Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Naturally, the Empress had plenty of assassins at her disposal. She told me to pick one.

Someone too capable wouldn’t do-I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control them. Someone too incapable wouldn’t do either-they’d get sent flying the moment they ran into Black Eagle and his men.

I picked and compared, shopped around like I was hunting for the best deal. I hadn’t been this mentally exhausted even during Singles’ Day or 618.

At long last, I made my choice.

The helper I chose was called Ah Qing. He was a little boy. He was already young to begin with, and he looked even younger than his actual age. His martial arts were about average. Among the prince’s mansion guards, he’d probably rank somewhere in the lower middle. But he had one specialty: his qinggong was unparalleled, and he could run ridiculously fast.

I didn’t want to sacrifice another innocent person just to set up Liu Xiaoman and Chu Ziye. Ah Qing was fast. He could stab and run, and with me stalling for time, he would be able to slip away.

Ah Qing was also a poor, hard-luck kid. Thinking about it, that made sense. Assassins were in a high-risk line of work where any job could easily be a one-way trip, so there probably weren’t many of them who didn’t come from bitter backgrounds.

At first, Ah Qing was proud and arrogant. He had heard of the Frost Woman’s reputation in the jianghu, but he didn’t take me very seriously. After all, while the Frost Woman had deep internal energy, his qinggong was peerless. Between the two of us, who was above whom was still up for debate. So why should he be my assistant?

Ah Qing had assumed I would spar with him. Who knew I would be a civilized person who used words instead of fists? The moment we met, I first gave his potential a deep and sincere affirmation, then expressed my desire to work with him to create a bright future for the assassin industry.

Ah Qing had grown up suffering the cold eyes of the world. Even when he followed his master to learn martial arts, he was trained under the rod and stick. When had he ever experienced this kind of gentle, spring-breeze persuasion? His hostility toward me vanished on the spot. And when he saw me praising his qinggong to the skies, he became even more determined to prove himself.

Then I turned right around and began criticizing him for his unstable internal strength and lack of experience, saying he wasn’t someone who could shoulder a major responsibility. My words were laced with deep disappointment. Ah Qing was so shaken by what I said that he started doubting himself completely and already felt as if I was about to return him to Her Majesty the Empress.

But immediately afterward, I took him to Drunken Immortal Tower to eat his favorite Eight-Treasure Fish and told him, “Although your level isn’t good enough, because of the bond between us, I’m still willing to bring you along on this big job. All you have to do is exactly what I say. If you disobey me even once and make a wrong move on your own, then no one will be able to save you.”

Ah Qing ate his Eight-Treasure Fish with tears falling into the fish soup. He wondered how there could be such a wonderful big sister as me in this world, and he immediately decided he would repay my recognition of his talent even if it cost him his life.

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After using a black-hearted boss’s tactics to handle the little assassin, I immediately shifted my focus to the female lead.

Liu Xiaoman’s days had never been easy. As the female lead of a romance novel, she worked as a cook in the back kitchen, so naturally, today this steward would squeeze her out, and tomorrow that old servant woman would bully her.

In the original plotline, after the male lead Chu Ziye was rescued by the female lead, he would naturally keep an eye on her in secret. Thus, he smoothly helped the female lead slap those vicious supporting characters in the face.

But now, because I refused to stab anyone, Chu Ziye had no idea who Liu Xiaoman even was, so naturally, he wouldn’t help her seek justice.

Those matters fell to me. As the Head of Mansion Security, I still had quite a lot of say around here. So I often went to the back kitchen. Girls help girls. Whoever bullied Liu Xiaoman would be gently picked up by me and hung from the big pagoda tree in the rear courtyard for public display.

Chu Ziye even saw it once. He asked me why I kept helping that little cook. I couldn’t explain it clearly, so I could only say that Liu Xiaoman’s cooking was especially delicious and suited my tastes.

“In that case, have Miss Liu take charge of my meals from now on as well.”

I was ecstatic. I had only intended to win over the female lead, but who knew I would also give the romance between the male and female leads a little push? Chu Ziye was bound to like Liu Xiaoman’s cooking. Once she conquered a man’s stomach, could conquering his heart be far behind?

After helping Liu Xiaoman several times, it was only natural that the two of us became close as sisters. One day, I gave her a close-fitting padded jacket.

“This pale yellow suits you so well,” I said. “The fabric is top quality too. It’s been cold lately, so make sure you keep warm. You have to wear it at all times.”

Inside that padded jacket was a close-fitting suit of soft armor. Woven with fine golden hooks, it was a rare treasure in the martial world. Even if an ordinary knife were thrust into it with great force, the blade would slide along the armor and fail to truly pierce the body.

She was only saving a man. There was no need for her to actually get badly injured. This soft armor was the insurance policy I had taken out for Liu Xiaoman.

How meticulous. How rigorous. I was practically moved by my own all-around thoroughness as the designer of this plan.

The attacker and the victim were both in place. All that remained was the crime scene.

I knocked on Chu Ziye’s door.

“Your Highness, tomorrow is my birthday. I have prepared a small banquet in the rear courtyard. May I ask if Your Highness would do me the honor of attending?”

Black Eagle was helping Chu Ziye grind ink. He gave me a troubled look and answered on Chu Ziye’s behalf. “His Highness is going to Lord Li’s country estate tomorrow…”

I sighed softly. Chu Ziye’s schedule had always been packed, and it was hard to find a good opportunity. I had thought he would be staying at the residence tomorrow, but I hadn’t expected him to still have to go out.

Chu Ziye looked at me. Perhaps my expression at that instant was one of utter disappointment, or perhaps it was only my imagination, but I felt as though there was a trace of… reluctance to see that disappointment in his eyes.

“It’s all right. We’ll come back a little earlier,” Chu Ziye said with a nod. “Xiaoshuang has been in the residence for so long. For your birthday, I will certainly come.”

Late that night, I was still keeping watch in the courtyard, fulfilling my duties as captain of the security team.

And in Chu Ziye’s study, the lamp remained lit the entire time.

He was a virtuous prince and went to sleep very late every day. If commoners from any region had grievances, they would travel thousands of miles to appeal to him. He would verify every case with great care. If the situation proved true, he would organize the memorial and submit it to the Emperor.

Because of this, he had offended many people, including corrupt officials all over the country, as well as… the Empress, who wanted him dead.

For someone like him, sleeping an extra hour was a luxury. And yet he had looked into my eyes so earnestly and said-

“For your birthday, I will certainly come.”

Why did my heart just flutter a little?

It was all because of his face. It had to be because of his face. I could only blame the author for setting the male lead’s looks too high. With a face like that, any line he said could make a person’s heart skip a beat!

I waved my hand, swatting those inappropriate thoughts out of my mind.

In the end, the lamp that night never went out. I gently pushed the door open and went in, only to find that Black Eagle had already left. Chu Ziye was leaning against the desk, asleep.

After thinking for a moment, I carefully found a brocade robe and draped it over Chu Ziye’s shoulders. Then I blew out the candle and quietly left.

What I did not know was-

After I left, Chu Ziye opened his eyes.

He had not been asleep at all. In those ink-black eyes, a vigilant light gleamed.