There are too many female protagonists with deceased husbands in the Qin Dynasty's Past Books.

The farther away the better, so I can avoid seeing it and being bothered by it.

However, Hu Meier was still reasonable after all; at least she didn't just give them a severance package and send those dutiful guards away from the manor.

And then they hypocritically claim it's for their future.

They spout hypocritical platitudes like, "With their exceptional talents, they shouldn't be confined to Huoyu Mountain Villa; they should be serving the country and seeking a broader platform."

As she muttered to herself, Chunlan couldn't help but have some unusual thoughts arise in her mind.

If we're talking about eyewitnesses, she knows more details than the guards. She even remembers clearly what nonsense Hu Meier said last night.

Will I also be subject to optimization?

I heard that the job at the young lady's place is much easier than here.

But even if a transfer is necessary, it would most likely require the master's approval, right?

Amidst her unhurried, wandering thoughts, Chunlan received Hu Meier's earnest instruction: "Chunlan, remember, if you ever see me indulging in alcohol again, you must stop me."

"You absolutely mustn't get as drunk as you did last night!"

"Chunlan remembers, and will remind you, Miss."

Chunlan nodded in agreement, but a hint of mockery crept into her mind: "Too much drinking? But Miss, you only had one cup last night."

Where did they embezzle?

She never expected that her second young lady's alcohol tolerance would be so...astonishing.

Seeing that Hu Meier only drank one cup as a novelty, Chunlan didn't pay much attention. As a result, she was caught off guard and Hu Meier, who was drunk, slipped out, which led to what happened later.

However, it's not appropriate to continue discussing matters related to alcohol tolerance.

Chunlan thought that the matter would just be over and done with, and that the two of them would tacitly keep quiet about it and pretend that it had never happened.

Unexpectedly, Hu Meier spoke up again, saying:

"The guard dogs we acquired before were quite good. Tell the butler to get some more. Hmm, let's start by getting one for each of the guards in the backyard."

"what?"

Chunlan was somewhat confused, but she didn't know that in Hu Meier's mind, the process of clearing out the eyewitnesses at the scene was far from over.

Compared to her personal maid, there were thieves who were more worthy of Hu Meier's attention.

They won't let it go until they catch him!

Security has been tightened even further.

Upon stepping into Fire Rain Manor again, Jiang Mo immediately noticed the changes. The guards patrolled their routes as usual, but their eyes would occasionally sweep over corners where people could easily hide.

The routine, relaxed atmosphere of last night was gone.

Instead, they were eager to try, as if they could see merit beckoning to them.

Those bright, piercing eyes showed no trace of the weariness of the late night; they were clearly full of fighting spirit, as if they had all been injected with chicken blood.

This forced Jiang Mo to be even more cautious in his infiltration.

Sure enough, although they tried their best to erase the traces of their intrusion last night, they still alerted the people inside Fire Rain Manor.

He lay motionless on the roof, watching the night patrolmen come and go.

Jiang Mo couldn't help but mutter to himself:

Look at how tirelessly these guards patrol at night; I really don't know what promise they received that makes them so enthusiastic.

Actually, what Hu Meier did was very simple.

Throw money!

Using the guards she had upgraded to the front yard as examples, she showed everyone that as long as they patrolled the night well, they would be richly rewarded.

A simple, brutal, and domineering approach.

But this is more effective than any earnest instruction.

Who doesn't know that Huoyu Manor is rich? Who doesn't know that Hu Meier, the second young lady, is always generous and lavish when it comes to getting things done?

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

With a single command from Hu Meier, Jiang Mo's movements were severely restricted, and he dared not make a move as he watched the guards patrolling back and forth at night.

If it were up to Jiang Mo himself, he should have backed down at this point.

Regardless of the incentive method, its effectiveness is always limited.

As the saying goes, "You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days." Nothing can erode fighting spirit and enthusiasm more than the monotonous routine of day after day.

This time, however, it wasn't Jiang Mo who had his eye on the treasure of Fire Rain Manor.

Even if he can come up with a thousand reasonable arguments, the financial backers behind him don't care what kind of thorny problems he has encountered.

I've already spent the money, so I'm not here to listen to your complaints.

The only thing that matters to a king is results.

There was a daily pace required, and no one was allowed a moment's rest. Even if you knew it was impossible, you had to push yourself forward like a duck being forced onto a shelf.

"Even a hero can be brought down by a penny..."

Lowering his body and quietly waiting for his chance, Jiang Mo's lips moved silently as memories of "Mo Yuan" floated in his mind, carrying a heavy sense of responsibility on his shoulders.

Upon opening my eyes, I saw countless birds above and below, and countless people waiting for food and clothing.

He could not afford to slack off.

The memories and skills from "Mo Yuan" were indeed a gift, allowing Jiang Mo to avoid starting from scratch like last time. However, it was also an invisible shackle, making it difficult for Jiang Mo to do as he pleased.

Like the family members who silently support the protagonist in a role-playing game.

Perhaps some people can ignore them, but Jiang Mo can't. Besides, this isn't a game. Those memories of sharing joys and sorrows are so clear in his mind.

How could he possibly laugh it off?

My life is a constant traveler~

Jiang Mo sighed silently, then seized the blind spot where the two groups of guards were patrolling, and moved swiftly, silently darting onto the other side's roof.

This is the study...

This looks like a warehouse...

Instead of rushing to steal the treasures, Jiang Mo, adhering to the idea that "sharpening the axe before chopping wood" (meaning to prepare for the work beforehand), carefully scouted out each location to understand the overall layout of Huoyu Manor.

To avoid being noticed, he rarely lingered in one place.

They usually leave as soon as possible after making a brief observation.

But as Jiang Mo was making his perfect timing, a sound suddenly drifted into his ears and stopped him in his tracks:

"Miss, it's getting late, you should rest early."

"Okay, Chunlan, you go and prepare first. After I've checked the accounts, I'll go take a bath in Yangchun Pond and check if my sister is there."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, youthful and lively yet possessing a captivating charm.

However, compared to his dazed state last night, the other person's voice now revealed a shrewd and capable quality, which surprised Jiang Mo slightly.

Checking the accounts?

How could Lord Huoyu possibly feel at ease!

Although he couldn't hear the conversation inside the room clearly, Jiang Mo still caught keywords like "account reconciliation," which greatly surprised him.

After last night's events, Hu Meier's image in Jiang Mo's mind has changed drastically.

Descriptions like "naturally charming" or "considerate and gentle" all fall behind. The only word that comes to Jiang Mo's mind when she thinks of the other woman is:

Silly beauty.

Should Hu Meier be put in charge of the accounts?

Jiang Mo tried hard to imagine it, and the most likely thing he could come up with was Hu Meier scribbling on the ledger out of boredom...

Oh, no, there were no paper ledgers in this era; the most commonly used ledgers were wooden slips.

That means dismantling the wooden slips and using them to play games like pitch-pot.

No wonder Fire Rain Manor has fallen into decline.

That's not surprising.

After silently grumbling to himself, Jiang Mo knew that things were probably not as he thought. So, instead of just glancing at it and preparing to stay far away, he decided to investigate.

As Chunlan came out of the house, she gracefully stood up.

Like leaves rising with the wind, like feathers falling from the sky, they landed on the roof of Hu Meier's boudoir.

Using his internal energy to dissipate the impact, Jiang Mo's feet only stirred up a few specks of dust as he stepped on the roof tiles, without attracting anyone's attention or vigilance.

He held his breath, lowered his body, and listened quietly to the sounds coming from inside the room.

Like the guards outside, Hu Meier inside the room was unaware of Jiang Mo's approach. The only sound in the quiet room was the rustling of bamboo slips.

With a gentle flick of his index finger, Jiang Mo silently moved the tile in front of him aside.

These rather limited gaps do not allow one to see the entire interior, and due to the natural curvature of the roof, it is very inconvenient to get as close as possible.

But none of these seemed to be a problem for Jiang Mo.

Despite constantly refuting Chu Yan's claim of being a "flower thief," Jiang Mo was remarkably skilled at spying.

With a slight squint and a quick glance, he located Hu Meier.

Jiang Mo, who had already deliberately slowed his breathing, subconsciously held it even more at this moment. Peeking down from above the rooftop, he caught a rare glimpse of Hu Meier's snow-white neck peeking out from her hair. His gaze followed her delicate skin down to her slender back, which was also faintly visible.

Jiang Mo almost forgot his original plan and was too busy scouting Hu Meier.

If Hu Meier, who was originally engrossed in her work, hadn't suddenly become furtive, who knows how long Jiang Mo would have lingered there.

Even though she was in her own bedroom, Hu Meier acted like a little thief.

She peered around cautiously, then bent down and reached under the desk. With a slight whirring sound, she retrieved what appeared to be something very valuable.

Their movements were both cautious and eager.