CXD - 64

Dazed by the rain of apricot blossoms, Jiang Zhiyi took several moments to comprehend what he was saying. Her face flushed red, and like a startled bird flapping its wings, she quickly retreated, clutching her chest as she looked at him: “… What are you talking about? Who has you in their heart?”

Yuan Ce intently watched the blush rise on her cheeks: “If not in your heart, then on your face?”

Jiang Zhiyi hastily touched her face.

Yuan Ce: “Or in your ears?”

She quickly touched her ears.

“How is it that every word I say hits home?” Yuan Ce chuckled softly.

Realizing how ridiculous she must look, Jiang Zhiyi furrowed her brows and stamped her foot at him: “Are you shameless?”

Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow: “What did I say when you were being shameless with me before?”

“I wasn’t being shameless with you! Stop bringing up times when my mind wasn’t clear…”

The fleeting joy suddenly evaporated, and Yuan Ce’s smile faded as he flattened his lips, staring directly at her: “Even when your mind is clear, you still like being shameless.”

“When have I ever liked being shameless?”

“Isn’t my older brother shameless enough?”

Caught off guard, Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes darted away: “… He was pretending to be shameless, but you’re truly shameless.”

Yuan Ce glanced at her averted gaze, turned around, and set down the longbow: “Fine, I can’t compare to the moonlight in your eyes or the cinnabar in your heart.”

Jiang Zhiyi turned back to see him facing the quiver, his silhouette seemingly self-composed. She opened her mouth to explain something but, recalling how he had teased her earlier, closed it again and fell silent.

The wind stopped, and all around was quiet, leaving only the scattered petals on the ground. Somehow, this added a touch of melancholy to his figure, making him appear pitiful.

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at the slightly bowed back of his head, sniffed, and stepped forward on tiptoe.

Yuan Ce abruptly turned around, lowering his gaze to see her holding an apricot petal between her fingers, seemingly plucked from his hair.

Watching Yuan Ce’s subtly shifting gaze, Jiang Zhiyi cleared her throat and looked away. Glancing at the scattered petals and the empty target, she muttered softly, almost to herself: “Will I ever hit the bullseye…”

A smile reappeared in Yuan Ce’s eyes as he bent his knuckle and gently tapped her nose: “Go back and wait.”

Jiang Zhiyi instinctively touched her nose: “… Wait for what now?”

“The arrow that will let you hit the bullseye.”

In the evening, in the main study, Mu Xin Hong entered to find Yuan Ce sitting at the desk, carefully grinding a small arrowhead with a whetstone. Several polished arrows lay scattered beside him.

“Young General,” Mu Xin Hong bowed and reported, “the preliminary search of every corner of the city has been completed. No suspicious individuals have been found.”

The reason Young General stayed at the residence today was due to unresolved threats within the city. Even though the estate’s defenses were watertight, he feared something might happen to the young mistress if he weren’t around.

As it turned out, the soldiers at camp heard that the Young General had “lost a lot of blood” last night and noticed he hadn’t come to the camp today. Assuming his injuries were severe, they conducted the search with extra fervor, finishing early.

Without stopping his hand, Yuan Ce nodded: “Conduct another sweep tonight.”

“Yes, Young General. The captured assassin has confessed that this assassination attempt was orchestrated by Marquis Xuande.”

Marquis Xuande had sought revenge for his son with a scorched-earth mentality, exposing the Zhong family’s embezzlement of military funds, which also implicated his past dealings with them. As a result, he was stripped of his official position, left only with his title, spending his days in poverty while caring for his mentally impaired son.

Later, upon hearing that the male members of the Zhong family had disappeared during exile, Marquis Xuande likely deduced they had been assassinated. Realizing that Young General was the true mastermind behind it all, he decided to risk everything to orchestrate this assassination. The play performed was also part of the revenge ritual.

From the perspective of fatherhood, Marquis Xuande was indeed a good father.

Mu Xin Hong: “How do you intend to handle Marquis Xuande?”

Yuan Ce gently blew the dust off the arrowhead, treating it as if it were a cherished possession, though his eyes remained cold as he spoke distractedly: “Kill.”

“Shall we handle it ourselves, or—”

“It’s time for our emperor to play the villain.”

Mu Xin Hong pondered. Last time, during the Zhong family’s corruption case, someone in court invoked the military achievements of Baron Kang Le and his war-wounded leg, swaying public opinion. Since the emperor always maintained a benevolent facade toward meritorious officials, Baron Kang Le was spared from execution.

“Will His Majesty act decisively this time for you?”

“If they want to use me against Hedong, they’ll need to show some sincerity.” Yuan Ce fitted the arrowhead onto the shaft and flicked his eyes upward.

“Understood, Young General.” Mu Xin Hong nodded. “By the way, regarding your dietary restrictions and birthmark, I’ve confirmed that no one else should know both these details.”

Yuan Ce frowned slightly. Among all the troublesome matters, the problems brought by Jiang Zhiyi were the most complicated.

“Noted.” Yuan Ce placed the newly made arrows into a box, lightly closed the lid, picked it up, and left the study.

Jiang Zhiyi had just sat down at the dining table, ready to eat, when the person she had waited for half the day strolled in.

Yuan Ce pushed a narrow wooden box, half a foot long, onto the table and placed it in front of her.

Jiang Zhiyi looked at the unassuming little box, blinking curiously: “This is the arrow that will let me hit the bullseye?”

“What, do you look down on it because it’s small?”

Curious, Jiang Zhiyi opened the lid and saw a delicate copper cylinder, her eyes lighting up: “Is this—a sleeve arrow?”

“Made to suit your slender arms.”

“Did you make this?” Jiang Zhiyi picked up the sleeve arrow, surprised by its weight. “It looks heavy, but it feels so light. How does it work?”

Yuan Ce picked up a thin arrow and demonstrated how to load it, then pointed at the mechanism: “Press here, and…”

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Zhiyi pressed the trigger. Both Yuan Ce and Jingzhe swiftly dodged.

They watched as the arrow shot out, traveling several zhang into the courtyard before embedding itself with a thud into a pillar.

“Wow, it went so far—it’s amazing…” Jiang Zhiyi marveled at her seemingly superhuman hand. Turning her head, she noticed their defensive postures, as if avoiding a wild beast, and frowned: “Why are you panicking? I aimed properly!”

Jingzhe awkwardly smiled and returned to the table.

Yuan Ce clicked his tongue softly: “Each arrow takes two hours to make, and you wasted one in the blink of an eye.”

“Did you make these arrows too?” Jiang Zhiyi looked at him in astonishment.

“Otherwise, how could it have such killing power?”

“Then you should’ve told me earlier so I could’ve been more careful…” Jiang Zhiyi quickly checked the remaining arrows, treating them like precious treasures.

Yuan Ce watched her cherish them and sat down across from her casually, smirking: “No need to worry. It only takes two hours to make one. Once you use them up, I’ll just make more.”

“If you’re rarely at home, why don’t you hurry and—”

Yuan Ce pointed at the sleeve arrow in her hand: “Jiang Zhiyi, I’ve already paid for this meal. Shouldn’t I show some hospitality as the host?”

… Clearly, he had timed his arrival to join her for dinner, yet he made it sound like she was being ungracious.

Jiang Zhiyi carefully put away the sleeve arrow, feeling satisfied with it, and gestured to Jingzhe with a tilt of her chin: “Bring him a pair of chopsticks.”

Yuan Ce wiped his hands with a damp cloth, recalling Mu Xin Hong’s report earlier, and straightened his expression: “About what you asked last night—I’ve confirmed it. Only the three people I mentioned know about it.”

Jiang Zhiyi pulled her attention away from the sleeve arrow: “So there’s no possibility that these three leaked the information?”

“Absolutely none,” Yuan Ce shook his head. “I’ve answered your question. Now it’s your turn. How did you come to know about these things?”

“Actually, before last night, I didn’t exactly know…”

After their unpleasant parting last night, Jiang Zhiyi had planned to bring up the topic again during the day. But just thinking about explaining the storybook to him made her head spin. Wouldn’t that mean slapping her own face and dismantling her lies, admitting that she didn’t actually like his older brother?

Seeing how he constantly talked about his brother lately, would he be happy that she didn’t like him, or would he get angry at her for lying…

“It’s been half a year already. It doesn’t matter if we delay it through this meal. Let’s eat first and talk later.” Jiang Zhiyi sighed heavily, wiping her hands.

After many days, they were eating together at the same table again. After washing their hands, they picked up their chopsticks. Remembering the last time they sat here, they both paused simultaneously.

Jiang Zhiyi held her chopsticks and cautiously glanced at Yuan Ce.

The last time, at this very table, Yuan Ce had peeled a shrimp for her, but she refused to eat it because she thought it was dirty, and then he started acting unhappy, pretending to be drunk…

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her eyes to scan the dishes in front of her. Coincidentally, the kitchen had prepared a plate of saltwater shrimp today.

Their gazes landed on the plate of shrimp at the same time. Jiang Zhiyi guiltily looked away, but Yuan Ce kept staring at the shrimp: “If you refuse to eat the shrimp I peel for you, will my older brother peel shrimp for you? Will he make you a sleeve arrow?”

“…”

Jiang Zhiyi glared at him: “Let’s just eat. Why are you bringing up old grievances?”

“If not old grievances, then let me peel another shrimp for you now. Will you eat it?”

“I have Jingzhe here. Why should you bother?”

Yuan Ce smirked and spread his hands: “Fine, it’s not an old grievance anymore—if you won’t eat the shrimp I peel, will my older brother peel shrimp for you? Will he make you a sleeve arrow?”

… Was he stuck in a loop?

Jiang Zhiyi took a deep breath: “So what if your older brother won’t peel shrimp for me or make me a sleeve arrow!”

“I will.”

“So what if you will! Do I have to choose between you two?”

Yuan Ce sat up straight: “You can’t be with my older brother, so naturally, I’m the best choice after him.”

What arrogance! Jiang Zhiyi gritted her teeth: “What if I never intended to be with your older brother?”

“Will my older brother believe that?”

“Why wouldn’t he? The whole world believes I like your older brother except for you!” Jiang Zhiyi slammed her chopsticks down in frustration.

Yuan Ce looked at her with a questioning gaze, appearing momentarily stunned: “… What do you mean?”

“Me, Jiang Zhiyi—” She pointed at herself. “The person I dislike the most, detest the most, and would never consider being with—even if I were to grow old alone—is your older brother, Shen Yuan Ce! While you and Miss Pei might think he’s a treasure, I see him as nothing more than grass. Between me and your brother, inside and out, we’re irreconcilable enemies!”

Shocked by her bold declaration, Yuan Ce blinked, unable to believe what he’d heard. After a moment of silence, he said: “You—say that again?”

Jiang Zhiyi struggled to hold her waist: “I tricked you into believing I liked your older brother just to convince you to leave me alone!”

Thousands of thoughts raced through Yuan Ce’s mind as he stared at her without blinking, processing her words. After a long pause, he slowly set down his chopsticks, swallowed, and spoke hoarsely: “Jiang Zhiyi, you’re quite something.”

Jiang Zhiyi grabbed the sleeve arrow beside her and held it defensively in front of her: “What are you doing? Are you going to confront me?”

Yuan Ce turned his head away, closed his eyes to calm himself, and when he turned back, his eyes narrowed: “Before confronting you, I want to know—since you don’t like my older brother, where did all those strange ideas in your head come from?”

Jiang Zhiyi, seeing his chilling gaze, nervously shrank back and glanced at Jingzhe, who knew about the matter, signaling her to step in: “Jingzhe, it’s your turn.”

Two hours later, after explaining the origins of the storybook, the room fell into a heavy silence. Jiang Zhiyi and Jingzhe both looked at Yuan Ce, who was lost in deep thought.

The origins of the storybook were unknown, and it involved too many secrets of the Shen family. Yuan Ce hadn’t fully processed it yet, but his ability to sit calmly and think instead of lashing out showed his remarkable composure.

They exchanged glances, neither daring to speak.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Yuan Ce’s expression shifted from blank to furrowed brows, finally showing signs of emotion.

Jiang Zhiyi hesitantly interjected: “I thought about it last night. Whoever wrote the storybook clearly has no ill intentions toward the Shen family. Otherwise, any one of those secrets could’ve caused trouble. Moreover, I’ve had the book for over half a year, and there hasn’t been a single disturbance in Chang’an.”

Yuan Ce remained silent, his hands clasped together.

“Since no one who knows your secrets could’ve leaked them, I suspect there’s something supernatural about this book…” Jiang Zhiyi glanced at the unseen gods above, lowering her voice: “Look at how everything seems to manifest as I read it. Whenever the protagonist in the book suffers misfortune, I follow suit. Even the conspiracy involving my eldest cousin and aunt matches up. This book is truly eerie…”

“Have you considered,” Yuan Ce paused, raising his eyes, “that your sedan bench breaking might’ve been tampered with, your lost dress might’ve been stolen, and when you tested the book’s accuracy by collecting gifts from noble families, you didn’t find a dead rat. It’s not the book selectively manifesting events—it’s because whoever’s behind this can’t manipulate everything belonging to those nobles.”

A chilling sensation crept up Jiang Zhiyi’s spine: “You mean—”

“Based on what you said, the female protagonist in the book endured 81 trials from her aunt. The person who wrote the book only needed to orchestrate certain incidents after you got the book, not necessarily aligning with when you read it. As long as the events in the book match what happens to you, whether before or after, you’d believe the book was manifesting.”

Jiang Zhiyi shivered. That made sense.

Her sedan bench broke in the middle of the street, and her dress disappeared at the shop—both were places with lots of people, easy targets for interference…

“But why would someone go to such lengths…” Jiang Zhiyi trembled, swallowing nervously. “If I hadn’t believed the book would manifest events, I wouldn’t have investigated my eldest cousin’s sachet. Could this person be warning me to avoid their conspiracy?”

Yuan Ce nodded.

“If this person means well, why didn’t they just tell me directly?” Jiang Zhiyi asked, wide-eyed with confusion.

Yuan Ce thoughtfully rubbed his fingers: “Perhaps—they had some unspoken reason, or perhaps they had a bigger purpose.”

A bigger purpose—like manipulating a chessboard, placing her and Yuan Ce as pieces in a complex web, guiding them onto a collision course…

Yuan Ce looked at Jingzhe, who also appeared unnerved: “Send San Qi to immediately notify Mu Xin Hong and Li Da Feng to see me.”

Jingzhe hurriedly left the room.

Now alone, Jiang Zhiyi’s mind reeled from the overload of information. She stared blankly at the dishes in front of her, unable to recover.

Suddenly, Yuan Ce spoke: “Let’s finish eating first.”

“You still have the appetite to eat…” Jiang Zhiyi pouted, trembling with fear. Just moments ago, she had been trying to calm him down, and now she was terrified.

“You yourself said that, for now, this person shows no hostility toward either of us. Worrying won’t help until we find out who they are,” Yuan Ce pointed at the chopsticks beside her. “Eat. Afterward, we’ll settle accounts.”

Jiang Zhiyi murmured in acknowledgment, absentmindedly picking up her chopsticks. When her chopsticks touched the edge of a dish, she froze, suddenly looking up: “What? Aren’t we on the same side now? You’re still going to settle accounts with me?”

“Isn’t it easier to settle accounts when we’re on the same side?” Yuan Ce’s eyes locked onto hers as he moved the plate of shrimp in front of him and began peeling them slowly.

Though he was peeling shrimp, his amused gaze made her feel as though he was meticulously skinning her—

“First punishment: finish this plate of shrimp.”