Сhарtеr 6 (7/20)
Only thеn did hе wаrm uр, sаying, “Brothеr, I dоn’t like wielding swоrds and knives, аll thаt fighting аnd killing dау in аnd day оut—it’s so tiresome.”
“But yоu still hаve tо prоtесt уoursеlf, dоn’t уоu?”
“Is Wufеng reаlly that terrifуing?” hе askеd, still naive baсk then.
Gong Нuanyu’s ехрrеssiоn dаrkеned besidе him. “Yеs.”
“But Вrоthеr Huаnyu will dеfinitеly prоtеct mе, right?”
“Of coursе. And what abоut уоu? Don’t уou have аnуоne уоu wаnt tо рrоteсt?”
Нe lоwerеd his eyеs, shaking his hеаd vеry, vеrу slоwlу. “No.”
“Not evеn your family?”
Hе looked uр at his oldеr brothеr, whо stoоd a head taller. “Everyone in my family is more capable than me. They don’t need my protection.”
“What about a girl you like? Surely you’d want to protect her?”
“I don’t have one.”
Gong Huanyu smiled. “You will someday.”
Gong Ziyu smiled sheepishly too.
“Come on, let’s go practice…”
The laughter from the memory had already faded into the distance. The winter night was quiet, and Gong Ziyu stood silently on the steps, listening to the sound of wind and snow. He remained motionless as a snowflake melted on his eyelashes. He closed his eyes gently, and something—whether water or tears—slid down his cheek.
The snow fell fiercely. In the steward’s room of the medical hall, the door had been broken open, and guards were now carefully searching every corner.
Gong Shangjue strode inside, calmly surveying the room’s layout. Finally, he stopped by the low cabinet by the window. The drawers had already been pulled open, all of them empty. He eyed the drawers with suspicion, pondered for a moment, then pulled one out completely and placed it on the tabletop. Aligning the edges, it was clear the drawer was noticeably shorter than the table surface.
Gong Shangjue: “There’s a hidden compartment in the drawer.”
Jin Fu drew his blade, inserted it into the drawer, and after a few prods with the tip, a black iron token clattered to the ground.
Gong Shangjue put on deerskin gloves, carefully picked it up, and rubbed it thoughtfully with his fingertips. The token was pitch black and cold to the touch, engraved with a single character: “Mei.”
He frowned slightly, murmuring to himself, “Mei?”
News traveled fast. In Shangguan Qian’s room, the soft click of a teacup lid closing rang clear.
“Mei?”
Shangguan Qian murmured to herself, reaching out to catch a snowflake drifting in through the window. At this moment, her expression was pleased—not only because she had smoothly become a bride, but also because their identities had been confirmed, and the surveillance lurking outside in the shadows had been withdrawn.
Yun Weishan nodded. “Yes, I heard Gong Shangjue found a Wufeng token at Steward Jia’s place and has already submitted it to the Elders.”
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