lava

Chapter 49

Upon seeing this, Lian Qiao and her other apprentices knelt on the ground and burst into tears. Lian Qiao checked his pulse and, while crying, tried to close his eyes, but they wouldn't close. Han Xiao shed tears and said to Chi Yanxing, "Doctor Chi, Han Xiao swears that I will never let down the medical skills I have learned. I will definitely treat patients well and save lives, and I will definitely become a good doctor."

Chi Yanxing's eyes finally closed. Han Xiao burst into tears, unable to bear watching any longer, and stumbled away.

That day, the air was filled with a heavy, sorrowful atmosphere. The rain, unusually persistent, kept falling, pounding on the ground and striking Han Xiao's heart. Han Xiao returned and sat by Nie Chengyan's door to keep him company. He was drinking inside, while she watched the rain outside. They were separated only by a door, but those repeated calls of "Yun'er" made Han Xiao feel so far away from him.

The next day, the rain finally stopped. Han Xiao, who had been keeping watch all day, felt dizzy and couldn't hear anything coming from inside the house. She looked out the window and saw Nie Chengyan lying on the ground, with two large wine jars overturned beside him. Han Xiao panicked and shouted, "Master..."

Nie Chengyan was still conscious. He cursed loudly in a hoarse voice, "Get out! Don't worry about me, get out of here..."

Han Xiao found Huo Qiyang and had him shake the door open. She rushed in to help Nie Chengyan up from the floor, but Nie Chengyan was so drunk he was practically weightless, and Han Xiao couldn't lift him, causing him to fall to the ground. Nie Chengyan rolled on the floor and pushed her away forcefully, yelling, "Get out of my way..."

Huo Qiyang and He Ziming quickly came over and together lifted Nie Chengyan up and put him on the bed.

Han Xiao ran to wring out a towel and came over to wipe his face. Nie Chengyan seemed to feel a little better, calling out, "Yun'er..." Han Xiao suppressed her anger and continued to wipe his face, but Nie Chengyan was quiet for only a moment before twisting away from her hand and forcefully slapping her away, saying, "Leave me alone..."

The cloth fell to the ground. Han Xiao's arm ached from the slap he had delivered. Gritting her teeth, she picked up the cloth, washed it, and tried to wipe him again. This time, before she could even touch him, he yelled, "Get out of my way! I told you to get out of my way, don't you understand?"

"This servant understands." Han Xiao was very unhappy. She had been suffering from his temper since early yesterday morning and had been holding on until now. She hadn't had an easy time either.

"If you understand, then get out of here!" Nie Chengyan roared. Huo Qiyang kept giving Han Xiao meaningful glances, but Han Xiao's stubborn temper flared up: "Master has been drinking, and it rained all day yesterday. It would be better to wipe down and massage your muscles and joints."

"Master? You know you call me master, but you never listen to me. You always disobey me. Do you think I don't know? I know everything. You won't do anything I ask. Who do you think you are? You're just being willful. I told you to get out, so get out, do you hear me?" Nie Chengyan glared at her and shouted, as agitated as a wounded wild beast.

Han Xiao stood straight, still holding the cloth in her hand. She stared at him and asked coldly, "What does Master want Han Xiao to do? Say it again."

"roll!"

Han Xiao gritted her teeth, and her pent-up emotions finally erupted: "Nie Chengyan, not every time you tell me to get out, I will stay in the same place."

She forcefully threw the cloth on the ground, turned around, and ran out. Nie Chengyan turned over, closed his eyes, and fell fast asleep. Huo Qiyang and He Ziming exchanged glances and then both left.

Han Xiao quickly packed her luggage and came out, instructing her guards to prepare a carriage for her. The guards were taken aback and rushed to find Huo Qiyang. Huo Qiyang was startled and, along with He Ziming, quickly came over to persuade her. Han Xiao's attitude was firm; she absolutely could not stay here any longer. She wanted to return to Baiqiao City. As she spoke, she finally couldn't help but burst into tears.

Huo Qiyang and the others had no choice but to let He Ziming accompany her back first. Anyway, things were almost settled, and it was time to go back. Han Xiao would go ahead and return to Baiqiao City to wait. This was something they could explain to their master.

So Han Xiao got into the carriage and set off, while Nie Chengyan fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of what had happened. The next day, he opened his eyes, feeling a splitting headache. The events before he got drunk flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. He closed his eyes, suppressing his sorrow, and called out, "Xiao Xiao..."

No one answered him, so Nie Chengyan called again, "Xiaoxiao, my head hurts, and my feet hurt too..."

Say goodbye to the past

Huo Qiyang appeared at the door and replied, "Master, you're awake."

Nie Chengyan rubbed his forehead with one hand and answered in a muffled voice, "Mm."

Huo Qiyang summoned a servant to help him rise, but Nie Chengyan said, "Where's Xiaoxiao? Call her here." He seemed to be having a very long dream, a chaotic mess filled with people, blood, screams, and tears. The rain was loud, he was cold, his feet ached, he was in pain, he was irritable, he just wanted to be alone for a while, but too many people kept bothering him, yelling at him, drawing their swords, blood flowing everywhere. Yun'er cried incessantly, the old man jumped out and made a scene, even the most sensible Xiaoxiao joined in the fun, yelling at him. He told them to get lost, told Xiaoxiao to get lost too…

Nie Chengyan suddenly realized that Huo Qiyang hadn't gone to call anyone. He remembered that Huo Qiyang seemed to have thrown a huge tantrum. He propped himself up and asked, "Where's Xiaoxiao? Is she angry with me again?"

The servant, sensing the danger in his tone, stood to the side, too afraid to approach. He had heard his master's terrifying outburst from outside. Nie Chengyan's head throbbed with pain, and the servant's cowering appearance only fueled his anger. He turned and glared at him, causing the servant's legs to tremble. Nie Chengyan grew even angrier, raising his voice, "Where's Xiaoxiao?" He hadn't settled the score with her for sneaking out. The past two days had been dangerous; how could she have gone out in the middle of the night? What would he do if something had happened to her?

Huo Qiyang composed himself and replied, "Miss Han has returned to Baiqiao City."

"What?" Nie Chengyan's shout made the servant kneel on the ground. Huo Qiyang was already prepared and calmly replied, "Yesterday, the master kept scolding and telling Miss Han to get out, so Miss Han obediently left."

Nie Chengyan froze as if he had been struck by a pressure point. He kept cursing and telling Xiaoxiao to get lost? He frowned and thought that he seemed to have cursed her, but cursing was a common occurrence for him. If he could curse her so badly that she ran home on her own, just how bad was his attitude yesterday?

He shifted, the pain in his foot making him gasp. He'd just regained consciousness and wanted to whine to Xiaoxiao; he felt he had so much to say to her. But it turned out she'd been chased away by his outburst. He was both anxious and angry, angry at himself and angry at her. His terrible temper wasn't new; wasn't she supposed to be the most formidable Xiaoxiao? Why did she take his temper tantrums so seriously? When he got angry, he'd yell "Get out!" Wasn't that how she acted the first day she met him?

When did she leave?

"yesterday."

"Ziming went with her? Who else did he bring?"

"Hei Zi drove the carriage for Miss Han, and Zi Ming rode the horse."

Nie Chengyan grew increasingly uneasy and reached for his wheelchair by the bedside: "Xiaoxiao cried? Is she angry with me?" The servant hurriedly pushed the wheelchair over to him, and Huo Qiyang replied: "Of course."

Nie Chengyan struggled to sit down on the chair. He glanced at Huo Qiyang upon hearing this. Huo Qiyang's speech today was very much in line with Xiaoxiao's usual style. He frowned and said, "Push me to Xiaoxiao's room to take a look."

The servant quickly pushed him out, but Huo Qiyang said, "The person is indeed gone, the house is empty, there's nothing to see." His strange tone finally made Nie Chengyan grip the wheel and turn it hard, facing him directly, and coldly said, "Tell me, what exactly happened to me yesterday?"

"The master was drunk and kept calling for Yun'er. It was really unseemly for him to be lying on the ground. When Miss Han came to persuade him, the master told Miss Han to get lost. Of course, there were no nice words in his words."

Nie Chengyan strained his mind, which felt like it was about to crack, but he couldn't remember anything. However, he felt inexplicably panicked and involuntarily argued, "Of course, swear words are never pleasant to hear, and I was drunk, so they don't count."

Huo Qiyang replied expressionlessly, "What Master says is true." His tone was exactly like Han Xiao's.

Nie Chengyan narrowed his eyes and stared at him. He naturally understood that Huo Qiyang was acting strangely today. It must be because he had gone too far yesterday. The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became: "Is Xiaoxiao sad?"

"When Miss Han talked back yesterday, she was quite firm and strong."

Nie Chengyan remained silent for a long time, confirming that he really couldn't figure it out, before asking, "What did she say?"

“She said that she wouldn’t stay in the same place every time her master told her to get out.”

Nie Chengyan cursed himself inwardly, then hurriedly pushed a chair to the room where Han Xiao was staying. Sure enough, it was empty. Nie Chengyan sat facing the room, feeling empty and cold inside. After sitting quietly for a long time, he suddenly turned around and shouted, "Pack your things, we need to get back to Baiqiao City immediately."

"The luggage is all packed. The master said to leave, so we can set off as soon as we're ready." Huo Qiyang knew him too well. As soon as he saw Han Xiao leave yesterday, he knew that Nie Chengyan would definitely not stay still after waking up today, so he simply arranged to pack his things yesterday.

Nie Chengyan turned and shouted at the servant, "What are you standing there for? Go back inside, wash up and change your clothes." The servant obediently agreed and quickly got to work. While washing up and changing, Nie Chengyan kept asking, "How long has Xiaoxiao been gone?" "Did she take enough luggage?" "Did she have enough money on her? Don't let her get hungry or tired on the way." "Send someone to chase after them and see where they are. Tell Hei Zi to drive the carriage slower."

He kept asking questions, and Huo Qiyang answered them all. He also told Nie Chengyan about the Xie family and Chi Yanxing's fate. Having followed Nie Chengyan for many years, he knew how to handle things and clean up the mess, and everything that needed to be arranged had been properly taken care of. He also told Nie Chengyan that Long San had sent someone to say that he was taking Feng Ning ahead of him. Hearing Feng Ning's name, Nie Chengyan became somewhat cautious: "Where are they going?"

"Third Master said he had his own business to attend to, but he didn't say where he was going."

Nie Chengyan thought for a moment. Long San rarely left so suddenly; he must have something urgent to attend to. In that case, Feng Ning wouldn't have a chance to cause trouble. He waved his hand and instructed them to arrange their departure quickly.

A group of people quickly made arrangements, and with two carriages and more than ten riders, they set off at a shout. As the carriages approached the city gate, Nie Chengyan suddenly remembered something, leaned out and said to Huo Qiyang, "Turn around, I need to go see Yun'er."

Huo Qiyang followed orders, sending the others ahead while only arranging three or four attendants. He turned the car around and headed towards the Xie residence. Two streets away from the Xie residence, he stopped and turned back, driving straight to a secluded spot in the suburbs. There stood a grave there, with Xie Jingyun's name prominently displayed on it.

Huo Qiyang knew the way well and had obviously been here before. He opened the carriage door, set up a plank, built a ramp, and pushed Nie Chengyan, chair and all, down. Nie Chengyan waved for him to wait where he was, and then pushed the wheelchair to the grave.

The grave was simply built, but kept clean. Some small flowers were planted on the sand in front of the grave. Their delicate petals swayed gently in the wind, somewhat resembling the posture of the grave's owner.

Nie Chengyan approached, but seemed unsure what to say. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "I said I would come to see you again openly and honestly next time." Since finding this tomb, he had only come once at night, always avoiding detection for fear of alerting the culprit. Last time he came in the middle of the night, he said he would find out the truth for her, but he never expected the truth to be completely different from what he had anticipated.

Looking at the tombstone, Nie Chengyan was filled with emotion: "I got drunk yesterday and had a very long dream. The dream was chaotic, but you were in one part, and I remember some of it. I remember running and running as fast as I could, but I couldn't run anymore. I was covered in blood, lying on the ground, my feet hurting. When I looked down, I couldn't see my feet anymore. You looked at me with tears in your eyes, said sorry, told me you loved me, and asked me to go with you."

Nie Chengyan closed his eyes briefly: "I'm sorry, Yun'er, I don't want to go with you. I met a girl, and I told you last time that without her, I wouldn't be who I am today. I said last time that once I found out the truth, I would bring her to see you, and I thought that if you were alive, you would be happy for me. But I didn't expect things to turn out this way, so you definitely don't want to see her. But you won't see her anyway; she's angry with me and went home first."

"I dreamt of you crying last night. No matter how I comforted you, you kept crying. Was it because I still lost my leg in the end? Or because I couldn't go to the underworld with you as you wished? Yun'er, do you know that when I found out it was you who poisoned me, my mind went completely blank? I didn't know whether to blame you or pity you. If it were the old me, I would have blamed you, but now I don't even know how to react. Actually, living takes more courage than dying. After going through that ordeal, I really understood. When I just came back from the brink of death, I was like you, thinking that death would be better. But now I'm glad I'm alive. Since I'm alive, what's the use of hating you or blaming you? Maybe if you hadn't taken this step, our situation would be worse than it is now. So, Yun'er, I don't blame you, but I won't go with you. I've done what I could for you. I'm here to say goodbye."

Nie Chengyan took out a small bag from his pocket. Inside the bag were the earrings he had given to Xie Jingyun. He placed the bag on the tombstone. "I've come to say goodbye. I almost forgot I was coming because I was in a hurry to catch up with Xiaoxiao. I lost my temper again yesterday and said some hurtful things. Xiaoxiao got angry and I heard she said some harsh words to me. Yun'er, she's completely different from you. I've always had a bad temper, and you used to always go along with me and never dared to say a word. Xiaoxiao is different. Sometimes she's even more temperamental than me, but she doesn't show it and prefers to keep it to herself. But I know she's a very opinionated girl. No matter who she's dealing with, she won't listen to anyone who doesn't follow her own rules. If I tell her to go west, she'll agree and keep walking east. Not only will she walk on her own, but she'll also push me east. When I get angry and scold her for being disobedient, she'll point to the scenery to the east and say, 'Look, Master, how beautiful this place is!'"

"By the way, she likes to call me 'Master.' She says she's never used to calling me 'Ayan.' Actually, I'm conflicted sometimes. I wish she would call me 'Ayan' to be closer to me, but I also like hearing her call me 'Master.' You don't know, the way she calls 'Master' is different from others. Others call 'Master' either respectfully or humbly, but when she calls 'Master,' she makes you feel like she's even more proud than you. I've neglected her a bit lately. I'm worried about you. I hate it. I thought your family poisoned you. This reminds me of the so-called family ties that have tormented me for so many years. I thought you were like me, with a grandfather like that. So I panicked and panicked. I even thought about killing them for you."

“Yun’er, I drank a lot yesterday. I used to drink often when I first met you. You weren’t feeling well and couldn’t drink with me, so you sang me little songs. When I was drinking yesterday, I couldn’t even remember what song you sang, but I still remember the expression on your face when you sang. This is the last time I’ll drink. I have an illness and shouldn’t drink. Xiaoxiao is very strict with me, so when I got drunk, I thought this was the last time, one last indulgence, a final farewell to the past. But I didn’t expect that this time I would anger Xiaoxiao.”

“Yun’er, when I fell in love with her, I thought of you. I struggled for a long time, wondering what was wrong with me, what was it about her that I loved? At first, I wasn’t even sure what to call that feeling. She’s not particularly beautiful, and she’s stubborn and strong-willed. I should like someone like you, but why do I still miss her even when she’s by my side? Then I realized, she showed me scenery I’d never seen before when I was least likely to see it. When I’m with you, I’m the one holding your hand and walking slowly, but when I’m with her, she’s the one pushing me forward. She can turn the mundane into the magical; she can make a wheelchair-bound person like me feel more heroic than when I had all four limbs.”

“Yun’er, you appeared in my life at its most glorious moment. I thought I couldn’t be happier than then. The old man was so angry with me that he couldn’t speak, and I suppressed him at every turn. You, on the other hand, were a sweet and obedient little bird. I had power, wealth, and good looks. With a beautiful woman in my arms, I was full of vigor and ambition. Life couldn’t be more like this, right? But do you know, I’m ashamed of my past self now. Others measure the value of Baiqiao City with money and power, but Xiaoxiao measures it with medicine and patients. She always says I’m amazing, but after I learned to measure things the way she does, I’ve truly realized that I am indeed amazing.”

"But I actually yelled at her and she left yesterday. I don't know what I yelled at her for. Could it be that when she was watching me coax you, I said some harsh words in my haste to send her away? Or when the old man jumped out and made Xiaoxiao swear she wouldn't be with me, I scolded her? Or maybe I lost my temper when you told her to give me to you and she agreed? Yun'er, if you think about it this way, I must have yelled at her several times, right? With such a bad temper, if you met me now, would you still fall in love with me?"

"Yun'er, I dreamt of you yesterday. I said so much to you, but you wouldn't listen. You just cried and begged me to go with you. But Yun'er, we can never go back. It's not because of hatred, not because you poisoned me, but because neither of us is who we used to be. I've done everything I could for you, and I've made peace with my past self. I will never forget the happiness you brought me, but that's all it can be. After today's farewell, I think we'll never have the chance to meet again. I hope that in the afterlife, you can take good care of yourself and be brave, just like Xiaoxiao."

He stroked the tombstone, closed his eyes, and sincerely bid farewell to Xie Jingyun in his heart, bidding farewell to the past grudges and misfortunes. Then he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. He suddenly felt a sense of relief. The small flowers in front of the tomb nodded to him as the wind blew. He sincerely hoped that Yun'er had also found liberation.

Nie Chengyan spun his chair and left, feeling that he had never been so full of hope for life. The past seemed like yesterday's death; he wanted to reunite with Xiaoxiao as soon as possible, to apologize to her, and he vowed to change his bad temper and habits. He would no longer drink tea or alcohol, and he would obediently listen to Xiaoxiao, exercising and taking care of his health every day.

He wanted to earn more money and set aside some funds to train and mentor more doctors. This would make Xiaoxiao happy and also alleviate some of her burdens. He wanted to marry her; although he hadn't found an old man yet, he was confident he could persuade her to marry him. He wanted to have a bunch of children with her, at least three: one to manage Yunwu Mountain, one to manage Baiqiao City, and one to inherit Xiaoxiao's medical skills. And then there was Lele; the child had grown up, and he needed to help him establish a career and find him a good wife.

Nie Chengyan rode in the carriage towards Han Xiao's direction, his heart filled with anticipation and longing for the future. Little did he know that he would never catch up with Han Xiao, and when he returned to Baiqiao City, happiness would not be waiting for him there.

The excruciating pain of longing for something he couldn't have was the beginning of his new life.

Author's Note: I actually planned out the farewell scene between Nie Chengyan and Xie Jingyun a long time ago, but writing it was more difficult than I imagined. I saw the comments criticizing Nie Chengyan in the last chapter, but I haven't had time to reply yet. It's late now, so I'll take a break and reply tomorrow. Nie Chengyan is certainly not a standard good man. In real life, I think his personality would be utterly despised. But in this story, his upbringing and experiences shaped him into the person he is. It's normal for him to fall in love with Xie Jingyun before the incident, and it's also reasonable for him to fall in love with Han Xiao afterward. If the timelines of these two women were reversed, neither of them would have any romantic relationship with him. I also didn't want Nie to suddenly become a great philanthropist after meeting Han Xiao. As the saying goes, "old habits die hard," but with the influence of love, anyone can change. Just like Han Xiao, her personality and way of dealing with people have changed from the beginning until now. She's not as simple, cheerful, and open-minded as she was at the start. Love that comes too easily is hard to cherish, so it seems that making mistakes, suffering, and going through trials makes it stronger. The story that follows is the third stage for these two, and I'll try my best to write it well. Thank you all for your support. *kiss*

Parting ways here

Nie Chengyan returned to Baiqiao City half a month later than Han Xiao. Logically, he should have been able to catch up with her halfway, but whether it was due to bad luck or because he suddenly had fragmented memories of the day he got drunk, he became nervous and anxious, and rushed on his way. As a result, he fell seriously ill on the road. This illness left him half dead, haggard, and delayed him for more than half a month. By the time he recovered some strength and set off again, he knew that he would not be able to see Han Xiao on the road.

Nie Chengyan comforted herself, since she was waiting for him at home anyway. Although she was angry with him, once she returned to Baiqiao City, with so many friends there and her beloved medical books, she might even be able to see some patients. Once she got busy, her anger would naturally subside.

Every day as he traveled, he pondered how he could make amends. First, he needed to admit his mistakes: he shouldn't have drunk alcohol, he shouldn't have lost his temper with her, and he shouldn't have... well, he shouldn't have forced himself on her. He was just afraid, afraid that she wouldn't be by his side anymore. He also needed to promise that he would never do it again. He needed to tell her that he was no longer the Nie Chengyan burdened with shackles; now he had no hatred, no resentment, just a crippled man who wanted to live a good life with her.

Nie Chengyan had been thinking and dreaming all the way back to Baiqiao City. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop in front of the Nie residence, he eagerly pushed open the door. Steward Chen, along with He Ziming and several servants, were waiting at the gate. Nie Chengyan didn't see Han Xiao, and his heart tightened, but he forced himself to wait until the servant had set up the ramp and Huo Qiyang had helped him out of the carriage before he finally asked, "Where's Xiao Xiao? Why didn't she come to pick me up?"

Steward Chen hesitated, opening his mouth as if thinking about how to answer. Seeing this, Nie Chengyan forced a smile and spoke up, "Is she hiding in the room?" He stared at Steward Chen, then looked at He Ziming and Ye Zhu, and had a bad feeling. So he continued, "Or did she go to the clinic to help see patients? Send someone to call her back and tell her that I have returned."

"master……"

Nie Chengyan interrupted Steward Chen and said loudly, "Go and call her back. Tell her to come back immediately." Steward Chen didn't move. Nie Chengyan narrowed his eyes, turned his head, and quickly turned the chair wheels and went into the house towards the room. Huo Qiyang and He Ziming exchanged a glance, knowing that the situation was going to be bad, and hurriedly followed.

Steward Chen followed behind Nie Chengyan, calling out anxiously, "Master..." Nie Chengyan ignored him, paying no attention to anyone. He reached the door but stopped abruptly. His door was closed, and he stared at it as if a ferocious beast lurked behind it. Seeing his expression, Steward Chen finally steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and said cautiously, "Master, Miss Han and Lele have left."

Nie Chengyan seemed not to hear him. His face was pale, and he sat there blankly for a long while before suddenly reaching out and forcefully pushing open the door. The house was exactly the same as when he left. In the outer room, there was a round table, four chairs, and a small cabinet against the wall with a potted plant on it. Han Xiao had personally chosen the flowers for him; she always said that a room should have some life, and looking at flowers and plants would improve his mood. But did she know that without her, how could he possibly be happy?

There was a desk by the window in the outer room. He had specially ordered it to be set up for Han Xiao. She liked to read medical books and would copy them after reading them. He had a study, but he didn't want her to be so far away from him, so he added a desk outside, just like the one in the house on Yunwu Mountain. Now the desk is the same, but the medical books that used to be on it are gone.

Nie Chengyan pushed a chair into the room. The furnishings in the inner room were unchanged, but Han Xiao's little items on the table and cabinet were gone. Nie Chengyan didn't say a word, opened the cabinet, and rummaged through the boxes, looking at each item one by one. No one dared to go in and stood guard outside. Steward Chen opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately kept quiet.

After Nie Chengyan finished his search, he sat in the room like a stone, silent and motionless. Huo Qiyang and the others had been guarding outside for a long time, but finally couldn't help but call out, "Master..." But Nie Chengyan waved his hand, and with a "smack," the door was slammed shut.

Huo Qiyang nearly got hit on the nose, but luckily he retreated quickly. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, sighed at the door, turned around, and asked Steward Chen and He Ziming, "What's going on? Why is Miss Han in such a bad mood this time? Aren't you going to stop her?"

Steward Chen looked troubled: "When Miss Han first came back, she was in a very bad mood and stayed in her room crying every day. I heard from Ziming that she had been scolded by her master and had been wronged, so I didn't ask too many questions. Lele was very worried and stayed by her side every day. I thought that the two siblings would be fine if I comforted them, so I didn't keep a close eye on them. But one day when I sent someone to deliver food, I found that both of them were gone."

"Did you leave a note?"

"Miss Han didn't leave, but Lele did." Steward Chen took out a thin piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. Huo Qiyang opened it and saw that the letter was practically worthless, written very simply: "You know why we left, there's no need for us to meet again. Humph!"

Huo Qiyang was a little dumbfounded. He looked at He Ziming and then at Ye Zhu. The two of them shrugged in unison. He Ziming said, "Facts show that the siblings are of one mind."

Steward Chen said from the side, "Guard Huo, why don't you give this letter to the master?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Qiyang quickly stuffed the letter back into Steward Chen's arms: "It would be better if Steward Chen reported what happened in this household."

Chief Steward Chen was extremely anxious and turned to He Ziming and Ye Zhu: "Then you two guards need to explain yourselves for losing our master." How could they explain? The two looked troubled. Could it be that by the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late, and by the time they rushed to chase after him, he had already vanished? Moreover, Han Le was personally trained by their master and was too familiar with their methods. He had managed to shake them off in several subsequent searches, so they still hadn't been able to find him.

Huo Qiyang understood, and finally gritted his teeth and advised, "Alright, everyone has to take responsibility for this. No one can escape responsibility." Everyone knew he was right, and now they could only wait for their master to reprimand them.

To everyone's surprise, Nie Chengyan didn't lose his temper at all. He locked himself up all night and called for people in a hoarse voice early the next morning. Huo Qiyang pushed the door open and saw that he was still in the same position as yesterday, sitting there blankly all night.

Nie Chengyan turned around and ordered the meal to be served. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was haggard. Huo Qiyang had never seen him like this in all these years. He quickly ordered breakfast to be served and then called over all the other relevant people.