Chapter Ninety-Three: Resourceful and Prudent

"Is it just my imagination? The way Guangqi looked at me just now was so similar to him. But why is there such a difference in their appearances, or am I just being overly sensitive?" Huiyan forced a bitter smile at her reflection in the mirror, shaking her head to dispel the intense doubts swirling within her. She straightened her makeup and stepped out of the restroom.

“Huiyan, come over here! I’ve prepared your favorite sushi today. Who would have thought that Guangqi loves sushi just like you do,” Ye Dong called out with a hearty laugh, his gaze tender and indulgent.

Huiyan smiled shyly, settling beside Ye Dong. "Seems Guangqi and I are more alike in our tastes than I thought. Seeing him reminds me of a friend I haven’t heard from in ages—he loved sushi too." She took a delicate sip of sake, her eyes glancing at Guangqi, intentionally or not.

Guangqi paused inwardly, but masked it with an awkward smile. "Miss Huiyan, you flatter me. I wouldn’t dare presume any affinity with Brother Tian’s woman."

Huiyan turned to Ye Dong, her voice gentle. "Brother Tian, do you remember the time we had sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Ginza?"

Ye Dong nodded enthusiastically, his face full of admiration. "Jiro Ono truly deserves the title ‘Sushi God.’ I still savor the taste of the sushi we had there."

Huiyan laughed, "Look at you, about to drool," then her smile faded, a trace of sadness in her eyes. "That friend of mine once said he’d go there to try Jiro Ono’s craft. I wonder if he ever did, after all these years?"

Guangqi, quick-witted as ever, responded to her lead with a probing smile. "Have you lost contact with him?"

Huiyan gave a bitter smile. "Ever since his company sent him abroad, we haven’t spoken."

"I see. Did you try reaching him?" Guangqi asked softly. Ye Dong could tell Guangqi seemed unusually interested.

"I tried, but there was no reply," Huiyan said, her smile tinged with disappointment. "Maybe I was never really a friend to him."

Guangqi smiled. "Or perhaps he’s avoiding you for some special reason?"

"Or maybe he’s dead," Ye Dong interjected, shifting the topic abruptly. "Huiyan used to be so sentimental, lacking spirit for anything. I had to put in so much effort to cheer her up."

Ye Dong cast a sidelong glance at Guangqi, but his gaze lingered on Huiyan, full of affection.

Ye Dong was no fool; Huiyan’s unusual behavior immediately caught his attention. "What’s going on with Huiyan? Does Guangqi know more about her than I thought?"

With delicious salmon sushi before him, Guangqi chewed mechanically, as if chewing wax.

His mind churned with turbulent thoughts. "Could Huiyan really be seeking clues by approaching He Wentian? Is her unhappiness because of... that incident?"

With this suspicion, Guangqi steadied himself, smiling as he said, "I believe Huiyan’s friend must be blessed with fortune—nothing bad would happen to him."

Huiyan gave a bitter smile. "Let it be. It’s all in the past," she turned to Ye Dong, her voice full of gentle gratitude. "Thank you, Brother Tian, for always being by my side."

She finished speaking, her slender snowy fingers entwining tightly with Ye Dong’s large hand.

Seeing this scene, Guangqi was momentarily stunned. His sushi picked up a hefty chunk of wasabi as he tried to avert his gaze, stuffing it into his mouth without looking.

"Impressive, Guangqi," Ye Dong laughed heartily at his gusto. "Aren’t you afraid the wasabi will knock you out?"

Only then did Guangqi realize his mistake, forcing a bitter smile. "I’m used to the strong flavor of wasabi—it doesn’t bother me."

Huiyan was startled. "Guangqi can handle wasabi too?"

Distracted, she ate only a few bites before feeling full.

The sumptuous sushi feast ended quietly amid the trio’s subtle probing. Guangqi excused himself, claiming urgent business.

After Guangqi left, Ye Dong sat on the sofa in the hall, watching Huiyan with a slow, deliberate tone. "Huiyan, aren’t you going to tell me something?"

"I..." Huiyan knew she was guilty, unable to answer, withdrawing her gaze and sitting quietly.

"Don’t forget, we’re partners on the same ship now—life-and-death partners. If there are secrets between us, do you think that’s wise?" Ye Dong hesitated, but finally voiced his thoughts. "I don’t care why you’re probing Guangqi’s identity. What matters is, if someone is alive yet never contacts those who care for him day and night, no matter how many excuses he has, there’s only one truth: he doesn’t value those who worry about him. Huiyan, you must not let emotions cloud your judgment. Doing so not only endangers yourself, but also innocent comrades. You taught me that."

Having said his piece, Ye Dong didn’t argue further as he usually would, but went straight upstairs. His tone betrayed helplessness, even a hint of disappointment.

"Brother Tian... I..." Ye Dong’s words struck Huiyan like a blow, freezing her in place. Watching his receding figure, a mix of grievance, anxiety, and guilt tormented her. The carefully concealed tears beneath her delicate makeup finally broke free, streaming uncontrollably. She dared not cry aloud, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly.

Ye Dong, peeking out from the stairwell, saw Huiyan’s tears and felt a pang of sadness. "That incident really wounded her deeply. How will she face this trial?" Looking at her again, Ye Dong made a silent vow. "If Guangqi ever harms Huiyan, I won’t let him get away with it." He clenched his fists tightly and headed to his room.

Reporting back to Huang Wuchang, Guangqi quickly returned to his own quarters. He took the ancient tome he’d pored over countless times and leafed through it again. With each page, a shadow from He Wentian’s home flashed through his mind: mansions, luxury cars, beautiful women, fine wine, rows of servants—all those privileges danced in his thoughts. More crucially, Ye Dong’s words echoed: "If you had a chance to be someone who controls the water, would you seize it or not?" It stirred the ambition deep within Guangqi’s soul, stripping away his veneer.

"Why should he have all this? Why does he get to be the ‘source’? Why does he get Huiyan, while I’m stuck serving Huang Wuchang, that demon?" The more Guangqi thought, the more bitter he felt, slamming the ancient book shut.

"Huiyan, I’ll take you back from He Wentian!" Guangqi looked into the full-length mirror, touching his cheek, gritting his teeth with a cold smile. "Not just Huiyan—everything he has, I’ll take!"

He drew a deep breath. "Now, the most important thing is to find the method. I must not lose focus!"

The ancient tome opened once more, and under the weight of ambition and intrigue, Guangqi’s attention sharpened as never before. His eyes missed not a single character or detail. At last, a few lines of seemingly ordinary text caught his eye: "Fortune is not sought, danger must be faced, good and evil interchange, everything is possible..."

"Oh? It’s here? So that’s how it is!" The hidden meaning in those simple lines dawned on him, and Guangqi held the book tightly, suppressing his elation. "Found it! I finally found the method!"

He tore off his shirt. In the mirror, the thorny plum blossom on his left back shoulder had grown even larger.

"I can finally rid myself of this!" Guangqi gritted his teeth. "Soon, everything—money, power, magic, cultivation—will be mine! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The usually refined Guangqi’s face twisted into a savage grin reflected in the mirror, his eyes brimming with murderous intent, hatred, and fury, flooding his heart and the entire room.

Even if the second hand on the clock stopped, time would not pause for even half a second. Huiyan never found the ticking so unbearable.

"Enough, I should speak up." After much deliberation, Huiyan finally summoned her courage, ready to voice her concerns to Ye Dong and the others.

She drew a deep breath. "Master, fellow comrades, I have an important intelligence report."

Everyone paused their tasks, unsure what Huiyan was about to announce.

Officer Li, holding a teacup, glanced at Ye Dong, noticing his lack of reaction and sensing something amiss. "Are these two at odds again?"

When Officer Li nodded, Huiyan swallowed and spoke softly. "I believe our third undercover agent abroad is not dead."

"Oh?" Xiao Wang, Xiao Li, and the others looked shocked. "Huiyan, where did you get this information? Where is he?"

"I suspect Guangqi is Agent Three, Fang Juncai," Huiyan said, clenching her fingers tightly.

"It's him?" Xiao Bao, Da Chun exclaimed. "That meek scholar is Agent Three?"

"But they look nothing alike!" Xiao Wang questioned.

Officer Li closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmly asked Huiyan, "What makes you think so?"

"His eyes, demeanor, habits, and something intangible," Huiyan glanced at Ye Dong, lowering her head. "Those four things—Guangqi truly resembles Fang Juncai. His appearance may have changed, but those traits haven’t, if you observe closely."

"You seem to have some grounds," Officer Li’s brows rose. "He hasn’t contacted the organization for so long—has he defected?"

Hearing this, Huiyan clenched her fingers even tighter, shaking her head. "I—I don’t know. He didn’t acknowledge me, probably because... Ye Dong was present."

"Your intuition has never failed in over ten years," Officer Li said, pouring her a cup of tea. "Drink some hot tea and calm down."

Huiyan nodded, draining the cup. As she was about to speak again, Officer Li slid a second cup toward her, his expression tinged with disappointment. "Dry throat? Have another."

Noticing the change in Officer Li’s demeanor, Huiyan stared at her reflection in the tea’s smooth surface, suddenly realizing his intent.

"Master, you..." Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at her own reflection, her voice trembling. "Are you asking me to withdraw from the plan?"

Officer Li nodded very slowly, confirming her suspicion.

This abrupt shift caught everyone off guard. All eyes turned to Officer Li, but seeing his calm expression, no one dared speak.

"If I withdraw, what about Ye Dong?" Tears finally broke free as Huiyan looked straight at Ye Dong, who seemed to have expected this.

"Rest well. We’ll handle the rest," Officer Li said, not looking at her, sipping his tea.

"But..." Huiyan tried to fight for another chance, but Officer Li cut her off gently. "You’re too fragile now."

"Ah!" Huiyan knew, the calmer her master spoke, the less room she had to negotiate.

Officer Li explained softly, "Huiyan, your mind is unsettled. Staying with Ye Dong would make you a ticking bomb."

"I..." Tears fell, soaking her dress.

Hearing their exchange, the others showed regret and pity, but it wasn’t the place for words.

Though the clock’s second hand kept moving, time seemed frozen in the room.

"Don’t worry, I’ll find out whether Guangqi is Fang Juncai for you," Ye Dong finally spoke from the corner after a long silence. "I won’t let your precious memories fade away without answers."

At this moment, he was the only one suited to speak.

"Ye Dong..." Huiyan’s eyes were full of apology and unease, her gaze passing through the thick air to reach Ye Dong.

Ye Dong’s lips curled into a loving smile. "I’ve always protected you, Huiyan. I’m your Brother Tian."