My arch-nemesis, after losing his memory, insisted that we had a relationship.

Tianquan and Jiuliumen are sworn enemies.

Both leaders set rules for their disciples—they were not allowed to have romantic relationships with members of the other sect!

"Remember, never talk to the Tianquan kids, they're stupid and petty as hell!"

"Remember, never talk about those guys from the Dog Building Gate. They're like rats who have become demons. You can't outsmart them even if you use a hundred or eighty tricks. Be careful not to get scammed and then you won't even be able to find your grave to cry over!"

—"Anyone who violates the rules will be thrown into the Forest of Awakening and then put in solitary confinement!"

From then on, the Nine Streams Sect and Tianquan became synonymous with never interacting again. Walking down the street, you could see the Nine Streams Sect and Sangengtian chasing thieves, and you could also see Tianquan and Kuanglan sparring in the martial arts arena, but you would never see the figures in dark green and dark blue mixed together. Even if a gossipy rumor spread that disciples from two sects were fighting in the street, people could guess that it was Kuanglan and Sangengtian, or even Liyuan and Zuihuayin, but no one would guess that it was the Nine Streams Sect or Tianquan.

Although the disciples on both sides had privately discussed the unreasonableness of this rule, it was, after all, the leader's instruction, and they dared not disobey it.

However, despite the repeated emphasis from the leaders of the Nine Streams Sect and the Tianquan Hall, and despite their best efforts to prevent it, they ultimately failed to prevent an unexpected event—Wei Laiyi of the Nine Streams Sect fell in love with Zhong Chu of the Tianquan Hall.

It was Jin He, his junior brother who shared a room with Wei Laiyi, who noticed that something was wrong with Wei Laiyi.

Ever since his senior brother returned from Yubaichuan, he had been acting strangely in every way. Having heard many strange tales from the streets, Jin He suddenly remembered a chilling story told to him by an old beggar who often begged by the ash pit. At the end, the old beggar revealed a sinister smile in the dim candlelight and asked Jin He, who was lost in thought due to the gusts of cold wind behind him, "Are you sure it's really him who has returned?"

Jin He: "..."

Connecting this statement with his senior brother's recent state, Jin He couldn't help but shudder, deepening his observation of Wei Laiyi.

...

"What are you doing?" A passing disciple patted Jin He, who was sneaking around the corner. Jin He shushed him and lowered his voice mysteriously, asking, "Don't you think there's something wrong with Senior Brother Wei compared to before?"

His fellow disciple scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Senior Brother Wei? Isn't he always like this? What's wrong with him... Ah!"

"!" Jin He was startled by him, gritted his teeth and turned around, "What's your name?!"

“I suddenly remembered that during the recent general meeting, the sect leader kept mentioning Senior Brother Wei, saying that he was obviously slacking off and his performance had dropped by more than a little bit.”

"?" Jin He looked completely bewildered. "How come I didn't know that the Nine Streams Sect was involved in performance reviews?"

"Do you know how much his sales performance dropped?"

"How many?"

The disciple counted, startling Jin He so much that his jaw nearly dropped. "He's done? If he drops it again, he'll be expelled from the inner sect."

His fellow disciple shrugged and sighed, "That's why the sect leader scolded him. You haven't seen how lax Senior Brother Wei has been lately. Take the day before yesterday when we were making oiled paper umbrellas, for example. We had all finished our daily quotas when the disciple in Senior Brother Wei's group came to complain that he just sat there doing nothing, staring at the umbrella and grinning like an idiot. His grin gave everyone goosebumps."

Jin He: ...Could it really be that some evil spirit has taken my place?

He was planning to contact a shaman to exorcise the evil spirits from Wei Laiyi when he was awakened that night by Wei Laiyi's ramblings. Listening closely, he heard Wei Laiyi hugging the blanket, laughing foolishly, burying his head in the covers shyly, and murmuring repeatedly, "Miss Zhong Chu..."

Jin He: "..."

I was instantly no longer sleepy.

His sleepiness vanished instantly. He rolled out of bed and walked to Wei Laiyi's side, asking in a high-pitched, shrill voice, "Who is Miss Zhong Chu?"

“Yes… my benefactor. Yes…” As he spoke, Wei Laiyi’s face turned red again, and he buried his head even lower. Jin He kindly adjusted the blankets for him, afraid that his senior brother might die young in his sleep because of lust, which would be very unpleasant to hear.

Jin He pressed his lips tightly together, his thin lips forming a straight line, suppressing a laugh as he crawled back into his bed. The next morning, Jin He went out, avoiding Wei Laiyi's sight, and painstakingly inquired in all directions, trying to find clues about "Miss Zhong Chu".

However, from royalty to commoners and beggars, there was not a single woman named "Zhong Chu".

“Strange.” Jin He murmured, glancing at the owner of Fanlou beside him. “Could I have misheard? But that doesn’t make sense. Last night, Senior Brother Wei clearly said ‘Zhong Chu,’ I remember it perfectly. But how come we can’t find him…”

Upon hearing those two words, the owner of Fanlou, who had been watching the spectacle with a hint of hesitation, asked tentatively, "Are you sure you haven't misremembered?"

"I'm absolutely sure I'm not mistaken!"

"..." The poster's lips twitched. "I do know a woman named Zhong Chu, but..."

"Really?!" Jin He was both surprised and delighted. Just as she was about to ask more questions, she noticed that the owner of Fanlou's expression was becoming increasingly intriguing, so she couldn't help but follow up on her words, "But what?"

"...That person is a disciple of Tianquan."

Jin He: "..." He finally understood what the host had been hesitating about. The bad relationship between the Nine Streams Sect and Tianquan was so bad that everyone knew about it. If Wei Laiyi's sweetheart really was that "Zhong Chu" from Tianquan... Jin He didn't dare to think about it.

*

Wei Laiyi was about to go out again when his junior brother blocked him at the door with a serious expression.

Jin He squinted. "Senior brother, it's getting so late. Where are you planning to go?"

"I've made some new friends and arranged to meet them at a restaurant. Don't worry, I'll bring you some good food." Wei Laiyi smiled as he walked past Jin He, his natural and fluent words leaving no room for doubt. Anyone else would have believed him.

but--

Watching Wei Laiyi's retreating figure, Jin He was calculating with great speed and precision.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, secretly calculating the time it would take for Wei Laiyi to leave. Then, he seized the opportunity to catch up with his senior brother, maintaining a relatively safe distance as they walked all the way to the Thirteen Rooms Building.

"Eating so well?" Jin He was slightly shocked by his senior brother's savings. He then walked into the crowded inn and slowly moved inside, searching for Wei Laiyi's figure as he went.

The inn was noisy and bustling, with all sorts of people from different walks of life. It would be very difficult for Jin He to investigate alone, but it wouldn't be appropriate to ask other disciples of the sect to get involved in his senior brother's matter. So Jin He took the mouse out of his pocket and let it go off on its own.

"Be careful not to get stepped on."

The mouse squeaked twice and quickly scurried under the table to search for Wei Laiyi's scent.

Led by the waiter, Jin He found an empty table, but before long after he sat down, his trouser leg was ripped by a rat.

"?" Jin He picked it up. "Weren't you going to find Senior Brother Wei? Why are you back so soon?"

"Squeak—" The mouse pointed in the direction behind Jinhe.

Damn, Wei Laiyi was right next to me!

Oh my god... Jin He quickly covered his face with the menu, but Wei Laiyi didn't seem to notice him...?

The mouse paced anxiously in its owner's hand, its paws frantically pointing towards the screen behind Jinhe. Jinhe understood and quietly moved behind the screen, a spot where it could hear the conversation next door without being easily discovered.

"Miss Zhong Chu, these are some new pastries from the Thirteen Houses. Please try them." Wei Laiyi's gentle voice gave Jin He goosebumps.

Jin He, his head buried in the menu, pouted and said to Shu'er, "Wow, is this really the Wei Laiyi we know?"

The mouse shook its head.

A clear female voice responded, "Young Master Wei is too kind. However, you have disregarded the sect's rules by arranging a private meeting with a disciple of Tianquan. If the leader of the Jiuliu Sect finds out, you will be punished."

Jin He held his breath—it really was someone from Tianquan! Wei Laiyi is incredibly audacious!

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life at Yubaichuan that day," Wei Laiyi said sincerely. "If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead by now. ... If I were discovered, I would go to the sect leader to accept my punishment. Don't worry, I did this all by myself. You only came because I kept pestering you. I will not make things difficult for you!"

Zhong Chu slowly raised his eyes. The person opposite him looked extremely serious, but unfortunately, he was a blockhead...

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh, "Why would you go to such lengths, young master? You and I... are willing to do it."

!!! !!! !!! !!!

What? !

Jin He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, nearly falling off the bench. Another boy, about his age, almost fell to the ground as well.

The two stared at each other, their expressions identical. Considering there was no food on the other person's table, Jin He guessed that this person, like himself, had come to investigate, except that he had come to investigate Wei Laiyi, while the other person had come to investigate Zhong Chu.

Clearly, the boy next to him had also thought of this.

The two had no awareness of being allies, only a thorough understanding of the sect rules. Almost simultaneously, Jin He and the Tianquan disciple jumped up and rushed out of the inn. Those present only felt two gusts of wind whistling past their eyes, and in the blink of an eye, two tables were empty.

＊

That night, Wei Laiyi returned home under the moonlight in a good mood, but before he could change his clothes, his junior brother grabbed him and questioned him about why he had been hanging out with the Tianquan disciples.

Wei Laiyi's expression froze. "...You saw it?"

Jin He didn't answer, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Since you already know, then I have nothing to hide. Yes, that's right, just as you can see, Miss Zhong Chu and I... have officially become a couple."

"Are you crazy!" Jin He's expression was ferocious. "The sect leader has repeatedly warned against it, do you really want to be the one to stick your neck out?"

"..." Wei Laiyi handed him the food and asked, "Ahe, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. We are all pitifully weak and don't know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. Why should we care about those rigid rules and make ourselves unhappy?"

Jin He: "..." Wei Laiyi's tone was too serious, too solemn, so serious that Jin He searched through all his memories from the past ten years and still couldn't find a single moment where Wei Laiyi could overlap with his current senior brother.

He was at a loss, sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Fine, I can't keep up the act anymore. ...That must have been said by that Tianquan disciple. I don't think you, sir, could come up with such a philosophical statement."

Wei Laiyi chuckled, "We discussed it."

“There’s another person who saw what happened to you, it was Tianquan.”

“I know.” Wei Laiyi nodded. “Miss Zhong Chu will negotiate with him.”

"..." So it was all planned out in advance.

Jin He slumped to the ground, haphazardly stuffing the food Wei Laiyi had brought back into his mouth.

"You're quite accepting." Wei Laiyi shook out his cloak and began to untangle his braid in the dim light. "Tell me, what wicked scheme are you plotting?"

Upon hearing this, Jin He became displeased. "I'm your junior brother. If I don't help you, who will? Don't always think the worst of people."

Wei Laiyi remained silent, his pursed lips practically screaming "See if I believe you or not" on his face.

Jin He was too lazy to argue with him.

When asked about his encounter with Zhong Chu, Wei Laiyi's eyes, which were just about to close, snapped open. He threw off the covers and sat up abruptly. "You didn't see it! That day, I followed the disciples of the Third Watch into the cave, but I overlooked the possibility that there were others lying in ambush at the entrance. I had barely poked my head out when I was surrounded by six swords. It looked like my head was in danger when, just then, Miss Zhong Chu descended from the sky! With a single stroke of her Tang sword, she intimidated the Third Watch disciples present! ... You know, I've been around for many years, and I've never seen such a heroic and valiant woman..."

"...Whatever makes you happy." Jin He covered his ears and rolled over, probably thinking that this senior brother was hopeless.

Pshaw! He didn't need to ask that question.

＊

Ever since that day at the Thirteen Rooms when his attempt to catch his senior in the act failed and he was instead frankly told about his relationship, Jin He had fallen into a strange state of numbness. He watched as Wei Laiyi still wore that upright and reliable face, but his whereabouts became increasingly furtive, and his performance continued to hover on the edge of passing. The faint hope in his heart that his senior was just temporarily confused was completely extinguished.

What troubled him even more was the Tianquan disciple who had suddenly appeared at the same time as him in the inn.

Jin He later learned that the young man's name was Xi Wang, a rather outstanding member of the younger generation in Tianquan. He was said to possess formidable swordsmanship and a cold, hard personality, and seemed to have a good relationship with Zhong Chu. From that day on, Jin He frequently "coincidentally" encountered Xi Wang. Sometimes it was near the Tianquan garrison, when Jin He was entrusted to deliver something and happened to run into Xi Wang, who was leading a patrol. The man stood with his sword, his cold gaze sweeping over Jin He as if scrutinizing some dangerous individual attempting to cross the line. Other times it was at the market, when Jin He had just picked up some small trinket and looked up to see Xi Wang's face not far away, a face that seemed to say, "What are you up to, sneaking around like that?"

When the two met, they never spoke, but instead engaged in a silent battle of wits with their eyes.

Jin He roared inwardly: Are you sick?! What's the point of staring at me? If you're so capable, go and control your own senior sister!

Xi Wang's eyes were icy: "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black. You must be the one instigating those rat spirits from the Nine Schools behind the scenes."

This feud is now officially established.

Jin He found Xi Wang unreasonable, while Xi Wang believed Jin He had ulterior motives. The two perfectly inherited the traditional "respect" between each other from their respective sects, and this "respect" only grew stronger day by day because of their relationship with Wei Laiyi and Zhong Chu.

However, Wei Laiyi and Zhong Chu's "secret relationship" clearly needed cover. It's unclear what these two "brave" were thinking; perhaps they believed the most dangerous place was the safest place, or perhaps they wanted to subtly change the way those around them viewed their "blood feud." They began frequently and forcefully dragging Jin He and Xi Wang into their "dates."

They euphemistically said, "A large crowd makes it more lively and less likely to arouse suspicion."

Thus, the spring day in Qingpu Garden, under the tall trees, what should have been a romantic scene of lovers pouring out their hearts to each other, was instead turned into a bizarre picnic for four people.

Wei Laiyi and Zhong Chu sat side by side, whispering to each other, occasionally exchanging a smile, creating a romantic atmosphere.

Beside them, Jin He and Xi Wang each occupied a rock, with enough space between them to fit two more people. One was expressionlessly munching on dry rations, while the other stared blankly at the stream, both radiating an aura of "Don't touch me" and "I want to leave."

"Ahe, try this, it's made by Miss Zhong Chu." Wei Laiyi tried to ease the atmosphere by handing over a delicate pastry.

Jin He gave a forced smile: "Thank you, Senior Brother, but I'm not hungry." He thought to himself: Who knows if it's poisoned? Okay, judging from Zhong Chu's expression, it probably isn't, but that Xi Wang next to me is practically setting the pastries in my hand on fire with his gaze!

Xi Wang decisively refused the water pouch Zhong Chu offered, his voice stiff: "Senior sister, I have my own."

After a while, Jin He and Xi Wang almost developed a conditioned reflex. Whenever they received a "want to hook up?" look from Wei Laiyi or Zhong Chu, they would both feel a stomach cramp and try to make excuses to slip away, but nine times out of ten they would be stopped by their senior brothers and sisters with high-sounding reasons such as "fraternal friendship" and "increasing understanding".

I can't live like this anymore!

Every night before going to sleep, Jin He gritted his teeth and prayed that Wei Laiyi would suddenly realize his mistake the next day, or that Xi Wang would fall down and forget about this mess, so that the two unfortunate lovers could deal with it on their own and no more innocent people would be involved!

However, whenever Wei Laiyi and Zhong Chu invited them, the two rivals still had to go.

Once they spotted the figure of the Tianquan Hall Master or the Nine Streams Sect Master, the four of them quickly became more alert. Jin He and Xi Wang drew their swords at each other. In Wei and Zhong's view, this was something the group had planned in advance. They pretended to let their two junior brothers fight fiercely, and then they would intervene to break them up. With the premise of a "blood feud," no matter how the fight went or how they intervened, it wouldn't seem abrupt.

But is that what the people involved in the fight were thinking?

They both wanted nothing less than to stab each other to death, but they had to consider the feelings of their senior brothers and sisters, so they could only sneak a couple of punches between their sword strikes. As a result, after a "thorough and enjoyable" date, Jin He and Xi Wang would always have bruises on their faces.

At the time, Wei Laiyi, that idiot, even praised Jin He for his skill in disguise, saying that he hadn't learned it in vain, as he painted indistinguishable scars on the faces of two people in just a few seconds.

"Pah!" Jin He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, glaring back at Xi Wang, whose eyes were as sharp as if he had hidden ten Tang swords.