Chapter 138: The Death of Uncle Guan

In truth, Yuwen Lingxi had not left the high tower; he had merely stepped back a few paces, hidden from Lian Yue’s line of sight. Guan Bo, dressed in night-traveler’s attire, stood behind him. "The Second Young Master will arrive at the hour of the Rat," he reported.

Yuwen Lingxi gazed up at the large red lanterns hanging from the eaves of the building, his eyes dimming. "Guan Bo, can I still trust you?"

Guan Bo jerked his head up to look at Yuwen Lingxi’s back. A complex emotion flashed across his face, followed by a bitter, resolute smile. Suddenly, a streak of black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. As he looked at Yuwen Lingxi, his eyes held a profound sense of relief and a lingering reluctance to part.

When Yuwen Lingxi failed to receive an answer, he understood. In the end, Guan Bo had chosen to remain loyal to his father. A heavy sense of helplessness washed over him. He had always believed Guan Bo to be someone he could trust, but now, faced with this naked betrayal, his heart—softened by Lian Yue—contracted in waves of pain.

Finally, noticing something amiss, Yuwen Lingxi spun around. Shocked by what he saw, he rushed forward, grabbed Guan Bo’s wrist to check his pulse, and his face beneath the mask became a mask of panic. His other hand trembled as it reached for the sachet hanging at his waist.

Guan Bo, already on the verge of death, reached out and gripped Yuwen Lingxi’s hand tightly. "No... don't... it's... a waste of effort..."

Facing the man who had played the role of a father throughout his life and was now leaving him forever, Yuwen Lingxi’s eyes grew moist for the first time in years. He felt a sudden, piercing regret; if he had never asked that question, perhaps it would not have come to this.

Guan Bo saw the tears in Yuwen Lingxi’s eyes and forced a weak smile. Time always slipped away too quickly. In the blink of an eye, the little boy he had carried out of the study had grown into a man capable of standing on his own. Guan Bo knew that if he did not die, he would only become a stumbling block for the boy. He could not disobey the Head of the House, yet he could not disregard Yuwen Lingxi’s feelings either. He had made this choice the moment he set out. The poison had been in his teeth since his very first mission; he had never expected it to actually be put to use.

Before he died, Guan Bo wanted to say a few things—a warning for this child. No one understood Yuwen Lingxi’s feelings for Lian Yue better than he did.

"Beware of... Zhou Qian... and... the Phoenix..." The toxicity was clearly working faster than he had anticipated; he lost his breath before he could finish his sentence.

Yuwen Lingxi’s tears finally fell. With a heart full of grief, he covered Guan Bo’s still-open eyes. He felt hollow. At this moment, he desperately needed an embrace—one that could offer him warmth. Yet the owner of such an embrace was someone he had just been watching from afar.

"Dispose of his body properly, and wait for my return," Yuwen Lingxi said to the empty air before rushing away down the stairs.

Two men, also dressed in night gear, emerged from the shadows. Their young faces were eerily cold, their eyes devoid of any emotion. They lifted Guan Bo’s body from the floor, placed it on the room’s only bed, and began to clean the bloodstains. They were assassins directly under Yuwen Lingxi’s command.

Through his observations from the high tower, Yuwen Lingxi had spotted the guards hidden among the crowd. If he had recklessly rushed in to abduct Lian Yue, it would have surely caused chaos. Instead, he had changed into an inconspicuous mask and followed her from a distance, finding comfort just in watching her smile.

Xijing was not only vast but exceptionally lively. By the time they were halfway through, the group was exhausted, especially Qiao Ke, who was still just a child and could no longer walk. The four of them unanimously decided to call it a day and head home. Lan Shui scooped up the yawning Qiao Ke; the child was truly spent.

Back in her room, Lian Yue collapsed onto the bed, allowing Zi Zhu to change her clothes. By the time Zi Zhu had prepared the scented bathwater, she turned to see that Lian Yue had already fallen fast asleep. Lan Shui, having returned from putting Qiao Ke to bed, took one look, then left the room in deep thought, heading in a direction other than her own quarters.

Yuwen Lingxi hid himself in a camphor tree in Lian Yue’s courtyard. Through the window, he could see her sleeping face. He hesitated, deciding not to disturb her. After lingering for a while, a gust of wind swept through the courtyard, and when it passed, Yuwen Lingxi was gone.

Zi Zhu glanced suspiciously out the window, stood up to close it, moved the lamp further from the bed, and lay down on the couch behind the screen.

Leaving the courtyard, Yuwen Lingxi did not hurry to leave the Prince of Nanping’s estate. Instead, shielded by the night, he made his way toward the guest quarters.

Yuwen Lingxiao had just finished writing a letter to the Medicine Elder and was preparing to change when he sensed an anomaly in the room. He was startled; he had not expected anyone to be able to enter his room under the nose of Qian Yuan.

Despite his internal surprise, his face remained his signature icy mask. Scanning the room, he said coolly, "To what do I owe the honor of this late-night visit?"

Yuwen Lingxi stepped out from behind a vase, remaining in the shadows to avoid casting his silhouette on the paper screen. When Yuwen Lingxiao saw who it was, the ice on his face melted completely. Understanding the situation, he left only a single candle burning on the desk and joined his brother on the chairs behind the screen.

"Big brother, why did you come yourself?" Yuwen Lingxiao’s voice lost its cold edge, becoming slightly hoarse but still clearer than Yuwen Lingxi’s.

"Guan Bo is dead," Yuwen Lingxi said, his cold voice carrying a hint of tremor.

Yuwen Lingxiao’s expression shifted, surprise giving way to a sigh. "Did this day come too soon?"

"Who will be next?" Even in the darkness, Yuwen Lingxi could feel the desolation on his younger brother’s face. Because they looked so alike, Yuwen Lingxiao had been declared dead early in childhood, only able to appear in public under Yuwen Lingxi’s name when he was acting as 'An Ming.'

In truth, Yuwen Lingxi had always known that his brother felt insecure, constantly fearing he would one day be discarded. This was also Yuwen Lingxi’s own fear. His brother had sacrificed so much for him without ever voicing a complaint. "I promise you, brother," Yuwen Lingxi vowed, "it will not be you."

"Enough, let's not talk of this," Yuwen Lingxiao said, shifting the topic with a playful grin. "You’ve already seen your future wife, haven't you?"

"Yes," Yuwen Lingxi replied, his tone warming at the mention of her.

"No wonder you can't stop thinking about her. Had you not already claimed her, I suspect I would be quite taken with her myself." Yuwen Lingxiao added silently to himself that she was also a bit spoiled.

Hearing his beloved praised, especially by his brother, made Yuwen Lingxi happy. Hidden behind his mask, his lips curved upward.

Yuwen Lingxiao longed to see his brother’s expression, but the mask stood in the way. "Big brother, since it’s just the two of us, why not take off the mask?"

Yuwen Lingxi obliged. Yuwen Lingxiao felt a strange twinge of discomfort. The brothers were already remarkably similar, and to maintain their disguises, both their faces had been altered. Looking at his brother now was like looking at a mirror. To be precise, Yuwen Lingxiao was looking at himself as he appeared when he played the role of Yuwen Lingxi.

Yuwen Lingxiao twitched his lips and advised earnestly, "Brother, you should really try smiling in private. Walking around with that stiff face all day is actually quite arrogant."

Yuwen Lingxi raised an eyebrow, his lips slowly curving into a genuine smile. He looked at the stunned Yuwen Lingxiao and asked, "Is this better?"