The atmosphere inside the study remained tense long after the memories faded.
Li Jianghong stood beside the table, his brows tightly furrowed.
Across from him, Xiaoyu sat silently, still trying to steady her breathing.
The lingering fragments of Yuchen's memories refused to leave her mind.
Young Li.
Young Yuchen.
Laughter.
Trust.
Friendship.
None of it made sense.
A sharp sound broke the silence.
Li placed several reports aside.
"Enough."
Xiaoyu looked up.
"The investigation can continue tomorrow."
"I'm fine."
The response came too quickly.
Li's expression darkened.
"No, you're not."
Xiaoyu opened her mouth to argue.
Li continued before she could speak.
"You nearly collapsed."
"It was nothing."
"Nothing?"
For a brief moment, frustration flashed across his face.
"The first time may have been nothing."
"The second time may have been nothing."
"But how many times must it happen before you admit something is wrong?"
The room fell silent.
Xiaoyu stared at him.
Li rarely raised his voice.
Yet now genuine irritation lingered beneath every word.
"You need to see a physician."
"I'm not injured."
"That isn't the point."
"The sect cannot afford delays."
Li let out a slow breath.
"And the sect cannot afford a Sect Master who works himself into the grave."
The words struck harder than expected.
For a moment neither spoke.
The argument was no longer about physicians.
Or investigations.
Or reports.
It felt older than that.
Much older.
Before Xiaoyu could respond, the door suddenly opened.
Shen Wei entered carrying several documents.
The moment he saw Yuchen's face, he froze.
The papers nearly slipped from his hands.
"Young Master..."
His voice immediately changed.
All traces of professionalism vanished.
"You look terrible."
"I'm fine."
Shen Wei ignored the response completely.
He turned toward the guards outside.
"Summon Physician Sun immediately."
Xiaoyu blinked.
"Shen Wei—"
"No."
For perhaps the first time in years, Shen Wei interrupted him.
His usually calm face was filled with concern.
"You have not been sleeping."
"You have barely eaten."
"And now you're collapsing."
His voice lowered.
"Please."
The single word carried years of worry.
Years of watching Yuchen push himself beyond his limits.
Years of helplessness.
Xiaoyu suddenly found herself unable to argue.
Not because she agreed.
But because she realized this concern was genuine.
The physician arrived shortly afterward.
Naturally, the investigation was suspended.
Li remained until the examination was completed.
Only after receiving reassurance that Yuchen's condition was stable did he finally leave.
Even then, he looked reluctant.
As though he wanted to say something.
Yet in the end, he simply nodded and departed.
The room gradually grew quiet.
Too quiet.
Xiaoyu sat beside the window.
Lost in thought.
Her gaze drifted toward the moonlit courtyard outside.
The physician's words barely registered.
Her mind remained trapped elsewhere.
Why?
Why had things become like this?
The memories replayed endlessly.
Li defending Yuchen.
Li sharing meals with him.
Li sitting beside him during difficult days.
Li dragging him into crowded festivals despite his protests.
There had been warmth.
Real warmth.
Not obligation.
Not politics.
Not duty.
Friendship.
Perhaps even brotherhood.
Yet now they treated each other like strangers.
What happened?
What had broken them apart?
The comic never explained it.
The memories refused to explain it.
And somehow that uncertainty bothered her more than the letters.
More than the investigation.
More than the mysterious symbol.
A knock suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
Shen Wei entered carrying a tray.
"The medicine."
Xiaoyu grimaced.
Shen Wei pretended not to notice.
"You should rest early."
She nodded absentmindedly.
After ensuring everything was arranged properly, Shen Wei finally departed.
The room fell silent once more.
A few moments later, Xiaoyu reached for the medicine.
Then froze.
A folded piece of paper sat beneath the tray.
Her blood ran cold.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She lifted it.
The familiar symbol greeted her immediately.
Her heartbeat quickened.
No.
No.
No.
Not again.
With trembling fingers, she unfolded the letter.
Only four words appeared.
"We are still waiting."
Nothing else.
No location.
No explanation.
No signature.
The room suddenly felt much colder.
Xiaoyu stared at the message.
Waiting?
Waiting where?
Waiting for what?
Who were they?
And most importantly—
How had they entered again?
The doors remained guarded.
The windows remained closed.
Shen Wei had been present only moments ago.
Yet somehow the letter had appeared.
As if it had always been there.
A terrifying possibility surfaced.
The sender believed Yuchen understood.
The sender expected a response.
The sender was becoming impatient.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Xiaoyu felt genuine fear.
Not fear of enemies.
Not fear of assassins.
Fear of being discovered.
What if they realized she wasn't Yuchen?
The thought sent chills through her entire body.
Sleep abandoned her that night.
---
The following afternoon brought an unexpected visitor.
Zichen.
The younger boy entered carrying several snacks.
The moment he stepped inside, his expression soured.
"You really look awful."
Xiaoyu sighed.
"Thank you."
"I'm serious."
Zichen dropped into a nearby chair.
"Shen Wei told me you collapsed."
"Shen Wei exaggerates."
"He doesn't."
The response came instantly.
Zichen crossed his arms.
"He panics whenever you're involved."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Just like when we were younger."
Xiaoyu remained silent.
Zichen continued without noticing.
"I passed the bamboo courtyard earlier."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
"It hasn't changed at all."
For a moment, amusement appeared in his eyes.
"I remember how often you used to disappear there."
Xiaoyu blinked.
"You would vanish every time Father compared you to Tianyu."
The smile slowly faded.
"And every single time, I'd have to search half the sect to find you."
The room grew quiet.
Zichen laughed softly.
"I always knew where you'd be."
The words were casual.
Almost playful.
Yet something about them tightened Xiaoyu's chest.
Another memory.
Another glimpse of Yuchen's loneliness.
Zichen picked up one of the snacks.
"You know, looking back now..."
He paused.
"You always acted like none of it bothered you."
His voice became quieter.
"But I knew it did."
For the first time since arriving, Xiaoyu saw sadness flicker across his face.
Not pity.
Sadness.
The sadness of someone who had watched a loved one suffer.
"We were children."
Zichen laughed softly.
"But even then I knew things weren't fair."
Silence settled between them.
Neither spoke.
The afternoon sunlight stretched across the floor.
Eventually, Zichen stood.
Before leaving, he paused beside the door.
His smile returned.
Smaller this time.
Gentler.
"Try resting occasionally, brother."
Then he left.
The room became quiet once more.
Xiaoyu sat alone.
The medicine rested untouched nearby.
The mysterious letter remained hidden inside her sleeve.
Outside, the sect appeared peaceful.
Calm.
Normal.
Yet her thoughts remained anything but.
The memories.
The letters.
Li Jianghong.
Zichen.
The hidden tunnel.
The masked figures.
Everything felt connected.
Yet she couldn't see how.
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
And once again remembered the image from the fragment.
Masked figures kneeling before Yuchen.
Awaiting his orders.
Following his commands.
A detail she had overlooked before.
A detail that now refused to leave her mind.
The comic had portrayed Yuchen as a pawn.
A villain destined to fall.
But what if that was wrong?
What if Yuchen had never been a pawn at all?
What if he had been one of the players?
The thought lingered long after darkness filled the room.