I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 344 Portrait
"Sister, sister?" Chen Xing waved her hand in front of Chu Liuzheng's eyes.

Chu Liuzheng snapped out of his daze, suppressed his excitement, shut down the system, and turned to ask, "What is it?"

"Young Master has already gone out and wants us to leave immediately." Chen Xing handed her the most important bundle. "Check the house again, and I'll go inform everyone."

"Okay." Chu Liuzheng slung the bundle over his shoulder, walked around the room to make sure he hadn't left anything behind, and then went out, closing the door behind him as he went downstairs.

Feng Jing waited for her at the top of the stairs and handed her a porcelain bottle: "Here, it's been repaired."

Chu Liuzheng didn't stand on ceremony, took it and stuffed it into his bundle, then walked out with him.

Outside the door, Xiao Jingfan took the peanut candy handed to him by Zhou Yuande and fed it to Wu Shuang in his palm.

Seeing Chu Liuzheng and Feng Jing come out side by side, he was about to beckon Chu Liuzheng to come and feed the horses when he suddenly looked up at the opposite side and narrowed his eyes.

Across from the inn was a teahouse. The window of the private room on the second floor facing the street was open, and two beautiful figures, one in white and one in pink, stood by the window. They were the Huang sisters.

When Xiao Jingfan looked up, the white figure moved, as if taking a step back.

"Young Master, what are you looking at?" Feng Jing curiously leaned over and looked diagonally across the room.

After recognizing the people standing by the window, he muttered, "Aren't those the two young ladies from the Huang family? Why haven't they left yet?"

Xiao Jingfan naturally recognized it as well. He glanced at it and then looked away. After feeding the peanut candy in his hand, he mounted his horse, led his men out of the city, and continued on his way to Xiancheng.

In the private room of the teahouse, Huang Ting stood blankly at the window. Although she could no longer see Xiao Jingfan and his group, she still couldn't bear to look away and murmured, "It really is him."

Her eyes and demeanor were so striking that even from a distance, she would never mistake her for someone else.

"Who is it?" Huang Ying leaned out and looked into the distance, but didn't see anyone she knew.

Huang Ting didn't have time to reply to her. She turned around and walked to the door of the private room, instructing the servant who had been following them yesterday: "Take two people out of the city immediately and continue to follow that young master Wang. Follow him from a distance, don't disturb him, and remember to leave marks along the way."

The servant thought to himself, "I've already given a thank-you gift, why are they still asking for more?"
"Miss, shouldn't we report this to the master first?"

"I will speak to Father when he returns," Huang Ting said. "Just do as I say, and remember not to disturb him."

"Yes." The servant acknowledged the order and left. He selected two skilled guards from the guards, rented three horses from the carriage shop, and rode out of the city.

In a teahouse in the city, Huang Ying clung to Huang Ting's arm and swayed it, drawing out her words in a coquettish tone: "Sister, just tell me, why did you send someone to follow that young master Wang?"

Huang Ting, unable to resist her nagging any longer, finally relented and said, "Didn't I show you the portrait?"

"A portrait?" Huang Ying was taken aback. "What kind of portrait—"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: "Ah! Is he the same person from three years ago?"

“It’s him.” Huang Ting nodded, her cheeks flushed, but thankfully the veil covered her face so it wasn’t obvious.

Huang Ying pouted: "He doesn't sound like what you said at all. Sister, you must have mistaken him for someone else."

"I can't mistake him, it's him." Huang Ting thought of the painting she had hidden in the secret compartment of her study. She took it out to look at it almost every day. She could recognize him even if she only saw his back, let alone his face.
Fortunately, she didn't leave and decided to wait and see at the teahouse.

She'll be twenty in two months. If she misses out again like she did three years ago, she won't have another three years to wait for, and she'll miss out for the rest of her life.

Thinking of this, she raised her hand and touched the thin veil, thinking that she might be able to take it off soon.

Huang Ying leaned on the table, resting her chin on the back of her clasped hands, and tilted her head to look at her: "Sister, what are you planning to do?"

"I want to go with him first." Huang Ting had already made up her mind; no matter what, she had to at least get to know him. "But Father and Mother will be back tonight. Aren't you going to wait for them?"

"It's too late." Huang Ting reached out and rubbed her head. "I'll go back and pack some valuables, then take the guards and chase after them. You stay in the manor and wait for your parents to come back. Don't be naughty."

"No." Huang Ying pouted and grabbed her hand. "I want to go with my older sister."

Huang Ting naturally wouldn't agree. Huang Ying pestered her all the way from the teahouse to the Huang residence, trying every trick in the book, but Huang Ting still wouldn't budge. Frustrated, Huang Ying plopped down on the bundle the maid had packed and refused to get up no matter what.

"What kind of talk is this?" Huang Ting was getting a headache from her antics and reached out to help her up.

Huang Ying refused to get up unless Huang Ting agreed to take her with her.

She clung to Huang Ting's leg and said coquettishly, "Big sister, good big sister, please take me with you. I promise I'll listen to you and won't cause you any trouble."

Huang Ting looked down at her: "You'll listen to everything I say?"

"Mmm." Huang Ying nodded repeatedly, tilting her soft, white face up, looking incredibly adorable.

Huang Ting sighed, finally giving in, and helped her up.

Huang Ying skipped and hopped towards the study, saying as she ran, "I'm leaving a letter for my parents!"

Watching her cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Huang Ting shook her head helplessly and instructed the maid to pack her luggage as well.

On the official road, carriages and horses came and went in an endless stream.

The horse's hooves kicked up billowing dust as it galloped south.

Lu Fei spurred his horse forward, riding alongside Wu Shuang, and reported, "Young Master, the Huang family has sent men to follow us."

Xiao Jingfan pulled on the reins, slowing Wu Shuang down a bit, and asked, "How many people?"

“Three.” Lu Fei’s eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he strongly suspected that the Huang family wanted to assassinate the emperor.

Xiao Jingfan thought for a moment and said, "Ignore it."

Lu Fei grew anxious: "But—"

Xiao Jingfan had his own plans. Before the man could finish speaking, he spurred his horse, and Wu Shuang galloped off like a thunderclap.

For the rest of the journey, the group did not stay in any more cities, but instead traveled day and night, taking short breaks along the way and relying on dry rations to reach the territory of Xiancheng.

The sun in the sky was dazzling, already showing the power of the summer sun.

Seeing that everyone was tired, Lü Fei consulted with Xiao Jingfan and told them to rest in a grove of trees three miles from Xiancheng before entering the city.

The day and night had nearly shaken Chu Liuzheng's bones apart; when he crawled out of the carriage, he felt the ground shaking.

Chen Xing quickly helped her sit down and took out a folding fan to fan her.

Jiang Yao and Tong Niang also got out of the carriage, spread their cloaks on the ground, and sat down opposite the two of them.

With Feng Jing's help, the Shadow Moon Gu awakened, and Jiang Yao's eye and hair colors returned to normal. She would no longer indiscriminately release poison, and Si Yue no longer needed to watch over her all the time.

Tongniang respected her above all else, and since Jiang Yao had already agreed to cooperate with Xiao Jingfan to deal with Yin Lanci, she naturally wouldn't object. After Jiang Yao recovered, she was untied and put in charge of taking care of Jiang Yao's daily needs.

As for Pingyu, after days of interrogation by Zhou Yuande, the kid finally spilled some useful information.