Qing Feng was already bawling, sobbing as he threw himself into Chu Yan’s arms, saying, "Thank you, Fifth Master. Without you, I truly wouldn’t know what to do."
Before Chu Yan could react, Qi Hong yanked Qing Feng away, his face stern as he warned, "Don’t you dare take advantage of A’Yuan."
Qing Feng found the name "A’Yuan" somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall where he had heard it.
Though he was a few years older than Chu Yan, he now felt embarrassed for crying . He quickly wiped the tears from his face and carefully checked the Imperial Tiger Sigil and the imperial edict, making sure Qi Hong hadn’t swapped them out. After confirming everything was in order, he let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Fifth Master, weren’t you supposed to be recovering at the hot springs? How did you end up with Emperor Qi?"
Chu Yan’s heart warmed. "My family said I was at the springs recovering?"
Qing Feng nodded. "That’s what they said publicly."
"They’ve really been looking out for me." Chu Yan’s eyes grew misty.
He had returned to the capital after dispelling the Enchanting Bug, and people would assume he had been recuperating, so his true situation remained hidden.
Seeing Chu Yan so moved by something so small, Qi Hong felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. He looked at Chu Yan with sorrowful eyes, "A’Yuan, I’ve given up everything for you and followed you back to Mu Nation, and yet you can’t even show me the slightest gratitude?"
Xuanyuan Cang and Xuanyuan Fu, the rulers of Qi Nation, had both involved Qi Hong in their secret plans. But those schemes affected the entire Mu Nation, including the people of the capital. Worried that the capital’s spies might not be able to protect the Chu family, Qi Hong had decided to reveal everything to Chu Yan.
Chu Yan, naturally furious, immediately wanted to return to Mu Nation. Thanks to the talismans left behind by the White-Browed Priest, Qi Hong had generously offered them, enabling them to arrive near the capital in such a short time.
But why? Qi Hong felt he had done enough, even offering his heart, yet Chu Yan remained unmoved.
The Chu family merely claimed he was recovering, and Chu Yan was already so touched that he was almost in tears! The disparity was too much for Qi Hong to bear.
Chu Yan, noticing the redness in Qi Hong’s eyes, remained calm on the surface but was inwardly filled with turmoil. Biting his lower lip, he replied softly, "Emperor Qi, I appreciate your kindness, but what you want from me, I simply cannot give."
"And why not? All I’m asking is for you to live with me in Qi Nation!"
"But I have my family here. I can’t just leave them to go with you."
"I’ve already said, if you won’t come to Qi Nation, I’ll stay here in Mu Nation with you. I just want us to be together!"
Chu Yan was about to respond when Qing Feng, standing nearby, coughed and sputtered, choking on his own spit.
"Qing Feng, are you alright?" Chu Yan asked.
Qing Feng quickly waved his hands, signaling that he was fine. Once he recovered, his eyes darted between Chu Yan and Qi Hong, a look of shock on his face.
"You two..." He stammered, his gaze landing on Chu Yan, "Fifth Master, you’re eloping for love? If it were with a woman, that’d be one thing, but with a man... Do you think you’re being fair to your parents and brothers? Even if you’ve come to your senses now, it’s too late! Emperor Qi is obsessed with you!"
Both Qi Hong and Chu Yan’s faces twitched at his words.
They were initially angry, but realizing that Qing Feng didn’t know the full story and had clearly misunderstood their earlier conversation, they couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Chu Yan let out a long sigh, unsure how to explain the situation. He didn’t want more people to know that he and Qi Hong were, in fact, blood brothers.
But Qi Hong wasn’t as concerned. He glanced at Qing Feng and said, "Open your eyes and take a good look. Can’t you see that we look very much alike? A’Yuan is my biological brother. We don’t have any kind of... inappropriate relationship!"
If it weren’t for his concern that A’Yuan would get mad and ignore him, he would have shouted their relationship from the rooftops by now.
"Biological... brother?!" Qing Feng was even more shocked. He looked at Chu Yan. "Fifth Master, is this true?"
He knew Qi Hong had been searching for his younger brother, but he never expected that brother to be someone he knew!
In fact, he had known for a while that Qi Hong’s brother was named Qi Yuan, which was why Qi Hong’s use of "A’Yuan" had sounded familiar earlier.
Chu Yan, feeling it wasn’t worth getting angry with Qing Feng, especially since he was practically family, nodded reluctantly. "We’re... related by blood, yes, a little bit."
Qi Hong corrected him, "Not just a little. We’re blood brothers! Our hearts beat as one!"
Chu Yan, too tired to argue, turned back to Qing Feng. "Qing Feng, what’s the situation in the capital? You were sent to Yuan State to gather troops, right? Why did the Ninth Prince send only you? Didn’t anyone else go with you?"
His worry was evident.
Qi Hong, enjoying the moment, remarked sarcastically, "Maybe your Ninth Prince got poisoned by the Enchanting Bug and is now under Ye Chengyan’s control."
Qing Feng’s face darkened. "Our prince wasn’t poisoned. He’s just temporarily unconscious due to other issues."
Qi Hong grinned. "Still sounds like something went wrong, no need to explain."
Qing Feng was at a loss for words.
Chu Yan continued, "And the rest of the marquis’ household? Did they fall victim to the Enchanting Bug or poison?"
"No, thankfully," Qing Feng shook his head. "It seems the talisman the princess gave them worked, and the Seven Hearts Leaf in the Spring Sun Tea had no effect on your family."
"That’s a relief," Qi Hong sighed. "As long as the Chu family is safe."
Seeing Qi Hong’s obvious concern for his family, Chu Yan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of warmth in his heart.
"We were close to capturing Ye Chengyan," Qing Feng explained, "but a man from Qi Nation sacrificed himself and activated a teleportation array, sending us all out of the capital. Now, my prince and your family are trying to get back, so they entrusted me with the Imperial Tiger Sigil to gather reinforcements from Yuan State."
As Qing Feng recounted the situation, a sudden thought struck him. He looked sharply at Qi Hong. "That man from Qi Nation--was he sent by you?"
Qi Hong’s heart sank. Did I mess up?
The sharp, cold stare from Chu Yan made it clear that he was questioning whether Qi Hong had sabotaged things on purpose.
Qi Hong quickly explained, "They were only following my orders. They didn’t mean to mess things up. A’Yuan, you have to believe me, I didn’t intend for things to go this way."
Chu Yan replied, "But now my family’s mission is even more dangerous!"
"A’Yuan, I swear, your family is my family. We’ll head straight to the capital to help them!" Qi Hong vowed.
Qing Feng stood in stunned silence, mouth agape. This was the same Qi Hong who was notorious for his brutality and merciless nature. He’d always thought Qi Hong was a heartless killer, but now here he was, abandoning his grand plans all for the sake of his younger brother!