"Mr. Gao, I implore you to spare him on account of my old face," Brother Bao pleaded. "What do you mean by that?" Mr. Gao’s expression hardened, "Am I supposed to just swallow this indignity? My wife has been bewitched by him, head over heels, like some kind of demon fox, disrupting the peace of my household. I can’t let this matter rest!" Phoenix Blood appeared utterly indifferent, not only failing to apologize but even provoking further. "What are you suggesting? Just yesterday, you smashed my lute and had someone injure me; I haven’t even settled that score with you, and here you are, unable to sit still. These issues between us, if they really blow up, I’m not afraid. But you, Mr. Gao—are you really prepared to endure the wrath of your wife?" His mockery was so undisguised that it caused Mr. Gao’s face to turn livid with rage, clearly infuriated. Just then, a Young Servant came to report that a girl carrying a small basket wanted to see Phoenix Blood outside the building. Brother Liubao was taken aback. He looked at Phoenix Blood and saw that he, too, was momentarily stunned. The Young Servant replied, "About eleven or twelve years old, I reckon. She’s rather pretty; not sure whose daughter she might be." Phoenix Blood’s eye twitched. "Brother Bao, please handle this. I have other matters to attend to and must leave at once!" Seeing Phoenix Blood’s hurried demeanor, Brother Liubao was somewhat bewildered, while Mr. Gao’s eyes flickered. He was very apprehensive of Phoenix Blood, mainly out of jealousy. As the legitimate husband of the He family, he had enjoyed a brief period of affection with his wife upon entering the household. But it seems to be the nature of women in this world—to grow fond of the new and tired of the old. After becoming enamored with a young man in previous years, his wife’s fancy had now fallen on Phoenix Blood. Feeling displeased, he took advantage of his wife being away these past few days to look for an excuse to drive Phoenix Blood out of Taihang Town, to spare his wife the longing for an actor. However, Phoenix Blood’s confident demeanor made things difficult for him. After Phoenix Blood left, he hurriedly removed the thin veil he wore. He rushed into a room, changed into a set of coarse hemp clothes, and hurried downstairs. Outside the Sky Blue Building, Dong Huiying, with her unsightly little basket on her back, saw the approaching figure, panting heavily, and frowned slightly. Phoenix Blood hesitated, then asked softly, "Why did you come?" Dong Huiying inquired, "Have you been injured again?" The reason she used the word ’again’ was because not long ago, Liang Shujun nearly died. Severely wounded, Dong Huiying took great care tending to him for a long while until finally, his health was restored. Liang Shujun was slightly taken aback. "Did you go to my place?" He remembered the bloody garments he had taken off the night before, and couldn’t think of any other possibility. Otherwise, how could she have known about his injuries? He was surprised as well. He never would have expected Dong Huiying to come directly to the Sky Blue Building to find him. Dong Huiying nodded, "I did visit." She frowned again, pondering, "Do you have anything else to do later? If not, why don’t you come back with me first? I want to check your injuries and see how severe they are." Liang Shujun and Dong Huiying left together, and someone immediately reported to Mr. Gao in secret. Mr. Gao was utterly astonished after hearing the report. "What did you say? That little girl of eleven or twelve downstairs is Phoenix Blood’s fiancée?" "Indeed she is. It seemed as if Phoenix Blood was quite afraid of the young lady, acting as docile as a little quail in her presence." Mr. Gao rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers, pondering for a long while before finally saying, "Find out for me, I want to know where Phoenix Blood lives!"