In his previous life, Huo Jue only learned that Wei Huan had been secretly rescued by Xue Wu and kept hidden in the Duke of Dingguo's residence after meeting Shen Ting. When the siblings reunited, one had become a eunuch, having spent four years in the palace and rising to become the highly sought-after Eunuch Huo in the capital. The other was Xue Wu's concubine, the "Madam Wei" of the Duke's residence, who had even been forced to abandon her own family name.
By then, Wei Huan's health had deteriorated to the brink of collapse due to her inner turmoil.
When she first saw him again, she had wept just as she did now.
She hugged him as she had when they were children, her frail hands patting his back as she sobbed, "You shouldn't have had to bear all this! A Jue, it's my fault! I failed to protect you!"
The image of her tear-streaked face overlapped with the pale, withered face from his memories.
Huo Jue lowered his eyes, bent down, and gently patted Wei Huan's slender shoulders, soothing her. "Sister, who said you were late? You came at just the right time."
Wei Huan shook her head, still crying.
Xue Wu, who had been sitting on the bed, had long since stood up with a dark expression when Wei Huan hugged Huo Jue. Now, seeing her still clinging to him, the anger in his eyes was unmistakable.
Wei Huan had never hugged him like that.
Suppressing the bitter ache in his heart, Xue Wu walked over, wrapped an arm around Wei Huan's waist, and said softly, "Wei Huan, don't get too emotional. You might faint again."
Seeing that Wei Huan had finally let go of the other man, Xue Wu gave Nanny Tong a meaningful look and smiled. "You're crying like a little kitten. Wash your face and have something to eat. A Jue and I will go next door to talk."
Wei Huan's face changed. "Xue Wu—"
"Sister, you must be exhausted from the journey. Rest for a while," Huo Jue interrupted. "I also have some things I'd like to discuss with the Duke."
Wei Huan frowned and looked at Huo Jue. The young man's eyes were calm and unreadable, making it impossible for her to refuse.
Huo Jue turned slightly and gestured to Xue Wu. "Duke, after you."
Xue Wu raised an eyebrow, giving Huo Jue a meaningful look before stepping out.
---
It was nearly noon, and the inn was bustling with guests.
As the waiter climbed to the second floor, he saw two strikingly handsome men—similar in height but with截然不同的气质—enter the Heavenly Room one after the other. He couldn't help but mutter, "Huh?" One of them looked familiar.
After a moment, he remembered: the one walking behind was the adopted son of Dr. Su from the end of the street.
Rumor had it he was a scholar and quite popular with the ladies.
But wasn't he an orphan? How did he know the distinguished guests who had arrived today?
Remembering the smiling man's piercing gaze, the waiter shivered and quickly put away his curiosity, heading back downstairs.
---
In the Heavenly Room, as soon as Huo Jue closed the door, a sharp gust of wind swept toward him from behind.
He sidestepped, swiftly grabbing Xue Wu's wrist, only to find the other man's free hand already striking toward a vital point. Huo Jue remained expressionless, bending backward like a bamboo stalk weighed down by snow, narrowly avoiding Xue Wu's strike.
The two exchanged blows in the room, careful to avoid the furniture.
On the windowsill sat a slender vase with a lotus flower. As the two figures moved, the subtle force in the air caused the vase to wobble. Within moments, it toppled over, rolling on the table before plummeting toward the ground.
Xue Wu caught the vase just in time, but in doing so, he took a solid punch from Huo Jue.
He grunted, stepping back, but the vase remained steady in his hand.
Both men stopped.
The water from the vase had already spilled onto the floor. Xue Wu placed it back on the table, ignoring the searing pain from his reopened wound, and smiled appreciatively. "The Huo family's boxing technique—well executed."
Huo Jue wasn't surprised that Xue Wu recognized his style. The Huo family's boxing and spear techniques, passed down from his grandfather, had once made them invincible on the battlefield.
In the Great Zhou, many knew of the technique, but few had mastered its essence.
Huo Jue glanced at Xue Wu's chest, where a small patch of his dark robe was damp with blood.
He looked away and stood calmly by the window. "If the Duke merely wanted to check if I was wearing a mask, you could have asked. There was no need for violence. Feel free to inspect me—I won't resist."
The young man's expression was open and unflinching, his gaze steady and unafraid, even unsettling in its depth.
Xue Wu had interrogated hundreds, if not thousands, of people. None had been as composed as this young man. He wiped the water from his hands and walked over, his fingers tracing Huo Jue's jawline without hesitation.
No mask. The face was real.
The Huo family's boxing technique was also flawlessly executed, something that would take over a decade to master.
He had heard that General Huo had begun teaching Wei Jin the technique at the age of three. Now, at sixteen, it made sense.
"My apologies. If you truly are Wei Jin, you should understand why I had to be cautious," Xue Wu said with a lazy smile, though his eyes were sharp as arrows, searching for any flicker of emotion on Huo Jue's face.
But he found nothing.
From the start, this young man had been inscrutable, his demeanor unshakable, calm and unyielding.
Such a person was either a born deceiver or... truly the young master of the Wei and Huo families, meticulously groomed by both.
Huo Jue nodded. "When the Wei and Huo families were accused of treason and executed, if my sister's identity were exposed, the Duke's residence would also be implicated. It's only natural for you to be cautious."
Xue Wu retracted his hand, hooked a chair with his foot, and sat down. "Let's sit and talk. Didn't you say you had something to discuss?"
Huo Jue glanced at him, knowing Xue Wu wasn't entirely convinced.
The two had only met once, eight years ago. It was no surprise that the commander of the Imperial Guards would be wary of his sudden appearance.
Huo Jue met Xue Wu's gaze calmly, then bowed in gratitude. "When the Wei family faced disaster, it was you who saved my sister's life. For that, I, Wei Jin, thank you."
"No need to thank me," Xue Wu said bluntly. "I saved Wei Huan for my own sake."
"Regardless, you saved my sister, and for that, the Wei family owes you a debt. However," Huo Jue straightened, looking directly at Xue Wu, "you should know that women of the Wei family do not become concubines."
"You're quite bold, meddling in your sister's affairs," Xue Wu's smile faded slightly. "It was a matter of necessity. Without this arrangement, how could I have protected her?"
"Your reasoning is sound. But now that I'm here, I will take over the responsibility of protecting my sister. After all, you will eventually marry and have children. Letting my sister go would be a kindness to you as well."
A kindness?
What nonsense!
Remembering Wei Huan's resolute words—"Wherever A Jue is, that's where I'll stay"—Xue Wu felt a pang of frustration.
These siblings were a handful!
Xue Wu tapped the table with his long fingers, his eyes devoid of amusement. "And if I refuse to let her go?"
"Then marry her. Let her become your wife openly, under the name Wei Huan, to live and die by your side."
"Marry her?" Xue Wu laughed, brushing dust from his sleeve. "You want me to marry her, let the world know she's the eldest daughter of the Wei family of Qingzhou, the former Crown Princess, and then send her to her death?"
Huo Jue remained unruffled by his dismissive tone. His dark eyes gleamed with a hidden light. "Once the Wei and Huo families are cleared of the treason charges, my sister can live openly. What does it matter if she's the eldest daughter of the Wei family then?"
---
Wei Huan absentmindedly sipped a bowl of black chicken soup, her heart still uneasy, fearing that Xue Wu might give her brother a hard time.
Nanny Tong, seeing her distress, gently wiped the soup from her lips and reassured her, "Miss, don't worry. There's been no noise from next door. The Duke and young master must be getting along well. The Duke loves you dearly—he'll treat your brother with respect for your sake."
Wei Huan set down her spoon, silent.
She didn't know if Xue Wu truly loved her, but she was well aware of how cunning and ruthless he could be. Her only concern was that A Jue might be used by him.
As she pondered, there was a knock at the door.
Nanny Tong hurried to open it, revealing Xue Wu and Huo Jue stepping inside. Both looked calm—one indifferent, the other smiling—giving nothing away.
Wei Huan stood and walked over, passing Xue Wu. She caught a faint whiff of blood.
Her eyes flicked to him, noticing his face was paler than when he had left.
She looked away, carefully studying Huo Jue. Seeing that he seemed unharmed, she quietly exhaled in relief.
Xue Wu watched her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You two have been apart for six years. Now that you've reunited, I'll arrange a place for A Jue in the capital. You can visit him whenever you like. Once Zhao Qian arrives in a couple of days, we'll return to the capital."
At his words, Wei Huan and Huo Jue remained expressionless, but Nanny Tong, standing by the table, beamed with joy.
To her, Xue Wu's offer meant he would take the young master under his protection. With his backing, A Jue could live safely in the capital under a new identity.
Nanny Tong asked for nothing more than the safety and well-being of her mistress and young master.
She looked eagerly at Wei Huan.
But Wei Huan hesitated, then asked Huo Jue, "A Jue, would you come back to the capital with me?"
"No," Huo Jue shook his head gently. A soft smile touched his lips as he added, "Sister, I've found someone I love. After the autumn exams, I plan to marry her."
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