You are not worthy of him!

Guan Qinghuai sat leisurely in a grand armchair, beside him a small table laden with fine wine and sumptuous dishes. The aroma of the delicacies filled the air, and even the wine jug was an exquisite, compact piece of antique bronze. He carried himself with an air of ease.

Opposite him, Fang Rulai was bound to a chair, half of her wig torn off, her eyes glowing green with hunger, too famished even to spare a glance at Guan Qinghuai. Ever since he ordered the feast laid out, her gaze had been fixed solely on the largest bowl at the center—braised pork.

Ignoring her, the old man poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp. The sound of wine sliding down his throat was accompanied by Fang Rulai’s empty swallowing.

Still paying her no mind, he picked up a crispy shrimp ball and popped it into his mouth. The shrimp ball’s crunchiness was tantalizing, causing Fang Rulai’s stomach to rumble thunderously.

Guan Qinghuai tilted his head with a smile, looking at her. “Hungry?”

Fang Rulai didn’t take her eyes off the braised pork, but inwardly she seethed: how could she not be hungry? Let him try going a whole day and night drinking only water!

“Want some?” The old man noticed her gaze and lifted the bowl of braised pork. When he moved it left, her eyes followed; when he moved it right, her eyes shifted accordingly. Suddenly, he brought the bowl close to his mouth, and Fang Rulai’s eyes widened in alarm.

The old man chuckled. “Beg me, and I’ll let you eat.”

“Fine, I beg you.” Without hesitation, Fang Rulai complied, then twisted the ropes binding her. “See? I already begged. Now untie me! How can I eat if I’m still tied up?”

Caught off guard by such shameless cunning, the old man froze. He thought for a moment that Guan Shiyin must be present, given the level of opportunism on display.

Fang Rulai, however, had no time to ponder his thoughts. She just wanted the ropes off so she could eat before she starved. “Hey, old man, you can’t just fool young people because you’re old! A real man keeps his word—”

Whizz! The old man threw a dart that grazed her arm, slicing through the rope.

Fang Rulai quickly shrugged off the rest of the bindings and lunged forward. Guan Qinghuai let go of the braised pork just in time to avoid a scratch from her eager hands.

She didn’t even pick up chopsticks, instead using her index and middle fingers like pincers, plunging them into the bowl. “Ooh, so hot, so hot... mmm, delicious, delicious...”

The old man sighed in amazement. He was certain she was a girl, but the half-shaven head, the wig, and the way she ate with her hands were hard for him to accept.

Setting down his wine cup, he suddenly lost interest in drinking.

Catching a sparkle in her eye, Fang Rulai grabbed the wine jug and pulled it toward herself, though still showing some courtesy.

She weighed the jug in her hand and gestured toward him. “Mmm? Not drinking anymore?”

Guan Qinghuai lowered his eyelids in resignation and reached out to offer another cup, “No…”

Before he could finish, Fang Rulai tilted her head back and drank the wine straight from the jug.

Glancing at the half-empty cup he had offered and then at her, the old man was silent.

Fang Rulai burped, shaking the now empty jug. “What’s the point of using a wine cup for this little wine? I finished it in just two big gulps!”

The old man set the cup down and pressed his hand to his forehead, suddenly feeling a headache.

Having eaten half a bowl of braised pork, Fang Rulai was finally less hungry and settled cross-legged into another grand armchair, resuming her ravenous feast.

He sighed and asked, “Are you the one that brat picked at the marriage gathering last time?”

Fang Rulai was busy gnawing on a chicken leg but mused that the term “brat” was worth investigating.

The old man’s eyes revealed his disappointment. “How could he pick someone like you!”

Coughing, Fang Rulai nearly choked on a chicken bone, setting the leg aside. Wiping her greasy fingers on the wig, she cleared her throat. “That ‘someone like me’ means—born beautiful and hard to give up, with a wealthy benefactor willing to lavish their heart. I’m troubled too, okay?”

The old man was speechless again. Fang Rulai gleefully grabbed a shrimp ball from the plate he had just eaten from, no chopsticks needed—just pinching it between thumb and forefinger and popping it into her mouth. Her eyes glanced sideways at the old man with a sly look that said, “Feeling upset? Feeling upset? If you’re upset, then I’m happy! Otherwise, why else would I be tied up in this dark place for no reason?”

The old man pursed his lips in helplessness and turned away.

He asked, “Why does the Crown Prince insist on capturing you alive?” He had no confidence in his initial plan to use Fang Rulai’s life as leverage to keep the Crown Prince from harming his son. But the Crown Prince had tacitly agreed to this. Why? What value did a living Fang Rulai hold for him?

Fang Rulai swallowed a shrimp ball and countered, “Since the arrow that shot Second Madam was fired by Guan Yihe personally, then it should have been him who captured me. But you acted before him—why is that?” Before being captured, the message attached to the arrow clearly indicated Guan Yihe’s involvement. So why was it the old master who came for her first?

The old man abruptly turned to her. “You actually know that Yihe fired that arrow? How do you know?”

Fang Rulai calmly ate another shrimp ball. “You captured me but didn’t kill me or hand me over. Why?”

He glared at her. “I drugged the food to cloud your mind. Just eat, and once you’re done, you’ll tell me everything in detail.”

Fang Rulai tossed a shrimp ball in the air, caught it with her mouth. “You didn’t drug anything. Just consider that I’m opposed to Guan Yihe. As his father, you have countless reasons to drug me to control me, but you didn’t. Why?”

The old man was startled. Indeed, he hadn’t drugged the food. But how could she be so sure? His eyes paused, shifting focus from her eating to her expression. Most people would feign calm at such a moment, but this seemingly young girl was truly composed. Whether eating or holding the wine jug, her fingers never trembled.

Even their conversation was a series of questions answered by questions, revealing nothing while piquing his own curiosity.

This young girl! He thought he now understood why that brat had picked her. But—

He straightened his expression. “You’re not worthy of him!”

Fang Rulai’s eyes flashed disdain. “He’s not worthy of me!” She knew exactly who he meant.

Her blunt retort left Guan Qinghuai blinking in surprise. “Don’t be clever with your words.”

Fang Rulai rolled her eyes. “Do I need to be clever?”

She raised her chin high. Light from the window fell on her tilted face, half shaved, half covered by a wig—ugly to the eye, yet her profound confidence shone through as radiant beauty.

The old man stared for a long moment, then said suddenly, “Tell me how you knew I didn’t poison the food and how you knew Yihe fired that arrow. I promise you’ll live to see that brat.”

“You’re truly loyal to Guan Yihe. Yet you didn’t help him but captured me first. The Crown Prince must have wanted someone in the mansion, yet I’m still here without worry. Why? The Crown Prince wouldn’t spare you just because you’re Guan Yihe’s father. How did you get him to stand down?” Fang Rulai locked eyes with him, serious. “Tell me the reason, and I guarantee Guan Yihe’s life after this is safe.”

Snap! Another dart shot from his sleeve, but he didn’t throw it. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed the tip against Fang Rulai’s throat.

“...Safe.” Fang Rulai exhaled steadily, completing the word.

The old man’s smile was thin and forced. “Not moving you now doesn’t mean I won’t. You’d better confess while I’m in a good mood, or else—just a reminder, that brat was personally trained in martial arts by this old man when he was young. If you try any tricks, you’d better think twice about the consequences.”

“Ah, consequences!” Fang Rulai blinked, signaling she understood without nodding.

The old man glared. “Then speak quickly!”

A dart flew slantwise from Fang Rulai’s eyes. “Old man, keep that dart away from where I’m speaking. If I reveal some secret you can’t handle, and your hand slips, then I’d be—”

“Hmph, I doubt you have any other skills.” The old man tried to pull the dart closer, but Fang Rulai caught it after it moved just an inch.

Seeing her thumb and forefinger pinch the dart, he was taken aback. What was she planning?

Fang Rulai closed her eyes.

“Sigh, old friends, we haven’t flexed our muscles in nearly ten years, right?”

The old man’s wrist trembled, almost dropping the dart. Those were words he had muttered while cleaning these very darts from the earth recently. How did she know? And word for word?

“I’ve lived over sixty years, and you’ve been with me all that time. Battlefields, martial conflicts, marriage and children—except for the final rest in the ground, you’ve been with me through it all.”

Very few in the Yao Tian Kingdom still knew these old stories—besides him, maybe two others—and he was sure they wouldn’t mention them to a third party. So how did this little half-shaven girl know? The words sounded exactly like what he had muttered during the dart cleaning. Was he being watched by spies? Impossible! Though he hadn’t fought in a long time, his instinct for danger was still sharp.

Unable to find a reason, the old man found the girl oddly unsettling—eyes closed, gripping the dart, speaking his words verbatim. He trembled again and withdrew his hand.

Fang Rulai kept her eyes shut and snatched the dart’s handle.

“Li Shen is dead, Ming Qin is dead, Ya Zhi is dead, Li Chang is dead. I’m the last who knows the truth. Why am I still alive?”

Hearing these long-forgotten names from a stranger’s mouth, the old man felt exposed and awkward.

“Yes, I have a worthless son. I can’t die before he does! Ah, what a curse!”

Fang Rulai suddenly opened her eyes. She sensed deeper secrets hidden within. She should have pressed on relentlessly until finding the link to current events. But the old man’s tone was so sorrowful, even mentioning his doted son, it was hard to ignore the sadness. She felt that uninvitedly exposing someone’s wounds was unkind.

The old man, now slumped in the other armchair, seemed ten years older in an instant. When Fang Rulai paused, he waved dismissively without looking up. “Speak. Some things need to be brought to light.”

Fang Rulai closed her eyes again.

“Very well. I owe the Li family. This time, I’ll repay the debt in full. Li Shen, what I owed you then, now your grandson carries the burden. Don’t deny it in the afterlife—the jade seal in his hands was stolen and given to him by my men. Otherwise, how would he have survived? But the Crown Prince will soon find out after returning to the palace. I must say, your eldest grandson, if born in chaotic times, would be a true hero—ruthless and fierce. Alas, now the borders are peaceful, but the people suffer. At such a time, he cannot rise to power. So to save one grandson, the other must be killed. You understand, right?”

With that, the words from the dart ended.

Fang Rulai handed the dart back. “Old man, what’s this...?”

The information was overwhelming, and she wasn’t sure how to process it. But one thing was clear: the old man was definitely aligned with Guan Shiyin and the Second Prince.

He sheathed the dart and lifted his gaze, his face no longer sad or aged. “I’m almost certain why the Crown Prince wants you alive. Because of your abilities!”

If he hadn’t spoken these old tales himself, and if no spies were planted nearby, then anyone knowing all this must possess extraordinary powers.

“I wondered how a group of twenty-somethings could so swiftly dismantle the Crown Prince’s long-cultivated power in just two months. Turns out, there’s a special presence behind it.”

Imagine facing an opponent who can learn your secrets without stepping out; counterattacking would be precise and immediate.

Fang Rulai admitted, “Provided I come into contact with the right objects.” Not all objects held useful information; timing and reaction were crucial. Like martial arts, techniques are similar, but victory depends on flexible and timely application.

“Hmm, I’m beginning to admire you,” the old man said sincerely.

Fang Rulai’s eyes lit up. “Then I can leave—”

“But that doesn’t mean I’m on your side!” he interrupted earnestly. “You understand better than me that you only know part of the truth. I can tell you what you haven’t heard.”

She didn’t understand.

“I’ll repay my debts! With me here, the Second Prince won’t be killed by the Crown Prince, nor will that brat be replaced by Yihe. But a condition equally important to these is that my son Yihe remains safe.”

Fang Rulai’s expression darkened. “Guan Yihe isn’t someone who’s content with just staying safe, is he?”

“With me here, even if he’s unwilling, he must be,” the old man said, suddenly standing and walking out. “Alright, stay here for now. No one will trouble you or withhold your meals. When the outside situation stabilizes, I’ll release you.”

Fang Rulai wasn’t having it. She lunged forward, grabbing his sleeve. “If I go out, the situation will stabilize faster!”

The old man flicked his sleeve, sending her sprawling into a corner. “If you go out, I fear my son will die sooner.”

Such a person, once out, would only quicken the downfall of the Crown Prince’s faction after connecting with Guan Shiyin and the Second Prince. Guan Yihe, aiding the Crown Prince, would surely be the first casualty. He would never allow his son to die before his eyes.

Ignoring Fang Rulai’s pleas behind him, the old man decisively left the secret chamber only he knew how to open.

No sooner had he stepped out than the old steward knocked on the door.

“Old Master, are you in?”

“Mm, come in.”

The steward entered, sweating profusely. “The gatekeeper reports that Second Madam’s distant niece has come seeking refuge. What do you think?”

Second Madam was shot dead yesterday by the Second Master, who was now locked in a room by the Old Master, forbidden to come out. How should they handle this visitor? Even after a lifetime as steward, he found himself troubled. Let her in? Second Madam was dead, so who could accompany her? Turn her away? What if this raises suspicion?

“Old Master, maybe we should just end it outright,” the steward made a gesture suggesting assassination, thinking it would minimize trouble for the Guan family.

The old man glared. “Do you think the Guan family surrounded by Imperial Guards isn’t already drawing attention?”

“What to do then?” The steward wiped more sweat. “Second Madam just died yesterday! If that niece enters and notices something wrong, and files a complaint to Shengjing Prefecture, then we’re—”

“Enough. When did you start scaring yourself?” Guan Qinghuai interrupted. “Where is she now?”

“The gatekeeper had her wait in the Flower Hall.”

“Flower Hall? Good. I’ll go see.”

Second Madam has a niece? How come he never knew? Was she sent by the Crown Prince or the Second Prince?

The old master and steward left together, but shortly after their departure, a shadow swiftly slipped into the old man’s room.

–––––Author’s Note–––––

Dear readers, thank you for the diamond encouragement! I’m so happy!

By the way, after the spring rain, the weather has warmed up. Has your complexion brightened with the season? Remember to drink plenty of water in spring!