Chapter 40

That voice sounded like…

His second brother!

A buzz filled Huo Yin’s mind.

What were they doing? How could there be such noises?

Second Brother sounded like he was enjoying himself.

No way…

Without a second thought, Huo Yin dashed up the steps.

Just before he could push open the door, it creaked open on its own.

Luo Li stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. “Third Young Master?”

The youth’s long hair draped over his shoulders, his clothes neatly arranged, his head tilted in clear confusion.

He didn’t look remotely like someone who’d just been forced into anything.

Huo Yin came to an abrupt halt. “You… what are you doing in my second brother’s room?”

Luo Li lowered his gaze, his toe lightly scuffing the floor. “Xi Wang didn’t show up for some reason, so I just helped Second Young Master change his clothes.”

His bright, rounded almond eyes shimmered with moisture as he lifted his eyelids just a fraction, asking with clear discontent, “Third Young Master, what are you doing here so late at night?”

Huo Yin shuddered all over and immediately whipped his head away, letting out a cold snort. “What else? I just came to check if my second brother was all right.”

“Hmph, he’s fine. He’s already asleep.”

The youth curved his lips in a smile that carried a perfunctory impatience. “If Third Young Master has nothing else, you should get some rest too.”

Yet Huo Yin remained rooted to the spot. “You… you and him… did you kiss?”

Luo Li frowned faintly. “What do you take me for? I wouldn’t let just anyone kiss me willy-nilly.”

Huo Yin’s expression grew complicated. He couldn’t advance, nor could he retreat.

But he had clearly heard those sounds moments ago.

Could it have been… a hallucination?

Meanwhile, Luo Li had quietly slipped away.

Out of Huo Yin’s line of sight, he finally brought his hands out from behind his back.

He thrust them under the faucet, twisted the handle, and let the water rush over them.

A flush crept up his ears and neck bit by bit. His palms still throbbed, the once-tender skin now red and swollen.

He had claimed he was helping Huo Lan, but how was he supposed to know how to do any of that?

“You could have just left him to his own devices,” 007 spoke up suddenly. “Even if you’d abandoned him there, he wouldn’t have been able to fetch a doctor on his own.”

Luo Li raised his small hands to his lips and blew on them gently. He sounded a touch aggrieved. “My hands still hurt! You don’t even care about me, and now you’re blaming me too…”

“Hurt? Of course they hurt. That idiot’s got the strength of an ox. He gripped your wrists and slammed them without a shred of mercy.”

007 had witnessed the whole thing. This usually calm and detached artificial intelligence now spoke in an oddly strained tone. “He’s nothing but a greedy, opportunistic mutt. Why indulge him like that?”

An idiot with no sense of limits.

He’d dared to kiss him before—what would stop him from demanding even more outrageous things next time?

Who knew what he might try in the future?

Luo Li really was an utter fool.

So soft-hearted. So quick to trust others.

“But I took care of you the same way once,” Luo Li said as he meticulously cleaned his fingers. “Back then, in the ruins, I found you on the brink of breaking down completely. I carried you to the bed, charged you up, and wiped you down.

“You snapped at me back then, but didn’t I indulge you all the same?”

007 fell silent for a moment before letting out a cold snort.

That was hardly the same.

He’d never kissed Luo Li, after all.

…

Luo Li slept poorly that night, plagued by fragmented dreams of the scene before the casket that day.

The next morning, he woke unusually early. No sooner had he opened his eyes than a clamor erupted outside, as if something terrible had happened.

He pushed open the door to find the butler hurrying past, sweat beading on his forehead.

“What happened?” Luo Li asked.

“Oh, it’s Xi Wang! Someone found him collapsed in the Ancestral Hall this morning. By the time they dragged him out, he was already gone.”

Seeing Luo Li’s face pale, the butler hastily added, “We had a doctor look him over. Xi Wang had a heart condition from before—must’ve been a sudden attack last night. No idea what took him to the Ancestral Hall, though.”

“I thought no one was allowed in the Ancestral Hall,” Luo Li said.

“That’s right. We all steer clear of it. I reckon the lad got greedy and snuck in under cover of night to pilfer some of the ritual items for a quick sale. He’s done that sort of thing before…”

The butler rambled on, but Luo Li’s mind raced with a very different theory.

Xi Wang surely hadn’t gone there to steal.

The man came every night to help Second Young Master change his clothes, yet he hadn’t last night. If he’d truly planned to steal, why not wait until after tending to Huo Lan and seeing him off to sleep? Getting caught slacking on duty would have blown his cover right then and there.

So…

There was something fishy about Xi Wang’s death.

Luo Li stood apart from the crowd, a gnawing unease settling in his chest.

What if he’d gone looking for Xi Wang last night? Would the man still be alive?

But why would a mere servant sneak into the Ancestral Hall in the dead of night?

Unless…

He hadn’t gone of his own accord?

The more Luo Li thought about it, the colder his spine grew, his face draining of color.

Just then, a hand settled on his shoulder. “You all right?”

Luo Li let out a startled yelp and whirled around to find Huo Cheng gazing at him with concern.

“It’s you…” Luo Li’s heartbeat steadied as he nodded. “I’m fine.”

Huo Cheng waved the gawking servants away from the crowd, then turned to the butler. “Little Madam seems shaken. Brew him a bowl of Calming Decoction.”

He led Luo Li to the pavilion to rest. One of Huo Cheng’s maids approached with an exquisitely luxurious Fox Fur Cloak and draped it over Luo Li’s shoulders.

The young man smiled faintly. “Hmm. It suits you.”

The fox fur enveloped the youth’s slender, delicate frame. His sharp little chin vanished into the soft pelt, making his face appear even more dainty and porcelain-pale.

“How’s your health these days?” Huo Cheng asked. “I spoke with the doctor that day. He said you’d lived a hardscrabble life before, leaving you with a frail constitution. I hope your time at the Huo Mansion has helped build you up some.”

The mansion’s doctor had naturally been paid off and knew exactly what to say—and what not to.

Fearing he might say too much and give himself away, Luo Li offered a few vague platitudes.

When the Calming Decoction arrived, he left it to cool rather than drinking it hot.

Huo Cheng continued, “The mansion has a lot of people coming and going. The occasional death is just part of life here—you needn’t dwell on it. If you’re frightened, I can assign more servants to attend you.”

More people around would be a disaster. What if someone saw through his fake pregnancy?

Luo Li put on a show of reluctance. “I don’t like crowds. Instead of saddling me with extra servants, you ought to train the ones we have to serve properly.”

He glanced around with feigned disdain and let out a small huff.

Of the three brothers, Huo Cheng had the sternest, most intimidating looks, but he was by far the mildest in speech and action—a pillar of reliability, the very picture of an elder brother.

Being near him filled Luo Li with an inexplicable sense of security.

Of course, he hadn’t forgotten why he was here in the first place.

With the inheritance up for grabs, Huo Cheng—the eldest son—was undoubtedly his greatest rival.

“Actually, I came to see you today about something else,” Huo Cheng said.

He went on, “The mansion may be serene, but it’s too remote, and the location isn’t ideal for your health.”

He paused. “The Huo Family has another property in Jinzhou City. The surroundings there are elegant, and it’s far easier to summon doctors or fetch medicine. Living there would make things much more convenient come… the time of birth.”

The word “birth” made Luo Li flush inexplicably.

He scolded himself inwardly: You’re not actually pregnant—what’s there to be embarrassed about?

Still, the suggestion put him on high alert.

It sounded an awful lot like an attempt to ship him off somewhere.

Did Huo Cheng think he could quietly carve up the inheritance without Luo Li around to notice?

“No,” Luo Li said firmly. “Jinzhou City is too chaotic. I want to stay right here at the mansion. I’m not going anywhere.”

Huo Cheng rubbed his temple and fell silent for a moment. “Truth be told, there’s another reason I want to take you to Jinzhou City. Father’s old friends from the Chamber of Commerce are hosting a banquet in the city soon. I thought it was time you joined me there.”

He paused again. “After all, you and Father were married in every meaningful way. His old associates ought to meet you.”

What?

With his status… wasn’t he just a concubine?

Did he really need to show his face at an event like that?

It felt strange, but if he could seize some influence at the banquet, it might smooth the path to claiming his share of the inheritance.

On the other hand, he’d never been to anything like it. What if he not only failed to gain any sway but thoroughly embarrassed himself?

“You needn’t worry,” Huo Cheng said, lifting his gaze as if reading Luo Li’s thoughts. “All you have to do is make an appearance. That will be enough.”

It sounded more and more like a trap.

Luo Li had no ready counter, so he nodded and agreed.

A rare flicker of satisfaction crossed Huo Cheng’s face.

“Good. We’ll set out in a few days, then.”

As he watched the youth’s retreating figure, the man’s thumb traced idly along the edge of the table, his expression thoughtful.

Luo Li had nothing to fear about botching the banquet.

Anyone who laid eyes on him would only remark on what fine taste Master Huo had, what fortune to claim such a heavenly beauty. A delicate, exquisite little thing like that could only be sustained by Master Huo’s wealth.

A pity he was a widow now—bound to draw far too many unwanted eyes.

The butler reminded him kindly from the side, “Little Madam, your Calming Decoction is getting cold.”

Only then did Luo Li remember it.

He cradled the bowl of soup, hesitating for a moment.

Could he drink it?

In TV dramas, scenes like this cropped up all the time. Someone drinks a bowl of soup, and the baby in their belly vanishes.

Of course, he wasn’t actually pregnant. But if he drank it and nothing happened, wouldn’t the person who sent the soup suspect he had no child at all?

He mulled it over from every angle, caught in a bind.

In the end, Luo Li could only set the bowl down.

“I don’t want to drink anything bitter.”

Huo Cheng’s pitch-black pupils remained calm and steady. His gaze was profoundly deep, as if it could pierce through everything.

“What’s wrong? Afraid I slipped poison into the soup?”

At first, Luo Li had only harbored a bit of suspicion.

But after Huo Cheng spoke those words, he sensed the way the people around them looked at him shift.

It was as if they were all thinking: What airs this little mistress was putting on. The Eldest Young Master had kindly prepared a Calming Decoction to soothe his nerves, and yet he suspected poison.

Everyone in the Huo Mansion was firmly in Huo Cheng’s corner. Few truly respected this domineering, spoiled little concubine.

Luo Li puffed out his snowy cheeks.

He wasn’t having it.

If he wanted a piece of the inheritance, he needed to establish some authority with these servants.

With a sharp clink, he slammed the bowl down on the table.

“The child I’m carrying is the Master’s own flesh and blood—his one and only.”

He remembered Chu Jing’s instructions crystal clear. Those three young masters weren’t blood-related; they couldn’t hold a candle to the child in his belly. That was his ace in the hole.

“You… even you can’t compare to my precious Baby.”

Luo Li placed his little hand over his flat belly, issuing orders imperiously. “I won’t drink it. Unless… unless…”

He wracked his brains for a way to put Huo Cheng on the spot.

He pointed a pink-and-white fingertip right at him.

“Unless you serve me and feed it to me yourself.”