After Yan Ruyu entered the Young Master Manor, she went straight to Yan Jiuchao’s courtyard. She had never been to the Young Master Manor before, so she did not know that this place had once been lifeless. It was not until the three little fellows came that the trouble started and messes occurred that there was a hint of life.

Yan Ruyu liked silence. She could hear Uncle Wan’s wails from afar, making her feel that it was noisy. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She smiled elegantly and walked into the Young Master Manor.

There was naturally no need for her to hide her appearance here. She was dressed in a white dress and was as beautiful as a fairy who had fallen to the mortal world. Every frown and smile exuded an otherworldly aura. However, all of this was nothing in the eyes of the servants in the Young Master Manor. After everyone bowed to her without looking sideways, they went to work.

Yan Ruyu could feel the respect from these people, but this respect did not come from their own will. It was only because she was the biological mother of the three little masters.

The greatest love a man could give his child was not how much he doted on him, but how much respect he could give his mother. Even if Yan Jiuchao had no feelings for her, he had never let the children fall into an embarrassing situation because of her.

If she came with some purpose in the beginning, then at this moment, she sincerely wanted to marry this man.

“He’s someone worth entrusting my life to,” Yan Ruyu murmured.

Aunt Lin didn’t hear him clearly. “What did Miss say?”

A moving smile appeared on Yan Ruyu’s face. “The Young Master, he’s not as unbearable as the rumors say. He’s worth any woman’s life.”

Aunt Lin looked at her Miss in surprise. Could it be that she was really tempted?

“Aunt Lin.” A trace of beautiful longing flashed across Yan Ruyu’s eyes. “I want to marry him.”

“This…” Aunt Lin was in a difficult position. It seemed that her Young Miss had really fallen for Young Master Yan. This was not a bad thing. However, it was not so easy to marry into the Young Master Manor.

Initially, she had thought that victory was in her hands with the three children. However, after interacting with him, she realized that this young master was simply impervious to anything. Not to mention her young miss’s relationship with the young master, even if they didn’t have this relationship, with her looks, intelligence, temperament, and background, how could she not be the best candidate for the future Princess Consort Yan? Even the daughter of the prime minister, the daughter of the Grand Commandant, and the daughter of the Censorate that Worthy Consort Xu had chosen weren’t as outstanding as her!

“I won’t lose to a village girl,” Yan Ruyu said firmly.

As they spoke, the two of them entered the courtyard.

The three little fellows ran around the courtyard, ruining the flowers. Uncle Wan chased after them, almost unable to breathe.

Yan Ruyu, who had made up her mind a second ago, was suddenly stunned when she saw the three lively little fellows. Her thoughts drifted away uncontrollably.

The three little fellows didn’t know that Yan Ruyu had arrived. They were crawling around in the flowers, holding either a rolling pin or a corncob in their hands.

How could they be so lively? Why were there children who can’t survive?

Yan Ruyu clenched her handkerchief tightly.

Uncle Wan couldn’t take it anymore and limped back into the house.

The three little fellows no longer crawled into the flowers. Instead, they lay by the fish pond and reached out to fish. The water in the pool was very shallow, but it was such a cold day. If they really fell down, they would fall seriously ill and might not get up again.

“Miss, Miss!”

Aunt Lin’s voice interrupted Yan Ruyu’s thoughts. She came back to her senses and saw that she had grabbed a child in her hand. The child was lifted up and could be thrown into the pool at any time.

The child looked at her blankly.

Aunt Lin snatched the child over.

Yan Ruyu felt a chill run down her spine and staggered back a few steps. What happened to her just now? What was she thinking? Was she crazy?

Da Bao and Er’bao also ran over. They raised their heads and blinked at Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu hugged Xiaobao, who she had almost thrown into the pool, and stroked his head. She choked and said, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t…”

Aunt Lin said to her, “Miss, you’re too tired today. You should come and visit the Young Master another day.”

Xiaobao struggled for a while and broke free from her arms. He ran behind his two brothers and looked at her fearfully with his clear eyes.

Yan Ruyu anxiously wanted to explain, but Aunt Lin pulled her away. Cai Qin placed the snacks she brought into the back of the little master’s room and left with them.

When Uncle Wan took a sip of water and came to the courtyard with his hand on his old waist, Yan Ruyu was already gone. He did not know what had happened, and the three little fellows could not speak. He shook his head and brought the little fellows back to the room to eat.

How could the three little fellows be willing to listen to him obediently? Not only did he not feed them, they even shattered a few jade artifacts.

Uncle Wan gave up and said, “Go ahead and fight. It’s your father’s anyway.”

The tablecloth was also pulled off by the little fellows, and the tea set and snacks on the table fell to the ground.

Uncle Wan noticed a note with words floating out. He was about to pick it up to take a look, but Dabao stepped on the note after stepping on the yam cake.

The note was stuck to Dabao’s feet, and he ran out again.

Uncle Wan could not care less about chasing after the note. The room was in such a mess that if his Young Master saw it, he would go crazy. Uncle Wan quickly cleaned up.

The three little fellows ran out of the courtyard. The nanny chased after them and lost them after a while.

Dabao took the lead and left his two younger brothers far behind. Just as he was about to disappear, Dabao suddenly bumped into someone and his head hit the other party’s thigh.

Yan Jiuchao looked down at his son.

Dabao rubbed his little head and looked up at his father. It was unknown if it was because he had a premonition that Yan Jiuchao was about to flare up, but Dabao suddenly reached out his black hand and hugged Yan Jiuchao’s thigh.

Yan Jiuchao, who had five finger marks on his leg: “…”

“What’s stuck to the shoe?” Yan Jiuchao asked uncomfortably.

Shadow Thirteen picked up the little master and removed the piece of paper that seemed to be covered in feces but emitted a fragrant yam smell. Without changing his expression, he said, “Paper.”

Yan Jiuchao felt disgusted just by looking at it. He only glanced at it from the corner of his eye, but he was surprised to find words on it.

Although most of it was covered in yam, it was still recognizable—”Yan Ruyu, if you want your things back, meet me day at Ning’an Temple, nine o’clock.”

The information on the note inexplicably gave people a bad feeling.

“Is Miss Yan being pestered by some villain?” Shadow Thirteen asked in confusion. The note was clearly a threatening tone. No matter how much they disliked Miss Yan, she was still the mother of the three little masters. If she really let some villain pester her, they still couldn’t sit by and do nothing.

The problem was… why did this note come to the Young Master Manor?

Was it Yan Ruyu who deliberately put it in, or was it someone else? If it was the former, then Yan Ruyu had encountered a big trouble that could not be resolved and had no choice but to use this method to ask the Young Master for help. If it was the latter, then this was not a note that threatened Yan Ruyu at all, but a scheme to lure Yan Jiuchao into falling for it.

“Young Master, I’ll go to the Yan Manor and ask Miss Yan about the situation. If she’s really in trouble, it won’t be too late for us to take action.” Shadow Thirteen’s caution was not without reason. If this was a trap targeted at Yan Jiuchao, he could not let Yan Jiuchao fall into it.

Yan Jiuchao said, “There’s no need. Let’s go to Ning’an Temple.”

“Young Master!” Shadow Thirteen was shocked.

Yan Jiuchao said arrogantly, “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to have any ideas about me. I want to see who still has the guts!”

Shadow Thirteen wanted to advise his young master to be careful, but he understood that his young master had a temperament of causing trouble every day. The more dangerous it was, the more he wanted to go.

Shadow Thirteen had no choice but to accompany the Young Master to Ning’an Temple. Of course, to be safe, he called Shadow Six.

Shadow Six reluctantly left the house. “Why did you call me? Isn’t it enough for you to protect the Young Master?”

Shadow Thirteen said helplessly, “Alright, what’s the big deal?”

Shadow Six scowled. “Hmph!”

Shadow Thirteen patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, “I think you’re quite good like this.”

“What about me?” Shadow Six asked angrily.

Shadow Thirteen thought for a while and said fearlessly, “Cute and helpless.”

Shadow Six : “…”

Shadow Thirteen went with a fair face and came back with a swollen face. Yan Jiuchao glanced at him and didn’t ask who beat him up. He got into the carriage.

The Ning’an Temple was in the Capital, but it was very far from the Young Master Manor. There were also a few rugged mountain roads to walk. Fortunately, Shadow Thirteen’s driving skills were not bad, and he successfully stopped the carriage at the foot of the mountain before 9 p.m.

Ning’an Temple was located halfway up the mountain.

The three of them walked up the stairs and finally arrived at the temple after ten minutes.

Shadow Thirteen first walked around the temple, but he didn’t find anyone suspicious, nor did he see Miss Yan. This was strange. If Yan Ruyu had asked them for help, she should have at least appeared to meet them. Otherwise, how would they know what had happened to her? If it was a trap targeted at Yan Jiuchao, they should have set up an inescapable net here.

“Young Master.” Shadow Thirteen told Yan Jiuchao the results of his investigation.

Yan Jiuchao raised his eyebrows. “Could it be that someone is playing me?”

“Young Master, you should go back with Shadow Six. I’ll stay and wait. Perhaps…”

Shadow Thirteen was halfway through his sentence when Yan Xie carried a big bag and sneaked up the mountain.

“Yan Xie!”

In the Yan Manor, Yan Ruyu realized that the things she had hidden in her desk were gone. Her first reaction was Yan Xie! Other than Yan Xie, she could not think of anyone else who was so bored as to touch her two jars of… ashes.

When the maidservants heard her call Yan Xie’s name, they were all frightened. It was nothing to smash things to vent her anger, but if word got out that she was disrespectful to her brother, she would be criticized.

“Didn’t you see Yan Xie?” Yan Ruyu’s eyes were red, as if she wanted to swallow them.

The servants kept quiet.

Yan Ruyu came out of Yan Xie’s courtyard and went to Mrs. Yan and Yan Congming’s courtyard. After that, she searched the entire mansion, but there was no sign of Yan Xie!

Yan Xie did not know that Yan Ruyu had already gone berserk. He had left a note, so Yan Ruyu would definitely recognize his words. With his understanding of Yan Ruyu, she would definitely come to Ning’an Temple.

However, what puzzled Yan Xie was that he had been waiting in the meditation room for half a day. Why didn’t the novice monk report to him that a young and beautiful noble lady had come? He had given the novice monk half a tael of silver!

Yan Xie didn’t sleep well last night after stealing the treasure. Now that he was sleepy, he fell asleep not long after.

Shadow Thirteen quietly entered the room, tapped Yan Xie’s sleeping acupoint, took away the bag that Yan Xie was holding tightly in his arms, and returned to the meditation room next door.

Ever since Yan Xie entered the temple, they had been keeping an eye on him. With Yan Xie’s counter-reconnaissance methods, he could not hide from the three of them at all. Yan Xie first asked for the meditation room and then bribed the young monk that once a young noble lady came, he would send him news.

It was obvious who that noble lady was.

They didn’t expect Yan Xie to be so despicable. He even dared to threaten his biological sister!

But then again, did Yan Ruyu need their Young Master to take action against Yan Xie, that prodigal son? What was Yan Ruyu thinking? Even if she used a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken, it shouldn’t be like this! She wasn’t like Miss Yu, whose father was imprisoned and was about to be beheaded.

Shadow Thirteen frowned in disdain and handed the bag to the Young Master.

“Open it,” Yan Jiuchao said.

Shadow Thirteen paused. “…Yes, Young Master.”

Shadow Thirteen opened the bag. Seeing that it was two sealed jars, he unscrewed the lid without a word.

“Young Master, it’s ashes,” Shadow Thirteen said as he pinched it.

“Ashes?” Yan Jiuchao frowned.

“Human ashes?” Shadow Six asked. He was a scout and was good at investigating information, but he was not as experienced as Shadow Thirteen in killing people and performing autopsies.

Shadow Thirteen nodded.

“How do you know?” Shadow Six asked.

Shadow Thirteen said, “Human ashes smell different from animals.”

“What difference?” Shadow Six was puzzled.

Shadow Thirteen thought for a while. “I can’t tell, but I can naturally recognize it if I smell it too much.”

So how many corpses’ ashes did Shadow Thirteen smell to cultivate such a perverted ability? Shadow Six couldn’t help but shudder.

Shadow Thirteen poked the dagger into the urn again.

“There’s something,” he said. He used his dagger to pick out the thing at the bottom of the jar. After wiping it with his handkerchief, he realized that it was two longevity locks made of gold.

The longevity lock was something that only infants would wear. There were golden locks, silver locks, and copper locks. Some had been bought before they were born, and some had been forged after they were born. Most of them were worn by children when they were washed three days after their birth to ensure that the child would live a long life without worries.

Of course, not everyone would wear such things. The three little masters did not.

Shadow Six took the longevity lock. “In that case, it’s a child’s ashes inside.”

Two urns and two longevity locks.

“Why does Miss Yan have such a thing?” Shadow Six asked suspiciously.

From the information revealed on Yan Xie’s note, these things belonged to Yan Ruyu alone and had nothing to do with Yan Xie himself. Therefore, they could be ruled out as two children from the Yan family.

But that was strange, wasn’t it? Why did Yan Ruyu keep the child’s ashes outside? Did someone entrust it to her, or did she… have some unknown relationship with these two children?

“Young Master, should we capture Yan Xie and interrogate him?” Shadow Thirteen asked.

Yan Jiuchao tapped his slender fingers on the table. “Don’t alert the enemy first. Put the thing back.”

“Yes!” Shadow Thirteen put the longevity lock and urns back into Yan Xie’s arms and undid his sleeping acupoint.

As soon as Shadow Thirteen returned to the meditation room, Yan Ruyu rushed into the temple with her guards.

It turned out that although Yan Ruyu didn’t receive the note, she saw the ink that had unintentionally seeped into the white paper when he was writing the note in Yan Xie’s study. It wasn’t obvious, but she saw a row of uneven “Ni-g’an T-m-le” words. Yan Ruyu guessed that it was Ning’an Temple.

Hearing Yan Xie’s scream from next door, Shadow Thirteen clutched his chest. Fortunately, the Young Master was smart. Yan Ruyu had come too quickly. Even if they really caught Yan Xie, they wouldn’t be able to get anything out of him in time.

“What do we do now, Young Master?” Shadow Thirteen asked.

Yan Jiuchao did not seem to hear the commotion next door. He raised his brush and drew two longevity locks. He did not miss a single pattern on the front, back, and bottom.

Shadow Thirteen and Shadow Six were shocked. You had only taken two glances, so how did you remember it so clearly? If you put your attention on your studies, those top scholars would be gone!

Yan Jiuchao handed the blueprint to the two of them and instructed, “Go and investigate where these two longevity locks were forged, when they were forged, and who bought them.”

“Yes!” Shadow Six took the blueprint.

At night, Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen headed to the various jewelry shops in the Capital. They asked around for a day and a night. Finally, at the end of the second day, they found the craftsman who knew the two longevity locks in a shop opened by an outsider.