It was the maid who served Su Yan who first noticed her missing. There were no signs of a struggle in Su Yan's room, and even the bedding was neatly folded, as if it had not been used overnight—suggesting she had simply left on her own. Recalling Su Yan's determined departure last night, it seemed likely she had gone then, only to not return until the next day, and now she was uncertain whether anything had gone wrong. Yun Rao had originally intended to see this matter as unrelated to herself, and had planned to leave after breakfast. Yet she couldn't shake off her unease, unable to depart with full confidence, fearing that Su Yan's situation might somehow be tied to her own. An Zi yuan, concerned about Su Yan's safety, had not stopped her as she said goodbye, but only watched her closely, slowly asking, "You truly go without a single trace of hesitation? You really can just leave?" His words left her puzzled—there seemed to be an underlying meaning, yet she couldn't quite grasp it. After all, no gathering lasts forever; though they had only met briefly, and though their journey had been a shared one, their paths would inevitably diverge as they each moved forward. "There's no such thing as a farewell banquet that doesn't end," she said, sincerely expressing her gratitude. Her gaze seemed to cool slightly, then returned to the quiet, distant, and slightly unreachable demeanor she had first noticed when she met him. "Goodbye, madam!" he replied. "Qu Xiao-man looked at her in surprise," "Miss?" Yun Rao sighed and smiled gently, "Her disappearance wasn't caused by me, yet it's inevitably tied to my involvement. Whenever people can't find her, I can't help but feel a sense of regret." Qu Xiao-man glanced at her, "When have you ever been so kind before?" Yun Rao blushed, rubbing her nose, "I've always been quite kind." Qu Xiao-man gave a soft chuckle and followed her. Yun Rao always caught the subtle shifts in his emotions, so she abandoned her speculations and simply blushed, pressing her lips together. "Has Su's lady found her?" His gaze seemed slightly more focused, and his voice had a faintly lowered tone. "Did you come because Su Ran returned?" Yun Rao nodded. "Su's lady, after all, was the very reason I went missing. I couldn't just leave her like this." "Unrelated to you," An Ziyuan calmly interrupted. "Don't overestimate yourself." His words left her momentarily embarrassed, her smile stiffening. They had known each other for so long—he had rarely spoken anything truly hurtful—and now this sounded... She couldn't quite figure out what she had done to offend him, yet didn't feel comfortable pressing further. She managed a stiff smile and said to An Ziyuan, "I'm sorry—I've been too self-important." She turned to Qu Xiaoman. "Xiaoman, let's go." With a slight nod to An Ziyuan, Yun Rao and Qu Xiaoman turned and walked away. Impermanence was also agitated by An Ziyuan's inexplicable words, glaring at her own lord. "How could you possibly—?" An Ziyuan gave her a cold, dismissive glance. Unconstant, feeling embarrassed, covered her mouth, unable to utter the rest of her sentence. Her lord had always been so patient and kind, yet today he seemed entirely changed—his words sharp and critical. The young lady Yun had come out of genuine concern for Su Ran's safety, only to be gently dismissed by her lord with just a few words. An Ziyuan's gaze swept over Unconstant's furiously expressive face, then settled on the slender figure now approaching the door, observing the steady, decisive steps. Her expression darkened instantly as she moved, and in a single fluid motion, she stepped forward, directly toward Yun Rao. Unconstant gasped, her mouth open in surprise. Yun Rao remained unaware of the changes behind her, merely lightly pressing her lips and walking with Qu Xiaoman outward. As her foot barely cleared the threshold, a sudden gust of wind brushed past her, prompting her to instinctively lean back and turn around. Before she could fully see what was happening, a firm grip tightened around her waist—An Z Qu Xiao-man promptly realized what was happening, rose to go after her, but was blocked by the sweeping palm wind from An Ziyuan. Her movements slowed as she regained her composure, only to see a soft "thud" as she watched Yun Rao being carried into the room by An Ziyuan, the door closed firmly behind her. Yet his gaze darkened suddenly, and he lowered his head, his thin lips gripping hers with precise, fierce determination. As the cool sensation spread across her lips, she went rigid. He didn't give her time to recover—his one hand curled around her waist, pressing her close to his chest, while the other cradled her face, his four fingers slipping into her hair, supporting her head, his thumb forcing her jaw upward, forcefully opening her lips. His tongue explored her gumline, entwined with hers, and with firm suction, pressing, nibbling, and chewing. The unfamiliar sensation spread across her lips and teeth; she briefly regained awareness, instinctively trying to struggle, yet he held her face and pressed her waist even closer to his chest, intensifying the pressure on her lips. She could feel his four fingers, resting against the back of her skull, tightening continuously, and the hand encircling her waist, growing progressively tighter with each of her struggles, pressing her completely into his embrace, so that she clearly sensed the solid, defined texture of his body. Her lips were thick with his essence, and he sucked with force and intensity—completely different from his usual quiet, distant demeanor. In that rough, vigorous caress, she even faintly sensed a subtle irritation seeping through his lips and tongue. Yun Rao couldn’t quite grasp the source of that quiet anger. As his kiss deepened, her mind grew hazy, and her body, once resistant, gradually softened under the strength of his arms. Her yielding made his initially forceful kisses grow tender and lingering, yet still carried an unyielding authority—until, when she nearly couldn’t breathe, he finally released her lips. With delicate, jade-like fingers, he gently brushed her cheeks, now flushed from his deep kisses. He gazed into her misty eyes, his voice low and rough, “Yun Rao, how can you always leave so decisively whenever you say you’re going?” He paused, then lightly bit at her lips—a gentle punishment—sending a slight pain that brought her back from the haze of desire and emotion. In his eyes, she still saw lingering confusion.