At night, a row of soldiers stood at the main gate of the Sun mansion. Having soldiers guard one’s gate was unreasonable, but Sun Xiangfu was now like a startled bird seeing enemies everywhere, so he couldn’t care less about propriety. All servants in the mansion had been thoroughly investigated, but no suspicious leads were found.

Right Military Commander Xiao Jue and Investigating Censor Yuan Baozhen were both staying at the mansion. Sun Xiangfu had noticed the undercurrent between these two beneath their calm exterior. Sitting in his room sighing heavily, Sun Ling, who had learned the whole story from the servants, asked, “Father, why are you still troubled by this matter?”

Sun Xiangfu was furious, “If you hadn’t meddled and brought those women back to the mansion, none of this would have happened!”

“Father, I brought them back for my use, not for entertaining your guests,” Sun Ling rolled his eyes and retorted, “How can you blame me now that there’s trouble? Those women were useless too. If they wanted to assassinate someone, they should have succeeded in one attempt. Dying for nothing – who knows who benefited from this?”

Before he could finish, Sun Xiangfu rushed over and covered his mouth, looking around before scolding, “Do you have a death wish, saying such things!”

“I’m not wrong,” Sun Ling moved closer and whispered, “Father, do you also dislike Xiao Jue?”

Sun Xiangfu remained silent. Was this even a matter of whether he liked Xiao Jue or not? Rather than concerning himself with whether he liked Xiao Jue, perhaps he should worry more about whether Xiao Jue liked him.

“I’ve noticed some friction between Commander Xiao and Master Yuan. When they’re at odds, you just need to watch from the sidelines. That Master Yuan seems decent and amiable – you might as well help him secretly. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Sun Ling continued, “If something goes wrong in the end, you’ll have both eliminated Xiao Jue and built a relationship with Master Yuan. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”

He thought his reasoning was sound, but unexpectedly received a slap on the head from Sun Xiangfu, who berated him, “How can it be as simple as you say? You didn’t see today, but Xiao Jue, he…” His eyes flashed with fear as he recalled something, “He’s not easy to deal with.”

In another room, under dim lamplight, Yuan Baozhen sat at the table, his expression uncertain. The plain-looking guard stood behind him, his eyes shifting uneasily.

“Xiao Jue suspects me,” Yuan Baozhen finally said after a while. “Now that today’s attempt failed, we might not get another chance.”

“How could he suspect you?” asked the guard, the man called Ding Yi.

“I don’t know.” Thinking about what happened earlier in Sun Xiangfu’s study, Yuan Baozhen grew angry. Xiao Jue’s suspicion had been blatant, his tone arrogant and domineering, and he hadn’t known how to respond. He had just arrived in Liangzhou City and had never had any previous interaction with Xiao Jue – there was no reason for Xiao Jue to suspect him.

“Also, how did Cheng Lisu become blind?” Yuan Baozhen frowned. “Was this arranged beforehand?”

Ding Yi shook his head: “Never heard of it.”

There was no use speculating now. All the assassins were dead, without a single survivor. Even with a mind full of questions, there was no one left to answer them.

“That Cheng Lisu is strange,” Ding Yi spoke up. “If he hadn’t called out to stop it today, perhaps Xiao Jue would have drunk the poisoned wine.”

This reminder made Yuan Baozhen think again. During tonight’s banquet, when Xiao Jue raised his wine cup, Cheng Lisu’s shout of “Don’t drink” came suddenly and loudly, causing the assassins to act prematurely. If he hadn’t called out to stop it… they wouldn’t be in such a difficult position now.

“How did he know there was poison in the wine…” Yuan Baozhen muttered. After a moment, he rubbed the base of the oil lamp on the table and said, “Since Xiao Jue and his people are staying at the mansion now, this is also our opportunity. I’ll test Cheng Lisu tomorrow. If this young man is truly blind, perhaps we can use him to entangle Xiao Jue – an indirect approach to achieve our goal.”

He Yan was unaware of these undercurrents flowing in places she couldn’t see. At this moment, she was sitting in her room, arguing with Fei Nu.

After her eyes were affected, Xiao Jue called Fei Nu to guard her room. Given that there had already been assassins in the Sun mansion, who knew if there might be more hidden among the servants? He Yan alone wasn’t reassuring enough, and having Fei Nu on guard was much safer.

“Brother Fei Nu, please go out, I really can manage on my own,” He Yan said, frustrated.

“You can’t see,” Fei Nu responded stiffly. “Young Master told me to watch over you.”

“Then just guard the door, you don’t need to be my maid. I’m uncomfortable with this,” He Yan replied seriously. “Can you please go outside?”

“I cannot comply.”

“Why are you just like your master, can’t you be more reasonable?”

Xiao Jue had just arrived at the door when he heard this comment. He paused and asked, “What’s happening?”

Fei Nu said, “Young Master…”

Before Fei Nu could finish, He Yan had already turned toward the door. Her eyes were still covered with cloth, and she was clutching what appeared to be clothes or something similar. “Is that Uncle who came? Brother Fei Nu has gone mad, he wants to help me bathe!”

Fei Nu’s lips moved, seemingly speechless at her offended expression. He explained, “He can’t see, I was worried…”

“Uncle! You know I have a fiancée, my body is pure as jade and snow, how can others see it!” The youth’s voice was bright, the previous melancholy and panic completely gone, returning to his usual unreasonable self. “If my engagement falls apart because of you, Brother Fei Nu, can you compensate me for a lost fiancée?” She muttered under her breath, “You don’t even have one yourself.”

Fei Nu: “…”

Xiao Jue glanced at her and said mockingly, “Are you sure you won’t drown?”

The bathing tub was placed behind a screen in the middle of the room. The water wasn’t deep, and perhaps because life in the Sun mansion was always this luxurious, flower petals were scattered across the surface. Even when He Yan was living as a woman, she had never used such an elaborate flower bath, yet now she was using one as a man.

“Uncle, have you forgotten that in Liangzhou, I could shoot sparrows in the sky while blindfolded? How could I drown?” He Yan said, “Don’t worry. Besides, if I become blind, I can’t rely on others to help me do things forever. That might work for you, Uncle, but not for me.”

Fei Nu was also speechless. In the Nine Banners Camp, he had seen many comrades, some missing arms or legs. Though they could still smile through their days, they at least went through a period of depression. He Yan was the fastest person he had ever seen to emerge from such emotions. If it weren’t for the cloth covering her face, one might doubt whether she was truly blind.

Seeing her so confident, Xiao Jue couldn’t be bothered with her anymore and said to Fei Nu, “Come out.”

Fei Nu followed Xiao Jue out, and the door was closed. He Yan finally let out a sigh of relief.

She didn’t remove the cloth, undressed, and entered the bathing tub, immersing her entire body in the water. If anyone had been present, they would have been astonished – she did everything just like a normal person, without any hesitation in her movements, as if she could see.

The water temperature was perfect, unlike the cold river water near the military post where she usually bathed. Though comfortable, she didn’t dare indulge too long. As steam rose, blurring her reflection, the smile on He Yan’s face also relaxed.

She had originally thought she would just attend a banquet here but unexpectedly had to stay for several days. Given this situation, along with her inability to see, and with more people serving around her, she had to be even more careful about her female identity being discovered.

She still remembered Ding Yi’s final gesture at the banquet today, that subtle curling of fingers – if she hadn’t been watching Ding Yi closely, it would have been missed. But precisely because she recognized Ding Yi, she knew that the servant who finally rushed out toward Xiao Jue was arranged by Ding Yi, which made this matter very strange.

Ding Yi was once He Rufei’s servant, and Yuan Baozhen was He Rufei’s friend. Ding Yi’s connection with the assassins at the banquet to kill Xiao Jue might, in some way, be He Rufei’s intention. But why would He Rufei want to kill Xiao Jue?

In her previous life as “He Rufei,” she and Xiao Jue had kept their distance, though they were classmates at Xian Chang Academy and had some acquaintances. Now that He Rufei had returned to his original self, with no past grudges against Xiao Jue, why would he use such a vicious method to take Xiao Jue’s life?

Perhaps she should talk with Yuan Baozhen.

At night, He Yan shared a room with Xiao Jue and Fei Nu.

Fearing there might be other assassins in the Sun mansion, they didn’t separate. However, the Sun mansion had many rooms, and this one was divided into inner and outer chambers. The inner chamber was naturally for Young Master Xiao, while in the outer chamber, Fei Nu and He Yan each slept on opposite side couches. He Yan felt this sleeping arrangement was like providing protection for Xiao Jue, and considering that she was now injured for Xiao Jue’s sake, she couldn’t even get an inner chamber couch – it felt unfair thinking about it.

However, she didn’t dwell on it long before falling asleep. This sleep was surprisingly peaceful, and the next morning, He Yan was woken by Fei Nu.

She sat up, surrounded by darkness, and instinctively asked, “What time is it?”

“Chen hour,” Fei Nu answered.

“Oh.” He Yan reached for the cloth covering her eyes and this time directly untied it.

From darkness to light, if someone could see, they would naturally need to squint their eyes to adjust, but He Yan just opened her eyes without showing any discomfort. Fei Nu’s heart sank, and he asked, “Can you see?”

He Yan shook her head in confusion.

A moment of silence followed.

“Maybe… it will get better in a few days,” Fei Nu awkwardly consoled. It wasn’t that he particularly sympathized with He Yan, but he had heard that during last night’s banquet, He Yan not only warned Xiao Jue but also personally helped him deal with the assassins. One matter should be considered separately from another. Although this youth’s identity was suspicious, so far, he hadn’t harmed Xiao Jue.

“Is Uncle not here?” He Yan asked.

“Young Master went out.”

He Yan nodded again, thought for a moment, and then covered her eyes with the cloth again.

Fei Nu asked in surprise: “Why did you put it back on?” The herbal medicine had been used for a day and was no longer effective. Today He Yan hadn’t complained about eye pain, so the cloth had lost its purpose, and wearing it might be more uncomfortable.

“Better to keep it on, to remind others that I can’t see,” He Yan smiled. “People tend to be more tolerant of a blind person. If I can’t avoid others, at least they can avoid me, right?”

Between wearing and not wearing the clothes, the former looked more like a blind person. Fei Nu felt a jolt in his heart as if something flashed through his mind too quickly to grasp. After a moment, he said nothing but, “Let’s go eat first.”

He Yan nodded.

With Xiao Jue absent, after washing up, Fei Nu and He Yan sat in the room to eat. Fei Nu had bought the food beforehand. He Yan refused Fei Nu’s help, eating slowly but steadily, without spilling any soup. The maids Sun Xiangfu had sent were all dismissed—after what happened with Xiao Jue, He Yan didn’t dare trust any of the maids here.

Just as they finished eating and Fei Nu had someone clear away the leftover food, He Yan had barely sat alone for a moment when voices approached. The footsteps were light; ordinary people might not have heard them, but with her keen hearing, she could tell there were two people.

Since it wasn’t Xiao Jue, and Fei Nu had just left, He Yan already knew who it was, but showed no sign of it on her face, remaining still as if lost in thought.

The footsteps stopped before her as if carefully examining her. He Yan, with cloth covering her eyes, remained motionless.

After a while, finding no flaws, the visitor suddenly spoke: “Young Master Cheng.”

“Ah!” He Yan jumped in surprise, nearly falling from her chair. She stood up clumsily, her foot hitting the table leg. She cried out in pain as someone came to help her, saying, “Are you alright?”

He Yan waved her hands around wildly, asking, “Who’s there?”

She grabbed someone’s clothes, and that person soothingly comforted her: “I am Yuan Baozhen, not a bad person. Young Master, please don’t worry.”

He Yan finally calmed down, letting out a relieved sigh, speaking with lingering fear: “So it’s Censor Yuan. I thought those assassins had returned—you scared me to death! Why didn’t you make any sound when you came in?”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten Young Master,” Yuan Baozhen smiled. “I heard Young Master couldn’t see, so I came specifically to check on you.”

While speaking these concerned and sympathetic words, his face showed no trace of a smile. He stared intently at He Yan’s expression, trying to determine if she was truly or falsely blind. However, with the cloth covering He Yan’s eyes, nothing could be seen.

Without being able to see a person’s eyes, it was difficult to spot flaws in their expression.

His face was extremely close, something ordinary people might not notice, but He Yan could feel it. The person she was grabbing was Ding Yi; Yuan Baozhen, fearing for his life, wouldn’t approach directly. But his gaze was like a persistent parasite, impossible to ignore.

Despite this, He Yan showed no reaction. She displayed a mix of worry and youthful nonchalance, saying, “Yes, I can’t see now, but Uncle said he’d find a divine physician to cure me, so it should just be temporary.”

This statement made her blindness seem more convincing, as talk of a “divine physician” carried a sense of comforting deception, the kind used to console children.

Yuan Baozhen sat in a nearby chair, shaking his head and sighing, “I never expected this visit would cause Young Master such injury. At least it didn’t cost your life, and Commander Xiao is safe.” Then, as if remembering something, he looked at He Yan and asked puzzledly, “But Young Master, during last night’s banquet, how did you know there were assassins and stopped the Commander from drinking that cup of wine?”

Nobody knew if that wine was poisoned, so Yuan Baozhen asked cleverly, mentioning the assassination but not the poison. He Yan inwardly sneered at this probe. She tilted her head, as if unsure of Yuan Baozhen’s direction, hesitated, and then said, “I didn’t know there were assassins, I just saw a bug fly into Uncle’s wine cup.”

This answer surprised both Ding Yi and Yuan Baozhen. They were simultaneously stunned, and Yuan Baozhen asked, “A bug?”

“Yes, you don’t know how clean my Uncle is,” He Yan sighed. “If his clothes get dusty, he immediately changes them. If his shoes get muddy, he never wears them again. If there’s a bug in his wine cup, who knows how angry he’d get? I just wanted to warn him not to drink it and get a new cup. Who knew there would be assassins? I was startled too—who could have expected that?”

This was the reason? Yuan Baozhen was skeptical. At the time, Cheng Lisu had called out with such urgency and anxiety that it made people’s hearts tighten—was this really why? But if not for this reason, how could this naive young master have foreseen the problem with the wine?

Perhaps it was truly a coincidence? Yuan Baozhen felt conflicted about how such a well-planned scheme could be ruined this way. Half annoyed and half suspicious, he looked at Cheng Lisu and found the youth increasingly irritating.

But “Cheng Lisu” seemed unaware of his irritation and instead appeared particularly friendly because Yuan Baozhen had come to visit, smiling and asking, “I heard from Uncle that Censor Yuan came from Shuojing?”

“That’s right.”

“Then does Censor Yuan know General He Rufei of the Flying Swan?”

At these words, the room fell silent. Ding Yi, standing very close to He Yan, placed his hand on his sword, and a murderous aura suddenly filled the air.

The youth appeared completely unaware, maintaining a smile and facing Yuan Baozhen’s direction, waiting for his answer.

After a moment, Yuan Baozhen stared at He Yan’s face and asked, “Why does Young Master suddenly ask about General Flying Swan?”

“Don’t people say that Flying Swan General and my Uncle are arch-rivals, with matching martial skills and achievements? I’ve never met Flying Swan General, so I don’t know about his skills or appearance. Since Censor Yuan came from Shuojing and serves in the same court, you might have seen him. I heard he used to wear a mask but has taken it off now—how is it, is he handsome?”

The “Cheng Lisu” before them spoke cheerfully, seemingly unaware that the guard beside him had nearly drawn his sword. The questions were typical of mischievous young nobles from the capital, and Yuan Baozhen relaxed. For a moment, he had thought the youth had discovered something and had almost considered silencing him.

“I’ve seen him. He’s… very handsome, though perhaps not as handsome as Commander Xiao,” Yuan Baozhen answered with a smile.

“Not as handsome as my Uncle?” He Yan immediately showed disappointment, then quickly added, “Well then, is Censor Yuan close with Flying Swan General? If you are, when I return to Shuojing, could you introduce me to him? I’ve heard so many stories about him and want to see what kind of person he is.” She lowered her voice, “Just don’t let my Uncle know, I’m afraid he’ll punish me by making me copy books.”

“Young Master might be disappointed,” Yuan Baozhen shook his head, “I merely know Flying Swan General, we’re not close. If you want an introduction, it would be better to ask Commander Xiao.”

He Yan muttered quietly, “How could I dare ask him for that.”

As she spoke thus, Yuan Baozhen looked at her and suddenly said, “I came today worried that Young Master might be upset about your eyes, but now I see I was overthinking. Young Master doesn’t seem very sad at all.”

He Yan asked curiously, “Why does Censor Yuan say that? I cried for two whole hours last night, and if Uncle hadn’t threatened to throw me out if I didn’t stop, you wouldn’t even see me now. Besides, I’ve thought it through—who am I? I’m the young master of the Right Administrator’s household. Though I’m not good at anything, my Uncle is the Right Military Commander. As long as I have my Uncle, my eyes won’t stay blind forever. If Uncle says a divine physician can cure it, then surely a divine physician will cure my eyes!”

Her words were full of admiration and trust in Xiao Jue, leaving Yuan Baozhen momentarily speechless. He Yan’s responses were flawless, with no apparent holes, but… he still felt uneasy.

“Young Master is right. Commander Xiao is capable of anything and will surely find a way. I was being narrow-minded,” he smiled and stood up. “Well, I should go now. Young Master is unwell, you should lie down,” he looked around, “Why aren’t there any servants here?”

“I sent them all away,” He Yan smiled. “After what happened last night, I don’t dare use any servants from this mansion. Would you dare use them? You must be very brave.”

Yuan Baozhen smiled, “But you can’t see now, don’t you need someone to attend to you?”

“Fei Nu will take care of me, and I can find my way around by feeling,” she smiled. “Don’t worry, Censor Yuan, I can manage.”

Yuan Baozhen smiled, “Young Master is clever. Then I’ll take my leave.” After saying this, he turned to leave, but at the doorway, he turned back and stood still.

Inside the room, Ding Yi hadn’t moved a step.

When they entered, only Yuan Baozhen had spoken; Ding Yi had remained silent, so He Yan could easily think there was only one person in the room.

Yuan Baozhen stood at the door and gave Ding Yi a meaningful look.

He Yan stood up, trembling as she walked toward the inner room. Ding Yi was right in front of her; she could sense it. In her sleeve was hidden an Emei dagger, taken from Yingyue the night before. She had already planned how to dodge if Ding Yi attacked, and how to plunge the dagger into his heart.

The youth’s eyes were covered, and she didn’t reach out to feel her way. She supported herself against the wall, slowly walking toward the inner room. Perhaps fearing she might trip over something, those in the room had moved all the chairs aside. From the table to the couch, there was nothing in the way—she just needed to follow the wall.

He Yan did exactly that.

As she approached the bed, Ding Yi bent down and placed a stool in front of her.

The youth appeared completely unaware and stepped forward. With a loud clang, her foot caught on the stool, and she fell forward. She fell particularly, unfortunately, hitting the bed frame, and her entire person cried out in surprise as a bump immediately formed on her forehead. She fell to the ground, half her body sprawled on the floor, her hands scratched, and didn’t get up for a while.

Ding Yi shook his head at Yuan Baozhen.

Seeing this, Yuan Baozhen turned to leave, and Ding Yi followed quietly.

Only He Yan remained in the room.

He Yan clutched her head, crying out in pain, but unseen by others, a cold smile appeared on her lips.

Yan Yan: What a shame I didn’t win an Oscar for this performance…