Those involved are often blinded.

After returning to Lichang Manor, Beigong Qiyi stormed off with a dark expression, shaking off Beigong Juechen and heading straight for Leisure Abode. Beigong Juechen watched the boy’s departing figure with a look of puzzlement. Qi Wen silently stepped forward, came to Beigong Juechen’s side, and said softly, “It seems the Young Master is angry at you, Master.”

Beigong Juechen turned his head, gazing at the face so similar to his own, and raised an eyebrow. “Where are you from?” Qi Wen smiled faintly, “From a faraway place, beautiful but desolate, without a single soul. When I left, only an old man at death’s door remained.”

Beigong Juechen scrutinized him up and down, then continued, “And what is your relation to me?” Qi Wen’s expression remained calm. “That old man told me I have an elder brother, one I have never met. Perhaps you are that brother.”

Perhaps? Beigong Juechen’s eyes narrowed. The youth before him bore a striking resemblance to himself—the same eyes, an air so familiar it unsettled him. Suddenly, he reached out and gripped the youth’s wrist. Qi Wen stood motionless, watching him. Beigong Juechen tightened his grip, as if he could sense the flow of blood beneath the youth’s thin skin, the pale blue veins pulsing just below the surface.

But in the next instant, Beigong Juechen yanked Qi Wen forcefully behind him, just as a metal spike embedded itself deeply into the stone floor where they had stood. Beigong Juechen’s brows drew together in displeasure as he looked toward the icy-faced Beigong Qiyi standing not far away. His voice was grave: “What are you doing?”

Beigong Qiyi shot him a cold glance, offering no reply. With a flick of his fingers, he formed a claw and lunged for Qi Wen’s throat. Qi Wen’s emerald eyes blinked slowly; he hadn’t moved, but the moment Beigong Qiyi’s hand touched his neck, he vanished.

Beigong Qiyi’s face darkened further, eyes narrowed as he silently gave chase. Qi Wen’s indifferent expression did not change. He stood quietly, not dodging this time, but simply raised his hand and gently grasped.

His movements were light and soft, yet he easily neutralized Beigong Qiyi’s full-force strike, firmly gripping his wrist. Beigong Qiyi struggled, brows knitted, but could not break free. Qi Wen looked at him coldly, “You cannot defeat me.” His gaze shifted to Beigong Juechen, his expression softening slightly. “I cannot defeat him, but you are no match for me.”

Beigong Juechen actually smiled, walking over at a leisurely pace. With a low laugh, he said, “We should find a time to have a proper match.” Qi Wen nodded slowly in agreement. Beigong Qiyi looked at the two of them, his exquisite features twisted with even more hostility. “Let go,” he commanded in a low voice.

Qi Wen released his wrist. Beigong Qiyi ripped his hand away and, suppressing his fury, demanded, “If your martial skills are so formidable, why did you become a courtesan in Spring Pavilion? What is your true purpose?” Qi Wen lowered his eyes and blinked slowly. “I was out of money. Even if someone bought me, they could do nothing to me. Those lecherous fools deserve a lesson. I just hadn’t expected to meet you two on my very first day.”

Beigong Qiyi sneered, “How very convenient. My brother and I rarely venture to the countryside, yet that’s the day we find you selling yourself.” Qi Wen seemed not to notice the sarcasm, instead nodding solemnly.

Beigong Qiyi clenched his fists but did not strike. Qi Wen was right; he was not his match. Beigong Qiyi took a deep breath, his tone still harsh. “Then why did you come back with us?”

Qi Wen looked at him with indifference and said quietly, “You were the ones who bought me.”

Beigong Qiyi gave a cold laugh, folding his arms in mockery. “My brother only redeemed you. You are now free to leave.” But Qi Wen shook his head. “I won’t go.” Beigong Qiyi’s eyes narrowed. “Oh?”

Qi Wen’s gaze slipped past Beigong Qiyi to Beigong Juechen, and he smiled lightly. “He is my brother, not yours. If anyone is to leave, it should be you.” No sooner had he spoken than Beigong Qiyi’s soft sword slid along his clothing. It was a precise, forceful thrust, but it did not pierce Qi Wen’s body.

Qi Wen landed steadily beside Beigong Juechen and, in a gesture of claiming his own, wrapped an arm around Beigong Juechen’s waist. “But Lichang Manor is yours,” he announced, “so I can take him with me.” Beigong Juechen’s eyes reddened as he looked at Qi Wen’s hand on the man’s waist. In his fury, he let out a laugh. “Take him? And where would you go? I have lived with him for eighteen years. Even if you are his blood brother, the bond between us is stronger than blood.”

Qi Wen stared intently at Beigong Qiyi, his emerald eyes now tinged with a layer of bright yellow. Beigong Qiyi shuddered beneath that gaze, and then a whisper drifted to his ears: You lied to him.

Just four words, but they made Beigong Qiyi’s entire body tense. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Qi Wen, and after a moment sent back a silent reply: Even if you tell him, he won’t believe you.

Beigong Qiyi’s gaze remained fixed on Qi Wen, but Qi Wen’s frosty face showed little emotion; he did not look at Beigong Qiyi again, but turned to Beigong Juechen. “I want to stay by your side.” Beigong Juechen nodded indifferently. “As you wish.”

Beigong Qiyi’s face darkened further. “Brother?” he exclaimed in disbelief. Beigong Juechen looked at him calmly. “Let him stay if he wishes. It’s no matter.” Beigong Qiyi’s beautiful lips parted, but he only bit down hard and strode out in a huff.

Beigong Juechen narrowed his eyes, watching the boy’s furious retreat. Qi Wen’s gaze never left Beigong Juechen; in those nearly identical emerald eyes, a glimmer of white light flashed. He walked over, his expression cool. “Aren’t you curious why I want to stay?”

Beigong Juechen withdrew his gaze and looked at him, suddenly curving his lips into a faint smile. “You appeared at Spring Pavilion at that exact moment, and now you’re here in Lichang Manor. Whatever scheme you’re plotting, I have no need to know.”

Qi Wen’s thin lips pressed together. He and Beigong Juechen were more than ninety percent alike, the small differences showing mostly in their mouths: Beigong Juechen’s lips were perfectly shaped, red and full, while Qi Wen’s were thinner, making him seem even colder and more aloof. “You don’t trust me,” he said quietly.

Beigong Juechen raised an eyebrow. “If you were in my place, would you trust yourself?” Qi Wen was momentarily taken aback, a rare look of confusion crossing his face. He looked at Beigong Juechen for a long moment, then gave a faint smile, different from Beigong Juechen’s own.

Truly, both their smiles were beautiful, but Beigong Juechen’s was like the first thaw of winter, gathering all the colors of the world into a single, peerless radiance. Qi Wen’s, though it should have been warm, carried a chill that would not fade—a subtle, persistent coldness.

Beigong Juechen suddenly thought of Fu Zhi, a man born without joy or sorrow, whose expression never changed. Qi Wen, though… he seemed a meticulously sculpted figure of ice, breathtaking but devoid of warmth.

The smile on Qi Wen’s lips deepened, even his phoenix eyes narrowing softly. He took Beigong Juechen’s hand, laughing quietly. “I don’t believe you,” he said as their nearly identical faces drew close, Qi Wen’s fingers gently caressing Beigong Juechen’s hand. “But if you say so, I’ll believe you.”

“Oh?” Beigong Juechen, already arching his brows, lifted them higher. He casually withdrew his hand, murmuring, “I’m curious—why would you believe me?” But the hand immediately caught his again, Qi Wen’s gaze growing even softer. “Because you are my kin, my blood, my only family in this vast world. If I cannot trust you, then who can I trust?”

A ripple passed through Beigong Juechen’s eyes. This time, he did not pull his hand away, letting Qi Wen hold it tightly. He stared at the boy’s eyes, so much like his own, and after a moment, gave a half-smile. “Is that so?”

Qi Wen nodded emphatically. “Yes.” His gaze was earnest and filled with hope, but the man did not give him the answer he sought.

Beigong Juechen’s gaze passed through him, expressionless as he looked into the distance. In a low voice, he said, “Qiyi was right about one thing. The bond between us is stronger than blood. And you,” he tilted his head, as if laughing softly, “even if you are my blood brother, for all these years, the one who called me brother has always been him, not you.”

For the first time, a crack appeared in Qi Wen’s ice-like features. His brows knit tightly, and he said in a low voice, “Even if I speak the truth, and he is deceiving you, you’ll still believe him over me?”

Beigong Juechen looked at him and chuckled quietly. Qi Wen blinked in confusion, but Beigong Juechen cut off his laughter, his voice dropping. “No. I may not trust you, but that doesn’t mean I trust him completely either.”

The clouds devoured the crescent moon and the scattered stars, bit by bit. Beigong Juechen waved his hand dismissively. “I know he’s hiding something from me. I won’t let him deceive me for long. Right now, he has the upper hand, so I can only bide my time and wait for my chance.”

The faintly cool warmth in his hand vanished. Qi Wen unconsciously clenched his hand into a fist, fingertips pressing into his palm. He lowered his eyes and said softly, “I can help you.” The wind howled in his ears as Qi Wen slowly raised his head, watching the man’s figure recede into the distance. “I can help you uncover what he’s hiding from you!”

That emerald figure paused briefly. Beigong Juechen waved a hand. “No need.” Qi Wen frowned, lips moving as if to speak, but Beigong Juechen added, “When it comes to my own affairs, I’ll find the truth myself!”

The man’s figure grew smaller and smaller, eventually becoming a tiny dot and then vanishing altogether. Qi Wen stood there, watching that point disappear, and finally shook his head, murmuring to himself, “You’ll never find the truth, not while you’re in the midst of it…”

(The author’s note: The little brother really is adorable awwww. The brotherly bond isn’t romantic awwww, the younger brother has his own pairing awwww. I really love the little brother’s pairing awwww, they’ll probably show up next chapter—let me swoon for a moment awwww.)