Several days later, Zhulan learned from the Qi Clan that Ran Xun had left the capital in quite a hurry.
Zhulan's surprise was genuine. "Was it that urgent?"
Upon hearing this, the Qi Clan matriarch said, "Didn't Ming Teng tell you?"
"He did not. I only knew that Ming Teng went to see Ran Xun—it turns out it was to say goodbye!"
Recently, the Qi Clan matriarch had aged considerably, her hair growing whiter by the day. With a sigh, she said, "The boy sought Ming Teng for help. Ran Xun didn't want to leave the capital, but..."
She paused before continuing, "But you know, the Crown Prince's residence has been sealed, with not a bit of news coming out. My old master is unsettled. He feels it's not good for the child to stay in the capital. Plus, he wanted to distance Ran Xun from his other friends, so he sent him away directly."
Zhulan asked, "Did Ran Wan leave too?"
The Qi Clan matriarch replied, "Only the girl Ran Wan is left."
