"We're almost at the mainland, but we still haven't found her," Hu Li muttered, rubbing his wet hair in frustration. They had already been in this bustling little city, so out of place on the border, for three days.

By now, he knew that Cheng Cheng's people were chasing Hua Yan, closely watching the other factions, while Hu Da led men along this route to find Hua Yan's whereabouts. They had searched every hotel, inn, slum, and among the beggars, but there was still no sign of her.

"Master, could it be that Miss Hua Yan has already crossed the border?" Hu Er, who had also been exhausted by the search for Hua Yan, asked, dark circles under his eyes.

"Have Hu Da take some men and search the mainland border. We must find her before Cheng Cheng's people do."

"Yes, I'll inform Hu Da right away."

"Accompany me for a walk later."

"Alright." Hu Er, worried that something might happen to his master in this city crowded with various factions, swallowed his words of caution when he saw the grim look on his master's face. All he could do was carefully arrange the escort for their walk.

As they strolled from the bustling districts to the dirty slums, Hu Er finally had to speak up, "Master, there are too many people here. The security on the next street is better, and there are many famous shops..."

After speaking for a while, Hu Er suddenly realized that his master hadn't been paying attention to him at all. Instead, he was staring at a group of laughing vagrants not far away.

These people seemed to be looking at someone in the alley and kept mentioning a name, "Little Mute."

Hu Er listened carefully but didn't notice anything unusual. These people, with nothing to do at night and no money for entertainment, often gathered to chat and joke.

Hu Li signaled Hu Er and the others to stay back and slowly walked to the alley entrance. Following the vagrants' gaze, he saw a small figure huddled in a coat, ignoring the teasing remarks.

Though he couldn't see her face, something about her seemed familiar. Seeing her crouched alone in the corner made him uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the vagrants noticed the unexpected visitor and shouted, "Who are you? Who let you step onto our turf?"

"All dressed up and staring at our Little Mute. Do you want a taste of our fists?" Another man, noticing Hu Li's gaze, said harshly.

The others also became alert and blocked the alley entrance, protecting Little Mute. They thought Hu Li had his eye on Little Mute's skills and didn't want him taken away.

Since Little Mute had arrived, their quality of life had improved significantly. They no longer had to fight others daily to fill their stomachs, and he had promised to teach them basic self-defense and combat techniques once he recovered.

"I mean no harm. She might be a relative of mine. Can I see her?" Hu Li's heart pounded as he tried to explain without scaring them.

But the vagrants didn't care for his words and laughed, "Looking for a lover, huh? She ain't gonna be your little sweetheart. Beat it!"

One of them deliberately said this, sensing the hungry look in Hu Li's eyes, which didn't seem like that of someone looking for a relative.

"Yeah, get lost!"

"Scram..."

The situation quickly got out of control. The vagrants glared at Hu Li and showed no sign of backing down. Some even grabbed bricks and sticks.

Hu Li's urgent gaze turned dark and silent, a sign of his anger. But the vagrants didn't understand this and continued to curse him.

Hua Yan, just waking from a light sleep, heard the escalating argument. She noticed the agitated crowd blocking the alley and assumed other area residents were causing trouble again.

As she stood up to look, she immediately crouched back down upon seeing the well-dressed, deep-eyed man at the center of the crowd. Such a person appearing here and staring at her gave her a bad feeling: she had been discovered. This person knew her.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

In a flash, she decided against meeting this person, not knowing if he was friend or foe.

Hu Er saw his master surrounded by a group of people and quickly brought more men over.

While the two sides were in a standoff, Hua Yan quietly packed her belongings, preparing to leave. She spotted a gap among the people, slung her bag over her shoulder, and sprinted away.

Hu Li saw her and, leaving a word for Hu Er to handle things, chased after her.

Hu Er, noticing this, left a few men behind with instructions, "Give them a light beating and find out about Little Mute."

As Hua Yan ran, she looked back to see the man close behind, angering her for disrupting her plan. She sped up.

Hu Li's mind was in turmoil. Despite her thin frame, the figure still resembled Hua Yan, and those lively eyes couldn't belong to anyone else.

But why did she run upon seeing him? Was she angry about his engagement? Hurt?

As he closed in, seeing the woman he missed every day picking up speed, his heart ached deeply.

He put all his effort into chasing after Hua Yan, his mind filled with a single thought: to catch her and keep her by his side forever, never letting her leave again. As long as she calmed down, he was willing to do anything.

After a few days of rest, Hua Yan had regained most of her strength. Her body, modified by the dragon and phoenix jade pendants, allowed her to run at an astonishing speed. Although Hu Li was also exceptionally fast, he couldn't quite match Hua Yan, who was almost superhuman.

In a short time, the distance between Hu Li and Hua Yan widened. Seeing the gap grow, Hua Yan aimed to cross the street and head into the crowded night market, where she could blend in like a drop of water in the ocean.

People often say that plans can't keep up with changes. Just as she was about to cross the street, she tripped and fell towards the road. Falling onto the street meant she would inevitably be crushed by the passing cars.

At the last moment, she pushed herself off the ground with her hands and rolled onto the sidewalk.

Immediately, she heard a man cursing, "You little brat, stealing money again. Can't you do anything right?"

This man had been pickpocketed on this street two days ago. When he got home, his wife accused him of spending the money on a mistress. After much swearing, bringing his wife foot wash, and giving her a back rub, he finally calmed her down. But he was still fuming and had been patrolling the street for two days, hoping to catch a thief and teach them a lesson.

In the blink of an eye, Hua Yan kicked away the enraged man and tried to run again. The next moment, Hu Li had her in his arms, immobilizing her.

"Let me go..." Hua Yan struggled, kicking and biting, trying to break free.

"Xiao Yan, don't be angry. Let me explain. Stop hiding from me..." Hu Li was overjoyed and didn't care if Hua Yan's face was dirty. He immediately kissed her yelling mouth.

A man in a finely tailored branded suit, wearing a luxury watch, exuding an air of nobility, was kissing a small, filthy, disheveled person whose gender was indistinguishable.

The passersby and the man who had tripped Hua Yan stood with their mouths agape, looking as if they'd seen a ghost.

"You know each other?" the man finally shouted.

"Thank you," Hu Li said, smiling warmly at a stranger for the first time, then walked back with the restless Hua Yan.

He instructed Hu Er, who had followed, to bring the car over. Holding the dirty Hua Yan, he got into the car.

"What are you looking at?" Hua Yan glared angrily at Hu Er, who kept glancing back at her since they got into the car.

Hu Er, scolded by Hua Yan, touched his nose and reluctantly turned back, but he couldn't help stealing glances at her while pretending to talk to Hu Li or reaching for something.

Hu Er didn't know how to describe his feelings. The eyes and facial features of the person in the back seat looked like Miss Hua Yan, but her unfamiliar and guarded expression made it hard for him to believe she was really Hua Yan.

The driver wasn't as bold as Hu Er in looking at Hua Yan, but he also cautiously observed her through the rearview mirror. Could this small, beggar-like person really be the one their master had been searching for?

At the same time, he admired his master even more, who remained calm and tender, even affectionate, towards someone emitting such a strong odor.

Hua Yan ignored Hu Li's expression or gaze. Her bright eyes were fixed on the door handle. Seizing the right moment, she pinched Hu Li hard and twisted the handle to escape.

The door suddenly opened, shocking Hu Li and startling the passing cars. Some drivers stuck their heads out, cursing if they were crazy or had a death wish.

Hu Li quickly pulled Hua Yan back and shut the door again.

The driver's clothes were soaked in cold sweat. His hands trembled as he locked the door, fearing that if this little beggar really escaped, and seeing how much the master cherished her, his life would be over.

Hu Er noticed the sweat on his brother's forehead and his pale face. He patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

Dealing with such a situation would be enough to shatter anyone's nerves, let alone his.

Looking back at the car's rear, the small figure was baring her teeth in anger at their master, who looked grim. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that he still adjusted his arm to ensure the person in his embrace was comfortable.

Hu Er didn't understand his own feelings. On the one hand, he hoped she was Miss Hua Yan, but on the other hand, he hoped she wasn't. Her defiant temperament and cold gaze towards them worried him that their master might get hurt in the days to come.

"I don't know you, let me go!" Hua Yan struggled desperately, yelling at the man who looked at her with a mix of tenderness, concern, confusion, and pain.

As soon as she spoke, she felt the arms holding her tighten instead of loosening. He seemed to get angry, glancing at her before looking away, refusing to meet her eyes again.

Hua Yan couldn't afford to care why he was suddenly angry because she was being held so tightly that she could barely breathe. If her face were clean, everyone would see that it had turned purple.