Chapter 313 You...

The old physician looked at the room full of people with a bit of pressure, carefully taking the pulse twice before saying, "I suspect that the medicine is still working, this kind of deep sleep is beneficial, it is best not to wake her up, let her wake up naturally."

Hua Pingyu, with a hint of urgency, asked, "So, is Zhi'er going to recover?"

"Yes." The old physician still seemed a bit reluctant, asking again, "But... that medicine, is it really gone? I’m not trying to be greedy, just curious. It could teach me something, even if it’s not a miracle drug—it’d still be useful."

Gu Yanxi simply shook his head, not diving into explanations. But fortunately the old physician was generous and not concerned, though his disappointment lingered.

After sending the old physician away, Hua Pingyu signaled for the others to leave as well, leaving the room to Lu Yanxi. Character is best revealed during times of adversity, and Lu Yanxi has passed this test.

In the silence of the room, Gu Yanxi grasped Ah Zhi’s hand, pressing a kiss to the scars on her back, his voice rough but tender. "You're nearly as broken as Shao Yao," he said, "Don’t make it worse, alright?"

He grinned again, a mixture of affection and frustration in his eyes. "But you know what? I won’t blame you, no matter what you do."

His words took a darker turn as he added, "Maybe I should’ve let Shao Yao follow you. No—maybe I should've stayed by your side. You were injured with no one around to guard you, and that was bad enough, but even when Shao Yao was with you, you still got hurt. And now, right under my nose, you're hurt again. How is this even possible to avoid?"

Gu Yanxi kissed her hand again, his voice low, a whisper filled with raw longing. "Sometimes, I wish you didn't have those damn abilities. You’re too aware of yourself, too independent. If you didn’t, maybe you wouldn’t run off, afraid of being a burden, too proud to lean on anyone. Don’t you realize that your words, your decisions, shape everything for me?"

He paused, a flicker of something possessive in his eyes. "Sometimes, I want to take you to a place where no one knows who we are, where Shao Yao can feed you the same medicine she takes, where you forget about everything that weighs on you. Just you and me. Only me. Nothing else."

A smile played on his lips, but his gaze was intense and unwavering. He had thought about it, planned it, but no matter what, he couldn’t force her to live the way he wanted her to—only to wish.

Gu Yanxi placed Ah Zhi's hand firmly on his chest, his voice smooth, dripping with honeyed intent, "Listen, every beat of my heart is for you, Ah Zhi. I don't need everything from you. If you can just give me half of your heart, I’ll be more than content. Is that really too much to ask?"

He whispered to himself, pushing a lock of Ah Zhi’s hair behind her ear, his eyes filled with helpless longing, "You... you always break me in ways that make me want to tear my own heart out."

*

As the sun climbed higher, the city buzzed with energy, especially around the Hua family's district.

The men in black were hauled away by Wu Yong, but the bloodstains on the street remained, untouched. Those who had witnessed the scene the night before wasted no time in spreading the word. Hua Zhi’s name, already well-known, spread even faster now—especially with her unconscious state fueling more gossip.

Walking along the path of rumors, Wu Yong knocked on the Hua family's door, unable to help but feel amazed. He didn't know how the Hua family had raised their daughter, and he truly wanted to learn from them. In the future, if he unfortunately lost his son and needed someone to carry on the family name, having a daughter wouldn't leave him without an heir.

Then, he caught sight of Hua Yizheng, who seemed to have aged years in just one night. The sight churned something in Wu Yong’s gut. He’d seen countless men—once powerful, once untouchable—fall from grace, stripped of their titles and drowned by enemies who never let go. Some barely hung on to life, victims of their past sins.

But the Hua family? They had a peace of mind that Wu Yong had never encountered before. They may have nursed grudges, but they kept it under wraps. When the time came, even when those hands, once skilled with a pen, were forced to grip hoes and shovels, working until blisters formed, not a single complaint slipped from their lips—at least not in front of others. They were nothing short of relentless.

After Hua Zhi visited and things quieted down further, they became more proactive and stable, buying large quantities of paper by means of the steward's office, and he later found out that they had transcribed many classics. Even the young ones had contributed, and through this method and various means of acquisition, the custom-made bookshelf of the Hua family was now full and they had started to fill a second one.

Old Master Hua, sharp as ever, laid out a flawless system for him to execute. While implementing it, he scoured every inch of Yingshan Pass, digging deep and leaving no stone unturned. He’d braced himself for spies—but he hadn’t expected to uncover this many.

Such large-scale investigations happened every year, usually unmasking one poor bastard each year. But this time? It came two months early and exposed something far more sinister.

The blame wasn’t all on them. He’d been careless, letting his guard drop after the poisoning. But what stunned him was how, in less than a year, Yingshan Pass—a fortress safeguarded by the Wu family for generations—had turned into a leaky sieve. Worse, the Hua family was now squarely in the crosshairs of a vengeful strike.

Or maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t revenge. Maybe this was a message—a brutal, unapologetic warning.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the weight of his involvement—it gnawed at him, intensifying his guilt.

"Elder, I..." Wu Yong started, his voice low.

But Hua Yizheng cut him off with a firm wave of his hand. "I know who’s right and who’s wrong. General Wu, spare yourself the self-blame."

Wu Yong let out a bitter laugh, his self-reproach unwavering. "It was my oversight, Elder. No need to defend me." His tone was resigned, his thoughts transparent—Hua Yizheng could see straight through him. "Has the young lady woken up?"

"Not yet. The physician advised we let her come to on her own." Hua Yizheng gestured for him to follow. They strode toward the main room—Hua Yizheng’s former quarters, now occupied by Hua Zhi.

The door stood ajar. Inside, Gu Yanxi perched on the edge of the bed, silent, while Hua Pingyu sat at an octagonal table nearby. Neither spoke.

At their entrance, Hua Pingyu rose, offering a respectful nod. "General Wu."

Wu Yong acknowledged him briefly before turning to Gu Yanxi. "Brother."

Gu Yanxi didn’t even glance his way. Instead, his voice came cold and cutting: "Find those nine men. Investigate every soul coming and going. Bring me Zeng Xian."

"Zeng Xian?" Wu Yong echoed, frowning.

Gu Yanxi’s gaze finally shifted—from Hua Zhi to Wu Yong, steady and unreadable. "Zeng Xian’s son sent a warning to Ah Zhi about danger to the Hua family. Zeng Xian is tied up in this mess."

But why? Why would he do that?

Why?

Because Ah Zhi treated him like a man, not just a shadow. Because Ah Zhi had the guts to care for the weak. Because Ah Zhi, bound by her tie to Zheng Zhi, gave him a shred more kindness than she'd offer a stranger. Because Ah Zhi gave a damn about his son.

Gu Yanxi's eyes snapped shut, his voice sharp and commanding: "Scour Yingshan Pass again—tear it apart if you have to! Leave no stone unturned!"

Wu Yong, staring at a Gu Shizi teetering on the brink of collapse, swallowed his questions. A curt nod, and he was gone. For a fleeting moment, pity crept in—pity for the poor bastard pulling the strings.

But then again, they asked for it.

———TN: Let it be crystal clear—The Shizi stands as the rightful son and undisputed heir to the prince’s (or other noble titles such as Duke or Marquise, Baron, Earl, etc.) legacy.

Upon the prince’s death, this heir inherited not just a title but the title itself, the land, and the unyielding power that came with it.