Yun Rao lifted her tear-streaked eyes, carefully glanced around, then swept her gaze over the scattered cups and plates on the ground. With a firm press of her red lips, she seized the moment when everyone was stunned and gaping, ignoring the shattered glass hearts scattered all around, took a step forward, tightly gripping An Ziyuan’s clothing as if holding on for dear life. Her eyes, glistening with emotion, glared at him with resentment, deep with unspoken plea. With her life hanging by a thread, why should she still care about this face—this face that wasn’t even hers? Yet An Ziyuan’s expression remained utterly still. He didn’t even glance at her. As his hand settled over the one she was clutching, he prepared to give her a firm拍. Yun Rao, feeling a surge of urgency, quickly released her hand covering her stomach when his palm touched her back, no longer mindful of the propriety between men and women. She pressed her hands firmly onto his, her nails nearly digging into his flesh, refusing to let him push her aside. Now she has become a plump, juicy target in everyone's mouths—should she be thrown out, she would either be torn to pieces or captured alive. If captured, the consequence would merely be an extra two days of life, either way, something she deeply wished to avoid. She had to live. She must live. Her frail body, worn down through ten years of struggle, was not meant to meet its end with a sense of unfulfilled purpose today. With this thought in mind, she clutched at An Ziyuan’s garments even tighter, her handback already showing faint veins. An Ziyuan finally turned to look at her, and she gazed back at him, her tear-streaked eyes dimly carrying a plea. His dark gaze seemed to waver slightly, and the hand pressed firmly against hers stirred gently—she thought he would withdraw it, so she applied a little more pressure. "Save me... please..." she looked at him, her lips trembling, speaking in a voice barely audible to the two of them, her eyes filled with urgent longing. Her black eyes, once tinged with a faint haze as if gazing through her to another soul, now sharpened with clarity. She slightly furrowed her brow, puzzled, but before she could voice her thoughts, he suddenly snapped out of the haze, unexpectedly grasping her hand and drawing her close, then turning to bid farewell to the Jade Elder. As she silently pondered, An Zi yuan gently tightened his grip, lifting her off the ground and carrying her through the crowd like a breeze, until she lightly leapt onto the eaves and darted toward the main gate. "Ran?" A voice of mild surprise rose from below as she approached. Yun Rao hadn't yet realized that she was acting as Su Ran at this moment, so when she heard the call, she didn't react immediately—only instinctively glanced down toward the source of the voice. Su Yan! Her heart skipped a beat; in the blink of an eye, she stumbled, and her body, once flowing with the wind, began to lose control and drifted downward. Though An Zi yuan had personally escorted her out, he either wished to avoid gossip or simply had a clean-minded preference—never letting go of her hand as they moved away from the hall of public affairs. Thus, when she stumbled, there was nothing to steady her, and she fell swiftly. Unlucky in this season of life—she'd only just managed to escape with her life, and surely needed to offer prayers to the bodhisattvas! A sudden pang of pain from last night, when she had rolled off the roof, flashed through her mind—even in the midst of her uncontrolled descent, Yun Rao had managed to think of such a moment. Suddenly, a tightness settled around her waist as An Ziyuan promptly wrapped his arms around her, and with a series of swift movements, he carried her safely over the tall eaves of Yu Family Manor, landing gently on the main street outside the manor’s grand gate. As soon as her feet touched the ground, An Ziyuan withdrew his hands from her waist. Yun Rao staggered slightly before steadying herself. He wouldn’t mind her holding on just a little longer. After mentally muttering her thoughts with mild indifference, she smiled warmly and turned to thank him. "No need for thanks. I simply can’t bear to watch my own family perish right here." An Ziyuan replied calmly, glancing deliberately at her smooth, flat abdomen before turning and walking away. Yun Rao was suddenly choked, barely catching her breath, and almost didn't know what to do—only when she saw that An Gongzi had already departed did she hurry to catch up. She glanced carefully at his composed, serene face, as still and deep as an ancient well, and could hardly believe, given what she had just heard, that such a celestial, detached young lord would utter such words. "Um, Master An, I was rather flustered just now and may have said or done something impolite. I hope you won't mind—would you kindly accept my apologies at your convenience?" Since she couldn't quite see the point, she simply smiled and went on. "Chǎn chǎn!" A voice came from behind. Su Yan had finally caught up with her from Yu Family Manor, and with him came a crowd of guests who had been eager to watch the drama unfold. Just moments ago, everyone had been calling her out for pretending to be Su's daughter; now, with the eldest son of Ba Fang Pavilion simply saying "Chǎn chǎn," she found herself truly caught between truth and fiction. Seeing Su Yan approaching, Yun Rao quickly followed after An Ziyuan, her hand instinctively settling Though she bore Su Ran's appearance, she was truly not a genuine daughter of the Su family. She could fool the elderly Mr. Yu, who was a stranger to her, but to impress her elder brother, she would surely court disaster—especially considering that there were several people already on her trail. An Zi yuan had no intention of rescuing her. He merely glanced toward Su Yan. "Your brother has arrived. With him here, what could you possibly fear?" Cloud Rao was uncertain whether he genuinely saw through her as a fake or was merely pretending not to. She could only offer a forced smile. "Mr. An, I'll see this matter through to the end. I'll surely repay you generously!" An Zi yuan glanced at her, perhaps growing weary of her persistence, and barely nodded—indeed, he simply pushed her by the sleeves and moved on. As she grew anxious, she exclaimed, "The Qilin Ring." Cloud Rao's graceful posture paused momentarily, and An Zi yuan finally turned back to face her. The gaze in his eyes remained still and cold, yet he could see the faint unease stirring within her. But as he watched Su Yan close in, he no longer hesitated, stepping forward with a determined resolve and saying, "Mr. An, haven't you always been searching for the whereabouts of the Qilin Ring?" "Where's the Qilin's jade belt?" he asked, his voice still soft and calm, unvarying, as serene as the breeze. Yet the jade flute pressed against her neck by the man known as Wuxiang carried a sharp edge of intensity. Yun Rao stood still, not daring to move, gazing at An Ziyuan, and managed a dry, stiff smile. "Master An, please don't break the harmony—this is rather... well, you know..." She glanced down at the flute pressed against her neck. "Could you perhaps lift it a bit? I've been so startled by you that I've completely forgotten everything." An Ziyuan looked at her, his expression unchanged, and Wuxiang remained still, merely watching her coldly. Yun Rao held back the dampness of her back garments, her lips pressed tightly, unable to speak, yet refused to yield. Eventually, An Ziyuan yielded, and Wuxiang withdrew the flute. As the pressure on her neck eased, Yun Rao's body grew weak, her back slick with cold sweat, and her disordered qi began to surge again. She had to lean against the plum tree beside her to catch her breath, and slowly, a trickle of blood began An Zi yuan merely watched silently until she had steadied her breath, then slowly spoke, "Madam, if you return the Qilin ring to me, I will heal your injuries. How does that sound?" Yun Rao slowly rose, supporting herself against the trunk, not caring about her current disheveled appearance. She wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, a faint smile playing on her pale face. "Thank you, Mr. An." Then, as though she had forgotten the incident, she glanced at An Zi yuan and Wu Chang, and cheerfully asked, "Do you happen to need a maid to handle the daily chores?" Wu Chang stared at her with a strange expression, firmly replied, "My lord needs a maid to warm the bed." While saying this, he critically examined her delicate figure from head to toe. Yun Rao blushed and glared at him. An Zi yuan glanced at Wu Chang as well, her voice subtly carrying a warning. "Wu Chang!" Wu Chang promptly silenced himself. "Madam, I need the Qilin ring, and you need to survive. If you return it to me, I will ensure your recovery—this is An Zi yuan looked at her, speaking calmly. Yun Rao smiled, her expression somewhat wan—perhaps from paleness or otherwise—her smile faint and subdued. "But if I return the jade belt to the lord now, I shall never recover. How about we make a deal? The lord protects me for now, and later I will return it to you in perfect condition, shall we?" An Zi yuan withdrew his gaze from her, and with a quiet, composed call, said, "Wu Chang!" An Zi yuan's gaze lingered on her pale, almost translucent face, and then settled on Wuxiang, "Wuxiang, take her!" Yun Rao exhaled deeply, her body leaning against the trunk growing once more weak, finally relieved—having wagered the Qilin ring, she had won this time.