Chapter 461: A Personal Feud

Jiang Qingli’s brows furrowed. "The Baili family wants to kill Jing?"

"Yes, I only found out this afternoon." Gu Nian rested his chin on Jiang Qingli’s knee like an obedient, harmless little pet. "The information is solid."

Jiang Qingli didn’t doubt that.

The underground auction house sold not only rare treasures but also information—anything from major decisions made by high-ranking officials or even in the Imperial Palace, down to trivial matters like how many kittens a nobleman’s cat had and who they were given to...

Nobles often used such information to crush their rivals or catch a cheating spouse in the act.

Glancing in the direction Baili Jing had gone, Jiang Qingli asked, "Then do you know the time and place they’re planning? How many people? What’s their method?"

"I can tell you everything I know, but..." Gu Nian glanced at the young man standing beside them, looking troubled. "Some things are safer for Senior not to know."

He put on an act of being considerate.

But everyone present knew he was just using this as an excuse to get rid of Yuan Shimo and be alone with Jiang Qingli.

Yuan Shimo was speechless. "..."

His shadow on the ground shifted, inching toward Gu Nian in an aggressive stance.

Yuan Shimo reined in his shadow, walked to Jiang Qingli’s other side, and cupped her face. He bent down for a kiss. "Well... good night in advance, my female master."

At some point, the person who once most despised the two words "female master" had learned to use them proactively, with a frequency that rivaled a period at the end of a sentence.

Jiang Qingli could see that he now enjoyed emphasizing their relationship. She no longer insisted he call her "Qingli" and tacitly accepted his change, smiling as she kissed his cheek.

"Good night."

As the girl turned her head, the young man’s slender fingers brushed through her hair, seemingly tidying it without a second thought.

It was just a fleeting moment.

But the pinkish ring of a bite mark on her fair earlobe was clearly exposed to the other male.

Such a blatant display of provocation and targeted aggression almost made Gu Nian jump to his feet in anger.

’He just knew there was something wrong with this ugly cat’s sudden, easy retreat!’

’So he’s already been played with by Qingli.’

’Heh.’

’Worthless, desperate trash.’

’Can’t even control his own shadow. All he can do is use his body to seduce the female master.’

Gu Nian sneered inwardly, only to see Yuan Shimo, apparently not satisfied with one kiss, kiss her other cheek.

As his gaze swept over, it was brimming with provocation.

Rabbits are known for their bad tempers.

And this one now had a very short fuse.

The youth’s pretty pink eyes narrowed in displeasure as he silently mouthed at his rival, "You. Are. Dead!"

Yuan Shimo just raised an eyebrow, his meaning clear: he wasn’t afraid.

The boy’s handsome face contorted into a ferocious snarl, but the instant Jiang Qingli turned her head, it snapped back to an expression of obedient cuteness.

Yuan Shimo was already used to his face-changing antics.

He walked toward a shadow and vanished into the darkness.

Gu Nian pouted, inwardly cursing his rival as a creature of the dark.

He felt a hand stroking his hair.

Gu Nian looked up to meet Jiang Qingli’s gaze and obediently told her everything he knew. "They’re probably being very cautious. The intel isn’t complete, but it seems they’ll make their move on the day you return to the First District, at the border between the Tenth and Ninth Districts."

He forwarded the message he had received to Jiang Qingli.

After reading it, Jiang Qingli had a general idea of the situation.

Among the cities in the Lower District, only the Twelfth City was strictly managed due to its status as a border territory.

The next was the Eleventh City, where Qin Shu was in charge of security.

The management in the remaining two districts was exceptionally lax.

The Ninth District, in particular, was known as the "Central District’s backyard." All sorts of transactions forbidden in the Central District were simply moved there. The environment was chaotic, and no matter how many City Lords they went through, nothing changed.

On their way back this time, Jiang Qingli and her group were escorting a number of criminals. They were required to undergo an inspection in every district, which meant they would inevitably pass through these particular ones.

Making a move on the border between two districts was indeed a good choice.

Jiang Qingli pinched Gu Nian’s cheek. "Thank you, Nian. It’s getting late, you should go back and rest. I’m going to find Marshal Yuan now to discuss countermeasures."

"Qingli, I just got here..." Gu Nian clutched pitifully at the corner of her clothes. "At least... bite my ear as a reward..."

"Your requests are getting stranger and stranger."

Jiang Qingli had no idea that Gu Nian only had this thought after seeing the bite mark on her own ear. She brushed the hair away from his ear and bent down to bite it.

Just as her lips touched the boy’s fair earlobe, the door was suddenly opened from the outside.

Baili Jing was back.

Baili Jing had been out in the wind for a bit, and his slightly disheveled hair obscured his expression.

He didn’t raise a hand to fix it, just watched them quietly.

Baili Jing usually had a smile playing on his lips, his long, narrow, peach-blossom eyes filled with a captivating, rippling mirth.

Seeing his handsome face devoid of expression now was unsettlingly unfamiliar.

’She knew it. Gu Nian was definitely up to something.’

She pinched Gu Nian’s waist and bit his ear fiercely. "If you pull something like this again, I won’t play with you anymore."

Gu Nian whimpered, signaling his obedience.

Then, he briefly told Baili Jing about the information he’d gotten.

Baili Jing hadn’t intended to hide it, however; Gu Nian just happened to say it first.

That part, however, was a little surprising to him.

’He’d thought the moment that little brat opened his eyes, he’d be cursing every man around Jiang Qingli—besides himself—to die a horrible death.’

Baili Jing paused. "Regardless, thank you for your concern."

Gu Nian’s eyes went wide. ’???’

’Who was concerned about him!?’

’This guy is so disgusting when he talks!’

He had told Jiang Qingli about this for her sake, and her sake alone.

With Baili Jing’s low Match Value, it wasn’t impossible that he’d be cast aside once he grew old and his looks faded.

But if he died in his prime, right when he and Jiang Qingli were in love, he might truly become a permanent scar on her heart, an unforgettable memory that could never be erased.

Of course, Gu Nian would never admit that he occasionally felt the old fox didn’t entirely deserve to die.

Baili Jing looked at Gu Nian and smiled. "Alright, whether you were concerned or not doesn’t matter. Now, please leave. It’s time for the adults."

Gu Nian: "..."

’Should’ve just kept my mouth shut.’

He suddenly felt that Baili Jing actually did deserve to die after all.

Under the gazes of Jiang Qingli and Baili Jing, Gu Nian reluctantly tore open a spatial rift and slipped through.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow flicker on the ground and tutted.

’Perfect, I’m annoyed anyway. Might as well go pick a fight with Yuan Shimo.’

The spatial rift vanished from the room.

Baili Jing walked to Jiang Qingli’s side and explained in a gentle voice, "Baby, I promised I would keep nothing from you. I didn’t say anything yesterday because the specific details weren’t confirmed yet, and I was afraid of worrying you."

"I know."

Jiang Qingli understood Baili Jing. When he promised her something, he would do it.

Come rain or shine.

The two of them called for Yuan Liang to discuss the matter.

Yuan Liang had been just about to fall asleep. When he rushed over and heard the news, he slammed his fist on the table in a rage. "Son of a bitch! Making a move right under the military’s nose? They must have a death wish!"

"We have to send reinforcements and wipe them all out!"

Baili Jing said, "Please, leave it to me."

"This is a grudge between me and the Baili family. I want to be the one to put an end to it."