“It’s precisely because I haven’t found them that I’m suspicious.” Zhao Yusheng let out a quiet, soundless sigh.

Several days had passed without so much as a trace of news, and he could not bring himself to face his own sister.

“Based on the timing Xiaoxiao described, they couldn’t have been gone more than three shichen.” Zhao Yusheng composed himself and continued.

“In those three shichen, our people were searching everywhere. How could they have slipped past us so easily?”

“From the moment we left the cave, I had people seal off the surrounding mountain range, and I called in many more brothers to join the search — yet to this day, not a single piece of news has come back.”

“My father paid a visit to the leader of the Black Depths Clan over this matter. According to what he said, those people could not have been his.”

“Xiaoxiao also heard those men say that whatever business they had, it had nothing to do with the Black Depths Clan.”

Zhao Yusheng frowned and looked at Feng Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, I believe this affair has something to do with people on our own side.”

“How is Xiaoxiao now?” Feng Jiu’er asked quietly.

Zhao Yusheng glanced at Jian Yi, his thick brows drawing together slightly.

“The girl seems fine on the surface, but she must still be bothered inside. It’s all right — let her come to terms with it in her own time.”

Feng Jiu’er patted the back of Zhao Yusheng’s hand. “I’m sorry. Beyond saying sorry, I don’t know what else I can offer.”

“Xiaoxiao is your sister — but she’s mine too. I want nothing more than for her to be happy.”

“Enough of that.” Zhao Yusheng drew a deep breath, the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth. “That you consider me one of your own is already something I’m grateful for.”

“Jiu’er.” Suddenly, Zhao Yusheng took her hand in his. “Trust me — I won’t let you down.”

His words had barely fallen when a cold current swept through the air.

In the blink of an eye, the hand that had rested in Zhao Yusheng’s palm was gone.

Jian Yi had taken Feng Jiu’er’s hand and guided her into his seat.

Zhao Yusheng looked at his own palm, then raised his eyes to find Jian Yi’s face, as cold and expressionless as frost.

He held Jian Yi’s gaze, a flash of displeasure in his own. “In terms of speed, I cannot match you — but that does not mean I will give up.”

Zhao Yusheng’s gaze shifted to the woman now seated across from him, and his expression softened at once.

“Jiu’er, I know saying this puts you in an awkward position, but…”

“Then…” Feng Jiu’er looked at Zhao Yusheng, her smile just slightly uncomfortable. “Ahem… why don’t we just not go any further with this, all right?”

“No.” Zhao Yusheng gazed at Feng Jiu’er with complete seriousness. “If I don’t say it now, I know I’ll regret it.”

“Jiu’er — I like you. I know you don’t feel the same way, but I’m willing to wait.”

Zhao Yusheng’s sudden declaration caught Feng Jiu’er off guard.

Even though she had sensed something a moment ago, she had not expected him to simply say it outright.

She looked at him, blinking slowly, and asked, “And if the wait comes to nothing — what then?”

“There’s nothing to wait for.” Jian Yi cut Feng Jiu’er off, his grip on her hand firm and possessive. “Jiu’er belongs to me.”

Feng Jiu’er gave Jian Yi a sideways glance and pulled her hand free from his.

“Can the two of you change the subject? Besides — I am not someone who falls for a person that easily.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at Jian Yi, then at Zhao Yusheng, feeling both a little caught and a little resigned.

Did these two men genuinely understand what it meant to like someone? What it meant to love?

“I don’t want to lose a brother as good as you. But I also worry that assigning you tasks right now might look like I’m taking advantage of your feelings.”

“This is a critical moment. Tell me — what would you have me do?”

“Jiu’er, let me finish.” Zhao Yusheng looked at her, his voice earnest.

Giving Jian Yi no chance to cut in, he pressed on. “Jiu’er, you are the most worthy woman I have ever met — worthy of anyone’s patient waiting.”

“So please — don’t take even the chance to wait away from me.”

“Unless I see you happy, I will keep on waiting.”

“My feelings for you have nothing to do with us being brothers. Going forward, I’m still your subordinate. We take on this world together.”

“Zhao Yusheng.” Feng Jiu’er looked at him, her delicate brows drawing slightly together.

“Enough.” Zhao Yusheng drew a deep breath and stood. “Let’s look at what secrets this map holds.”

He reached out and adjusted the two treasure maps side by side, orienting them to face him squarely.

“Six mountain peaks, covering such a wide area — there must be some kind of clue.”

In that moment, Zhao Yusheng looked no different from usual, save for the faint flush across his face.

But Feng Jiu’er watched him, and something stirred inside her that she could not quite name.

Zhao Yusheng was different from Jian Yi. She had never done anything for him — on the contrary, it had been him helping her all along.

And then there was the matter of Zhao Xiaoxiao. Feng Jiu’er felt she owed him, owed Zhao Family Stronghold, far too much.

This simple, straightforward man — she did not know whether what he felt was truly love. If it was real, that would be a complicated thing indeed.

“Jiu’er.” Qiao Mu called to her softly. “What are you thinking about? Right now, the most important thing is finding that treasure as quickly as possible.”

“If the traitor gets there first, all our brothers will have wasted more than two months for nothing.”

“More than that — without the treasure, how do we unite the Black Gorge? How do we gather enough men and resources to go to war with Zhanli Moon?”

Qiao Mu’s words pulled Feng Jiu’er back.

She looked up, glancing at the three people all watching her, pressed her lips together, and gave a small nod.

“Qiao Mu is right. We still have a great deal to do. Once we’ve won the world that belongs to us, I’ll give each of you a few fine beauties as a reward — how does that sound?”

“Agreed.” Zhao Yusheng met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze and nodded.

Jian Yi, however, kept his expression flat and said coolly, “I want no one else. Only you.”

Feng Jiu’er turned her eyes to him and gave him a look. “But I never said I wanted you. Come back to your senses, would you?”

She shrugged lightly, stood with a touch of her usual playful swagger.

“Go and find out whether my lotus seed dessert is ready. I’m hungry.”

Jian Yi rose, looked at Feng Jiu’er, and said as he left, “You stay right there. Wait for me.”

Feng Jiu’er half-lidded her eyes, gave him a glance, and waved a dismissive hand.

Jian Yi turned, took his long strides, and walked out.

Qiao Mu glanced up at the curtain as it was lifted and then fell back into place. She turned her gaze to Zhao Yusheng.

“Zhao Yusheng, when did you start liking Jiu’er? I never noticed.”

Zhao Yusheng smiled faintly, unbothered by Qiao Mu’s question. “I am simply more careful and calculating than you. That’s all.”

“You? Careful and calculating?” Qiao Mu raised a brow, her smile teasing. “Your face is as red as a tomato, and you call that careful and calculating?”

Feng Jiu’er shook her head and said quietly, “Never mind him. When he’s grown up a bit more, he’ll understand what love actually is.”

“How can love be only about a pretty face?”