Chapter 720: How Do You Even Tell?

The young woman walked toward Xiang Minghou step by step. Her eyes landed on Qian Fanji and Zhan Chi, a look of stunned admiration on her face.

Xiang Minghou noticed her too. He watched, wide-eyed, as the heavyset young woman approached. Perhaps it was because he missed his daughter so dearly, but in that daze, he saw an image of Ye Qianning as a child.

Chubby and round, so adorable, calling him "Dad" in her sweet, childish voice.

The tip of his nose stung, and his sharp eyes instantly misted over with tears.

Joy flashed in Zhan Chi’s eyes. ’His little girl has grown up so much! She looks exactly the same as when she was young.’ He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat felt constricted, and he choked up.

Qian Fanji’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on the heavyset woman’s face. ’Her build is a match, but her features don’t quite seem right.’

"Pangtuan..."

Xiang Minghou murmured.

"Little girl..." Zhan Chi was the first to step forward.

The Shopkeeper’s heart leaped into his throat. Fearing the men would cause a scene, he blocked Zhan Chi and hurried forward to greet the woman. "Miss Song, you’re back late tonight."

"My father was drinking with some merchants at the Immortal Sea Building. Once he starts, he loses all track of time. Hey, Shopkeeper, are these gentlemen new guests?" The young woman’s adoring gaze swept over Zhan Chi and Qian Fanji. When her eyes fell on Xiang Minghou, however, she flinched and quickly looked away.

"Ah, I see. This way, Miss Song. I’ll get the door for you." The Shopkeeper, still worried the men would start something, personally escorted Miss Song past them.

Xiang Minghou’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his expression grew colder.

Zhan Chi’s face was stiff as well, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"What exactly were you two using to identify her?" Qian Fanji couldn’t help but ask drily.

’What were they using?’

They hadn’t seen her in ten years. The only features they remembered were that she was cute and chubby.

Zhan Chi thought to himself, ’The little girl is sixteen now. If she kept the same build she had as a child, she should be about the same size as the woman we just saw.’

’How much could she have slimmed down, really?’

Xiang Minghou said nothing, standing ramrod straight with his arms crossed over his chest.

「At dawn, as the sky began to lighten.」

Ye Qianning finally returned to the inn.

The Shopkeeper, who had been waiting downstairs all night, saw Ye Qianning return and rushed to meet her, trying to pull her back outside.

"Shopkeeper, what’s wrong?"

"Miss Ye, some men came looking for you yesterday. None of them looked like good news, and they’re still waiting outside your room right now! Maybe you should go hide for a while."

"Looking for me?" ’I don’t think I’ve provoked anyone since arriving in Dayu City.’

"Yes. One was wearing the armor of a Beili officer. Another looked quite gentle, but still seemed like trouble. And the third one was terrifying—his face was covered in scars, and he had this cold air about him. You can tell just by looking at him that he’s a killer... Miss Ye?" The Shopkeeper had barely finished speaking when he saw the young woman’s face light up with joy as she dashed up the stairs.

"Miss Ye, be careful! Our inn can’t help you with this..." the Shopkeeper shouted, running to the foot of the staircase.

Her figure was already gone from the landing. A distant voice drifted back, "That’s my father."

The Shopkeeper froze. ’Father?’

Ye Qianning had spent the night moving among the powerful figures of the city, gathering a good deal of interesting information.

Earlier, as night fell, she had been at the city gates and seen the Beili army enter. She’d learned that the General leading them was Zhan Chi, though she hadn’t managed to spot him.

’I didn’t expect him to get to the inn first.’

She hadn’t been able to find any trace of her father or Qian Fanji. But after hearing the Shopkeeper’s description, she was absolutely certain the other two men were her dad and Qian Fanji.

Ye Qianning couldn’t contain her excitement. She reached the fourth floor in a flash. As she rounded the landing, her eyes immediately fell upon the three men standing in front of her door.