Qiu Fa woke early that morning. He double-checked his suit for lint, smoothed away every microscopic wrinkle on his dress shirt, ensured the gift box was immaculately wrapped, and confirmed he hadn’t overlooked a single detail.
Opening his phone’s memo app, he reviewed his carefully planned itinerary for the day. First, head to the location he had chosen to confess his feelings to Jing Pei. Once she accepted, they could officially begin their first real date—a nice meal, a stroll through the city, a movie…
Mei Yanlan had suggested booking a hotel room for the evening, a thought he had promptly shot down with a scowl. Her disappointed reaction afterward only confirmed his suspicion that she was deliberately trying to stir up trouble.
He had already instructed An Yan not to call him today unless the world was ending.
Fully prepared, he set off two hours early for the rendezvous point. Yet halfway there, his phone vibrated. The caller ID displayed An Yan’s name.
Ruined.
Three massive characters flashed across Qiu Fa’s mind: Massive points deducted.
Taking a deep, calming breath, he answered the call.
“Director, I know you have a major life milestone to handle today, but this is something I truly can’t handle alone.”
“What happened?”
“Master Wu has been killed.”
Master Wu was dead.
The news sent shockwaves through Hualan’s entire Atavist community, as well as the highest levels of government.
The Wu family—or rather, Master Wu himself—had long acted as a double agent within the elite Atavist circles. On the surface, he blustered and seemed to share their aristocratic disdain for commoners, but in reality, he was aligned firmly with the government. Most of the strategic victories the state had achieved against the entrenched Atavist families over the years could be traced back to his behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
And now, such a pivotal figure had been murdered.
Even more shocking was the identity of the assassin: his own stepson, Jiang Qing—who turned out to be the elusive Young Heir of the illegal organization!
Moments after An Yan’s call, Madam President phoned Qiu Fa directly. Her voice bore a heavy, solemn fury. “Investigate this personally.”
“Understood.” Qiu Fa was already making a U-turn, heading straight for the Wu Estate.
Heavy clouds hung low over the Wu Estate, casting a dark pall of grief over Lake Island.
When Qiu Fa arrived, he heard several members of the Wu family locked in a heated argument. The general sentiment was that since Jiang Yu was Jiang Qing’s biological mother, there was no way she had been kept in the dark. They demanded she be dragged to the Tribunal Division for interrogation or thrown out of the house immediately.
Jiang Yu had remained in bed since waking up, refusing even a sip of water, staring blankly at the ceiling while tears streamed silently down her face. Wu Ying had assigned a female retainer to guard her room, preventing her from doing anything drastic and keeping irrational family members from harassing her.
Many of the Wu family members found this lenient treatment hard to understand. But with Master Wu dead, Wu Ying was now the undisputed head of the Wu family. As the person with the highest Atavist purity in the clan, none of them dared challenge her by force, so all they could do was complain.
“We never should have let that woman through our doors! A one-night stand should’ve been settled with a paycheck, but he actually married her! We brought a wolf into our home!”
“Keeping her here is practically inviting more deaths!”
“She’s a jinx! Anyone associated with her ends up dead!”
“A woman like her never deserved to be our matriarch!”
“Shut up! If you’re so capable, go out and kill the organization’s assassins yourselves! What kind of strength is it to gang up on a powerless woman? At least she kept this family running smoothly. You lazy freeloaders should stop barking as if you’ve ever contributed anything! Say one more word and you can pack your bags and leave the clan. Don’t think I have the same patience my father did!”
The vocal, non-Atavist relatives who spent their days spending clan money without lifting a finger instantly fell silent.
Truth be told, these people rarely saw Master Wu more than once a month, so genuine grief was in short supply. It was one of the glaring flaws of massive aristocratic clans—despite shared bloodlines, true affection was rare. They simply held a long-standing disdain for Jiang Yu and were using the tragedy as an excuse to vent their bitterness.
Sensing Wu Ying’s fury, the crowd dispersed quickly as soon as they noticed Qiu Fa’s arrival.
When quiet returned to the main hall, Wu Ying took a few shaky breaths, forcing her chaotic emotions down to greet him with composed dignity. She led Qiu Fa and a team from the Tribunal Division toward the family morgue.
The Tribunal Division would take custody of Master Wu’s body for a forensic autopsy.
At the thought of her father being cut open, Wu Ying’s icy composure shattered, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.
Qiu Fa glanced at An Yan, who hurriedly pulled out a packet of tissues to offer some comfort. Wu Ying quickly wiped her face, forcing her voice back into steady rhythm. “The Young Heir is Jiang Qing. Jiang Yu genuinely knew nothing about his true identity. The man named Mr. Fei possesses a strange Atavist ability—it allows him to possess other people’s bodies and control them completely. When he struck, he was wearing a woman’s body…”
Wu Ying recounted every detail she had witnessed, including Jiang Qing’s exact words, which echoed clearly in her mind without a single detail missing.
Back when the incident with Jiang Qing’s childhood report occurred, Shi Gang had still been in charge of the Tribunal Division, though An Yan had already been working low-level clerk duties there. As he listened to Wu Ying’s account, a memory suddenly clicked.
“I remember now,” An Yan murmured with a sigh. “A young boy really did come to the Tribunal Division to report a crime back then, but he was thrown out. The officer who took the report must have tipped off the Atavist culprit, who rushed over and kicked the kid across the pavement. Fortunately, it happened right outside our main gates, so the guy didn’t dare go any further in front of Shi Gang, or the kid would’ve been murdered on the spot.”
An Yan shook his head softly. “So that solves a cold case. A few years after that incident, the culprit’s entire family was slaughtered overnight. It was one of those rare, horrific massacres where every member was executed using specialized Atavist weapons. The culprit suffered the worst of it—tortured to death. The case remained unsolved for years. Looking back now, it must have been Jiang Qing returning for revenge.”
Wu Ying turned her head away. She had no desire to sympathize with Jiang Qing’s past. No matter how much trauma he had endured, it had nothing to do with her. She felt pity for him, but who would pity her father?
They arrived at the estate’s private medical facility and stopped outside the morgue. As Wu Ying pushed the heavy doors open, a wave of sub-zero air washed over them. Master Wu lay motionless on a cold stainless-steel slab. Unable to bear the sight, Wu Ying stepped aside, letting Qiu Fa and his team enter while she remained near the threshold.
Master Wu’s skin had turned a waxy, pale white, his limbs stiffening as early post-mortem livor began to settle. A dark, crimson stain covered a large portion of his chest.
A flash of somber pain crossed Qiu Fa’s eyes. Just as he was about to instruct his men to place the body into a body bag, Wu Ying spoke up again.
“By the way… the reason we managed to capture that high-ranking official from the organization in the first place was because of intelligence provided by Long Jin.”
The words Qiu Fa was about to speak vanished from his tongue. He snapped his gaze toward Wu Ying. “Long Jin?”
“Yes.” A seed of suspicion had taken root in Wu Ying’s mind. When Jiang Qing had tried to call Jing Pei earlier, Wu Ying had seen the contact name on his screen. At the time, she had assumed Jiang Qing was putting on an act to deceive her, but after calming down, the logic didn’t add up.
Qiu Fa’s amber eyes shifted with complex emotions. He did not order his subordinates to pack Master Wu’s body. Facing the silent confusion of his team and Wu Ying, he simply said, “Wait. There’s no rush.”
When Qiu Fa spoke with such authority, no one questioned his judgment.
The Tribunal Division officers escorted Jiang Yu out. As the mother of the suspect, she was technically a person of interest and needed to undergo formal questioning before her clearance could be finalized.
“It won’t take long. I’ll come pick you up later,” Wu Ying reassured Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu nodded through her tears, her eyes brimming with grief and guilt.
The small boat glided back across the lake. Qiu Fa’s mood when arriving at the Wu Estate had already been sour—grieving the sudden loss of a respected hero while nursing deep guilt over missing his carefully planned date with Jing Pei. He had even sent her two apology messages in a row.
Yet leaving the estate now, his mood was twice as dark.
When the boat docked, Qiu Fa stepped onto the pier. Right at that moment, a luxury vehicle bearing the Long family crest pulled up smoothly along the shore, and Jing Pei stepped out.
“Ah, my timing is perfect,” Jing Pei greeted him with a bright, sweet smile.
Seeing her cheerful expression, Qiu Fa felt his suspicions confirmed. A surge of frustration and hollow disappointment settled over his chest.
He knew that the Information Broker, little dragon, was a good person at heart—just not in the conventional sense. But even for her, it felt unnatural to show up with a bright smile when her close friend’s father had just died. Furthermore, she was the one who had fed the high-ranking official’s location to Wu Ying in the first place, which meant Master Wu’s death was likely an intentional move within her broader strategy.
Which meant… whether Master Wu was truly dead remained open to question.
And a scheme of this scale couldn’t have been cooked up on a whim. She must have decided long ago what would transpire today.
She had never intended to keep their date.
Only after greeting him did Jing Pei notice that Qiu Fa wasn’t wearing his usual Tribunal Division uniform. Instead, he wore a tailored, formal suit. A man with a physique like his looked striking in anything, but a classic tailored suit was an absolute masterpiece.
Yet despite how handsome he looked, Jing Pei found no room in her heart to admire the view. A wave of genuine guilt washed over her.
“Get in the car first,” Qiu Fa instructed his officers coldly.
Within moments, only the two of them remained on the quiet pier.
“I shouldn’t be smiling right now, should I?” Jing Pei took a cautious step closer, speaking softly like a child who knew she had done something wrong.
“That has nothing to do with me,” Qiu Fa replied, turning his face away. His long eyelashes cast shadows over his eyes, hiding the vulnerable disappointment beneath his stoic expression.
“Don’t be like that. I know I was wrong, but there was a reason. I’ll explain everything to you later.” Jing Pei reached out, gently tugging at his suit sleeve.
“I have work to do.”
“If you don’t listen to my explanation, I won’t let you leave.”
The two of them stood in a quiet tug-of-war. Inside the parked vehicle, An Yan lowered the window slightly, watching them with a face full of confusion. What are you two doing? Director, if you really wanted to leave, a light flick of your wrist would break her grip! She’s literally holding onto your sleeve with two fingers!
Frowning, Qiu Fa allowed himself to be pulled over to the Long family vehicle, thoroughly against his apparent will. Jing Pei slid into the spacious backseat first, scooting all the way to the far side before curling her finger in an inviting gesture. Her posture and expression carried an effortless, playful charm.
Qiu Fa: “…”
His heart gave a traitorous, rapid thud, which only made him feel more frustrated with himself.
Bending down, he got into the car. His tall, imposing frame instantly made the luxurious cabin feel small and cramped. Sitting so close to him gave Jing Pei the distinct feeling of sharing a cage with a dangerous apex predator—an overpowering presence that made her heart race. She instinctively lifted her hand, wanting to pat the big tiger’s head.
Qiu Fa caught her wrist mid-air, gritting his teeth. “What are you doing? Is playing with me really that entertaining to you?”
Looking at the pain hidden deep within his eyes from such close range, Jing Pei felt her own chest ache. “I’m sorry. But because this was planned long in advance, the date couldn’t be altered.”
“You could have just told me you were busy today.”
“And if I had, how would you have reacted?” Jing Pei looked into his eyes, analyzing the situation with earnest care. “Think about it. That night, both of us were in great spirits. We had essentially made our feelings clear to each other. When you asked me out for today, I knew you were planning an official confession, and you knew that I knew. But if my answer had been, ‘Sorry, I happen to have plans that day,’ what would have gone through your mind?”
Jing Pei gently laid out her reasoning for him. “Hearing that, would you have honestly believed I was just busy? You would’ve gone home and overthought everything, wondering if I was subtly rejecting you—thinking that because I kissed you and flirted with you, I was just playing with your feelings. But you’re too proud to press for answers, so you would’ve spent every waking moment brooding, unable to eat or sleep properly while neglecting your injuries. Then, when news of Master Wu’s death reached your ears today, your frustration would’ve exploded. So isn’t my current handling slightly better? You only have to feel upset for a short moment, and I rushed over immediately to explain everything to you.”
Qiu Fa: “…”
Gritting his teeth, Qiu Fa muttered, “Should I say thank you, then??”
“No need for thanks,” Jing Pei replied, tilting her head up with a proud little smile as she reached out her other hand to pat his head.
Qiu Fa caught her other hand as well. With a single palm, he held both of her wrists captive. Jing Pei was now completely hands-tied, while Qiu Fa still had one hand free, resting against the window frame beside her.
He was almost amused by her twisted logic. Though his annoyance lingered, her explanation had thoroughly swept away the hollow disappointment in his heart. Still, he maintained a stern front.
“Then explain to me what happened with Master Wu.”
Jing Pei paused, looking directly into his amber eyes. She spoke slowly, her tone measured. “You’re a military man. You know better than anyone that peace often requires sacrificing a small minority. If you were faced with a trolley problem, what do you think I would do? And if it were you… what would you do?”
Qiu Fa looked into Jing Pei’s eyes. They seemed pure, but there was also something deep and hard to read in them, making it almost impossible to tell where the truth ended and the lies began. His gaze flickered with uncertainty as he took in her words.
While he was lost in thought, Jing Pei was already eyeing his lips. Leaning forward, she placed a soft, feather-light kiss on his mouth.
“Master Wu…”
Kiss.
“Did you…” Qiu Fa tilted his head back slightly, but made no real effort to pull away—otherwise, she never would have reached him so easily.
Kiss. Kiss.
“Master Wu, he…” Their breaths mingled in the tight space, her delicate fragrance wrapping around his senses. The soft, warm pressure of her lips brushed against his skin, sending tiny sparks of electricity through his nerve endings. Qiu Fa tried his best to maintain a stern demeanor.
Kiss. “Don’t dig too deep just yet. It’s not time.”
“I…”
Kiss. Kiss…
His questioning voice melted away entirely. Like a noble gentleman succumbing to a captivating enchantress, he willingly allowed himself to be tangled in her web.
Even though both of her hands were held securely in his grip, he was clearly the one who had been captured.
Jing Pei didn’t want him asking too many questions out loud. If he verbalized the query, answering would become complicated—and with the rebellious Plot watching like a hawk, any slip-up could prove disastrous.
As for whether her behavior seemed natural… how could the Plot spot anything amiss? After all, she had never been a conventional heroine. Even if her friend’s father had just passed away, she was entirely capable of laughing through the tragedy. It was only because Qiu Fa trusted her heart that he could decipher the hidden signal in her words.
Making Wu Ying suspicious of her was also a deliberate step in her plan. Even if Wu Ying hadn’t noticed Jiang Qing’s outgoing call, Jing Pei would have found another way to drop a hint. That suspicion would naturally drive Wu Ying to mention Long Jin to Qiu Fa. And Qiu Fa, trusting Jing Pei’s nature, would immediately question whether Master Wu was truly dead, prompting him to hold off on the autopsy.
Every piece had to fall into place naturally and logically. If there was even a shred of artificial design, the Plot would catch on, causing the entire setup to collapse.
After a long moment, An Yan walked over with a puzzled expression. He bent down, trying to peer through the tinted glass, but the heavy privacy film blocked his view completely. Tapping his knuckles against the window, he signaled for his director.
The long kiss finally came to an end at the sound.
Qiu Fa didn’t ask any more questions. The heavy ache in his chest had eased, though he still had a slight pout left in him.
“I need to get back to work,” he said, releasing her hands to step out of the car.
Jing Pei had no intention of letting him carry his frustration through the rest of the day. Stepping out right behind him, she coaxed, “Don’t be mad. I really don’t have anything else planned today—I’m giving all my time to you.”
“I don’t have free time today.” With the tragedy at the Wu Estate, a mountain of work awaited his attention.
“That’s fine. You do what you need to do, and I’ll stay by your side quietly until you’re free to give me your attention. How’s that sound?”
An Yan, standing nearby, almost dropped his jaw at her shameless phrasing. Qiu Fa’s ears flushed a faint red. He knew she was blabbering nonsense just to coax him out of his mood, but he wasn’t going to let her off that easily.
