The night had grown deep. The shipyard workers, exhausted from their day's labor, had long since fallen into a heavy slumber. Without the constant sound of hammering and sawing, the entire dock had become much quieter.
Qin Jiuye usually found it easy to sleep through a racket, but tonight’s silence made rest elusive. The events of the day tumbled through her mind until she finally sat up, deciding to slip out of her room in the dark.
Even though they had left Guoran Ju, he was still her patient—or at least half of one—and there was nothing wrong with a physician checking on her charge. Yet, for reasons she couldn't quite name, she felt like a thief. She didn't even dare light a lamp, stumbling through the darkness as she crept toward his room. She had intended only to take a quick look and leave, but when she arrived, she found the room dark and empty.
Perhaps back at Guoran Ju, he had often gone out in the middle of the night like this. With his skills, neither she, nor Jin Bao, nor anyone in Dingweng Village would have ever noticed.
Where had he gone? What was he doing? Had Gongzi Yan come looking for him again, or was Zhu Fuxue not as dead as they thought?
Qin Jiuye’s brow furrowed as she racked her brain, but she couldn't reach a conclusion.
The hour of the Rat had just passed, and the surroundings remained deathly still.
Qin Jiuye took a few steps back toward her room, then paused. After a moment's thought, she found a secluded spot and sat down.
When they had first decided to stay here, they had prioritized convenience for their work and hadn't paid much attention to the finer details. They later realized that living space within the shipyard was limited; even Lu Zichen and the others had to squeeze in with Song Tuo. Even if Teng Hu and Li Qiao were housed close together, she didn't want to trouble Qiu Ling over such a small matter.
She had previously assumed that since the shipyard was Qiu Ling’s territory, Teng Hu wouldn't dare be too brazen. But after her confrontation with him in that secret room today, she was no longer so sure. She refused to admit her judgment was clouded by concern; she simply believed in her ability to read people. Recalling Teng Hu’s behavior during the day, she couldn't find peace of mind. She eventually fashioned a nest out of a pile of dry straw in the corner, pulled a piece of tattered canvas over herself, and fixed her eyes on his two windows. She watched them for nearly an hour.
The mosquitoes by the water were vicious. In her daze, they seemed to transform into countless tiny Teng Hus, buzzing around her, biting and stinging. She smeared on some mint balm and fanned herself with a newly woven palm leaf fan to drive them away. As she fanned, the exhaustion from her mental battle with Teng Hu caught up to her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she eventually lost the fight against sleep, her head lolling to the side as she drifted off.
The sound of the rushing river echoed from afar, while the narrow corner was filled with the woman’s light, shallow breathing. Her arm rested on her knee, the palm fan dangling precariously from her fingers. Just as it was about to fall, a hand reached out from the shadows, caught it steadily, and set it gently aside.
A faint scent of mint lingered in the air, a fragrance that could wash away weariness with a single breath. Qiu Ling stood silently, watching her sleeping face. His gaze slowly lowered, landing on the thin garment she wore.
Though it was a summer night, the wind by the river was damp and biting; it wouldn't take long for it to cut through a single layer of clothing. The thin fabric traced the lines of her figure, appearing and disappearing with the light breeze...
A suspicious flush crept up the man’s ears. He quickly averted his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he removed his heavy cloak and carefully draped it over her.
She slept deeply, entirely unaware. Her warm breath brushed against the back of his hand, sending a strange tremor through him. He remained frozen there, kneeling on one knee, unable to move closer yet unwilling to pull away.
Suddenly, the sound of wind whistling came from behind him.
Qiu Ling’s expression shifted instantly. He dropped his shoulders and narrowly evaded the strike. The pile of dry straw before him was sliced clean through, and even the palm fan was severed in two.
The youth who had appeared behind him said nothing, but his eyes were a silent interrogation.
Qiu Ling did not look back. He silently finished tucking the cloak around the woman, then stood and walked into the nearby shadows. The youth followed.
"Where did you go so late at night?"
The young Protector-General spoke first, his voice carrying the stern, terrifying weight of someone interrogating a high-profile criminal.
"Is the Protector-General not occupied with official business?"
Li Qiao’s retort rang low in the darkness. In the next heartbeat, a cold sword hilt was pressed against his waist.
"She watches over you; I watch over her. You can hide from others, but you cannot hide from me. Where exactly did you go?"
The youth smiled, as if he couldn't feel the threat at his back at all.
"The Protector-General is always like this. It was so during the investigation of the Listening Wind Hall, and it is so now. Since you are so certain I have committed some foul deed, why not produce the evidence? Or is this merely a private use of public power, trying to break my spirit behind Ah-Jie’s back?"
"You have indeed cleaned yourself up thoroughly; you didn't even miss the soles of your feet. But what you don't know is that Zichen and the others set up Chromatic Barriers around the shipyard. Anyone who passes through them will leave a trace on their person. This is to prevent intruders from infiltrating the shipyard, and to prevent anyone from leaving without permission to leak secrets."
Li Qiao glanced down. Sure enough, there was a nearly imperceptible speck of dark purple on the hem of his robe. He withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged, but his words became even more biting.
"Truly a fine dog raised by the Pingnan General’s Mansion. Your tracking skills are unrivaled."
"Before I met you, I had dealings with several people from the World’s Number One Villa. For someone like you, the taste of Clear Wind Powder is indeed irreplaceable."
The youth spread his hands slightly, showing not a hint of fear in the face of the accusation.
"Feel free to check. Whichever hand touched the Clear Wind Powder, you may cut it off."
The young Protector-General remained unmoved, but in an instant, he caught something sharp and revealing in the youth’s words.
"If it wasn't Clear Wind Powder, then it was something else. You know better than anyone what is inside your body. She is a physician; you cannot hide it from her forever. When that day comes, it is you who will have to face everything, not me."
Li Qiao’s frame stiffened. After a long silence, he spoke.
"She knows my body best. She chooses to believe in me, and I believe in her."
He believed that if there was one person left in this world who could save him, it could only be her.
"I fear some things are beyond your control," Qiu Ling said again, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. "I will never allow you to hurt her. If you cannot control yourself, then even if it breaks her heart, I will have to kill you."
Li Qiao had met many people who threatened him with death. If anyone else had said those words, he wouldn't have spared them a second glance. But coming from the man before him, it was a different matter.
Li Qiao took a step forward. The Jitian Sword was pressed against him, but he ignored it as if he couldn't feel the other man’s surging killing intent. He spoke word by word.
"I like her, and she likes me. Even if you kill me, you cannot change that."
Dim light filtered through the gaps in the wooden planks. The youth’s face was hidden in shadow, save for his eyes, which seemed to burn with fire.
Qiu Ling looked into those eyes, his fingers whitening as he gripped his sword.
He could never have such a gaze in this life. His birth did not allow it, his pride did not allow it, his Academy and the General’s Mansion did not allow it, and the past and future he carried did not allow it.
He couldn't even say those three words as easily as the youth had.
He liked her too.
But before this contest had even begun, he had already lost.
In that moment, a powerful surge of envy welled up within him, nearly overwhelming the anger and resentment in his heart.
He slowly lowered his sword hand. When he spoke again, his voice was as soft as a sigh.
"What does 'liking' someone amount to? There are millions of people in this world who love and adore one another, but how many can truly stay together until the end?"
"Just because others cannot doesn't mean we won't."
To his surprise, the young Protector-General did not coldly rebuke him this time. He simply stepped back.
"You will understand. This world is full of hardships; liking someone is not enough."
His father and mother were among the few in this world who had loved each other deeply and overcome all obstacles to be together. But even so, they hadn't been able to stay together until the end. Others said that the Qiu family’s lady had died early because she lacked fortune, but he knew his mother’s death was inextricably linked to his father.
If she hadn't chosen to be with his father, she might have lived longer.
It was then that he understood: love cannot last forever, but protection can.
His father had failed to protect his mother; he would not make the same mistake.
Not far away, a flickering lantern light approached from the entrance. Qiu Ling turned to leave, offering one final remark before he went.
"You kill, while she saves. Have you ever considered that by being with you, she will have to face the judgment of both society and morality? You will become a stain upon her; she will have to bear half of your sins. Before you act, before you decide, ask yourself carefully: if being with you causes her pain or even costs her life, will you still persist in your stubbornness?"
****** ****** ******
When Qin Jiuye woke up, she found herself lying on a bed.
The sky outside was already bright. She hadn't slept this soundly in a long time. She stretched, rolled over, and squinted, enjoying her time lingering in bed.
The mattress beneath her had been carefully aired and beaten; it was perfectly soft. Though the thin quilt was made of coarse cloth, it was dry and clean, smelling faintly of soap locust. One breath of it made her never want to get up and face the day's toil.
He had always been very clean. He was meticulous about small things like making the bed—it was just a pity that a blockhead like Jin Bao could never learn...
"Is Ah-Jie awake?"
Qin Jiuye’s eyes snapped open. In an instant, she plummeted from the comfort of "Guoran Ju" back into official Song’s shipyard.
She scrambled up with a head of messy hair, her limbs flailing as she looked around in a panic before stammering.
"Yes... yesterday..."
Her voice cut off abruptly. She stared blankly for a moment as the memories of last night flooded back.
Hadn't she gone out in the dark with a lantern to keep watch for someone? How did she end up sleeping in his bed?
The youth, wearing only a thin layer of inner robes, walked toward her and sat obediently by the edge of the bed. His voice was very gentle.
"Ah-Jie came to find me last night.
