After politely declining Cui Jinping’s offer to escort him, Su Yan slowly made his way back to his room. On the way, he detoured to find Yun Xi and confirmed their plan to head to the forest by the southern wall at midnight to dig up that pit. Yun Xi, concerned about Su Yan’s injured ankle, offered to go alone, but Su Yan firmly insisted, leaving Yun Xi no choice but to relent.
By the time dusk had fallen, Su Yan expected to have to wait for his turn to use hot water. Surprisingly, within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a bath bucket, hot water, soap, and all the necessary bathing supplies were delivered to his room. From the words of the palace servant who brought them, it seemed that the staff in the little Southern Courtyard, keenly interpreting the Eastern Palace’s orders, had gone above and beyond to ensure that this “favored guest” was thoroughly pampered.
Since the perks were already here, he saw no harm in enjoying them. Su Yan took a thorough and refreshing bath, then, wearing only a thin inner garment and white silk pants, climbed barefoot onto his canopy bed to look for his medicine box.
His ankle was mostly fine now; another two days of applying medicine and it would be fully healed. Holding the box, Su Yan couldn’t help but think of Wu Ming and his resolve to assassinate Wei Jun despite the risk of death. He wondered where Wu Ming was now and if he was safe.
If Wu Ming had acted, regardless of whether Wei Jun lived or died, chaos would have erupted in Hongqing Hall. It was impossible for the little Southern Courtyard to remain completely oblivious—there would have been gossip among the servants and guards.
From this, Su Yan deduced only one possibility: his earlier warning had worked. Wu Ming must have realized that an invisible net surrounded Wei Jun and decided not to act hastily, instead waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike decisively.
I hope Wu Ming doesn’t take reckless risks and can wait until I bring down Wei Jun myself… Su Yan sighed, then thought of Commander Shen Qi.
He wondered whether Shen Qi had successfully dealt with the assassins Feng Que had sent to kill him. Would Shen Qi be able to conceal the incident, or would he face reprimands—or worse—when he returned?
“The torture in the imperial prison, where life is worse than death—I know those methods better than anyone. And when the time comes, it will undoubtedly be more brutal than anything I’ve seen before.”
Those words echoed in Su Yan’s mind, making him afraid to imagine further.
If Shen Qi suffered because of saving him, Su Yan knew he would carry that guilt for the rest of his life, unable to find peace in his heart.
“…Wu Ming, Shen Qi, please don’t get into trouble,” Su Yan muttered to himself.
A chilling voice drifted from above: “To be remembered by Lord Su is truly touching. However, this humble one refuses to be compared to common bandits. I hope Lord Su can focus solely on me and forget about those insignificant creatures.”
Startled, Su Yan looked up from the edge of the bed. Who else could it be but Shen Qi, still in his guard uniform? Su Yan gritted his teeth. “Breaking into someone’s private chambers without even knocking, and you have the nerve to call others bandits? You’re worse than one!”
Shen Qi chuckled a few times, leaping lightly down to land in front of Su Yan’s bed, stretching his arms.
Su Yan had a bad feeling. “When did you sneak in? Don’t tell me…” He paused. Before I bathed?
Shen Qi raised an eyebrow, silently confirming it.
“Pervert! Have you no shame?” Su Yan grabbed the nearest object, a bamboo pillow, and threw it at him.
Shen Qi caught it effortlessly, sitting at the edge of the bed with complete disregard. He grabbed Su Yan’s leg and snatched the medicine box from his hand.
The more Su Yan thought about it, the more creeped out he became. “You haven’t been spying on me this whole time, have you? Do you have people watching my house too?”
He knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guards from the Northern Surveillance Bureau probably did more than just arrest criminals—they likely spied on officials as well. But having it happen to himself gave him the chills.
As Shen Qi applied the medicine to his ankle, massaging it with practiced hands, he said with a half-smile, “Your household has so few servants that I could count them on one hand. How could I plant spies there? I’m just ensuring your safety. That’s why I had a few captains patrol around your home, keeping an eye out for any disturbances so they can intervene if needed.”
“That sounds nice and all, but you probably have people stationed on my rooftop, right? Better call them off, or I’ll be lighting firecrackers up there.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not invading your privacy. They’re just guarding the perimeter.”
“Why guard the house? I can always get a dog.”
Shen Qi’s face darkened instantly, bringing with it an aura of danger. “That’s a bit harsh. Do you really think an Embroidered Uniform Guard, a leader of elite troops, is no better than a dog?”
Su Yan wasn’t afraid of him, but he didn’t want to provoke him either. He responded, “Who can stand being constantly watched? It’s creepy! Master Shen, with your immense skills, can’t you stop protecting me day and night? I can’t take it anymore. If something really happens, I’ll come light incense at your temple, alright?”
Shen Qi’s expression softened, his laughter cold. “Most people would be grateful for a bit of my protection. They’d pay for it too, depending on my mood. But you… how ungrateful. What is it? Do you think I’m too virtuous, so you want to suggest I practice some ‘joyful meditation’?”
Su Yan listened as Shen Qi’s words veered suggestively after only three sentences. Thinking of how he’d inexplicably fallen into a trap last night—nearly sparking an incident where they’d almost ended up entirely unclothed—he couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle with embarrassment. He hurriedly pulled his foot back and issued an unmistakable dismissal: “I’m tired and want to sleep. Lord Commander, please at your own convenience.”
Instead, Shen Qi leaned in and began untying his undershirt.
“W-What are you doing?”
“You told me to do things at my own convenience,” Shen Qi replied innocently.
Su Yan fought to keep his collar in place, their hands grappling in the process. Furious, he retorted, “I was politely asking you to leave!”
Shen Qi laughed heartily, stripped Su Yan’s upper body bare, and pulled out a piece of extraordinarily thin yet durable armor from his pocket. “This is a gold-threaded soft armor. Worn directly against the skin, it can render you impervious to blades and spears. Unless your opponent is a master of martial arts, it’s nearly impossible to penetrate. Given your involvement in a murder case and lack of protection, it’s best you wear this for safety.”
Su Yan allowed Shen Qi to help him into the armor, marveling at its craftsmanship. Is this the ancient equivalent of a Kevlar vest? he wondered. Does it really work?
“Where did this armor come from?” Su Yan asked.
“Confiscated during a raid,” Shen Qi replied casually, omitting the full story. The truth was, this treasure had been secretly hoarded by a deputy commander of the Northern Surveillance Bureau after a raid on a military officer’s residence. Shen Qi had risked his life to steal it, narrowly avoiding the poisoned arrows of the hidden mechanisms guarding it.
Su Yan touched his chest. The armor felt cool to the touch, firm yet flexible, with a texture resembling both metal and leather. It shimmered faintly like scales, woven with intricate patterns that revealed nothing of the skin beneath. He couldn’t fathom what rare materials had been used to create it.
Shen Qi mistook Su Yan’s hesitation for fastidiousness and reassured him, “I washed it beforehand. It’s clean.”
After putting on his undershirt, Su Yan moved around a bit. The armor didn’t hinder his movements and was completely unnoticeable under his clothes. Satisfied, he said, “Thank you, Lord Commander. Once I leave this little Southern Courtyard, I’ll return it to you along with the belt.”
Shen Qi’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “A mere thank-you and that’s it? How do you plan to repay me?”
Su Yan chuckled awkwardly. “Feel free to borrow anything you like from my house. No need to return it.”
Shen Qi snorted. “I’ve heard Su Zhizhou is an honest official. He couldn’t even afford to set your son up with property in the capital. That little courtyard you bought in Huanghua Lane with the two hundred taels bestowed by the emperor? It’s an empty shell. What could I possibly want from it?”
With his attempt at offering repayment foiled, Su Yan could only spread his hands helplessly. “Then I truly have nothing to offer. I ask for Lord Commander’s forgiveness.”
“In that case, with an empty mouth of white teeth, an empty mouth of white teeth will have to do,” Shen Qi said, pinning Su Yan down and actually giving one of his pristine teeth a playful lick.
Pressed against the hard wooden frame of the canopy bed’s moon gate, Su Yan didn’t feel uncomfortable thanks to the soft armor. What he did feel, however, was that Shen Qi must have some canine blood in him, given his penchant for biting people.
The first time Shen Qi kissed him, he’d been disgusted. The second time, he felt suffocated. By the third, his mind went blank. Now—was this the fourth or fifth time… He was almost numb to it.
He vaguely remembered that kissing his girlfriend in his past life always came with the sticky taste of lipstick. It wasn’t unpleasant, but not exactly refreshing either, filled with artificial flavors and scents.
Of course, in moments of passion, those details were easily overlooked, as every stolen kiss sent his heart pounding. But now, as he reflected, with that layer of excitement stripped away, nothing particularly memorable remained.
Shen Qi kissed fervently, but suddenly realized that his partner wasn’t resisting—not out of permission or indulgence, but because he was lost in thought. Shen Qi’s expression turned cold. “You—you actually spaced out on me!”
Was his kissing really that bad? Even a youth ignorant of romance felt nothing? Shen Qi, embarrassed and angry, was just about to seize the moment and take things further, when Su Yan dazedly asked, “What flavor is it?”
“?”
“What do I taste like, for you to kiss me so enthusiastically?”
Shen Qi froze, then chuckled. “Well, if I had to say… like linden honey.”
Linden honey, also called “linden tree snow,” is milky white, fragrant, sweet and refreshing, with a long-lasting aftertaste. Su Yan licked his lips but didn’t taste any sweetness. He shook his head. “Nonsense.”
But Shen Qi wasn’t lying. When he had forcibly kissed Su Yan on the walls of the imperial prison, a memory had surfaced—of his mother comforting him when he was sick as a child. After giving him bitter medicine, she would dissolve a spoonful of thick linden honey in water to ease the bitterness in his mouth.
That trace of sweetness lingered on his tongue, as if all the suffering he had endured had found its recompense, making it all seem worthwhile.
Sadly, to his mother, he had not been worth the pain. Unable to bear the cruelties of life, she had left him behind, hanging herself from the rafters outside her room on a cold night…
Su Yan noticed that Shen Qi’s lips had tightened into a pained, sharp line, and his eyes were brimming with anger. His clenched fists nearly tore through the silk bedding beneath them. It was an expression Su Yan had never seen before, and it startled him. “Lord Commander?”
He called twice before Shen Qi snapped out of it.
“What’s wrong?” Su Yan asked.
“Nothing, just some old memories,” Shen Qi said, his usual demeanor quickly restored. He lazily rubbed Su Yan’s lips with his thumb and murmured, “Don’t call me ‘Lord Commander.’ Call me Qilang.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“But I want to hear it.”
Su Yan turned his face away and brushed Shen Qi’s hand aside, preparing to get out of bed and dress.
Shen Qi roughly pulled him back into his arms, gripping his waistband with a threat: “Call me, or I’ll force myself on you.”
Su Yan laughed in exasperation. “You really have no shame. You won’t, and I won’t either. If you push me too far, I’ll shout for help.”
Shen Qi rested his chin heavily on Su Yan’s shoulder, not moving.
Sensing that Shen Qi was in a foul mood, Su Yan struggled for a moment but couldn’t break free. He sighed, thinking that it wouldn’t cost him anything, so he might as well let Shen Qi hold him for a bit—consider it a thank you for the borrowed armor.
“Qinghe, just call me once, alright?” Shen Qi whispered into his ear.
Su Yan noticed that when this man’s voice shed its usual cold and harsh tone, it conveyed a quiet loneliness, as if his unreasonable demand was somehow sincere and filled with self-pity—making it sound as though if Su Yan didn’t comply, Shen Qi might simply waste away.
“Lord Commander, you must have been the seventh child in your family, so many people must have called you that over the years. Why do you insist on hearing it from me?”
“That’s different. I only want to hear it from you… If you don’t call me, I really will force myself on you.”
Faced with Shen Qi’s mixed tactics of both persuasion and threats, Su Yan had no choice. He reluctantly muttered, “Qilang.”
Shen Qi trembled slightly. “Call me again.”
The hardest part was always the first time. Once the floodgates were open, there was no holding back.
“Qilang.”
“Call me again.”
“…Qilang, Qilang, Qilang. Three times. Satisfied?” Su Yan grumbled. “Let me go, my leg’s gone numb!”
Finally, Shen Qi let go, watching as Su Yan put on his shoes and straightened his raven-colored robe, securing his hair with a rhinoceros horn crown, looking both neat and understated.
“Why are you dressing to go out in the middle of the night?” Shen Qi asked.
After some thought, Su Yan decided there was no reason to hide it and replied, “I discovered something suspicious. I have an appointment at midnight to go investigate it.”
Shen Qi frowned, “Does it have to be tonight? How about changing it to tomorrow? I’ll go with you. Tonight, Feng Que has summoned me back to the Northern Surveillance Bureau. I might not make it back by midnight.”
“It’s fine, you handle your matters. I’ll just wander around this small southern courtyard. Besides, I have companions from the same class, so it’s quite safe,” Su Yan replied, but then his expression subtly changed. “What does Feng Que want from you in the dead of night? Be careful—what if he tries something against you? Maybe you shouldn’t go back. Lay low for a while. Once I leave this place, I’ll help you figure out another way.”
Shen Qi wasn’t worried about himself; instead, he secretly felt delighted. “Not only are you concerned about me, but you’re also willing to put in effort to help me plan?”
“What nonsense are you thinking!” Su Yan quickly interrupted his thoughts and shot him a sidelong glance. “This is just returning the favor for the help you gave me during the flogging.”
Even Shen Qi found Su Yan’s eye-roll rather attractive. Smiling faintly, he teased, “Why not repay me with yourself? Then in the future, not only would I cover for you, I’d even give my life for you.”
Su Yan, thoroughly exasperated by this overly enthusiastic Embroidered Uniform Guard, waved him off impatiently. “Alright, alright, if you’re going, then go quickly. Make sure everything is properly arranged in advance to avoid being caught off guard.”
