“Uncle? Is that you, Uncle?” He Yan displayed a surprised expression and, like a blind person groping at an elephant, stretched her hands out randomly, asking, “Where are you?”

Xiao Jue watched her performance coldly, saying sarcastically, “Aren’t you the one who can shoot arrows blindfolded and identify people by sound? How come you can’t tell where I am?”

He Yan’s movements came to an abrupt halt. After a moment, she gave an embarrassed smile, “I was just worried you might feel awkward. Uncle, were you bathing?”

The youth stared straight ahead without blinking. Even though he had already put on his clothes, Xiao Jue still felt uncomfortable.

“Where did you go just now?” he asked.

“To the latrine. Brother Fei Nu went out, and I don’t trust the servants here, so I found my way there myself to relieve myself. Uncle, why did you return so early today? Has Brother Fei Nu not returned yet?” He Yan asked.

Xiao Jue turned sideways and put on his outer robe, saying, “Don’t wander around here.”

He Yan looked at him, remembering the conversation she had overheard between Yuan Baozhen and his servant, and said, “Uncle, have you been investigating the assassin from the night banquet these past few days? Have you found anything?”

Xiao Jue glanced at her and asked, “What are you trying to say?”

“I was thinking… could it be possible that someone in this mansion is behind the attempt on your life? Look, although Magistrate Sun claims he knows nothing, the incident happened in his mansion. How could he be completely unaware? That doesn’t make sense. And Inspector Yuan,” He Yan wracked her brains for hints, “I find him very suspicious too…”

“Oh? Suspicious how?” Xiao Jue asked.

He Yan didn’t know how to answer this. She could hardly say that she had climbed onto their roofs, removed tiles to eavesdrop on their conversation and that in her previous life, she had been blinded by his guard. She could only say, “Inspector Yuan came to see me once before and asked some strange questions. If you want me to explain, I can only say something feels off about him. Uncle, you should be more cautious around them.”

The youth carefully found a chair and sat down, speaking with particular seriousness. His words caught Xiao Jue by surprise, showing in his eyes. He slowly asked back, “You want me to be wary of Yuan Baozhen?”

“Yes, think about it. If they were behind the attempt on your life, they’re bound to try again since the first attempt failed. Uncle, you’re rarely in the mansion, so you might not need to worry… but wait, that’s not right. If you’re rarely here, why are you still staying in this place?” He Yan suddenly realized something.

Why would he choose to stay in Sun’s mansion if he went out every day? Wasn’t that contradictory?

“You should focus more on your eyes rather than these matters,” Xiao Jue said coldly. “Are you truly unable to see?”

He Yan’s heart skipped a beat, but she played dumb, “Of course! What benefit would I get from pretending to be blind?”

She spoke with such conviction that when Xiao Jue looked at her again, he had to admit that her every action was exactly like a truly blind person. If she was pretending, she was extraordinarily skilled at it. But this person was used to deceiving others; otherwise, she wouldn’t have even fooled Fei Nu.

Seeing Xiao Jue’s silence and fearing he might continue this line of questioning, He Yan smiled and said, “Uncle, weren’t you bathing earlier? Did I disturb you? Do you need to continue? Go ahead, I’ll guard the door outside. I promise I won’t come in, and I won’t let anyone else in either.” With that, she felt her way to the door, pushed it open, and sat down on the steps outside, guarding the entrance like a door deity.

Xiao Jue: “…”

He Yan stopped listening to the movements inside the room, unsure if Second Young Master Xiao still had the mood to continue his bath. Her thoughts were in disarray from the day’s events. Too many things had happened, and she didn’t know which to contemplate first. He Rufei and Minister Xu, Yuan Baozhen, and Ding Yi’s conspiracy, all these complicated matters had somehow led to her witnessing Xiao Jue’s bathing scene.

“Tch, tch, tch—” He Yan cursed under her breath, thinking that even someone who wasn’t blind might go blind after such an encounter. Although she was a woman, upon careful consideration, she wasn’t sure who had taken advantage of whom.

It was probably a draw!

…

Early the next morning, Xiao Jue was gone again. After Fei Nu brought her one meal, he disappeared too. She had no idea what this master and servant pair did every day. He Yan sat on the bed, wondering if she should sneak out today to follow Yuan Baozhen and his guard. However, after last night’s events, Yuan Baozhen would surely be watching the rooftops carefully. The Sun family’s roofs were already fragile and unsuitable for repeated climbing.

Before He Yan could reach a decision, Ding Yi came to her door himself. He stood at the entrance and called respectfully, “Young Master Cheng?”

He Yan raised her head. Ding Yi’s voice was courteous: “Inspector Yuan invites you for tea.”

“What kind of tea?” He Yan asked casually, “I’m quite particular about my tea.”

“We have all kinds,” Ding Yi smiled, “If Young Master Cheng doesn’t wish to…”

“I do, I do,” He Yan stood up, supporting herself against the bedhead. “I’m very bored here alone. It’s kind of Inspector Yuan to remember me and keep me company. How could I be so ungracious? Please lead the way.” Her eyes were still wrapped in cloth strips, “Please bring me my bamboo cane.”

When Fei Nu had returned the previous night, he had brought He Yan a bamboo cane, neither too tall nor too short, perfect for He Yan to use while walking. Though he appeared quiet and reserved, he was very thoughtful. After all, the people in Sun’s mansion couldn’t be trusted, and no one could be relied upon. Walking by herself was indeed inconvenient, but having a bamboo cane made things much better. It also made her look more like a blind person in others’ eyes.

Ding Yi said, “Very well.” Looking ahead, he saw a bamboo cane standing by the table. He walked over to get it and approached He Yan, extending it toward her, saying, “Please take it, Young Master Cheng.”

He Yan tremblingly reached out to take it, but just as she was about to touch the cane’s head, Ding Yi suddenly pulled back. He Yan’s grasp met empty air, and since she was already unsteady, she nearly fell. Fortunately, Ding Yi caught her. He asked, “Are you alright, Young Master Cheng?”

“I’m fine,” He Yan said, still shaken. “Almost fell.” Then, in a dejected tone, she added, “I can’t even grab things properly now.”

“It was my fault,” Ding Yi said apologetically. “I should have placed it directly in Young Master Cheng’s hand. I caused you alarm.”

Though he spoke thus, his eyes were fixed intently on He Yan, trying to find any flaw in her facade. Unfortunately for him, once the eyes were covered with cloth strips, it became extremely difficult to read He Yan’s expressions. What he didn’t know was that He Yan was watching him and internally sneering.

She had modified the black cloth strips the previous night, using a needle to create a tiny gap at eye level. It wasn’t much, just a thread’s width would suffice. Through this slight opening, she could see others’ movements, while to outsiders, He Yan appeared to be just a blind person with bandaged eyes.

He Yan caught every detail of Ding Yi’s test and his current scrutiny of her face. She hadn’t expected Ding Yi to still harbor suspicions about her. But why? She had escaped quickly last night and shouldn’t have left any traces for Ding Yi to discover. If it was about warning Xiao Jue not to drink from his cup during the banquet, the testing should have concluded when Yuan Baozhen visited last time.

Why continue these repeated tests?

Unable to figure it out, He Yan leaned on her bamboo cane and said, “Never mind, it’s not your fault. Shall we go?”

“Let me support you,” Ding Yi offered.

“No need,” He Yan replied. “If I’m truly never going to see you again, I’ll have to get used to this life eventually. What good is it to always rely on others’ help? Besides, I have my cane. I’ll just walk slower, but I won’t fall behind. Just tell me which way to go from the front.”

The youth’s voice was stubborn, sounding like someone who wanted to remain strong despite being blind. Ding Yi couldn’t find any flaws, so he said, “Then please follow me, Young Master Cheng.”

He walked ahead, continuously telling He Yan about upcoming steps and when to turn left or right. He Yan walked very slowly, her bamboo cane tapping against the ground with a “tok, tok, tok” sound, being extremely careful. She walked conscientiously, and Ding Yi remained patient, constantly guiding her. However, through her peripheral vision, He Yan could see that he was still watching her every tiny movement, trying hard to catch any possible slip-ups.

If someone were pretending to be blind, they would likely show some normal habits while walking a distance. Anyone paying close attention would notice these subtle inconsistencies. However, He Yan had come prepared. With her bandaged eyes, she could recall her days with the Xu family when she had been blind. There was no need to pretend; she just needed to replicate her past behavior.

The two of them, one pretending to be blind and one observing, both wary of each other, continued their journey. In the end, the pretenders proved more skilled, showing no flaws during their stop-and-go progress until they reached Yuan Baozhen’s door.

Ding Yi said, “Young Master Cheng, mind the steps. We’ve arrived.”

He Yan probed with her bamboo cane, following its guidance to lift her foot, tremblingly ascending the steps and following Ding Yi inside.

Yuan Baozhen’s room faced north, rarely catching sunlight on ordinary days, making it seem dim upon entering. Even during daylight, a lamp was lit. A small table held a teapot, several tea cups, and a plate of snacks. Ding Yi guided her to sit at the small table.

Yuan Baozhen looked up and smiled genially at He Yan, “How have you been these past few days, Young Master Cheng?”

“Fine, fine.” He Yan pointed at her eyes, “Except for these.”

“Still no improvement?”

“None.” He Yan sighed, “I wonder when the divine physician Uncle is searching for will arrive in Liangzhou.”

This was a childish lie, but Yuan Baozhen didn’t take it seriously. He looked at Ding Yi, who shook his head, indicating he hadn’t noticed any flaws along the way.

So she was blind.

While he was observing He Yan, she was also watching him. Through the slight gap in the black cloth, her vision was blurry and unclear, but He Yan could tell that he seemed different from a few days ago. His voice was still pleasant, but perhaps because He Yan couldn’t see, he didn’t even bother to maintain his fake smile. His expression revealed some frustration as if something wasn’t going according to plan.

Understandable, since they had come specifically to harm Xiao Jue but hadn’t succeeded. Now they couldn’t even track Xiao Jue’s whereabouts daily. Nothing was going smoothly for them.

Yuan Baozhen pushed a teacup towards He Yan’s hand and moved the plate of snacks in front of her, saying with a smile, “Have some snacks.”

He Yan saw that the snacks were sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

She remembered Cheng Lisu’s warning before leaving – eating peanuts would cause her to break out in hives all over. This was interesting. Did Yuan Baozhen know about Cheng Lisu’s peanut allergy? He Yan believed there was an eight or nine out of ten chance that he did. The purpose of this plate of snacks was clear then – it was another test.

If she ate these snacks and didn’t break out in hives, that would be suspicious. If she didn’t eat them, that would also be suspicious.

He Yan wondered what she had done to deserve such repeated testing from Yuan Baozhen.

She didn’t reach for the tea or the snacks, but instead smiled and said in an odd tone, “Inspector Yuan, I truly cannot drink tea or eat snacks.”

Yuan Baozhen’s gaze shifted, “Why not?”

“After the night banquet incident, my uncle forbade me from eating or drinking anything in the mansion. Brother Fei Nu brings all my daily necessities. Inspector Yuan, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but my uncle is very strict. If I eat something behind his back and he gets angry, I can’t bear the consequences.” The youth spoke matter-of-factly, even seeming somewhat puzzled by Yuan Baozhen’s apparent naivety. He added, “I advise Inspector Yuan not to eat anything from the mansion either. Better to endure temporary hunger than risk your life.”

The youth’s quick response showed no flaws, making it impossible to tell whether he was speaking truth or lies. Yuan Baozhen smiled, “The tea and snacks here were bought outside by my servant.”

“Food from outside is even more dangerous,” He Yan said earnestly. “If you insist, Inspector Yuan, why don’t we wait for my uncle to return? You can ask for his permission, and then I’ll gladly partake of these refreshments, how about that?”

Yuan Baozhen couldn’t respond to this. Invite Xiao Jue for tea? Wouldn’t that expose his schemes?

He Yan felt her explanation was flawless – after all, Cheng Lisu was supposed to be a timid youth terrified of his uncle!

Yuan Baozhen withdrew his hand, shaking his head with a smile: “If Young Master Cheng doesn’t wish to eat, then so be it.” His tone was disappointed.

“It’s fine, sitting here chatting with Inspector Yuan is pleasant enough.”

“Well then, I’m curious about something,” Yuan Baozhen looked at the youth before him, changing the subject. “Since Commander Xiao cares for you so much, why has he left you alone in the mansion these past days? Only that guard accompanies him, and even the guard isn’t always by Young Master Cheng’s side. If there is something wrong with this mansion, isn’t Commander Xiao worried about your safety?”

At these words, He Yan had a sudden revelation, finally understanding why Yuan Baozhen and his servant kept fixating on her.

It was because Xiao Jue leaving his nephew alone in Sun’s mansion was inherently unreasonable! The reason Xiao Jue did so was first because He Yan knew martial arts, and secondly, because she wasn’t Cheng Lisu and had no blood relation to him – the cold Second Young Master Xiao naturally wouldn’t treat her specially. But in reality, if the real Cheng Lisu were here, Xiao Jue would ensure his safety by any means necessary. Instead of the current situation where He Yan was left alone in Sun’s mansion, appearing completely neglected, like a discarded consort banished to the cold palace.

He Yan had always been clear about her position and never felt anything amiss, but to others, it seemed wrong. Now that she suddenly realized this, she understood why Yuan Baozhen and his servant had been suspicious and watching her.

But how could someone as intelligent as Xiao Jue not think of this? He Yan felt it impossible. Back at Xianchang Lodge, when He Yan had been careless, Xiao Jue had always been extremely cautious. She didn’t believe he would overlook such an obvious detail. There was only one possibility – Xiao Jue was doing this deliberately. He intentionally let her show these inconsistencies, making Yuan Baozhen and his servant suspicious of her, testing her repeatedly.

But why? Even if Xiao Jue had doubts about her, at least for now, they should be on the same side. Unless… that bastard was using her as a decoy? While she attracted Yuan Baozhen and his servant’s attention, Xiao Jue would be free to do his own business.

The more He Yan thought about it, the more likely it seemed, making her want to tear Xiao Jue into pieces. However, she maintained her facade, saying innocently: “What danger could there be? My uncle already said the real danger isn’t in this mansion. I’m safe staying here. Inspector Yuan, let me tell you,” she lowered her voice, “the real danger is outside the mansion.”

“Outside?” Yuan Baozhen exchanged glances with Ding Yi, asking He Yan, “What does Young Master Cheng mean by this?”

“I don’t know,” He Yan shrugged helplessly, appearing uninvolved. “That’s just what I overheard my uncle saying. If you want to know more, you should ask him directly.” She added, “I’ve noticed he’s been outside these past few days, probably dealing with that ‘danger.'”

Fine, if Xiao Jue wanted to use her as a decoy, she would redirect the target back to him, drawing Yuan Baozhen’s attention outside. Besides, her image as a useless young master who knew nothing was already well-established; Yuan Baozhen probably hadn’t noticed any inconsistencies.

“Young Master Cheng jest,” Yuan Baozhen smiled, “Since it’s Commander Xiao’s private matter, I won’t pry.” He changed the subject to other casual matters.

But He Yan suddenly tensed.

She saw Ding Yi approach her, coming extremely close, bending down to remove a fragrance ball from her waist.

Cheng Lisu was a very particular young master with countless sachets and jade pendants. He Yan had worried those items were too valuable and might get lost, so she had searched for a long time before finding a relatively simple fragrance ball. It was only two fingers wide, woven from wisteria into a small sphere, hollow inside and filled with fragrant herbs, worn at the waist. When moving, it emitted a subtle fragrance, both cute and elegant.

Ding Yi held the fragrance ball in his hand, his movements so light they were almost imperceptible. The supposedly blind He Yan could only pretend not to notice.

She didn’t believe Ding Yi took the fragrance ball because he liked it. Sure enough, Ding Yi opened the top of the ball, removed the original herbs and kept them, then filled it with something else.

It certainly wouldn’t be anything good.

After finishing all this, he very carefully reattached the fragrance ball to He Yan’s waist. Throughout the entire process, He Yan showed no reaction.

Yuan Baozhen looked satisfied. Ding Yi returned to stand beside him. From the outside, everything appeared normal, as if nothing had happened.

While He Yan chatted casually with Yuan Baozhen about gossip from Shuojing, she could feel the fragrance ball at her waist becoming subtly warm. Having fallen victim to poison in her previous life, He Yan suspected that Ding Yi might be skilled in using poisons. She remembered the conversation she had overheard last night from Yuan Baozhen and his servant’s room – they had planned to use her to trap Xiao Jue, and this must be their method.

This thing was probably poisonous, and quite potent at that. Worn on her person, she would die, and Xiao Jue, being close to her, would die from inhaling it, and even Fei Nu wouldn’t escape. Thus, all three – no, the three master and servants would perish, and the blame could be placed on the assassins. Perhaps when the coroner examined the corpse and discovered she wasn’t Cheng Lisu, she would be labeled as an assassin who had disguised herself as Cheng Lisu to secretly harm the Right Army Commander.

He Yan shuddered, determined not to let this happen.

She said, “Inspector Yuan, I need to relieve myself urgently. I’d like to go to the latrine first.”

…

In a room in Sun’s mansion, Xiao Jue entered.

Fei Nu followed closely behind him, seemingly having waited for him for a long time.

“Young Master, Yuan Baozhen took He Yan away,” he said.

Xiao Jue placed his sword on the table, turned around, and said carelessly, “Probably still testing.”

“Unable to find Young Master, they can only target He Yan.”

Xiao Jue smiled noncommittally. He Yan was deliberately placed as his decoy for misdirection. Without two tails to track, it made his work more convenient. Others thought he had left the mansion, but in truth, today was his only day going out.

He had been in Sun’s mansion all along, hidden in the shadows, just undetected.

“Young Master, won’t He Yan discover this?”

“He probably already has, but he can only continue lying,” Xiao Jue said. “This person has been lying since his first encounter with Yuan Baozhen, though I don’t know why.”

The better He Yan handled things, the fewer flaws she showed, and the more suspicious Yuan Baozhen would become. Because Xiao Jue leaving his nephew in Sun’s mansion was itself full of inconsistencies.

“Young Master uses Yuan Baozhen to test He Yan, and uses He Yan to test Yuan Baozhen, but what if they’re working together?”

Until now, except for the assassination attempt at the welcoming banquet on their first night at Sun’s mansion, Xiao Jue had remained almost completely uninvolved. He Yan and Yuan Baozhen testing each other was perfect for clarifying both their backgrounds – killing two birds with one stone.

“If they’re working together, we’ll catch them all at once,” Xiao Jue said indifferently. “This matter is about to end anyway.”

Fei Nu fell silent. After a moment, as if remembering something, he said, “Today when He Yan went to Yuan Baozhen’s room, Yuan Baozhen’s guard switched the fragrance ball He Yan was wearing.”

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow: “He didn’t notice?”

“No.”

“Just acting.”

“That fragrance ball probably contains poison. Commander, please keep your distance from him today.”

Xiao Jue glanced outside the window and suddenly said, “At this time, He Yan should have returned. What’s taking so long?”

Just as he finished speaking, they heard a maid from Sun’s mansion running outside, breathlessly shouting, “Something terrible has happened! Something terrible!”

Fei Nu opened the door: “What’s terrible?”

The maid stammered, “Young Master Cheng… Young Master Cheng has fallen in the latrine!”