Jiu Yue still couldn’t sleep.
Now things seemed to have gotten much more complicated…
Xue’er had her own mother—she hadn’t unexpectedly become a stepmother—so how exactly had she offended Prince Ping? Why was Prince Ping so determined to kill her?
And… who was Princess Yan Muling? As far as she knew, the dynasty she was currently in was the Tianqi Dynasty, where the imperial family bore the surname Qi—like Prince Ping, whose full name was Qi [surname].
A princess with the surname Yan—was she an imperial family member with an external surname like Sima Qing, or was she a foreign princess???
And now, Princess Muling was already dead.
Jiu Yue stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before finally wiping her face and getting up to go out.
She needed to gather some information.
But before she could even reach the main gate, Qiu Dongfang popped up out of nowhere again, grinning as he asked, “Going out again?”
Jiu Yue didn’t want to reveal too much. “Oh, yeah, meeting a friend. Do you need something?”
Qiu Dongfang smiled innocently. “I’m going to buy roast goose. You see…”
“Really?” Jiu Yue’s eyes lit up, and she pulled out some loose silver to hand to him. “Then could you get one for me too? I’ll treat you to yours!”
As she stepped forward, Qiu Dongfang’s smile stiffened, and he quickly caught up to her. “Where are you going? Let’s walk together.”
Jiu Yue waved him off. “Not the same direction.”
Old Wang’s Roast Goose was in the east of the city, while Nan Xun’s courtyard was in the west.
Qiu Dongfang: “……”
Jiu Yue walked faster and faster, and for a moment, Qiu Dongfang couldn’t think of a plausible excuse to follow her. But if he didn’t come up with something, she’d surely grow suspicious again—and he’d lose track of her.
Remembering the brutal days in the training camp where he’d been used as a punching bag, Qiu Dongfang’s eyelids twitched. He stared at Jiu Yue’s retreating figure, his expression hardening with resolve.
Jiu Yue was still debating whether to wait for Nan Xun at his courtyard or stake out the teahouse when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. Suspicious, she turned around—just in time to see Qiu Dongfang charging at her with a look of grim determination.
“Please, Jiu Yue,” he blurted out before dropping to his knees. “I’ll kowtow to you—just let me tag along!”
And with that, he actually looked ready to knock his head against the ground.
Jiu Yue: “……”
Jiu Yue: “???”
Utterly stunned, Jiu Yue hurriedly pulled him up, her expression a mix of disbelief and awkwardness. “…There’s really no need for this.”
Qiu Dongfang gazed at her expectantly.
After a moment’s thought, Jiu Yue understood.
Out of the forty-some colleagues in the prince’s residence, most were stationed in the shadows. Only four, including her, moved openly.
Did Mo Jin and Fu Yu seem like the type to enjoy wandering around? Of course not.
Those two would’ve happily grafted themselves onto Sima Qing if they could, following him without a moment’s separation.
But Qiu Dongfang? He was clearly cut from the same cloth as her—restless, fond of idle strolls, and eager to indulge in good food during breaks.
Even back in her modern-day corporate drone days, she’d been the same. Now that she was in the high-risk profession of assassination, it was even more understandable.
So Jiu Yue took pity on him. “Fine, I’ll take you out for some fun!”
Qiu Dongfang: “?”
He asked stiffly, “Weren’t you meeting a friend?”
Jiu Yue waved it off. “No rush, it’s nothing urgent. Come on! Xueliu mentioned that foreign envoys recently visited—the shops are full of new curiosities. You’ll love it.”
Qiu Dongfang: “…Haha. Sounds great.”
He responded numbly.
And so, for the entire afternoon, Qiu Dongfang was dragged by Jiu Yue through every street and alley in the eastern district—and spent an extra ten taels of silver in the process.
As dusk fell, Qiu Dongfang stared blankly at the bundles in his hands, then at Jiu Yue, who was crouched by the roadside barking at a stray dog. A strange silence settled over him.
He couldn’t help but wonder: Was Jiu Yue deliberately messing with him???
What kind of normal person played with dogs like this???
Oblivious to Qiu Dongfang’s despair, Jiu Yue petted the stray for a while, reluctant to leave.
This was a rare opportunity! Who knew if she’d ever encounter such an adorable little creature again?
Her heart itching with temptation, Jiu Yue turned to Qiu Dongfang with hopeful eyes. “Do you think the prince would let me take this little guy home?”
Qiu Dongfang: “……”
Qiu Dongfang: “Don’t ask me such difficult questions.”
Jiu Yue nodded in satisfaction. “So he’d agree. That’s what I thought too.”
Without hesitation, she scooped up the plump little puppy and tucked it into her arms like a thief. “Quick, quick—don’t look at me. What if someone mistakes me for a dog thief?”
Qiu Dongfang: “……”
For a moment, Qiu Dongfang couldn’t even imagine the prince’s reaction upon seeing the dog. Now he was absolutely convinced—Jiu Yue had truly lost her memory.
What kind of proper assassin wanted to keep a pet?
Today’s beloved dog would be tomorrow’s dog-shaped corpse, skewered by an enemy’s blade.
Dazed, he barely registered Jiu Yue suddenly leaning in. “My friend should be off work by now. I’ll drop by to see him on the way. You…”
She hesitated, feeling awkward about dismissing him mid-journey.
Qiu Dongfang snapped back to attention. “I’m fine! I can wait outside… or come in with you?”
Jiu Yue thought it over. “Alright, wait outside. I won’t be long.”
Who knew when she’d next have time to question Nan Xun properly?
She handed the puppy to Qiu Dongfang, grabbed some pastries and candied fruits from his pile of purchases, and slipped into a house tucked away in the alley.
……
Nan Xun had indeed returned home. When Jiu Yue walked in with snacks in hand, he was genuinely surprised.
“You’re free at this hour?” Nan Xun raised an eyebrow, accepting the treats and taking a bite before asking, “No poison, right?”
Jiu Yue’s eye twitched. “Isn’t it a bit late to ask that?”
Nan Xun chewed leisurely, completely unfazed as he sat down. “So? What brings you here?”
Mindful of Qiu Dongfang waiting outside, Jiu Yue cut to the chase. In a few words, she summarized the situation with Prince Ping, then asked, “Who is Yan Muling? Do you know her?”
Nan Xun grew more puzzled as he listened, but at this question, he nodded. “I wouldn’t say I know her, but I’ve heard of her… She was the third princess of the neighboring Great Yan Dynasty. Though she vanished years ago—are you sure you heard right?”
Jiu Yue propped her chin on her hand. “Positive. The maid was mute—she wrote it for me. How could I mishear?”
Nan Xun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If what you say is true, and your conflict with Prince Ping isn’t romantic, then it must be about interests… You weren’t working for him before, were you?”
Jiu Yue’s eyes widened. “Me?”
Nan Xun nodded. “Very possible. The reason he’s trying to kill you is probably because you knew too much—he wants to silence you… But that’s only if you’re no longer useful.”
He studied Jiu Yue with a strange expression. “But you lost your memory after the assassination attempt. Before that, you must’ve still been valuable to him. Why would he suddenly want you dead?”
Jiu Yue shook her head, equally baffled.
…How could she have ever worked with Prince Ping? That scumbag—she hadn’t even met him yet, but just from Xue’er’s situation, she could tell he was no good.
A wave of nausea washed over her, as if she’d swallowed a fly.
