Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

Although Ouyang Huai had passed away, the servants of the Ouyang family still delivered the promised 10,000 taels of gold as agreed.

Chai Xiaomi initially thought the box contained real gold, but when she opened it, she found neatly stacked stacks of silver notes, with a total face value far exceeding ten thousand taels.

The delivery boy stepped forward and said, "Miss Xiaomi, my young master said that all the ill-gotten gains from selling the Crimson Fire Sand have been distributed to the miners and their families. As for the rest, how to use them is entirely up to you."

After saying this, he bowed, stepped back, and turned to leave.

Chai Xiaomi stared at the stack of silver notes, lost in thought for a moment.

Just then, the flower girls gathered in twos and threes. When they learned that Xiaomi was leaving Qianwu Town, their eyes reddened, and they held her hands, reluctant to let go.

One said, "Xiaomi, who will teach us makeup now that you're gone?" Another said, "No one will tell us jokes anymore." And a few of the younger ones already had tears welling up in their eyes.

Chai Xiaomi looked at them and suddenly smiled.

Actually, her jokes weren't funny at all; it's just that these girls were trapped here, and all they could do every day was learn how to please people, without ever encountering anything interesting.

"Take these in exchange for your indentures," she said, moving the box of silver notes forward in a clear, crisp voice. "From now on, everyone is free. Do whatever you want, go wherever you want, no longer confined to this small place."

The flower girls were stunned.

You look at me, I look at you.

I don't know who started crying first.

Chai Xiaomi stood there, surrounded by a group of girls who were crying their eyes out, feeling somewhat helpless.

She touched her nose and muttered softly, "Don't cry... this is a good thing..."

Not far away.

Jiang Zhiyu was tugging at Song Yueyao's bag, very solicitously: "Yaoyao, you carry it for me."

Song Yueyao looked straight ahead: "No need, I have plenty of strength."

Jiang Zhiyu, unwilling to give up, pointed to Xiaomi, who was surrounded by courtesans not far away, and said with a helpless expression, "Look at Xiaomi, she's having so much fun among the girls, while Wu Li is up there packing her luggage all by herself. Usually, if she's hungry, she calls Li Li; if she's sleepy, she calls Li Li; if she's tired, she calls Li Li. You can also order me around anytime. Go play for a while by yourself. Don't carry everything on your own and be so tense."

Song Yueyao finally turned her head and called him: "Jiang Zhiyu".

His eyes lit up, and he replied happily, "Yes!"

"Shut up."

"..."

The world is quiet now.

After a moment of silence, Song Yueyao suddenly looked up and glanced around, her brows furrowing slightly. "Jiang Zhiyu, don't you think something's strange?"

Jiang Zhiyu was taken aback upon hearing this: "Strange? What's strange about it?"

"Oh, I see," he immediately pulled out a folding fan, unfolded it with a "whoosh," and skillfully fanned himself twice. "Yaoyao, you've learned a lot of new words from Xiaomi lately, haven't you? Are you trying to say, 'I'm pretty handsome'?"

Song Yueyao has selective deafness.

"I have a feeling that someone has been watching us from the shadows these past few days." She glanced around but found nothing, and wondered if she was just overthinking it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyu became even more enthusiastic: "Of course! After all, a dashing and debonair young master like me is bound to attract attention wherever I go."

Three seconds later.

Chai Xiaomi ran over happily, her eyes immediately fixed on Jiang Zhiyu's hair. "Hey? Brother Yu, your high crown looks really good today! What's your secret? Teach me!"

Jiang Zhiyu scratched his head, smiled bitterly, and sighed: "It was bought with tears and pain, but it was worth it in the end. After all, a beating is a sign of affection, and scolding is a sign of love."

Song Yueyao didn't say anything, but expressionlessly gave him another flick on the forehead in the same spot.

Only after she finished hitting him did she realize that Chai Xiaomi was staring straight at her. She smiled, trying to cover it up, but her smile was unusually gentle, attempting to salvage her image of being violent and ruthless in Xiaomi's mind.

But then Chai Xiaomi poked her head expectantly and leaned over, looking at Yao-jie with a hopeful expression: "Sister Yao, can you give me a turn too?"

Song Yueyao's lips twitched slightly: "This... I'm afraid that's not a good idea?"

Chai Xiaomi: "It's okay."

Song Yueyao: "You're fine, but I might be in trouble."

Chai Xiaomi: "?"

Just as she was about to speak again, Yan Xingxiao strode over: "It's time to say goodbye again. I still have one more shipment to complete, and my wife, the brothers from the escort agency, and I need to hurry and head south."

"I didn't expect that there would be two more people in my escort agency this time."

He glanced back, then smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the three of them, saying solemnly, "The mountains are high and the road is long, please take care. As the old saying goes, if fate allows, we will meet again!"

Chai Xiaomi imitated Yan Xingxiao, earnestly clasping her hands in return, and asked herself, "Will we meet again, Swallow? Yes!"

Yan Xingxiao was suddenly taken aback by this adorable nickname. The burly man became shy, scratched his head awkwardly, and asked, "Where are Young Master Wu and Master Ji? I wanted to say goodbye to them."

Chai Xiaomi glanced at the top floor of Huanyin Pavilion, somewhat puzzled.

Wu Li is usually efficient, so why did it take him so long to pack his luggage today?

Song Yueyao recalled the argument between Ji Fangshi and Wu Li at the Ouyang residence not long ago, and now that both of them had disappeared, she couldn't help but frown and took the lead, saying, "I'll go up and call them."

Jiang Zhiyu followed closely behind: "Yaoyao, wait for me, I'm going too."

Chai Xiaomi didn't follow. Her gaze quietly fell on the group of bodyguards under Yan Biaotou. They had just finished sorting out the goods from a delivery and were distributing the horses. There were two new members in the team who had volunteered to join the escort agency.

After Xiangyun and Xiaoman finished packing, they came hand in hand to say goodbye to Chai Xiaomi.

Chai Xiaomi didn't hear any of the words of gratitude; she just stared blankly at Xiaoman's bright eyes, no longer as lost and unfocused as before.

Although the burn scars on his face were still gruesome, his eyes were exceptionally bright, so bright that one could almost overlook his face.

She suddenly asked, "Xiaoman, when will your eyes be able to see things clearly again?"

"It was around after your wedding, Miss Xiaomi." Xiaoman met her gaze, her eyes gentle and her smile faint. "When I woke up the next morning, my vision suddenly cleared, and then I was able to see things again. I think it must be because of the good fortune from your wedding banquet. I often heard Xiangyun mention that Miss Xiaomi looked very blessed, and it's true."

He spoke sincerely, his eyes brimming with genuine joy.

But Chai Xiaomi couldn't be happy.

She lowered her eyelashes, which trembled slightly, and murmured softly, "Suddenly... I can see..."

Yan Xingxiao had already returned to the caravan and seemed to be helping to load a heavy object onto the caravan. He called out from afar. Xiangyun turned around and ran off first, but Xiaoman had just turned around when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Because he heard three words he thought he would never hear again in his life—

"Luo Youan".

The sound was extremely soft, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

But he still managed to catch it.

He paused for a moment, then turned stiffly back, his voice trembling slightly: "Miss Xiaomi, what...did you just call me?"

Chai Xiaomi looked at him and suddenly asked softly, "Do you really understand Go?"

Before he could answer, she continued, "Sometimes, after a game of chess is over, everyone thinks the outcome hinges on the last few moves. But what truly determines victory or defeat is a certain piece that was placed in the corner during the opening. That piece has been suppressed the whole time, never been brought up, and no one has ever mentioned it."

Xiaoman paused for a moment, her expression hesitant: "Could you please explain it more clearly, young lady?"

She laughed, but her eyes were moist: "I've said all I need to say. Young Master Luo is a smart man; he'll figure it out eventually. Well, it's fine if he doesn't. I just suddenly thought of something very interesting."

"The Lesser Fullness solar term usually falls on May 21st or 22nd of the Gregorian calendar each year, but in very rare cases it may also fall on May 20th."

"Young Master Luo, you may not know this, but in my hometown, the number 520 has another meaning."

"It means 'I love you'," Chai Xiaomi smiled. "Xiaoman, it's a really nice name."

Xiaoman, I've said those three words that you've kept hidden in your heart but never dared to say.

From that moment on, no one in the world owed that confession anymore.

From then on, the wind returned to the wind, and the dust returned to the dust.

Chai Xiaomi remembered that Wu Li once said that even if one loses all five senses, one will still recognize the person one loves.

Yes, in a way, Luo Youan was never a good match for Hongxiao.

"Someone else! Lift it with all your might!" Yan Xingxiao's voice rang out again.

The young man stirred and turned to help. A trace of sadness flashed in his eyes, which had regained their sight. Even he himself did not understand why his heart was inexplicably aching.