Bo Yueying’s inquiry happened to align with Bo Ruofeng’s intentions. He turned his head to look at Fang Youcheng, his eyes clearly carrying playful teasing, evidently waiting for Fang Youcheng’s mysterious facade to be stripped away.
Fang Youcheng glanced at him and said coldly, “This humble servant’s surname is Tang, with the single given name Cheng. I currently serve in the imperial guards as a mere minor guard. You flatter me, Marquis.”
“An imperial guard?” Bo Yueying muttered thoughtfully. She swept her gaze across the man’s face, finding no familiar features matching any high-ranking official’s son in her memory. Coupled with her underlying displeasure at this person meddling in the Marquis’s internal affairs, her tone remained soft yet carried an ambiguous undertone. “Tang Gongzi is too modest. Second Brother has always favored peace and quiet, yet you keep sending doctors and pages to the manor one after another. Even Second Brother’s good friend, Young Master Duan, could never match this. It hardly looks like the kind of handiwork a mere imperial guard could manage.”
At the final remark, Bo Ruofeng nodded vigorously on the side.
Seeing his eager, chick-pecking-at-rice nodding, Fang Youcheng couldn’t help the upward curve of his lips. However, he didn’t extend the same level of tolerance to others. Since her words were barbed, he didn’t hesitate to return the courtesy. “What is so remarkable about that? Compared to Miss Bo, I am still a nobody.”
A bad premonition rose in Bo Yueying’s chest. Before she could process it carefully, she heard Fang Youcheng mimic her tone. “After all, unlike Miss Bo, who possesses such a famous talent—being rescued by the Heir of Liang after a frightened horse incident on the roadside yesterday, being saved by the Prime Minister’s son from a bandit robbery today, and receiving assistance from the Dali Temple Minister for a sprained ankle tomorrow—even the top courtesans of the capital, whose favors cost ten thousand gold overnight, pale in comparison.”
“What—what are you spouting about! How utterly rude! How could the Marquis’s residence harbor a guest like you!” Bo Yueying turned pale with anger. This man actually dared to compare her to a courtesan!
Looking utterly astonished, Bo Ruofeng couldn’t help stepping in to shield his kin. “Brother Cheng, a young lady’s reputation is of the utmost importance.”
Fang Youcheng’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before he suddenly pushed Bo Ruofeng’s wheelchair, bypassing Bo Yueying to head inside. “I am hungry. Starving makes one prone to spouting nonsense.”
Left standing alone at the doorway, Bo Yueying clenched her handkerchief tightly. Though she delayed turning around, she found it hard to ignore their voices drifting back.
“Brother Cheng, where on earth did you hear those things you just said?”
“What news in the palace isn’t leaked around?” Fang Youcheng paused, remembering his guise as a guard, and hurriedly fabricated a reason. “I patrol the city walls of the imperial city every day; from such a height, what can’t I see? It was just idle chatter among the brothers when we were bored, so don’t take it to heart.”
Just a minor guard! Evidently stung to the quick, Bo Yueying bit her lower lip, a flash of ferocity crossing her eyes. Unable to bear listening any longer, she hurried away from the spot.
Fang Youcheng picked up his chopsticks first and even thrust a pair into Bo Ruofeng’s hand. “Eat more, you’ve lost weight.”
Bo Ruofeng stared blankly in the direction where Bo Yueying had left, his mind drifting.
Moving his cheeks as he chewed, Fang Youcheng picked up a piece of soft pastry and placed it in his bowl. “Eat, stop staring blankly. You need to nourish your body properly after being sick.”
Lowering his gaze, Bo Ruofeng traced the tip of his chopsticks across the pastry. Seeing that only the two of them remained in the room, with Tang Yan stationed outside the door, he couldn’t help setting down his utensils. “Brother Cheng, tell me the honest truth.”
Noticing that Fang Youcheng was still eating, he quickly pressed down on the back of the man’s hand, gripped his shoulders to turn him around so they faced each other, and urged anxiously, “Aiya, stop eating, what time is it? Tell me first what is going on with what you just said? Stop trying to fool me with that excuse from earlier. I know you said those things to Yueying on purpose.”
Without answering, Fang Youcheng glanced sideways at Tang Yan. As though eyes grew on the back of his head, Tang Yan closed the door shut.
Fang Youcheng brushed the hands off his shoulders. “Then let me ask you, how much do you actually remember about your good sister?”
“What?”
“Do you still remember anything from before you lost your memories?”
Bo Ruofeng stated frankly, “I remember none of it.”
“And yet you still treat her this way despite remembering nothing, even single-mindedly thinking of entering the palace to speak on her behalf.” Fang Youcheng looked somewhat exasperated by his open and unguarded demeanor.
“She is my sister, my biological sister.” Bo Ruofeng’s gaze flickered as childhood memories surfaced. Because the person before him was Fang Youcheng, he felt comfortable enough to speak of the past. “Father said to be a true, honorable man, one must start by taking good care of his younger sister.”
He had always done a fine job of it; he simply wondered if he would ever have the chance to see his biological sister from his other world. Bo Ruofeng didn’t linger in melancholy for long before a second thought struck him: Fang Youcheng’s words had been somewhat exaggerated. Compared to his biological sister, he could hardly claim to treat Bo Yueying—whom he barely saw a few times a month—particularly well.
“Brother Cheng warns you today: do not trust anyone easily, not even family.” Fang Youcheng lowered his voice and spoke rapidly. “That sister of yours is not right. First, I sent people to check the northern frontier, and the pacification marquis manor there has been razed to the ground; the elderly servants who were supposedly not dismissed all died unnatural deaths. Second, everything I just said was true. Your sister has been going out frequently ever since returning to the capital, intentionally or unintentionally making connections with eligible young talents in various places.”
He watched Bo Ruofeng’s expression to see if the other was aware of this. “Yet you told me yesterday that she wants to enter the palace.”
“This…” Bo Ruofeng paused, recalling the open-ended nature of the game. Although Bo Yueying’s behavior might seem absurd in the eyes of others, to him it was only natural, since harem protagonists engaging in multi-line romance routes wasn’t anything rare. “That doesn’t sound like a big deal, perhaps she is just choosing a husband for herself.”
“What if I told you that some of the medicinal herbs used in the sachet Zhang Chao gave her can only be found in Northern Yue?” Seeing the other dodge his gaze, Fang Youcheng dropped another bombshell.
Northern Yue? Wasn’t that an enemy nation? He remembered that when he first woke up a month ago, he had heard tales of the Northern Pacification Marquis Manor’s absolute loyalty. His parents, his eldest brother, and his legs had all suffered at the hands of the enemy nation. Shocked, Bo Ruofeng raised his disbelief-filled eyes to look at Fang Youcheng, leaning forward. “Are you trying to say she is connected to the enemy?”
Before Bo Ruofeng could issue a denial, Fang Youcheng mused, “Both your parents died at the hands of the enemy country, and the heir was captured by them. I don’t think she would commit treason, but it is suspicious nonetheless, so we should keep a closer eye on her. However, Zhang Chao cannot be allowed to stay.”
Feeling as though facing a formidable enemy, Bo Ruofeng thought over and over before speaking cautiously, “Let’s go check on him together later. He lives in the guest quarters and previously claimed he came to the capital to look for relatives, which is why he frequently enters and leaves the manor. If he really is a spy…”
“Then we’ll kill him,” Fang Youcheng said indifferently.
The casual words struck like a thunderbolt from the nine heavens, giving Bo Ruofeng a full-body jolt as he stared blankly at Fang Youcheng.
Noticing his abnormal reaction, Fang Youcheng turned his head in confusion. “What is it?”
“N-nothing.” Bo Ruofeng turned away and rubbed the space between his brows. A flash of strange familiarity with Fang Youcheng’s expression had just crossed his mind, though careful thought yielded no memories. He realized with absolute clarity that he had forgotten something, yet for the moment he couldn’t recall it, nor did he wish to voice it and cause unnecessary concern. Lowering his hand, he maintained a composed expression. “Probably didn’t rest well.”
Fang Youcheng furrowed his brow. “Then forget about these matters; go back and rest after you finish eating. I’ll have Tang Yan go straight and tie that fellow up.”
“Alright, have Tang Yan bring him to my courtyard,” Bo Ruofeng said, his slightly narrowed eyes revealing cold fury. “Zhang Chao must have said something to Yueying, otherwise how else would that sachet end up on her waist? There are too many loose ends here, I need to question him clearly.”
Fang Youcheng pushed Bo Ruofeng’s wheelchair back. The weather was clear at the moment, with a cool breeze blowing pleasantly. As they passed by, Bo Ruofeng looked toward the flowers and plants in the courtyard. The greenery swayed in the wind, yet something seemed missing. Pausing, a certain figure popped into his mind. “Strange, it’s been almost two days since I last saw Old Yuan.”
At this, Fang Youcheng also frowned. As a frequent visitor to the Marquis’s residence, he naturally knew that Old Yuan was the steward of the capital’s Northern Pacification Marquis Manor, an elderly servant who had served Bo Ruofeng since childhood. He was robust in health, never able to stay idle, and could constantly be seen walking back and forth around the estate.
Bo Ruofeng recalled carefully, “He sent me the invitation to the spring banquet yesterday. When I had my episode last night, I didn’t see him come by, and I didn’t spot him at breakfast this morning either. At this hour before the sun is even fully up, he ought to be out watering the flowers.”
As the second person he had laid eyes on when waking up in this world, Bo Ruofeng still remembered that when he told Old Yuan he had amnesia, the old man had patiently explained things, guided him through the manor, arranged his daily necessities, and managed everything around him impeccably.
An elder-like figure of this sort held more weight in his heart than the less-familiar Bo Yueying. “Maybe he fell ill, I want to go find him.” Bo Ruofeng tilted his head up to look at Fang Youcheng’s chin.
Lowering his head slightly, Fang Youcheng met his gaze.
Changing directions, Fang Youcheng wheeled the chair around. “Then let’s go take a look.”
The two tracked down the servants’ quarters, a row of rooms situated far from the master’s quarters and close to the main gate. Several beds and low tables were arranged in parallel inside. Aside from the personal attendants, the rest of the domestic staff lived here. Old Yuan was no exception, though given his long tenure in the manor, he enjoyed a room of his own.
Just as the two reached the doorway, a stranger of a servant emerged from Old Yuan’s room, scurrying over to stop before them. Lowering his head humbly, the servant asked, “Why has the Marquis come here? Is there anything that requires my orders?”
“I’m looking for Old Yuan, is he inside?” Resting his elbow on the armrest and propping his chin, Bo Ruofeng scanned the servant’s clothes. He figured this person must be a recent addition since he didn’t seem to have any impression of him.
“This…” The servant hesitated for a moment. “Old Yuan has taken ill and is resting inside. It’s inconvenient for him to get up and greet the master.”
“There’s no need for him to get up, I’ll just go check on him.” No sooner had the words left Bo Ruofeng’s mouth than Fang Youcheng wheeled him forward.
The servant hurriedly threw out his arms to block the path. “No, no! Old Yuan has contracted a contagious illness. If it were to pass to the Marquis, this slave would be unable to bear the responsibility!”
A contagious illness? In this setting, that could be fatal. Bo Ruofeng’s relaxed expression tightened. Straightening up, he said, “Then all the more reason for me to check on him. Has a doctor been called for him?”
The servant continued blocking the two who tried to advance.
Even as dull as Bo Ruofeng was, he sensed something was amiss by now. If Old Yuan was merely sick, why keep blocking him? Bo Ruofeng’s face chilled. “Step aside!”
Before the servant could utter a word, the silent figure standing behind Bo Ruofeng suddenly struck, pressing a hand onto the servant’s shoulder. “You…” Before the man could finish speaking, he watched as this person plucked him off the ground like a radish and hurled him away.
“Noisy.” If Bo Ruofeng hadn’t needed to question him, Fang Youcheng wouldn’t have had the patience to listen to nonsense for so long. He pushed Bo Ruofeng straight into the room.
The room was not large; upon entering, one saw a single table and chair, with a person lying on the adjacent bed, tightly wrapped in a cotton quilt.
Reaching the bedside, the two saw Old Yuan staring at them with bright, vigilant eyes. Perhaps afraid of the cold, the quilt was pulled up past his nose, and his body beneath it trembled continuously.
With a single pull, Bo Ruofeng ripped back the cotton quilt, revealing that Old Yuan was bound hand and foot in five-flower ropes, with a piece of cloth stuffed firmly in his mouth. Seemingly trying to say something, he let out muffled wails, his eyes wide with terror.
“Old Yuan!” Anxious, Bo Ruofeng pulled out the cloth wedged in his mouth. “Who did this to you?”
“Quick, cough cough! Run!” Old Yuan rasped in a hoarse, cracked voice that broke pitch. “Get away!”
A flash of silver light erupted as Fang Youcheng directly drew his sword, slicing through the ropes binding Old Yuan. Supporting the old man upright, Bo Ruofeng asked, “Was it that Zhang Chao who harmed you?”
“Zhang Chao?” Old Yuan opened his eyes wide in astonishment, as if only just learning that Zhang Chao was suspicious. He shook his head frantically. “No! Not him! It’s too late, Young Master, let’s leave first. There are intruders in the Marquis’s manor plotting murder!” He urged desperately, even preempting Fang Youcheng’s spot to push Bo Ruofeng’s wheelchair in a dash for the door.
Stepping outside, all three froze.
This was the servants’ quarters after all; running into other servants wasn’t strange. What was strange was that virtually the entire estate’s worth of servants seemed gathered in the tiny open clearing outside Old Yuan’s door, forming an orderly barricade blocking their path of departure, holding blades or bows in their hands. The person leading them was none other than the servant Fang Youcheng had tossed out earlier.
Lifting the face he had previously kept lowered, the man was filled with murderous intent, pointing the tip of his blade straight at the trio. “Today, no one leaves this place alive.”