After finishing their meal, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen left with Si Qianqian and the four men. Back at the palace, instead of handing them over to someone else, Huangfu Yuchen personally interrogated them.
Si Qianqian stood there motionless, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at Huangfu Yuchen. She had a premonition that if she didn’t reveal some valuable information today, she would undoubtedly die.
Huangfu Yuchen held her chin and carefully examined her face. Then, he turned to Yan Ge, saying, “Xiao Ge, her face has indeed recovered completely, it’s not just a mask or an illusion. Could it be the work of her master? If so, her master might have the means to restore his arms… No wonder our search for the person with severed arms yielded nothing.” He pondered deeply.
Yan Ge nodded but didn’t say anything. The time when Huangfu Yuchen lost one arm and Meng Xiaohun lost both arms was too coincidental.
Huangfu Yuchen released his hold on Si Qianqian’s chin, and after a moment, he asked her in a low voice, “Who is your master?”
Si Qianqian appeared honest, saying, “Meng Xiaohun.”
“I’m asking about his true identity,” Huangfu Yuchen stared at her coldly. “It’s good that you’re not afraid of death. Do you think the scariest thing in this world is death? No, I have a hundred and a thousand ways to make you suffer more than death.”
Si Qianqian hastily said, “I only know he’s called Meng Xiaohun, I don’t know anything else. Really!”
Huangfu Yuchen asked again, “What is your purpose in coming to the capital? Has Meng Xiaohun planned anything new?”
Si Qianqian turned pale and replied, “I can’t say.”
Huangfu Yuchen sneered, pointed a finger at her without touching, and sent a surge of true qi into her body.
Si Qianqian let out a shrill scream and cold sweat dripped from her face. “Ahhh—”
Huangfu Yuchen looked at her expressionlessly, not rushing her.
Unable to bear the excruciating pain in her organs, Si Qianqian spoke intermittently, “He, he… only asked me… to closely monitor the situation in the capital… nothing else… ah—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly let out an even more miserable scream. Fear filled her eyes, and a red mist quickly enveloped her body.
Yan Ge exclaimed, “Yuchen, be careful!”
“Bang!” Si Qianqian exploded before them like a bomb, and she shattered into pieces!
Huangfu Yuchen quickly formed a barrier with his qi, blocking the splattering blood and flesh from all directions to avoid soiling the Tenglong Palace.
Yan Ge swiftly appeared by his side, inspecting him anxiously, “Are you okay?”
Huangfu Yuchen hugged him and shook his head. He didn’t bother questioning the other four men and directly killed them. If Si Qianqian didn’t know anything, these little minions certainly wouldn’t either.
After having the area cleaned up, Huangfu Yuchen held Yan Ge and sat down on a nearby couch. He clung tightly to him, as if holding onto the only source of warmth.
Yan Ge was taken aback. Could it be that Yuchen has already figured something out?
“Yuchen.” He wrapped his arms around his lover.
“Baby, am I being too suspicious? I’m actually doubting my own younger brother.” Huangfu Yuchen’s voice carried a hint of sadness and confusion. He didn’t want to doubt Huangfu Yuhu, but Si Qianqian’s face had recovered to such an extent. Even with Yan Ge’s medical expertise, it would be impossible to achieve such rapid restoration unless a secret technique was used. Si Qianqian was just an ordinary person; the only person capable of doing this was her master – Meng Xiaohun, who possessed special techniques. It wouldn’t be surprising if Meng Xiaohun was able to restore his own arms after they were severed. However, Huangfu Yuh’s arm was disabled around the same time as Meng Xiaohun lost his arms. Furthermore, Xiao Ge’s medical skills were renowned in the capital; even the Imperial Physicians often sought his advice. Now, upon closer reflection, if someone genuinely cared about their arms, they wouldn’t give up any chance of healing them. Yet, Huangfu Yuhu refused Xiao Ge’s treatment.
When confronting Meng Xiaohun, Xiao Ge fainted when he got too close. It was possible that Huangfu Yuhu refused Xiao Ge’s treatment to avoid meeting him. In the past, their whereabouts were leaked multiple times, and along with what Si Qianqian said about “the situation in the capital,” assuming Huangfu Yuhu was Meng Xiaohun, all these suspicious points would make sense.
Yan Ge’s heart tightened as he hugged Huangfu Yuchen tightly. He had never seen such a confused expression on Yuchen’s face before, and it made him feel heartbroken. “Yuchen, don’t think too much for now. Regardless of what you’re suspecting, it might all be coincidental. There’s no direct evidence at the moment, right?”
However, it was as if Huangfu Yuchen didn’t hear his words. He murmured, “He’s my younger brother, where did I go wrong? He repeatedly targets the person I love… why…”
“Yuchen!” Yan Ge looked at Huangfu Yuchen with worry, fearing he might succumb to heart demons. He held Huangfu Yuchen’s face and kissed his slightly cool lips forcefully.
The warmth of his lips brought Huangfu Yuchen back to his senses. Holding Yan Ge’s head, he regained the initiative and kissed his beloved deeply, as if he wanted to engrave the other into his very soul.
Yan Ge gently responded to his kiss, his right palm caressing his back softly.
Huangfu Yuchen’s chilly heart gradually warmed as he embraced his beloved’s waist, his kiss moving from his lips to his closed eyes.
Yan Ge opened his eyes and asked softly, “Feeling better now?”
Huangfu Yuchen nodded. “Baby, how about accompanying me on an expedition to Prince Dai’s mansion tonight? I must find out what’s going on.”
“Yes, I’ll be with you,” Yan Ge tightened his grip on his hand.
Huangfu Yuchen held him close, immersed in memories of him and Huangfu Yuhu. They had been close brothers since childhood. He had taken care of this younger brother wholeheartedly, and Yuhu admired him deeply. He was not easily deceived, and it was inconceivable for him to be deceived for over twenty years. He was certain that Yuhu’s feelings for him were genuine. If Yuhu was not Meng Xiaohun, why were there so many suspicions surrounding him? If Yuhu was Meng Xiaohun, Yuchen couldn’t fathom his motives—money? Power? Influence?
Yan Ge understood that Huangfu Yuchen’s emotions were complex. He leaned quietly against Huangfu Yuchen’s chest, holding his hand tightly without disturbing him.
What Yuchen needed now was not comfort or persuasion but companionship.
By the time Huangfu Yuchen came back to his senses, Yan Ge had already fallen asleep in his embrace, his steady breathing gently brushing against his chest. One hand held his hand, while the other held his waist, his serene expression filled with trust and affection. Yan Ge wanted to tell him, ‘you still have me’. This was his beloved; he didn’t want to lose him even if he lost the entire world. Huangfu Yuchen’s cold heart was filled warmth, and he placed a light kiss on his lover’s lips.
He looked outside and saw that it was already dark.
He could hear Xiao Changzi pacing nervously in the corridor, worried but hesitant to come in.
“Wake up, my dear. If you sleep too much now, you won’t sleep at night.”
Yan Ge opened his eyes and quickly became alert, hugging Yuchen’s neck and kissing his lips. He didn’t close his eyes but looked straight at him.
Huangfu Yuchen saw his reflection in Yan Ge’s worried eyes. He slightly curved his lips, and gently sucked on the soft lips. “I’m fine.”
Only then did Yan Ge smile at him, “What time is it now?”
“It’s almost the eighth hour. Let’s eat first.” Huangfu Yuchen instructed for the meal to be served.
After eating, the two of them rushed to Prince Dai’s mansion under the cover of the night. With their current strength, concealing their whereabouts was as easy as turning over their hands. They directly entered the mansion and landed on the roof of the main house.
The mansion was brightly lit, and although the master was not present, the servants were still bustling as usual. The mansion’s guards were patrolling the various courtyards, just like any other day.
“Nothing seems amiss here. Shall we check other places?” Yan Ge asked in a low voice, but he noticed that Huangfu Yuchen’s expression darkened. “What’s wrong?”
Huangfu Yuchen replied in a low voice, “Regardless of one’s rank, the study is always the most important place. Even if it’s not heavily guarded, it should be patrolled more frequently to prevent accidents. However, we’ve been here for almost an incense stick’s worth of time, but the patrol team has passed by the study the same number of times as other places.”
As the emperor’s most trusted noble, there were numerous confidential documents in Huangfu Yuhu’s study.
Yan Ge hoped that Huangfu Yuchen could quickly find evidence on whether Huangfu Yuhu was Meng Xiaohun or not, to give him a resolution. However, emotionally, he worried that Huangfu Yuchen might get hurt if he did find evidence.
The two of them searched other areas, but they found nothing.
Yan Ge thought for a moment, “Yuchen, I think we should add more people to escort the disaster relief silver. Si Qianqian’s appearance in the capital indicates that the Centipede organization might take action. I’m afraid they’ll target the relief silver.”
“We’ll go personally,” Huangfu Yuchen said in a serious tone, “I actually hope they’ll take action. That way, we’ll have some leads to follow.”
Yan Ge noticed that Yuchen’s aura was colder than before, and he hated Huangfu Yuhu even more. Yuchen treated him so well, so why couldn’t he just behave? If he had behaved properly, there wouldn’t be so many suspicions surrounding him!
“Yuchen, you still have me and Yunxi.”
Huangfu Yuchen tightened his grip on Yan Ge’s hand and nodded, “Let’s go back first.”
