Cao Xuanxuan’s Love Journey – Zhu Xudan, Zhai Xiaowen

Zhou Na was reading a book called Yan City Chronicles. Suddenly, she fainted, and when she woke up, she found a man sitting by her bedside. Mistaking him for a rogue, she hit him and fled the room. When she ran into the courtyard, she noticed that everything around her was completely different from her era. The people in the courtyard were all dressed in ancient clothing. Seeing Cao Xuanxuan, everyone quickly gathered around her.

Cao Xuanxuan had no time to think and assumed she had been kidnapped. She tried to escape but was eventually stopped. Unfamiliar with her surroundings, Cao Xuanxuan grabbed a yamen officer's sword and held it to a man's neck, forcing him to reveal the truth. However, she was knocked unconscious from behind. Cao Xuanxuan woke up in the room again. She tried to sneak out by climbing through the window.

During her escape, she began to realize that she might have traveled through time. Cao Xuanxuan’s sudden awakening disrupted many people’s plans. It turned out that Cao Xuanxuan’s spirit had been sabotaged, causing her to fall into a coma. The second wife of the Guo family wanted to marry off her distant relative to Cao Xuanxuan’s husband. However, the head of the Guo family, feeling guilty toward the Cao family and Cao Xuanxuan, decided not to harm her further.

Exhausted after running through the vast courtyard, Cao Xuanxuan returned to her room to eat something. Guo Zijie appeared suddenly, startling her. The two accidentally fell together, and Guo Zijie even kissed Cao Xuanxuan. At that moment, members of the Guo family rushed in. From their conversation, Cao Xuanxuan learned that she was a child bride. Disdainfully, she wanted to leave. However, as she reached the door, she overheard that her husband was Guo Zijie.

She realized that she had traveled into the book Yan City Chronicles. Determined to return to modern society, she began searching for the book everywhere. While searching for clues about Yan City Chronicles, Cao Xuanxuan decided to enjoy herself first. She went out but ended up being dragged into a brothel by two men who recognized her.

The next day, after waking up from drunkenness, Guo Zijie angrily scolded her for wandering around recklessly and decided to take her to the yamen. An imperial inspector arrived in Yan City to conduct an investigation. To prove his capability, Guo Zijie held a court session, attracting a large audience. However, the cases brought to him were all trivial matters, which he felt did not showcase his skills. Suddenly, a subordinate reported an unusual case.

A woman named Zhao Xiaolin claimed that her husband had been taken away by a fox spirit. She described the entire process of her husband’s disappearance and brought along two of his friends as witnesses. The case seemed bizarre to everyone. The imperial inspector found the story absurd, and Guo Zijie, noticing his reaction, ordered Zhao Xiaolin and the two friends to be detained before quickly leaving to consult books.

Guo Zijie’s hesitation in resolving the case caused public doubt about his abilities. Even Cao Xuanxuan scolded him for his incompetence. While searching through the books, Cao Xuanxuan found an untitled book. Guo Zijie treated it as a treasure, and during their conversation, Guo Zijie suddenly had an idea and named the book Yan City Chronicles. As Guo Zijie delayed the verdict, the audience grew restless, and the imperial inspector became impatient.

With no progress, Cao Xuanxuan stepped forward to analyze the case, claiming she could solve it within five days. She made a deal with Guo Zijie: if she succeeded, she would get Yan City Chronicles. The next day, when Guo Zijie was about to resume the case, Cao Xuanxuan stopped him, insisting they visit the crime scene together. As they walked through the streets, they arrived at a crime scene where a female coroner was conducting an autopsy.

The coroner identified the victim’s husband as the murderer, but the accused vehemently denied it. Just then, the coroner’s grandfather arrived and confirmed that the husband was the killer. Since Guo Zijie needed a coroner for the investigation, he wanted to bring the female coroner along. However, upon hearing Guo Zijie’s reputation, she walked away disdainfully. While on the street, Cao Xuanxuan noticed a Rubik’s Cube and suspected that there might be other time travelers.

She also saw a notice posted by the yamen recruiting people. To test for time travelers, she decided to use a Rubik’s Cube competition as a recruitment method.

Cao Xuanxuan suddenly woke up with a completely changed personality, as if she were a different person. Everyone found it strange, and the Guo family’s patriarch and steward suspected that Cao Xuanxuan wasn’t the real one but had been replaced by someone identical. These suspicions were overheard by Guo Zijie’s elder brother, who was eavesdropping outside the door. While using a Rubik’s Cube to identify other time travelers, a man appeared and effortlessly solved the puzzle.

Cao Xuanxuan was thrilled and eagerly asked him how he could solve it. The man claimed he had a natural talent for such things since childhood. Cao Xuanxuan assumed he was hiding his identity as a time traveler and decided to observe him further. She took him to the county yamen, hoping to recommend him to Guo Zijie as an assistant.

However, Guo Zijie, seeing Cao Xuanxuan being close to another man, became jealous and deliberately made things difficult to drive the man away. Despite this, the man responded skillfully to all questions. That evening, Guo Zijie brought his adviser home for tea. It turned out the two already knew each other—the man was Sun Weiyan, whom Guo Zijie had deliberately invited to mislead Cao Xuanxuan.

The Rubik’s Cube was something Guo Zijie had memorized after watching Cao Xuanxuan play with it. Guo Zijie then discussed the investigation with Elder He, but Elder He’s granddaughter, He Chun, thought Guo Zijie wasn’t a good official. However, seeing her grandfather’s advanced age, He Chun decided to assist him instead. Just then, an assassin broke into the yamen, and He Chun drove the assassin away.

Meanwhile, Guo Zijie’s elder brother, who had sent people to capture Cao Xuanxuan, was furious upon learning that the mission failed. It turned out there were two groups of intruders—one sent by Guo Zijie’s brother to retrieve Cao Xuanxuan and another group of genuine assassins intending to kill. Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan led a group to the crime scene to investigate. As it grew late, they decided to stay at an inn.

Due to a shortage of rooms, one person had to sleep in the storage room. Everyone hesitated, but Zhao Qiang volunteered, as others were too timid or weak. Cao Xuanxuan and Guo Zijie ended up sharing a room. During the night, Cao Xuanxuan secretly took Yan City Chronicles from Guo Zijie, only to find that the book was blank. Frustrated, she woke Guo Zijie, demanding that he quickly write the book so she could find a way to return home.

Guo Zijie explained that since the events hadn’t unfolded, there was nothing to write. Suddenly, a scream broke the silence outside. Everyone rushed out to see Zhao Xiaolin sitting in the courtyard, panicked. The storage room where Zhao Qiang was staying had disappeared without a trace. Terrified, Zhao Xiaolin fled, prompting Guo Zijie to order the group to chase after her while he and Cao Xuanxuan stayed to examine the scene.

He Chun and Sun Weiyan secretly observed Zhao Xiaolin’s behavior but ended up falling asleep leaning against each other. The next morning, they were embarrassed when Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan woke them up. As they analyzed the case, the strange events left them clueless. Cao Xuanxuan suggested investigating the victim’s social connections to find leads. Since they weren’t at the yamen, Cao Xuanxuan improvised by setting up an interrogation room using modern techniques, including spotlights, to uncover the truth.

The villagers were summoned for questioning. They all showed great fear and reverence for the fox spirit and hesitated to discuss anything that might anger it, even mentioning fire. When someone brought up discovering the victim’s headscarf, Zhao Xiaolin couldn’t hold back her tears and started crying again. However, the villagers blamed her, as her husband wasn’t from their village but from another.

They felt she should’ve married someone local instead of bringing trouble upon the village by offending the fox spirit. At that moment, someone discovered the victim’s body, and everyone rushed to the scene. He Chun put on a mask and began examining the body, hoping to find clues that could shed light on the case.

He Chun examined the body and discovered that the cause of death was neither burning nor drowning. The group began analyzing the case, discussing possible causes of death to uncover clues. As everyone was engrossed in their discussion, Li Ye suddenly fled, but He Chun noticed and gave chase. The group searched for Li Ye, and Sun Weiyan encountered Sun Yi, a classmate of Li Ye, by the river.

After capturing Li Ye, Sun Yi revealed that Li Ye had secretly reported the victim to the academy authorities. Sun Yi also disclosed that the victim had committed many misdeeds. Based on Sun Yi's account, Sun Weiyan concluded that Li Ye killed the victim out of jealousy related to the academy. However, He Chun and Cao Xuanxuan found the situation suspicious, as they couldn’t find any clues about Zhao Qiang’s mysterious disappearance. Li Ye insisted he had not harmed anyone.

At that moment, Zhao Qiang appeared, acting delirious, and accused Li Ye of being the murderer before running away again. The superstitious villagers of Zhao Family Village summoned a sorcerer to perform a ritual on Zhao Qiang, hoping it would restore his sanity. Meanwhile, Cao Xuanxuan pieced together clues from the case and decided to investigate Zhao Xiaolin’s home.

Guo Zijie and two others grew worried when Cao Xuanxuan didn’t return after a long time, so they went to Zhao Xiaolin’s house to search for her. However, they couldn’t find any trace of her. As everyone was puzzled, Cao Xuanxuan suddenly returned from outside. Through her investigation, Cao Xuanxuan discovered that the disappearing house was a mere illusion, similar to modern-day magic tricks.

Guo Zijie asked her to explain the case’s details, but Cao Xuanxuan proposed a condition: Guo Zijie must follow all her instructions. Though Guo Zijie, as a county magistrate, was reluctant to agree, Cao Xuanxuan promised to give him all the credit for solving the case. With this assurance, Guo Zijie agreed to her terms. Cao Xuanxuan explained to everyone that what Zhao Xiaolin saw that night was not her husband but a puppet.

Because it was late at night and visibility was poor, Zhao Xiaolin mistook the puppet for her husband. When she wasn’t paying attention, the puppet was pulled up to the roof, creating the illusion of a person disappearing. The group continued interrogating Li Ye, who adamantly denied committing murder, though he admitted to harboring the intention. He revealed that Fu Miao had defiled his childhood sweetheart, Zhang Qin. To gather evidence, He Chun and Sun Weiyan sought out Zhang Qin.

Initially, Zhang Qin denied knowing Li Ye, but when she heard about her defilement, she became emotional and refused to speak further with He Chun and Sun Weiyan. The next day, Li Ye escaped, and shortly after, Zhang Qin arrived, claiming her child was missing. She also shared her past experiences with Li Ye. The group searched for the child and eventually found them unconscious in a bush, with vine marks around their neck.

Meanwhile, Guo Zijie’s father continued investigating Cao Xuanxuan’s background and discovered that she had a missing elder sister. He mistakenly believed that the Cao Xuanxuan in their household was the elder sister. Sun Weiyan and He Chun returned to Zhang Qin’s house, but Zhang Qin refused to let them in. They noticed a man’s footprints outside and speculated that they might belong to Li Ye. Li Ye was being chased by a group of masked men.

Just as they were about to capture him, He Chun appeared, but she was outmatched, and both were captured. After waking up, Li Ye became flustered and recounted the entire incident. It turned out that He Chun had intentionally allowed herself to be captured to hear Li Ye’s true account. Cao Xuanxuan uncovered the reason for Zhao Qiang’s "disappearing house. " What Zhao Qiang entered wasn’t actually a house but a wall that appeared invisible from the group’s seated position.

Based on this, she deduced that Zhao Qiang might be the true culprit. He Chun brought Li Ye back, and Li Ye detailed the entire incident. He revealed that Zhao Qiang had helped him escape and that Zhang Qin came forward to testify on his behalf. However, these were just theories and lacked concrete evidence to convict Zhao Qiang. The trial was set for the next day. During the court session, Zhao Qiang was brought in for questioning.

At first, he denied committing murder and even presented evidence to prove his innocence. However, one by one, his evidence was refuted.

Zhao Qiang still refused to admit to the method Cao Xuanxuan uncovered about the disappearing house. She brought in Zhang Qin as a witness. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Zhao Qiang finally confessed, though he denied harming Zhang Qin’s daughter, Xiaohua. Guo Zijie analyzed the events of the day, and with Xiaohua awake, she came to the county office and personally identified Zhao Qiang. Seeing no way out, Zhao Qiang admitted to his crimes in court. With the case resolved, everyone celebrated.

The imperial envoy was impressed with Guo Zijie. That evening, the four gathered for drinks. During the celebration, Cao Xuanxuan subtly probed to see if anyone else had experienced a similar time-travel situation. However, Guo Zijie couldn’t decipher her intention and found her odd questions irritating, dampening the mood. Cao Xuanxuan had no choice but to stop asking. Thanks to his success in solving the case, Guo Zijie’s elder brother became furious and even lashed out at his servants.

Early the next morning, news came that Zhao Qiang had died in custody. While Guo Zijie didn’t seem too affected, Cao Xuanxuan remarked on his strong composure, suspecting he wasn’t the kind of person to be easily rattled by such news. For her role in solving the case, Cao Xuanxuan obtained the Yancheng Log but discovered that only Guo Zijie could write in it.

She urged him to complete the log quickly, only to find that the original log didn’t include clues about the Fox Spirit case. She speculated that her arrival might have caused a butterfly effect, making her worry about returning to the modern era. Despite his anger, Guo Zijie’s elder brother brought him a generous gift to show support in front of their father. Guo Zijie feigned ignorance and credited Cao Xuanxuan for solving the case.

Suspecting Guo Zijie was “playing dumb,” Cao Xuanxuan admitted to solving it but claimed her methods were inspired by stories she had heard. Guo Zijie’s elder brother suggested a marriage between the two as a test, but Guo Zijie deflected by using their father as an excuse. Guo Zijie’s father summoned him and urged him to marry soon. Guo Zijie remained indifferent, prompting his father to drop the topic.

Instead, his father brought up Cao Xuanxuan, suspecting that she might actually be her missing elder sister. He mentioned that the elder sister had a crescent-shaped birthmark on her back, a detail he shared with Guo Zijie. Sun Weiyan and He Chun were strolling through the street when a cart suddenly collided with Sun Weiyan, knocking him down. Though his injuries weren’t serious, they still hindered his ability to travel.

Feeling guilty because the accident happened while they were joking around, He Chun offered to carry him. Initially embarrassed, Sun Weiyan eventually agreed. The two finally located the place where a Western painter had been selling his paintings, but the painter had already left, leaving an old man in charge. That evening, He Chun brought Sun Weiyan home to rest.

However, since there was only one bed, He Chun offered it to Sun Weiyan and sat in a chair to sleep. As he prepared to sleep, Sun Weiyan naturally blew out the candle. Terrified of the dark, He Chun cried out when the room went dark and ran to Sun Weiyan’s side. Sun Weiyan searched for a fire striker, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t relight the candle.

Left with no choice, he stayed by He Chun’s side, keeping her company throughout the night. Meanwhile, Guo Zijie was writing the Yancheng Log. To help him finish quickly and stay aligned with the original timeline, Cao Xuanxuan gave him notes based on her previous readings of the log. Though Guo Zijie copied them, he seemed unwilling. At this time, Sun Weiyan returned, and Cao Xuanxuan asked him about the painter.

They learned the painter’s stall location and that the original painter had gone to a wedding. Since Guo Zijie happened to know about the event, Cao Xuanxuan asked for his help. The four of them went to the wedding together, but due to the large number of guests, there weren’t enough rooms for everyone to have their own. Cao Xuanxuan proposed sharing a room with He Chun.

The next morning during breakfast, someone reported that Luo Ji hadn’t been seen since the previous night. When they knocked on his door that morning, there was no response. Out of concern, everyone decided to investigate. Upon entering the room, they found Luo Ji dead on the candlestick—a classic locked-room murder case. He Chun wanted to examine the body but was stopped, allowing the imperial envoy to inspect it instead.

After examining the scene, the envoy determined the time of Luo Ji’s death. Everyone gathered in the main hall, with suspicions hanging over the group. Master Zhao forbade anyone from leaving, but Eunuch Wang, who had come from the palace, was reluctant to stay. Cao Xuanxuan suggested that everyone provide alibis and identify witnesses. Each person shared their alibi. Suddenly, someone questioned Master Zhao about his whereabouts the previous night.

Master Zhao claimed that he had felt tipsy and returned to his room to sleep alone. At that moment, He Chun noticed bloodstains on Master Zhao’s clothes, raising suspicions that he was the murderer. Eunuch Wang, especially uneasy about Master Zhao investigating the case, expressed his doubts. To prove his innocence, Master Zhao voluntarily locked himself in his room, leaving Guo Zijie to take over the investigation.

Guo Zijie and the others examined the crime scene but found no evidence of the murderer entering the room. Everyone was perplexed, but Cao Xuanxuan speculated that the killer might not have entered the room at all and could have used the ceiling to lift the bed or the victim. Sun Weiyan and He Chun went outside to investigate, while Cao Xuanxuan and Guo Zijie stayed in the room. During their investigation, they accidentally ended up in each other’s arms.

The unexpected closeness stirred feelings between them, and they instinctively leaned in for a kiss, only to be interrupted by He Chun and Sun Weiyan returning. That night, Cao Xuanxuan couldn’t stop thinking about her impulsive moment with Guo Zijie. While lost in thought, she overheard He Chun talking. It turned out that a child named Xiaodouzi wanted to go home, but since everyone was under suspicion, the Lü Mansion had been sealed off, preventing anyone from leaving.

Hearing this, Cao Xuanxuan didn’t want to make things harder for the servants and decided not to let Xiaodouzi leave. Xiaodouzi later wandered into Guo Zijie’s room and saw a bracelet that Guo Zijie had prepared for his future bride. Guo Zijie became flustered when Xiaodouzi noticed it and, in his nervousness, ended up putting it on Cao Xuanxuan’s wrist. At that moment, two men arrived to discuss the case with Guo Zijie and took him away.

Afterward, Cao Xuanxuan noticed some writing on the table, which turned out to be Guo Zijie’s mother’s handwriting. He Chun explained that the bracelet was a family heirloom intended for the future daughter-in-law. Cao Xuanxuan was deeply moved and found it difficult to sleep that night. The next day, Xiaodouzi brought his mother to meet Cao Xuanxuan. She then discovered that Xiaodouzi was Zhao Xiaolin’s child.

Zhao Xiaolin, who was working in the Lü Mansion, mysteriously asked about the progress of Cao Xuanxuan and Guo Zijie’s relationship. Just as she was about to reveal something, Guo Zijie walked in and interrupted. Cao Xuanxuan tried to return the bracelet to Guo Zijie, but he put it back on her wrist. When Guo Zijie’s cousin learned that Cao Xuanxuan was wearing the bracelet, she became jealous and plotted to poison her.

However, her plan was discovered, and Cao Xuanxuan brought her in front of Guo Zijie to confront her. Upon questioning, it was revealed that the poison had come from Guo Zijie’s elder brother, though it wasn’t intended to be lethal. Guo Zijie refused to pursue the matter further, which angered Cao Xuanxuan. That night, the imperial envoy was found dead in his room, stabbed in the back without signs of a struggle.

It was concluded that the envoy likely knew the murderer. During the investigation, Sun Weiyan speculated that there was only one culprit, but Guo Zijie seemed distracted. Knowing his mood was tied to Cao Xuanxuan, He Chun and Sun Weiyan urged him to apologize. Guo Zijie approached Cao Xuanxuan, explaining why he didn’t want to continue investigating the poisoning. She forgave him. The next day, Guo Zijie was cooking in the kitchen alone.

Cao Xuanxuan wanted to help but instead encountered the second wife of the Lü family, who was acting hysterically. Cao Xuanxuan returned to her room to wait for Guo Zijie’s noodles. While waiting, Zhao Xiaolin came to warn her to stay away from Guo Zijie. She also revealed that Guo Zijie had ordered the fall from the cliff. This revelation devastated Cao Xuanxuan, leaving her unable to process the shock.

Guo Zijie happily brought a bowl of noodles for Cao Xuanxuan, but she angrily knocked it over and questioned him about her fall off the cliff in Zhao Village. It turned out that Sun Weiyan was the one who ordered Cao Xuanxuan to be pushed off the cliff. Sun Weiyan had suspected that Cao Xuanxuan was a spy sent by Guo Zijie’s elder brother and wanted to eliminate her.

Guo Zijie had arrived at the cliff and discussed the matter with Sun Weiyan, which was overheard by Zhao Xiaolin. This led to the misunderstanding that it was Sun Weiyan who gave the order. Cao Xuanxuan hadn’t actually fallen but had clung to a vine at the edge of the cliff. Guo Zijie pulled her up but didn’t mention Sun Weiyan’s involvement, instead blaming the villagers for the incident.

Cao Xuanxuan refused to give Guo Zijie a chance to explain, rejected his feelings, and stormed off angrily. Guo Zijie wanted to chase after her, but another case arose, forcing him to send He Chun to look after Cao Xuanxuan while he went to the crime scene. Guo Zijie’s elder brother, frustrated by repeated failed attempts to harm Cao Xuanxuan, decided to seize the opportunity when he learned of the quarrel between Cao Xuanxuan and Guo Zijie.

Cao Xuanxuan, upset, ran into a bamboo forest, where she was ambushed and knocked out by two masked men. He Chun, who had followed her, couldn’t find her but discovered her earring. Realizing something had happened to Cao Xuanxuan, He Chun hurried to inform Guo Zijie. Panicked, Guo Zijie searched everywhere for her. In an abandoned temple, a group of masked men brought out an unconscious Cao Xuanxuan and threatened Guo Zijie, forcing him to drink poison to save her life.

If he refused, they would kill her. Just as Guo Zijie was about to drink the poison, He Chun appeared and knocked the poison to the ground, engaging in a fight with the masked men. Guo Zijie rushed to Cao Xuanxuan’s side to check on her but was attacked from behind. Guo Zijie’s elder brother, believing that he had successfully eliminated Guo Zijie, celebrated with his mistress, Du Juan, boasting that he would divorce his wife and marry her.

Cao Xuanxuan woke up but still didn’t forgive Guo Zijie. Heartbroken, Guo Zijie left, entrusting Cao Xuanxuan to He Chun’s care. He Chun informed Cao Xuanxuan that Luo Ji’s body was missing, which Cao Xuanxuan found suspicious. She began analyzing the case but felt unwell. He Chun volunteered to investigate in her place.

He Chun and Sun Weiyan went to question Master Zhao’s subordinates and learned that Master Zhao was highly skilled in martial arts, making it nearly impossible for anyone to attack him without resistance. On their way out, they encountered the deranged second wife of the Lü family. Showing her Luo Ji’s portrait, they observed her strange reaction. He Chun and Sun Weiyan returned to report their findings to Cao Xuanxuan.

After hearing their conclusions, Cao Xuanxuan claimed to have figured out the true culprit. The next day, she gathered everyone in the main hall. Cao Xuanxuan revealed that the true murderer was Luo Ji. The blood seen earlier was sheep’s blood, not human blood. Although some people were skeptical, especially since Master Zhao had examined the scene and found nothing unusual, Cao Xuanxuan explained that Master Zhao and Luo Ji were accomplices.

However, Luo Ji’s real target had been Master Zhao, which allowed him to attack so easily. The group questioned how Luo Ji had entered Master Zhao’s locked room. Initially, they suspected that Master Lü had given Luo Ji the key. At this point, Sun Weiyan presented a letter, revealing that the second wife of the Lü family had been having an affair with Luo Ji.

Upon discovering Luo Ji’s death, she had sought revenge but instead witnessed Luo Ji killing Master Zhao. Believing Luo Ji was a ghost, she had been scared into madness. The group also questioned how Luo Ji had seemingly died on the candlestick, as they had all seen. Cao Xuanxuan asked Guo Zijie to bring out the candlestick from that day. It was revealed that the base of the candlestick was hollow and lacked spikes.

Everyone praised Cao Xuanxuan’s intelligence as the truth of the case came to light. With the case resolved, the group was free to leave the Lü Mansion. As they were departing, Guo Zijie helped Cao Xuanxuan express her wish to meet a Western painter.

Sun Weiyan secretly went to meet the mysterious person who had been giving him orders. He angrily questioned whether the incidents at Zhao Village and the Lü Mansion were orchestrated by this person. The mysterious figure, however, threatened Sun Weiyan with his father’s life. Back at the Guo Mansion, Guo Zijie angrily confronted his elder brother, Guo Zilu, demanding to know why he had harmed Cao Xuanxuan. Overcome with rage, Guo Zijie even struck Guo Zilu.

Concerned for his safety, Mr. Tao advised Guo Zijie to avoid clashing with such a petty and malicious person. Coincidentally, it was their father’s birthday banquet that day. Hearing about the brothers’ fight, their father scolded Guo Zijie. Guo Zijie admitted his mistake and promised to resolve the conflict with his brother. Their father forgave him and assigned him the task of picking up an old friend, Mr. Ning. After being beaten, Guo Zilu was furious.

He realized that Guo Zijie had been pretending to be naive while actually being quite capable. Guo Zilu grew anxious that their father might announce at the banquet that Guo Zijie would take over the family affairs. Upon learning that Guo Zijie would go to pick up Mr. Ning that evening, Guo Zilu once again harbored murderous intentions. Guo Zijie was about to apologize to Cao Xuanxuan when their cousin, Sun Ying, burst in.

She had unknowingly provided the poison earlier and, feeling jealous of how close Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan were, expressed her frustration. Guo Zijie publicly admitted that he only had feelings for Cao Xuanxuan. Hearing this, Sun Ying left heartbroken. Cao Xuanxuan was secretly pleased but maintained a calm exterior. Guo Zijie, Cao Xuanxuan, and He Chun originally planned to pick up Mr. Ning together.

However, since it was their father’s 60th birthday and Guo Zijie hadn’t bought a gift yet, he asked He Chun to take care of it. On the way to Mr. Ning’s residence, they encountered Sun Weiyan and two companions, who were also heading to see Mr. Ning. Mr. Ning explained that he wasn’t in good health and asked them to wait two hours until the doctor, Dr. Shi Zhen, arrived. The group was directed to rest in the backyard.

Cao Xuanxuan noticed something suspicious. Despite the large size of Mr. Ning’s estate, there was only one servant present. She suspected that Mr. Ning was hiding something and trying to buy time. Guo Zijie, informed of the situation, went to confront Mr. Ning and found his servant packing gold and silver into boxes. When questioned, Mr. Ning claimed the valuables were gifts for Guo Zijie’s father.

Guo Zijie was taken aback by the amount of wealth but became even more suspicious when a servant mentioned that 100 taels of silver were still missing. Cao Xuanxuan, sensing something was amiss, asked Guo Zijie for a 100-tael silver note and handed it to Mr. Ning. She deduced that the money was a ransom. Mr. Ning confessed that his youngest son had been kidnapped. Although he initially wanted the group to leave, Guo Zijie insisted on helping.

Suddenly, the kidnappers appeared at Mr. Ning’s estate. However, when the group rushed into the room to apprehend them, the kidnappers had mysteriously vanished. Fearful for his son’s safety, Mr. Ning decided to comply with the kidnappers’ demands and deliver the ransom to the designated location. Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan accompanied Mr. Ning to the meeting spot.

On the way, Guo Zijie suggested that after resolving the ransom situation, they should return to celebrate his father’s birthday and that he would formally discuss their marriage with his father after the banquet. Meanwhile, Guo Zijie’s father intended to pass the family leadership to Guo Zilu. The butler was shocked, as Guo Zilu was not his biological son. Despite this, the father had treated Guo Zilu as his own due to years of care and loyalty.

Holding the father’s written will in disbelief, the butler left the room, only to encounter Guo Zilu outside. At the ransom location, Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan found it odd that the kidnappers had chosen this place instead of taking the money directly from the estate. However, driven by concern for his son, Mr. Ning ignored the strangeness of the situation and focused solely on rescuing his child. Despite his urgency, he had made some preparations just in case.

While delivering the ransom, Guo Zijie asked Mr. Ning if he had any enemies. Mr. Ning replied that he followed the principle of “If others don’t offend me, I won’t offend them,” so he had no known adversaries. However, Cao Xuanxuan questioned the servants and learned that Mr. Ning had two sons, with a clear preference for the younger one. She also inquired about some strange markings on the younger son’s body.

At the Guo household, Guo Zijie’s father fell ill and couldn’t entertain the guests outside. He instructed Ah Fu to inform the butler to start the banquet on his behalf. On the way, Ah Fu encountered the Second Madam, who, eager to assert her authority, volunteered to host the guests in the front hall, hoping to establish her position as the matriarch. Meanwhile, Guo Zilu and a few servants spotted a woman in the courtyard cursing their father.

They attempted to capture her, but she escaped. In the front hall, the Second Madam was entertaining the guests who had come to celebrate the elder Guo’s birthday. She urged the servants to serve wine quickly. However, after only one drink, the Second Madam suddenly clutched her stomach in pain and collapsed. Hearing the commotion, the elder Guo summoned Ah Fu and asked what was happening. Upon learning of the incident, he immediately went to the front hall.

By the time he arrived, the Second Madam had already passed out. Everyone was baffled. Ah Fu, recalling the woman in the courtyard, suspected her curse had taken effect. An attending guest, Lord Song, declared that the Second Madam had died from poisoning, causing panic among the guests, who feared the food was tainted. However, Lord Song reassured them that the poison was an acute type that acted immediately; since no one else showed symptoms, the food was safe.

He speculated that the poison might have been in the wine, but since others drinking from the same jug were unharmed, it must have been placed in the Second Madam’s cup. Lord Song noted that the poison was not of Central Plains origin. Guo Zilu arrived and, citing their father’s poor health, persuaded him to leave. Guo Zilu then took charge of the situation. Meanwhile, Mr. Ning arrived at the designated ransom spot with the silver.

The kidnappers, masked and armed, held a knife to the throat of someone they claimed was Mr. Ning’s son. The supposed son’s face was obscured by his disheveled hair, making him unrecognizable. Cao Xuanxuan quickly saw through the ruse and charged forward, grabbing the “hostage” and tossing him into the air, revealing it to be a straw dummy. Enraged, Mr. Ning demanded the whereabouts of his real son. Cao Xuanxuan then exposed the kidnapper’s identity—it was none other than Mr.

Ning’s younger son. Upon returning home, Mr. Ning furiously scolded his younger son. Cao Xuanxuan deduced that the younger son’s actions were motivated by his elder brother’s gambling addiction. The elder brother had accrued significant debts and was nearly beaten to death by creditors. Unable to bear it, the younger son devised the kidnapping scheme to extort money and help his brother repay the debts.

Cao Xuanxuan noted that the younger son used modern techniques and began investigating who had taught him these methods. After helping Mr. Ning resolve the situation, Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan returned home late. While passing through a forest, they were ambushed by a group of masked assailants. Guo Zijie shielded Cao Xuanxuan, taking a knife wound in the process. At the critical moment, He Chun and Sun Weiyan arrived and rescued the pair.

The next morning, Ah Fu went to check on the elder Guo but discovered he had died in his room. At the same time, Guo Zijie, still unconscious, was brought back to the Guo household by Cao Xuanxuan and the others. The family was in turmoil: in a single night, both the Second Madam and the elder Guo had died, and Guo Zijie remained unresponsive.

Guo Zilu, confident that his position was now secure, dismissed his trusted aides, believing no one could threaten his status. The loyal butler, heartbroken by the family’s tragic state, lamented the downfall of the Guo household. In the midst of this chaos, Cao Xuanxuan stepped forward and vowed to avenge the elder Guo and find the murderer. Meanwhile, Guo Zilu, now asserting himself as the family’s head, arrogantly commanded the servants, flaunting his newfound authority.

Guo Zilu was drinking when Cao Xuanxuan arrived with He Chun to see him. Guo Zilu, who disliked Cao Xuanxuan, maintained a cold expression, but Cao Xuanxuan was unfazed. She sent He Chun and Guo Zilu's servants away, intending to discuss how to investigate clues with him. However, Guo Zilu claimed he had already caught the woman who cursed his father that day.

Cao Xuanxuan did not believe a curse could cause someone's death, but since Guo Zilu was insistent and clearly uninterested in finding the real culprit, Cao Xuanxuan decided to investigate on her own. She planned to visit the woodshed with He Chun to question the girl who had cast the curse, Ruo Hui, only to find that Ruo Hui had already escaped.

He Chun examined the elder Guo's body and found that the fatal wound was a stab in the waist caused by a dagger. This puzzled Cao Xuanxuan because the Second Madam had died from poisoning, while the elder Guo was stabbed. The differing causes of death made the case more complex. Cao Xuanxuan decided to search for clues in the elder Guo's room and summoned Sun Weiyan for assistance.

She suspected the elder Guo’s death might be connected to earlier cases involving locked-room assassinations. Meanwhile, Du Juan and Zhang Yuan secretly met at a designated location, where Du Juan urged Zhang Yuan to leave quickly because Cao Xuanxuan had started investigating the case. Zhang Yuan reassured Du Juan that everything would be fine and sent her away. Surprisingly, Zhang Yuan went to Cao Xuanxuan himself and took full responsibility for the crimes.

However, his reasoning was unconvincing, and he couldn’t explain the source of the poison. Cao Xuanxuan realized Zhang Yuan was taking the blame for someone else but refused to reveal who. Cao Xuanxuan questioned the butler about who had conflicts with the Second Madam. She learned that Du Juan and Guo Zilu’s servant had been caught by the Second Madam in the past, leading to grudges. Cao Xuanxuan concluded that Zhang Yuan was covering for Du Juan.

However, to avoid alerting anyone, she advised the butler not to expose this suspicion. Du Juan, filled with anxiety after the Second Madam’s death, rushed to find Guo Zilu, only to be caught by Cao Xuanxuan, who also discovered poison in Du Juan’s room. Guo Zilu, seeing that Du Juan’s involvement had been exposed, immediately distanced himself and left. Du Juan, however, insisted to Cao Xuanxuan that Zhang Yuan had nothing to do with the case.

She admitted that she had asked Zhang Yuan to buy the poison but claimed she never used it and didn’t know why the Second Madam was poisoned. At that moment, Guo Zilu entered and, without giving Du Juan a chance to explain, demanded she be imprisoned and executed immediately. Finding the situation suspicious, Cao Xuanxuan decided not to act hastily. She detained Du Juan and took the poison to the shop where it was purchased.

The shopkeeper confirmed that the poison Du Juan bought had not been used. Ruo Hui, while eating, heard that the elder Guo had really died. Believing that the magic taught by Zhang Daxian had worked, she went to find him. However, upon learning that two people had died in the Guo household, Ruo Hui suspected a mistake had been made. Zhang Daxian used this opportunity to extort money from her.

Sun Weiyan and He Chun located Ruo Hui and brought her back to the Guo household, along with the poison Cao Xuanxuan had been looking for. Through analyzing the events of that night, Cao Xuanxuan deduced the true cause of the Second Madam’s death. The poison had been placed in the well. Due to its density, it sank to the bottom. As the host, the Second Madam was served last, so she drank the poisoned water.

Du Juan and Zhang Yuan were expelled from the Guo household. Ruo Hui was brought before Cao Xuanxuan, who uncovered the root of Ruo Hui’s hatred for the elder Guo. Years ago, Ruo Hui’s father and the elder Guo had been friends. When they encountered bandits, Ruo Hui’s father, who had difficulty walking, gave up his chance to escape so that the elder Guo and the butler could flee.

Despite explanations, Ruo Hui continued to blame the elder Guo for her father’s death. Cao Xuanxuan learned that Zhang Daxian, a con artist, was behind Ruo Hui’s actions. Suspecting a deeper connection between Zhang Daxian and the elder Guo, she devised a plan. Using a tactic of “releasing to catch,” she let Ruo Hui go, giving her a significant amount of money to lure out Zhang Daxian.

Cao Xuanxuan wanted to find the con artist, so she deliberately let Ruo Hui go and secretly followed her to locate Zhang Daxian. At the time, Zhang Daxian was performing a show, and the audience was completely convinced of his supernatural abilities. However, Cao Xuanxuan, He Chun, and Sun Weiyan were skeptical and searched for the truth behind his tricks. Zhang Daxian claimed to have divine protection, which made him immune to harm even under heavy objects.

Cao Xuanxuan noticed the mechanism behind his act and exposed it in front of everyone. Zhang Daxian tried to continue his deception, but all his tricks were debunked. Realizing his failure, Zhang Daxian attempted to escape. The crowd gave chase, leaving Ruo Hui standing frozen in confusion. At this moment, Ruo Hui’s uncle arrived.

He explained to Ruo Hui that the elder Guo had intended to take her in, and upon learning the truth of past events, he forgave the elder Guo and no longer bore a grudge. He reminded Ruo Hui that, at the time, everyone prioritized survival. He also revealed that over the years, her comfortable lifestyle was thanks to the financial support of the Guo family. Hearing this, Ruo Hui finally let go of her hatred.

Her uncle, upon learning of the elder Guo’s death, was deeply saddened. Seeing Guo Zijie unconscious, Cao Xuanxuan felt heartbroken. She personally tended to him, wiping his body and ensuring he was cared for. Before leaving, she instructed Ah Fu to take good care of Guo Zijie. Later that night, Cao Xuanxuan and He Chun discussed the case. They speculated that the culprit might still be hiding in the mansion and planned to search every corner.

Sun Weiyan overheard their conversation and, fearing discovery, rushed back to pack his belongings and prepare to leave. However, Cao Xuanxuan and He Chun appeared behind him—it turned out they had intentionally let Sun Weiyan overhear their discussion. Cao Xuanxuan believed Sun Weiyan had his own reasons and wouldn’t harm Guo Zijie. She encouraged him to reveal the truth. Sun Weiyan explained that his father was ill, and someone had approached him claiming to be able to cure his father.

That person also claimed to be from the future. Hearing this, Cao Xuanxuan was shocked to learn of another time traveler like herself and urgently asked for more information. Cao Xuanxuan and He Chun both recognized that this person was deceiving Sun Weiyan. However, Sun Weiyan, desperate to save his father, refused to believe them.

Examining the letters that the "future person" gave Sun Weiyan, Cao Xuanxuan realized they used methods described in novels, proving that this was all part of a scheme. Cao Xuanxuan demonstrated to Ah Fu and He Chun how the illusion of a locked-room murder could be staged and deduced that the elder Guo’s “locked-room murder” was self-inflicted.

After discovering that Guo Zilu was the one targeting him, the elder Guo chose to protect his son from being branded a criminal by staging his own death. With this reasoning, Cao Xuanxuan began to search for evidence. She uncovered that the original target of the plan had been the butler, but due to a twist of fate, it was the Second Madam who fell victim. Upon learning this, the butler realized he had narrowly escaped death.

Feeling guilty for betraying his friend, Sun Weiyan decided to leave. He Chun, who harbored feelings for Sun Weiyan, chased after him and confessed her love. When Guo Zijie suddenly regained consciousness, Cao Xuanxuan was overjoyed and rushed to see him. Upon meeting, neither could suppress their emotions, and Cao Xuanxuan embraced Guo Zijie, crying with relief. Hearing that Guo Zijie had awakened, Sun Ying also rushed over, only to see Cao Xuanxuan and Guo Zijie in an embrace.

Heartbroken, Sun Ying realized she would never hold a place in Guo Zijie’s heart. Meanwhile, Guo Zilu, terrified upon learning of Guo Zijie’s recovery, immediately went to see him. Guo Zilu tried to comfort Guo Zijie, but Guo Zijie’s unyielding attitude left him uneasy. Unlike before, Guo Zijie no longer held back and confronted Guo Zilu head-on.