"I said don't touch her..." the voice was somewhat deep.
The hand moved away from her, and Lin Shi Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Boss, what should we do next?"
"Wait, they can't find us here."
"All of you go out first."
Lin Shi Shu felt everyone leave. Only the sound of footsteps slowly approached her. Her heart pounded. "Wuwu..."
She could only protest like this.
She felt the person stop some distance away from her. She smelled a clear, pleasant scent.
It felt inexplicably familiar.
Suddenly, fighting sounds erupted from outside, along with her father's cry, "Shi Shu, Shi Shu..."
Lin Shi Shu cried out, muffled.
Prefect Lin took the lead. He walked in, saw Lin Shi Shu tied up, and quickly walked over, covering her from head to toe with his cape.
He stepped forward, hugged Lin Shi Shu, who was covered by the cape, and choked out, "Your father will take you home."
Lin Shi Shu was already in tears, and she nodded.
Since Prefect Lin had covered Lin Shi Shu with his cape, no one knew what he was carrying.
It wasn't until they returned to the mansion that Prefect Lin carefully set her down. The blindfold was removed from his eyes. Lin Shi Shu looked at her haggard father and mother and wept uncontrollably.
Madam Yu stepped forward, hugged her recovered daughter, and wept even more sorrowfully.
Lin Shi Shu also cried aggrievedly.
Prefect Lin wiped away a tear with his back to them, then turned around and said, "You're not allowed to run out on your own anymore. Bring some people with you when you go out. Do you know how your mother and I got through this night?"
Lin Shi Shu nodded, "Your daughter is filial. I've made Father and Mother worry."
"Your mother is already content that you've returned," Madam Yu said, hugging Lin Shi Shu and crying.
"You can't indulge her like this. Otherwise, this is just the beginning. You must make him understand the seriousness of the matter. Do you understand?" Prefect Lin said.
"Isn't this already serious? Isn't this the most severe punishment for Shi'er? My lord, Shi'er must be feeling terrible inside. Can you show some concern for Shi'er? She must be very scared right now."
Prefect Lin was startled and sighed, "This time it was luck, but what about next time?"
"Then quickly decide Shi'er's marriage. I think that Young Master Murong is a good match. His family background is clean, and he's the only child. Shi'er can be the mistress of the household after marrying him."
Prefect Lin pondered this and said, "Shi'er has just been found. There's no rush for marriage."
Lin Shi Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
"This time, we owe a great debt to Young Master Yan. Without him, your husband wouldn't have found Shi'er so quickly," Prefect Lin said with admiration.
Madam Yu, standing nearby, said, "If Shi'er hadn't gone to the meeting, she wouldn't have had this experience."
"Mother, I was the one who proactively arranged to meet him. If anyone is to blame, it's me, not anyone else."
"You..." Madam Yu sighed.
Lin Shi Shu lowered her gaze and thought for a long time before looking up and saying, "Mother, Father, after this experience, your daughter has grown a lot. The good man I'm looking for must be someone who can save me from dire straits. Mere poetic verses are not enough to save someone in times of crisis."
Prefect Lin stepped forward and stroked her head, "Shi'er, you've grown up. In times of peace, poetry and calligraphy are valued, but in troubled times, it's about strength."
Lin Shi Shu nodded. When her father said this before, she didn't understand, but now she did.
To protect what is hers, she could only use strength. Poetry and calligraphy were merely embellishments in times of peace.
"You father and daughter..." Madam Yu shook her head, feeling helpless.
"Father, how will you deal with those bandits?" Lin Shi Shu asked.
Prefect Lin sneered, "To dare kidnap my daughter, they deserve to die ten thousand times over."
Lin Shi Shu's heart trembled. "Father, can you spare their leader?"
Prefect Lin trembled all over, disbelieving. "Shi'er, do you know what you're saying?"
Lin Shi Shu nodded, "Your daughter knows what she's saying."
"Since you know, then don't say such things again," Prefect Lin's tone was somewhat cold.
Hearing this, Lin Shi Shu said, "Father, it's also thanks to their leader that your daughter managed to maintain her chastity in that environment."
Prefect Lin was startled. He looked at his daughter, and her expression didn't seem like a lie. He hadn't dared to ask if his daughter had still maintained her chastity, but he wasn't an old-fashioned person.
Even if she hadn't, he wouldn't let his daughter suffer a second time. At worst, he would support his daughter for life. The wealth he had accumulated would be enough for his daughter to squander after his death.
"Father, it is a crime for him to have kidnapped your daughter, but he still has a conscience. Your daughter doesn't want to be indebted," Lin Shi Shu said.
Prefect Lin nodded, "Alright, your father will spare his life."
"Father, can your daughter meet him alone?"
Prefect Lin frowned. "Shi'er, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Father, your daughter has a few words she wants to ask him..."
Prefect Lin was eventually persuaded by Lin Shi Shu and agreed. Lin Shi Shu met that person again.
However, the first glance brought her disappointment. She had imagined that a person with such an aura would be as she pictured in her heart.
But who was this rugged man with a beard and dark skin kneeling before her?
She couldn't help but step back. "Who... who are you? You're not their leader."
The bearded man sneered, "Kill me or slice me as you please. You young lady came here, do you want me to have a moment of pleasure before my execution?"
Saying that, the bearded man tried to pounce. If someone hadn't held him back, he would have already lunged.
Lin Shi Shu retreated in fright, almost falling to the ground. "It's not him, it's not him..."
Prefect Lin had intended to drag the man away when he tried to pounce, but he held back. Hearing his daughter say it wasn't him, he waved his hand and coldly said, "Take him back and interrogate him rigorously."
Lin Shi Shu collapsed onto the ground. She was absolutely certain that this bearded man was not the one from yesterday.
The aura, the tone of voice, and the accent were all different.
Who was that person?
"Shi'er..." Prefect Lin walked forward.
Lin Shi Shu looked up and said, "Father, someone saved your daughter yesterday before you did."
Prefect Lin was startled. "Impossible. No one could be faster than your father."
Lin Shi Shu thought for a moment and asked, "Father, besides you, who else participated in the rescue of your daughter yesterday?"
Prefect Lin was stunned. "Murong Bo and Yan Jin Chao."
Lin Shi Shu's gaze paused, and a hint of light gradually appeared. "You mean Young Master Yan also participated in the rescue of your daughter?"
Prefect Lin nodded. "If it weren't for him, your father might not have been able to rescue you so quickly."
Lin Shi Shu was certain that the person from yesterday was Yan Jin Chao. The admiration she already felt now beat even more intensely in her heart.