An Zi-yuan arrived promptly. Gazing at An Zi-yuan stepping in with bright grace, Yun Rao couldn't help but roll her eyes. She'd rather have taken a few breaths of blood already—she'd never have endured this daily monotony in her room. As An Zi-yuan entered, his gaze lingered on her slightly pale face before settling into her eyes. "Miss Yun, what exactly is your purpose in seeking the Qilin bracelet? If you wish to use it to keep me restrained, ensuring my protection, then you're safe here at the An family estate—no one can harm you. If, however," he glanced meaningfully at her slightly pale lips, "you intend to use it for healing or treating illness, then it lacks such a function." His words made her slightly startled, then she smiled warmly. "I know." "Lord An, if I'm going to take risks to recover it, there must be a reason," Yun Rao said seriously for the first time, her lips slightly pressed. "I can't stay with you indefinitely. Should you worry that once I leave, the Qilin bracelet will lose its trace, then you may send someone to accompany me." "An Zi yuan's lips curled slightly, yet not with a smile—more like a quiet, faintly dismissive glance." "Cloud lady, what can I possibly rely on to trust you? You've already made it an exception to have me invite you along. And as for the Qilin bracelet, you haven't clearly stated whether it's still in your possession." Cloud Rao's expression remained unchanged, unaffected by his subtle scorn, merely nodding earnestly. "Right now, I truly cannot prove that the Qilin bracelet is still with me. Nor can I produce it to An公子 to demonstrate its presence here. We both know this isn't what a wise person would do. Yet, at this very moment, does An公子 have any other means of trusting me? If you wish to eliminate me, you cannot—since you can't bring yourself to do so. If you wish to extract a confession, you know I won't yield. And no matter how capable you are, you only know it's with me, but not exactly where. So, beyond trusting me, does An公子 have any other course of action?" An Zi yuan looked at her, the coldness slowly gathering in his eyes as she spoke. Yet she met his gaze without fear, watching the deepening ink in his eyes grow richer, then gradually fade. Only when he eyes' ink finally began to dissipate did she speak softly, "Master An, I have merely borrowed this for a while. When the time comes, I will return it to you in perfect condition. If I had any intention of doing anything detrimental to the Great An household or the An Prince's court, would you not be more occupied and less at ease here today?" An Zi yuan had already turned his attention away from her, rising slowly and speaking in a calm tone, "Madam Yun, I won't truly stay in Weizhou for long. You're currently injured, and the wounds are not minor. Rather than having your old injuries flare up again and again, it would be better for you to rest and recover here in peace. No one will be able to harm you. Simply let the maids prepare whatever medicines you need." "Thank you, Mr. An!" Yun Rao bowed her head in response. An Zi yuan said nothing, merely pushed open the door and departed. Soon afterward, he sent someone to bring over a few remedies for internal injuries. Yun Rao found that she could actually use only a small portion of those medicines. Though she was injured, the real ailment affecting her body was not the injuries themselves. Nevertheless, since An Zi yuan had kindly offered her a peaceful place to recover, with comfortable accommodations and attentive care, she naturally did not want to waste the opportunity. Thus, for the next fifteen days, she remained at ease in her room, focusing entirely on her recovery. The injuries she had sustained were already healing to about six or seven out of ten thanks to the assistance of Qu Xiao-man and Bai Li-kong. However, in recent days, she had been frequently catching minor setbacks, which kept her condition from fully recovering. Now that she had a peaceful, secure place to rest, Yun Rao spent her days either eating or sleeping, calmly restoring her strength and healing. With the high-quality medicinal treatments sent by An Zi-yuan, her complexion had improved significantly within just half a month. When the Unchanging, who had been idle, came to visit her, he noticed her more spirited than usual and sighed in relief, his tone laced with a touch of teasing, "Yun lady, you've been looking so much better lately—have you perhaps fallen in love with our An family?" "Indeed, I am fond of you, but alas, I am not blessed enough to enjoy it fully," Yun Rao replied with a smile, rising from the bed and walking toward him. "Unchanging, do you know of any places of interest in Wei Zhou city? I'm growing rather bored of staying indoors all day." "Since that day we spoke at length, An Zi yuan has no longer confined her. But these days she's been busy recovering from her injuries, so she hasn't had much opportunity to go out and explore. Staying in the house for over a month has indeed felt a bit monotonous." "Tonight, there's the Weizhou temple fair, and I and the young lord are going out. The young lord has asked me to inquire whether you'd like to join us." Upon hearing this, Yun Rao's eyes instantly brightened, and she eagerly grasped Wu Chang's hand. "Come on, come on! Of course we must go—I haven't seen a temple fair yet!" As she finished speaking, Wu Chang looked at her with a strangely puzzled expression. "Where did you come from? Have you never even seen a temple fair?" Then, recalling that An Zi yuan had mentioned she came from the Youming Sect a few days ago, she thought it quite understandable that someone from such a remote place might have never experienced city life. With that, she generously patted her on the shoulder. "No matter—tonight, I'll take you around and show you the best of Weizhou city!" “….” Yun Rao stared at the hand on her shoulder. The kindness he had just poured out came a bit too swiftly—just a few days ago, he had personally poisoned her. Wuyang was unaware of the countless thoughts and feelings swirling within her, and with a firm hand, he拍ed it heavily on her shoulder. “Change into fresh clothes. We’ll be leaving together with the young lord shortly.” With that, he turned and departed, leaving Yun Rao standing there, utterly bewildered. After dinner, Yun Rao donned a clean, simple white robe and followed An Ziyuan and Wuyang out of the estate. Since she could remember, she had lived in the Valley of the Eternal Tranquility, spending her days either lying helplessly in bed or clutching her chest, writhing in pain. Occasionally, when her strength allowed, she had struggled to master the light acrobatic techniques meant to preserve her life. Had it not been for the special permission granted by Xiao Run a year and a half ago, allowing her to escape from that confined space, she might still have remained there, day after day, confined within those narrow limits. For over a year now, having never had the chance to truly experience the outside world, she has been constantly on the run—more so, the more crowded the place, the more hesitant she becomes. Thus, she has never had the opportunity to witness a fair like Wei Zhou. Precisely because such an experience is so rare, as soon as they step onto the main street, Yun Rao behaves like a young girl encountering the world for the first time, finding everything new and fascinating. A modestly pleasant face, not particularly striking, beams with genuine delight, and a gentle joy radiates from her eyebrows and corners of her eyes. "Sir, she's been constantly wearing Su's appearance all day," the Immortal says, gesturing helplessly, unable to fully capture the strangeness. Since their first encounter, she has been wearing this face—both he and the lord have known Su Ran for a long time. To see her day after day with a face so different from her true nature is truly odd. He has no idea what kind of face she actually has, and why she must always wear someone else's appearance. An Zi yuan didn’t respond—she merely glanced at Yun Rao’s face, which seemed so familiar, and said nothing. Yun Rao had heard the conversation between the two, and only remembered her own change of appearance when reminded by the unexpected. Back then, she had hastily changed her face to blend in with the Yu family estate, but due to the hurried departure with An Zi yuan, she had soon forgotten that this face, not her own, still remained on her. She had never developed the habit of looking in the mirror—she wasn’t unattractive, but during a long period of time, every time she saw the image of herself in the mirror—sometimes pale and worn, sometimes distorted and fierce—she would be startled, and gradually, she stopped looking. As a result, over the years, she had remained largely unaffected by the medicines that could damage one’s appearance. Though her beauty had gradually blossomed into the celebrated, universally admired form, she had not felt particularly aware of this transformation. She still rarely looked in the mirror, yet she could sense its value through the enchanted glances of others. Now that Su Yan's face is still being used, she must have grown accustomed to wearing the human skin mask every day, so much so that she has overlooked it for too long. Each morning, when she removes the mask, she simply puts it back on the next day without realizing that this face belongs to someone else. Yet, considering that An Ziyuan has never reminded her to change it—perhaps he is holding onto this face to keep his lingering disdain for her in check, so that he doesn't accidentally end up killing her by a simple misstep. With this thought, Yun Rao feels at ease and turns to An Ziyuan with a cheerful smile, asking, "Lord, will Su Miss's face be ruined by me?" Immediately, Wuxiang delivers a sharp rebuke, "Hmph, looks rather ungracious, yet she seems to have a sense of self-awareness." Yun Rao quietly pushes her lips out. Her own face isn't much inferior to Su Yan's. If she hadn't been afraid of drawing unnecessary attention, why would she have settled for wearing the mask all day, breathing through it only to feel it stick to her face just as much as her own skin? After all, it never truly felt like her own. An Zi yuan didn’t respond; he simply shifted his gaze to the bustling crowd. Yun Rao, feeling rather disappointed, patted her nose gently—she had already made it clear that she didn’t hold much favor for him, and thus, there was no point in enduring his tedious chatter. "I’ll go check on the hairpin over there. I’ll come back to find you later." Finding herself bored staying near An Zi yuan, Yun Rao wisely sought out her own entertainment. Though mingling among the crowd carried its risks, she knew that as long as An Zi yuan hadn’t retrieved the Qilin bracelet, he would never let her perish. With that assurance, she freely wandered wherever her interest led her. An Zi yuan didn’t stop her, merely offering a quiet "Take care" as she departed. Upon receiving An Zi yuan’s approval, Yun Rao turned and walked off—just as she did, a light breeze coming from the north carried a faint, peculiar fragrance into her nose. Her expression stiffened, her face momentarily serious, before she turned with a look of pain, pressing her hands to her abdomen and saying to An Zi yuan, "Lord, I feel a bit unwell in my stomach. I'll go back to the manor first. You and Wuxiang can take your time strolling." As she began to move away, Wuxiang caught her arm. "Why so eager to return? We've only just come out." "I'll have to go back next time," Yun Rao said, her face pained, pulling hard at Wuxiang's hand to push him away. Yet Wuxiang was determined to show her the full charm of the Weizhou temple fair, and with a firm grip, he pulled her back, completely ignoring her as a young lady. "Ah, let go of me first..." Yun Rao urged, but it was already too late. A familiar, calm, and steady voice rose softly behind her, "Rao'er?" The man's voice loosened the grip that had been holding her hand. As soon as she regained her freedom, Yun Rao instinctively leaned closer to An Ziyuan's back. Sometimes she truly hated this medicinal scent—though she wore someone else's face, the very presence of this scent allowed the person herself to be recognized by those who knew her. An Ziyuan glanced at Yun Rao beside him, then slowly lifted his gaze. When he saw the tall figure standing before him, a subtle ripple passed through his otherwise calm, dark eyes. He recognized him—the current head of the Youming Sect, Xiao Run. The balanced yet ambivalent aura enveloped him in a deep, shadowed stillness, causing passersby to step back without realizing it. "Rao'er, come here!" With a steady, cold gaze directed at Yun Rao, who had unconsciously taken refuge behind An Ziyuan, Xiao Run spoke slowly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.