Han Qi was slightly taken aback. “This subordinate does not know…”
Jun Qi’s smile deepened at the corners of his lips, but the look beneath his eyelashes grew colder. “It was an old nanny who took care of me when I was young.”
Han Qi shuddered.
“Unfortunately, she ended up betraying me.”
“So, I skinned her, chopped her up, and fed her to the dogs.”
As he spoke, Jun Qi’s dark pupils grew as gloomy as the deep sea, his voice low and heavy, concealing turbulent undercurrents. “So, tell me, will she, like the nanny, betray me too?”
Thinking of the nanny’s fate, Han Qi swallowed hard.
Princess Yun Xi, he thought, how many times has it been? Why must you provoke no one else but my master?
There are so many people in this world—why can’t you fancy anyone else? Anyone would do.
Why must you fixate on my master, who devours people without spitting out the bones?
Now look, what if one day…
Seeing his master’s gaze fall upon him, Han Qi replied tremblingly, “Princess Yun Xi… she probably wouldn’t, right? She seems…”
“After all, she seems quite foolish.”
“She grew up under Emperor Chu’s protection and lacks any cunning.”
“She couldn’t possibly be from the Crown Prince’s side, nor could she do anything else.”
The light in the hall dimmed further. Jun Qi picked up the silk cloth on the table engraved with the words “Moon Embracing Palace” between his thumb and forefinger.
The smile curling at the corners of his lips was inscrutable. “Han Qi, tell me, if while hunting, an interesting rabbit insists on barging into your territory again and again, hopping right under your arrow, would you still let it go?”
“Of course you can’t let it go, Master! Rabbit meat is delicious,” Han Qi’s eyes lit up. “Since it’s already under my arrow, it’s mine. Rabbit meat is really tasty.”
Jun Qi laughed instantly, his demeanor calm and composed.
“Yes, since it delivered itself to my doorstep, it is mine.”
“And since it is mine, even in death, it must die by my hand.”
“After all, such an amusing little thing—how pitiful it would be to fall into someone else’s hands.”
“Better to lock it up later and keep it…”
The night wind was too cold, so Han Qi closed the window. Moving closer, he finally saw clearly that in the cold moonlight, his master’s unfathomably deep, narrow eyes were filled with gloom.
Han Qi’s heart skipped a beat.
He had a bad feeling. He suspected that the rabbit his master mentioned earlier wasn’t just referring to a rabbit…
Moon Embracing Palace.
Gu Xi reclined on the couch, fiddling with the bandage on her hand with the fingers of her left hand.
The Celestial Beast kept rubbing its little paws together. [“Um… well…”]
Seeing it like this, Gu Xi smiled slightly. [“Speak directly. Why stammer?”]
The Celestial Beast let out an awkward laugh. [“Actually, I think… this bet…”]
The Little Beast’s expression grew increasingly ingratiating. [“We’re all family. Isn’t setting a bet too hurtful to our feelings?”]
Gu Xi nodded seriously, agreeing with its words. [“Hmm, indeed.”]
The Celestial Beast’s eyes lit up.
[“However.”] Gu Xi slowly added a twist, propping her chin thoughtfully. [“Tell me, do we even have something like feelings between us?”]
[“Of course we do! We’re family.”] The Little Beast’s voice was bright and loud.
Gu Xi gently patted its head, took a brush and a blank sheet of paper from the desk, and tossed them to it.
[“That makes sense.”]
【In that case, I see you quite enjoy drawing. You could actually sketch me a copy of the Celestial Realm’s defense layout.】
【After all, we’re family.】
Instantly, the Celestial Beast put on its little eye mask.
It lay down in the Void Space, pulled up its small blanket, and covered its entire head: 【It’s too late today. I shouldn’t disturb your sleep. Let’s talk about anything else tomorrow.】
Without waiting for Gu Xi’s reply, the Celestial Beast began pretending to snore.
Gu Xi clicked her tongue: 【Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Get up, stop pretending to sleep. I have another task for you.】
The Celestial Beast tossed its eye mask aside: 【What is it?】
Gu Xi handed it the palace map she was holding.
【In a few days, it will be the Chu Kingdom’s folk Lantern Temple Festival. I need to leave the palace.】
【Over the next couple of days, find the areas where the Golden Scale Guard’s presence is weakest in the palace. I’ll need to avoid them and slip out unnoticed.】
The Celestial Beast scratched its head out of habit: 【If you want to leave the palace, can’t you just use your qinggong? Why make it so complicated?】
Gu Xi curved her lips, wearing her signature smile.
【Because I’m taking Jun Qi with me.】
【The Lantern Temple Festival at night, with beautiful flowers and a full moon, is naturally the perfect opportunity to pursue someone…】
Over the next few days, Gu Xi rarely went out. In the eyes of everyone in the palace, Princess Yun Xi was still recuperating from her injuries.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Beast spent these days exploring ways to slip out of the palace undetected.
The Little Beast found a solution based on the map the day before the Lantern Temple Festival.
It stood tall and proud, looking extremely confident.
Seeing it so self-assured, Gu Xi thought it had already accomplished the task. For the first and only time, she chose to trust its abilities and didn’t ask further questions.
On the evening of the Lantern Temple Festival.
Gu Xi dismissed all the attendants in the Moon Embracing Palace, made all the necessary arrangements, changed into a palace maid’s outfit, and headed toward Jun Qi’s palace.
Meanwhile, in Jun Qi’s quarters.
Inside the hall.
Han Qi placed the dagger retrieved from the assassin that day on the table.
“Master, after investigating for several days, the origin of this dagger…”