Schemes and Intrigue in the Imperial Capital, Volume One - Heart to Heart

Let's have a proper talk.

In the crimson hell where blood and flesh splattered, so the bright moon spoke.

Despite having just personally killed nearly twenty members of her own family, she remained calm as if nothing had happened.

"... Human life is truly cheap to you."

"There's nothing we can do. Who told them to target you?" Haoyue shrugged slightly, as if it were no big deal.

"'Wanting to attack me' is only one reason; the real reason is that you're simply not interested in them at all. Because they're boring, it doesn't matter if you die—that's your true thought, isn't it?"

"Oops, you've seen through me~" Haoyue scratched her head sheepishly, looking unexpectedly cute in the gesture.

"A cold-blooded bastard."

"Xiao Ye, aren't you the same? You watched so many people die violently right in front of you, and you didn't even show the slightest emotion."

"I figured there was no point in stopping you anyway, so I just let you come."

What are your true thoughts?

"Anyone who tries to threaten me should just die already."

"Hahaha! That's right, this is the real Xiao Ye!" Haoyue laughed heartily, her usual ladylike demeanor completely gone.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense... Killing me was a task assigned by your adoptive father, wasn't it? What if your actions are exposed?"

"Why try to bring a bullet back on track once it has already misfired?" she countered.

That makes sense.

"Let's double-check first, Xiao Ye. You didn't bring the Si Nan Family's detection compass with you, did you? That thing has surveillance and positioning functions; we'll be in big trouble if we're discovered."

"No, Si Nan Feng suddenly kidnapped me; I didn't have anything with me at the time."

"Hmm... if I'm not mistaken, that idiot second young master didn't bring his compass with him to avoid being disturbed... that puts my mind at ease."

"To be honest, I'm still a bit confused about the situation. Could you explain the whole story in detail?"

"Of course, but this place is a bit of a mood killer. How about we find a more romantic spot?"

"Whatever you want."

"What!? Second Brother is dead?"

"That's right, just now, the servants found him dead in his own east garden."

"What was the cause of death?"

"His heart was pierced by a sharp weapon; he died instantly."

"Depend on!"

Thump! Si Nan Ganming slammed his fist on the wall. The assassins had all been placed under a spell by the psychic, and the interrogation, which had lasted for over an hour, had yielded no results. Just as he was getting frustrated, his subordinates reported the sudden death of Si Nan Feng, adding insult to injury.

Si Nan Feng was found murdered on his own territory, meaning the perpetrator was most likely someone from his family. Si Nan Ganming doesn't recall giving any orders to assassinate Si Nan Feng, and besides, he doesn't have the capability right now. Therefore, the killer can only be—

"Big brother...?"

Si Nan Xing; if it were him, he could very well have devised such a thorough assassination plan. He would first send assassins to entangle him, preventing him from getting in his way, and then seize the opportunity to strike...

Si Nan Feng is dead, so the next one must be--

"...Xiao Rou."

"Yes!" Gu Rou responded immediately, realizing that her master was in a bad mood.

"From this moment forward, strengthen security and Si Nan Xing!"

"Yes, sir!"

"My second brother actually... sigh."

Si Nan Xing sighed softly, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Is it ultimately impossible to avoid fratricide?

There was a time when I seriously considered ways to solve problems without bloodshed, but in the end, my brothers still ended up killing each other.

There's nothing I can do...

Although he felt a pang of reluctance, Si Nan Xing was unwilling to risk his life out of womanly compassion.

"Pass on my order: keep a close watch on Si Nan Ganming's every move, in case of any unforeseen circumstances!"

That day, at dusk—

The capital city is located west of the Changqiao Canal, from which two man-made tributaries branch off. One of these tributaries meanders through the capital, serving as a water source, regulating soil and water, and facilitating water transport. In addition to its practical function, it also boasts exceptional scenic beauty. Under the sunlight, the river surface shimmers with light, reflecting the street scenes on both banks, perfectly combining natural and man-made beauty, making it a unique scenic spot in the capital.

Normally, the river is bustling with cargo ships and sightseeing yachts. However, with the semi-finals and finals of the clan competition approaching, security in the capital has been greatly strengthened, and navigation on this river has been prohibited for the past few days.

Thanks to this, on this vast river, there were only Haoyue and me.

"I never imagined your 'Moon Mist Silver Veil' would have an invisibility effect..." I exclaimed in admiration.

Now we are aboard an elegant little boat, drifting downstream in the afterglow of the setting sun. If you look closely, you can see a faint silver mist swirling around the boat, not only the boat itself, but also the ripples it creates.

"Thank you for the compliment. Here, would you like some tea?"

"No need, I'm not very good at appreciating tea, and besides, you haven't explained the whole story yet."

"Actually, it's not much to mention," Haoyue waved her hand dismissively. "The Tartaglia Family outwardly sides with the Si Nan Family, but secretly they're also doing business with the Cleon Family. Double the benefits, double the risks. If handled well, the profits will be immense; if things go wrong, they'll surely die."

"They really are a bunch of desperados."

"Indeed. Your previous actions have made some people in the Cleon Family and my so-called adoptive father very unhappy. At the same time, my adoptive father is also very dissatisfied with me for not beating you last time, so he asked me to make amends. How boring, isn't it?"

It's really boring.

"Okay, let's not talk about those troublesome things anymore. If you don't want tea, I'll have it."

Haoyue magically produced tea leaves, teaware, and boiling water. She poured boiling water into the teapot until it overflowed, rinsed it once, and then poured the water out of the pot. She placed the tea funnel on the rim of the cup and gently stirred the tea into the pot with a tea spoon. She then poured boiling water into the pot until foam overflowed from the rim.

The teapot, water, tea leaves, and more water were poured in one fluid motion, demonstrating Haoyue's profound knowledge of tea brewing. Despite her eccentric personality and family affiliation with the underworld, a young lady is still a young lady; the elegance cultivated over the years is something a commoner like me can never learn...

Since you can't learn it, just quietly appreciate it.

A moment later, the tea was ready. Haoyue first lifted the teapot and swirled it against the flow of the teacup, skimming off the water droplets from the bottom. Then, she gently lifted the teapot and poured the tea into the cup... Huh?

Something seems off.

Speaking of which, this teacup isn't the right size. It's more like a beer mug than a teacup? Or rather, one of those extra-large ones with handles you often see in movies.

Splash splash splash—Just as I was wondering what was going on, Haoyue poured the entire pot of tea into a beer glass. When the teapot was empty, the beer glass was more than half full. She looked at the pale green tea, nodded "Hmm~ Hmm~," and then took it out—

Ice cubes.

With a whoosh, several large ice cubes were tossed into the cup, melting rapidly, instantly cooling the once steaming tea. Haoyue then raised the large cup of cold tea to her beautifully shaped lips—

Glug glug glug glug glug!

He drank it all in one gulp.

"Pfft, that feels so good~~~"

She made a strange sound, slammed her beer mug down heavily on the small coffee table, and then took out her pretty handkerchief to elegantly wipe the water from the corner of her mouth.

I feel like my worldview is about to collapse again.

"Speaking of Haoyue, shouldn't tea be drunk from a small cup, sipped one sip at a time?" I finally couldn't help but complain.

"I've always drunk it this way. Who says you have to drink it little by little? The important thing isn't the rules, but your own preference."

... What matters isn't the rules, but your own preferences?

"Extreme egoism will be criticized, Haoyue."

Being criticized is not the same as being wrong; it simply means not conforming to mainstream values.

"... That's sophistry."

I'm only interested in things that interest me.

"This sentence has quite a few grammatical errors."

"There are no grammatical errors; the important thing is to understand the meaning."

"So, does that mean I can assume that if you're not interested in something, it doesn't matter if it rots, decays, or dies? Even if it's your family or friends?"

"Your first half of the statement is correct, but the second half is wrong—how could I possibly be friends with someone I'm not interested in? Not to mention Xiao Ye, my 'lover'."

"... Then I'd better watch out for the day you lose interest in me."

"In my opinion, love is eternal... Oh, Xiao Ye, your eyes have become very sharp."

"Is there?"

Haoyue moved the small tea table aside, sat down next to me, and squinted her eyes in blissful contentment.

"Xiao Ye, your expression is so handsome it's arousing. I told you a long time ago that you and I are the same kind of people. You would neither want to nor be suitable to stay in the Si Nan Family —because that would be such a waste."

"... Every word you say hits the nail on the head, but you still haven't made it clear what you're trying to do?"

I carefully steered the conversation toward the main point.

Haoyue chuckled, her watery eyes meeting mine. Her gaze was like that of a spider eyeing its prey, a mischievous kitten, and... a young girl entwined with her lover.

"Didn't I just say that you and I are the same kind of people, both half-hearted, wavering between two extremes, wanting to do something but not daring to, wanting to get closer but not daring to, wanting to change but refusing to change, and after stripping away the superficial glamour, all that's left is an empty interior. Do you know why we are like this?"

"... Why?" I asked, trying to calm my wildly beating heart.

For the first time, Haoyue's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.

"Because you and I don't think happiness has any value for ordinary people, yet bound by common sense, we dare not confidently pursue those 'uncommon' kinds of happiness. Realizing the abnormality of our thinking and our own insignificance, in order to reconcile the two, we pursue that so-called... ordinary."

So,

Haoyue reached out her hand to me.

"If we continue as we are, all that awaits us is a boring life and a meaningless end. Why don't we join forces and move towards a truly desirable goal together? What do you say?"

My heart was pounding, my head was spinning, and my hands were trembling uncontrollably. Just hearing this invitation made me so excited that I couldn't contain myself.

"... What is the target?"

"Let's start by removing the shackles that bind us—in other words, first destroy the Tartaglia Family, then bring down either the Si Nan Family or the Cleon Family... to utter ruin!"

I remained silent.

After sorting out my somewhat chaotic thoughts, I made a choice.

No need for further words,

I simply held her hand tightly.

For the first time, Haoyue truly showed me a smile that looked like "happiness".

That smile was warm and innocent.

It was as if they already possessed everything they desired.

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This is arguably the most important chapter in the first volume. With this as a dividing line, the rest of the first volume will be its finale. I need to quickly flip through the earlier chapters to see if I've missed any foreshadowing.

Oh right, there are two sentences in this chapter that borrow from "strange".

Two lines of dialogue from Chapter Two (or possibly Chapter Three) of Moon; that book surprisingly resonates with me, I recommend everyone check it out.