In both her lifetimes combined, Shao Shang had never faced a more serious threat to her personal safety than a brawl in a pool hall. The gang leader had handed her a beer bottle, demanding she prove her loyalty, which for the first time made her consider quitting the underworld. She suddenly realized that despite her reckless nature, she wasn’t cut out for scenes of bloodshed.
Ling Buyi held her tightly around the waist with one arm while gripping the railing beneath the fifth-floor eave with the other, leaving them both dangling outside the tower. Shao Shang had no choice but to cling to him for dear life. The fierce winds at this height on the hill made it hard to hold on, and her limited arm strength nearly caused her to slip several times. Fortunately, Ling Buyi’s left arm was like an unyielding iron band, locking her securely against his chest to prevent a fall.
Shao Shang listened as footsteps inside the tower descended from the sixth floor. After a brief hesitation, the two people in the room were indeed in a hurry to leave. Just as she was about to rejoice, Ling Buyi suddenly whispered, “If I eliminate these two, no one will know of today’s events.”
Shao Shang felt a surge of fear. This version of Ling Buyi was entirely different from usual—his expression carried a chilling indifference, as if he were talking about slaughtering two dogs rather than two people. Startled, she blurted out before she could think, “No, no! Look over there—someone’s coming!”
Following her gaze, Ling Buyi saw a group of several dozen guards in Close-fitting Outfits silently making their way up the hill, clearly there to assist the two in the room. Luckily, they were hidden behind the side eave, out of the guards’ sight. Ling Buyi frowned, seemingly reluctant to abandon the idea of silencing the witnesses.
The two from the room reached the base of the tower, exchanged a few words with the guards, and swiftly rode away on horseback. Ling Buyi remained concealed behind the fifth-floor eave until they were completely gone. Then, with a powerful pull of his right arm, he swung them both back into the fifth-floor chamber.
Shao Shang’s hair was disheveled from the wind, and her legs gave out the moment her feet touched solid ground. Her heart pounded like a drum. In contrast, the man beside her was calm, his breathing steady, though his expression was slightly grave.
“They’re gone?” Shao Shang pressed a hand to her chest, as if to keep her heart from leaping out. “We should leave quickly—they might come back to search for us!”
Ling Buyi glanced at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. “What makes you say that?”
“Those two cowards ran off so fast because they’re afraid of getting hurt. Once they’re safe, they’ll definitely send people back to investigate!” That’s how it always played out in dramas.
Ling Buyi suppressed a chuckle and nodded. “Did you come here on foot?”
Shao Shang pointed toward the eastern window. “No, no—I rode a horse here and tied it up in the woods to the east.”
Ling Buyi’s expression darkened with suspicion. “…You’re clever, hiding your mount to avoid detection.”
“That’s not it!” Shao Shang nearly coughed up blood. “I saw how sharp the rocks were on this slope and didn’t want my horse to get hurt, so I didn’t ride it up!”
Ling Buyi paused, clearly not having expected that reason."Between heaven above and earth below, I truly am the biggest fool!" Shao Shang fumed in frustration, having now pieced together the sequence of events. "When I arrived, this place was completely empty. Seeing the fine weather with clear skies and gentle breeze, I climbed up to the roof for a nap. Those two must have also thought the pagoda was unoccupied, which is why they chose to discuss their secrets here. Ah! If only I'd tied my horse at the base of the pagoda—anyone seeing it would have stayed away!"
Ling Buyi couldn't help but laugh. "Taking a nap atop a pagoda—yes, that's certainly something few would expect."
Shao Shang gave an embarrassed smile. "Everyone has their peculiar childhood habits."
Ling Buyi chuckled softly, then bent down to take hold of the girl's slightly cold hands. "Today, walk with me a while longer."
Shao Shang met his smiling eyes—those deep brown irises clear as crystal, yet they inexplicably sent a chill down her spine.
Only then did she notice he was dressed in a subtly shimmering dark blue brocade robe woven with silver threads. The outer cloak he usually wore was missing. Before she could gather her thoughts, Ling Buyi had already lifted her onto his back again, wrapped her arms around his neck, and swiftly descended the pagoda.
Shao Shang had intended to ask to walk on her own, but seeing how effortlessly he navigated the hillside with swift, agile steps—far quicker than she could manage—she obediently kept quiet. Pressed against the man's broad back, her nose filled with a scent reminiscent of a cold snowy forest, she had to cling tightly to his neck to avoid slipping. Through the thin spring robe, she could almost feel the firm, lean muscles beneath, leaving her so flustered she hardly knew where to put herself.
First, they found Shao Shang's dappled pony in the eastern woods. The silly little creature, blissfully unaware of the commotion, was still shaking its head and acting adorable. Ling Buyi's lips curved slightly at the sight of the ridiculous floral wreath, and Shao Shang, blushing, explained, "Another little habit of mine."
Then, leading the pony and the girl, Ling Buyi headed south until they found his own tall, majestic steed tied there. Hanging from the black bridle was a dark blue brocade cloak—clearly, he had followed those two on impulse as well.
Shao Shang laughed. "So you also tied your horse in these woods! Truly..." She had been about to say "great minds think alike," but realizing it would be unwise to equate Lord Ling's intellect with her own—like patting a horse's leg instead of its back—she quickly amended, "Lord Ling, let's hurry back."
To her surprise, Ling Buyi shook his head. "It's already past the hour of You. By noting who misses the banquet, those two can gradually narrow down who was at Yanhui Tower today." After a brief pause, he added, "We'll go elsewhere."
With no choice, Shao Shang mounted her horse and followed Ling Buyi as they rode away from Yanhui Tower. Before long, they arrived at the foot of a cliff, where a crooked tree jutted out at an angle.
"Lord Ling, why have we come here?" Shao Shang asked nervously as the sky darkened and the desolate surroundings unsettled her. In truth, she had wanted to ride back alone earlier, but the man had firmly taken hold of her pony's reins, preventing her from leaving.
Ling Buyi carefully tied both horses near the rocky outcrop, his back to the girl as he spoke calmly, "I truly didn't expect to run into you today, let alone have you overhear those two."
Hearing the ominous tone in his voice, Shao Shang grew uneasy. "Lord Ling, do you know those two? Is the matter very serious?"Ling Buyi continued, "I followed them precisely to uncover their true identities. Yet now, before I’ve even discerned who they truly are, I risk being exposed instead."
"How could we be exposed? They didn’t see us. As long as we come up with a plausible excuse for missing the banquet, we can easily slip past unnoticed," Shao Shang replied, her voice strained.
Ling Buyi turned to face her, his handsome features shadowed with an inscrutable expression. "No. There’s still you. You could betray me."
"I—I wouldn’t…" Shao Shang’s voice trembled. She suddenly recalled how Ling Buyi had intended to kill the two men in the side room earlier—his thoughts toward her were likely no different now. Sensing danger, she immediately tried to bolt toward her pony. But before she could take more than a step, Ling Buyi wrenched a stone from the rocky outcrop beside him and hurled it with precision, embedding it into the ground just inches from her feet. Had she been any quicker, it would have struck her toes.
Ling Buyi’s expression turned cold and detached once more as he advanced toward her step by step.
Shao Shang retreated hastily, then suddenly raised her voice. "I’ve heard you were raised in the Empress’s palace since childhood and have always been close with the Crown Prince! Everyone knows whose side you’re on—do you really think those scheming against the Crown Prince wouldn’t be wary of you?!"
Ling Buyi paused, his tone indifferent. "You’re not wrong. But my concern isn’t them discovering my allegiance to the Crown Prince—it’s ensuring I don’t ruin a carefully laid plan set to unfold in a few days."
Terrified to the point of chattering teeth and brimming tears, Shao Shang had nearly backed herself to the cliff’s edge. "Lord Ling, elder brother, I truly won’t say anything—you must believe me…"
"The stakes are too high. The slightest misstep could cost countless lives. I cannot rely solely on trust in you to take that risk." His voice remained calm, but as he spoke, he seized her arm. A single push would send her over the edge, eliminating both witness and evidence in one swift motion.
Shao Shang clung desperately to his sleeve, tears streaming as she babbled in panic. "N-no! I don’t even know those men—no, I didn’t even see their faces! How could I possibly reveal your whereabouts? Should I just run around the camp shouting about it?! Besides, the Cheng family has no influence—we’re neither a powerful clan nor early supporters of His Majesty’s rise. Why would we meddle in matters of succession?! You can trust me, really…!"
Heavens and earth, why was her life so cursed? In her past life, even if luck had been poor, at least she’d lived safely. But now she was entangled in imperial conspiracies, skipping straight from the social pages to the political frontlines. Did fate truly have to favor her so excessively? Her qualifications were barely enough to scrape by as the "Thirteenth Sister of Yu Town"!
At this, Ling Buyi slowly released his grip and stepped back. Without a word, he turned and seated himself on a smooth, flat boulder near the cliff’s edge.
Having witnessed Ling Buyi’s capabilities, Shao Shang knew escape was futile. Better to pour all her energy into pleading. Sensing an opportunity, she scrambled to his side, sniffling pitifully. "A Yao and I both respect and admire you so much—how could we ever sabotage your plans…?"
This plea backfired spectacularly. With a sharp crack, Ling Buyi’s left hand tore a chunk straight from the boulder beneath him. Shao Shang immediately froze, clamping her mouth shut in terrified silence.Ling Buyi slowly pulled out a jade ornament from his robe. Shao Shang looked closely—it was half of a Jade Pendant, with the character "Niao" remaining on the broken edge. Panicked, she immediately reached for her waist, only to find it empty. This was the Jade Pendant Old Man Cheng had given her, personally engraved with the character "Niao."
"Where's the other half?" Shao Shang asked dazedly.
Ling Buyi replied, "I let those people pick it up."
Shao Shang's mind raced, and she quickly understood.
Earlier, amidst the chaos, Ling Buyi had snatched her Jade Pendant, snapped it in half, and thrown the piece with the character "Niao" into the side room for the two men to find, keeping the other half for himself. There were countless young women in the Capital City with names containing "Niao." With just that half, no one could guess whose it was. But with the matching half, the jade's grain could be traced back to her.
Ling Buyi smiled faintly. "I'd like to trust you, but... this is better."
Fury blazed in Shao Shang's heart. "You're blackmailing me?!"
Ling Buyi's expression cooled. "Then I'll just kill you instead."
"No, no, no—" Shao Shang immediately softened, clinging to his sleeve and pleading pitifully, "Please, just blackmail me!"
A barely perceptible curve touched Ling Buyi's lips.
"In any case, you must not speak of today's events to anyone—not your parents, siblings, or even Lou Yao. If I catch even a whisper of it, I'll toss this half out and remind those people that the Cheng family has a daughter with the childhood name Niao Niao," he said.
Shao Shang was furious but helpless. "If you already know who those people are, why bother eavesdropping and making such a fuss?!"
"You refuse? Then I'll just kill you."
"No, no! I agree, I agree!" Shao Shang clung desperately to Ling Buyi's arm. She knew she had no backbone, but survival came first.
After this exchange, both fell silent. Exhausted, Shao Shang slumped onto the other end of the stone bench, shoulders sagging and mind blank. One moment she was weary, the next relieved—disappointed that her once-noble idol had shattered, yet resentful of her own helplessness. Fine, she’d just avoid him from now on!
Watching the girl's expression, Ling Buyi tightened his grip on the half pendant and said coolly, "I always knew that if you saw my true self, you wouldn’t like me anymore."
Shao Shang turned to look. Bathed in the evening glow, his profile was strikingly handsome yet tinged with sorrow and self-loathing. Her heart softened inexplicably, and she scooted over to sit beside him, murmuring gently, "No, no, I don’t dislike you."
Wait—had she ever liked him before? Never mind, placating him came first. She consoled herself—people involved in grand schemes had to be cautious, and as long as she kept her mouth shut, nothing would happen.
"Really? You seemed upset earlier. Weren’t you cursing me in your heart?" Ling Buyi turned his face toward her, his jawline flawless. "The way you used to look at me wasn’t like this.""Not at all!" Though her thoughts had been guessed, Shao Shang couldn't possibly admit it. "If not for you, I would have been boiled and eaten by those bandits—it would have been utterly miserable. Then you helped me repeatedly, which shows your kind and generous nature. Even just now... just now... if not for you, those people in the side room would have caught me, and I'd likely have been silenced! Now, if I were to resent you over such a trivial matter, wouldn't that make me ungrateful?"
The more she spoke, the more justified she felt. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she shouldn't blame Ling Buyi. He had only frightened her, threatened her, nearly taken her life... and that was all. He hadn't done anything else!
Ling Buyi finally laughed, but then his expression darkened again, his face gloomy as he suddenly said, "I truly wanted to let you go."
Shao Shang sighed inwardly: Couldn't you just pretend you never saw me?
"...A while ago, the Crown Prince had a seal stolen, causing quite a stir. It was likely done by one of his retainers, so I set a trap, waiting for the culprit to fall into it. I have a rough idea who the enemy is, but I don't know which spies are planted in the Crown Prince's residence. I just hope we don't alert them today," Ling Buyi said slowly.
Shao Shang was both shocked and frightened, forcing a smile as she replied, "I don't understand such important matters at all, my lord. There's no need to tell me!"
Ling Buyi's clear gaze swept over her. "Earlier, I only caught bits and pieces of their conversation and couldn't hear clearly. Did you recognize their voices?"
Shao Shang, ever sharp-witted, quickly replied, "No, no, I didn't hear clearly either."
Ling Buyi studied her for a long moment before saying, "Then forget it."
Still trembling with fear, Shao Shang suddenly heard Ling Buyi ask, "It's almost completely dark. Have you thought of an excuse for when we return?" Shao Shang hastily shook her head, indicating she would follow his lead entirely.
Ling Buyi reached out and grasped the girl's left forearm. His palm was broad, his fingers long and strong, while her arm was slender—his grip easily encircled it completely.
He said, "Later, I'll break your arm, then tear a few strips from your clothes and hang them by the cliff. We'll say you fell while admiring the view, and I happened to pass by and save you... Don't worry, I'll only lightly crack the bone. It'll heal quickly."
Shao Shang hugged her arm, shivering. She knew it was a good plan, but she couldn't bear the thought of her bone being broken!
Ling Buyi watched her for a moment. The girl's lovely cheeks still held a youthful softness, making her appear fragile and pitiable. Now, in her terror, her bud-like lips trembled slightly, like a fine feather brushing against his heart.
With a soft crack , Shao Shang's eyes widened. Ling Buyi had used his right hand to break his own left forearm—she had witnessed the strength of that left arm before, when it alone had swung a golden halberd to cleave a fierce bandit in half, blade and all. Now, because of his reluctance to hurt her, he had broken it himself.
"Never mind. You can save me instead. Let's rehearse our story again," Ling Buyi said, his face pale, smiling faintly.
Tears instantly streamed down Shao Shang's face, as if her heart had been slashed.
She threw herself at Ling Buyi's side, sobbing uncontrollably. "I heard those two people's voices! I remember them! I'll help you identify them later! You... does it hurt? Does it hurt...?"
This time, her tears held no pretense.
Author's Note:
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