Clutching a silver needle, Zhuo Qing whispered softly into the woman's ear, "Yun, if you don't wake up soon, I'll have no choice but to prick you!" She had already called her by Gu Yun's original name; if it truly was her, she should have awakened by now. Fixating on the motionless little girl lying on the bed, Zhuo Qing felt a pang of disappointment—was she really not Gu Yun? After hesitating briefly with the silver needle in hand, Zhuo Qing finally made a motion to prick Qing Mo's arm.
Just as the slender needle was about to pierce the skin, a delicate hand grasped Zhuo Qing's wrist. The woman on the bed suddenly opened her eyes, propping herself half-up against the bed curtain. She glared at Zhuo Qing and muttered sharply, "You actually want to stab me?"
Zhuo Qing raised an eyebrow lightly and retorted, "What do you think?!" At last, she was willing to wake up! The woman before her had waist-length hair, alabaster skin, and a tender, adorable face marred only by two conspicuous scars. Even Zhuo Qing, a woman herself, couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy. Her round eyes resembled those of a little white rabbit, yet the piercing, resolute gleam within them brought relief to Zhuo Qing's heart—this was undoubtedly Gu Yun's gaze. Still, this face… was irresistibly endearing.
"Yun, is it really you?" Zhuo Qing couldn't suppress the need to confirm.
The woman shrugged nonchalantly, a wry smile playing on her lips. "I don't mind a little test of tacit understanding!" Even she had been startled by this face upon waking.
"No need." Such a tone was unmistakably Gu Yun's.
"I'm starving. Is there anything to eat?" Gu Yun rolled over with agile ease, giving no impression of someone who had been unconscious without food for two whole days. Zhuo Qing couldn't help but smile. "You really 'slept' for two days?"
"I'd estimated three days. Didn't expect they'd bring me here after just two." That brat Su Yu, always at odds with her, had nonetheless been the one to deliver her.
Stepping outside the screen, Zhuo Qing fetched a small pastry from the table and handed it to Gu Yun with a shaking head and a smile. "You really can endure."
Gu Yun took the pastry and began eating nonchalantly, replying, "It's nothing. When ambushing drug dealers before, I went three days without eating, drinking, or sleeping and still survived. Two days is a breeze."
Leaning against the screen, Zhuo Qing clicked her tongue in amusement. "With your skills, is it really so hard to leave the General's residence? Why are you still there? Or have you fallen for the aloof and dignified General Su?"
One couldn't deny that Su Ling was an undeniably captivating man; it wasn't surprising that Yun liked him.
Gu Yun rolled her eyes and groaned in exasperation, "I've met him exactly twice since arriving at the General's residence, okay?!"
Zhuo Qing gazed at Yun's irresistibly cute face now and couldn't help but tease her further. "They say love at first sight happens once—and that's enough!" The first time, she bit him; the second time, they fought fiercely. If that counted as love at first sight, it was certainly a fiery one!
Suddenly struck by a curious question, Zhuo Qing asked, "I'm really curious, is there truly no woman at the General's residence?"
Gu Yun replied impatiently, "Indeed, not even a female mosquito!"
Zhuo Qing chuckled softly. "Only been two months since we parted, and you've become quite witty!"
Gu Yun shot her a sidelong glance and scoffed, "I think you've become quite the chatterbox!"
How had Zhuo Qing never noticed this trait before? She merely shrugged and laughed. "Can't help it—boredom, you know."
Boredom? What kind of excuse was that? Gu Yun ignored her, rose, and went to get a drink. Barefoot on the long-pile carpet, she walked to the round table and poured herself a glass of water. Suddenly, uncontrollable laughter erupted from behind her.
Turning around, Gu Yun saw Zhuo Qing leaning against the wall, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over, murmuring, "Back then you called me a shorty at 163 cm. Pray tell, what do we call you now at 158 cm?! Justice is served!"
Gu Yun's face darkened as she retorted coldly, "One minute."
Looking at the petite woman barely reaching her shoulder, thin as a bean sprout, Zhuo Qing laughed even harder. Fate had turned—Yun, who always prided herself on her 175 cm stature, was now the one taking a hit!
As the minute neared its end, Zhuo Qing struggled to suppress her laughter. Gu Yun's temper was not something to provoke.
Gu Yun snorted coldly, "Had your fun?"
Zhuo Qing could only nod, lest she burst out laughing again. Staring at the woman whose mouth still twitched, Gu Yun sighed helplessly, "Our time together is limited. Are we going to waste it on nonsense, or seriously discuss what to do next?"
Suppressing her smile, Zhuo Qing finally responded earnestly, "You go first. I'm listening."
"In truth, there are two reasons I haven't left the General's residence yet. First, as you can see, this body is rather frail—I need time to strengthen and restore its agility. Second, I discovered this at the residence."
With that, Gu Yun drew a sheet of white paper from her waist and spread it on the table. Zhuo Qing leaned in, eyes brightening. "It resembles the Bagua plate we saw before we mysteriously arrived here?"
The intricate patterns on the paper were exquisitely detailed—much newer than the one they had seen last time.
"Right. I suspect our arrival here is closely connected to this. If we want to return, it will depend on it."
Zhuo Qing pondered, "Is it kept at the General's residence?"
Gu Yun shook her head. "I've only seen an image of it there. It's said to be the Su family's clan emblem. Exactly where it's stored, only Su Ling—the eldest son—and the old clan head know. I'm still here at the residence because of this."
"Any leads?"
"No." Not even Su Yu or Su Ren know. Probably only by going through Su Ling.
Gu Yun sighed. "I heard Qing Feng conducted a postmortem at a palace banquet. I guessed it was you, so I pretended to faint to meet you. That's how I've spent these days. How about you? What's your situation?"
Zhuo Qing looked deeply troubled. "It's complicated."
Gu Yun was taken aback—what could have troubled the ever-capable forensic expert so?
"This body isn't Qing Feng's, but Qing Ling's—the eldest sister of the Qing family. Because Qing Feng and Qing Ling look so alike, the officials delivered me here by mistake. Qing Ling was supposed to belong to Emperor Yan Hongtian of Qiong Yue. It seems Yan Hongtian and Qing Ling had some past. He's an extremely arrogant and bloodthirsty man. He suspected Qing Ling deliberately framed Qing Feng to take her place, nearly strangling me. I had no choice but to feign amnesia."
"Amnesia?"
Gu Yun chuckled, "Good idea."
"Once committed, no turning back. I lied and said I belonged to Lou Xiyan. Unexpectedly, Lou Xiyan didn't expose me."
Gu Yun blinked and teasingly asked, "Was it really a lie?"
Zhuo Qing shot a sharp look, and Gu Yun grinned sheepishly. "Alright, go on."
"Eventually, Yan Hongtian demanded a thorough investigation. Under Lou Xiyan's protection, I was confined at the Prime Minister's residence, but Qing Feng was imprisoned."
Zhuo Qing always felt a tender pity for Qing Feng, that stubborn yet endearing woman. Gu Yun, who hadn't met Qing Feng, was unconcerned but worried for Zhuo Qing.
"So, Lou Xiyan and Yan Hongtian are vying for you?"
Zhuo Qing sighed, "More precisely, they're fighting over Qing Ling."
"I can't be sure who Yan Hongtian really wants, and Lou Xiyan never met the previous Qing Ling, but he's definitely after you. In this situation, it's best you stay by Lou Xiyan's side—only he can protect you."
During her time at the General's residence, Zhuo Qing had come to understand this strange world fairly well. Though reluctant to admit it, within these six states, few things were beyond Yan Hongtian's grasp.
"That's all I can do."
Zhuo Qing agreed. Seeing her somewhat dejected, Gu Yun smiled softly, "You said you were bored, right? This way you can do something else at the same time."
Zhuo Qing gave a bitter smile. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"
"I'm not. I just think 'Xiyan' is really quite good."
She'd heard that clearly in the flower hall earlier! This woman certainly bore grudges well!
Deciding not to waste words, Zhuo Qing turned to a serious matter. "There's something I want you to help with."
Gu Yun replied promptly, "Go ahead."
"The General's residence guard captain was killed by a man named Qian Jing. I don't know the details yet—I'll try to examine the corpse soon. I want you to help me investigate whether he's really the culprit."
Gu Yun's investigative skills were top-notch, so Zhuo Qing trusted her completely.
"Don't worry. I've already been looking into him."
Zhuo Qing gave a relieved smile. "Good. I also want to confirm something else."
"What?"
"Qing Feng might still be alive."
Gu Yun's eyes widened. "Impossible."
Zhuo Qing shook her head. "I'm certain. There's been a rumor circulating in the capital that Qing Feng's death was staged. The method used was identical to that of the Empress Dowager."
Gu Yun pursed her lips. "If true, that would be a big deal."
Zhuo Qing nodded firmly. "If Qing Feng is alive, then we can still find her."
"Then let's go find her." Gu Yun's tone was resolute.
Zhuo Qing smiled, feeling hope anew. "Yes. We'll find her."