Chapter 37: Sincerity and Sincerity

Chapter 37: True Hearts

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"You said that when Yan Baiyue was killed, you were busy preparing supplies for the ice-sealed period, weren't you?"

After smashing his third teacup, Yan Huishi finally managed to calm down somewhat. He narrowed his eyes at You Fuzhu and let out a sneer.

"Lord You, this 'supply reserve' of yours—how is it stocked with my imperial brother's weapons?"

You Fuzhu's face stiffened.

As early as last night, when the city lord's mansion had been burglarized and the threatening letter had arrived, he'd had a nagging feeling something was wrong. Just to cover his bases, he'd given Yan Huishi a heads-up in advance.

But he never imagined Yan Wanqiu would pull a stunt like this!

You Fuzhu could only force an ingratiating smile: "Your Highness, you saw for yourself back then—the Third Prince was truly not killed by me. As for these electromagnetic guns, I merely took in the soldiers he brought after his death. Since they couldn't evacuate during the ice-sealed period, I stored their weapons on their behalf, fully intending to return them to you."

Yan Huishi let out another cold laugh, clearly unconvinced by the lame excuse.

He said in a slow, measured tone: "Is that so? I received quite a few interesting tidbits from my dear little brother last night."

As he spoke, Yan Huishi flicked his fingers, unfolding a document before the two of them—a dense, itemized list of expenses.

A portion of the supplies and funds in Icebound City had to be funneled through black-market ports, and this ledger clearly recorded that every shipment Yan Huishi sent or transferred suffered an inflated loss rate of nearly thirty percent.

You Fuzhu couldn't keep up the calm front anymore and spoke urgently: "Your Highness, I beg you to see clearly! Yan Wanqiu sent someone to eavesdrop on my conversation with Yuan Mingshan last night. Knowing I was after him, he'd do everything in his power to turn you against me. He forged this ledger! I had no idea!"

Yan Huishi looked down his nose at You Fuzhu, not really bothering to listen to the other man's excuses.

"Alright, that's enough." He cut off You Fuzhu's protests with arrogance. "I didn't come here to call you to account. I can afford to spend this kind of money keeping a dog fed, but I expect that money to actually do what it's supposed to do."

Yan Huishi stared coldly at You Fuzhu: "I want Yan Wanqiu dead. You already screwed up once. The next batch of weapons has already been sent to Icebound City. If you blow it again, don't blame me for settling all our scores at once!"

With that, he hung up without another word, leaving You Fuzhu alone in the empty room, staring off into space.

Looking at the newly installed bullet-resistant window before him, You Fuzhu let out a sigh.

Back when he'd decided to make a deal with the devil, he'd known the day of reckoning would come—but he never expected Yan Wanqiu to catch him red-handed so suddenly.

You Fuzhu knew full well that Yan Huishi's "letting it slide" was just talk.

As the undisputed Crown Prince and the future leader the people of the main star all looked up to, Yan Huishi was arrogant by nature, which meant he cared obsessively about his reputation.

Even when it came to getting rid of Yan Wanqiu, he'd spent six years carefully playing the loving older brother to make himself look completely innocent. Now, suddenly dragged into the mess as a wanted criminal suspected of murdering his own brother, how could Yan Huishi not be furious?

The only reason he'd only smashed three cups was that You Fuzhu was too far away to hit—otherwise, Yan Huishi would've put three bullets in him.

If he failed to eliminate Yan Wanqiu this time...

You Fuzhu let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head.

No—to be honest, even if he did eliminate Yan Wanqiu, he probably wouldn't end up well after the ice-sealed period.

Yan Baiyue had run himself ragged for Yan Huishi and still ended up dying far from home. He was just a small-time city lord—his fate would probably be even worse than Yan Baiyue's.

You Fuzhu sat there for a moment, mulling it over, then called someone in.

"Come. Move all the energy stones the Prince sent to the mansion into the secret warehouse."

His subordinate blinked in surprise: "City Lord, didn't you say we were only supposed to skim some off for heating and keep the rest to pass inspections?"

You Fuzhu's fox eyes curved into a smile: "Since we've been caught anyway, what's the difference between using a little or a lot? Also—send out an early notice telling the residents to stock up. There's bound to be chaos after the ice-sealed period. They'll be on their own then."

He stood up as he said this, threw on his coat, and got ready to leave.

His subordinate hurried after him: "City Lord, where are you going? Didn't you say there was a morning meeting to re-examine the mansion's security system? And you mentioned contacting Everfrost City to stop Glacier City Lord Yuan Mingshan..."

You Fuzhu didn't look back, waving a hand to cut off the subordinate's words: "We'll do it later. Too much stress—I'm going into town to see some patients and unwind."

On the enemy side, Yan Wanqiu was a monster who didn't even seem human, Yan Huishi was overbearing and arrogant, and there was a top-notch assassin who might be Xie Chi.

On his own side? A warehouse scraping the bottom of the barrel, a bunch of idiots who didn't notice until half the mansion was stolen, and Yuan Mingshan—that self-righteous fool.

The thought alone gave You Fuzhu a migraine.

To run a city in a mess like this, you either had to be as stupid and brutal as Yuan Mingshan, a total tyrant through and through, or as ruthless and smart as Yan Wanqiu, a real tyrant.

You Fuzhu sighed.

He'd once thought he was smart enough, but after going up against Yan Wanqiu, he realized he'd just been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.

But at this point, there was no way he could just abandon the whole city and run for his life.

Being a city lord really sucked. If he'd known, he never would've poisoned the last one—he'd have just stayed a doctor.

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While You Fuzhu nursed his headache and regrets, the main star erupted in chaos.

No one had expected that the well-mannered, cultured First Prince—the perfect contrast to the scandal-ridden, madly violent Yan Wanqiu—would also be dragged into a scandal of harming his own kin.

This was Yan Huishi, after all. At nineteen, he had led his team to develop energy conversion technology, delaying the impending energy crisis of the entire United Kingdom. He had then vigorously developed new energy sources, supported outer-domain exploration, and aided backward border cities... A man with vision, guts, and cunning—everyone sang his praises.

Yan Huishi had made sure to publicize his support for border cities. Icebound City's transformation from a backward frontier town into one of the region's top port cities was a well-known example of helping the poor and weak.

So when the damning evidence of Icebound City Lord You Fuzhu's murder of Yan Baiyue came to light, Yan Huishi was left in an incredibly awkward spot.

Even the wanted notice he'd pushed for now looked like a classic case of the thief crying "stop thief."

He had a blurry video; Yan Wanqiu had crystal-clear evidence. Even an idiot could see who had the better case.

"That goddamn bastard Yan Wanqiu!" Yan Huishi gritted his teeth, glaring at the trembling head of the royal council. "Wasn't he already exiled? How the hell did he get you to issue a wanted order?"

The council chairman hastily defended himself: "Your Highness, Yan Wanqiu never went through my council to issue a top-priority wanted order. He's exiled, sure, but he's still a prince—he can issue a regular wanted order through the Legal Affairs Bureau."

Yan Huishi sneered: "Is the entire Legal Affairs Bureau full of dead weight? He can just slap a wanted order on me whenever he feels like it? Does he have no respect for me at all?"

The moment he finished speaking, the director of the Legal Affairs Bureau came rushing in, looking panicked.

"Your Highness! Terrible news! We just tried to delete the wanted order for you, but the legal system and the Star Net notification system got hacked by someone—your wanted order just got pushed out to the whole domain!!"

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The main star fell into chaos, and Yan Huishi was running around like a headless chicken trying to control the public narrative.

Xie Chi, meanwhile, had no idea any of this was happening.

He was still feeling guilty for keeping the wanted notice a secret from Ji Chou.

That morning, Yan Wanqiu had dropped off his cut from last night's job—five hundred thousand in cash. Xie Chi tucked the cash into his spatial ring and spent the whole morning dealing with defense arrangements for the surrounding towns. It wasn't until noon that he finally dragged his feet and headed home, took a meal from another finance accountant on the inspector candidate list, and added them as a friend.

He carried the lunchbox to the table and sat down, but didn't dare open it for a long time.

He was scared the note tucked between the chopsticks would be a message of fury from his wife.

Xie Chi opened his smart device and stared at the chat with Ji Chou, which had been stuck on the other man's morning question—"when did you get wanted"—and his guilt finally hit its breaking point.

QAQ

He was screwed. He'd spent the whole morning agonizing over not replying to his wife's message.

If he'd just answered right away and said it was a slip of the tongue or something, he might've been able to bluff his way out of it. But now that so much time had passed, anything he said would just sound like a lie.

Xie Chi hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to ask someone for help.

He opened the private chat with the only married person he knew—Andre—and carefully composed his question.

"Xie Chi: If you hid something from your wife—something about your own safety—and she found out, what would you do?"

Andre replied right away.

"Andre: I dunno, I've never hidden anything from my wife. Sorry, Captain Xie, can't help you there."

Xie Chi: "…"

He shouldn't have even asked.

Xie Chi stared at the rest of his contacts and sank into thought.

Uncle Nie was out—still single, and clearly the type who couldn't lie to save his life.

Shi Peijue was out too—too timid. If his wife ever pushed him, he'd crack and spill everything.

Mr. Ai… he'd just bragged to Mr. Ai about how sweet and gentle his wife was.

After going back and forth, Xie Chi finally settled on the name "Yan Wanqiu" and sank into thought.

To ask, or not to ask?

Two weeks ago, Xie Chi would never have dreamed of asking Yan Wanqiu for advice on this.

But lately, his relationship with Yan Wanqiu had thawed. The guy seemed to be in a good mood, and Xie Chi had made plenty of contributions. Asking one harmless little question probably wouldn't cause any problems, right?

Xie Chi mulled it over for a long time before finally sending Yan Wanqiu his first casual message that wasn't a mission report.

"Xie Chi: You around?"

Inside the palace,

Yan Wanqiu had just woken up and was dressed, ready to head out, when he saw the message notification from Xie Chi on his smart device.

Xie Chi never messaged him casually. Yan Wanqiu had him saved under his name on both devices, so he instinctively assumed the message was meant for Ji Chou and started typing out of habit.

"Yan Wanqiu: Sorry, I was just working. What's this about you being wanted? I'm really worried…"

Wait—

Mid-typing, Yan Wanqiu saw the device name, jolted, and hastily deleted everything, cancelling the send.

"Yan Wanqiu: …?"

"Xie Chi: So here's the thing, Your Highness. I have a friend who accidentally hid something from his wife and got caught—something about his own safety. He's already gone half a day without replying to her follow-ups. What should he do to keep things from getting worse and win his wife back?"

"Xie Chi: I'm not asking for free, Your Highness. You've got plenty of romance experience. If you're willing to share, I… uh… I'll go kill someone for you again?"

Yan Wanqiu: "…"

Yan Wanqiu was speechless, then let out a helpless chuckle.

What the hell was this—coming to him for advice on how to win over his own wife?

And where the hell did Xie Chi get the idea that he was experienced in romance?

Speechless as he was, Yan Wanqiu also knew that if Xie Chi was desperate enough to come to him—the "villain who tore lovers apart"—for help, he probably really had no ideas left.

This guy only got clever when it came to killing people.

Remembering how Xie Chi had trembled and cried in fear that day when he'd been furious, Yan Wanqiu sighed and resignedly began typing.

He didn't want a repeat of that. He just wanted Xie Chi to be quiet for a while. If he actually scared the guy into tears, he'd still be the one comforting him.

"Yan Wanqiu: No need to kill anyone. Just do your job well. Your wife probably isn't angry—just worried about you being wanted. Not replying will only make her worry more that something's happened to you. Just be honest with her."

"Xie Chi: Got it, thanks, Your Highness."

"Xie Chi: Wait, how'd you know it's my wife?"

Yan Wanqiu turned off his smart device and didn't reply.

Saying any more would be out of character.

He knew Xie Chi was probably composing a message to "Ji Chou" right now, so he put off heading out and waited a little longer in the bedroom.

Sure enough, two minutes later, the smart device registered to "Ji Chou" buzzed.

"Xie Chi: I'm sorry, wife. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd worry. Earlier, Yan Huishi put a bounty on me—thirty billion. Same as this wanted notice. Please don't be mad… I didn't do it on purpose. I know I was wrong. I really haven't hidden anything else from you. And I'm really strong—they can't kill me."

"Xie Chi: I didn't mean to not reply. I didn't know how to respond, and before I knew it, time had passed. Don't be mad at me, don't be upset because of me."

"Xie Chi: [Transfer: 520k]"

"Xie Chi: I got paid today. I just exchanged it to online currency through Shi Peijue. Please don't yell at me, babe? I'm scared QAQ"

Yan Wanqiu watched the string of messages, and his gaze softened without him realizing.

Idiot.

And a little liar—he'd clearly hidden the injury from him again.

Meanwhile, Xie Chi waited nervously for thirty seconds before finally getting a reply from Ji Chou.

"Ji Chou: I'm not angry. No need to apologize. Why would you think I'm mad? I was just a little worried about you, wondering when you got put on the wanted list."

"Ji Chou: I won't yell at you. Did you eat a proper lunch today?"

Xie Chi's eyes lit up, and the dejection on his face vanished instantly.

Yan Wanqiu really was a love expert! He'd been spot on!

He immediately opened his lunchbox, snapped a six-angle photo set for Ji Chou, and replied with immense cheer.

"Xie Chi: Eating right now! Thanks, wife! Don't worry about me! I'm doing great! I'll come see you in a week! Hurry and accept the money—buy yourself something nice with your new job!"

"Ji Chou: [Received: 520k]"

Xie Chi, seeing that the other party had accepted the money, felt completely at ease. He lowered his head and skillfully unwrapped his chopsticks while cheerfully thinking that in the future, he should off a few more people to "bribe" Yan Wanqiu into being his love advisor.

Just as Xie Chi pulled out the note from the chopstick wrapper and was about to open it, his comms device buzzed.

"[Payment Notification] Your account (ending in 3919) has received a transfer of 1,000,000 yuan."

"Ji Chou: I've accepted your money. Think of this as a little extra from me—sorry for making you worry all morning."

"Ji Chou: Also, quit funneling all your money to me. Take better care of yourself. I'm doing well now, and I want you to be well too—don't get hurt, don't run into any accidents. I care about you just the same."

"Ji Chou: I've also prepared a gift for you. I'll give it to you myself next time we meet."

"Ji Chou: [Image: Full view of a one-bedroom apartment]"

To prove that he wasn't being mistreated by Yan Wanqiu and was doing well, Ji Chou sent a photo of a simply decorated one-bedroom apartment. Every piece of furniture and decor inside was something Xie Chi had handpicked, and a pair of pink-and-blue fuzzy slippers sat on the floor—making it obvious this was where he lived now.

The room was filled with lived-in touches, yet it was spotless and tidy, showing that the occupant cherished everything in it.

Xie Chi went still, unsure how to react for a moment.

Earlier, to verify Ji Chou's identity, he had tentatively asked Ji Chou to send photos a few times, but had stopped after that—mainly because he bought things for Ji Chou to give, not to force him to use them. That would've completely gone against what he wanted.

He never expected Ji Chou to have kept everything so carefully, even bringing it all along when moving, and actually using it all, treating it with such care.

Ji Chou had always come and went in a rush, and his replies were brief—unlike Xie Chi, who would take dozens of photos just to express his delight over receiving a single meal box.

Years of living as an assassin working alongside AI had also accustomed Xie Chi to such concise replies; he never thought there was anything wrong with how Ji Chou communicated. Not everyone had the habit of wearing their heart on their sleeve.

Through this photo, Xie Chi felt it viscerally for the first time: it wasn't just him cherishing everything about Ji Chou—Ji Chou had equally received every bit of his sincerity.

Ji Chou...

The man whose face was hard to see beneath the mask, the man who had cruelly kneaded his face, the man who had gently wiped away his tears, who effortlessly arranged his path forward, who spoke little yet treasured everything about him so carefully—all of this was Ji Chou.

His beloved wife.

Xie Chi never thought his behavior was over the top. His affection for Ji Chou began with love at first sight, and deepened the more he got to know him.

Because he loved him, he was afraid—afraid he'd fail to show Ji Chou his best self, afraid Ji Chou would find out he had no idea how to be a "husband" at all.

Xie Chi unfolded the note in his hand and finally read what it said.

"Remember to eat, take care of yourself, and no matter how busy you get with work, remember to reply to my messages ^^ —Ji Chou"

Xie Chi blinked.

He felt the tears coming again.

How strange—he wasn't being scolded by his wife, and seeing that his wife loved him just as much should have made him happy. So why did he want to cry again?

Xie Chi held back the tears and took a big bite of rice.

Maybe some tears had fallen into his food, because today's meal tasted especially salty.

"Xie Chi: Wife, I miss you and like you so much I kinda wanna cry TAT"

"Ji Chou: ...Don't be so dramatic. Don't cry over something this trivial."

"Ji Chou: If you're going to cry, save it for when we meet. I can't comfort you from all the way over here."

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With things sorted out with Ji Chou and having received his wife's concern, Xie Chi finished his meal and downed a whole bottle of water, feeling re-energized.

In the afternoon, he wrapped up the defense arrangements in the surrounding towns, sent the mission report to Yan Wanqiu, and then made a beeline for the black market to find Shopkeeper Wang.

"I've got a large batch of hot goods. Can you take it off my hands?"

Shopkeeper Wang was surprised. "How hot and how big?"

Xie Chi thought for a moment. "You know about the Icecold City heist last night?"

Shopkeeper Wang nodded. "Of course. The black market has been watching the whole drama unfold all day. You Fuzhu and Yan Huishi both got put on the wanted list, and your prince even had a long sit-down with our Mr. Ai all night to drive a wedge between them."

They were in a VIP private room, and since everyone knew Xie Chi was Yan Wanqiu's trusted aide, Shopkeeper Wang didn't hold back.

Xie Chi was a bit surprised to hear this—he hadn't expected Yan Wanqiu to push himself that hard while in that condition.

But he quickly shrugged it off and got back to business. "Good, you know then. I'm the one who robbed the Icecold City lord's manor."

He looked at Shopkeeper Wang, whose eyes were practically bulging, and asked again, "Can you handle it?"

Ten minutes later, Mr. Ai came rushing over, having gotten the news, with a bewildered Shopkeeper Wang trailing behind.

Shopkeeper Wang had seen the murderous vibe coming off Xie Chi before, but never imagined Xie Chi was the legendary thief. He now looked at Xie Chi with a hint of awe.

Mr. Ai wasn't feeling any calmer either.

He looked at Xie Chi sitting on the sofa with a guitar case slung over his shoulder, surprise and envy flickering in his eyes.

He chuckled softly. "So it really was you last night, Captain Xie. That's some seriously impressive work."

Compared to Shopkeeper Wang, Mr. Ai had access to more detailed information.

He not only knew You Fuzhu had been hit, but also that You Fuzhu had nearly lost his life to a dagger—one bearing a threatening letter written in blood.

He had some vague knowledge of Yan Wanqiu's plans, and when he received the news, he'd actually suspected Xie Chi might be behind it, but hadn't been sure enough to say it.

Xie Chi was just too young.

Even setting aside his strikingly handsome face, Xie Chi was only eighteen. Compared to the burly natives of Blizzard City, he had a slender build—he didn't seem like someone who could shatter bulletproof glass with a dagger.

Add to that the way he carried himself day to day—always greeting people politely, smiling with dimples like a well-behaved kid—Mr. Ai had even previously believed the Night Owl Syndicate affair was entirely Yan Wanqiu's doing.

He never would've guessed it was Xie Chi.

Mr. Ai couldn't help but sigh with envy, "The Second Prince truly has an excellent subordinate."

Excellent subordinate? Him?

Xie Chi thought Mr. Ai must have misjudged him. The first thing he imagined every day when he opened his eyes was running off into the sunset with his wife after Yan Wanqiu died.

But he didn't have time to explain further. Without a word, he opened the guitar case and dumped everything he'd stolen from You Fuzhu's mansion last night onto the floor with a clatter.

In an instant, celadon vases and gems rolled around, famous paintings and precious metal cutlery went flying, and Xie Chi even pulled out two crystal chandeliers.

Mr. Ai: "..."

Mr. Ai momentarily forgot his envy of Yan Wanqiu and stared at the items Xie Chi had pulled out, the corner of his mouth twitching.

His intel had been off—You Fuzhu's manor wasn't just robbed; it was flat-out ransacked.

If the wallpaper hadn't been worthless, Mr. Ai had no doubt Xie Chi would have torn that off too.

Xie Chi looked at Mr. Ai expectantly: "Take a look—how much is all this worth?"

Mr. Ai crouched down, examined the jewelry and paintings on the floor, and let out a puzzled "Hmm."

"What's wrong?" Xie Chi crouched down to look as well.

Mr. Ai picked up a vase, squinting: "These all look like fakes."

Xie Chi: "?"

Xie Chi couldn't believe it: "All fakes? What do you mean? Every single one?"

Mr. Ai scanned everything on the floor, then slowly nodded, his expression serious and clearly not joking: "Not entirely—at least ninety percent are fakes. If you don't trust me, you can take them to Viper on South Street for appraisal, and you'll get the same result."

At that point, it was clear Mr. Ai wasn't joking.

Xie Chi found it absurd: "Lord You is a city lord, and his manor is filled with fakes?!"

Mr. Ai thought for a moment, then explained: "I've heard a thing or two about Frostbite City. It's a big city, and the annual freeze eats up a ton of energy. Lord You has also purchased quite a bit from me before—it looks like he put his money where it counts. These were probably just put up temporarily for Yan Baiyue's visit."

Xie Chi: "..."

Xie Chi asked: "Can these still fetch any money?"

Mr. Ai looked at the despairing Xie Chi and stood up, looking amused: "Yes, they can. Although they're fakes, they're not low-end goods—actually, they're easier to unload. Packing all this together, I'd say the whole lot's worth around fifteen million."

Xie Chi finally felt a bit more balanced.

He hadn't hit the jackpot, but at least it wasn't for nothing.

He stood up as well and nodded: "Then I'll leave it all to you, Mr. Ai. There's one more thing—I want to see some high-end jewelry, for my wife. Do you have anything at the same level as 'Treasure'?"

Mr. Ai looked at this young alpha, who was more than a dozen years his junior, throwing around "wife" every other word. Even though it wasn't the first time he'd learned the man was married, he still found it novel.

Did everyone on the capital planet marry this early? Yan Wanqiu had also come to him yesterday to buy a pair of rings.

Mr. Ai, holding his pipe, said with a smile: "I don't have anything at the same level as 'Treasure,' but I do plan to sell 'Treasure' myself. Would you like to consider it?"