Chapter 130: If One Wishes to Keep Secrets, It Is Better Not to Speak

"But hasn't everything remained calm for now? You shouldn't worry about things that haven't happened yet; it is better to wait and see," Yu Shang said, feigning a nonchalant air to comfort Xiao Yin. In truth, even he harbored a dark premonition, feeling deep down that he might not survive this particular ordeal. Yet, Yu Shang could not let this anxiety show on his face. He did not want Xiao Yin to notice and worry, nor did he want his own inability to manage his emotions to indirectly implicate those who cared for him.

"Hmm, I hope I am merely overthinking it," Xiao Yin replied. With no more words, he steadied the injured Yu Shang, and they slowly made their way back toward the Yanlan Academy. Still, Xiao Yin’s heart could not find peace; too many concerns and worries plagued his mind. These unsettling feelings refused to dissipate, leaving his thoughts in such disarray that he could not calm down for even a moment. Furthermore, no matter how well Yu Shang masked his pain or acted as if nothing were wrong, he could not deceive Xiao Yin’s eyes. Their hearts seemed linked; whatever one felt, the other immediately sensed.

Thus, supporting each other, Yu Shang and Xiao Yin returned to the Yanlan Academy. Wishing to avoid drawing attention, they snuck in through the back gate. Once inside, they navigated through the shadows, avoiding the eyes of others, and quietly returned to the small hut behind the bamboo grove, steering clear of the other rooms. After much effort, they finally reached the door of their room, only to sense something amiss the moment they pushed it open. Why was there the faint sound of breathing coming from inside? One had to know that only Yu Shang lived here and others rarely approached. Could those with malicious intent have moved so quickly?

Yu Shang and Xiao Yin exchanged a nod, then kicked the door open with force, one from the left and one from the right, hoping to catch the intruder off guard. The room was pitch black, truly dark enough to be blind in. Yu Shang struck out a palm in the direction of the sound. His force was not weak, yet not enough to be lethal, as he did not want to interrogate a corpse for secrets. Seeing this, Xiao Yin followed closely, intending to seize the intruder, but he did not expect a whip glowing with red light to strike at his face.

The red whip lashed out toward the surroundings, and at that same moment, the candles in the room were lit, restoring the familiar light. Only then did they see each other’s true faces—the so-called intruder was none other than Lan Wu! When Lan Wu recognized them, she let out a sigh of relief, slumped into a chair, and looked at Yu Shang and Xiao Yin with some displeasure. It was truly reckless to act like that; it was far more important to assess the situation clearly. Otherwise, hurting one’s own people due to a moment of carelessness would be a loss that outweighed any gain.

"So it was you, Lan'er! You had me thinking someone was lying in ambush to assassinate us!" Xiao Yin said, finally setting down his heavy burden, feeling fortunate. If it had been those specifically hunting them, the situation would have been impossible to resolve. Once a battle started, innocent people would inevitably be harmed, and he did not want to implicate his beloved woman or his brothers. Even so, if a fight had broken out, they would certainly have fought with all their might to assist him and the brat. Any fighting here would inevitably alert the others, and Xiao Yin did not want anyone else dragged into this mess.

"But why did you run to my room, girl? If those with loose tongues saw this, there would be endless gossip. Why show no discretion? We might not think much of it, but outsiders are different. Xiao Yin, you really should keep a better handle on your woman," Yu Shang said, raising his voice in feigned reproach to distract from his serious injuries, hoping to prevent the girl from noticing anything amiss.

"We act with integrity and sit upright, so why should we care about the opinions of others? Besides, if I hadn't gone to Xiao Yin's room and failed to find him, thinking he had come to yours, why would I have broken into your quarters at night? Wait, don't rush to lecture me. It is I who should be asking you! It is nearly dawn; where on earth have you been all night?" Lan Wu interrogated them like a prisoner, but in doing so, she caught a faint scent of blood. Looking closely, she noticed Yu Shang’s torn clothing. Could he be injured? What was going on?

"What do you mean, all night? We were just bored chatting in the room and decided to take a walk through the academy to get some air. You know how large the Yanlan Academy is and how winding the paths are. We simply lost our way, which is why we’re back so late," Xiao Yin said. He was, after all, Xiao Yin; even his lies sounded convincing. Yet, Lan Wu was no fool—how could she be deceived? If she hadn't caught the scent of blood on Yu Shang earlier, she might have believed him, but now, everything seemed increasingly mysterious and strange. She could not simply brush it aside.

"Don't try to lie to me! Do you really think I'm that stupid? If you had truly been wandering around the Yanlan Academy, how could you be injured? You know the academy’s guards are top-tier. Even if someone tried to assassinate you, they couldn't do it without alerting anyone. Why is everyone still fast asleep, and why was there no sound of a fierce battle? There is only one reason: you left secretly for some reason and encountered people trying to silence you, leading to a fight where you were wounded, right?" Lan Wu said, feeling unhappy. She hated being lied to, and the fact that Xiao Yin had lied to her so blatantly was unforgivable!

"Alright, Xiao Yin, paper cannot wrap up fire; there is no need to hide it anymore! We did go out, and we did fight a fierce battle, which is why I am injured. As for why we didn't tell you, it was because Xiao Yin didn't want you to worry, so he colluded with me to hide the truth for your peace of mind," Yu Shang said, interrupting Xiao Yin before he could argue further. A woman’s intuition was terrifying; the more you denied it, the more they would be convinced of their own theories. It was better to tell her proactively; it might even save some trouble.

"What on earth happened? The more you try to hide it, the more worried I get!" Lan Wu asked, feeling anxious. Could it be that they had really run into trouble? If they were keeping their mouths shut just because they feared for their friends, then she needed to know the truth even more. Living in constant fear and guessing blindly was far more terrifying and distressing.

"I don't know why, but I was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, so I got up for some air. I accidentally discovered the person who had snuck into the academy last time. In my haste, I pursued them, only to find I had fallen into a trap. I barely escaped, but not long after, I encountered an old friend who had since become an enemy. I ended up in a fierce fight with her and was accidentally injured. Fortunately, Xiao Yin arrived just in time to save my life, and we managed to escape and return here," Yu Shang said calmly, simplifying the events of the night.

Regarding the fact that he and Xiao Yin had been with Ye Wangchen that night, that was something this girl must never know. Her relationship with Yan Xuesu was too close; she could never keep a secret. Whether intentional or not, she would eventually let it slip. If the Yan girl came to hold them accountable, it would be disastrous. After all, her hatred and resentment toward Ye Wangchen were too deep. She could not view this situation from the perspective of an impartial observer. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the fewer people who knew about tonight, the better.

"Brother Yu, how could you be so impulsive? If you hadn't been a match for that person, you would have lost your life! And you, Xiao Yin, how could you go alone to rescue Brother Yu? What do you take us for? Are we just fair-weather friends who can share in happiness but not in adversity, or are we brothers who would sacrifice everything to save you? You two must understand that we are brothers who have faced life and death together. If anyone is in trouble, we will help without hesitation. Don't leave us behind to take risks alone anymore! Either we all go, or none of us go!" Lan Wu shouted at them.

This time, she was truly angry—not because of the deception, but because they had not treated the others as true friends. In their eyes, were they only friends worth having during moments of glory? If trouble arose, they would handle it alone without informing anyone else. That was not the attitude of a friend, nor was it how friends should act. True loyalty is forged in adversity. Because the two of them had acted this way, how could Lan Wu not be angry?

"We were afraid of this exact reaction, which is why we didn't tell you. What good is it to throw yourselves into the fire for the sake of loyalty? If we all end up defeated, the loss would be truly irreparable. We are good friends and brothers; that won't change. But is it right to drag you into a grave for no reason? We don't want to implicate you in our personal affairs. Everyone has their own paths; we can't let you sacrifice yourselves for our sake. Even if you have no regrets, we would feel terrible!" Xiao Yin said, looking at the beautiful, kind, and loyal woman with a pained expression.

"Besides, the situation was critical. We had no time to seek reinforcements; we could only bite the bullet and go. But I promise you, if something similar happens again, we will definitely inform you before taking action. Is that okay? Both Yu Shang and I know how much you care about us, and in turn, we care just as much about you. If this had happened to you, you wouldn't want to implicate those around you, right? We are all thinking of each other, so please don't be angry or hold a grudge. The loyalty we hold in our hearts will never change!" Yu Shang added, stepping forward to comfort her.

"That's better. Don't be so reckless again. You should know that while you were suffering, we were here worried sick! It wasn't any easier for us; it was actually more chaotic. It would have been better to be there fighting alongside you!" Lan Wu said, her usual smile returning as she felt relieved. Suddenly, she felt a wave of sentimentality. It was amazing how, despite starting as rivals, they had become such close friends. Emotions were truly magical; they could change so much, including her own initial thoughts and feelings.

"By the way, Lan'er, why did you come to see me so late? Could it be that you encountered some trouble you couldn't solve?" Xiao Yin suddenly remembered the purpose of Lan Wu's visit and asked quickly, fearing she might have some urgent matter. In Xiao Yin's eyes, no matter how wild or willful Lan Wu was, her nature was kind—a kindness that made it impossible to hurt her, and instead made him want to protect this little girl. Xiao Yin was a case in point; he realized he was becoming more and more unable to live without her.