Chapter 35: Two Groups

Chapter 35: Two Sides

Thinking of this, Qiu Shuiyi tentatively asked, "Your Highness, are you aware that the Crown Prince of Yue has feelings for my sister..."

Shen Yuchao remained expressionless. "A fair lady is a gentleman's desire; it is only natural."

"Your Highness, aren't you angry?" Qiu Shuiyi asked in surprise.

Shen Yuchao suddenly curved his lips into a smile, as bright as the moon, dazzling Qiu Shuiyi.

He abruptly leaned down, his lips almost brushing the young lady's earlobe, his voice clear and melodious like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"If I were to be angry, I should not have been in a charitable mood since the very first time I met Second Miss Qiu."

His breath drifted by her ear, tickling her so much that Qiu Shuiyi uncomfortably pinched her fingertips.

Yet she heard him continue, "Or perhaps, when First Miss Qiu left the city alone due to her dissatisfaction with the marriage arrangement, I should have stormed Prince Yue's mansion with my sword."

Qiu Shuiyi's pupils suddenly contracted, a wave of shock surging through her, her scalp prickling.

He... he actually knew about Qiu Lianying leaving the city?

Then did he know about Qiu Lianying's disappearance?

Qiu Shuiyi stared up, dumbfounded.

Shen Yuchao suddenly moved away, raising his gaze to look somewhere, speaking softly, "It seems there's something interesting over there. Would Second Miss Qiu like to go and see?"

"Ah?"

Qiu Shuiyi snapped out of her astonishment. "Alright."

Along the way, she occasionally glanced at Shen Yuchao.

She was utterly perplexed.

So it wasn't just Qiu Lianying who disliked Shen Yuchao. Shen Yuchao also had no interest in Qiu Lianying.

That was why he remained unmoved by Zhou Yundun's implicit staking of claim, and even his fiancée's dissatisfaction with the marriage arrangement and leaving the city alone weighed as lightly as a feather in his heart, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

That was why he tacitly allowed her closeness.

If both parties involved in the marriage arrangement had no interest in each other, was there still any need for it to continue?

As soon as this thought emerged, she suddenly remembered that the marriage arrangement was decreed by the late emperor.

Neither the Qiu family nor the Shen family could easily dissolve it.

So later, how did her sister end up spending her life with Shen Yuchao?

Qiu Shuiyi abruptly halted.

Shen Yuchao noticed she had stopped and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Qiu Shuiyi only stared at him.

After a long while, she shook her head and revealed a faint smile. "Nothing."

She had just suddenly remembered that a marriage contract binds living, breathing people.

But what if one of them had already become a wandering spirit?

...

The lively scenes along the way dispelled much of the gloom in her heart. Qiu Shuiyi smiled again, her gaze searching everywhere, reluctant to look away.

Glancing past a clay figurine stall, Qiu Shuiyi frowned and redirected her gaze.

Behind the stall was a pitch-black alleyway. Under the illumination of nearby lanterns, the entrance of the alley could be seen clearly.

It was empty, with no sign of that familiar figure.

Had she been mistaken?

Qiu Shuiyi couldn't help but take two steps forward, wanting to see more clearly.

"Miss, Miss?"

Xin Tao tugged at her sleeve, looking over curiously but unable to see anything clearly.

"What are you looking at? His Highness is calling you."

"It's nothing." Qiu Shuiyi pursed her lips slightly. "I thought I saw an acquaintance?"

"What kind of acquaintance?"

Qiu Shuiyi curved her lips. "An acquaintance... a real life-or-death connection."

The young maid was naive and didn't catch the subtlety in her tone. Instead, she said, "Such a deep bond, no wonder Miss looks so disappointed."

Qiu Shuiyi chuckled. "Indeed."

A bond where they wanted her dead—now *that* was meaningful.

Xin Tao was still feeling sorry her mistress had missed a friend, while Shen Yuchao cast a meaningful glance at the dark, unlit alley.

"Wow! Miss, look quickly, that monkey is so clever!"

Xin Tao was soon captivated by new sights, excitedly calling out to Qiu Shuiyi.

Not far away, a little monkey, at its trainer's direction, jumped through three rings of fire in succession, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd.

"Clang—"

The street performer struck a gong and loudly announced, "One coin, just one coin, and you can personally lead the monkey through the fire rings."

The crowd grew excited, raising their hands and shouting, "Me, me, I've got a coin!"

"I'll pay too!"

"And me!"

"Daddy, I want to lead the little monkey."

Coins began to fly toward the street performer. The performer beamed with joy, raising the gong. "Stop throwing them! Put the money here, one at a time."

The crowd was initially orderly, but then, somehow, it suddenly became chaotic.

A rough, unpleasant male voice roared, "Which bastard dared to step on your grandpa?"

"Ah! Who shoved me!"

"Stop pushing!"

The street performer hurriedly shouted, "Take it easy, one at a time." But his voice was quickly drowned out in the din.

Qiu Shuiyi sensed something was wrong and said to Shen Yuchao, "Your Highness, if this continues, something might happen."

Shen Yuchao frowned. "Shang Ze, you go—"

Then, everything changed in an instant.

A woman's voice, sharp and piercing, almost tore through the night sky.

"My child, my child, where is my child?!"

"Where has my child gone?!"

A woman stumbled through the crowd, her face pale with panic as she rushed out.

She kept looking around, her hands outstretched as if searching, her eyes filled with helplessness.

"My child, where has my child gone? Xiao Bao, don't scare Mama, come out quickly."

The crowd began to stir. Someone shouted, "Has anyone seen her child?"

"Who has time to look at someone else's child? Hey, who stepped on me?"

"Stop pushing!"

Amid the shoving, the woman was knocked to the ground by someone, her frail figure looking particularly pitiful.

Unable to bear it, Qiu Shuiyi handed her lantern to Xin Tao and helped the woman up. "Sister, is your child a boy or a girl? How old is he? What color clothes is he wearing?"

The woman answered blankly, "Xiao Bao is a boy, just turned three. Today he's wearing a bright red coat."

As if hearing a child's cry, the woman suddenly turned her head. "Xiao Bao, I hear Xiao Bao crying."

She pushed Qiu Shuiyi's hand away and staggered toward a certain direction.

"Wait—"

Qiu Shuiyi couldn't stop her in time and watched helplessly as she ran off.

Squinting into the distance, Qiu Shuiyi saw a man holding a child, using the crowd to hide his tracks.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and she pointed in that direction. "Your Highness, over there."

"Shang Ze," Shen Yuchao frowned.

"Your Highness."

Shang Ze responded.

"Go after him."

"Yes." Accepting the order, Shang Ze gathered his energy and swiftly chased after them.

Qiu Shuiyi stood on tiptoe to watch.

"Shang Ze's martial arts are quite good. He'll catch the thief. Second Miss, please wait a moment."

Shen Yuchao spoke softly to reassure her.

Qiu Shuiyi sighed and took the lantern back from Xin Tao.

"Xin Tao, go help that sister back."

Xin Tao responded with a "Yes, miss," and hurried over, helping the woman who had collapsed on the ground, weeping.

After this incident, parents with children tightened their grip on their little ones, afraid their own children might be snatched away.

Many onlookers dispersed, and the street performer, looking disappointed, led his little monkey elsewhere.

Qiu Shuiyi settled the woman at a street-side stall, ordered four bowls of wontons, and gently pushed one toward the woman, who was still silently crying.

"Don't worry, someone has already gone after them. They'll bring your child back."

The woman's face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen, her expression dazed, and her hair disheveled.

Hearing this, she finally regained her senses and sobbed, "Miss... thank you... thank you..."

Qiu Shuiyi patted her back, offering silent comfort.

The four bowls of wontons sat on the table, untouched. By the time the steam above them had completely dissipated and a layer of cold oil had formed on the surface, Shang Ze still hadn't returned.

Qiu Shuiyi couldn't help but ask Shen Yuchao, "Has something happened to Guard Shang?"

Shen Yuchao's eyes darkened as he pondered. "Second Miss, wait here. I'll go check."

Qiu Shuiyi had come today specifically for him and naturally wouldn't leave his side. She quickly said, "I'll go with you, Your Highness."

Turning to Xin Tao, she instructed, "Wait here and don't wander off."

Seeing Xin Tao nod, Qiu Shuiyi said softly, "Your Highness, let's go."

Shen Yuchao glanced at her.

Qiu Shuiyi blinked innocently.

Sighing inwardly, Shen Yuchao nodded. "Let's go."

Qiu Shuiyi immediately broke into a smile and followed closely behind.

Following the direction Shang Ze had gone, the surroundings gradually grew quieter. The lively atmosphere receded like a tide, replaced by a cold silence.

A chilly wind crept in through her collar, raising goosebumps.

Qiu Shuiyi shivered and quietly grabbed the hem of Shen Yuchao's robe.

Feeling a slight tug from behind, Shen Yuchao glanced back but didn't say anything.

In the silent, deep alley, the doors of every household were tightly shut, and every sound was as clear as a pin drop.

Suddenly, a child's cry pierced the air, like the roar of a beast lurking in the deep mountains, making Qiu Shuiyi's hair stand on end.

A dark figure flashed past, holding a fair and handsome little boy dressed in a bright red coat.

Qiu Shuiyi gasped softly. "Your Highness, it's the child who was taken."

Shen Yuchao tossed out a warning, "Don't run around," before swiftly chasing after that person.

He moved incredibly fast; in a flash, he was already trading blows with the man.

The two moved like flowing clouds, their movements a blur. Only the boy's loud cries made her heart pound, holding her breath, tense with anticipation.

Suddenly, the man threw the boy into the air, drew a flexible sword from his waist, and thrust it toward Shen Yuchao.

Shen Yuchao's eyes sharpened. He leaped up, caught the boy, shoved him toward Qiu Shuiyi, and turned back to confront the attacker.

The child in her arms cried so hard he could barely catch his breath. In a fluster, Qiu Shuiyi gently wiped his tears with her sleeve while murmuring, "There, there, don't cry. I'll take you to see your mother soon."

The boy opened his teary, blurred eyes and stammered, "...M-Mother..."

"That's right," Qiu Shuiyi said gently. "Mother is looking for Xiaobao. Don't cry; you'll see her soon."

The boy gradually stopped crying, whimpering softly, "Mother... I want Mother... Xiaobao wants Mother..."

Seeing he had calmed down, Qiu Shuiyi glanced at Shen Yuchao, then at the child in her arms, feeling torn.

After a moment of hesitation, her conscience ultimately prevailed.

"I'll take you to see your mother right now."

Just as she turned, a sudden alarm blared in Qiu Shuiyi's mind. A deep-seated sense of crisis compelled her to hurl the child in her arms away with force.

At the same moment, a cold glint flashed before her eyes.

A lock of her hair fell to the ground.

A dagger embedded itself into the wall, its blade quivering violently. Had that force struck a human body, blood would have been spilled instantly.

The system's voice was flat: "Danger avoided once. Reward: one year of lifespan."

A whole year.

Lately, she had roughly figured out the system's reward pattern.

Generally, the greater the danger, the richer the reward.

Had she hesitated for even a second just now, she would already be a corpse under the blade.

Her chest heaved up and down as Qiu Shuiyi turned her head, still shaken.

The boy stood perfectly fine on the ground, his gaze cold and sinister, utterly unlike that of a three-year-old child.

A sickening series of cracks came from his body, as if bones were breaking and reshaping.

Under Qiu Shuiyi's horrified gaze, the boy began to grow taller, his limbs elongated, and his childish face transformed into the refined features of a grown man.

He let out a playful "Aiyo," his voice sweet, like a lover coyly admitting to a prank.

"You found me out."

Before Qiu Shuiyi could react, two flying daggers flew from his palm, aimed straight at her neck.

Unlike the ordinary assassins before, this man was clearly a master, every move intended to take her life.

Having spent so much time in the capital, Qiu Shuiyi had never paid much mind to the tricks of those playboys.

No matter what, they always had to respect the Yun'an Marquis estate and didn't dare to actually harm her.

But this man before her truly wanted her dead.

Why?

While dodging frantically, a figure suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Was it her?

Or... him?