At first, when Gu Lianzhao mentioned that Broom Tail was guarding the gates at the Imperial Prison, Liu Yuanxun had assumed it was some fierce, robust hound.
But when Broom Tail came wagging its tail and followed Gu Lianzhao out through the gates of the Commandery Office, he realized it was nothing more than a scruffy black-and-yellow mongrel that barely came up to a man’s crotch.
Having not seen Gu Lianzhao for so long, Broom Tail pounced right onto him. Its saber-like tail wagged furiously, and its lolling tongue was covered in dark blue-black spots.
Liu Yuanxun had never had much to do with animals, but since this was Gu Lianzhao’s dog, a sense of fondness welled up in him—like it was his own pet. Without thinking, he bent down and clapped his hands toward it.
Just a moment earlier, Broom Tail had seemed like a goofy, harmless mutt. In the next instant, though, it whipped its head around, crouched low to the ground, and snarled at him with bared teeth, growling deep in its throat. Its deep brown eyes burned with savage hostility, and it looked ready to lunge at him.
Liu Yuanxun startled, yanking his hand back and straightening up. He even ducked a little behind Ling Ting as he said awkwardly, “W-well… since we’ve already brought it out, let’s just get going…”
“Broom Tail!” Gu Lianzhao snapped coldly. The dog immediately dropped its aggressive posture, its face shifting back to an innocent, soft, and adorable expression as its tail began wagging once more.
“Your Highness, please don’t take it amiss,” Gu Lianzhao said. He walked over to Liu Yuanxun’s side, took his arm to support him, and helped him up onto the carriage with an apologetic air. In a low voice, he added, “Broom Tail is very aggressive, but it’s clever too. Once I give it a scolding, it knows better than to bare its teeth at you.”
Liu Yuanxun still felt a lingering palpitation as he replied, “No wonder it’s a dog from the Imperial Prison. It certainly is fierce.”
When the topic turned to Broom Tail, Gu Lianzhao grew more talkative. “It’s quite capable. Two years ago, when I took it along on a case, we tracked the suspects into a dense forest and ran into a pack of wolves. It killed three of them itself.”
He didn’t mention how perilous the situation had been or how close he’d come to losing his life. In his recollection, all he remembered was how valiantly his dog had fought by his side.
“There was another time when I was pursuing a fugitive and got ambushed on the road. I lost the trail for two days, but Broom Tail was the one who eventually led me to recapture him. Its sense of smell lasts up to forty hours. As long as the criminal has been somewhere and left a trace, even after three days, it can still sniff them out.”
Talking about Broom Tail didn’t just make Gu Lianzhao more loquacious; even his expression brightened a little. He looked just like any other spirited young man of eighteen.
Liu Yuanxun watched him quietly as he spoke, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Under that gentle, water-like gaze, Gu Lianzhao’s heartbeat grew a touch unsteady. He looked down uncomfortably and murmured, “I’ve said too much.”
“How could you have? It sounds fascinating,” Liu Yuanxun said with a soft smile. “I was actually worrying earlier that if we just got on the carriage and left it outside unattended, it might lose our trail. But after hearing you describe it, I think if no one at the Commandery Office were holding it back, it would’ve tracked us all the way to the prince’s mansion by now.”
“Master!” Ling Qing suddenly pulled aside the carriage curtain and poked her head in. She was with Ling Ting, who was driving the horses outside. In a coquettish voice, she said, “I want to raise a dog too!”
“Didn’t I already agree?” Liu Yuanxun replied patiently. “Raising a dog isn’t as simple as just feeding it. You need to think it through—what kind you want, whether you can care for it properly—before going to a seller.”
“I want a big dog! One that’s super majestic and can guard the house!”
Liu Yuanxun smiled indulgently. “Alright, we’ll get a big one.”
Gu Lianzhao took in every bit of his expression, and a hazy veil of gray suddenly clouded his previously lighthearted mood.
Of course. Why should he let himself get flustered just because of that gaze?
Those eyes of Liu Yuanxun’s were already so tender when he looked at a dog.
…
After returning to the prince’s mansion, Liu Yuanxun had the steward fetch some wood and had someone build a doghouse in the courtyard.
Broom Tail didn’t seem terribly interested in its new home, but it still poked around everywhere, sniffing with its nose held high, as if staking out its new territory.
Its ferocity kept Liu Yuanxun from getting too close, but its combat prowess and tracking skills gave him a sense of security.
Having a little creature like this in the courtyard wasn’t a bad idea at all.
…
Liu Yuanxun had been out all day and was already running on fumes, but he still had important business to attend to. He couldn’t sleep yet and had no choice but to push through.
Ling Ting said, “Master, why don’t you rest for a bit? I’ll wake you once the medicine is ready.”
“It’s not the medicine I’m waiting for,” Liu Yuanxun replied, covering his mouth with a book as he yawned. “I’m waiting for nightfall.”
“Nightfall?” Ling Qing turned to glance at the sky outside the window, puzzled. “What are we doing when it gets dark?”
Liu Yuanxun grinned. “Stealing, of course.”
He recounted what he’d seen that day at the Nameless Residence and continued, “I’m worried that if I pay too much attention to it, the people watching me might notice that painting. I’m also concerned the clues might be hidden in the mounting layers, which wouldn’t show up just from looking at the surface. After mulling it over, I think the safest bet is to steal the painting and examine it ourselves.”
“Steal the painting?” Ling Ting confirmed. “The one hanging behind the stage at the Nameless Residence?”
“That’s the one,” Liu Yuanxun said. “The problem is, we were just there, and now the painting goes missing right after. That might draw the attention of anyone with ulterior motives. So we need a way to handle this neatly and thoroughly.”
It wasn’t a difficult task.
At least, not for Gu Lianzhao. He could instantly come up with countless plans. The simplest was to set a fire—a big blaze that would burn away any evidence. Who would notice a single missing painting amid the ashes? Worst case, if they just stole it outright, even if the gang that killed Liu San discovered it, the painting would already be in their hands by then. Nothing those people did afterward could touch them.
But he knew what was holding Liu Yuanxun back. He was concerned that if those people couldn’t get the painting, they’d go after the owner and staff at the Nameless Residence, interrogate them about its origins, and maybe even kill them.
To ruthless, cold-blooded sorts, most problems weren’t hard to solve. But if you wanted to cover every base and keep the innocent safe, there were a lot more factors to consider. He had ten thousand methods at his disposal, but none as clean and perfect as what Liu Yuanxun envisioned.
“If we had more time, I could paint a fake, age it, and swap it out later without much trouble,” Liu Yuanxun said. “But I’m afraid something else might go wrong in the meantime…”
He pressed the book to his lips and yawned again, exhaustion plain on his face. The feeling of being utterly drained yet unable to rest was truly miserable, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep easy until this was sorted.
Gu Lianzhao took in his weary complexion. After hesitating several times, and considering how Liu Yuanxun had brought Broom Tail home with him, he finally spoke up. “What if we use fire?”
“That won’t work,” Ling Qing said, propping her chin in her hand with a troubled frown. “If the fire’s too small—just enough for one painting—that’d draw even more attention, right? And if it’s too big, what if it hurts bystanders?”
“The staff usually start their day at the hour of the tiger, and the first thing they do is sweep the main hall. In winter, with days short and nights long, it’s still dim at that hour, so they light candles to clean by. We could swap the painting ahead of time, coat the replacement with something flammable, and let them ignite it themselves when they light the candle. That way, there’s no major damage, and destroying the painting seems perfectly natural.”
“That’s a great idea!” Liu Yuanxun’s eyes lit up as energy surged back into him. “In that case, let’s head to the study first and find a suitable replacement. It’s getting dark, but it still needs to look similar enough in shape and size.”
The painting filled the entire sheet of rice paper, so he’d need one that was similarly full-sized for the swap.
…
In the study.
Under Liu Yuanxun’s direction, Ling Ting rummaged left and right until they unearthed a “Crane Viewing Pine Forest” that he’d painted the year before. In the dim light, the lush green canopy and dense branches looked much like the one hanging at the Nameless Residence.
The full painting was cumbersome to carry, and its dimensions didn’t quite match the wall-hung version. Taking it out as-is would definitely attract notice. The best approach was to remove it from the scroll mounting, fold it into quarters, trim it to size once they reached the Nameless Residence, and then make the swap.
The preparations were straightforward enough, but who would do the actual stealing…
Liu Yuanxun glanced at Gu Lianzhao and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Gu Jiu, what do you think…”
“I’ll go.” Gu Lianzhao cupped his hands in a formal salute, the single sentence drawing a clear line between them. “Consider it my way of repaying Your Highness for bringing Broom Tail home.”
Liu Yuanxun replied dryly, “…Very well.”
He hadn’t been seeking repayment from Gu Lianzhao. They’d spent so much time together now, even sharing a bed for several nights. They weren’t spouses, but they were certainly more than mere acquaintances—friends, at least.
He fetched the dog for Gu Lianzhao, and Gu Lianzhao helped him in return. It was meant to build camaraderie. But those words from Gu Lianzhao made it sound like a simple transaction—one favor repaid in full, nothing owed.
It was still early; nightfall was some time away. To avoid raising alarms, Ling Ting and his sister had gone to their usual side room to rest as normal. Now, only Gu Lianzhao and Liu Yuanxun remained in the room.
The silence was profound; even the faint crackle of the candle flames stood out. Liu Yuanxun idly turned a page in his book. When he glanced up, he saw Gu Lianzhao sitting at the foot of the bed, meditating and regulating his breathing.
Over the past month together, he’d witnessed firsthand just how diligent and relentless Gu Lianzhao truly was. At such a young age, he’d achieved his skill not through raw talent, but through many times the effort of others.
No matter the weather, he rose unfailingly at the hour of the rooster. Even in the prince’s mansion where movement was restricted, he practiced martial forms in the back courtyard every moment he could, each stance executed with utmost seriousness and perseverance.
Even as a mere observer, Liu Yuanxun couldn’t help but sincerely wish for him to soar to success and achieve great renown.
Lost in these thoughts, Liu Yuanxun zoned out. When he blinked back to awareness, he found that Gu Lianzhao had opened his eyes at some point and was gazing back at him, brows slightly furrowed.
“Cough… cough cough…” Startled, Liu Yuanxun choked on nothing and turned his head to cough twice. But that only triggered a chain reaction—he couldn’t stop.
Gu Lianzhao instinctively leaned forward, about to pat his back and help him catch his breath, but he caught himself mid-motion and held back.
Liu Yuanxun’s face flushed red from coughing, his breathing labored, and he nearly dropped the book from his grip. Seeing this, Gu Lianzhao—who had been watching coolly from the sidelines—finally stirred. He rose from the bed, poured a cup of water, and handed it over.
After drinking, Liu Yuanxun finally eased. He smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Gu Lianzhao replied stiffly, “No trouble at all.”
Noticing a hint of impatience on his face, Liu Yuanxun fell silent. He simply picked up his book again and quietly waited for the time to pass.
Gu Lianzhao glanced at him. “If Your Highness is tired, go ahead and sleep first. You don’t need to wait up. I know what I’m doing—I won’t delay the main business.”
“Alright.” Liu Yuanxun was exhausted anyway. Hearing this, he set the book aside without protest and lay down.
The candle was blown out. After a slight rustle, Gu Lianzhao lay down on the bed as well.
He lay there with eyes open, staring at the beam overhead and listening quietly to the breathing beside him.
One breath. Two breaths…
Once that breathing had grown deep and even, a cool body—as expected—pressed against him once more, familiarly wrapping around his neck.
Gu Lianzhao lay there quietly, making neither a sound nor any effort to resist. He simply allowed the other man to huddle against him for warmth.
Yet in his heart, he silently pondered: Did that man—who smiled so tenderly at Ling Qing during the day—realize that he spent every night in someone else’s arms?
