Huyan Siluo sat in the master bedroom of Thorny Heart Villa, gazing at the big bed in front of her as a wave of fear swept over her heart.

After Sister Qing Lan left just now, the old butler suddenly brought her here. She had originally thought this was the room she would be staying in from now on, and secretly thought, "The Jing Family's hospitality isn't bad." Even though the level of this room couldn't compare to her bedroom in Lord Wang Hai's mansion, it was already pretty decent.

However, after sitting for a while, Huyan Siluo quickly noticed signs of habitation all around the bedroom. Two comforters with different patterns, a desk cluttered with manuscripts, books marked with bookmarks, glasses left on the nightstand... All of this, all of it, seemed to declare that this was evidently a bedroom for a couple.

"No way, right?"

"It's only my first day here!"

"I was even sleeping with my mom just yesterday!"

"Could it be that today, I have to share a bed with that jerk Jing Zhengwei?!"

"The more I thought about it, the more scared I got—the longer I stayed, the more I trembled. I felt like a little lamb about to be bitten by a big bad wolf, and soon I'd be stripped and roughed up."

Her cheeks grew rosier and glowed with a crystal brightness as she pondered all this. She bit her lip and twisted her body shyly. But soon she snapped out of it and instinctively tried to avoid reality, diverting her attention back to scouting the room.

She suddenly noticed there were quite a few pairs of glasses on the windowsill, in all sorts of styles... "Do both Jing Zhengwei and Sister Qing Lan have bad eyesight?"

She picked up the book on the nightstand, the cover read The Seven Secret Chapters of Xuanjun, and she wondered—could it be a combat technique handbook? But the moment she opened it, all the illustrations in various positions made Huyan Siluo blush beet red. The vaguely humiliating thoughts in her mind from a moment before abruptly became graphic reality.

She secretly spat, thinking, "This must be Jing Zhengwei's book. I can't believe that jerk looks at this kind of book on purpose just to mess with women!"

Suddenly, Huyan Siluo noticed some reflected light and realized that the wardrobe doors beside her were made of translucent glass. She could see the clothes inside from outside—her house had wardrobes like this, too.

Then, Huyan Siluo saw a set of scandalously revealing black-and-white maid outfits inside the wardrobe.

"Just thinking about wearing that made my cheeks flush with heat."

"Jing Zhengwei, blech!"

In her mind, Huyan Siluo loudly accused Jing Zhengwei's crime scene while hungrily combing the bedroom for clues. Even the burning incense was, in her eyes, evidence of a cover-up for suspicious odors.

She slowly walked over to the desk and saw a pile of manuscripts written in an embarrassingly awkward hand sitting on top.

"That good-for-nothing businessman Jing Zhengwei—could he be doing accounts in his bedroom?" she wondered, glancing at the contents of the manuscript.

And then, she couldn't tear her gaze away.

She only snapped out of it when she heard footsteps outside, straightening up immediately into a model posture as Leyu and Qing Lan came in, her heart pounding with nerves.

"Good evening, Fourth Miss Huyan," Leyu the Quack exclaimed brightly, "How do you like this room?"

"It's, it's pretty nice."

"Really? Great, then you'll be living here from now on."

"Huh?" Although she'd already had a hunch, Huyan Siluo couldn't help but blush furiously when she heard Leyu say that, "Th-this is too fast! Isn't this your bedroom?"

"Ha, getting scared now, are you!" Leyu flashed a devilish grin, flopping down at the desk, "Didn't you just say you're willing? What's this, Fourth Miss of the Huyan Family—this all the determination you've got?"

"I—I..."

"My mind was a mess." She subconsciously glanced at the wardrobe. Leyu followed her gaze, then looked at Qing Lan, then at Huyan Siluo, shaking his head, "Don't look, we won't make you wear those. They're not even your size."

Qing Lan glanced at Huyan Siluo's generous chest, then shot a resentful look at Leyu.

Before Huyan Siluo could feel relieved, Leyu immediately added, "And who cares what you sleep in? Honestly, I think you'd look best not wearing anything."

Seeing Qing Lan's eyes grow dangerously sharp, and wanting a peaceful night's sleep, Leyu coughed and decided to stop fueling the fire, "Anyway, I know Lord Wang Hai thinks he's doing what's best for you, but if you let something called 'for your own good' ruin your future happiness here, you wouldn't accept it, right?"

"But if you want to be a guest at Jing Garden, I don't mind—just consider it like raising a lazy pig. As for any other matters, don't even think about meddling. If Lord Wang Hai's clever, maybe I'll lend him a hand; if he's not, then even if you lick... no matter what you do, I won't be moved by pity."

Huyan Siluo couldn't help blurting out, "I'm not a pig!"

Leyu said, "Hey, don't look down on pigs, they're actually smart, even know how to ask 'why'—do you know why?"

Huyan Siluo blinked, "Why?"

At this, Qing Lan couldn't hold back her laughter. Leyu waved her hand, motioning for Qing Lan to send the "pig" back to its pen.

Just before leaving, Huyan Siluo suddenly turned and asked, "Jing Zhengwei, why do you have to go against everyone? Can't you just get along and make money together?"

Qing Lan stopped moving but didn't try to drag Huyan Siluo away.

"She seemed to be waiting for Leyu's answer."

Or maybe—

"She hoped Leyu would have a change of heart, too."

Leyu glanced at them and replied, "You never saw me cry for someone's death. You never saw me overflowing with bloodlust at the Silver Blood kids gorging themselves at Celestial Court Restaurant. You never saw me, every time I pass the slums, have to squeeze my eyes shut so I wouldn't see the kids in rags. You never saw me, every single night, regret wasting another useless day. You never saw, because I never did any of those things—Old man here is number one under heaven, and who the hell are you anyway? Why would I owe you an explanation of my tragic backstory?"

"How dare you call the Silver Blood Association boss by name! Qing Lan, drag her out and spank her—make it loud!"

Qing Lan stifled a laugh as she dragged a bewildered Huyan Siluo outside. With a crisp, wavelike smack, Huyan Siluo let out an embarrassed, furious scream from the hall.

Soon after, Qing Lan returned to the room, looping her arms around Leyu's neck and grumbling, "This is all your fault, making me play the bad guy. Now Siluo might hate me."

"Isn't that a good thing? At least it'll stop you from wanting to be sisters with her." Leyu said, "Honestly, even if I did marry her, I'd rather you two be rivals, fighting for my attention every day, than gang up and drag me into your bedroom at once... Ugh, just thinking about it's a nightmare."

"If you dare mess with another woman, I'll bite you to death!" Qing Lan bared her teeth, but ended up bursting into laughter.

"Keep it up, your bad-girl mode's still pretty refreshing to me."

"Really? Then I'll show you just how bad I can be!"

"Quit it, I have to update, I have to update—!"

The two wrestled on the bed for a bit before Qing Lan pinned him and arched an eyebrow, asking, "So you really... didn't want to give me another sister?"

Leyu sighed, "Man, I hate repeating myself too many times. But if you need to hear it, that's fine—yes, Qing Lan, until this body draws its last breath, you are my one and only companion."

Qing Lan's face flushed, but she didn't let up, "Then be honest and answer me one question."

"Go ahead."

"Who is Qian Yuya?"

Leyu froze, his tone turning serious.

"How did you learn that name?"

Figuring things out was almost second nature for Qing Lan. She could feel Leyu shifting into a tense state, so she stopped focusing on relationship issues and got serious, "Every month you send money through the Windward Post Office in Yanjing to a girl student named Qian Yuya at the Royal Academy. I've actually known for some time—I figured she was your... fiancée, so I never brought it up."

"Qian Yuya is my friend's little sister. My friend died horribly, I couldn't bear it, and I was so broke all I had left was money, so I sent it to his sister to look after her in his place," Leyu explained, still frowning. "Every time I wired the money, I told the post office to keep my name secret. How did you find out?"

"Telling them's useless." Qing Lan smiled, "Ever since you became Silver Blood Association president, you're a hotshot in Xuanzhu County. Everyone at the post office recognizes you. Actually, the staffer who told me figured this tidbit would fetch a high price from me—and he was right."

Leyu was stunned.

He slowly sat up and held his head, his face gradually going blank.

After acquiring the Ice Blood Physique, Leyu no longer experienced negative feelings like regret or sadness. When things exceeded his expectations, he'd force himself into a cold and calm state so he could quickly figure a way out.

Qing Lan sensed something was off and quietly asked, "Will Qian Yuya be in trouble?"

Leyu nodded lightly and hugged Qing Lan.

"The world was cold and heartless, but at least Qing Lan's embrace still felt a bit warm."

He had forgotten how different his identity had become.

Before, he was just the eldest young master of the Jing Family—not even a big shot by their standards, with people like Jing Qingfu, Zhengwu, and the Main Hall pressing down on him, so nobody really cared about what he did.

But now, he was president of the Silver Blood Association.

And not only that, he was a president who had pissed off countless aristocrats.

Which meant, every trace of his past would be combed over by countless people, all looking for leverage to control him.

He used to wire money to Qian Yuya—at worst, the post office would get a little curious.

But now, probably all the big shots in Xuanzhu County were curious about who Qian Yuya really was to him.

Yet cooped up in Xuanzhu County, Leyu was absolutely powerless to help.

All he could do was pray.

For White Night in Yanjing, to keep Qian Yuliu's little sister safe.

"Hope she's okay."

...

...

Yanjing.

Sweetwater Alley.

An empty street, distant bright streetlights.

Qian Yuya stopped, turned, and said, "You've been following me for days. What do you want?"

From the shadows, a man in a black cloak stepped forward.

"Your name's Qian Yuya, eighteen, you live on Vermilion Bird Alley, West City Avenue, single, first-year student at the Royal Academy in Yanjing. You have classes until six every day before you go home, don't smoke, drink, or play cards. You go to bed at eleven, sleep eight hours a night, and before bed you always drink a glass of warm milk then do twenty minutes of combat technique wellness practice. You fall asleep the second you get in bed and sleep through to morning, never letting fatigue or stress carry over to the next day. All your teachers say you're an excellent student."

Any normal girl would have run for her life after seeing a stranger spout all her private details, but Qian Yuya's face remained calm.

She said, "Your research isn't far off."

"Your approval is the greatest encouragement to me," the cloaked man said, bowing his head. "But the thing I really want to know still has no clear answer. I hope you'll answer me honestly."

"What is it?"

"What exactly is your connection to the Jing Family of Xuanzhu County?"