Li Chengyu's gaze was as calm as an ancient, rippleless well, yet it possessed an unquestionable sharpness. It was firmly locked onto Pei Cijing's face, as if trying to pierce through that facade of feigned composure to reach his turbulent heart.
The deliberately constructed, nonchalant smile on Pei Cijing's face appeared as thin as early winter ice in Li Chengyu's eyes, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.
He had been here for more than just a moment.
Pei Cijing's previously ever-changing expressions—from sudden realization to shock, from shock to deep thought, and finally to a forced calm—had all been taken in by him.
He understood this kind of expression all too well.
It was absolutely not ordinary "concern" or "curiosity" toward his ninth imperial brother.
Rather, it was a complex fluctuation of sudden enlightenment after seeing through some earth-shattering secret, forcefully suppressed by reason and fear. It was like a surging undercurrent beneath a tranquil lake; peaceful on the surface, but turned upside down within.
There must be an incredible secret involving his ninth brother.
A fundamental secret that even he, his elder brother, had never seen through, and perhaps even his ninth brother was kept in the dark about.
Thinking it over, this secret was most likely related to his ninth brother's inexplicable, once-a-month abdominal pain that tortured him until he was reduced to mere bones.
It might even be...
The very root cause of all this agony!
Li Chengyu's heart suddenly felt as if it were tightly gripped by an invisible hand, aching faintly. His ninth brother, Li Chenglu, and his full sister, Li Chanying, had lost their birth mother while still in their swaddling clothes. It was his own imperial mother who had brought them to her side and raised them alongside him.
Although the three of them did not share the same mother, the bond they forged from growing up and supporting each other since childhood ran deeper than blood.
His ninth brother had a gentle and soft temperament.
And a weak constitution.
The sight of him curled up in bed in pain for those few days every month, his small face deathly pale and cold sweat soaking through his inner garments, was an unspeakable, lingering pain and source of helplessness in the hearts of both him and his imperial mother for many years.
Those useless fools in the Imperial Hospital who called themselves top physicians!
They only knew how to repeat the same old platitudes about "congenital deficiency," "liver stagnation and qi stagnation," and "cold coagulation and blood stasis." The decoctions and pills they prescribed could only barely relieve the pain for a moment. They never touched the root cause, let alone offered a cure.
If... if this seemingly undisciplined Pei Cijing standing before him had truly seen through the crux of the illness that even the imperial physicians had failed to uncover with just one glance...
Li Chengyu's eyes suddenly deepened, like a bottomless, freezing pool.
This secret.
He had to know it!
At any cost.
But looking at Pei Cijing's current demeanor—his shifting gaze, evasive words, and attempts to change the subject—it was obvious he had realized something. And because what he had realized was too terrifying, he was trying with all his might to protect himself, wishing he could carve "I know nothing" right onto his face.
For a young master of a Marquis's estate to be so wary, even going so far as to play dumb and try to muddle his way through in front of him...
The implications of this secret were probably far more shocking and deadly than he had imagined.
But no matter how shocking!
No matter how deadly!
It could not outweigh his ninth brother's health, nor could it outweigh the affection of looking after him since childhood.
Li Chengyu closed in by another half step.
The distance between them instantly shrank to almost nothing, so close that they could hear the faint rustle of each other's clothing, see their clear reflections in each other's eyes, and even detect that imperceptible, slightly held breath.
He lowered his voice, stripping it completely of the superficial probing from just moments ago, leaving only a heavy, rock-solid solemnity:
"Young Master Pei, honest men do not speak in riddles."
Though his voice was low, every word was enunciated clearly and slowly, ensuring the other party heard it distinctly.
"The way you looked at the ninth prince just now was definitely not out of ordinary worry. If you can truthfully tell me what 'impropriety' you observed..."
He paused, his gaze landing on Pei Cijing's face with a tangible weight, and offered a promise tempting enough to move countless hearts:
"No matter how much this matter involves or what secrets lie behind it, I guarantee with my life that I will absolutely not allow you to be harmed in the slightest because of it."
Not only that—
His voice grew even deeper, each word like a brand:
"I will owe you a favor. As long as it does not violate the law or go against human morality, within the scope of my abilities, I can do one thing for you."
Pei Cijing inwardly groaned in misery, a wail almost bursting from his lips.
As expected!
Although this Huang Yu's identity had not been explicitly stated, it was already abundantly clear.
He was truly a prince!
And one of the most highly esteemed ones, highly likely to inherit the throne!
Earlier, when they met under the corridor of the Imperial Academy, sharing melon seeds and watching the farce together, he had felt this person's bearing was extraordinary. He was definitely no ordinary noble youth, but most likely a member of the imperial family.
Now, combined with his extraordinary concern and subtle protectiveness toward the ninth prince, his identity needed no further explanation.
He was definitely a prince.
And among all the currently living princes, the only one with the character 'Yu' in his name was the legitimate son born to the current Empress of the Central Palace—the Sixth Prince, Li Chengyu.
Such a figure.
A top candidate for the future crown prince.
His golden words, personally promising a favor... the value of this commitment was simply immeasurable.
If it were anyone else with even a little ambition, or someone in a predicament desperately needing support, they would probably already be shedding tears of gratitude by now, eager to reveal everything they knew in order to climb this towering tree.
But he, Pei Cijing...
Right now, he only wanted to peacefully eat his gossip melons, muddle his way through his studies, and sweetly dote on his wife. He did not want to be dragged into the monstrous vortex of royal secrets at all!
Yes!
Eating that "melon" just now was quite satisfying!
2,599 melon-eating points had been credited to his account, an unprecedentedly massive harvest that brought his balance straight to four thousand, simply making his heart bloom with joy.
But this melon was scorching hot!
Not only was it hot to the touch, it was also emitting a sizzling, deadly toxic smoke!
Right now, he was just full of regret.
Extreme regret.
He had been too focused and absorbed while eating the melon, completely forgetting the ancient teaching of avoiding suspicion under the plum tree or in the melon patch. He had lost the necessary vigilance required in aristocratic circles, being targeted without even realizing it.
Now he was in big trouble.
Being intensely stared down by this Sixth Highness, who clearly had a deep mind and was not easily fooled—looking at this stance, if he did not provide a convincing explanation, he would absolutely not pass this hurdle.
But what could he say?
Directly state: "Reporting to Your Highness, according to my observations, the ninth prince is actually female. The monthly abdominal pain is actually a woman's menstrual pain, caused by a congenital misjudgment of yin and yang"?
Then he probably truly wouldn't live to see the sun rise over Shengjing City tomorrow.
Not because it would rain tomorrow.
But because he wouldn't be able to keep his head on his shoulders. Not only him, but the entire Weiyuan Marquis Estate, and possibly even his father-in-law's Shen Estate, would all be finished together, staging a real-life drama of "entire family execution."
He couldn't say it.
He absolutely couldn't say it even if beaten to death.
But... he also had to say something!
This Sixth Highness was not someone who could be easily fobbed off with a simple "I don't know anything."
The feigned smile of a wealthy idler on Pei Cijing's face finally faded slowly, like a thin layer of snow under the sunlight, melting away silently.
He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, concealing the rapidly swirling thoughts in his gaze.
When he raised his eyes again.
His face had already taken on a slightly helpless, yet indescribably complex expression that bordered on compassion.
That expression was not faked.
He had truly caught a glimpse of some lamentable, inescapable divine secret.
This time, Pei Cijing's gaze did not evade; he looked straight into Li Chengyu's scrutinizing and oppressive eyes.
However, he did not answer the other man's question directly, nor did he offer any definitive diagnosis or speculation.
He merely lowered his voice, speaking in a tone that only the two of them could hear, slowly and almost as if talking to himself, I have heard that His Highness the Ninth Prince and Princess Anhe are twins.
He paused, raising his eyes to look at Li Chengyu with an indescribably profound look, and softly added the second half of his thought:
The two of them, it can be said, look exactly identical.
After uttering this seemingly irrelevant and almost nonsensical statement, Pei Cijing quickly withdrew his gaze. He lowered his eyes once more, staring intently at the long-cold cup of tea in his hands.
It was as if some rare treasure were hidden within the pale green liquid.
He refused to utter another word.
What needed to be hinted at.
He had already hinted at.
The rest... he would leave to this exceptionally brilliant Sixth Highness, who cared so deeply for his younger siblings, to figure out on his own. That was all he could say.
Hearing this, Li Chengyu's handsome, sword-like eyebrows immediately furrowed, twisting almost into a knot.
Twins looking alike?
What kind of absolute nonsense was this!
Chenglu and Chanying were a twin brother and sister to begin with, and their features were nearly identical. What was so strange about that? It wasn't some unspeakable secret.
What was Pei Cijing's intention in deliberately bringing up this widely known fact?
Li Chengyu stared darkly at Pei Cijing's lowered profile. The man's tight-lipped posture, acting as if saying a single word more would invite the wrath of heaven, only served as irrefutable proof of one thing:
The gravity of this matter far exceeded any ordinary illness!
Li Chengyu felt a sudden, inexplicable headache. What he hated most were these bastards who spoke in riddles, deliberately mystifying things and making people guess!
Pei Cijing's pretentious manner, this tone of leaving half unsaid and making one itch with anxiety...
He was exactly like that bald old monk of an abbot at the Grand Xiangguo Temple, who was always stroking his snow-white beard, squinting his dim old eyes, and saying things like the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, the Buddha says it cannot be spoken, and the benefactor must comprehend it on their own! It made one gnash their teeth in hatred, yet remain utterly helpless.
But at the same time, he could acutely sense from Pei Cijing's cautious, almost fearful attitude that things were far from a simple act of deliberate mystification!
This was no charlatan's trick.
This was a true.
Profound taboo!
It was a deathly silence that had touched upon some unspeakable restriction.
Li Chengyu slowly straightened his posture, shifting his gaze away from Pei Cijing. He looked toward the center of the water pavilion, at the crimson-clad figure who was chatting and laughing cheerfully with others, yet still unable to hide their frail and pale appearance.
Identical twins...
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
An incredibly absurd thought, one that vaguely pointed toward a terrifying possibility, crept into his mind like a vine quietly reaching out from the darkness, silently wrapping around his heart.
