When Hanzhou returned, it was already late at night.

She was still dressed in purple, the hem of which was slightly damp from the rain.

As soon as he entered the room, his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes scanned the people inside.

Besides Xiao Heye and Su Tiyue, Jiang Lisu and Wen Yan also stood to the side, and Su Tiyue's two maids were standing outside the door.

Xiao Heye's eyes darkened slightly, and he sat down at the square table made of yellow pear wood on the left side of the room with a cold expression.

Su Tiyue sat down at the small table opposite him, her expression unchanged.

"Tsk, isn't New Year's Eve already over? How come everyone's here today? Could it be... some kind of auspicious day?"

Han Zhou glanced at Xiao Heye indifferently, then walked to the square table in front of him and sat down.

He glanced lazily at Su Tiyue sitting opposite the brothers, curled his lips into a smile, and said slowly, "I almost forgot, today is indeed an auspicious day... I wonder if you are satisfied with the birthday gift I gave to the Little Princess?"

Su Tiyue glanced at Han Zhou, a hint of hatred rising in her eyes.

The fingers that were crossed on his lap clenched and then slowly released.

Su Tiyue remained silent, but Jiang Lisu's eyes narrowed, and she softly reminded her, "Vice Supervisor, please be careful with your words."

At this moment, it was clear to anyone with eyes that Xiao Heye was on the verge of exploding in rage, and the surrounding air froze.

But Han Zhou still didn't back down; instead, he deliberately provoked them.

Clearly, no one forced Han Zhou to admit to the Su family affair; he did so on his own.

He turned to look at Jiang Lisu, his eyes crinkling with amusement: "Susu, long time no see... Thank you on behalf of my useless subordinates. Thank you for showing mercy."

Jiang Lisu glanced at Xiao Heye, then lowered her head and remained silent.

Those who plan to massacre the Su family today, although they obey Han Zhou's orders, are ultimately people from the Eastern Depot.

Xiao Heye and Han Zhou were one in charge and the other in charge, and their relationship had always been very good. Even if there were conflicts, they would never want their brothers to kill each other.

Therefore, at the last moment, Jiang Lisu stopped her brother from committing the killing.

Han Zhou looked around and said several things, but when he found that no one was paying attention to him, he felt a little bored.

He could only turn to look at Xiao Heye and say, "Brother, aren't you sleepy? It's so late, you should go to sleep. How about..."

"Where's the knife I gave you?" Xiao Heye raised his eyes and uttered these few words softly.

Han Zhou smiled and said, "Here."

He took the exquisite and sharp dagger out of his sleeve and slammed it on the table: "It's a gift from my brother, so I always carry it with me."

Su Tiyue stared blankly at the sharp weapon on the table, then glanced silently at Xiao Heye.

It's impossible to guess what Xiao Heye is thinking.

No, we really want to avenge her and kill Han Zhou, right?

Xiao Heye picked up the knife, slowly drew out the blade, and ran his slender fingertips over every part of the blade.

The short sword was forged from millennia-old cold iron, its entire body as black as ink, its blade as thin as a cicada's wing, and its edge incredibly sharp.

A blood-red agate is inlaid on the hilt, crystal clear, with a somewhat bewitching and evil aura.

"Why?"

Xiao Heye gave Han Zhou a cold look: "I warned you long ago, why did you still go after her? If I remember correctly... Han Zhou, you promised me back then."

Han Zhou's lips curled into a faint smile as he casually said, "Brother, I think you've forgotten that you lied to me once too. Acting... anyone can do that."

Back then, Xiao Heye lied to him, saying he would give Su Tiyue to the late emperor on New Year's Eve.

Xiao Heye even moved the date forward so that he could put on a show for Han Zhou.

As a result, Han Zhou actually believed it to be true, which is why he had his men release Su Lang.

And what was the result?

No sooner had Han Zhou released the person than Xiao Heye brought Su Tiyue back from the Hall of Longevity.

What about now?

Last time, Xiao Heye personally instructed Hanzhou not to touch Su Tiyue. Hanzhou agreed on the surface, but he had been searching and waiting for the best opportunity.

They can act in plays, and they can talk about acting.

Anyone can lie.

...

Unfortunately, it was just a little short.

It was just a little bit short.

Han Zhou succeeded...

In fact, the guards in the Su family, including Yan Jianghai, were nothing special.

Unfortunately, the Jiang siblings were also there, which caused all of Han Zhou's plans to fall through.

Han Zhou raised an eyebrow and gently pointed at Jiang Lisu: "Brother, don't you think it's a waste... to send two such top experts to protect a little woman."

"These siblings are meant to kill, not protect..."

"Oh……"

He couldn't help but laugh out loud after he finished speaking.

Hearing Han Zhou's mocking laughter, Xiao Heye frowned.

In the pitch-black depths of his eyes, only endless coldness remained.

Xiao Heye suddenly stood up, grabbed Han Zhou's left hand, pressed his palm onto the table, and then raised the short knife in his hand, stabbing it heavily into the back of Han Zhou's hand.

The blade pierced his palm and was pinned to the table...

Bright red blood almost gushed out.

Soon, blood stained the small square table made of yellow pear wood, dripping onto the ground...

Su Tiyue was so frightened by what she saw that she almost screamed.

Fortunately, she covered her mouth in time and stared wide-eyed at the two people in front of her.

The sudden, sharp pain stunned Han Zhou for a moment, but he remained silent.

Han Zhou gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain that went straight to his bones, his eyes filled with despair: "...Why?"

"I told you, don't touch her... and don't touch anyone surnamed Su either."

Xiao Heye glanced at Su Tiyue out of the corner of his eye, clearly still worried that the bloody scene might frighten her.

Han Zhouren's eyes were bloodshot, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Despite this, he still stretched out his right hand, dipped his index finger in some of the still-warm blood on the table, and then expressionlessly put it into his mouth: "So what if I moved?"

Having tasted his own blood, Han Zhou's gloomy face became even more sinister and chilling, as if he were still laughing: "Why don't you kill me and avenge your beloved?"

Xiao Heye said, "I will. If there's a next time, I'll use this knife to settle your wish..."

"To die at my brother's hands would be my greatest honor."

"Alright, then give it a try." Xiao Heye frowned, then forcefully and swiftly drew his short sword, asking him, "Hanzhou, do you still remember the oath we made?"

Han Zhou: "Of course I remember, I'll never forget it in this lifetime."

"We'll live and die together, share both fortune and misfortune," Han Zhou recalled casually, reminiscing about their vow.

Tsk.

Talk is always better than singing.

They promised to weather the storm together and never betray each other. But now, these brothers have come to the point of turning against each other.

Ironically, the culprit who caused their falling out was actually a delicate and frail woman.