Chapter 137 The Secret is Out

"Cold-Blood, what kind of man is the Divine Marquis? Is he... is he good at lying?"

Wang Yuyan didn't want to believe a single word of what Zhuge Zhengwo had said, but for some reason, she found herself inexplicably convinced. She desperately wanted to find someone to talk to and ask for advice, yet there wasn't a single soul she could confide in.

When the panic in her heart reached its absolute peak, Wang Yuyan threw caution to the wind and, forgetting Cold-Blood's usual aloof demeanor, directly put the question to him.

Hearing her inquiry, Cold-Blood was momentarily startled before he lowered his voice and replied, "My Lady, how is this humble subject supposed to answer such a question? As for others, I cannot say, but in my heart, the Divine Marquis has never once told a lie."

Thereupon, Cold-Blood recounted the misunderstanding that had previously occurred between Zhuge Zhengwo, Emotionless, and himself, before continuing.

"My Lady, just think about it. Back then, even if the Divine Marquis had not spoken the truth, a tiny white lie would have effortlessly smoothed the whole matter over. As long as the Divine Marquis had opened his mouth, Emotionless and I would have trusted him implicitly.

"Yet, under circumstances where he could not speak the truth, he remained completely silent, never uttering a single deceptive word. This ultimately led Emotionless and me to let our misunderstanding of the Divine Marquis deepen, and it wasn't until much later that the misunderstanding was finally resolved.

"Never having uttered a lie—that is precisely one of the reasons why the Divine Marquis commands such unwavering trust. Of course, should Your Ladyship harbor any doubts regarding my words, you are free to ask Emotionless about it later."

The story told by Cold-Blood completely captivated Wang Yuyan. Though she ought to have been wholly immersed in the narrative, she found her cheeks flushing crimson under the repeated address of 'My Lady' from Cold-Blood.

Nonetheless, upon hearing his account, Wang Yuyan thought to herself that if everything he said was true, the Divine Marquis was indeed a man truly worthy of trust.

A short while later, the palace gates loomed larger in her field of vision. Gradually calming her previously wandering thoughts, Wang Yuyan turned her head toward Cold-Blood, who was pushing her wheelchair, and asked, "Brother Cold-Blood, are you coming into the palace with me to fetch Sister Emotionless?"

"My Lady, night has already fallen. Without a formal imperial decree, men from outside the palace are not permitted to enter. This subject will simply wait here outside the gates."

"Is that so? Then I shall go in by myself. Rest assured, I won't be chatting with Sister Emotionless for too long today."

"No matter. This subject has nothing pressing to attend to back at the manor; Your Ladyship may take as much time as you need."

Watching Wang Yuyan's somewhat clumsy attempts to maneuver her wheelchair from behind, Cold-Blood still found it hard to believe. How could two people possibly look so identical without the use of any artifice?

The Emperor was fond of Wang Yuyan—could it be that His Majesty also harbored feelings for Emotionless? No, His Majesty had interacted with Emotionless on numerous occasions in the past without ever revealing the slightest inclination of that sort. Yet...

After a long while, Cold-Blood, who had been standing rigidly like a wooden post beside the palace gates, gave a sudden shiver. Without a moment's hesitation, he dealt himself a light slap across the face and silently cursed inwardly.

What on earth was he letting his imagination run wild for? How could the Emperor possibly compete with him for Emotionless?

Leaving that matter aside for the moment, within the imperial palace, the secluded courtyard that had witnessed such wondrous misadventures earlier that day welcomed back its mistress.

"Sister Emotionless, I'm back! How was your day? Did anyone come by?"

"Ah? No, no one."

"Sister Emotionless, why have you pulled the quilt all the way up over yourself in bed? Aren't you hot?"

"This... well, you see, I was practicing my inner cultivation in the room out of boredom today and ran into a slight mishap. My internal qi accidentally shattered your clothes, so if I don't cover myself with the quilt, what else am I supposed to use? As for where your spare garments are kept, I haven't the faintest idea."

"Oh? Is it really that serious? Sister Emotionless, are you alright?"

"I am fine. Hurry up and take my clothes off me, and then find something of your own to change into."

"Oh..."

What followed transpired precisely as their exchange implied. Once both of them had successfully donned their respective attire, they engaged in the usual intimate whispering shared between close female friends.

In the end, Wang Yuyan still could not resist asking Emotionless about whether the Divine Marquis ever lied. The answer, naturally, proved to be identical to what Cold-Blood had said.

Emotionless's words completely shattered the strongest defenses remaining in Wang Yuyan's heart, plunging her into an overwhelming wave of sorrow. At the same time, Wang Yuyan finally perceived the deeply buried, profoundly complex feelings she held for Zhu Yu hidden away in the recesses of her soul.

Upon learning that Cold-Blood was still waiting outside the palace gates, a flicker of panic crossed Emotionless's eyes, though she quickly composed herself and bid Wang Yuyan a calm farewell.

The very moment she stepped outside the palace gates, Cold-Blood greeted her with a mixture of profound relief, lingering anxiety, and a touch of reproach.

"Emotionless, you're not a child anymore. How could you pull off something so absurd? Do you have any idea how worried I—"

As he spoke, Cold-Blood reached out toward Emotionless's head, intending to stroke her hair as he usually did. Unexpectedly, Emotionless tilted her head to the side and dodged his touch, leaving Cold-Blood's hand awkwardly suspended in mid-air and cutting his words short.

At that moment, Emotionless was a turmoil of panic and self-reproach. Why had she dodged? Why on earth did she avoid it? Wasn't she already accustomed to Cold-Blood's touch? Why...

Why did her mind keep conjuring up that blurred hand—no, that face of the Emperor? Why did the mere thought of it make her entire body burn with heat, causing even the circulation of her internal qi to falter?

"Push me back. Since you all already know, I will make things clear with the Divine Marquis."

Emotionless forced her voice to sound as cold and detached as it always did, keenly aware that she absolutely could not let anyone discover her current difficulty in circulating her internal qi.

Still reeling from his shock, Cold-Blood heard her words and instantly broke into an irrepressible grin.

Emotionless was actually letting him push her wheelchair?! Having confirmed that he hadn't misheard, Cold-Blood was so thrilled that even the hand resting on the hilt of his blade trembled.

One had to know just how fiercely independent Emotionless was. Aside from a few elders who had watched her grow up from childhood, no one was ever permitted to touch her wheelchair, let alone Cold-Blood himself.

Previously, Emotionless had always relied entirely on her own internal qi to propel her wheelchair—which was precisely why her mastery of internal energy surpassed that of the other Three Great Constables.

Now, she was actually asking him to push her. Could this possibly mean...

"What are you daydreaming about? I had a slight mishap with my cultivation today. If you're unwilling, I can do it myself."

"Willing, I'm more than willing!"

Cold-Blood nodded eagerly before pushing Emotionless away into the deepening night.

....................

Formerly the Divine Marquis Manor, now the Zhuge Manor.

Zhuge Zhengwo sat in the main hall, sipping wine as he waited for Emotionless to return.

Cup after cup, half a jug of wine had unconsciously found its way into Zhuge Zhengwo's stomach. Just as he reached to pour himself another cup, he caught sight of Emotionless appearing at the entrance.

"Emotionless, you're back. Where is Cold-Blood?"

"I told him to go back first."

After inquiring briefly about Cold-Blood, Zhuge Zhengwo immediately moved on to the main business of the day, sharing his proposed solution with Emotionless.

After listening quietly for a moment, Emotionless replied, "Even so, I cannot simply wash my hands of Yuyan. The specifics will have to wait until some time has passed."

Hearing this, Zhuge Zhengwo nodded inwardly without the slightest trace of suspicion. Such was Emotionless's steadfast character. But why was her face so flushed?

"Emotionless, why are you blushing so? Could it be that you've been drinking as well?"

Emotionless had no desire to explain herself on this matter. Glancing at the wine flask still gripped in Zhuge Zhengwo's hand, she couldn't help remarking, "You should drink less as well. Drinking too much makes one prone to making a fool of oneself."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode back to her quarters without looking back.

"Drinking too much? Still caring for others, are we? I know you mean well, but you're worrying over nothing. A grandmaster cannot get drunk; even if one were to overindulge, the effects would wear off within the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, leaving no room for any embarrassing behavior."

Hearing this rare expression of concern from Emotionless, Zhuge Zhengwo felt deeply comforted and hurriedly called out to reassure her.

Upon catching Zhuge Zhengwo's explanation, Emotionless abruptly halted, spun around, and stared at him with an expression of utter astonishment, her eyes widening to their limits while her face burned with the vivid hue of a boiled lobster.