“Poison!?” Li Fen exclaimed with widened eyes.

“Yes,” the boy nodded grimly.

“Explain.”

“Well,” the boy raised the bowl. The poison inside swished about. “This is the accumulated poison that was inside the First Young Miss.”

“How? We’d notice if she was poisoned!” she was getting agitated.

“The poison’s themselves weren’t life-threatening, to begin with.” The boy pointed towards the bowl, “This is a mix of opiates and aphrodisiacs. Both of them are mild ones.”

“There were no telltale signs?”

“It was administered cleverly,” the boy paused, hesitating whether to say the next words or not. “It was made to seem as though the First Young Miss was just experiencing her first love.”

“I…” Li Fen wasn't dumb, on the contrary, she was smarter and cleverer than most. So, it’s not a surprise that she caught on to the implications of what he was saying.

“The Young Miss from what I’ve heard was a cold and aloof individual from birth,” the boy lowered his head, “it was only after meeting Young Master Murong Fang did she start to change.” The boy shook his head, “It is not Mistress’s fault that she couldn’t catch on. No ordinary person could.”

“But I’m her mother!” Li Fen screamed this sentence out with an aggrieved look. Step by step she walked closer to him until she was standing right in front of him, “I don’t give a fuck about ordinary people! I should’ve been the first person to figure this out!”

“Mistress, I…” the boy opened his mouth and closed it, unable to speak and unable to console his Mistress who was on the verge of crying. What do you want me to say? It’s not like I’m an expert in these things!

The boy stayed silent until Li Fen calmed down. With a shaky voice, she asked, “So, what now?”

“It will be fine. The poison has been cleared from within her. At most, her feelings for Murong Fang will lessen and she’ll be able to think a bit more logically.”

“You mean she’ll go back to being cold on the outside,” Li Fen asked with hope.

“Somewhat,” the boy shook his head, “it’s not as though she’ll forget how she acted throughout the years. If she wants to act cold, it’ll take time to get that mindset back. Right now, she’ll act less childishly and a bit more logically.”

“That’s good!” she nodded her head. It seemed her biggest concern was for Li Chyou to be healthy and to enjoy her youth.

“Aside from Young Miss’s condition, the poisoner or poisoners are still within the clan. They must be caught.”

“Do you have any clues?”

“None whatsoever. However, you can narrow it down to the cooks and one maid.”

“Oh?” Li Fen looked at him with interest. “I forgot to ask but how did you know that she was poisoned and how she used to act?”

“Someone told me,” the boy replied. He didn’t even know who it was, so how could he tell her?

“And that someone is?”

“I do not know. They left a scroll in front of my door and didn’t show their face; though they did call themselves ‘Young Miss Chyou’s No. 1 Lover’.

“Hee~” she looked amused. “Lucky for you I know who that is.”

So much for secrecy. The boy rolled his eyes and said nothing else.

“What? Aren’t you curious who it is?” Li Fen asked.

“What do I have to do with who it is?” the boy sighed, “Whoever it is, is going to be married to the Young Miss!”

Li Fen blinked dumbly. “What gave you that notion?”

“Anyone who pays that much detail to the Young Miss surely loves her a lot, no? And besides, this problem would never have been solved if not for their help. So, I reckon a worthy reward would be the Young Miss’s hand in marriage!”

Li Fen looked at him for a while before bursting into laughter, “Haha! You would not be saying that if you knew who it was!”

“Is that the case?” the boy looked uninterested, “then, I’ll be on my way.” The boy bowed and turned around to take his leave.

“Hold on!” she stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“To say the same thing to the Master,” he looked at her as though she was a retard.

“Don’t! Don’t!” Li Fen hastily shook her head. “Yan`er dotes on them too much. It’ll be too big of a blow on that softie.”

“Understood!” the boy didn’t say anything else and left, closing the door behind him.

Behind the closed door, Li Fen wore a malicious expression as she clenched her fists. “I’ll fucking make ‘em pay!”

“What a pain!” the boy rubbed his temples as he walked through the halls. “The easy part is done. Well, any part of this is easy; most of this has to do with luck and time.”

The boy walked out of the Patriarch’s house and headed towards the Servants’ Quarters. His Young Miss undoubtedly needed to rest and he left her to just do that. Amidst his thoughts, he accidentally bumped into someone. Coming back to reality, he turned around to apologize. But there was no one there! As he stood there dumbly, he felt something in his hand and looked down. Wouldn’t you know it, there was a scroll there!

He unfurled the scroll and his lips curled up into a smile. “Looks like Lady Luck is on my side!”

The Next Day

The boy tied Li Chyou’s hair in a braid as she wanted a change in hairstyle. After he was done, he stepped back and let her stand up. After doing so, she spun and looked at herself in the mirror.

“How does it look?” she asked him whilst holding her braid.

“You look wonderful, Young Miss!” he said with a sunny smile.

“Really?” she beamed, her eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“Really.”

“Hehe!” Li Chyou let out a proud smile. “Shall we train?”

“No,” the boy shook his head. “Let’s take a break, Young Miss!”

“But didn’t I just take a break yesterday?” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“You did,” the boy nodded, “however; you also worked yourself to the bone beforehand. So, I don’t think taking two breaks is too much. Besides, Young Miss, the Inter-clan Tournament is now three and a half weeks away. You still have plenty of time!”

“Hmm…” she stroked her chin and fell into deep thought. The boy placed his hands behind his back and crossed his fingers. Whether or not I can solve this once and for all depends on this!

“Sure, let’s take a break!” Li Chyou smiled.

“Fine choice!” The boy bowed happily. “Shall I inform the guards?”

“Go!” she waved her hand dismissively. As the boy left, Li Chyou called out from behind, “You just want a break, don’t you?”

The boy stuck his tongue out cheekily. As he left her sight, his smile vanished and he sighed in relief. She still can’t see through me and I’d like to keep it that way.

The boy walked to the Enforcement Pavilion informed the guards and came back. He opened the door and poked his head in, “Young Miss, I’ve informed them. They’re ready!”

“Let’s go then,” Li Chyou who was sitting on a chair, flashed a mature smile and left the room with the boy. Soon, they met with the guards and left the clan premises.

“So, what do you want to do?” Li Chyou asked the boy as they walked around town.

“Hmm?” The boy looked at her, “Why is Young Miss asking me?”

“Wasn’t it you who wanted this break the most?” she asked with a teasing smile.

“Hee~” he looked amused. “Sure, if Young Miss is willing me to lead, I’ll gladly do it.”

“Lead the way,” she made an inviting gesture.

“Very well,” he started to walk forward when he made eye contact with one of the guards who nodded slightly.

The boy walked around town seemingly aimlessly as Li Chyou and her guards followed behind.

“Do you actually know where you’re going?” Li Chyou asked with concern.

“Not a clue!” the boy grinned.

“You-!” Li Chyou was caught off-guard. Before she could say anything else, she noticed that they had entered a bamboo forest. “Hey, isn’t this-” The boy clasped her mouth shut with his hands before she could say anything else. She looked at him with surprise but when she saw him putting his index finger to his lips, she calmed down and stayed silent.

The boy had unknowingly led them to the park in the middle of both Murong and Wang Clans’ territories. This is the intel he got yesterday; it depicted that Murong Fang would often have affairs inside the bamboo park here.

The boy gestured to the guards to stay still. Then he grabbed Li Chyou’s hand and sneaked behind a nearby rock that was more than large enough to hide both of their figures. The both of them peeked from behind the rock and looked at the scenery in front of them.

A large circular lake filled with crystal clear water. One could see the different colored fish swimming within it. A boy and a girl were dipping their feet in the lake, looking particularly affectionate. Li Chyou’s pupils dilated seeing the young couple.

Who else could it be other than Murong Fang? If that wasn’t enough, he was out here with the red-haired beauty, Wang Meimei.

“-plan on marrying me?” perhaps it was because they weren’t here from the beginning, but the two could only hear the latter half of Wang Meimei’s question.

“Soon,” Murong Fang flashed a cool smile, “I will win the Inter-clan Tournament and enter the Smoke Lotus Sect. Then once I come of age, I’ll marry you.”

“Mou!” Wang Meimei pouted. “Can’t you do it sooner?”

“Haha!” he chuckled, “it’s not like you’re going anywhere. You are my fiancée after all!”

The word ‘fiancée’ hit Li Chyou’s heart like a bolt of lightning! So much so that she started quivering. Of course, the boy noticed it as well yet he made no efforts to console her. She needed to hear it.

“I don’t think winning would be easy,” Wang Meimei remarked with concern, “Li Chyou is as strong as you. If you lose because of carelessness, then you’d have nowhere to cry.”

Murong Fang smirked, “Don’t worry; I have it all under control. My mother’s plan worked flawlessly. The drugs worked as intended. She is already infatuated with me. If I tell her to, she’ll obediently lie down and throw the match.”

Hearing what Murong Fang was saying, the boy became speechless. Here I was fretting about how to let the Young Miss see your true colors and yet you’re confessing everything so willy-nilly? Give me back the sleepless nights I spent worrying! In actuality, he didn’t spend any sleepless night worrying about it...

He worried about it during the day.

“I still feel bad for her,” Wang Meimei hung her head, “isn’t it too evil to do such a thing to her?”

“Haha!” Murong Fang laughed coldly, “Mei`er, this is a very cruel world. You have to do everything to survive lest you die unknowingly and unwillingly; even if your methods are underhanded, you have to do it!”

“I don’t want to think about it!” Wang Meimei said dispiritedly and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Before they could become even more affectionate, a figure in black clothing jumped out from behind the shrubbery and spoke some words in Murong Fang’s ears. His eyes widened from whatever he heard and he frantically looked around much to Wang Meimei’s confusion.

But the boy and Li Chyou had long left the place. Of course, both the spies of the Murong and Wang Clans keep an eye on who enters their territory. Without the help of Li Clan’s spies, he wouldn’t have had enough time to expose Murong Fang. And of course, they couldn’t be kept at bay for long. So, one of the spies broke through and managed to inform Murong Fang.

Feeling satisfied, the boy stopped running with Li Chyou in hand. At that time, Li Chyou didn’t seem to want to run, so he had to grab her hand and make a beeline out of the forest.

Letting go of her hand, he turned around and said, “Sorry for abruptly gra-” yet his words got caught in his throat when he saw her face.

An expressionless face like a robot…and empty, hollow eyes.