In Chen Baoxiang’s daydreams, she and Pei Ruheng were supposed to play out a romantic tale of moonlit strolls and mutual affection — and even if marriage wasn’t immediate, their bond as dining companions would naturally warm into something more, flowing along its course like water finding its way.

Who could have guessed that on this pitch-black night, she would end up leading a would-be assassin straight to Pei Ruheng’s courtyard, waving him along as she walked: “This way.”

Great Immortal!

She wailed inwardly: Isn’t this biting the hand that feeds me?

Zhang Zhixu was completely baffled: How exactly did you and the Pei Family become the hand that feeds you? We broke out of prison together — aren’t you and I supposed to be on the same side?

When she put it that way, it did seem to make sense.

But still —

We have no ties to this man whatsoever. Do we really have to help this assassin?

We have to. Otherwise the lie you spun earlier will unravel sooner or later.

Jiuquan was the person closest to Zhang Zhixu. She had already told Zhang Xilai and Xie Lanting that she knew Jiuquan — if those two never crossed paths with him, fine, but if they ever did and asked even one question, everything would fall apart.

But speaking of which — Great Immortal, how did you know just from his silhouette that he was the legendary Jiuquan?

Zhang Zhixu was silent for a beat, then mimicked her shameless confidence and declared with complete composure: I am a Great Immortal. A Great Immortal knows all and sees all.

Any ordinary person would have grown suspicious of him long ago — or at least guarded.

But not Chen Baoxiang. She not only felt no suspicion, she clasped both hands to her heart and gazed at him with shining admiration: “The Great Immortal is so capable! With a Great Immortal by my side, I’m sure to make something of myself!”

Zhang Zhixu found her foolishness a little irritating — but then again, if she were cleverer, wouldn’t he be the one in trouble?

She was better off exactly as she was.

Over in the courtyard, Jiuquan had slipped in without a sound. Within moments, cries from the servants rang out: “Help! Someone come quickly!”

Zhang Zhixu was listening from the base of the wall when he noticed Chen Baoxiang get to her feet.

“What are you doing?” he asked, puzzled.

“Great Immortal, this is something you simply don’t understand,” she said. “Men — especially men of noble birth who’ve been coddled in fine homes — rarely face true danger. When they do, it leaves a mark on them forever.”

In other words, if she happened to be present at that very moment, he would etch her into his memory as well — and rounding up generously, wasn’t that practically falling in love with her?

The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that this was an opportunity she couldn’t let slip by. Chen Baoxiang crouched low and slipped through the small open gate into the courtyard.

Jiuquan had already seized Pei Ruheng. A cluster of servants and maids shrieked and wailed at the edges of the courtyard, and at the front stood someone who appeared to be Cheng Huaili’s steward — his expression cold and fixed on Jiuquan: “There’s no way out for you. Why not at least leave yourself a whole corpse?”

“What use is a whole corpse?” Jiuquan said, his voice low and vicious. “If I’m leaving anything behind, I’m taking someone with me as a burial offering.”

At that, his short blade tightened. Pei Ruheng’s breath caught in his throat.

“Don’t — don’t kill my son.” Pei Ruheng’s mother pushed through the crowd and threw herself forward, her voice raw with weeping. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you — just please, don’t hurt my child!”

“Madam —”

“You shut your mouth.” Madam Pei snapped, fury breaking through her tears. “I’ve said nothing while you lot dug channels and set up your formations in my home — but you want my son’s life to earn yourself credit? Don’t you dare!”

Then, turning back to Jiuquan, she sobbed: “I can guarantee your life, and I can get you out of here. I only ask that you spare my son. Please — I beg you!”

Zhang Zhixu had been watching from the side as a spectator, but without warning, something surged up sharp and stinging behind his nose. His throat tightened. His eyes grew hot. A heaviness settled over his heart — an ache that pressed and pressed, suffocating.

What was this? Grief?

Confused, Zhang Zhixu wiped at the corner of Chen Baoxiang’s eyes: He’s not your son. What are you sad about?

What are you talking about? I’m not sad.

Chen Baoxiang’s face was perfectly calm.

She truly didn’t look like someone in grief — yet Zhang Zhixu felt wretched to his core. His heart sank deeper and deeper, as though someone had seized it in a fist and tied it to a stone.

He had never felt anything like it before. For a moment, he was completely at a loss.

Chen Baoxiang kept her eyes fixed on Jiuquan and Pei Ruheng as they inched toward the exit.

With Madam Pei standing aside, Cheng Huaili’s men raised no further resistance. Jiuquan made it to the side gate of the Pei compound with ease.

Yet just as he was about to release his hostage, several archers suddenly appeared along the top of the courtyard wall — arrows nocked and drawn, their sharp tips catching the light in a cold flash at the corner of Jiuquan’s eye.

“Wretch!” Jiuquan’s face darkened. He flung Pei Ruheng aside in an instant and vaulted up into a tree, vanishing into the cover of branches — then, in the same motion, sent a sleeve-arrow flying back.

The arrow screamed through the air, aimed straight at Pei Ruheng.

Chen Baoxiang’s eyes went wide.

For a moment, everything around her seemed to slow. She saw the white hem of Pei Ruheng’s robe lift gently in the air, saw the shock on the servants’ faces unfurl in slow motion, and saw Madam Pei’s hands fly up in a desperate, heedless reach.

“Watch out!” someone screamed.

Zhang Zhixu had been watching as a spectator — then his vision blurred, and his body seemed to lurch forward and throw itself around something, and then his shoulder erupted in pain.

That familiar feeling…

“Miss Chen? Miss Chen!”

“Someone go and fetch Physician Wang — quickly!”

Pei Ruimei was choked with tears: “Baoxiang jiejie, did you throw your life away for my brother?”

Zhang Zhixu understood what had happened.

Chen Baoxiang had thrown herself in front of Pei Ruheng. The arrow had grazed her shoulder from the side, leaving a wound that bled freely.

“You saved him?” Zhang Zhixu couldn’t believe it. “You, who clings to life like it’s the only thing you have — you risked your life to save him?”

“Why? Just because you’ve long had feelings for him?”

He was stunned, bewildered. “What kind of thing is ‘having feelings’ that it drives a person to go this far? Even if feelings are worth something, Pei Ruheng certainly isn’t — there’s no shortage of wealthy families in Shangjing —”

“Great Immortal.” Chen Baoxiang called out to him weakly.

Zhang Zhixu felt her pain, and something in him softened inexplicably.

He said quietly, “Forget it. Looking at it another way — people as deeply devoted as you are rare in this world.”

“No, that’s not —”

“I know. It’s not your fault.”

“No, what I mean to say is —” Chen Baoxiang gasped, the pain cutting off her breath. “I wasn’t trying to rush over to save him. It’s just — there was moss on that step back there, and, hss — I slipped and went flying forward!”

Zhang Zhixu: “…”

Zhang Zhixu: ???

Every last trace of the grief and tenderness he’d felt dissolved in an instant. He drew a long breath, and then laughed despite himself: “And here I was, thinking too highly of you.”

“Oh no.” She wailed without restraint. “I’m going to die!”

You’ve just broken the skin. What is there to die about.

Still — the blood was rather spectacular. Drops had scattered far enough to land on Pei Ruheng’s cheek. His pupils contracted slightly. He reached out and steadied her by the elbow: “Let’s go inside first.”

The household guards had taken off after Jiuquan. The remaining servants gathered closely around Chen Baoxiang, guiding her back with careful hands.

“Good child.” Madam Pei dried her tears as she spoke to her. “Thank you. I’ll make sure your wound is properly treated, and once you’ve recovered, I’ll repay you handsomely.”

Chen Baoxiang had just been lamenting her misfortune — but the moment she heard those words, her spirits lifted entirely. She quickly made a show of waving it off: “It was nothing, Madam. Please don’t give it another thought.”

Her mouth said one thing; her heart burst into bloom. She was already calculating: the Pei Family was a great and prosperous house — the gift they’d give to repay a life-saving debt surely wouldn’t be light.

Zhang Zhixu looked at the vision of towering mountains of gold and silver floating through her head and rolled his eyes with great feeling.