By the time the negotiations concluded and they stepped out, night had already fallen.
Jiu Yue went to check on Xiao Wuyou. Qiu Dongfang was keeping watch in his room, and the boy was now fast asleep, clearly exhausted from an afternoon of fun.
"You finally showed up!" Qiu Dongfang sprawled dramatically on the floor, wearing an expression of utter despair. "I’m dying for a break. Are you taking the night shift?"
Jiu Yue flopped down beside him, crossing her legs and swinging one lazily. "Sure, you can rest these next couple of days."
Qiu Dongfang’s eyes lit up as he patted his backside and sat up. "Since when did you become so generous?"
"I’ve always been generous!" Jiu Yue kicked him lightly, pouting. "In a few days, I’ll be leaving for a mission, and you’ll have to keep an eye on Wuyou."
"A mission? What kind?" Qiu Dongfang stretched and asked casually.
Jiu Yue answered just as nonchalantly, "Going undercover at Prince Ping's Mansion."
"Oh, going undercover at Prince Ping's—" Qiu Dongfang froze mid-motion. "Wait, what?!"
"Ugh… are you a trumpet or something?" Jiu Yue kicked him again, gesturing toward Xiao Wuyou, who had stirred in his sleep. Qiu Dongfang’s eyes widened, and he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, crouching down silently.
Jiu Yue rolled to her feet, and the two moved wordlessly to a nearby table, each perching on a stool.
"What’s going on? Why are you suddenly heading to Prince Ping's Mansion?" Qiu Dongfang frowned, pulling out two handfuls of sunflower seeds and scattering them on the table.
Jiu Yue poured tea for them both, her demeanor calm.
"I’m not sure either. Back in Dengtong, His Highness asked me to consider it… but after catching that traitor today, I thought about it and decided this might be a good opportunity."
She glanced at Qiu Dongfang, raising an eyebrow. "Who knows? Maybe I’ll succeed in one strike and kill Prince Ping."
Qiu Dongfang’s expression turned complicated. He hesitated, then stuffed a sunflower seed into his mouth.
"...If it’s His Highness’s order, then carry it out," was all he said.
Jiu Yue studied him before suddenly smiling. "Then take care of yourselves."
Qiu Dongfang scoffed. "What’s there for us to worry about? You’re the one who needs to be careful. Prince Ping isn’t an easy target—otherwise, His Highness wouldn’t have let him run wild for so many years..."
They chatted a bit more about Prince Ping until midnight, when Qiu Dongfang finally left with a bag full of sunflower seed shells.
Jiu Yue tidied the table, then extinguished the lamp and leaped onto a roof beam, reclining halfway as she replayed her earlier conversation with Sima Qing in the study.
Only now did it dawn on her—once she entertained that suspicion, she realized several of Sima Qing’s remarks had been probing.
She turned her head toward the window, where moonlight lingered on the sill, flickering in her eyes.
This place wasn’t safe anymore.
Meanwhile, in the training camp’s dungeon.
Mo Jin doused the traitor with a bucket of icy water.
Despite it being summer, the water was bone-chilling. The man jolted awake, his gaze landing on Sima Qing standing a short distance away.
Desperation filled his eyes. When he opened his mouth, he realized Jiu Yue had dislocated his jaw earlier, but it had since been reset. A glimmer of hope surfaced as he struggled to speak.
"Your Highness! Spare me, please! I was just momentarily blinded—but it’s not too late! Your Highness, grant me a chance to redeem myself!"
The dungeon was cool, though the air carried an unpleasant odor.
Sima Qing lounged lazily in his chair, appearing mildly surprised by the plea. His tone was gentle as he asked, "And how do you plan to redeem yourself?"
The man hurried to prove his loyalty. "Your Highness! I know Prince Ping is scheming to win over Xiao Chi! He’s also trying to drive a wedge between you and the Emperor… and—and that Jiu Yue is one of Prince Ping’s people! Your Highness mustn’t trust her!"
Sima Qing’s interest seemed piqued. "How do you know Jiu Yue works for Prince Ping?"
"Jiu Yue betrayed Prince Ping, so he’s been hunting her down. But every assassin he sent vanished without a trace."
"Hunting her?" Sima Qing narrowed his eyes. "How did she betray him?"
"I—I don’t know..." The man coughed weakly, his voice fading.
Sima Qing absently rubbed his knuckles, lost in thought.
"Your Highness, he’s passed out," Mo Jin reported.
But Sima Qing was already on his feet, not sparing the man another glance. "Gather everyone. Let them witness the fate of a traitor."
Mo Jin straightened. "Yes, sir!"
...
Back in the study.
Sima Qing retrieved the note Jiu Yue had handed him that afternoon.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss.
But under candlelight, something felt off—especially the spacing on the right side.
Normally, to prevent ink from smearing at the edges, one would center the writing, leaving margins on all sides.
Yet this note had words crammed too close to the right edge.
Some strokes even extended beyond the paper...?
Sima Qing stared at it for a long time before setting it down, now thoroughly puzzled.
Jiu Yue had torn off the latter half.
Clearly, that part contained something about her—likely confirming her ties to Prince Ping.
Was she that concerned about her reputation? Or was she afraid of exposure?
If she feared exposure, she should’ve killed the traitor at all costs. When Mo Jin dragged the man out earlier, she’d seemed ready to strike—but after being stopped, she hadn’t made another attempt.
Why?
Had she given up hiding? Or did she deem it unnecessary? Or… was she testing him too?
The thought triggered an abrupt memory of that night in Dengtong—the look in Jiu Yue’s eyes.
Just who was using whom?
The next day, Xiao Wuyou wanted to play with the dog. Remembering her agreement with Sima Qing the night before, Jiu Yue headed to the training camp.
Feng Qi popped up the moment he saw her. "Sis! Here for the dog? Didn’t you just return it yesterday?"
Jiu Yue smiled. "I’ve got some free time lately, so I’ll take it out for a walk."
Only a few in the manor knew about Xiao Wuyou, and it wasn’t something to spread around.
"Alright." Feng Qi didn’t press further, instead eagerly inviting, "Wanna spar with us? We’ve been practicing new whip techniques!"
He nudged a bashful Fei Tong forward, enthusiastically promoting her skills. "Fei Tong’s whip work is super flexible! Wanna give it a try?"
Though Fei Tong admired Jiu Yue, the memory of her earlier rudeness made her too embarrassed to approach.
Now suddenly thrust into the spotlight, she broke into a nervous sweat and was about to retreat behind Feng Qi when Jiu Yue’s bright voice cut in.
"Really? That’s impressive! I’ve tried whips before, but I could never control the force—meant to hit someone’s thigh and ended up smacking their butt instead." Jiu Yue grinned at Fei Tong. "Let’s give it a go later, but be careful—no hitting my butt, okay?"
Fei Tong’s eyes widened, sparkling with excitement. "Deal! I won’t hit your butt!"
The three of them hurried to the training grounds, the air soon filled with the sharp whistles of whips cutting through the air.
Several moments later—
Feng Qi and Fei Tong lay on the ground, clutching their bottoms with utter despair.
Jiu Yue approached guiltily, offering concern. "Are you two alright?"
Feng Qi weakly raised a hand. "I-I'm fine."
Before Fei Tong could speak, Jiu Yue suddenly noticed faint traces of blood beside her. Her eyelids twitched in alarm, and she hastily reached out to help.
"Hey, are you hurt? I really held back when I hit you—how did you end up bleeding?" Jiu Yue flusteredly scooped Fei Tong up, ready to sprint for help, when a feeble voice stopped her.
"I-I'm not injured..."
"Then this blood... is yours?" Jiu Yue turned to Feng Qi in horror.
Feng Qi rolled on the spot a couple of times before hopping up, proving with actions that he, too, was unharmed.
The three exchanged glances before huddling around the nearly faded bloodstain on the ground.
"Oh, that!" Fei Tong suddenly remembered. "It's not our blood. It's from the traitor Mo Jin dealt with last night."
"A traitor..." Jiu Yue's eyes flickered. "Last night?"
The two nodded, and Feng Qi added, "I heard Old Tao say Prince Ping himself came by, though I didn’t see him."
...
When they found Old Tao again, he waved them off before Jiu Yue could even speak. "Don’t worry, don’t worry! I’ll have it ready tonight—won’t delay you much longer!"
"I’m not here to rush you." Jiu Yue leaned in, peering around curiously. "I just wanted to know how you make these human-face masks."
Old Tao raised an eyebrow. "Now that’s skilled work! But since you’re here, let me take a look at your face..."
He traced Jiu Yue’s bone structure, then confidently declared, "Tomorrow night—I’ll have it done!"
Jiu Yue propped her chin on her hand, her gaze drifting to the papers weighed down on the desk.
"Those are old design sketches," Old Tao said offhandedly. "Don’t mess them up when you’re done looking."
"Got it." Jiu Yue replied, flipping through them swiftly—but the one she wanted wasn’t there.
Just as she was about to ask Old Tao, her peripheral vision caught a stray sheet on the floor.
She crouched down, and the sketch came into clear view—
It was unmistakably the face she had worn when she first arrived here.
"Huh? How’d this fall?" Old Tao hurried over, bending to pick it up with visible relief. "If I lost this, I’d never hear the end of it."
Jiu Yue snapped out of her daze and forced a smile. "When did this sketch get here? I had no idea."
"Last night. Prince Ping handed it to me personally." Old Tao gave her an approving look. "Seems His Highness thinks highly of you!"
Jiu Yue’s expression remained unchanged as she plastered on a fake smile.
Oh yes. Very highly.
