Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Uncle Di

"Go out for a walk..."

The man murmured, his gaze lost as he looked down at his own legs.

Ever since he was thrown into a death-row cell, such a thought had never once crossed his mind.

He had thought he would finally be free once that person was done torturing him...

But now, Ye Chutang was smiling and telling him that when the weather was nice in the future, he could go out for a walk and see the sights...

They were words that seemed to belong only in a dream.

After a long moment, he took a deep breath and looked up at Ye Chutang. A torrent of emotions seemed to swirl in his eyes, but in the end, they all coalesced into a single sentence. "Alright! I’ll be waiting for that day!"

The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips curved up.

The first time she had seen him in his cell, she knew he possessed an extremely strong will to live.

For someone like him, all he needed was a single chance to find a way out of a desperate situation!

Ye Chutang then turned her head to Shen Yanchuan. "By the way, these bandages need to be unwrapped for half an hour every morning and evening, cleaned with warm water, and you must constantly monitor the condition of his skin and muscles. His legs have been broken for a very long time, so he’ll need to use these bandages for longer—about half a year. It’s inconvenient for me to come often, so during this period, I’ll have to trouble you, Princely Heir, to find someone to look after him well."

Shen Yanchuan nodded. "Alright."

Ye Chutang packed her things and prepared to take her leave.

"Xiao Wu is still waiting for me in the flower hall, so I won’t stay any longer. I’ll come see you again after some time," she said with a small smile.

Just as she turned to leave, that voice finally spoke again—

"My surname is Di."

Ye Chutang’s lashes fluttered, and she looked back.

He sat there, a faint smile on his rugged face.

"If you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle Di from now on!"

Ye Chutang’s eyes curved into crescents.

"Of course, Uncle Di."

...

By the time all this was done, evening had arrived.

Ye Chutang and Shen Yanchuan walked side by side along the corridor.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the columns against the white walls. The fractured light danced over the two of them, merging their figures into an intertwined silhouette.

"Have there ever been any court officials with the surname Di?" Ye Chutang asked.

Shen Yanchuan shook his head. "None in the capital. However, I can have the Black Cavalry Guard expand their search and look into it."

Ye Chutang smiled, seeming unconcerned. "Since he was willing to tell us, he isn’t afraid of us investigating him. Either he doesn’t care, or... he’s certain we won’t find anything."

Whatever the reason, the fact that he said it meant he had lowered his guard around them, even if just a little.

’One step at a time. The truth will come to light eventually.’

"He’s definitely not a nobody. But even I never knew such a person was being held in the Ministry of Justice Prison," Shen Yanchuan said thoughtfully. "It’s clear that the person who put him in this situation has an even more extraordinary identity and most likely wields significant power."

Otherwise, it would be impossible to have concealed this so thoroughly from everyone!

Ye Chutang tilted her head slightly to look at him.

Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

A teasing smile played on Ye Chutang’s lips. "I was just wondering, do you look a lot like Duke Dingbei? He recognized you at a single glance."

Speaking of which, Ye Chutang had been back in the capital for almost a year, but she had never once met Shen Youyan.

If it weren’t for today’s events, she wouldn’t have become so curious.

Shen Yanchuan pondered for a moment, his gaze growing distant. "Actually, my father once said that I resemble my mother more. It’s just that she passed away a long time ago. I don’t have a strong impression of her, and now... I can barely recall what she looked like."

Ye Chutang paused. "Oh, is that so..."

"You, on the other hand, look remarkably similar to Lord Ye, especially your eyes and brow," Shen Yanchuan said suddenly, looking at her.

"My father?"

Ye Chutang pointed at herself.

Shen Yanchuan nodded, a smile in his eyes. "But Lord Ye is upright and uncompromising, with a sharp edge, while you are gentle and composed. Your temperaments are quite different."

Ye Chutang blinked slowly. "Is that right?"

She felt a momentary daze.

She rarely studied her own face carefully and had never considered whether she resembled her father or her mother more.

No matter what, they were never coming back.

It was just that sometimes, when she saw the gradually growing Yan and A Feng, she felt that in some ways, they were just like their older brother.

Just then, a small figure came running over from ahead.

It was Xiao Wu.

She threw herself into Ye Chutang’s arms, lifted her little head, and stared up at her with wide, expectant eyes.

Ye Chutang glanced at Yun Cheng, who was following behind her, and smiled. "What’s wrong? Did you finish all the pastries?"

Xiao Wu nodded, then pouted.

Yun Cheng bowed to them both before patiently explaining with a smile, "Fifth Miss Ye was not being greedy. She only had a few peach blossom crisps. I was afraid she would be bored waiting alone, so I played a few games of chess with her."

Ye Chutang understood and looked down at Xiao Wu. "Did you lose and get mad?"

Xiao Wu: "..."

’Big Sis is being way too blunt!’

’Besides, I only lost eleven games! How is that getting mad!?’

Yun Cheng cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "Fifth Miss Ye is still young, but her chess skills are already astonishing. In a few more years, she’ll be able to beat me with ease."

"Don’t spoil her." Ye Chutang pinched Xiao Wu’s cheek and smiled. "At home, her third brother always lets her win, so she’s inevitably grown arrogant. Today was a good chance for her to learn that there’s always someone better out there. Xiao Wu, hurry up and thank Lord Yun Cheng for his guidance. An opportunity like this is incredibly rare; others couldn’t get it even if they wanted to."

Xiao Wu was actually convinced in her heart, but last time she clearly—

Ye Chutang said without a change in expression, "Second Young Master Xie let you win on purpose."

Shen Yanchuan: "..."

Xiao Wu was half-convinced, half-doubtful.

’Really? But it didn’t seem like it at the time...’

As unmovable as a mountain, Ye Chutang calmly continued, "If you don’t believe me, why don’t you play another game with Second Young Master Xie next time you see him and see who wins?"

Xiao Wu was all for it and nodded vigorously.

Then, she turned around, placed her small hands over her stomach, and gave Yun Cheng a serious bow.

Watching this scene, Yun Cheng finally understood how Ye Chutang had managed to raise her younger siblings all by herself these past few years.

He politely returned the bow with clasped hands.

Only then did Ye Chutang take Xiao Wu’s hand and turn to bid farewell to Shen Yanchuan.

...

After the two had left, Yun Cheng finally remembered the special guest staying at the Marquis Mansion.

"My Lord, that person’s identity..."

"Send men to investigate if any officials with the surname Di entered the capital five years ago."

"Surname Di?" Yun Cheng realized what he meant and immediately replied, "Yes, sir."

Shen Yanchuan was about to turn back when he suddenly remembered something and paused.

"Has anyone else been asking about him lately?"

Yun Cheng shook his head. "No. After the fire at the Ministry of Justice, our men swapped in a corpse that also had two broken legs. The body was disposed of the very next day along with the prisoners who died in the riot, leaving no trace behind."

Since the body has vanished, there is naturally nothing left to investigate.

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