Like a gentle breeze sweeping over melting snow in deep winter, scattering fine snowflakes into the air before they slowly descended, Yan Chi felt a subtle, secret anticipation stirring in his heart. Yet he dared not show it too obviously, fearing he might pressure Qin Wan. He steadied himself and heard his calm question, “What secret?”
Qin Wan leaned entirely into the crook of Yan Chi’s neck, her back tensely rigid. She had finally managed to speak, but as soon as the words fell, she jolted back to alertness.
Should she tell him? Should she tell him now?
Her incredible experience, both bizarre and mystical – even if Yan Chi wouldn’t be frightened, he would likely find it difficult to accept immediately.
Yet she wanted so desperately to tell him.
This secret lay buried in her heart, carrying blood and fire, hatred and sorrow. If she told Yan Chi, at least her hatred and sorrow would find an outlet. At least when she fell into nightmares, Yan Chi would understand why she wept. However, this secret was the most hidden, deepest wound in her heart. Should she expose it for him to see? Should she hand over her final vulnerability to him?
Qin Wan shifted slightly, her tear-moistened eyes looking clearly at Yan Chi.
That chiseled face was filled with concern, his dark eyes reflecting her face, his gaze nothing but tenderness.
Yan Chi didn’t pressure her and didn’t even show any intent to probe or question. In his eyes was only a dense, protective web that wrapped around her, soothing her inner wounds and shielding her from all external frost and blade edges. He regarded her as his treasure.
Qin Wan’s lips moved slightly, and suddenly that last trace of hesitation vanished like smoke.
“Today, I went to the Shen residence—”
Without needing to ask Bai Ying, Qin Wan began explaining her whereabouts today. Yan Chi’s hand continued to gently stroke her cheek as he quietly waited for her to finish.
“Sun Muqing bought the Shen residence and kept all the old items that weren’t destroyed by the fire.”
“I… I…”
The remaining words congealed on Qin Wan’s tongue. Even having made up her mind, Qin Wan couldn’t explain her experience. Instead, she felt somewhat lost. “You’ve already guessed my lifelong wish – I want to investigate the Jin Prince’s case, actually for Lord Shen’s sake.”
Yan Chi had indeed guessed this, but why?
Finally, a faint doubt arose in his eyes – he felt that Qin Wan seemed about to tell him the reason.
Tears welled up in Qin Wan’s eyes again as she looked at Yan Chi, feeling the next words were exceptionally heavy.
“If I tell you that I’m not originally the Ninth Miss of the Qin family, would you… believe it?”
Yan Chi’s brows suddenly furrowed. He had imagined various explanations from Qin Wan – perhaps she and Shen Yi had some unknown past friendship, or maybe Shen Yi had connections with her father’s generation, or even that Shen Yi had personally taught her the art of autopsy. But he never imagined that Qin Wan would say she wasn’t the Ninth Miss of the Qin family!
But if she wasn’t the Ninth Miss of the Qin family, then who was she?
Qin Wan saw Yan Chi’s surprise – who wouldn’t be surprised to hear such words?!
When they first met, she was in Jin Zhou, where she had barely left the Qin residence for almost two years. If she had been impersonating the Ninth Miss, the people of Jin Zhou’s Qin family couldn’t possibly have failed to notice. Later, when she returned to the capital, the people of the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s manor showed no sense of unfamiliarity or doubt toward her. She could only be Qin Wan.
Yet Yan Chi’s thoughts went even further than Qin Wan’s. True, Qin Wan had been in Jin Zhou for over three years, but when he arrived in Jin Zhou, he knew that the Ninth Miss of the Qin family had just fallen into a lake. She had died but somehow survived perfectly fine. This resurrection not only didn’t leave the Ninth Miss dull or foolish, but suddenly she possessed medical skills, even reviving a family maid who had hanged herself. Not only did she know medicine, but she also had expertise in autopsy and bone examination… This allowed the Ninth Miss of the Qin family to shine brilliantly in Jin Zhou in a short time.
Yan Chi had Bai Feng investigate and naturally knew the Ninth Miss’s former reputation – she had been timid and weak, treated poorly in the Qin family, and later was discarded like worn-out shoes. Learning this, he had found it strange because the Qin Wan in his eyes would never tolerate falling into such a state, nor would she allow others to bully her. Her intelligence was extraordinary, her medical skills unmatched, her bearing as elegant as an immortal. Had she even a fraction of ambition, she would never have remained a dusty pearl.
At that time, he naturally wouldn’t casually question Qin Wan, being simply attracted to the Qin Wan he saw. But later…
Later, Qin Wan became increasingly unflappable, yet he still discovered many clues.
Her unusual reaction when mentioning the Jin Prince’s case, her different manner when facing Sun Muqing, her change of color in Yuan Zhou upon learning that Li Muyin would attend Prince Yu’s birthday banquet in Yu Zhou, her familiarity with the capital upon return, her intimate knowledge of palace pathways, her obsession with Shen Yi’s handwritten copies and old collections – all these could previously be explained as coincidences, but now with Qin Wan’s words reaching this point, he instantly connected them into a thread of clues in his mind. Adding her extraordinary abilities in autopsy and case investigation, Yan Chi felt he was very close to the final answer—
He had been as close as brothers with the Jin Prince, but faced with speculation that the Qin Prince might have been wronged, he still chose to investigate secretly after much deliberation, and would never make the Jin Prince’s case his life’s mission. Royal family struggles involved countless schemes and plots – even if the Jin Prince was truly wronged, he wouldn’t sacrifice everything to clear his name. But it would be different for his father – blood is thicker than water, and responsibility and hatred wouldn’t allow him to tolerate his father being groundlessly murdered. He could plan for a hundred days in secret without revealing himself, or stake everything on a life-and-death gamble, just like… just like Qin Wan’s stubborn pursuit of whether Shen Yi had been wronged!
Yan Chi’s throat tightened, “So you are… Shen…”
Qin Wan closed her eyes and suddenly embraced Yan Chi. “The Ninth Miss of the Qin family is already dead… I… am just…”
A wandering ghost of Shen Wan…
Qin Wan didn’t say it out loud. She didn’t know what she counted as, but she knew that at this point, Yan Chi already understood.
Yan Chi suddenly tightened his arms, the shock in his heart certainly genuine. He had campaigned in battle for half his life, his experiences and thoughts reaching heights ordinary people couldn’t imagine, but Qin Wan’s words still caught him completely off guard. There was even a vague notion in his heart – was it really as he thought?
When he first learned that the Ninth Miss of the Qin family had her mourning hall prepared and funeral rites completed yet came back to life, his instinct was that the Qin family paid too little attention to Qin Wan, actually making such a mistake. He hadn’t considered that the real Ninth Miss had died.
And this point precisely explained his previous doubts. The rumors about the Ninth Miss of the Qin family that he had Bai Feng investigate were true – the former Ninth Miss was indeed weak and timid with no skills to rely on. Only when the new Ninth Miss arrived did everything undergo an earth-shattering change.
Yan Chi’s breathing tightened, and even a trace of cold ran up his spine.
He never believed in tales of ghosts and spirits, but if such miraculous things truly existed in the world, might Qin Wan not be the only one?
Might there be more strange occurrences that he didn’t believe in, yet had long existed in secret?
Yan Chi suddenly reined in his boundless thoughts. Looking down at the top of Qin Wan’s head, he only wanted to know what had happened to her.
If it was as he thought, that meant after the Jin Prince’s case broke last year, she had experienced the slaughter outside the imperial city…
Yan Chi’s heart suddenly clenched. He had escaped death from piles of corpses countless times and understood that feeling all too well. But just thinking that the person surrounded by the Rong warriors had been Qin Wan and that she hadn’t managed to escape – Yan Chi felt as if his own heart had been shot with an arrow!
Yan Chi suddenly closed his eyes, holding Qin Wan tightly, his lips falling on her head again and again.
After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, the darkness in them replaced by a trace of gratitude. He steadied himself and lowered his head, saying, “Wan’er…”
Qin Wan’s body moved slightly but made no sound. Yan Chi raised an eyebrow and looked down to see Qin Wan’s eyes slightly closed – she had fallen asleep again. Yan Chi was stunned, really not expecting that after his mind had wandered so far, Qin Wan would instead fall asleep.
But soon, his eyes softened. If not for complete trust, Qin Wan would never have been able to fall asleep at this moment.
She carried such an earth-shattering secret in her heart, and the tragedy of the Shen family was a wound she couldn’t heal from. Yet in her daily life, she remained so gentle and composed, never revealing her true nature. How much torment and pain did she harbor in her heart? How desperate had she once been?
She must have originally intended to keep this secret buried in her heart forever, yet she had been honest with him.
Yan Chi’s heart grew both soft and bitter, wanting to fold her into his very bones.
When Qin Wan spoke her first words, her heart held some panic and worry, but after she had expressed her meaning, albeit unclearly, she felt at peace. After experiencing both nightmares and crying, she felt utterly exhausted. Knowing Yan Chi’s surprise and shock, knowing he needed time to process this, she relaxed. With his familiar scent in her nose, she unconsciously drifted off to sleep again…
Yan Chi kissed her face gently, then carefully turned and placed her on the bed.
This movement startled Qin Wan awake. She opened her eyes, looking at him drowsily. Yan Chi stroked her hair and said softly, “Sleep. I’ll stay here watching over you.”
Qin Wan’s eyes hurt and her head felt fuzzy and uncomfortable. Hearing his words, she felt reassured and closed her eyes again. Soon, her breathing became deep and even.
Yan Chi tucked in the corners of the blanket, his gaze falling on Qin Wan.
No wonder Qin Wan had many worries. If she told this to others, they would likely be frightened out of their wits and wouldn’t easily believe it. Even Yan Chi himself now looked at Qin Wan differently – she wasn’t the Ninth Miss of the Qin family, she was the Young Lady of the Shen family…
Speaking these words in his heart, Yan Chi still felt some dissonance. Indeed, this was too… incredible.
Yan Chi silently observed Qin Wan, countless strange thoughts arising in his mind. What kind of process was it? How did one become another person, and what lay between life and death? What had she experienced… The more Yan Chi thought, the more tender his gaze became, the emotions in his heart nearly overflowing – both heartache and gratitude for having met her and having met her in Jin Zhou. Fortunately, Qin Wan was asleep now, otherwise seeing him like this would probably make Yan Chi himself blush.
This appearance of his was far too tender, too lacking in decisive ruthlessness!
In these moments, Yan Chi nearly used up a lifetime’s worth of wild thoughts. He sat motionless like a great Buddha statue by the bedside, not even noticing when the sky darkened outside. After who knows how long, all the shock and questions in his heart slowly dispersed, replaced by calm certainty. And compared to before, he now had no doubts at all. This honesty made Yan Chi’s gaze both tender and firm as he unhesitatingly lowered his head to kiss Qin Wan’s lips.
If before, Qin Wan had carefully used armor to hide and protect the secrets in her heart, now she had thrown away all defenses, throwing herself into his embrace with complete trust. A dense warmth grew in his heart, wishing he could immediately do even more intimate things with Qin Wan. This warmth grew increasingly intense, increasingly passionate, transforming into uncontrollable desire.
Yan Chi lifted the brocade quilt, not minding that Qin Wan hadn’t woken as he placed dense kisses on her lips and neck. Yan Chi’s blood surged, desire roared, wanting to kiss every inch of her body, leaving his mark and scent, using the most intimate entanglement to dispel the hidden pain and unease in his heart.
He still didn’t believe in spirits and ghosts, only ached for Qin Wan’s past, feared strange things happening to her again, or even feared she might suddenly disappear. As this thought emerged, Yan Chi belatedly realized he truly couldn’t control himself anymore…
Qin Wan was awakened by heat. She felt as if she were inside a furnace – not only was it hot, but there was also a feather-light tickling on her body. That tickling carried a numbing sensation, slowly seeping from her skin’s surface into her bones. She moved her lips, instinctively wanting to make some sound to relieve that numbness. Still sleeping, this moment of sweet rest made her feel as if she were wrapped in warm cotton. She wanted to continue sleeping, didn’t want to wake…
However, that numbing sensation was gradually consuming her, driving away her sleepiness as her consciousness became increasingly clear. Soon, her senses sharpened. What covered her body wasn’t the brocade quilt; rather, Yan Chi’s intense presence enveloped her. Below her collarbone, something wet and hot was grinding against her.
Qin Wan froze, instantly awakening. Opening her misty eyes, she saw Yan Chi above her. She blinked, first understanding what Yan Chi was doing, then blushing, and finally belatedly remembering what had happened before she fell asleep.
Her brows immediately furrowed slightly as she looked uncertainly toward Yan Chi…
But with this look, she was struck by the intense desire in Yan Chi’s eyes.
Qin Wan was momentarily stunned. What was this…
Not only had Yan Chi not fallen into incredulous confusion, but he looked like this, with such bestial passion…
This was so different from what she had expected…
Qin Wan naturally didn’t know that Yan Chi had already gone through his confusion. But who was Yan Chi? Things that would shock others to their core merely raised some waves in him. He had let those waves rock for a moment, then forcefully suppressed them. He cherished her to his bones, accepting all of her had become his instinct. Moreover, he never wasted time on wild thoughts, for her honesty in dropping her final defenses had moved him to madness…
“You…”
Qin Wan spoke one word, but found her voice unrecognizably hoarse, making her face redden further. Yan Chi’s gaze was unexpected, making her heart skip a beat. She didn’t know if this was the right moment to further explain her earlier words, ask what he thought, or let him continue asking his questions. She opened her clear eyes, feeling the temperature between the bed curtains rising higher and higher, Yan Chi’s gaze feeling almost physically hot. Thus she couldn’t say another word, only quietly watching Yan Chi, waiting for him to speak.
Yan Chi’s throat bobbed. Though he had been quite restrained, he had still awakened her. Once she woke, the thoughts in his heart boiled even more intensely. Controlling his increasingly heavy breathing, he first raised his hand to stroke her face, then spoke softly, “I understand everything.”
He understood everything – all the inexplicable things since they had known each other, he now understood.
Yan Chi leaned down, placing dense kisses on Qin Wan’s lips. Qin Wan’s eyes widened, then suddenly closed as her hands slowly embraced Yan Chi’s shoulders. Yan Chi’s throat moved as he made his way past her lips and teeth as if wanting to take away all her sweetness in his conquest.
Qin Wan’s mind exploded with a boom, and she finally couldn’t help letting out a soft moan. Yan Chi, who had been maintaining a gradual rhythm, froze at this sound, then could no longer resist as he led Qin Wan into endless desire…