That hazy gaze made his dark eyes grow fiercer. He bent down, ready to kiss her lips, and she hurriedly raised her hand to block him. An Zi yuan didn't quite press the kiss—instead, he gently brushed her lips with the pad of his finger, fixing his gaze upon her eyes. His voice remained hoarse, slightly damp with a lingering allure, soft and low, yet still echoing the words he had used when she had first left. "Yun Rao, is there anywhere here that you could possibly care about?" She blinked, lifting her gaze to him. "What do you mean?" "You…" An Zi yuan stared at her innocent face, his heart firming, and then pressed his lips firmly against hers, kissing her until she gasped for breath before releasing her, his voice now barely a whisper. "Then, does my person hold nothing that you could possibly cherish?" Her heart fluttered slightly. She raised her hand to her flushed cheeks, lowered her eyes. "What's wrong with you?" As she finished speaking, she felt a gentle tightening beneath her chin—his fingers had already caught her jaw, forcing her to lift her gaze to meet his. "Yun Rao, are you truly unaware—or are you merely pretending?" He asked, his fingertip gently tracing her lips. Yun Rao pressed her lips together and looked at him. "Yun Rao is truly unaware. I don't understand why Lord Gong has grown so distant toward me—except for this face," she said, lifting her hand to touch her face, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I can't fathom why Lord Gong has suddenly become so strange. After all, even the most beautiful women eventually age, and yet he has changed so much." "Why should I personally heal you when your life and death have any bearing on mine?" "There is, in fact," Yun Rao nodded. "The Qilin bracelet is still on me. If I die, who will you go to?" "...” An Zi yuan stared at her fiercely, took a deep breath, and released her. "Well, if you truly think I've only treated you this way because I find your face attractive, then I still can't quite understand why—especially you. But since you're the one I saved from death, your life is now mine. Don't speak of leaving again." "...” Her heartbeat tightened once more at his words. Yun Rao looked at him silently—how could she argue when he had already yielded? After all, it was he who had first saved her, allowing her to survive for several days. An Zi yuan watched her expression, and the lingering unease that had settled in him all day suddenly surged again. He furrowed his brow and asked her, "Yun Rao, we've known each other for some time now. Have you ever, even once, harbored any more than a passing interest in me?" "Yun Rao looked at him, nodding honestly, "Never. Your grace is a celestial immortal, untouched by the dust of the world—Yun Rao is merely a speck of ordinary earth. I feel utterly unworthy to match your grace, and I hope you won't waste your thoughts on me." For someone who hadn't even managed to survive this winter, she had never imagined herself entangled in love. Her words stirred a sharp look in his dark eyes, and he gently gripped her chin. "Then it's simply my mistake to have let my heart settle on you, Yun Rao. You shall be responsible to me." "...” Yun Rao gazed at him with innocent sincerity. "Master, the messenger who went out to seek Su Chan's whereabouts has returned." The voice of Wuchang echoed from the doorway. An Ziyuan released her, at the same time smoothing her hair with a practiced hand. As he opened the door, he resumed his usual serene, unworldly elegance. Wuchang glanced at her carefully, and the curiosity in his eyes made Yun Rao feel slightly flustered, unconsciously stepping back from An Ziyuan. Before she could move further, his hand closed around hers, drawing it firmly He didn’t even move a single muscle at the corners of his eyes, merely calmly gazing at the subordinate who had returned with the news, his voice cold and detached. "Any updates?" "Reported to the young lord," the subordinate said, "based on my investigation, Miss Su is most likely to have accidentally entered the Drunken Red Pavilion, where she has now been detained." Yun Rao was startled, instinctively turning to look at An Ziyuan. If she wasn’t mistaken, the Drunken Red Pavilion was a brothel—how could a young lady like Su have ended up there by accident? Moreover, the Drunken Red Pavilion and the Yuming Sect… An Ziyuan’s expression remained unchanged. "Is this information confirmed?" "There’s an eight-out-of-ten confidence level, but due to the strict security inside, I’ve been unable to enter and verify firsthand." "Very well," An Ziyuan said calmly, showing no displeasure at the subordinate’s limited progress. "You may now retire." "Thank you, young lord." The subordinate bowed and withdrew. An Ziyuan turned to Wuxiang. "Has Su returned yet?" "Not yet," Wuxiang replied. Su Yan is the master of Ba Fang Lou, a hall that thrives on gathering information and intelligence. When he personally takes the initiative to investigate, the results are inevitably more efficient. Yet after waiting for two decades, the news he brought back was far from encouraging—he himself could not uncover anything. "I've repeatedly reminded this girl to never slack off and to always accompany her with four attendants when she goes out. Yet she refuses to listen. If anything goes wrong, she'll surely have to bear the consequences." With a sharp tone, Su Yan poured a cup of tea from the side table, took a long, vigorous swallow, and spoke with both frustration and helplessness. "Miss Su is blessed with fortune and good health—she will surely be unharmed," said Yun Rao, offering comfort as she saw Su Yan's growing anxiety. Su Yan lifted his gaze to meet Yun Rao's, and as their eyes met, a gentle blush spread across her flawless, exquisite face. Fortunately, his speech no longer stammered as it had in the past. "Thank you for your kind words," he said. Yun Rao smiled. "The gentleman is being overly modest." Su Yan's face grew increasingly flushed. Though he was always upright and handsome, a man who commanded attention and influence in public, he seemed perpetually like a shy newcomer in front of her. Yun Rao propped her chin on her hand, furrowing her brows, puzzled. Suddenly, her hand resting on her thigh was grasped—her thumb gently scraping against the palm of her hand, with a hint of reprimand. Yun Rao started, turning her gaze toward An Zi yuan, who sat beside her. Yet he showed no change in expression, merely gazing steadily at Su Yan. "Su Chan might have been detained at Zui Lou Zhuang. My people can't get in. We'll go check on her together shortly." "How could she have ended up in such a place?" Su Yan sprang to her feet instantly, a look of urgency crossing her face. "A young lady entering such establishments—this isn't... well, this isn't typical." Though she didn't finish her sentence, her face was clearly filled with growing anxiety, revealing how genuinely concerned she was for this headstrong sister. Yun Rao had no idea of the connection between Ba Fang Lou and An Zi yuan, nor did she understand how Su Yan and Su Ran had become siblings. According to the information gathered by her agents when she first sought to infiltrate the Yu Family Manor, Su Ran had originally been the young daughter of the true King Yun Ze Rui and his consort Yun Zhi Han, named He Su Chan. When she was only five years old, her family faced a major upheaval, and by chance she became the adopted daughter of Su Che, the head of Ba Fang Lou, and grew up there in the Lou. However, Yun Rao did not know whether there was any connection between Ba Fang Lou and An Zi yuan, nor did she know if An Zi yuan’s close relationship with Su Yan stemmed from Su Ran. As for why An Zi yuan was so particularly attentive to Su Ran, she could not fathom the reason—she simply could not imagine how a calm, well-bred Prince of An Family, a son of the An Royal Family, could be so closely linked to Su Ran, or even to the Lady Yun Ze Su Chan. Though Yun Rao harbored questions in her heart, she considered it a matter unrelated to herself and thus never asked An An Zi yuan was unaware of Yun Rao's subtle, repeated thoughts on this side, and only turned to Su Yan, saying, "I've sent people to closely monitor the situation there. It's now midday, yet Zhui Lou Zhuang remains idle. There's no point in rushing—perhaps we should wait until nightfall when it becomes lively and bustling." Su Yan sighed deeply, pacing back and forth with growing anxiety, knowing An Zi yuan's words held merit, though he still couldn't rest easy. If Su Ran were skilled in martial arts, she could at least protect herself; but she had only learned the basics, barely a beginner. Should she end up deep within such a setting, there was real concern that something unfortunate might happen. Yun Rao lowered her gaze, her jade fingers unconsciously lightly rubbing the rim of her teacup. It would be convenient if they were at Zhui Lou Zhuang, but she didn't know whether Xiao Run was still there. Upon returning to her room, Yun Rao called for Qu Xiaoman, "Has the Master returned to the valley?" Qu Xiaoman shook her head, "We have no way of knowing the Master's whereabouts." "What about Bai Li? Is he currently accompanying the Master?" "Yun Rao furrowed her brow, asking, "That day, when I fell ill, Qu Xiao-man arrived just in time, yet I didn't see Bai Li Kong. I haven't seen anyone else either, and I'm not sure whether he's been accompanying Xiao Run. When I first intended to leave the valley, Xiao Run insisted on sending Bai Li Kong and Qu Xiao-man with me—not only for my safety, but also to keep an eye on my movements. That's why, when we first visited the Yu Family Manor, he had to leave them behind. Though the Yinming Valley has been my home since childhood, bringing me many joys and memories, it has also been a place that fills me with fear." Yet Qu Xiao-man’s eyes carried concern—fear that once she entered, she might not be able to leave. “I have my own measures,” Yun Rao reassured her, understanding the worry in Qu Xiao-man’s gaze. At that moment, the knock came. Yun Rao went to open the door and, upon seeing An Zi-yuan standing there, felt a slight discomfort, stammering, “Mr. An.” An Zi-yuan’s tone at her address gave a faint frown, but he said nothing. “I’ll be out with Su Gong for a while. You stay in the room, don’t wander off.” Yun Rao bowed her head and nodded. An Zi-yuan glanced at her. “Yun Rao, aren’t you planning something?” Yun Rao was startled, meeting his gaze and making every effort to keep her expression natural. “How could you think that?” An Zi-yuan said nothing, only spoke softly, “Su Ran’s disappearance has nothing to do with you. It’s simply her own caprice. With me and Su Yan handling her matter, there’s no need for you to get involved.” “Yes, I understand,” Yun Rao replied, bowing her head and speaking Just as An Zi yuan and Su Yan had stepped out, Yun Rao and Qu Xiaoman quickly followed, took a shorter route, and arrived at Zui Lou Buduo ahead of the two.