Lian Yu’s eyes were cold and fierce as he gripped her shoulders tightly. “Li Huaisu, what a mess of confusion you have. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, how long would you have kept this from me?”

Suzhen was concerned about his wound. “Leng Xue and I… I had already told him before. Even if it wasn’t clear then, everything was made clear today. Let me look at your shoulder wound. We should go back and bandage it first. Xuanwu and Qinglong must be worried sick…”

Lian Yu saw her eyes full of urgency, her brows tightly furrowed, and his heart softened somewhat. Earlier, seeing Leng Xue hold her hand with such tender affection, he had almost been moved to kill!

Actually, there had been signs as early as when they examined corpses in the morgue. She had seemed to be grieving something then, but found solace in Leng Xue’s embrace.

He studied her. Though he had received her public response and was certain she held no romantic feelings for that Leng Xue, he still couldn’t suppress that fierce, urgent anger. He pressed her against the wall, gripping her shoulders, and kissed her, his lips moving back and forth on hers.

The sweet fragrance and softness of her lips, combined with the burning pain in his shoulder—these two completely different sensations merged together, stimulating him, arousing him. He caught her tongue, sucking deeply. Suzhen was pressed hard by his intensity. Initially reluctant and aggrieved, but he still placed his hand behind her back as in memory, cushioning her so the wall wouldn’t hurt her. Something seemed to strike her heart, and she embraced his waist.

Once she began to feel him, that terrifying sensation returned—she saw his eyes deep as obsidian, like a pool of scattered starlight, containing only her reflection. Thus, his scalding lips, tongue, and palms instantly ignited a fire on her body.

She twisted, trying to shake off this shameless desire to have him continue… She kept avoiding his lips, unconsciously making sounds like broken gasps: “Lian Yu, don’t… your wound…”

Lian Yu saw the flowing light in her eyes, so enchanting, he almost wanted to tear off her clothes right there.

But under the open sky and earth, he couldn’t take her here!

Lian Yu smiled bitterly, resting his head on her shoulder, inhaling her hair’s fragrance to calm the heat within him. But Suzhen looked around anxiously: “Let me check your wound—”

Every time she moved, he wanted to kiss her… Lian Yu helplessly twitched his lips: “Don’t move.”

He deliberately pressed against her body, and Suzhen immediately felt something hard and burning pressing against her there. She cried out softly, her ears burning hot with embarrassment.

Lian Yu saw her helpless appearance, his heart somewhat eased, but still issued a warning: “Keep your distance from that Leng Xue. Provoke me again, and I’ll really kill him.”

Suzhen saw his anger had subsided somewhat, her courage grew, and she said in his embrace: “Kill him? Win against Leng Xue in single combat first before saying that!”

A mocking laugh fell lightly into her ears.

“That’s not difficult. I needn’t concern myself with honor or righteousness—just have him beaten to death.”

She was startled, seeing his stern expression that didn’t seem like joking.

He kissed her ear: “If I’m determined to kill someone, I alone am enough. I have a thousand, ten thousand ways to kill him.”

He looked at her, tapping his own forehead with a finger.

Suzhen knew these words weren’t false. She looked at him, saying fiercely: “You dare touch Leng Xue and see what happens—I’ll absolutely break with you!”

“Lian Yu, I truly only have brotherly feelings for him. I only… like you now. I’m single-minded. If you truly love me, trust me.”

Finally, she still blushed slightly as she spoke her heart’s truth.

Besides getting Leng Xue out of trouble, she also hoped he would understand that when she liked someone, she was decisive—just as she had once loved Li Zhaoting.

She also took out her handkerchief, simply bandaging his wound.

Using a sword, Leng Xue had made this cut quite deep! She frowned with heartache.

Lian Yu took everything in—this wound was worth it.

He constantly used his own methods to remind her, making her love him.

He knew very clearly that this Leng Xue wasn’t his greatest enemy—the owner of the flute was.

Seeing her look over, he quickly suppressed the calculating look in his eyes, only saying gently: “In a few more days, Wuyan will leave the palace. Then after court, I’ll keep you behind to discuss matters and let you enter the inner palace to see her.”

Suzhen felt melancholy, leaning against his uninjured shoulder: “Must Wuyan leave the capital?”

“Yes, there are no banquets that never end—some people must always leave. She may not leave the capital, just that her current resolve is quite firm. I also hope she stays in the capital, so if she needs any help, I can provide it anytime. But Wuyan has her principles. Otherwise, why do you think I don’t bring her and Huo Chang’an together, instead playing the villain? I respect her, so I respect all her decisions. Moreover, publicly and privately, I approve of her leaving the palace, lest when you enter the palace later, she feels uncomfortable and you feel guilty.”

Suzhen knew he was referring to Wuyan having once intended to spend her life with him. Though reluctant to part with Wuyan, she had to admit his consideration was correct.

Thinking of how he always considered her feelings, she was moved.

“She still has Huo Chang’an in her heart, which is why she hopes to go far away,” she thought and said.

“Perhaps,” Lian Yu imperceptibly held her tighter, seemingly naturally mentioning what came next, “Once her matter is settled, you can go handle your family’s case.”

He had told Zhuque to stop investigating because he wanted to hear her tell him personally. He had originally planned to use Wuyan’s departure to make her stay a few more days, letting her be honest with him before allowing her to handle the case. But today’s events made him change his mind.

If she still couldn’t be frank with him, then let her handle the case quickly.

He didn’t want to play guessing games anymore. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

Zhuque had investigated for so long without discovering her identity, proving there were experts behind her.

This increasingly showed her identity must be extraordinary.

And the person she loved must also have a significant background—one that would bring trouble or even mortal danger if revealed.

Once she began handling the case, her identity could no longer be hidden, and who she loved would also be revealed.

In any case, by today, everything about her had captured his heart and successfully aroused his rare curiosity.

He was giving her a chance to speak… How could Suzhen not hear this? For the second time, she almost blurted it out, but his attitude toward Leng Xue reminded her. His hatred for Quan Feitong, Li Zhaoting’s relationship with Quan Feitong, the engagement between the Feng family daughter and Young Master Li that was known throughout the county—any of these could easily trigger his murderous intent. Before ensuring Li Zhaoting’s safety, she couldn’t reveal anything. For him to secretly kill someone without her knowledge would be effortless.

“Qinglong’s delicious food should be ready. Come, let’s go get it.”

Lian Yu smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned, taking her hand to walk forward.

She knew she couldn’t delay much longer, but was grateful he gave her time and spared her. She suddenly asked: “Lian Yu, are you this good to all your consorts?”

Lian Yu’s eyes showed a hint of depth: “I’m only good to the person I love. Those I don’t love mean nothing to me.”

His expression carried a trace of barely perceptible dominance. Suzhen turned her head, unable to stop the shallow curve at her lips.

Soon, she would indeed get confirmation that he was only good to the woman he loved. To other women, he could be cruel to the point of ruthlessness. Unfortunately, the woman he loved wasn’t her. It was just that she thought so, and he had once thought so as well.

Little Zhou knew that at this hour, besides Uncle Fu, there was no one else at the Ministry of Justice. A mysterious smile curved her lips as she walked out of her room, found a particular door, and without calling out or knocking, walked straight in.

The room was very quiet and extremely clean, with simple furnishings. Everything was meticulous, even the floor spotless. She liked this feeling.

The room was so clean it seemed uninhabited at first glance, but a casual look revealed a young man lying on the bed.

This person had handsome features, closed eyes, even breathing—he was sound asleep.

“Deputy Commander Wuqing, didn’t you ask me to come find you? I’m here. What, are you still sleeping?”

She flicked Wuqing’s forehead. Usually alert Wuqing was completely unaware, still sleeping soundly. The air held a faint, unusual atmosphere.

Little Zhou raised an eyebrow with a smile, walking to the table and sitting down leisurely, taking out a paper packet from her robe.

She quickly opened the packet, pouring the white powder inside into the porcelain pot of boiling water on the table.

Yesterday while helping Uncle Fu serve dishes, she had put sleeping medicine in his food. After taking the drug, he wouldn’t immediately notice anything unusual, only feel slightly drowsy. Once asleep, he wouldn’t wake until a certain time, conveniently saving today’s trouble of drugging him. The medicine she was adding now was extremely potent—she could only add a little each day… She had been finding ways to drug him daily. It really wasn’t easy.

Fortunately, there were only two more days of medicine left, which was about when she would leave.

She thought lightly, when suddenly her shoulder was patted. A hand covered her lips as a gentle voice sounded by her ear: “Darling, what did you put in my tea water?”