Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Qin Ji's brow twitched, and countless thoughts raced through his mind.

Why did the teacher suddenly ask about this?

That day, Jiang Jibai saw Shang Jingming and Shang Jingming going to East Street to buy cloud cakes.

He never dismounted from the carriage the entire time. Did the teacher recognize the driver, Bean? Or did he see someone inside the carriage...?

Teacher...how much did you see?

Qin Ji casually fanned himself with a folding fan, leaned back in the rattan chair, and casually glanced at Jiang Jibai while eating candied fruit. His attitude showed no sign of anything amiss: "Recently, a group of wanted criminals have emerged in the capital. His Majesty has ordered me to arrest them as soon as possible. I have run around the East Street and West Street markets several times to gather information."

Qin Ji paused slightly while waving his folding fan, then turned to look at Jiang Jibai under the grape trellis: "What, did you run into me on East Street?"

Jiang Jibai continued pruning the grapevines, glanced at the boy leaning out to look at him, and instead of answering, asked, "Since you have errands to run, how come you have time to come here today?"

Qin Ji hadn't forgotten what the master had said when he first entered: "The mission went smoothly today, and I finished it ahead of schedule." He was sweating bullets, but managed to avoid the trap the master had set and smoothly returned to the story. He said "casually," "I already know how to handle the mission and have arranged the manpower. I'm just waiting for the wanted criminal to walk right into the trap."

Having said that, he sat up abruptly: "You still haven't answered my question. You bumped into me on East Street? Why didn't you even say hello?"

The boy's face was full of self-righteousness, his voice rising slightly at the end, and his eyes were filled with dissatisfaction.

Jiang Jibai tossed the few excess grapevines he had cut into the basket at his feet, turned his head, and smiled gently as always, soothing the boy's dissatisfaction: "You were sitting in the carriage at the time, and I only caught a fleeting glimpse of you, and saw..."

Jiang Jibai paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the boy's slender, well-proportioned hand holding the folding fan, and said unhurriedly, "I saw the commander of the Five Cities Garrison kneeling respectfully before you, and before I could even greet you, the carriage had already left."

The five city garrisons were extremely respectful.

Qin Ji's eyelids twitched violently a few times, and he almost instantly caught the key point in Jiang Jibai's "appeasement".

He didn't get out of the car at the time. Even if Jiang Jibai saw him, it should only have been a fleeting glance through the car window or curtain. Could Jiang Jibai have seen him clearly?

He spoke with such certainty, even describing Shang Jingming's attitude in great detail, with an air of "utmost respect," as if he were leaning against the car window—was this a test?

Qin Ji looked up and their eyes met.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grape leaves, falling on Jiang Jibai's brow bone. In the dappled light and shadow, Jiang Jibai's eyes were calm as still water, unfathomable.

Although it was uncertain how much Jiang Jibai had actually seen, Jiang Jibai was clearly suspicious. Considering Shang Jingming's previously subtly respectful attitude towards him, a complete denial would only make things worse. It would be better for Jiang Jibai to openly act like Shang Jingming's superior.

After all, although Shang Jingming held the position of commander of the Five Cities Military Command, he was clearly aware of his identity as a secret guard and was "entangled" with the secret guards. It was not impossible for him to be recommended and included in the secret guards.

Qin Ji withdrew his gaze, leaned back in the rattan chair, twirled the folding fan between his fingers, and said with "disdain," "Shang Jingming was someone I recommended to His Majesty. He made a mistake, and I have to clean up his mess. I even have to suffer the consequences in front of His Majesty. What's wrong with making him kneel down?"

"Besides, which eye of yours saw him being overly respectful?" Qin Ji said, sitting up again, squinting his eyes, "dissatisfied," "I was just handling things officially, not taking revenge for personal reasons. You're not here to defend him, are you?"

The implication was clear: Shang Jingming was not only a bodyguard but also his subordinate, under his control. Further questioning would inevitably touch upon the junior disciple's identity as a bodyguard. Jiang Jibai observed the junior disciple's naturally "resentful" expression, then, after a moment, feigned ignorance again. He withdrew his gaze, refrained from further questions, and silently began pruning the grapevines.

Qin Ji saw the concession and restraint beneath Jiang Jibai's silence, and also saw the weariness and complexity in Jiang Jibai beneath his constant lies. A surge of emotion welled up in his chest, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat.

He moved his lips and muttered, "Shang Jingming is Shang Jingming, but he even summoned the commander of the Five Cities Garrison? Is that so great? I'm still the emperor's study companion..."

It sounded like a complaint, whether it was simply dissatisfaction with the way he addressed her, or dissatisfaction stemming from his repeated doubts, probing remarks, and lack of trust.

Jiang Jibai paused in his pruning of the grapevines and looked at the boy in the rattan chair.

The boy's eyes were dark and deep, revealing no trace of the grievance in his tone, making him impossible to read. Yet, Jiang Jibai always felt that his little disciple... was sad.

He put down the scissors, wiped his hands clean, picked up a candied fruit and fed it to the boy: "It was my fault, I won't ask anymore."

The cloying sweetness exploded between his lips and teeth, but Qin Ji only tasted bitterness. He lowered his eyes, avoiding Jiang Jibai's gentle and indulgent gaze, and the hand holding the fan tightened its grip on the fan ribs slightly.

He told himself that it would be soon, the day when he would tell everyone everything would come soon.

At that time, he will expose all the lies he has told to Jiang Jibai, he will lay bare his true self before Jiang Jibai, he will cut off his own escape route, no longer conceal or beat around the bush, and confess everything he has hidden.

A conman is about to face his final judgment.

Qin Ji shoved the folding fan into Jiang Jibai's hand, swallowed the candied fruit that he could no longer taste, and said in his usual imperious tone, "I'm sleepy, I'm going to take a nap. It's hot, and there are mosquitoes, so please fan me."

After saying that, he closed his eyes and lay down on the rattan chair with an air of nonchalance, like a dead pig that isn't afraid of boiling water.

Jiang Jibai, holding his fan, wanted to give him a couple of slaps, but saw the little disciple secretly open his eyes a crack, his eyelashes trembled, and then he closed them again as if he hadn't seen anything.

With a "whoosh," the folding fan opened, accompanied by a gentle breeze. Qin Ji could imagine Jiang Jibai's slightly helpless yet indulgent expression as he fanned him without even opening his eyes.

For some reason, my eyelids suddenly felt wet and hot.

Qin Ji thought that he was probably blinded by the evening breeze.