CHAPTER FORTY‑FIVE — THE FOX'S TAIL
"Chief Zhan, you've returned?"
The guard's voice drifted in from outside.
Tang Ke Xin froze.
Ye Lan Jue's brows drew together ever so slightly. In an instant, the warmth, the ambiguity, the dangerous closeness of moments before vanished. His expression returned to its usual icy composure.
He lifted a hand—stopping just short of touching her chest—yet the gesture alone made her breath catch.
"Tang Ke Xin," he murmured, voice low and edged with threat, "you had better hide your fox tail well."
Before she could react, he was gone.
Gone—so swiftly she barely saw the movement. One blink, and the space before her was empty.
Was he even human?
How could anyone move faster than a ghost?
A fox, he had called her.
But he was the fox—dark, cunning, and impossibly elusive.
Why had he appeared in the harem in the middle of the night?
What was he investigating?
What did he suspect?
No one offered her answers.
At least the sounds from the Empress's chamber finally subsided. Only then did Tang Ke Xin manage to sleep.
---
The Next Morning
Tang Ke Xin rose early, despite the restless night.
"Heart—Xiao Cui is dead."
Ye Lan Chen intercepted her the moment she stepped out.
Tang Ke Xin's heart dropped.
"Dead?"
"I did exactly as you said," Ye Lan Chen replied gravely. "I handed her over to the executioner, but ensured the blows would not kill her. I sent my most capable man to guard her in secret. Yet she still died in the night. No signs of struggle. No trace of the killer."
His expression was unusually serious.
Tang Ke Xin felt a chill creep up her spine.
If Ye Lan Chen had sent one of his best—and that person had still failed to protect Xiao Cui—then the murderer was no ordinary figure.
Her thoughts flashed back to the previous night.
To the guard.
To the scent.
And to Ye Lan Jue's sudden appearance.
She realised, with a sinking feeling, that her movements had already drawn attention.
A cluster of guards stood near the entrance of the Peace Palace—including Zhan Yu.
Tang Ke Xin's eyes narrowed.
Her expression smoothed into indifference.
"So what if she's dead?" she said lightly. "She was only a palace maid. Why make such a fuss? Come—let's go and have a look."
Ye Lan Chen blinked, stunned by her sudden shift. Before he could respond, she had already swept past him.
"Aiyo, I've just realised how handsome Chief Zhan is," Tang Ke Xin exclaimed loudly as she approached the guards. "Such elegance! Such bearing!"
Ye Lan Chen nearly choked on air.
What was happening?
"Heart—Heart!" he sputtered, reaching out to stop her.
"What? Don't interrupt my flirting," she snapped, shaking him off and trotting straight toward Zhan Yu.
Ye Lan Chen stood rooted to the spot, struck by metaphorical lightning.
Was her illness returning?
Had she become infatuated again—this time with a guard?
Zhan Yu himself stiffened when she approached, his usually impassive face cracking ever so slightly.
"Miss Tang…" he said awkwardly.
Tang Ke Xin smiled sweetly, eyes shining with girlish admiration.
Inside, she was cold and calculating.
Good. He's already off‑balance.
She stepped closer—too close—and then gasped dramatically, as though she had discovered something astonishing.
Her voice was soft, the last words nearly whispered.
Ye Lan Chen, still recovering from shock, did not hear them.
But Zhan Yu did.
Tang Ke Xin kept her gaze fixed on his face, watching for the slightest twitch.
She knew the principles well:
A micro‑expression lasted no more than a fraction of a second—too quick for most to notice, but not for her.
A man with strong martial discipline could control his eyes, his mouth, his brows.
But the nostrils—
The nostrils betrayed fear.
And his flared.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
He's afraid.
She pressed on.
"Oh, I have a question for you," she said softly, stepping even closer. "It should fall within your expertise."
Zhan Yu's throat bobbed.
"How many times," she whispered, "does it take to kill someone with a stone?"
Only he could hear her.
His nostrils flared again.
His mouth parted—just a fraction.
That was all she needed.
The truth settled in her chest like a stone.
He killed Xiao Cui.
He killed Qiu Ju.
The realisation sent a cold shiver down her spine.
A guard of Kunning Palace should never dare harm the Empress's people.
Which meant—
He was following someone else's orders.
Someone powerful.
Someone dangerous.
Tang Ke Xin's heart trembled.
Who is he obeying?
The question chilled her more than the answer she had just uncovered.