A third minister, clearly grasping for any glimmer of hope in the dire situation, speaks up. His voice trembles slightly but he tries hard to maintain a facade of composure.

  "B-besides, Your Majesty. He was the one who managed to infiltrate the Kai Fu Empire. All our other spies were unable to breach the border without being detected or killed."

  This last statement seems to give Yuan Shi pause. His eyes narrow in thought, the anger on his face replaced by a calculating look.

  "Hmph," he grumbles, a hint of grudging acknowledgment in his voice. "Yes... he was the only one to succeed in infiltrating the enemy nation..."

  The ministers all exchange relieved glances—it seems they've managed to appeal to the emperor's sense of pragmatism.

  One of the ministers, emboldened by their small triumph, clears his throat and continues. "Perhaps we should hear him out, Your Majesty. His actions, while appearing treacherous, might be part of a larger plan..."

  Yuan Shi's fingers tighten around the armrests of his throne, knuckles turning white. A muscle in his jaw twitches—anger and calculation warring behind his cold eyes.

  "Fine." The word is sharp, like a blade being unsheathed. "Let him come before me. And if this 'plan' of his isn't worth the wine I just spilled..."

  He leans forward slightly—the threat unspoken but deafening in its implication: Wang Yuzé will not leave that hall alive.

  [Kai fu : 1 AM]

  Wang Lee sits hunched over a low table in his chamber, the dim glow of an oil lamp casting flickering light on a secretly coded scroll. His eyes dart across lines of invisible ink as he deciphers it with practiced ease.

  Meanwhile, Jiyin lounges beside him—completely unbothered by Wang Lee's tension. He plucks another cherry from a plate and pops it into his mouth with lazy satisfaction. "Mmf... These are good."

  A pause. Then he nudges Wang Lee's elbow lightly: "...You're reading too fast."

  Wang Lee shoots Jiyin a sharp glare, his fingers tightening around the scroll as he tries to focus. "Shush. I'm working."

  Jiyin pouts dramatically, propping his chin on one hand and swinging his legs like a petulant child. "You never give me attention! I risked sneaking in here for you, you know?"

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Without even looking up from the text, Wang Lee grabs another cherry from the plate—then swiftly shoves it straight into Jiyin's open mouth to shut him up.

  Jiyin's eyes widen in surprise, his protest cut short by the sudden mouthful of cherry. He chews and swallows, his cheeks puffing out in indignant offense.

  "Hey-!"

  Wang Lee's eyes narrow, his expression unrepentant. He gives Jiyin a cool sidelong glance before returning to his reading. "Shut up and let me work. Your constant whining is giving me a headache."

  Jiyin fidgets restlessly next to Wang Lee, boredom quickly setting in. He tries to get the assassin's attention, but Wang Lee continues to diligently decode the scroll, ignoring him completely.

  "Hey... Gege..."

  Wang Lee remains absorbed in his work, not even sparing Jiyin a glance. He continues to decode the scroll in silence, pointedly ignoring Jiyin's attempts to get his attention.

  Jiyin resorts to using increasingly ridiculous titles to try and get Wang Lee's attention, shifting from one affectionate nickname to another. "Gege" to "dage" to "daren" to "beautiful man"... but still, Wang Lee ignores him stubbornly.

  Jiyin's pout deepens as his frustration mounts. He's starting to run out of options, and Wang Lee's refusal to acknowledge him even once is starting to grate on his already short patience.

  Jiyin grins as he sees the flicker of irritation on Wang Lee's face—finally, he's found a reaction. He doubles down on the playful insults, determined to get even more of a rise out of the assassin.

  "Old man! Sǐ-guǐ!" he taunts, a smirk on his face. Sure enough, Wang Lee's eyes snap up from the scroll to shoot him a glare.

  *{Si gui : "Dead Ghost." A classic, slightly scandalous term for a "naughty" lover who has been mischievous or away too long}

  Wang lee "Ugh. What pig head?"

  Jiyin pouts again, his tone petulant and whiny. He crosses his arms over his chest in a mock-sulking stance, the picture of a thoroughly disgruntled child.

  "Ruuuuuuuude..." he repeats, the sound of begging and whining clear in his voice.

  Wang Lee sighs heavily, setting down the scroll on the table. He turns to give Jiyin an exasperated look. "...shut up pig head"

  Jiyin lifts his chin in a haughty fashion, putting on an air of exaggerated nobility. "I'll have you know, I'm a prince. Concubines literally drown trying to talk to me."

  Wang Lee rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed by Jiyin's boastful proclamation. He crosses his arms over his chest and fixes Jiyin with a dry look. "Of course they do. And I suppose they also throw themselves at your feet, begging for a single word from your glorious lips?"

  Jiyin's eyes spark with mischief as he catches the hint of sarcasm in Wang Lee's words. He grins, the picture of a smug prince utterly confident in his own allure.

  "Well, as a matter of fact, yeah. They do that too." He spreads his arms wide in a dramatic gesture, gesturing to himself like he's displaying some grand work of art for all to see. "I'm so handsome."

  Wang Lee's mouth opens, words on the tip of his tongue, but before he can even utter a sound, Jiyin interrupts him with a sly smirk. He leans closer, his voice taking on a teasing tone as he speaks. "You want me to prove it with a kiss?"

  Wang Lee stares at him, incredulous. His cheeks heat up as he stutters out a response. "What? No! That's—no, that's—I—pig head- cutsleeve!" Whisper scolding

  Jiyin's teasing never stops—throughout the night, he pesters Wang Lee with more absurd challenges

  "Bet I can make you flinch if I kiss your palm." (Wang Lee immediately shoves him off.)

  "What if I called you 'darling' in front of the guards?" (Wang Lee looks ready to commit murder.)

  "Hahahha"

  ~~

  (Next day - 9 PM)

  Jiyin enters the imperial study, nodding in acknowledgement as the guards bow respectfully before allowing him passage. The emperor and empress are sitting at a table, looking grave. They glance up as Jiyin enters.

  "You came," the emperor remarks, his tone solemn. Both he and the empress look serious, their faces betraying the weight of the conversation to come.

  "Yes," Jiyin replies, approaching them carefully. "You called me here?"

  The empress gestures gracefully toward a chair, her expression unreadable but her tone firm. "Sit, Jiyin."

  Jiyin obeys without protest, his posture straight-backed as he waits for the explanation. The

  emperor leans forward slightly—his gaze sharp and piercing.

  "You truly don't recall who saved you that day? Who used Blood Awakening?" Empreror