The Ace Bigshot Becomes A Farmgirl

As she spoke, she glanced at Meng Yunzheng, "Yun once saw Cheng Dong by Gong Qiu's side. Knowing Gong Qiu's character, he suspected Cheng Dong intentionally approached Lord Cheng and secretly leaked the news to him."

"It's just unexpected—Cheng Dong still managed to escape. After escaping, he attempted to hijack passing vehicles, which accidentally led him to encounter me. That was indeed a surprise. However, unlike what I previously implied, I didn't suspect and then tied him up. From the start, I knew he was not a good person and immediately found a way to knock him out."

Qi Chan listened thoughtfully, "Did he really swallow poison to kill himself?"

Shu Yu and Meng Yunzheng exchanged a glance, neither spoke.

Seeing them like this, Qi Chan was even more convinced of their words, knowing they were no longer deceiving him.

He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head, "I indeed underestimated you."

Shu Yu said softly, "Lord Qi, back then, we were forced by circumstances; we had no intention to deceive. Moreover, I had no desire to deliberately approach you. Our exile's scheduled courier stations and timings were arranged by the officers; encountering you at the courier station was unintentional. Actually, the day the assassin attempted to kill you, capturing him wasn't exactly my achievement. With my meager skills, restrained by handcuffs and shackles, how could I have held on until your two guards arrived? It was Yun who acted covertly, merely managing to delay matters."

Qi Chan, hearing this, replied irritably, "What kind of person do you take me for? I am far from suspecting you of such calculated intentions."

He could still discern whether she deliberately approached him on the road to exile.

Moreover, when she was at the Righteous Dao Village, she had several chances to let him help remove her exile status. After all, she was not the Shu family's biological daughter.

Though Qi Chan was exiled, he still had connections. An unremarkable adopted daughter sold to the Shu family—some maneuvering could be done.

Qi Chan laughed, "Alright, I have no intention of blaming you. Speaking of which, I might have benefited more. Whether it was me or Yao Tianqin, our return to the capital had a lot to do with you. To say the least, even if you deliberately approached me, the Heating Pack was your own creation, merely presented through my hands."

However, such things can be managed by more than just him.

Qi Chan still valued Shu Yu highly, or perhaps her frankness made him more inclined to consider her as one of his own.

This younger one is indeed admirable.

Qi Chan did not continue to pursue past matters. With his doubts resolved, he asked, "Since you came to the capital, why didn't you visit the Qi Residence?"

"I did go," Shu Yu said, "Upon arriving in the capital, I saw white cloth hanging at the Gong Family's door, worried that something might've happened to Yun. It was my first time in the capital; the highest-ranking official I knew was you. I went to the Qi Residence early the next morning, intending to ask you about the situation. Unfortunately, the gatekeeper said you were not present, so I left."

Qi Chan frowned; he indeed knew nothing about this.

However, people frequently visited the Qi Residence, and the gatekeeper couldn't report every visitor to the master.

Moreover, at that time, Ying Xi merely asked if Qi Chan was home, then mentioned he would come back another time without asking the gatekeeper to convey anything.