LSDWTWHA chapter 21

Chapter 21 (1)

As the banquet moved into its later stages, the dining tables had been cleared away, and the dance floor in the inner hall gradually became lively.

At this moment, Mo Lin was surrounded by several unmarried noble girls, who were laughing brightly at whatever he said.

Mo Lin smiled casually, though he seemed a bit distracted. Looking at these pretty young women in front of him, he felt like something was missing.

A white fishtail dress swayed past him, with bare shoulders and a slender yet upright back, every bone line so perfect that it tempted one to trace it delicately, over and over again, until they could see the delicate pink hue of the skin trembling slightly with each touch.

What would a mermaid do at that time? Would she plead with teary eyes, or invite but also resist?

Zhang Lu approached Mo Lin from behind: “Second Young Master.”

Mo Lin snapped back to reality as he saw Zhang Lu stealthily waving at him not far away.

He recalled his brother’s warning after they returned from the cruise: continuing to associate with fools would only bring trouble. Mo Lin was a nostalgic person, but he trusted his brother not to harm him. So, he decided to silently distance himself from Zhang Lu, hoping to leave him with some dignity. If Zhang Lu wasn’t completely foolish, he should leave on his own.

However, it was clear that Zhang Lu was even more foolish than Mo Lin had anticipated. Not only was he foolish, but he also thought himself clever, even daring to provoke Qi Hanyi.

His brother was right; such a person couldn’t possibly bring him any benefit in the future, only trouble.

Mo Lin then turned his gaze away, as if he no longer saw Zhang Lu as a person, but merely as some inconsequential object.

Zhang Lu gritted his teeth; he knew that since the return from the cruise, Mo Lin had been distancing himself from him. But it didn’t matter; after the Qi family fell out with the Mo family, he wouldn’t have to please Qi Hanyi to keep Mo Lin from distancing himself anymore.

Zhang Lu shamelessly squeezed his way next to Mo Lin amongst the group of girls. He stretched out his clenched hand, a small gap revealing something between his fingers.

“Second Young Master, look.”

Mo Lin’s gaze swept over the white corner peeking through Zhang Lu’s fingers, and his attention immediately sharpened; it was a piece of torn fabric. He had seen it today, on the dress Su Su was wearing.

He never minded giving more attention to beautiful things. His attention towards Su Su had already detailed to the patterns on the dress.

Mo Lin apologetically smiled at the surrounding girls, saying he had something urgent to attend to and couldn’t dance with them anymore. Then, putting on a brotherly facade, he pulled Zhang Lu to a secluded corner away from the crowd.

As the fake smile faded from his face, Mo Lin coldly stared at Zhang Lu: “Where did you get this?”

“It was just now when I bumped into that mermaid from Qi Hanyi’s family; she gave it to me and said she was waiting for you in an empty room at the end of the fourth floor, said she wanted to talk to you alone,” Zhang Lu reported according to Qi Yang’s instructions.

Mo Lin looked at Zhang Lu warily, unwilling to easily bite the bait: “She is Qi Hanyi’s fiancée, what does she want with me? Furthermore, she doesn’t even know you. How would she pass something private like this through you?”

“Second Young Master, you make it sound like you suspect I’m trying to harm you. She just hurriedly shoved this to me, said that one line, and rushed off. You find it strange, I find it strange too…”

Zhang Lu pressed the torn piece of dress fabric into Mo Lin’s hand: “This doesn’t benefit me at all. If you feel it’s inappropriate, then don’t go. I’ve at least delivered the message.”

Mo Lin clutched the fabric, and the memory of Su Su’s stunning smile when entering flashed in his mind, causing a swarm of ants to crawl through his heart.

Mo Lin sat anxiously alone at the empty bar, drinking for half an hour.

He couldn’t shake his doubts, but…

Mo Lin gently twisted the fabric between his thumb and index finger, and after a long pause, he set off hurriedly towards the stairs.

On the fourth floor, Yan Bai entered the room with a clean outfit his subordinates had brought, instructing them to continue guarding outside.

Yan Bai was holding a set of clothes he had brought for himself. To avoid accidentally soiling them, he always made sure to carry an extra set of shirts and pants.

Su Su, enduring pain all over his body, changed into the clothes. He was about the same height as Yan Bai; the clothes fit him quite well. However, his beauty was so misleadingly enchanting that even with his hair down and wearing men’s clothing, it was hard to discern his gender just from his looks.

“Go lie down on the bed,” Yan Bai said as he saw Su Su in so much pain that he couldn’t help but hiss with every little movement.

Su Su obediently lay on the bed but curled up again soon due to the pain.

“Besides pain, is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?” Yan Bai recalled Su Su mentioning being fed medicine earlier and felt a bit uneasy.

Su Su shook his head: “No feeling?”

It seemed to be a shark’s innate ability to have some resistance to drugs.

Yan Bai speculated. It also explained why during the transit pod ride, he had clearly placed a narcotic in the send-off drink but the target remained unharmed, even retaliating.

As soon as Mo Lin came upstairs, Yan Bai’s subordinate sensed the movement and quickly rushed into the room to report: “Young Master, Second Young Master Mo is here.”

“Second Young Master Mo?” Yan Bai thought for a moment and then guessed most of it. After all, the means of scheming among nobles were always the same, without much creativity.

Someone was simply trying to create the illusion of an affair between Su Su and Second Young Master Mo. As for the target, it was almost certainly Qi family, Mo family, or a few involved parties. The drug that Su Su had just been shoved into his mouth, Yan Bai was certain, was related to aphrodisiacs.

“Master, we should get going,” the subordinate reminded quietly.

“What’s the rush?” Yan Bai knew very well that staying longer would bring trouble, but he glanced at Su Su, lying on the bed, looking somewhat dispirited, and felt a surge of annoyance that he couldn’t suppress.

“Let’s go, young master. If we don’t leave soon, it will lead to trouble,” the subordinate said, seeing someone walking straight towards the end of the corridor. They weren’t skilled fighters; being on the fourth floor meant a jump out would surely result in broken legs.

Yan Bai furrowed his brows, kicking his subordinate aside, impatiently snapping, “Why are you talking so much? Do I need you to tell me what to do?”

Su Su had been injured and every move caused him pain, having been fed drugs, and now faced with an unwanted lecherous man outside, while hiding several scheming pests. If he left Su Su here, and Mo Lin came in later, what good outcome could be expected for Su Su?

Yan Bai didn’t want to leave; after all, Su Su was his cousin. Although he didn’t have much affection for family, he found Su Su quite pleasing. Moreover, Su Su was his mission target, and it would be a pity to fold on this potential—he could use him for many things in the future.

Hmm, for the sake of the mission, he should protect him this once.

Thinking this way, Yan Bai naturally settled down beside the bed: “I want to see how troublesome it can get.”

Mo Lin walked to the door. The door was not locked, merely ajar. He pushed it open directly and immediately saw Su Su lying on the bed. He had changed into men’s clothing, looking wilted and curled up on the bed. The silvery-blue long hair sprawled like water, portraying a uniquely twisted and frail beauty.

But there wasn’t only Su Su in the room; there was also Yan Bai and his subordinate. Mo Lin swiftly recognized that the clothing on Su Su seemed to be of the same style that Yan Bai was wearing.

Was it a trap? Or mere coincidence? Or had someone already got ahead?

Mo Lin hesitated in the doorway.

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened not far away, and a large crowd of cheerful young people surged this way.

They were all young people familiar with Mo Lin, seemingly having drunk a bit too much and were in high spirits. Upon seeing Mo Lin, someone immediately shouted: “Oh, Second Young Master Mo! I was wondering why you weren’t seen downstairs. You aren’t planning to sneak off and have some romantic fun with a pretty girl up here, are you?”

Mo Lin had a reputation for flirtation, so many people joined in the teasing. The Empire was relatively open regarding sexual matters. When unmarried noble men and women engaged in scandalous acts, it was usually just bantered about and not treated as a scandal. So, those who joked around had no qualms about pushing and squeezing their way forward, clamoring to see the excitement.

Only when they glimpsed the situation inside did they realize that things seemed different from what they had imagined.

Before they fully understood the situation, a voice from the staircase rang out: “What are you all doing huddled together?”

The noisy young crowd fell silent instantly.

Not far behind them stood the host of this banquet, the head of the Mo family.

Qi Xingli, Qi Hanyi, and Mo Shan were also standing with him. They had just been discussing cooperation matters in the upstairs conference hall and were preparing to come down for a break when they noticed the gathered crowd here.

Qi Yang couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth.

The trap he had so meticulously set up for an entire night was finally about to unfold. When Mo Lin hadn’t come up on time, he sensed something might be off. But for him, it didn’t matter; whether it was Mo Lin or Yan Bai, as long as he could drive away the mermaid around Qi Hanyi, his plan would be successful.

Just now, the shadow group leader had already administered an aphrodisiac to the mermaid; calculating the time, it should be taking effect soon.

Once Su Su was tormented by the drug, today’s actions could not possibly be explained away.

Mo Lin was the first to realize; he must have been set up.

Since he received the piece of clothing from Zhang Lu, he had begun to grow suspicious, though he also found some amusement in playing along.

At this moment, prepared for the situation, he had a fitting explanation ready.

He displayed the fabric he held, calmly saying: “I just wanted to come upstairs for a rest, noticed this piece of torn fabric at the door, and was worried about a guest encountering danger, so I came to check.”

“Only to push open the door and find the young master of the Yan family and the general’s mermaid in the room. I didn’t even have a chance to ask what was happening before everyone arrived.”

As the host, it was completely reasonable for him to care about his guests’ safety.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd: “Hey, isn’t that the mermaid from General Qi’s family? I didn’t recognize her in this new outfit.”

With those words, the entire corridor fell dead silent.

Unlike interactions between noble men and women, mermaids, as the continuation of family lineage, absolutely cannot have any overreach with men other than their husbands. Any mermaid branded with infidelity would undoubtedly meet a dismal fate. Likewise, relations between humans and designated mermaid fiancées were also a serious crime.

Now, Mo Lin claimed he found the torn skirt of the mermaid at the door, and inside the room, Su Su had changed into Yan Bai’s clothes. If he had just arrived, this implied that for a while, it had been only Yan Bai with Su Su, alone together.

In an instant, everyone’s gazes turned subtly.

Having just fought, there were still places on Su Su’s body that ached, and he didn’t want to leave the soft bed. He vaguely sensed the unusual atmosphere outside the door but couldn’t understand why those people looked at him strangely. Hadn’t he merely been in the room with Yan Bai for a while?

He calmly stared at the throng at the doorway, finally landing on Qi Hanyi’s direction.

Perhaps it was Su Su’s clear and calm gaze that caused those outside to start questioning their assumptions. Could it be that they were thinking too lewdly? Although there were a solitary man and woman in the room and the pretty mermaid had even changed her dress, in truth, nothing had actually happened.

Qi Hanyi stepped forward towards them. Whether it was his fierce aura or his cold gaze, the crowd parted automatically to make a path for him.

Qi Hanyi strode up to Yan Bai, giving him a slight nod. His expression was calm and composed, as if he had the current situation entirely within his grasp: “I appreciate you taking care of my mermaid.”

Yan Bai’s gaze flickered, and he quickly replied, “General Qi is too kind.”

Qi Hanyi then turned to the crowd to explain: “My mermaid just tripped in the courtyard and accidentally ruined his clothes. Coincidentally, Young Master Yan happened to pass by. Seeing that Young Master Yan was of similar build, I entrusted him to lend my mermaid some clothes. Afterwards, I also had a meeting with the family head, so I simply asked Young Master Yan to help take care of him for a bit.”

With Qi Hanyi’s concise explanation, the atmosphere in the room gradually relaxed.

Indeed, it seemed they had overthought it. General Qi had merely entrusted the care of his mermaid to Young Master Yan, and the clothing change was simply because the dress had been ruined.

Qi Xingli didn’t voice disbelief; he had already noticed that today’s situation seemed suspicious. He just needed a reasonable explanation. Since Qi Hanyi could clarify it so well, he accepted that explanation, merely stating lightly, “After all, it’s your mermaid. It’s inappropriate to leave him in the care of others.”

“Family head is correct.” Qi Hanyi replied calmly.

“Alright, everyone disperse,” Mo Shan took the opportunity to smooth things over, “Don’t block the corridor; there’s nothing entertaining to see here.”

The crowd gradually dispersed in small groups.

Only Qi Yang stayed behind, dazed in place. It took him several shouts from his companions to snap him out of it.

He had exerted great effort to not reveal any disappointment or anger. With so many pairs of eyes watching, he had to be cautious; just the slightest slip could lead to suspicion.

Qi Yang couldn’t understand how things had completely diverged from what Qi Hanyi anticipated. Why would the elder cousin, who abhorred mermaids, willingly lie for a mere mermaid?

Also, hadn’t the shadow group leader assured him that the drug had been fed to the mermaid? He had planned so thoroughly that once the drug took effect, there would certainly be an embarrassing display, which would lead to the Qi family sending him away.

But that very mermaid could now be sitting nicely on the bed, looking as if nothing had happened at all.

Having worked so hard, his plan had completely failed. Qi Yang tightly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning pale, nails digging painfully into his palm until it bled.

Why was it that Qi Hanyi had won over him again? Just because of a slight genetic advantage? He refused to accept it; his genes were also S-class, and his efforts, intelligence, and background were all not inferior to Qi Hanyi’s.

But for tonight, this was as far as he could go. He still needed to explain to the Crown Prince why the plan had failed. As long as he didn’t lose the Crown Prince’s support, there would still be a chance. He would not give in so easily.

In the guest room, only Su Su, Qi Hanyi, and Yan Bai remained.

Yan Bai raised an eyebrow, observing Qi Hanyi: “General Qi reacted quickly just now. You didn’t suspect anything at all?”

Qi Hanyi’s expression was cool and indifferent, completely showing no signs of caring about what had just transpired: “Anyone with a clear head can figure out that the situation just now clearly had someone trying to frame us.”

“Ah, that’s right.” Yan Bai chuckled, seemingly casually probing: “But I hadn’t noticed. General Qi seems quite protective of this mermaid.”

Qi Hanyi replied, “I’m only protecting the Qi family’s reputation. I don’t want outsiders to see us as a joke.”

Yan Bai nodded, appearing to treat it as mere jest, calling for his subordinates to leave the room.

As the door closed, Qi Hanyi sent a message to his subordinate to investigate Yan Bai.

After shutting off communications, Qi Hanyi stood quietly beside the bed and silently watched Su Su curled up at the foot of the bed.

Su Su opened his mouth, wanting to complain to Qi Hanyi that he had been attacked and was in pain.

But then he remembered Qi Hanyi had said he disliked him. So, it was unlikely he would help take revenge.

Thus, he wrapped himself tighter in the small blanket, remaining silent.

Qi Hanyi was unsure what Su Su was thinking; after all, sharks and humans did not think alike.

He couldn’t sort through his own feelings for Su Su. Since he had seen the other turn human, he had felt things were slipping out of his control.

Tonight had been his oversight; he should not have made such a foolish mistake to leave a naïve mermaid alone at the banquet without paying attention.

He had been too focused on handling his own emotions and overlooked that Su Su understood nothing of human world rules, making him easily deceivable and a target for others aiming to use him against Qi Hanyi and the Qi family.

“I’m sorry,” Qi Hanyi did not hesitate to reflect on his mistakes and proactively apologized to Su Su: “Tonight was my fault. I will investigate this matter and take responsibility.”

“Oh.” Su Su lowered his head, fiddling with the embroidered sheet next to him. He didn’t actually need Qi Hanyi’s apology, as the one who had hit him was not Qi Hanyi.

He just felt a bit sad. The person he liked the most did not like him back, simply because he was a mermaid.

Suddenly, Su Su felt an unbearable tingling and itch in his bones, accompanied by a burning heat that spread throughout his body.

This feeling rushed in quickly and violently, and Su Su bent over restlessly, twisting his long legs together, curling up like a shrimp. He half-opened his mouth, gasping quickly, drops of glistening saliva dripping down and wetting the bed sheet beneath him, his ears turning a strange shade of pink.

“What’s wrong with you?” Qi Hanyi’s expression shifted slightly as he bent down to check on Su Su.

It didn’t seem like poisoning; could it be an internal injury?

“Feels terrible…” Su Su said in a voice tinged with tears, sounding extremely pitiful.

Is he really hurt? Qi Hanyi frowned. Su Su was dressed; to check for injuries, he would need to help the other remove his clothes. Although he had seen Su Su entirely unclothed before, having already decided to draw a line with him, he didn’t want to engage in any ambiguous exchanges.

“Where does it hurt?” Qi Hanyi asked.

“Everything hurts.” Su Su whined, “My head is dizzy, my body is hot and itchy. Qi Hanyi, am I going to die?”

Qi Hanyi touched Su Su’s forehead; his temperature was slightly elevated. Was he running a fever? Yet, the symptoms didn’t seem right; it rather resembled…

“No.” Qi Hanyi cast away the inappropriate doubts in his mind, unfastening Su Su’s clothing. He saw that Su Su had abnormal bruises at his elbows, shoulders, lower back, and knees. It looked like injuries from a blunt force. Evidently, the other had held back; otherwise, it would be more than just bruises; he should have been broken.

“Were you in a fight?”

“Someone tricked me into coming here, then three people rushed out and attacked me in the dark. They bullied me, boo-hoo,” Su Su explained between sobs, growing more aggrieved with every word. He felt the heat within him rising, nearly transforming him into a roasted shark.

“What were they like?” Qi Hanyi continued to inquire.

“Shadows, couldn’t see their faces. I remember their scent; I bit off a piece of flesh from one of them. If I run into them again, I’ll bite them to death…” Su Su said fiercely.

His eyes had lost focus, and his gaze became increasingly hazy. His whole body was burning as if on fire, with only the parts held down by Qi Hanyi feeling a little comfortable. Following his instincts, he “swam” from the bed and clung onto Qi Hanyi.

Damn, why did it feel so good to be pressed against a human! Humans actually disliked him, yet he couldn’t resist this despicable instinct.

Su Su pressed his face against Qi Hanyi’s neck, not yet satisfied, rubbing against him repeatedly.

Qi Hanyi’s expression suddenly darkened as he felt the top button of his shirt seemingly tighten around his throat, and the air in the room became slightly insufficient.

He casually unfastened two buttons, yet the situation showed no signs of relief.

Qi Hanyi understood full well what this meant. However, he could not allow himself to develop desires for a mere mermaid.

There would be no going back tonight; he couldn’t let Su Su be seen this way by others. Qi Hanyi messaged Mo Shan, saying he would stay here for the night.

Su Su still clung to him stubbornly.

To distract himself, Qi Hanyi furrowed his brows and surveyed the room. Clearly, Yan Bai had already tidied up ahead of time, as there were no signs of blood or struggle visible.

“Was it just a fight?” Qi Hanyi’s voice escaped, sounding horrifically hoarse.

“They shoved something into my mouth,” Su Su buried his head into Qi Hanyi’s neck, mumbling, “It was sour and bitter, it tasted terrible.”

Indeed, with Su Su in this state, Qi Hanyi had already figured out what that thing likely was.

This drug acted quickly and violently. Fortunately, it didn’t require any special actions; simply enduring long enough would resolve it—though the timing was not right. Since others had schemed using this drug against Su Su, they must have intended to time it for when it would cause a public scene, but now that Su Su was delayed due to the earlier onset, the plan was falling apart.

Qi Hanyi recalled the incident Su Su mentioned during the send-off ceremony. It seemed this shark, due to its bodily structure, reacted to any toxins or sedatives slightly slower than an ordinary person.

Thanks to this, Su Su had managed to avoid disaster that night; otherwise, if the effects had kicked in on the spot, things would have become exceedingly complicated.

“I’ll take you to shower.” Hot water will open up the pores and accelerate blood circulation, allowing the drug to disperse faster.

Qi Hanyi methodically helped Su Su take off his clothes and led him to the bathroom for washing. Throughout it all, he made no superfluous movements until he dressed Su Su properly and tucked him into the blankets.

However, upon closer observation, Qi Hanyi’s usually icy gaze was now sealed with terrifying primal urges that burned the more they were suppressed.

A knock came from outside: “Young Master Qi, we are here to deliver items sent by the eldest young master. May we come in now?”

Qi Hanyi sighed in relief, tearing Su Su, who was glued to him, away and pushing him back under the blanket.

Suddenly separated from Qi Hanyi, the overwhelming heat that had been so hard to bear rushed back onto Su Su.

“Ugh—” Once the previously quiet Su Su caught on and grabbed Qi Hanyi’s arm, causing trouble once more.

Qi Hanyi forcefully pulled his hand away. Su Su couldn’t hold on, and in a panic, bit down on Qi Hanyi’s arm. His teeth were sharp, and immediately blood was drawn.

“Ugh—let go.” Qi Hanyi frowned, feeling a wave of annoyance hit. It would be so easy to dislocate Su Su’s jaw with just one forceful move, yet he couldn’t bring himself to act against that soft, tender face.

Su Su bit for a while before seeming to remember whose arm it was and let go, licking the blood that had oozed out with a guilty look.

“You—” Qi Hanyi ground his back teeth, feeling this was worse than being bitten again. He even wondered if the ingredients in the drug would transfer through saliva and blood. Otherwise, how could he explain this nearly uncontrollable urge?

Ten minutes later, Qi Hanyi sat motionlessly at the foot of the bed, and the people outside were smart enough not to rush him. Eventually, the drug’s effects wore off Su Su, who released Qi Hanyi’s arm and fell into a dazed sleep.

Qi Hanyi withdrew his arm and wrapped Su Su snugly in the blankets before opening the door.

The servants from the Mo family kindly delivered a complete set of clean clothes and daily necessities. They didn’t stare around or inquire about the guests’ private lives, just wearing knowing, ambiguous smiles as they handed items to Qi Hanyi.

Ignoring the wound on his arm, Qi Hanyi took a cold shower for an hour in the bathroom by himself. With his self-healing capability, he should be healed by tomorrow morning.

The night was deep, and Su Su didn’t sleep very soundly. His brows remained tightly furrowed, as if the places he had been injured still ached gently.

At dawn, Su Su awoke. Having lived as a shark for so long, he lacked the experience of waking up on a bed. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before recalling that this was the room from last night’s fight.

Su Su felt slightly dizzy, akin to a hangover, as his memories were shrouded in a thin mist, becoming vague and unclear.

Memories halted at Yan Bai leaving; he couldn’t quite remember what happened afterward.

Qi Hanyi…

Su Su tilted his head as light filtered in through the curtains, casting a hazy glow in the room.

Qi Hanyi leaned against the head of the bed with his arms crossed, dressed impeccably as usual. One leg was bent up, while the other was stretched out against the floor.

He closed his eyes, and the sharpness that had been like a blade was now absent, along with the coldness that had pushed people away. The handsome features were now bathed in a gentle glow, captivating the heart in this tranquil morning.

Hmm—

Su Su buried his head into the blankets, resigning. This infuriating human was just too sweet. Even knowing that he loathed mermaids, Su Su still found his heart racing as he stared at that enchanting face.

Qi Hanyi, merely pretending to sleep, opened his eyes upon sensing the slightest movement.

“Awake? Is there anywhere still uncomfortable?” His voice was slightly hoarse, sending a tingling sensation to Su Su’s ears.

Su Su rubbed his ears and sat up: “Hungry.”

To ensure Su Su had enough to eat, Qi Hanyi ordered more than ten servings of breakfast to be brought into the room. While they ate breakfast, he asked Su Su about what had happened yesterday.

Three people had attacked Su Su, skilled in stealth, able to elude the Mo family’s guards, with decent combat skills, specifically targeting joints.

This particular fighting style reminded Qi Hanyi of someone: Ying Shi. He had once been Qi Hanyi’s military academy classmate. The Ying family was a martial arts family, for generations loyal to the royal family. He was also a senior at Qi Hanyi’s military academy. Qi Hanyi had specifically learned combat techniques from him, and they had been on good terms back then. Unfortunately, due to differing perspectives, Ying Shi had allied himself with the Crown Prince, becoming a hidden piece in his hand, while Qi Hanyi had gone to the Expeditionary Army, and they gradually lost contact.

Was the Crown Prince behind this? It seemed the incident was targeting him specifically.

Currently, the empire’s emperor had two sons and one daughter: the Crown Prince Tang Zhuoxiong, the second prince Tang Fenghuai, but the one wielding succession rights was the princess Tang Xiruo.

Humanity had long since achieved external gestation for fetuses; women no longer needed to carry children, and society had eliminated gender inequality. The princess and the princes enjoyed equal rights to inheritance.

The royal succession rights were determined based on assessments from the Royal Academy; one who performed better academically received priority in succession.

Due to an accident in his childhood, Tang Fenghuai had long since withdrawn from the power struggle. Tang Zhuoxiong, due to having superior genes compared to Tang Xiruo, had initially had greater hopes of becoming the heir. Yet, his overconfidence led to complacency in training, squandering his advantages and ultimately losing to Tang Xiruo in the royal academy’s graduation exam, forfeiting his right to inheritance.

However, the Crown Prince Tang Zhuoxiong had not given up; if anything, he had been fired up. Unfortunately, his drive did not manifest in becoming better than Tang Xiruo through effort, but rather in manipulating power and building his factions.

Earlier, Qi Hanyi had received multiple invitations from the Crown Prince. Still, he had no interest in these power struggles, and as his father had repeatedly instructed, the Qi family only pledged loyalty to the emperor, and never engaged in conflicts over succession, so he had turned down every invitation.

Now it seemed that since he had been rebuffed, his side was preparing to replace him with a relative who would be willing to align with the Crown Prince.

Qi Hanyi was well aware of his siblings within the family—some harbored ambitions yet lacked brains, too insignificant for the Crown Prince to notice, while others were more clear-headed and wouldn’t cooperate.

As for some who were willing but did not attend the banquet yesterday, they could be temporarily ruled out. This assessment essentially pinpointed the likely partner the Crown Prince sought.

His cousin from the fourth uncle’s side, Qi Yang.

Qi Hanyi had long known his cousin bore hostility towards him and did not expect him to be bold enough to defy family instructions by colluding with the Crown Prince against him.

His fingers tapped twice on the table, his expression growing more frosty.

If some people no longer wished to remain part of the Qi family, he would have no qualms letting them feel his methods against their enemies.

But before that…

There was still one person whose actions were highly suspicious, even more concerning to Qi Hanyi than Qi Yang and the shadow group leader.

Yan Bai.

Qi Hanyi had previously had no dealings with this person. According to the intel he gathered, Yan Bai was the heir of Yan Shipping, adopted by Yan San, flamboyant in appearance, possessing a domineering and arrogant temperament.

However, from their brief interaction yesterday, Qi Hanyi sensed Yan Bai was not just an impulsive, headstrong young master.

What did not add up was the relation between Yan Bai and Su Su.

Whether coincidence or fate, they indeed bore some resemblance, and Yan Bai’s attitude toward Su Su was closer than that of others. The intel indicated he had proactively served soup to Su Su, and they had spoken for quite some time downstairs. Afterward, he conveniently appeared upstairs to rescue Su Su, clearly orchestrating things.

Qi Hanyi brought Su Su out this time with the intent to bait, hoping to find clues related to the assassins from the last time during the send-off.

He couldn’t ascertain if this bait had been successful, but now it seemed that among those who had interacted with Su Su, Yan Bai was the most suspicious. Furthermore, considering his family’s shipping business, he had potential conveniences if he truly aimed to strike during the betrothal.

What perplexed Qi Hanyi was that if Yan Bai approached Su Su concerning the insect issue, there was no need for him to linger after rescuing him. Moreover, he presented his clothing for Su Su to wear, exposing his actions and almost becoming entangled in Qi Yang’s schemes.

That was overly risky and did not align with his interests.

“What is your connection with Yan Bai?” Qi Hanyi asked Su Su.

“Ah, well, when I was eating, he saw I wasn’t enough, and so he shared his food with me. That’s how we got acquainted. Later, he even helped chase away those shadows and lent me clothes to wear,” Su Su replied, lifting his head from the bowl, crumbs of bread still adorning his mouth: “He’s truly a good person.”

“A good person?” Qi Hanyi did not buy this naive statement. “What did you talk about while together?”

“Just some things about their shipping business. He also said that he and I are…” Su Su recalled having a cousin he wanted to boast about, and mid-sentence abruptly halted. Was this something he shouldn’t divulge to others? However, this ultimately related to Yan Bai’s background; what if someone followed this clue to discover Yan Bai was a mermaid?

“What is it?” Qi Hanyi noticed Su Su’s expression, clearly trying to conceal something.

“Nothing,” Su Su feigned nonchalance, pushing away the bowl and turning to exit.

“Where are you going?” Qi Hanyi asked, lifting his head.

“Just returning. I want to find Yan Bai to express my gratitude for yesterday’s help.” Su Su replied. Despite not being very clear on memories, he understood that Yan Bai had done a lot for him the day before. Plus, with Yan Bai having a connection to him, Su Su wanted to get his contact info before leaving. Once he departed the Qi family, he could still visit Yan Bai for fun.

But he couldn’t reveal this to Qi Hanyi; mermaids were unable to add unexpected humans as contacts on their personal terminals. He could not expose Yan Bai’s identity as a mermaid.

“Go ahead,” Qi Hanyi observed Su Su sprinting out, his lips tightening into a straight line.

Su Su still had a small half bowl of porridge not yet finished. Qi Hanyi knew Su Su’s eating habits, and what he had consumed thus far hadn’t been enough to make him unable to eat anymore; typically, he finished every last morsel of food.

Yet, this time he hadn’t.

Or rather, he didn’t just have leftover food; it had reminded him of something more urgent than eating.

Su Su didn’t realize that Qi Hanyi could draw so many conclusions from the half bowl of leftovers.

But he was indeed anxious to request Yan Bai’s contact info quickly.

“Yan Bai! Yan Bai!” Su Su inquired with the servants and finally located Yan Bai’s room.

Having come from the sea and living far away, Yan Bai had been staying in the guest room of the Mo family over recent days.

Yan Bai was leaning on the soft couch on the balcony, working with a cup of tea in hand. Upon seeing Su Su rush in, he shut off his terminal, smiling as he turned: “Running in here so hurriedly; how is it—did you miss me after just one night apart?”

“I have something to say to you privately.” Su Su ignored Yan Bai’s teasing. He was genuinely anxious, scared that Yan Bai would leave and he wouldn’t be able to reach him afterward.

“You all can leave now,” Yan Bai instructed his subordinates.

“But, young master…” Seeing Su Su, the subordinate’s eyes had the look of someone who was afraid of a disaster befalling their young master. Hadn’t he already caused enough trouble yesterday? Now he wanted to be alone with Su Su again, not fearing what others would say?

“Out,” Yan Bai’s face fell.

The subordinate unwillingly glared at Su Su before exiting the room.

“I want to get your contact info,” as soon as the subordinate left, Su Su eagerly brought out his personal terminal.

“But I’m using a human personal terminal,” Yan Bai replied, displaying a troubled expression.

“Ah…” Su Su froze, his little face drooping. Right, he had been so focused on Yan Bai’s true identity as a mermaid that he had forgotten that since he lived as a human, he naturally had to use a human’s personal terminal: “Then I can’t add you.”

A glint of mischief shone in Yan Bai’s eyes, similar to watching a fish bite the hook: “It’s not entirely impossible.”

“What’s the method?” Su Su looked on excitedly.