Like a gentle breeze brushing over melting snow in deep winter, fine snowflakes were swept into the air before slowly drifting down. A subtle, secret anticipation stirred in Yan Chi's heart, yet he dared not show it openly, afraid of pressuring Qin Guan. Steadying himself, he heard his own calm inquiry, "What secret?"
Qin Guan leaned entirely into the crook of Yan Chi's neck, her spine taut with tension. Having mustered the courage to speak, she jolted awake the moment the words left her lips.
Should she tell him? Should she say it now?
Her unbelievable experience—bizarre and mystical—would likely startle Yan Chi, if not outright frighten him, and he might struggle to accept it immediately.
Yet she yearned so deeply to confide in him.
This secret, buried in the depths of her heart, was steeped in blood and fire, hatred and sorrow. If she told Yan Chi, at least her resentment and grief would find an outlet. At least when she fell into nightmares again, he would understand why she wept. But this secret was her most hidden, deepest wound—should she lay it bare for him to see? Should she entrust him with her final vulnerability?
Qin Guan shifted slightly, her tear-dampened eyes clear and bright as they gazed at Yan Chi.
His chiseled face was etched with worry, his dark pupils reflecting her image, yet his gaze was filled entirely with tenderness.
Yan Chi did not press her, nor did he show any hint of probing or questioning. In his eyes, there was only a dense, woven net that enveloped her, soothing the pain in her heart and shielding her from all the harsh winds and sharp blades of the outside world. He treasured her as a precious gem.
The corner of Qin Guan's lips twitched, and the last trace of hesitation suddenly vanished like mist.
"Today, I went to the Shen residence—"
Without needing to ask Baiying, Qin Guan began recounting her whereabouts of the day. Yan Chi's hand continued to stroke her cheek gently as he waited quietly for her to finish.
"Sun Muqing bought the Shen residence and gathered all the old items that survived the fire."
"I... I actually..."
The remaining words stuck on Qin Guan's tongue. Even with her resolve firm, she herself could not explain her experience, leaving her somewhat bewildered. "You've already guessed my long-held wish—I want to investigate Prince Jin's case, but it's actually for Lord Shen."
Yan Chi had indeed guessed, but why?
A faint trace of doubt finally surfaced in his eyes. He sensed that Qin Guan was about to reveal the reason.
Tears welled up again in Qin Guan's eyes as she looked at Yan Chi, feeling the weight of her next words intensely.
"If I told you that I am not actually the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor... would you believe me?"
Yan Chi's brow furrowed abruptly. He had imagined various explanations from Qin Guan—perhaps some unknown past connection between her and Shen Yi, or some ties between Shen Yi and her elders, or even that Shen Yi had personally taught her the art of corpse examination. But he never expected her to claim she wasn't the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor!
If she wasn't the Ninth Miss, then who was she?
Qin Guan saw Yan Chi's astonishment—who wouldn't be shocked by such words?!
When they first met, she was in Jinzhou, where she had scarcely left the Qin Manor for nearly two years. If she were an imposter, the people of the Qin Manor in Jinzhou would surely have noticed. Later, when she returned to the capital, the residents of Loyal Marquis Manor showed no unfamiliarity or doubt toward her. She could only be Qin Guan.What Yan Chi considered went even deeper than Qin Guan's thoughts. It was true that Qin Guan had been in Jinzhou for over three years, but when he first arrived, he had learned that the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor had just fallen into the lake. She had been pronounced dead, yet she miraculously came back to life. This return from death did not leave her dull or foolish; instead, she suddenly acquired medical skills, even reviving her own maid who had hanged herself. Not only did she possess medical expertise, but she also mastered the art of dissection and bone examination... This quickly made the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor stand out in Jinzhou.
Yan Chi had Bai Feng investigate and naturally learned of Ninth Miss's former reputation—timid and weak, treated poorly in Qin Manor, and eventually discarded like worthless trash. Upon discovering this, he found it surprising, because the Qin Guan he saw would never tolerate such disheveled circumstances nor allow others to bully her. Her intelligence was extraordinary, her medical skills unparalleled, and her character and appearance were as sublime as an immortal's. With even a hint of ambition, she would never remain a dusty pearl.
At that time, he naturally didn't question Qin Guan casually but was merely drawn to the person he observed. Yet later...
Later, Qin Guan grew increasingly composed in the face of change, but he still noticed many subtle clues.
Her unusual reaction when the case of Prince Jin was mentioned, her different demeanor when facing Sun Muqing, her change in expression upon learning in Yuanzhou that Li Muyun would attend Prince Yu's birthday banquet in Yuzhou, and after returning to the capital, her familiarity with the city and the palace's hidden paths, her obsession with Shen Yi's handwritten copies and old writings—all these, which might have been dismissed as coincidences before, now instantly formed a coherent clue in his mind. Combined with her exceptional skills in Corpse Examination and case-solving, Yan Chi felt he was very close to the final answer—
He and Prince Jin were as close as brothers, yet when faced with the possibility that Prince Qin might have been wronged, he still chose to investigate discreetly after much deliberation and would never treat Prince Jin's case as his lifelong mission. The royal court was rife with schemes and intrigues; even if Prince Jin were truly wronged, he wouldn't sacrifice everything to clear his name. But for his own father, it was different—blood runs thicker than water. Duty and hatred would never allow him to tolerate his father being unjustly murdered. He could plan meticulously for a hundred days without acting, or stake everything in a life-or-death gamble, just like... just like Qin Guan's stubborn insistence on whether Shen Yi had been wronged!
Yan Chi's throat tightened. "So you are... Shen..."
Qin Guan closed her eyes and embraced him tightly. "The Ninth Miss of Qin Manor is dead... I... am just..."
A wandering soul of Shen Wan...
She didn't voice it, unsure of what she truly was, but she knew Yan Chi had already understood.
Yan Chi abruptly tightened his arms, his shock undeniably real. Having spent half his life in military campaigns, his perceptions and thoughts reached heights beyond ordinary foresight, yet Qin Guan's words caught him off guard. A faint doubt lingered in his heart—was it really as he thought?
Back when he learned that the ancestral hall had been set up and the ritual completed for the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor, only for her to revive, he had instinctively felt that the Qin family cared too little for her, allowing such a farce to occur. It never crossed his mind that the real Ninth Miss had actually died.This point precisely explained his earlier doubts. The rumors Bai Feng had uncovered about the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor were true—the original Ninth Miss had indeed been timid, cowardly, and devoid of any skills. It was only after the new Ninth Miss arrived that everything underwent a dramatic transformation.
Yan Chi’s breath tightened, and a chill crept up his spine.
He had never believed in tales of gods and ghosts, but if such strange phenomena truly existed in the world, could it be that Qin Guan was not the only one? Could there be more inexplicable occurrences he had long dismissed, yet had secretly persisted in the shadows?
Yan Chi abruptly reined in his wandering thoughts. Lowering his gaze to the top of Qin Guan’s head, he focused solely on understanding her situation.
If his suspicions were correct, it meant that after the Prince Jin case erupted last year, she had faced a deadly siege outside the imperial city…
Yan Chi’s heart clenched sharply. Having narrowly escaped death countless times amidst piles of corpses, he knew all too well the taste of such horrors. Yet, the mere thought of Qin Guan being the one surrounded and hunted by the Rong people—and failing to escape—pierced his heart like an arrow.
Yan Chi shut his eyes tightly, holding Qin Guan close as his lips brushed repeatedly against her hair.
After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, the darkness in them replaced by a glimmer of relief. Steadying himself, he murmured softly, "Guan Guan…"
Qin Guan shifted slightly but made no sound. Raising an eyebrow, Yan Chi glanced down and saw her eyes gently closed—she had fallen asleep again. He was taken aback, never expecting that after his own tumultuous musings, she would drift off so peacefully.
Soon, however, his gaze softened. Only with absolute trust could Qin Guan have fallen asleep at such a moment.
She carried such a staggering secret in her heart, and the tragedy of the Shen family remained an unhealed wound. Yet, in her daily life, she always appeared gentle and composed, never revealing her inner turmoil. How much agony had she endured? How profound had her despair been?
She must have intended to bury this secret forever, yet she had chosen to confide in him.
Yan Chi’s heart swelled with tenderness and sorrow, aching to envelop her completely, as if to merge her into his very bones.
When Qin Guan first spoke, she had been anxious and fearful. But after haltingly conveying her meaning, a sense of calm settled over her. Exhausted from the nightmare and her earlier weeping, she felt utterly drained. Aware of Yan Chi’s shock and the time he needed to process everything, she relaxed instead. Surrounded by his familiar scent, she had unknowingly slipped back into sleep…
Yan Chi leaned down to kiss her cheek before carefully laying her on the bed.
The movement roused Qin Guan, and she opened her eyes, gazing at him drowsily. Yan Chi gently stroked her hair and whispered, "Sleep. I’ll stay right here with you."
Her eyes ached and her mind felt muddled, but reassured, she closed them again. Soon, her breathing grew deep and even.
Tucking the quilt around her, Yan Chi fixed his gaze on Qin Guan.
It was no wonder she had been so apprehensive. If this matter were revealed to others, it would likely terrify them, and few would readily believe it. Even Yan Chi himself now regarded her differently. She was not the Ninth Miss of Qin Manor after all—she was a daughter of the Shen family…Silently uttering these words in his heart, Yan Chi still felt a sense of dissonance. Indeed, it was truly... unbelievable.
Yan Chi quietly observed Qin Guan, countless strange thoughts surfacing in his mind. What kind of process was it? How did one transform into another appearance? What lay between life and death? What had she endured... The more Yan Chi pondered, the more tender his gaze became, his heart overflowing with emotions—both aching for her and grateful that he had met her, and that he had met her in Jinzhou. Fortunately, Qin Guan was asleep now; otherwise, seeing him like this would surely make Yan Chi blush with embarrassment.
This side of him was far too tender, too lacking in decisiveness and ruthlessness!
In these moments, Yan Chi seemed to exhaust a lifetime’s worth of wild thoughts. He sat motionless by the bedside like a solemn statue, unaware of the darkening sky outside. After an indeterminate amount of time, all the shock and questions in his heart gradually faded, replaced by a calm and resolute certainty. Compared to before, there were no longer any doubts in his heart. This newfound honesty made his gaze both tender and unwavering. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and kissed Qin Guan’s lips.
If the former Qin Guan had cautiously guarded the secrets in her heart like a suit of armor, the current Qin Guan had cast aside all defenses, embracing him with complete trust. A fervent warmth surged within him, making him yearn to engage in even more intimate acts with Qin Guan. This fervor grew increasingly intense and blazing, soon transforming into an uncontrollable desire. Yan Chi lifted the brocade quilt and, disregarding that Qin Guan was still asleep, showered her lips and neck with delicate, lingering kisses. Blood rushed through his veins, and desire roared within him. He longed to kiss every inch of her, leaving his mark and scent, using the most intimate entanglement to dispel the faint pain and unease in his heart. He still did not believe in tales of gods and ghosts, but his heart ached for Qin Guan’s past. He feared that strange occurrences might happen to her again, or worse, that she might suddenly vanish. As this thought emerged, Yan Chi belatedly realized he had truly lost control of himself...
Qin Guan was awakened by the heat. She felt as though she were trapped inside a furnace—not only hot but also experiencing a feather-light itch that tingled and prickled, gradually seeping from her skin deep into her bones. She moved her lips, instinctively wanting to make some sound to alleviate the tingling sensation. Still half-asleep, the brief, peaceful slumber made her feel as if she were nestled in warm cotton, and she wished to continue sleeping. She did not want to wake up...
Yet the tingling sensation slowly eroded her drowsiness, and her consciousness grew increasingly clear. Before long, her senses sharpened. She realized it wasn’t the brocade quilt covering her; instead, Yan Chi’s intense presence enveloped her. A warm, damp sensation lingered just below her collarbone, teasing her senses. Qin Guan froze, instantly jolted awake. Opening her bleary eyes, she saw Yan Chi hovering above her. Blinking, she first understood what he was doing, then flushed with embarrassment, and only afterward recalled the events that had transpired before she fell asleep.
Frowning slightly, she gazed at Yan Chi with a hint of unease...But at this glance, she was struck by the intense desire in Yan Chi's eyes.
Qin Guan froze momentarily. What was going on...
Not only was Yan Chi not plunged into disbelieving confusion, but he appeared like this, with beastly blood boiling...
This was so different from what she had anticipated...
Of course, Qin Guan didn't know that Yan Chi had already experienced his turmoil. But who was Yan Chi? Matters that would shock others to the point of earth-shattering disbelief were merely waves crashing in his world. He allowed those waves to sway him for a moment, then decisively suppressed them. He cherished her to the depths of his bones; accepting everything about her had become his instinct. Moreover, he never wasted time on wild fantasies, because her final candid confession had already moved him to the point of madness...
"You..."
Qin Guan uttered a single word, only to find her voice hoarse beyond recognition. Instantly, her face flushed even redder. Yan Chi's gaze had caught her completely off guard. Her heart skipped a beat, uncertain whether it was the right moment to further explain the meaning of her earlier words, or to ask what he was thinking, or to let him continue voicing his doubts. Her dark and bright eyes wide open, she felt the temperature between the bed curtains rising higher and higher. Yan Chi's gaze felt as tangible as scorching heat, rendering her speechless. She could only watch him quietly, waiting for him to speak.
Yan Chi's throat moved. Though he had exercised great restraint, he had still woken her. Once she was awake, the desires in his heart boiled even more fiercely. Controlling his increasingly ragged breaths, he first raised a hand to caress her face, then spoke in a low voice, "I understand everything now."
He understood everything—all the inexplicable moments since they had met, he now comprehended.
Yin Chi leaned down, planting delicate, dense kisses on Qin Guan's lips. Qin Guan's eyes widened, then abruptly closed as she slowly wrapped her arms around Yan Chi's shoulders. Yan Chi's throat moved again as he parted her lips, launching an invasion as if intent on claiming all her sweetness. A roar erupted in Qin Guan's mind, and she couldn't hold back a soft moan. Hearing this, Yan Chi—who had maintained a gradual, measured pace—paused for a moment, then, unable to restrain himself any longer, plunged with Qin Guan into the boundless depths of desire.
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