Inside the envelope was a thin promissory note, clearly bearing Song Yan's signature and seal. Han Zhi had brazenly sent this directly to Old Master Song. If it weren't for her prior arrangement with him...

  Song Yan's face turned deathly pale. He finally understood what his teacher meant by "wisdom in understanding the world" and "profound knowledge in human retionships." He had indeed been too foolish, falling straight into someone else's trap without even realizing it.

  Qingying gnced at the pale-faced Song Yan, then at Song Chuyi, who was sitting silently with her head down, and asked with a bit of hesitation and worry, "Should we tell Master and Lady about this...?"

  Qingying had been specially assigned by First Lady Cui to assist Song Chuyi, and although her loyalty was unwavering, her first instinct when faced with such a serious matter was to seek help from the Cui family.

  Song Chuyi suddenly felt that it was time for Song Yan to grow up. Though he was barely over ten, sheltered by his grandparents and supported by her, the world was never a safe and steady path. He would have to learn to recognize traps and pitfalls on his own. Rather than shielding him, it was time to teach him how to fend for himself.

  She pced the promissory note in front of Song Yan and asked, "Do you understand where you went wrong this time?"

  Fortunately, although Song Yan cked experience, he was quick-witted and took responsibility. He looked directly at Song Chuyi, his expression open and honest. "I was too trusting and too easily flustered, losing my composure under pressure..." He paused, feeling a pang of guilt. "And I was too arrogant, thinking I could handle this on my own and didn't need to trouble you or the family..."

  Youthful pride often made one think they could be a hero, quick to take the lead and defend others. This was natural.

  Song Chuyi smiled slightly, her worries and frustrations over Song Yan's secrecy vanishing. Holding up the promissory note, she said, "Beyond books and words, the hardest thing to understand in this world is the human heart. Your teacher has taught you all the knowledge in the books, but you're still young, so some things are difficult to grasp right away. Let this experience serve as another lesson."

  Just then, Ziyun knocked and entered, handing Song Chuyi another letter.

  This letter finally contained information: it invited her to meet at an estate in Tongzhou, signed by Han Zhi. However, it didn't specify which estate in Tongzhou... Song Chuyi's hand tightened around the letter, a cold smile appearing on her face. Han Zhi must have known about her connection with Zhang Run for some time, but he had kept silent, waiting for today.

  She turned to Qingying and asked, "Did Ma Changjiang and the others go to keep an eye on the Tongzhou estate as instructed?"

  Qingying nodded quickly, "They went as soon as you ordered it. You told them to keep watch and not act rashly. Last night, Ma San returned to report that a few carriages had left, seeming to be heading out of town."

  Everyone had their weaknesses. Even knowing Zhang Run's disloyalty, Han Zhi still showed moments of hesitation. Starting today, she would peel away his yers, leaving no one he cared for unscathed.

  "So they're pnning to go far? They needn't bother," she thought. If he couldn't bear to kill Zhang Run, she'd make sure she used this to her advantage. Swiftly, Song Chuyi wrote a few lines on a piece of paper, sealed it with wax, and handed it to Qingying. "Deliver this to Luo Gui and tell him to give it to Master Lai."

  Qingying agreed and turned to leave, but hesitated and asked, "He's invited you to meet... Will you go?"

  Only now did Song Yan realize that he'd only met Han Zhi, the mastermind behind the trap, once or twice, yet already saw how sinister and dangerous he was. After a moment of thought, he spoke firmly, "No! I'll go to Grandfather and the elders to confess my mistakes. Let's see how he can continue threatening us then!"

  Old Master Song had decided to let Song Chuyi handle this matter to avoid damaging Song Yan's reputation. If Song Yan went to confess now, all previous efforts would be wasted.

  Song Chuyi shook her head, looking at Song Yan. "Taking responsibility is admirable, but sometimes it depends on who you're facing. If you confess now, wouldn't that be pying into his hands? Besides, even if you admit your mistake, he's shown he has more leverage over you. Check yourself—what did you leave home with today that's now missing?"

  Song Yan's eyes widened in disbelief at such deviousness, as he anxiously searched himself. With a downcast look, he mumbled, "My jade sachet with the carved cloud and twin fish pattern is gone..."

  For children of noble families, even their accessories symbolized their identity. This particur jade sachet had been selected for him by the Old Lady from a trove of gifts bestowed by the founding Empress herself, with Song Yan's name carved on it.

  If Han Zhi were to take this token and casually give it to some lowly courtesan, Song Yan's reputation would be irreparably tarnished. With gambling and now association with courtesans, any positive reputation he had would be ruined.

  Song Chuyi pulled him close, adjusting his colr and carefully removing the empty bat-patterned pendant from his waist. "You see, these people have countless ways to harm you. If you really want to protect me, to protect yourself, and even bring honor to the Song family, you'll need to be more vigint."

  Then she instructed Qingying, "Deliver the letter to Luo Gui immediately, and come back. We'll leave for Tongzhou tomorrow."

  This unseen and seemingly unconnected Marquis of Jinxiang's son had meticulously orchestrated this trap to ruin her. His ultimate goal must have been to force her out. Song Yan clenched his fists—if his reputation were truly destroyed, if he were expelled by his teacher and forsaken by his family, who would be most devastated?

  At st, he understood why Song Chuyi was constantly on guard, why she bristled like a hedgehog ready to defend herself. Without this vigince, how could she have defeated Lady Li and Song Chuning, and sent him to study under their teacher in Shuzhong?

  Grasping Song Chuyi's hand tightly, he vowed with steely resolve, "Sister, I'll grow up quickly."