Chapter 67

 The capital city was too vast, with tens of millions of people—it was impossible to find her.

After questioning all the servants in the Qiu Mansion, they finally learned that they might have left from the South Corner Gate just at daybreak. Beyond that, they knew nothing.

Pei Yuan personally led a team of men, departing from the South City Gate and searching a hundred miles around, but not a single strand of Bao Ning's hair was found.

Pei Yuan's body was already unwell, though it didn't show usually. Now, in his anxiety, his eyes grew increasingly swollen each day, and his face turned paler. Wei Meng dared not let him travel far anymore and persuaded him to stay in the capital, urging him to get some sleep.

But Pei Yuan couldn't sleep. He felt there must be something wrong with him. Leaving the house where he and Bao Ning had lived together, he felt uncomfortable wherever he sat—it lacked her scent, and he couldn't stand it. Yet lying on that familiar bed, his mind was filled with Bao Ning's every smile and frown. With his eyes closed, it was as if she was right beside him, but when he opened them, the room was dark and empty. He felt unbearably miserable and knew he couldn't stay.

Pei Yuan managed to sleep fitfully for half an hour, dreaming a series of confusing dreams where reality blurred with fiction. He felt someone blowing gently in his ear, warm and tender, just like Bao Ning.

Smiling with closed eyes, Pei Yuan reached out to grab, but instead of Bao Ning, he clutched onto a handful of coarse, stiff hair.

Someone muttered in discomfort, "Ow, ow, ow!" Their voice was harsh and unpleasant, nothing like Bao Ning's.

Disappointed, Pei Yuan withdrew his hand, wiped it on his pants, and tried to continue sleeping, hoping the next dream would bring the real Bao Ning.

Wei Meng looked at the strands of hair he had just pulled out, feeling his scalp tingle. Pei Yuan was truly losing his mind. If they couldn't find Madam soon, Wei Meng had no doubt Pei Yuan would bring the entire General's Manor down with him.

Considering the uncertain news he had just received, Wei Meng hesitated over whether to tell Pei Yuan.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to wake him up, "Young General, someone just reported that Young Master Ji from the Ji family has also been missing for two or three days."

Pei Yuan's arm was resting on his forehead. He sat up abruptly.

Having slept so little these past few days, his temples felt swollen and throbbing like they might burst.

He pressed his forehead hard, grabbed the clothes beside the pillow, and started putting them on, "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

"We thought he went to the academy at the time, so no one paid much attention. But now, after several days with no sign of him returning, suspicions arose," Wei Meng sighed, "But even with suspicions, we have no idea where Ji Yun might have gone."

Pei Yuan froze in his movements.

The room was pitch black, with no light from the moon. Outside, the wind howled through the cracks in the window. Besides that, it was eerily silent.

Wei Meng watched Pei Yuan's stunned expression, deciding it was best not to say anything more.

Pei Yuan seemed to let out a sigh of exhaustion, his breathing heavy. He stopped halfway through dressing, reclined back with his face upwards.

Just when he had seen a glimmer of hope, it turned out to be nothing. His heart had just raced with excitement moments ago. Joy came suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly. Pei Yuan pulled at his collar to catch his breath, feeling lost and bewildered in his mind.

Wei Meng felt sorry for him. He pursed his lips, trying to persuade him, "Young General, why don't you give it a rest? Take a few days and maybe Madam will come to her senses and return. A woman like her surely can't live happily out there alone. Once she suffers a bit, she'll think of your kindness. Besides, your body can't endure any more hardships, can it?"

"Damn it!" Pei Yuan glared, kicking Wei Meng's left shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You know she'll suffer out there, yet you won't go look for her. With you as a man, you'll never get a wife in your lifetime."

"And you won't find her either." Wei Meng sat cross-legged, hands spread out. "The world is so big, like a headless fly. Even if you search for another ten years, it'll be useless. By then, Madam might have already married and had children, become another man's wife..."

Pei Yuan was already furious halfway through Wei Meng's words, his anger burning like fire. He gritted his teeth, grabbed a pillow from the bedside, and hurled it at Wei Meng, "Get lost, get the hell out of here!"

Wei Meng took another hit to his right shoulder. Helpless, he rubbed it and stood up to leave.

Listening to Wei Meng's heavy footsteps retreat, Pei Yuan felt his heart ache so much it could wring out water. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. In an instant, Pei Yuan suddenly recalled a night when Bao Ning seemed to have murmured something in her sleep.

She said, "Ah Yun, the mansion you bought for sister, she loves it so much."

He had laughed at her then, teasing her about being obsessed with money. Could it be that Ji Yun had really bought a mansion for her?

Pei Yuan's mind felt like it had been struck. He cursed himself for being foolish, only now remembering such an important clue.

All exhaustion swept away in an instant, Pei Yuan's eyes lit up. A new determination surged within him, and he leaped out of bed, rushing outside.

Hearing the sound behind him, Wei Meng turned around in surprise, startled by the strange gleam in Pei Yuan's eyes, "Young General, you..."

Pei Yuan didn't have time to explain. He simply left a command, "Prepare the horses. Follow me to the Duke's Mansion at dawn!"

Pei Yuan almost timed his entry perfectly. Unable to wait to follow protocol and present a formal letter, he went straight out through the back door.

The kitchen maids were out buying groceries, leaving the back door open. Pei Yuan seized the opportunity, slipping through the barely opened door, crashing into the maid's basket of vegetables.

Startled, the maid shook with fear. Just as she was about to scream, Wei Meng, with a friendly smile, silenced her with a silver coin, "The one who just came in is the Fourth Prince, our master's husband. If it's convenient for you, just pretend you didn't see anything."

Trembling, the maid patted her chest in relief, happily accepting the silver coin and going on her way.

Madam Xu had just gotten up and was being attended to for her grooming. When she heard someone report that her son-in-law had arrived, she didn't believe it. Peering through a crack in the window, she indeed saw the tall figure standing outside the courtyard. Hurriedly, she washed up and hurriedly went to greet him.

Pei Yuan handed over the prepared gift, addressing her somewhat awkwardly, "Aunt."

This "Aunt" sounded particularly unfamiliar and awkward. Pei Yuan suddenly remembered that it had been half a year since Bao Ning married him, and he still hadn't formally met her family.

Thinking of this, Pei Yuan felt even more guilty, his fists clenched at his sides.

Madam Xu was utterly flattered.

She had only seen Pei Yuan twice before. The first time, he had been sitting in a wheelchair, appearing aloof and distant, handsome but not approachable. He had spent over two hours with Bao Ning in the room, not uttering a word to her.

After Bao Ning left, Madam Xu had even complained to the maids about Pei Yuan's difficult temperament. Being a prince, albeit fallen from grace, he was still a nobleman in name. She feared Bao Ning would suffer.

Now, this son-in-law suddenly came to visit, bringing a lavish gift. Madam Xu was dizzy with excitement.

But her joy was short-lived. Immediately, she realized something, "Why didn't Bao Ning come with you?"

Pei Yuan felt bitter in his mouth, fabricating a lie, "She caught a cold and is resting at home. She said she'll come to visit you in a few days."

Coming unexpectedly, Madam Xu definitely didn't believe him. Pei Yuan made up another excuse, continuing to fabricate, "Bao Ning said it's your birthday today, so I brought a gift to see you."

"Oh..." Madam Xu was puzzled. Her birthday was in the latter half of the year; how could Bao Ning have gotten it wrong?

Madam Xu had a gut feeling that Pei Yuan was lying. However, she felt a bit uneasy facing Pei Yuan and didn't want to pursue it further. She smiled and ushered him inside, "Since you're here, stay for a while. Have breakfast before you leave."

Upon hearing her words, Pei Yuan immediately understood that Madam Xu was unaware of Bao Ning's departure.

Feeling disheartened, Pei Yuan forced a smile, "No, I'll just take a look at you and leave."

Saying this seemed to relieve Madam Xu. She didn't really want to keep Pei Yuan around. Besides the fact that having an outsider in the house would invite gossip, Pei Yuan's smile, though present, still looked tense and somewhat intimidating. Madam Xu thought to herself that living with such a son-in-law must be tough for her gentle Bao Ning.

Without dwelling on Madam Xu's subtle displeasure, Pei Yuan felt anxious. He casually asked, "Where's Ji Yun?"

"She went to the academy," Madam Xu replied. "She said there's an exam in a few days and couldn't come back, so she's staying there."

The academy had already been checked; Ji Yun wasn't there at all. Ji Yun and her mother were lying. Suppressing his anger, Pei Yuan asked again, "I heard Ji Yun has become independent, even buying a mansion for herself. Do you know where it is?"

Madam Xu shook her head, "She's grown up. I don't know about these things and haven't asked. All I know is she's very close with her second sister's husband, Jia Xian, the second son of the Duke of Chongyuan. You can ask him."

Finally, there was a lead. Pei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her with a bow, and promptly took his leave without waiting for Madam Xu's reply, heading straight to the Duke of Chongyuan's mansion.

Madam Xu looked at her senior maid in confusion and sighed, "This son-in-law..."

She didn't dare speak ill of Pei Yuan. She clasped her hands together and sighed again, "My Bao Ning..."

...

Pei Yuan rode swiftly with a small team, arriving at the gates of the Duke of Chongyuan's mansion in just fifteen minutes. Following the same strategy, he slipped in through the back gate and headed straight for the second residence.

Jia Xian was still in casual clothes. He was startled to see the Fourth Prince looking for him. Upon hearing Pei Yuan's inquiry, he wore a troubled expression, "Well, Ji Yun bought an estate with her own money. I don't know where she bought it."

Pei Yuan had heard about Jia Xian's character—extremely fond of money and willing to bend over backwards for profit.

Gritting his teeth, nearly driven mad by this series of people, but unable to resort to violence, Pei Yuan called Wei Meng over to draw up an IOU, "If you tell me how big Ji Yun's estate is, I'll give you three."

Feigning hesitation for a moment, Jia Xian reluctantly disclosed a direction, "I heard it's in Li Lake."

Pei Yuan's heart relaxed for a moment after three days of tension. Without stopping, he headed straight for Li Lake. Li Lake was nearly two hundred li from the capital, a bustling town nestled near mountains and water. Its name derived from a nearby lake called Li Lake. To get there from the capital, one had to pass through a mountain known as Yan Dang Mountain. Fortunately, there was a narrow gorge through the mountains where people and horses could pass on ordinary days.

Coincidentally, just as Pei Yuan's group reached the foot of Yan Dang Mountain, thunder began to rumble in the sky.

Wei Meng worried about Pei Yuan's poison. Only Wei Meng and Bao Ning knew about Pei Yuan's poison from the leeches, which prevented any danger to his life. However, on overcast rainy days, his bones would ache so badly that death seemed preferable. Although it wasn't raining at the moment, no one could guarantee when it might start. What would Pei Yuan do then?

Wei Meng wanted to persuade him to turn back.

Pei Yuan waved away his words, grabbed the reins, and was about to charge into the mountain valley when a sentry came running in panic to report, "Young General, there are rocks blocking the road ahead due to a lightning strike!"

"Then clear them!"

"The rocks are too heavy to clear quickly. It's going to take at least three days to clear the road."

Pei Yuan's face darkened as he stared at the blocked road ahead for a long moment. Suddenly, he dismounted, "Leave the horses. We'll take the mountain path!"

...

Inside the house, Bao Ning was squatting by the brazier, roasting sweet potatoes. Ah Mian and Ah Huang, afraid of the heat, lazily lay in the corner, occasionally glancing in Bao Ning's direction, sniffing the sweet aroma of the roasted potatoes.

Once the sweet potato was roasted, Bao Ning wrapped it in oil paper and tucked it into Ji Yun's arms. "Take this, go back to your own room, eat it, and rest. Also, tomorrow you must hurry back home and not let your studies be delayed."

"Sister, you're not going back to the General's residence with that person again, are you?" Ji Yun cautiously probed while holding the paper package. "Look, isn't it nice here? It's comfortable and safe. I know you like cats and dogs, so I specially had someone buy you one from a foreign land for protection."

Though Ji Yun had grown tall and strong, he still retained a youthful demeanor. "If that person doesn't know what's good for him and comes back to bother you, just set the dog on him."

Bao Ning chuckled. Ji Yun had harbored animosity towards Pei Yuan for a long time, and she didn't know how to advise him nor did she feel like doing so.

Bao Ning asked, "From a foreign land? Is it one of those small brown dogs with curly fur, small in size, with eyes like beans?"

"Those small dogs are boring," Ji Yun replied with a hint of pride. "I had my brother-in-law bring one from Tubo—a mastiff! Sister, have you heard of it?"

Bao Ning shook her head.

Ji Yun continued, "Mastiffs are very majestic, with paws as thick as your thigh, extremely fierce, capable of hunting wolves!"

Bao Ning marveled. She looked back at Ah Huang, who was sleeping with his head tilted, unable to imagine what Ji Yun's mastiff looked like.

"It should be delivered by tomorrow," Ji Yun stood up, straightening the folds on his robe. "Sister, rest well. I'll leave first."

Bao Ning saw him off and returned to the house to continue roasting sweet potatoes, but her mind was elsewhere.

While talking to Ji Yun just now, she had heard thunder outside and suddenly remembered Pei Yuan. She worried silently—would Pei Yuan be okay if it rained later?

Bao Ning felt she was being overly concerned. Based on Pei Yuan's demeanor that day, did she really need to worry so much? Perhaps leaving had played right into Pei Yuan's hands; he was probably enjoying himself, searching for beautiful women now that he was hiding in comfort.

Bao Ning angrily took a bite of the sweet potato.

Outside, the sky darkened, the wind grew strong. Bao Ning carried her sweet potato inside, locked the door, washed her hands, and went to bed.

...

Around noon, Pei Yuan finally arrived. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothes torn by branches, making him look like a beggar despite his imposing aura.

After his servant found out Bao Ning's whereabouts, Pei Yuan immediately ordered the soldiers to surround the courtyard!

Author's notes: Bao Ning's family's impression: affinity -1-1-1-1-1

Younger brother: Watch me buy a Tibetan mastiff to bite you to death.

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