“What exactly is your relationship with him?” Qin Yaoyue’s words were indeed peculiar. When people say “to side with” or “to pledge allegiance,” it usually implies a bond based on mutual interests. So why would he be pleading on Gray Hawk’s behalf? Moreover, Qiu Huan had previously confirmed Qin Yaoyue’s identity—meaning she finally remembered where that strange, almost familiar feeling toward him had come from. His eyes and eyebrows bore an uncanny resemblance to Gray Hawk’s; it was only that Qin Yaoyue had always kept his sharp edge hidden, dressing like a scholar, that now he was finally revealing his true self.

Come to think of it, if it weren’t for the fact that Qiu Huan hadn’t received any formal training as an assassin and wasn’t particularly attuned to facial features, someone like Yuan Mo or Yuan Qian—who could instantly recognize the likeness between Gray Hawk and Qin Yaoyue just by seeing Gray Hawk once—would have been able to spot it right away. Qiu Huan’s adoptive father had focused solely on one thing in her upbringing over the years: finding ways to strengthen her internal energy. Everything else was treated as a “perk” reserved for when she hit a plateau, so Qiu Huan’s early life was, quite frankly, dreadfully dull.

“…He’s my younger brother.”

“—Clatter!”

Make no mistake—the one who accidentally knocked over the lamp was an operative under the Shadow Department. Duan Yunhe and Gray Hawk had never actually interacted, so there was no way they’d react this strongly.

Qiu Huan cast a cool, unflinching glance at the man who, knowing full well he’d done something wrong, was now playing dead. She thought to herself that she’d definitely have to give Cheng Jingtian a stern talking-to later: how could these people even be called assassins? They needed to be reined in properly.

“Let me guess—did Gray Hawk put you by my side precisely because he knew I’d be unable to touch you, given my position? After all, if you were exposed, I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it without provoking Gray Hawk’s retaliation.”

“Both yes and no. He doesn’t really care about me. If you truly wanted to use me to threaten him, you wouldn’t be able to.”

Qiu Huan couldn’t help but laugh: “He doesn’t care about you? Then why are you defending him so fiercely? I may not be a bloodthirsty person, but he’s already been stepping on the toes of the God of Wealth! You’d better give me a reason not to take his life. And first off, tell me everything about the current Gray Hawk of the Tonglou—every single detail of his past. If you dare to lie even once, I won’t be able to help you anymore.” She still knew how to lay down some tough words.

Qin Yaoyue cooperated fully. “It’s actually one and the same story. Once I tell you, you’ll understand: the ‘Gray Hawk’ you’re talking about—my younger brother—is the second son of the Gaoyang Emperor, titled Prince Lan.”

“—Clatter!”

Duan Yunhe took a startled step back, and the lantern stand on the other side toppled over as well.

This was something even the Tonglou didn’t know: it turned out that Gu Yongxiao, the son of Consort Xian and also the Crown Prince of Liangqiu, was not dead after all! With the help of the then-Crown Princess Gu Yonghuang—now the Empress of Liangqiu—he managed to slip out of the palace under the guise of death when he was only nine years old. He then adopted the alias Qin Yaoyue and, following the principle that “the most dangerous place is the safest place,” lived cautiously in Jining—the capital of Liangqiu—for another decade or so, until his half-brother Li Bai grew a bit older and finally found a way to get in touch with him.

As for how Li Bai ended up infiltrating the Tonglou, Qiu Huan finally had a clue.

“…That’s exactly what happened,” Qin Yaoyue said, succinctly recounting how he left the palace, how he came into contact with Li Bai, and how he subsequently went undercover beside Qiu Huan.

“Ha, Yunhe really took the blame for you,” Qiu Huan chuckled, recalling the incident.

“What? What?” Miss Duan perked up at the mention of her name.

“Remember that time you slipped in through the back door and got caught by Yuan Mo? I knew right away that a fellow operative had come to scout the area. In the end, he didn’t gain much but still let you in—and ended up exposing himself. After that, the courtyard started assigning guards.” (This refers to the earlier dream Duan Yunhe had about Ming Zhen paying a visit.)

“So does that mean I helped you after all?” Duan Yunhe asked excitedly.

“Even by accident, it counts as helping,” Qiu Huan said with a delighted smile. It really was an astonishing coincidence.

In truth, Qin Yaoyue was rather frustrated. Although nighttime—with its dark skies and chilly winds—is the perfect time for mischief, with Yuan Mo around, the Frostwood Garden at night felt far too dangerous. Only when dawn was just breaking did people’s guard generally drop to its lowest point, and Yuan Mo needed rest too—so wasn’t that exactly the opening he’d exploited? But who would have thought that, after finally managing to sneak in, Duan Yunhe would follow right behind him and take advantage of the situation, forcing Qin Yaoyue to retreat in a hurry to avoid being discovered, leaving him with nothing accomplished at all.

End of Chapter 31: Turbulent Times