"And what are you doing on Zhenmu Mountain? Don't you know an outsider was last seen here?"
Gu Jin kept calm. She straightened her back and spoke in a soft but firm voice.
"I was kidnapped. The people who brought me here ran away after receiving some sort of message."
The two women frowned.
Their eyes were sharp with suspicion. "What's your name?" the other asked.
Gu Jin didn't even blink. "Lian Rou. I'm the newly acknowledged daughter of General Xia."
The moment they heard that name, the two soldiers looked at each other in surprise.
Without another word, they carefully led Gu Jin back to the Xia Mansion.
............
Back at the Xia Mansion, things were chaotic.
Xia Lan was pacing back and forth in the front courtyard, her shoes clicking against the stone floor.
Xia Wei sat on a bench, nervously tapping her fingers on her knee. Her face was pale, but her eyes kept flicking toward the entrance.
Xia Fei stood near a pillar, arms crossed and eyebrows tightly furrowed.
