Chapter 318: Sibling Rivalry for Attention

Outside, the city buzzed with life, a sharp contrast to the eerie hush cloaking the Hua family home. Inside, everyone moved on eggshells, as if the slightest sound might rouse the sleeping beast within.

Hua Zhi stirred, her mind foggy, convinced she’d slept till dusk. But the glaring daylight streaming into the room crushed that notion. Groaning, she shifted and immediately felt it—a warm, possessive weight wrapped around her like a needy octopus. She didn’t need to look; only one person dared to cling this shamelessly. Shao Yao. Gu Yanxi might fantasize, but he kept his distance.

Shao Yao? She latched on unapologetically.

Every inch of Hua Zhi’s body ached, but it was a good ache. It wasn’t the searing pain of devastation; it was the dull reminder that her body was still alive, still capable of feeling. Pain meant she wasn’t broken beyond repair. And if she wasn’t broken, she’d heal.

But first things first—she had to pee.

She shifted, nudging Shao Yao, who suddenly bolted upright like a soldier caught napping. Their eyes met, and Shao Yao’s tense posture melted into a relaxed sprawl. “Thought something was wrong with your breathing,” she muttered.

“Help me to the screen,” Hua Zhi demanded, her voice steady despite her fragile state.

Shao Yao blinked, her expression incredulous. “Are you out of your mind? You’re not moving from this bed for at least twenty days! Do you realize your internal organs are injured?!"

"I can't just pee in bed." Hua Zhi shot back, her tone laced with steel.

Shao Yao groaned, rolling her eyes. "What does it matter if you do? Who dares to say anything!" Although Shao Yao said that, she got out of bed, fetched a brand new basin, and tucked it into the bed for Hua Zhi to use.

Hua Zhi had lived for two lifetimes, and this was the first time she had been taken care of as if she were disabled. But with injuries to her internal organs, she didn't dare to be careless and had to endure the embarrassment to resolve one of life's urgent needs.

Shao Yao, on the other hand, served her naturally, and despite being careless at times, she was attentive this time, even bringing water for her to wash her face and hands.

Pain made sweat bead down Hua Zhi's temples, but she refused to lose her cool. She calmly instructed Shao Yao to grab a blanket, propping herself up for some much-needed support.

As Shao Yao complied, she muttered, "You should continue sleeping. The medicine needs to be fully absorbed, we can't waste it."

Hua Zhi’s tone was firm, a little teasing. “When I want to sleep, trust me, I’ll sleep. Don’t nag.” She reached out and clasped Shao Yao’s hand, her grip deliberate but light. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

Shao Yao bit her lip, her thoughts flickering to the chaos they’d barely survived. She shrank beside Hua Zhi like a chastened cat. “Terrified,” she admitted. “For a second, I thought we were going to become ghost sisters."

Hua Zhi snorted softly, equal parts amused and moved by her bluntness. The fear they’d both felt was still palpable, hanging thick in the air.

“Sorry,” Hua Zhi said eventually, her voice carrying a rare hint of guilt. “In that moment, I couldn’t come up with anything better.”

Shao Yao shook her head, her voice quieter but unyielding. “You don’t need to apologize. For family, I’d have done the same. I mean, I’ve already given up my life for less, haven’t I?”

Hua Zhi’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat. “Wait. You remember?”

“Not clearly,” Shao Yao admitted, her gaze distant. “But sometimes, I get flashes—images in my head. I knew I was going to die with someone by my side. I just couldn’t remember her face.”

Hua Zhi’s voice dropped to a murmur, a test she didn’t realize she needed to make. “If you saw her now, would you recognize her?”

Shao Yao shook her head, a sharp edge of certainty in her reply. “Doesn’t matter. I already figured it out ages ago. Yan Ge’s been holding back all this time, plotting his revenge. I trust him to see it through.”

Hua Zhi leaned in, letting her chin rest on Shao Yao's head, the softest move she could manage in her current state. Her voice dripped with a slow, dangerous sweetness, "Good girl. Yan Xi doesn't forget, his mother's enemies, your enemies, he remembers it all."

Shao Yao looked up and smiled, her obedience making Hua Zhi's heart ache.

"Oh Huahua," Shao Yao began, voice tinged with curiosity, "do you have any idea who's behind all this?"

The faint grin on Hua Zhi's face dropped like a mask. "I’ve got an idea," she replied coolly, "but nothing solid. Likely just a few key players."

"Who?"

"Ask Yan Xi when he gets back. He’ll have the names."

Before Shao Yao could press further, the door flew open. Yan Ge strode in, exuding a stormy presence.

"Spit it out already!" Shao Yao demanded, fire crackling in her tone. "Second Prince? Third Prince? Who’s pulling the strings?"

"Second Prince," Gu Yan Xi muttered flatly, not sparing her a glance. His focus locked on Hua Zhi, tension in his body screaming louder than words—he feared her reaction.

But Hua Zhi? She was unreadable, her calm unsettling. She stretched out a hand without a word, and Gu Yan Xi clutched it instantly, as if that simple touch steadied his universe.

"Been awake long?" he murmured, settling beside her like she was the only thing in the room worth his attention.

"Just now."

She didn’t ask, but Gu Yan Xi couldn’t help himself. His gaze flicked toward the third wheel in the room. "You. Go whip up some soup for Ah Zhi. Something nourishing."

Shao Yao bristled like a wildcat. Shao Yao was furious!

She knew it—she knew this man would boot her the second he walked in!

She gripped Hua Zhi’s arm like her life depended on it, glaring with fierce defiance.

"What? You don’t want to cook for Ah Zhi?"

Still, she couldn’t ignore the sharp sting of guilt. Hua Zhi had bled enough for everyone. The woman needed fuel to recover, and Shao Yao couldn’t justify putting her ego before that.

With a huff, she slid off the bed, seething but resolved. She refused to take the easy way out, though, deliberately cutting through the narrow gap between them. "Move it," she snarled, her tone sharp enough to draw blood.

Gu Yan Xi shifted just enough, still clinging to Hua Zhi's hand like it was a lifeline. He made room but not much, confident Shao Yao wouldn’t dare brush against Hua Zhi in her righteous fury.

Shao Yao stomped out, biting back the urge to scream. For Hua Zhi, she'd swallow her pride—for now.

"Alright, cut it out—don’t bully her." Hua Zhi tried to pull her hand back, but when it became clear he wasn’t budging, she gave up and let it drop. Her tone softened as she turned to Shao Yao, speaking warmly yet with a subtle edge of authority. “Listen, just tell the Hua family servants what to do. Go check on Jia Yang. He’s not as lightly injured as me, but he’ll survive. Jia Yang’s tough like that.”

Hua Zhi hesitated for a moment, glancing at the man beside her. Her nerves twisted in her gut as memories from that chaotic moment flashed through her mind.

"He's more resilient than you. He's injured but the Hua family has provided him with a room and good food and drink, he should be able to get out of bed in a few days."

Her tone turned blunt. “It’s only fair we take care of him. That day, if it weren’t for him and me, the Hua family wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

"Don't worry, he won't be mistreated."

Shao Yao, catching the unspoken dismissal, felt like a spare wheel in the room. She bit her lip, her presence growing smaller as she slipped on her shoes and got off the bed. “Fine. I’ll go check on him. Huahua, if you’re tired, just sleep. Don’t push yourself—the medicine needs time to take effect."

“Alright,” Hua Zhi murmured, her focus already shifting.

The moment the meddling third party was out the door, Gu Yan Xi leaned in closer. His fingers brushed softly against Hua Zhi’s disheveled hair, tucking it behind her ear. His voice, low and intimate, carried an undeniable pull. “Second Prince wants Yingshan Pass under his thumb. He poisoned Wu Yong, then used Shao Yao to clean up the mess. Your grandfather messed up his plans, and that’s why the assassination happened.”

Hua Zhi frowned, her confusion sharp and honest. “I don’t get it. He’s a prince. His place is in the capital. Why’s he so hell-bent on controlling some border pass? What’s in it for him?”

Her frustration simmered as she pressed on, her voice cutting through the room. “Even if he takes Yingshan Pass, what’s the play? Threatening the capital from there sounds like a ridiculous stretch.”

"He’s all ambition, no skill to back it up—no surprise there. The poor fool’s been shackled his whole life by Consort Hui’s suffocating grip, never allowed to grow into anything more than her pawn. Toss in the scheming imperial relatives, opportunistic courtiers, and a walking disaster like Zeng Xian, and you've got a perfect storm of chaos. No wonder he’s drowning."

Gu Yan Xi caught her rare moment of hesitation and couldn’t resist brushing a finger across her face, his voice low but laced with knowing amusement. “Too many moving parts for him to handle, wouldn’t you say?”

In that instant, the pieces snapped into place in Hua Zhi's mind. Zeng Xian—it had to be him. He’d sunk his claws into the Second Prince and convinced him to make a play for Yingshan Pass.

This wasn’t rebellion—it was a power move, pure and simple. By controlling the pass, he could strike deals with the grassland tribes for trade under the table. Brilliant in its simplicity, really. No one would think to leverage that desolate border crossing, but if Wu Yong was taken out of the picture, the Second Prince could plant his own lackeys there. Forget the capital; Yingshan Pass was a goldmine waiting to be exploited.

War drained the coffers, but the tribes craved food, tea, bricks, porcelain—practical luxuries he could easily provide. It wouldn’t even cross his mind to consider the long-term fallout of fattening the enemy’s pockets. And Zeng Xian? That scholar wasn’t just trouble; he was a disaster waiting to happen.

Everything—every twist and turn—had started the moment he slithered his way into Yingshan Pass. That much was clear.