After the full moon celebration at the Duke of England's mansion, Qi Yue returned to the Qi residence and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Xin Suiyun's cold eyes and the words, "Could it be that you are not a member of the Qi family?" haunted her mind like a nightmare. Moonlight streamed through the window onto the bedside, and she simply sat up, hugged her knees, and looked out the window.

Such sleepless nights were rare in her sixteen years of life. Qi Yue had always been a quiet and obedient child, unlike her older siblings who were more dazzling, and she rarely caused trouble for her family. The only thing that worried her parents was a serious illness she suffered when she was eight years old; she had a high fever that lasted for seven days and nearly lost her life. Although she later recovered, her memory was not as good as before, and many things from her childhood became blurry.

Strangely, however, the three encounters with Xin Suiyun were as clear as if etched into her mind. Each one was accompanied by the stench of blood and his cold gaze.

Qi Yue sighed softly, and the scene of her first meeting with Xin Suiyun reappeared in her mind.

It was spring four years ago. Qi Yue was twelve years old and going out for the first time after recovering from a serious illness. The hunting grounds were set up in the royal gardens on the outskirts of the capital. Colorful flags fluttered and the place was bustling with people. Qi Yue wore a light yellow riding outfit that her mother had specially made for her and followed timidly behind her eldest brother, Qi Mingxuan.

"Yue'er, it's rare for you to come out, cheer up." Qi Mingxuan gently patted her head. "How about I hunt a white fox later to make you a scarf?"

Qi Yue forced a smile. Actually, she didn't want to attend such an occasion; it was only after her cousin Xin Rui and her cousin the Crown Prince repeatedly persuaded her that she mustered the courage to come. After her serious illness, she became even more introverted and afraid of crowded places.

After the hunt began, the men rode their horses at full gallop, while the women chatted and drank tea in their tents. Qi Yue felt stuffy in the tent, so she quietly slipped out and took a walk at the edge of the woods.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the depths of the forest, accompanied by exclamations and the roars of wild beasts. Qi Yue instinctively walked towards the sound, and the moment she parted the bushes, she witnessed a scene she would never forget.

Crown Prince Xiao Chengji was knocked to the ground by a rabid wolf, while a young boy in black was fighting the beast. The boy looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, slender yet exceptionally agile. He did not use a weapon, but instead gripped the wolf's throat with his bare hands, refusing to let go even as the wolf's claws slashed deep, bone-revealing wounds onto his arm.

Finally, the wolf stopped struggling, and the boy stood up, his face covered in blood, his eyes as cold as ice. He checked the prince's injuries and, after confirming that he was alright, expressionlessly wiped the blood from his face.

Qi Yue trembled with fear and accidentally broke a dry branch under her feet. The boy immediately turned to look at her, his cold eyes piercing straight into her heart.

"Who goes there?" he asked in a low, wary voice.

Qi Yue tried to run, but her legs felt like lead and she couldn't move. The young man walked towards her, the stench of blood emanating from him assaulting her senses. Just when Qi Yue thought she was about to be silenced, the Crown Prince recognized her.

"Cousin Yue'er? What are you doing here?" Xiao Chengji struggled to his feet. "Don't be afraid, Suiyun saved me."

Upon hearing this, the boy named Suiyun stopped in his tracks, but still stared coldly at Qi Yue.

After returning home that day, Qi Yue developed a high fever, and her dreams were filled with the image of the blood-covered boy and the dead wolf. After recovering, she developed a strange fear of her cousin, the Crown Prince, always feeling that seeing him would mean encountering that terrifying boy again. The Crown Prince noticed this and was quite helpless, so he sent Xin Suiyun away when meeting with the Qi family.

Memories were scattered by the night wind. Qi Yue rubbed her throbbing temples as memories of their second encounter came rushing back.

Two years ago, news of her elder brother Qi Mingxuan's attack and disappearance while on imperial orders to inspect the waterways reached the capital, shocking the entire family. The Third Princess, Xiao Chengyu, immediately decided to personally go to find her husband, and the Crown Prince sent Xin Suiyun to accompany and protect her.

Qi Yue and Qi Mingxuan, siblings deeply in love, were so worried that she couldn't sleep all night. On the morning of the day the princess's caravan departed, she inexplicably slipped out of the mansion and quietly climbed onto the princess's luggage carriage.

She was only discovered by the guards halfway through the journey. The Third Princess was both angry and anxious, but she couldn't turn back and send her back, so she had no choice but to let her accompany them.

"Yue'er, the journey is fraught with danger. You must stay close to me and not act on your own," the Third Princess solemnly instructed her.

Qi Yue nodded repeatedly, feeling a little comforted that she was able to personally search for her brother.

Sure enough, that very evening, the convoy was ambushed. A group of men in black emerged from the forest and rushed towards the princess's carriage. Qi Yue trembled with fear, but still mustered her courage to stand in front of the Third Princess.

Amidst the flashing blades, she saw Xin Suiyun weave through the enemy ranks like a ghost, his blade flashing and striking mercilessly. An assassin broke through the defenses and rushed towards the carriage. Qi Yue screamed with her eyes closed, but the expected pain did not come.

She opened her eyes and saw Xin Suiyun standing in front of the car, his long sword slicing across the assassin's neck. The image of a head falling to the ground became another nightmare for Qi Yue, and she vomited uncontrollably on the spot.

Xin Suiyun glanced at her coldly, her voice devoid of any emotion: "Miss Qi, this is not a place for you. Go back."

It was only after the Third Princess's gentle words of comfort that Qi Yue stopped trembling. After that incident, Qi Yue's fear of Xin Suiyun was inexplicably mixed with a trace of gratitude. If he hadn't intervened in time, she and the Third Princess would probably have met with misfortune.

Later, he met Xin Suiyun for the third time.

It was a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet held in the palace, brightly lit and filled with singing and dancing. Qi Yue accompanied her parents to the banquet, but was so overwhelmed by the lively atmosphere that she quietly slipped away to the lakeside in the Imperial Garden for some fresh air.

The night breeze carried the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, but also a faint, almost imperceptible, stench of blood. Qi Yue was startled and instinctively wanted to leave, but as she turned, she caught a glimpse of a black garment peeking out from under the willow trees by the lake.

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