Once a thought arises, every sign can be interpreted as evidence.
When Jiu Yue first entered the mansion for her trial assignment, Sima Qing's original intention was to send her into the palace to eliminate Feng Sheng.
An assassination attempt in the palace would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Si Shui faction. Moreover, Feng Sheng himself was no slouch in martial arts. Had she actually made a move that night, escaping the palace wouldn’t have been easy… But by some twist of fate, she misunderstood the order and thus avoided the trap.
Later, when she boldly demanded higher wages from Sima Qing or gave him attitude over the little chubby dog… Sima Qing would get angry, sure, but he always conceded—though Qiu Dongfang claimed it was because he valued her talent. Now, looking back, Jiu Yue found that explanation flimsy.
And then there was yesterday… Sima Qing, drunk and out of line, had mocked her for switching allegiances too often.
She had never told anyone about her past employment history! Not even Qiu Dongfang knew. So how did Sima Qing find out???
What’s more, her former employer was none other than Prince Ping. Knowing this, how could Sima Qing dare to keep her by his side?
The more she thought about it, the more chilling it became.
Jiu Yue couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath!
These schemers in power—were their hearts truly this filthy? How much of this was real, how much was deception? Jiu Yue had no idea.
All she knew was that if her suspicions were correct, she’d better kill Prince Ping and flee as soon as possible.
Even after returning to the capital, Sima Qing never brought up the mission again.
This gave Jiu Yue time to strategize.
While taking Xiao Wuyou around the city, she sought out Nan Xun again.
Nan Xun was in a playful mood. "A few days apart, and you already have a kid?"
Xiao Wuyou, exhausted from playing, was fast asleep in Jiu Yue’s arms. She quickly pulled Nan Xun inside, carefully laid the child down, then shut the doors and windows, her expression growing increasingly grave.
Nan Xun was startled by her demeanor, then glanced at the little one on the bed, eyes widening. "...Wait, is this actually your son?"
Jiu Yue: "..."
Her lips twitched. "Where would I even get a kid this big?"
Nan Xun patted his chest in relief, then frowned. "Then what’s wrong? You look like you’re hiding something. Did you do something shady again?"
"No," Jiu Yue said, her face dark. For once, she wasn’t in the mood for banter. "I think I’m in trouble."
Nan Xun straightened up.
Half an hour later—
There were now two grim-faced people in the room.
"What should I do?" Jiu Yue fretted. "I could leave, but if I don’t kill Prince Ping, I won’t feel at ease."
Every time Prince Ping was mentioned, she couldn’t quite describe the feeling—like her blood was boiling, the violent impulses in her cells surging uncontrollably. She just wanted him dead.
Stabbing him last time had made her indescribably happy!
Maybe it was the lingering resentment of the original host, Jiu Yue mused absently.
"Then kill Prince Ping before you go," Nan Xun said, setting down his teacup and meeting her gaze. "The Regent’s offer to make you a spy is actually a perfect opportunity."
Jiu Yue frowned, but he continued, "Didn’t you say yourself that assassinating Prince Ping directly wouldn’t be easy?"
"Besides, why did I tell you to wait until he returned to the capital before acting?" Nan Xun scoffed, flicking her forehead. "Wasn’t it to have someone else take the blame? Now the Regent’s handing you the chance on a silver platter. What’s there to hesitate about?"
Jiu Yue’s eyes widened slowly.
Nan Xun shrugged, grinning shamelessly. "Not that I’m teaching you to shift blame—this is just strategic resource utilization. You can use this mission to kill Prince Ping under the Regent’s name, then disappear without a trace. No loose ends."
"But being a spy..." Jiu Yue’s face twisted. "I can’t bring myself to believe this is a good idea."
Nan Xun lowered his voice. "Relax. If the Regent’s sending you, he has his reasons. Worst case, Prince Ping’s men surround you—just run."
"As long as you’re alive, there’s always another chance."
Jiu Yue: "..."
She fell into deep thought.
"Oh, not that there’d be no loose ends at all," Nan Xun added, tilting his head. "If you really want to vanish without a trace, you’ll need a convincing exit strategy… In our line of work, faking your death is the most logical choice."
"But I’m too strong for a death fake-out to be believable, right?" Jiu Yue remained skeptical.
Nan Xun gave her a sidelong glance and clicked his tongue. "Naïve. Just wait and see."
Jiu Yue: "?"
At first, Xiao Wuyou clung to Jiu Yue after arriving in the capital, but over time, he grew closer to Qiu Dongfang.
Eventually, he spent more time playing with Qiu Dongfang than with Jiu Yue.
Not that she minded.
As the weather grew hotter, Xiao Wuyou only got to run free in the late afternoon when the shadows lengthened, chasing the chubby puppy across the grass.
Jiu Yue and Qiu Dongfang lounged on the roof beams, keeping an eye on the kid while chatting idly.
"Any idea how long this kid’s staying?" Qiu Dongfang sighed wearily.
Childcare was no easy task.
Jiu Yue smirked. "It’s only been a few days."
Qiu Dongfang waved a hand in defeat. "Kids have more energy than your dog… Ugh, whatever. If things move fast, maybe in another month or so, he’ll get to see his grandfather."
Xiao Chi?
Jiu Yue glanced at him curiously. "Why?"
"If Prince Ping makes a move…" Qiu Dongfang trailed off, then sighed again. "Never mind. Just talking nonsense. Who knows when his grandfather will show up?"
Jiu Yue: "..."
Before, she might not have thought much of it. But now, she had a strong suspicion Qiu Dongfang was deliberately keeping her in the dark.
They’d always been wary of her—treating her like an outsider.
Silently, Jiu Yue flipped Sima Qing off in her mind before changing the subject. "Where’s Mo Jin? On a mission?"
She’d only seen him once or twice since returning.
"Oh, he’s busy," Qiu Dongfang whispered conspiratorially. "The tip about the Regent being at Mingzhi Mountain came from a mole in the mansion. Mo Jin’s handling it."
"A mole?" Jiu Yue paused. "Prince Ping’s spy?"
Qiu Dongfang nodded, his expression dark with disgust. "Betraying the Regent never ends well."
Jiu Yue’s mood soured.
Damn it! Prince Ping had spies in the Regent’s mansion? How the hell did he manage that?
"What kind of intel does the mole usually leak?" she probed cautiously.
Qiu Dongfang gave her a look. "...Important intel, obviously. Like the Regent’s movements, plans, or pending strategies."
"Ah, right, of course." Jiu Yue reassured herself inwardly. "I doubt they’d bother reporting trivial stuff like how many new people or dogs are in the mansion."
"Obviously. If they’re risking exposure, they’d only pass on critical information." Qiu Dongfang chuckled.
Jiu Yue discreetly patted her chest.
Close call.
After a moment of thought, she turned and leaped down, then hurried out the door.
"Xiao Wuyou, keep an eye on things. I have something to take care of," Jiu Yue called out, already vanishing before the words fully left her lips.
Left alone with the child, Qiu Dongfang: "..."
He wished he had something to take care of too. Ugh.
