Chapter 27: The Diversion
He was already dead.
He Yun Sheng stared blankly at the scene before him.
Fan Cheng's wound was still bleeding—the knife had struck him squarely in the abdomen. He Yun Sheng's throat felt dry. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice trembling with a resolve that bordered on despair.
"I'll turn myself in at the yamen," he said. "I killed him."
He stood up, staggering forward as if in a daze. But after only two steps, someone yanked him back, nearly causing him to fall.
He Yan asked, "What are you turning yourself in for?"
"He's dead. I'll pay with my life," He Yun Sheng choked out. "It's only right."
"Your life isn't worth wasting on someone like him." He Yan glanced at Fan Cheng's body on the ground. "I thought that even if we got through today, Fan Cheng wouldn’t let this go. Sooner or later, the He family would face trouble. But now, at least, we’re spared that. With him dead, the He household will have some peace in the future."
"Do you remember what he said earlier?"
He Yun Sheng did. Fan Cheng had tried to kill him, boasting, "Once you're dead, I'll enslave your sister, keep her for my amusement every day, and when I tire of her, sell her to a brothel." Such arrogance, spoken as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You need to understand—if Fan Cheng had killed both of us on this boat today, he wouldn’t have paid with his life. So why should you throw away your entire future for accidentally killing him? Our lives are treated like weeds, while his is somehow precious? Since when?"
He Yun Sheng was young, full of fiery passion. Sacrificing his life for someone like Fan Cheng was far too unjust.
"I don’t want to either," He Yun Sheng said bitterly, his heart heavy with grief and anger. "But do we have any other choice?"
He Yun Sheng’s thinking was simple: he had killed Fan Cheng, so when the Fan family came demanding justice, he would offer his life in return, and the matter would be settled. But He Yan knew better. In her past life, she had lived among the nobility and understood families like the Fans. Even if He Yun Sheng surrendered himself, the Fans would never let it end there. They would come for He Sui, for her, for Qingmei and Shuangqing—none would be spared.
"Come here," He Yan said, patting his shoulder.
He Yun Sheng looked at her in confusion.
"You said earlier that you swam here. Are you a strong swimmer? Can you hold your breath for long?" He Yan asked.
He Yun Sheng nodded. "Yes."
"Change into my clothes. Wait for my signal, then jump off the boat and swim downstream. Change into clean clothes and sneak home—quickly, understand?"
He Yun Sheng nodded blankly, then shook his head, looking at He Yan. "What about you?"
He Yan picked up the bundle from the ground. Inside were the new clothes she had fetched for He Yun Sheng from the tailor’s shop earlier that day. "I’ll change into something else and lead them away."
"Them" referred to Fan Cheng’s guards.
He Yun Sheng was horrified. "No!" he blurted out.
"How can you lead them away? You’re a woman! If they catch you, they’ll kill you—or worse, torture you! You’re defenseless! In their hands, you’d wish for death!"
He kept rambling until He Yan gripped his shoulder firmly.
"They won’t catch me. I can lose them," she said.
In the dim lamplight, the girl’s eyes were clear and steady. Even now, she was smiling—a relaxed, reassuring smile that inexplicably soothed He Yun Sheng’s panic, though it also made him want to cry.
"I can’t let you do this," He Yun Sheng murmured."Listen, Yun Sheng, you jump off the boat wearing my clothes while I lead them away. We shouldn’t meet for the next couple of days—I need to lay low and can’t return to the He family. In five days, go to a tavern called Willow Spring in the western part of the city. There’s a row of willow trees at the entrance. Find the third willow tree from the left and dig three inches down. I’ll leave a letter for you there. We’ll regroup then, understand?"
He Yun Sheng shook his head. "I can’t let you go—"
"You’re not a child anymore. You’re a man, and you’ll have to shoulder the He family’s responsibilities in the future. Stay calm and do as I say. I’ll be fine—you know I always am." She said.
He Yun Sheng couldn’t speak.
It was true—she always managed to pull through, whether it was dealing with Wang Jiugui, gambling at the casino, or racing horses at the training grounds. But this time was different. This time, it involved a life.
"Explain things to Father for me," He Yan said. "Fan Cheng’s guards will be here soon—we don’t have much time. Change clothes quickly now." She added, "Turn around. I’ll give you my outer robe first."
The boat drifted quietly on the river. By the time He Yun Sheng and He Yan faced each other again, they had swapped attire. He Yan now wore a crisp set of men’s clothing, her hair tied up in a masculine topknot, exuding a striking, heroic air—truly the image of a dashing young man. Meanwhile, He Yun Sheng was draped in He Yan’s long skirt, awkward and unsure where to place his limbs, his face flushed with discomfort.
He Yan burst into laughter.
"How can you still laugh at a time like this?" He Yun Sheng, weighed down by worry, didn’t even have the heart to bicker with her.
"It’s not yet time to stop laughing," He Yan picked up a cloth from the ground and wrapped it tightly around her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. Yet even those eyes sparkled with amusement. "You’ll have to get used to this."
Get used to this? To what? Being a fugitive on the run for murder? He Yun Sheng felt nothing but exhaustion, accompanied by deep-seated fear and dread.
"I’ll count to three, and then you jump, understand?" He Yan said. "Don’t worry about me. We’ll meet again."
He Yun Sheng started toward the bow of the boat.
After a few steps, he turned back, meeting He Yan’s gaze. "You’ll be alright, won’t you?"
He Yan ruffled his hair—the boy’s locks were still damp and cold from the river water, soft and tousled.
She flashed him a gentle smile and answered, "Of course."
(End of Chapter)
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