Thunder rumbled outside, punctuated by the rhythmic drumming of rain against the window.
The frame of the window on the wall had long since rotted away. Tang Shenyan, ever reluctant to spend money on repairs, had simply nailed a piece of broken wooden board over the gap. A crack ran through the board, usually letting in a draft, but now it allowed the rain to seep through. The water spraying inside had pooled at the head of the wooden bed, nearly soaking the bedding. Yet the person on the bed remained motionless, as if lacking the strength to even crook a finger.
"Sister?"
The youth’s voice sounded from the doorway, carrying a trace of subtle caution.
The figure on the bed did not react, remaining curled up with her back to him.
Li Qiao’s silhouette halted at the threshold.
At some point, it had become a rule: if she did not speak, he did not dare step forward.
After a long silence, just as he was preparing to turn and leave, the person on the bed finally spoke.
"Did you catch her?"
The youth immediately changed direction and walked into the room. Qin Jiuye felt him stop by the bedside before she slowly opened her eyes and sat up.
In truth, the moment before she asked, she had already sensed the answer. Looking at him, he certainly hadn't caught her. Yet for some reason, she couldn't help but ask what she already knew.
As expected, the youth shook his head.
"No." He paused, as if fearing the answer was too brief, and added, "She had a diving suit prepared in advance. Once I caught up to her raft, she jumped into the river and escaped."
Qin Jiuye lowered her gaze, her eyes sweeping from the youth’s shoulders to his waist, then down to the hem of his trousers and his boots. There were damp patches on his shoulders from the rain, and mud splatters on his clothes and boots, but otherwise, he was clean and dry. There wasn't a single water stain on his body, and his hair showed no sign of having been soaked.
This meant he hadn't jumped into the water to pursue her.
So why? Why throw her aside after saving her? Why, after leaving her, did he not give his all—not even willing to enter the water—and return empty-handed? Where did he go after leaving her, and what happened? Why was he only returning now...
Perhaps seeing her silence last too long, Li Qiao took a half-step closer and crouched down beside the bed.
"Since the evidence was found on Old Madam Su in public, Qiu Ling should have a clear idea of how to proceed. He won't bother us again. You can rest easy, Sister."
*Found the evidence?* The fact that Old Madam Su’s jade thumb ring was evidence was something only revealed on the Su family’s cargo ship. She had told Tang Shenyan that the matter was settled, but she hadn't mentioned those details, and it was impossible for Qiu Ling’s men to have leaked the inner workings of the case to the public.
Qin Jiuye opened her mouth, her voice tight.
"So... you were actually nearby the whole time?"
The air grew still for a moment.
In his years of wandering the martial world alone, Li Qiao had dealt with many cunning individuals, but the sudden sharpness displayed by the woman before him still surprised him. Perhaps she had always been this perceptive; she simply hadn't directed that perception entirely toward him before.
And he, who should have remained ever-vigilant, had unknowingly lowered his guard around her.
The youth’s expression stiffened for a heartbeat, but he recovered quickly, instinctively making an excuse.
"I ran into the Second Miss of the Su family on my way back. We spoke for a while; she told me."
It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned Su Muhe. The moment he did, the image of the intertwined silhouettes behind the carved cabin window and Su Muhe kneeling on the pier to "confess" surged before Qin Jiuye’s eyes.
What should she say? Should she say she already knew the person the Second Miss truly loved wasn't the young, successful, and politically favored Lord of Severed Jade, but an anonymous "village bumpkin" from the mountains? You certainly have quite the talent, Li Qiao. This skill for winning hearts—how is it that she, Qin Jiuye, couldn't even learn a tenth of it?
Her fingers gripped the damp quilt.
"Just ran into her on the road? She only spoke to you for a bit?"
Li Qiao paused, then nodded.
"Yes."
Qin Jiuye had to take a deep breath to suppress the impulse rising within her.
How she wanted to lash out, to tear down his lies to his face, to demand to know exactly what had happened on the Huan River. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it, nor to ask.
Qin Jiuye held it in for a long while before finally speaking in a muffled tone.
"I said before that you should cut ties with her early... I take those words back. If you like her too, then treat her well."
Having said her piece, she didn't want to look at him anymore. She pulled the quilt back over her head.
She intended to just go back to sleep, but after lying there for a while, there was no movement behind her. The two remained in a stalemate. After a bit, Qin Jiuye couldn't help but roll over again.
The youth indeed hadn't left. He was still crouching by the bed, watching her without blinking.
"So... you saw everything?" His words were vague, but his tone was anything but. "Why doesn't Sister blame me?"
Blame him for what? For being entangled with the Su family? For only caring about chasing the assassin and leaving her alone on the cargo ship? Or for not returning in time, leaving her to face the furious Su Muzhi alone?
He had no obligation to do those things, and she had no standing to blame him.
Qin Jiuye didn't notice the change in his expression because she was feeling irritable herself.
"Does it matter if I saw or not? Did you understand what I just said? If you did, then stop pestering me..."
"Why does Sister want me to be good to her?"
He seemed completely deaf to her "advice." The words falling on her ears felt like a reversal of roles, as if the culprit were the one demanding an explanation.
*If no one provokes me, I provoke no one.* Since he seemed intent on getting to the bottom of things, she might as well take this opportunity to make things clear.
Qin Jiuye sat up, speaking in as earnest a tone as possible.
"I did happen to see you and her on that boat. Not just on the boat—at the pier just now, I saw that she would rather take the blame herself than implicate you. I knew then that she must have some feelings for you. I have no intention of interfering in your affairs; I am only telling you that if you are interested, do not fail her. If you don't want to commit, then part on good terms. Don't break each other's hearts..."
"Because she shielded me, she must like me?" Li Qiao’s eyes, usually shimmering with shifting light, were now very still—so still it was almost frightening. "Then Sister has also shielded me. Does that mean you like me too?"
What kind of question was that? The point of her words clearly wasn't that.
Qin Jiuye never expected this sudden conversation to evolve into a confrontation that rivaled the drama from dawn. She should have held the absolute advantage in this duel, yet for some reason, after only a few sentences, she had fallen into an incredibly passive position.
The faint sense of competitiveness in his questioning sparked an indescribable anger in her, followed by a touch of disappointment, and even more so, a sense of helplessness.
"How can those be the same? You and I share the same stance; we must overcome difficulties together. Liking someone, however, doesn't care about stances, nor can it be controlled."
If people could weigh pros and cons based on their situation and control who they liked, there wouldn't be so many stories in plays about the children of enemies falling in love. Nor would that useless Jin Bao spend every day pining for the Miss of the Fang family, who didn't even want to look at him.
"So, does Sister have someone she likes? Is it Qiu Ling?" The youth paused. The last layer of soft light over his eyes gradually faded, revealing something cold and sharp. "But if Sister likes someone else, why did you call out *my* name on the ship?"
Qin Jiuye was speechless, frozen in place.
Since she didn't speak, he pressed closer.
"Sister can like that man named Qiu, so why can't you like me? Is it because you care about my relationship with Su Muhe?"
"It's not about liking or not liking, and you don't need to explain anything to me..."
Li Qiao acted as if he hadn't heard her, continuing on his own.
"The first time I met her was across the street from the Commandery Governor's office. I lent her the umbrella because I noticed early on that she was watching Qiu Ling’s horse, seemingly waiting for him. I had some guesses about her identity and wanted to get information from her later."
"The private meeting at the birthday banquet—she was the one who sought me out. She was merely lonely and lost, wanting someone to confide in, and I had to handle her carefully. Otherwise, I might have been exposed and failed the task you gave me."
The more he spoke, the more hurried his tone became, and Qin Jiuye’s heart began to race in sync.
She interrupted him sharply.
"Stop. I don't want to know this."
However, the youth today was clearly not the pharmacy errand boy she could order around at the Guoran Residence. Li Qiao’s voice did not stop; it poured out like a flood breaking through a dam.
"Regarding today, she realized our intentions early on but didn't stop us. She even intentionally lured us onto the ship because she wanted Su Muzhi exposed, she wanted Su Lin to fail utterly, and she wanted the Su family to change hands. I used Su Muhe, and she used me. It was nothing more than a relationship of mutual exploitation. What is there that cannot be said? If Sister doesn't believe me, I can go to the Su Manor right now and cut off her finger for you..."
"Stop it!"
Qin Jiuye suddenly roared, but she never once looked into the youth’s eyes.
If she had shifted her gaze even slightly, she would have seen the madness within them.
"Sister is wrong. I don't like her, and she doesn't like me. What do I have to do to prove it? Like this?"
Li Qiao suddenly lunged forward, pulling Qin Jiuye into his arms.
His strength was immense and his movements too fast; she had no time to react before his breath was upon her, rising and falling like crashing waves against her ear.
"A hug, holding hands, whispering flirtatious words... is that what liking someone is?"
His voice grew lower and lower, as if trying to bore into the depths of her body through her ears.
"Then I can like Sister too. Does Sister want that? Like this..."
He moved closer to her face, his calloused hand gently covering her cheek, slowly stroking it.
"Or like this?"
The lingering sensation spread from her cheek toward her neck. His breath drew closer, its warmth falling on her ear, her temple, her throat.
The exhaustion from the night's turmoil vanished instantly. Qin Jiuye violently broke free from him. She could hear her racing heart, feel her chaotic pulse, and sense the blood surging through her limbs, making her breath short and her pupils contract.
"What... what are you doing..."
As if in response to her question, the youth’s body paused only for a moment before he leaned over her again like a mountain.
He was like a wolf pinning down its prey, baring its fangs near her throat. The breath from his nose fell on her cheek and ear, turning from warm to scalding.
Saliva dissolved the medicinal film on her skin, causing that persistent bitter taste to instantly fill his mouth. Yet he couldn't stop; he only wanted the bitterness to grow more intense, as if only then could he let go...
"Enough!"
A sharp slap echoed through the room. The petite woman’s eyes flashed with a fierce light as she used a sudden burst of strength to shove the youth away.
Silence fell over the cramped room.
The rain continued, the atmosphere oppressive.
After a long time, Qin Jiuye slowly raised her head.
"Li Qiao, listen well." She spoke through gritted teeth, her loose hair obscuring half her expression, making every word sound colder and more unyielding. "If you don't understand what 'liking' someone means at all, then exhausting yourself to prove that I like you or you like me is meaningless. You can toy with money, with power, with court intrigue, or the winds of the martial world—but the human heart is the one thing you cannot toy with."
"Why not?" Li Qiao kept his head lowered. His profile no longer held that domestic, dog-like obedience; the stubble on his jawline gave him the untamable look of a lone wolf in the wilderness. "How is the human heart more precious than money, power, or secret martial arts? As long as it can be used by me, as long as it helps me survive, why can't I exploit it? Su Muhe is like this, I am like this—is Sister not the same? Have you not used me? Have you not used the Qiu family? How are you and I any different?"
How were they different? There was clearly very little that was the same between them. But the irony was that she often had the illusion that they were the same kind of person.
"If it weren't for survival, I could be a saint too. But even for the sake of survival, some things cannot be sold! The bond of interest between us was made clear from the start. I have been open and never deceived you. I did indeed use the Protector, but I never exploited the sentiment between us—and there isn't much sentiment between us to exploit anyway. Furthermore, I would never intentionally trick someone into such a sentiment just to use them. That is the difference between us. I've said this much; why do you still not understand? Do you have no heart?!"
The woman’s questioning was drowned out by the intensifying rain. It was a long time before the youth slowly spoke.
"What is the human heart?"
Qin Jiuye froze, seemingly unable to believe that the person before her would ask such a dull question. But the moment she looked into his eyes, she understood: he wasn't playing dumb. He truly did not know.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and that familiar sense of exhaustion surged up again.
"The human heart is the hardest thing in this world to exchange. It cannot be measured, traded, or divided. When you have it, no one can take it away; once lost, it is nearly impossible to find again. That is the human heart."
As Qin Jiuye’s words landed, the room fell back into a long silence.
She had often thought they were the same because she felt he understood her hardships and her struggles. But in the end, was he any different from the beggars outside the city gates who used infants to scam people, the gamblers who incited children to steal, or the human-skinned demons who stepped on women just to eat an extra bun?
Fine. Perhaps he simply had no heart.
He was smarter than a soulless beast, but in essence, he was no different from one.
He could treat Su Muhe this way today, and he could treat others the same way tomorrow. One day in the future, he could do the same to her. He had never truly liked or loved anyone; he was only weighing options. Weighing who it would be more profitable, more beneficial, and more likely to help him survive to stand beside.
She once thought she was the same, but there were many things she still couldn't bring herself to do.
She was the one her grandfather had picked up; she was the one Aunt Yang had raised; she was the one who had found a place to belong thanks to the poor and the sick of Dingweng Village. Her heart, though encased in a cold shell, was burning. At all times, there was a small corner of her heart reserved for them. In that corner, her rules for survival were worth nothing.
He was not like her.
Their path together had reached its end.
Qin Jiuye raised her hand, pointing toward the door. Before she could utter the word "Leave," her raised hand was caught.
He held it with both of his hands. When he looked up at Qin Jiuye, his face had returned to its usual appearance, even carrying a hint of trepidation.
"I truly don't understand these things. Don't be angry, alright? Or... you can dock my wages..."
Qin Jiuye looked at that young face, unable to tell if the expression on it was a genuine flow of emotion or just a disguise crafted after calculating the human heart.
In an instant, he had returned to his original role, striving to play the part of the obedient and capable "younger brother," as if nothing had happened.
He truly didn't understand. He didn't understand why she was sad, why she was repulsed, or why she wanted to distance herself from him.
At this moment, Qin Jiuye found she didn't even hate Li Qiao. She just felt tired.
She clenched her fist and pulled away from his gesture of goodwill.
"You aren't wrong, and I'm not angry with you. It's just that... perhaps we aren't the same kind of people."
She shook off his hand.
This was the first time she had done so. Even when he had lied to her, bitten her, or dragged her into unknown trouble, she had never shaken him off. It was as if she had seen through him and intended to leave him behind forever, walking further and further away until she vanished from his world entirely.
He finally couldn't sit still. The mask of obedience could no longer be maintained, and his face showed an unmasked confusion and bewilderment.
"Is the human heart Sister speaks of... truly that important?"
Qin Jiuye did not answer. She simply closed her eyes and stopped looking at him.
Li Qiao stared at the palm of his left hand, his gaze gradually becoming lost.
What was the human heart worth? It wasn't even as valuable as the sense of security provided by the callouses on his palms.
In the past, he could have told her with certainty and a hint of disdain: he didn't understand those things, yet he could still live perfectly well.
But now, he was suddenly unsure.
She seemed to loathe him, to want to stay away from him—not because he was useless or not obedient enough, but simply because he lacked the "heart" she spoke of.
After a long while, Qin Jiuye heard a slight movement beside her, as if he had stood up to leave.
Her heart felt a sense of relief, followed by a sudden hollow ache.
But in the next moment, she felt a tug on her sleeve.
This time, he didn't even touch her; he only cautiously gripped the edge of her sleeve.
"I don't know if I have the heart you speak of, and I truly don't understand these things. So..." The hand gripping her sleeve gradually tightened, and the youth’s voice carried a trace of imperceptible restraint and trembling. "So... Sister, teach me, alright?"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 水靠 | Diving suit / Waterproof suit | Traditional gear used for swimming or underwater activities. |
| 果然居 | Guoran Residence | The name of the place (likely an inn or clinic) where Qin Jiuye and Li Qiao stay/work. |
| 丁翁村 | Dingweng Village | The village where Qin Jiuye grew up or has roots. |
| 督护 | Protector | A military/administrative title, referring to Qiu Ling. |
