Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Chang Sui inhaled too much cartilage powder at once, and felt weak all over, but remained conscious.

He said to Zong Xian with a face full of guilt, "I was careless and was ambushed by the young lady. She went that way two quarters of an hour ago. It was my incompetence that I couldn't stop her..."

Upon hearing this, Zong Xian's narrow eyes flashed with a fierce light. He tossed Chang Sui to the guards, his face turning terrifyingly grim. "Ji Mingyi, you're truly something else!"

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and the guards dared not even breathe.

Zong Xian turned and mounted his horse, staring intently ahead. He said in a deep voice, "Find her! Dig three feet into the ground, find her for me! Giddy up!"

Zong Xian took the lead and rushed out in the direction where Ming Yi had disappeared. The guards then scattered and searched for him separately.

She's just a frail young girl; how far can she go on her own two legs?

Besides, this is still the capital city, isn't it easy to find her?

Everyone thought so, even Zong Xian thought so, but Ji Mingyi was nowhere to be seen until dawn!

...

"Master," a guard prostrated himself forward, his voice trembling, "all the residences, alleys, and abandoned courtyards in the southern city have been thoroughly searched, and there is not a soul in sight."

Another person reported in a deep voice: "All shops and buildings in the north city have been searched three times, and no one is hiding."

"The Hundred Fragrance Pavilion has also been searched, and Miss Ji has never been there."

Another guard arrived: "Master, the check at the ferry crossing is complete. No women left by boat last night."

All the messages that came in were false.

The wind and snow intensified, causing Zong Xian's black hair to fly wildly and his dark robes to flutter loudly.

He tightened the reins, almost breaking them in his palm, his knuckles turning bluish-white, veins bulging.

Suddenly, a deep, cold laugh escaped his throat, chilling to the bone: "Can't find her? She's a living person, she can't just vanish into thin air, can she?!"

He has always been in control of the overall situation. Every hidden stakeout and every secret passage in the capital is under his control. No one has ever been able to escape silently under his nose, but Ji Mingyi did it!

Her gentle and submissive nature, allowing him to manipulate her at will, was all a facade!

She had been waiting for this chance to escape!

Ji Mingyi, how dare you run away? The man's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

The surrounding guards knelt on the ground, none daring to stand up.

The capital city was already under heavy lockdown, and Ji Mingyi could not possibly escape alone.

"Pass on the order!"

Zong Xian's voice was hoarse and cold, carrying the weariness of a sleepless night, yet revealing an unyielding ruthlessness: "Strictly investigate all carriages, merchants, wandering monks, and refugees leaving the city—leave no one unchecked!"

Looking up at the vast expanse of wind and snow, his eyes were bloodshot, casting a hint of madness and ruthlessness over his usually aloof and noble narrow eyes.

"I'll see how long she can hide!"

"Back to the manor—!"

At this moment, a guard galloped in on horseback. Before the horse could even stand still, the guard tumbled onto the snow and knelt down to report urgently.

Her eyes lit up with surprise: "Master! The gatekeeper just reported that Miss Ji is inside the manor!"

The man, who had been filled with rage and convinced the woman was long gone, suddenly froze, his mind blank for a moment, before staring at the guard: "You're saying she's in the manor? She didn't leave?"

The guard replied, "Absolutely true!"

Before he could ask any more questions, Zong Xian yanked the reins hard and sped toward the mansion like a madman.

...

The wind and snow lashed his face, but he was oblivious. The ferocity in his bloodshot eyes faded, replaced by urgency.

I felt both happy and flustered.

They rode back to their residence.

He kicked open the wooden door to the boudoir and strode inside.

Inside, the charcoal fire crackled and burned, filling the room with warmth—a stark contrast to the biting winter chill outside.

The room was silent, with the carved soft curtains hanging low, and a slender figure could be faintly seen from the direction of the bed.

It was as if something was choking him, his rapid breathing stuck in his throat.

Zong Xian took a deep breath before slowly stepping forward and lifting the gauze curtain.

Ji Mingyi was sitting on the warm couch by the window, still wearing the same moon-white nightgown she had worn when she was taken away from the mansion yesterday, and she looked calm and composed.

Hearing the noise, she slowly raised her eyes to look at the person who came, her eyes remaining calm.

The moment their eyes met, Zong Xian shuddered.

The anger that had been building up all night vanished instantly.

He had imagined countless scenarios of catching her, questioning her sternly, imprisoning her strictly, and punishing her severely.

But when he actually saw her sitting there unharmed, all his harsh words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

So this is what it feels like to lose something and then get it back.

Mingyi rose from the warm couch, her voice soft and hoarse: "My lord..."

Without saying a word, Zong Xian stepped forward and pulled her tightly into his arms with his strong forearms, a rare moment of losing his composure.

Ning Shuang brought out clean clothes, and upon seeing this scene, she stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with relief.

He turned back to stop Ning Xue, who was carrying water into the house, and whispered, "The master is here."

The two girls only knew that Mingyi had been kidnapped by villains, but they didn't know that Mingyi had tried to escape and had been hiding outside all night.

They assumed the two masters were enjoying their time together inside and didn't want to disturb them.

...

After a long while, Zong Xian slowly released his embrace. His deep eyes stared at Mingyi, and he said, "I've been looking for you all night, you know? Chang Sui said you ambushed him. You're really something."

She ran away on her own, causing him to live in fear all night; he could not let it go so easily.

Mingyi lowered her eyes: "I was just too scared."

The man lifted her chin with his long fingers, looked into her eyes, and said in a deep voice, "What are you afraid of?"

Mingyi met his scrutinizing gaze, stared at him silently for a moment, and said plaintively, "Your Excellency's favor towards me has brought me mortal danger. I am terrified."

"So you want to leave the adults?"

Zong Xian's tone was filled with indescribable dejection and disappointment, "You really don't trust me that much? You don't believe I can protect you?"

Mingyi remained silent.

Seeing her like this, Zong Xian felt inexplicably angry. He abruptly withdrew his hand and turned his back, saying, "If that's the case, then why did you come back?"

Mingyi stepped forward, reached out and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, slowly pressed herself against his back, and said softly:

"Of course, it's because I thought of how good you have been to me, and I can't bear to leave. Besides, in two days it will be the ninth day, such an important day, how could I be absent?"

The girl's gentle and tender appearance instantly dispelled the anger in Zong Xian's heart, but his expression remained cold and hard.

Until the girl moved around to stand in front of him.

She glanced up at his face, then tiptoed and carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes glistening with tears, carrying a hint of coquettishness.

"I know I was wrong, I will never run away again, I will never leave you, my lord." Mingyi was as docile as ever, "I will accept any punishment."

Zong Xian looked at her coldly: "I warned you last time that if you dared to run away, I would break both your legs."

Upon hearing this, Mingyi showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, she boldly pressed closer, her breath mingling with his: "My lord, are you truly willing to part with him?"

What a bad girl.

Zong Xian could no longer restrain himself. He put one arm around her waist and the other hand on her chin, then lowered his head and kissed her.

Domineering and obsessive, they shared a deep, lingering kiss.

The man closed his eyes, indulging in the sweet sensation between his lips and teeth, feeling completely at peace.

Ji Mingyi, who was being held in his arms, had wide, cold eyes filled with nothing but hatred.

It seemed as if the nameless monk's sigh could be heard in my ears: "He was originally the reincarnation of the Arhat who guarded the dust of Mount Ling. He entered the world only to sever his worldly ties and attain enlightenment. He should have been free from all attachments and desires, without any emotional attachments or worries."

"But the girl was a visitor from another world. She suddenly barged into this place, disrupting his destiny and forcibly bringing forth his mortal feelings of love."

"It's not too late to extricate yourself now. Wuming can help you get out of this completely, but the time isn't right yet. For now, you need to return to his side and wait two more days..."