The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

Zhou Ming'an quickly moved a small stool over to Duan Tianyin and told her, in fits and starts, the general outline of what had happened in the past few days.

Duan Tianyin listened without replying for a moment.

Zhou Ming'an wrung out the handkerchief in his hand and bit his lower lip lightly: "Master, do you think I've misjudged him?"

"I feel like I can't trust anyone around me anymore. I don't know when they'll turn into people I don't recognize."

"I feel... lost, like I can't trust anyone anymore."

Duan Tianyin looked at her: "So, what do you plan to do?"

Zhou Ming'an was stunned: "What... what do we do?"

Duan Tianyin: "Just because you feel the people around you are untrustworthy, you stop trusting anyone? What about me? Do you think I'm trustworthy?"

Zhou Ming'an quickly replied, "Of course! You're so capable, and you're my master, so of course I can trust you."

Duan Tianyin raised an eyebrow dismissively: "I am powerful, and I am your master, but I can still disregard everything and insist on hurting you."

"For example, right now, I could take your life. Do you think you could withstand that?"

When Zhou Ming'an met Duan Tianyin's gaze, he suddenly realized that his master had indeed killed people on the battlefield, and a chill ran down his spine.

"……cannot."

Duan Tianyin looked away.

"So, you can't control my malice towards you, but you still choose to believe me, learn martial arts from me, and even tell me your secrets."

"It's not because I'm so reliable, but because of yourself," Duan Tianyin lifted Zhou Ming'an's chin and sighed softly, "because you have the ability."

"So don't worry that you will never be able to trust others again. When you meet someone you want to trust, you will naturally do so."

Zhou Ming'an blinked and tentatively asked, "For example..."

Zhou Ming'an thought the other party would say some good things about his father and mother, but Duan Tianyin quickly let go of his hand and leaned back in her chair.

"There are no examples."

"I'm a military officer, not a civil official, and certainly not from the Imperial Observatory. Isn't it enough that you want me to say so much? You want me to divine the future?"

Zhou Ming'an couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, stop laughing and show me the half of the sword technique I taught you the day before yesterday."

Zhou Ming'an's smile vanished: "Didn't we say we'd rest for half a day?"

Duan Tianyin: "You seem to be in good spirits right now. Stop talking nonsense and go."

Zhou Ming'an had no choice but to reluctantly retrieve his sword.

That evening, when the family was having dinner together, Lu Mingzhao added a piece of food to her plate.

In the past, Zhou Ming'an would always leave that small dish of food untouched.

But this time, she tentatively took a bite.

Lu Mingzhao, who was always watching her daughter, naturally noticed. Suppressing her excitement, she put another piece of potato slices that she had cooked herself on her daughter's plate.

Zhou Ming settled down for a moment and then didn't move.

Just as Lu Mingzhao was feeling a little disappointed, she suddenly heard Zhou Ming'an whisper, "Mother, you put two pieces of ginger on my plate."

Lu Mingzhao was taken aback.

Her daughter actually spoke to her on her own initiative?!

She snapped out of her daze and quickly moved away the nasty ginger disguised as a potato.

"I misread it. What would you like to eat?" Lu Mingzhao tried his best to make his voice sound less excited.

Zhou Ming'an: "I don't really want to eat anything... This morning I received an invitation; Miss Lin from the family of the Vice Minister of Rites invited me to see her newly acquired coral the day after tomorrow. Can I... go?"

Lu Mingzhao immediately said, "Go if you want to."

Zhou Ningchuan coughed lightly and added, "But you should bring more maids, servants, and guards."

Zhou Ming'an was somewhat disappointed: "But no one else brings so much, only I do, and it always attracts attention when I go out."

She was still a young girl; although the last time she was in danger was really scary, she put it out of her mind after a few days.

"Besides, I've also learned martial arts myself."

But Zhou Ningchuan wouldn't back down, saying sternly, "The martial arts you're learning now are only the most basic. How many people can you possibly defeat?"

Zhou Ningchuan spoke firmly, and Zhou Ming'an could only weakly reply, "I understand..."

Lu Mingzhao couldn't bear to see his daughter like this, so he tentatively suggested, "Why don't I go with you? Then we won't need to bring any guards."

Zhou Ming'an was unaware that his mother knew martial arts, and found it strange upon hearing this.

But even if she knew, she might not agree.

Seeing her awkward smile, Lu Mingzhao immediately understood: "Never mind, I suddenly remembered I have something to do the day after tomorrow, you should go by yourself."

Zhou Ming'an quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Two days later, Zhou Ming'an boarded a carriage and arrived at Miss Lin's house.

After the group of young women had seen the Lin family's coral, they repeatedly praised its rarity. Suddenly, one of them remarked, "Speaking of rarity, I saw a Ferghana horse the other day; that's truly rare."

In recent months, horseback riding has become a trend among young ladies in Beijing, and the phrase "Ferghana horse" instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Zhou Ming'an knew that his second brother liked horses, so he asked a few more questions out of curiosity.

Upon learning that the horse was still unclaimed and was about to be sold, Zhou Ming'an hurriedly asked, "Do you know anyone who will buy it?"

"If my second brother knew, he would definitely want to meet him."

Besides, this isn't an ordinary horse; perhaps Father will agree to buy it.

"I do know them, but they only recognize faces... How about I take you to see them?"

"I'm leaving the capital with my parents in a few days, so I won't be able to take you with me. If your second brother wants to buy horses, you can take him with you then."

Zhou Ming'an: "Okay, where is it?"

"The village is not far outside the city."

The young ladies hesitated for a moment.

After all, the news of Zhou Ming'an's last encounter with danger had spread throughout the capital.

Although the bandits were wiped out by the troops sent by Marquis Zhongjing, few people dared to hold banquets outside the capital these days.

The young woman suddenly chuckled: "You're not scared, are you?"

"Ming'an, your father has brought so many guards for you, and you still dare not go out?"

"Do we have to bring in the entire Imperial Guard to protect you before you dare to leave the city? Hahaha..."

Zhou Ming'an's face flushed red: "What wouldn't I dare to do!"

"Then go ahead, or... are you not genuinely interested in keeping an eye out for your second brother, and just asking casually?"

The girls around them looked at each other, and Miss Lin took Zhou Ming'an's hand first: "Let's go, Ming'an, we'll go with you. We'll all go together, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Zhou Ming'an smiled gratefully: "Okay."

The news that Zhou Ming'an was going to leave the city was delivered to the guards outside the courtyard, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

They naturally didn't want their young lady to take any risks, but they had no right to refuse. They could only send one person back to the manor urgently to report the matter to the Marquis and his wife, while the rest followed behind the carriage.

Before long, two carriages emerged from the city gate, one after the other.

The journey was quiet and uneventful.

The young lady from before laughed and said, "What did I tell you? Is Miss Zhou still afraid now?"

Miss Lin, speaking on Zhou Ming'an's behalf, said, "You always make sarcastic remarks. You weren't the one who was in danger before. What's wrong with Ming'an being careful?"

Before he could finish speaking, the carriage lurched.

The group quickly grabbed the carriage, but before they could react, they heard someone calling for help in the distance.

"Someone please help me!"

Although others were also surprised, only Zhou Ming'an recognized the voice as that of Cuilan, who had recently left the manor.