Chapter 26: An Unexpected Twist
"Yun Sheng?" He Yan nearly thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She looked again—it was indeed He Yun Sheng.
He Yun Sheng had already stepped in front of her, shielding her as he shoved Fan Cheng back with a forceful push.
"H-how did you get here?" Fan Cheng finally steadied himself and pointed at him, his expression full of disbelief.
"Swam, of course!" He Yun Sheng retorted.
Fresh out of the water, he was drenched from head to toe, droplets still trickling down. He crouched down to untie the ropes binding He Yan's feet.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I was worried this bastard Fan would harass you, so I had Shuang Qing keep watch early on. Who knew he’d see you being led away?" Shuang Qing was the servant He Yan had bought for He Yun Sheng, who usually accompanied him to the academy.
"Shuang Qing followed you here, then came back to tell me. I ran all the way, swam over—thankfully, I made it in time." After untying the ropes around He Yan’s feet, he moved to free her hands, only to find them already loose. He found it odd but didn’t dwell on it. Standing up, he glared at Fan Cheng. "If I hadn’t arrived in time, what was this beast planning to do to you?"
"Do what?" Fan Cheng finally snapped out of his daze. He smirked at He Yun Sheng, utterly unbothered. "You think your presence changes anything?"
Apart from the three of them, the boat was empty. Likely to avoid disturbing Fan Cheng’s "fun," even the guard who had escorted He Yan earlier was nowhere to be seen—probably rowed away on a small boat, waiting for Fan Cheng’s signal after the deed was done.
"Your sister will be mine sooner or later," Fan Cheng sneered. "You’re refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Who was it that schemed to climb into my bed before? Now you’re playing the chaste martyr?"
"You—!" He Yun Sheng’s face darkened with rage. He lunged forward, throwing a punch. "You scum!"
Fan Cheng staggered from the blow, and the boat rocked violently from the force, causing He Yun Sheng to lose his footing.
He Yan frowned, about to step in, when she caught a glint of silver flashing from Fan Cheng’s sleeve. Her scalp prickled, and she shouted sharply, "Yun Sheng, dodge!"
He Yun Sheng didn’t understand what was happening but instinctively rolled aside. With a thud, the knife Fan Cheng had pulled out stabbed into his clothes instead.
Cold sweat broke out on He Yun Sheng’s back. "You dare try to kill me?"
"Why wouldn’t I?" Fan Cheng’s face twisted with malice. "The son of a mere captain—who cares if you die? Once you’re dead, I’ll enslave your sister, keep her for my amusement every day, and when I’m tired of her, sell her to a brothel!" He burst into laughter.
A sharp glint flashed in He Yan’s eyes.
She had held back against Fan Cheng only to avoid bringing trouble to the He family. But now it was clear—whether she acted or not, Fan Cheng wouldn’t let this go.
He Yun Sheng was also seething with fury. He turned and headbutted Fan Cheng straight in the stomach. Caught off guard, Fan Cheng fell back, and the boat swayed wildly, sending him crashing to the deck. He opened his mouth to call for help, but He Yan barked, "Don’t let him make a sound!" In an instant, she leaped forward and stuffed a handkerchief from the table into Fan Cheng’s mouth.Fan Cheng had his mouth gagged, and in the brief moment of his daze, He Yun Sheng had already climbed onto his back, punching him repeatedly. Being a young man at the peak of his strength, Fan Cheng was no match for him despite his loud threats. Gradually, Fan Cheng stopped struggling.
"Yun Sheng, that's enough," He Yan stopped him. "Any more and he'll be dead."
"Good riddance if he dies!" He Yun Sheng gritted his teeth. "Dead men don't covet you!"
"That would bring trouble to the He family," He Yan pulled his hand away. "Let's get him up first."
He Yun Sheng climbed off Fan Cheng's back. Fan Cheng lay face down, motionless. He Yun Sheng kicked him with his foot. "Get up! Stop pretending!"
Fan Cheng still didn't move.
"A few punches and you're dead? You're really good at playing the victim," He Yun Sheng sneered as he tried to kick Fan Cheng up again. But as soon as he moved, he suddenly noticed a spreading pool of red beneath Fan Cheng where he lay.
"He... he..." he stammered.
He Yan had been listening carefully to the commotion outside. The boat had been rocking violently earlier—had Fan Cheng's guards noticed? For now, everything seemed quiet; perhaps they thought it was just Fan Cheng's "amusement." Hearing the sudden change in He Yun Sheng's voice, she turned curiously and froze at the sight.
A moment later, she crouched down and calmly flipped Fan Cheng over.
"Ah—" He Yun Sheng let out a short cry, quickly covering his mouth to stifle the rest of the sound, staring in disbelief at the scene before him.
Fan Cheng lay on his back, his body limp as if boneless. His clothes around the waist and abdomen were soaked in blood, the hilt of a knife barely visible, its blade entirely buried in his flesh.
During the scuffle with He Yun Sheng, Fan Cheng had pulled a dagger from his sleeve. Later, as the boat rocked, the knife fell to the ground, and when He Yun Sheng knocked him over, the blade had, by sheer misfortune, plunged into his own abdomen.
It might not have been fatal, but He Yun Sheng had pinned him down and punched him repeatedly, driving the knife deeper until it was fully embedded in his belly, killing him instantly.
He Yun Sheng's legs gave way in terror, and he collapsed to the ground, horrified. "He... he isn't...?"
He Yan pressed two fingers to Fan Cheng's nose and uttered two words, "He's dead."
He Yun Sheng stared at her blankly, as if unable to comprehend what she had said. After a moment, he let out a choked sob, his voice frantic. "H-how did he die? What do we do now?"
The boat still drifted unsteadily in the river. Beyond the dim light inside the cabin, there seemed to be no other illumination. In the suffocating silence, He Yun Sheng's sobs were painfully clear as he repeated, "What do we do? What do we do?"
After all, he was just a teenager who had never killed anyone or seen blood, who even avoided watching fish being gutted. He had talked tough, but he never imagined he would actually take a life. Now, he was utterly panicked, mindlessly repeating the meaningless question.
He Yan frowned at Fan Cheng's corpse.
She had killed too many people—but all of them were enemies on the battlefield. This was different, unexpected, yet she remained calm. Looking back at He Yun Sheng, she saw him swaying in shock, half-laughing, half-crying, shaking Fan Cheng's body as if trying to wake him, his mind completely shattered.
Slap! A stinging pain burned on his face, like a sudden wake-up call. He Yun Sheng snapped out of his dazed state and looked at He Yan standing before him.
He suddenly realized that compared to him, He Yan was unnervingly calm. Her gaze was sharp as a sword, piercing straight through his heart with icy clarity. Her hands were steady too—unlike his own, which still trembled.
Her voice was cold, laced with stern disappointment, as she said, "He Yun Sheng, wake up. He's already dead."
Yan Yan: The ants have been racing for ten years!
(End of Chapter)
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