is under the jurisdiction of the justice department.” Chu Yunshen didn’t seem anxious about pinning the crime on Su Ming. Instead, he lifted his robes and took a seat.

“I know, but I won’t say a word until I see His Majesty.”

Su Ming was worried Chu Yunshen would attempt to convince him otherwise, so he deliberately added, “Don’t bother trying to talk me out of it.”

Chu Yunshen picked up a teacup before he prepared to drink tea. “Xiaowu.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Brew another pot of tea for Sir Su.”

Was Chu Yunshen going to keep convincing Su Ming otherwise?

Xiaowu didn’t linger or talk to Su Ming. After he was done brewing the tea, he brought it over and stood behind Chu Yunshen.

Xiaowu added more hot water after it turned cold.

The quality of the tea was average and might even be considered bad. It was the sort of low-quality tea served at communal hostels.

Hence, the second brew tasted bad.

Chu Yunshen gracefully raised the teacup to his lips before he lowered his head to blow the tea leaves floating inside.

Su Ming gradually felt flustered when he noticed how nonchalant Chu Yunshen seemed.

“Your Highness, aren’t you taking me to see His Majesty? I have already admitted to my crimes.”

Chu Yunshen continued drinking tea without responding to Su Ming.

Chu Yunshen made Su Ming feel as though the teacup was of great importance as he held it in his hand and scrutinized it.

Chu Yunshen lowered his head as he focused on drinking tea.

The situation made Su Ming feel breathless and powerless.

He felt as though Chu Yunshen could keep sitting here forever.

However, the eighth prince could not wait! If he did not get to see the emperor, the matter could not be closed.

Then his mother…

Su Ming gritted his teeth and knelt.

“Your Highness, please don’t put me in a spot. I really have no choice.”

Xiaowu certainly had good moves as Prince Jing’s personal guard.

The moment Su Ming’s knees reached the ground, Xiaowu yanked Su Ming up with one hand.

Su Ming felt as though Xiaowu’s hands were iron pincers and it was impossible for him to move.

“Sir Su, why are you doing this? You are making it look as though the officials from the justice department are bullying you.”

Xiaowu did not appreciate Su Ming’s actions of forcing Chu Yunshen’s hand by acting pitiful.

If anyone wanted to hurt Chu Yunshen, Xiaowu would kill him first!

“That is not what I meant…”

“Then what are you trying to do? The justice department always follows the law. In comparison, your actions are inappropriate.”

Xiaowu did not give Su Ming the chance to explain himself and interrupted him right away.

He pressed Su Ming into the seat with one hand as he looked at Su Ming in ridicule.

If he told Prince Jing the truth, His Highness might be able to save him and the seventh prince.

A bold thought suddenly rose in Su Ming’s mind.

However, he promptly wanted to slap himself.

How could he have such an absurd idea?

Su Ming found himself hilarious.

The emperor did not favor Prince Jing, so he ended up in the justice department.

How could Su Ming even dream of begging Chu Yunshen to help?

How could he outwit the emperor’s favorite son, the eighth prince?

Su Ming kept smiling sadly. He did not retaliate when Xiaowu pressed him into the seat. Instead, he kept shaking his head.

“Your Highness, I was genuinely forced to do this. However, I can’t tell you the truth, so please let me off.”

Su Ming closed his eyes miserably and seemed as though he was trying to not think about those terrible memories.

“Sir Su, say no more. Just tell me whether this token is real or fake.”

Chu Yunshen retrieved the seventh prince’s token from his chest and placed it before Su Ming.

Xiaowu felt even more puzzled.