Chapter 143: Hidden Undercurrents Harbor Peril, Tendrils of Affection Entwine the Heart

Page 1 of 3

Chapter 143: Hidden Currents Conceal Danger, Threads of Affection Tangle the Heart

The night wind howled, making the tent canvas snap and roar like some enormous beast panting in the darkness.

Lin Shiya’s heartbeat struck against her chest in rhythm with the wind.

She draped a cloak over her shoulders and slipped silently out of the tent.

Firelight flickered throughout the camp, illuminating the exhausted faces of the refugees.

Lin Shiya’s gaze swept over each face, searching for the slightest sign of anything unusual.

She lightened her steps and moved through the crowd like a ghost, disturbing no one.

Whenever a refugee looked up at her, she merely inclined her head in greeting before blending once more into the darkness.

She struck up conversations with several refugee representatives, discreetly inquiring about anything unusual that had occurred in the camp recently.

She chose her words carefully, avoiding any unnecessary panic.

She noticed that whenever she mentioned fluctuations in grain prices or rumors intended to stir discontent, some people’s eyes flickered uncertainly, as though they were deliberately avoiding her gaze.

This only strengthened her conviction that the mastermind was hiding among the refugees.

Back in her tent, Lin Shiya lit an oil lamp. Its dim yellow light fell across the crude table.

She spread out a map and began studying the surrounding terrain.

Suddenly, a cold draft slipped through a gap in the tent, and she shivered.

She spun around, but saw only the empty tent.

Then she noticed that an additional letter had appeared on the table.

There was no name on the envelope, only several words written in bright red:

Stop investigating, or bear the consequences.

Lin Shiya’s heart sank, and a chill shot from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.

She drew a deep breath and slowly unfolded the letter.

It contained only a few brief sentences, yet every word cut like a blade, placing her under unprecedented pressure.

A threat—an utterly naked threat.

Lin Shiya clenched the letter so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She walked to the brazier and, without hesitation, cast the letter into the flames.

The leaping fire consumed the paper with a crackle, igniting the fury in Lin Shiya’s eyes as well.

“Good. Very good,” she murmured. “Since you want to play, I’ll play to the very end.”

She went to the table, dipped her brush in ink, and wrote several words on a sheet of paper. After drying the ink, she handed it toward the shadows.

“Send this out…”

A cold smile curved her lips. She knew that shrinking back would only make the enemy bolder.

She spread out a fresh sheet of paper and, with sweeping strokes, wrote a false message—claiming that she had already obtained crucial evidence and would soon report it to the imperial court.

She rolled the note into a slender tube and handed it to a guard concealed in the shadows.

“Make absolutely certain that ‘they’ see it.”

Three days later, a furtive figure appeared on the outskirts of the refugee camp.

He wore coarse hemp clothing and had mingled with the refugees fleeing disaster, attempting to sneak into the camp.

Yet every one of his movements had already fallen within Lin Shiya’s sight.

Without revealing anything, she directed the guards to lay a vast concealed net.

The moment the man stepped into the camp, the guards surrounded him from all sides.

He panicked and tried to resist, only to realize that he had nowhere left to run.

“Speak. Who sent you?” Lin Shiya stood before him, her voice cold as the snow of midwinter.

His eyes darted about. He clenched his teeth and refused to utter a word.

Lin Shiya was in no hurry. With a wave of her hand, she had the guards take him away.

The interrogation did not proceed smoothly. The man was stubborn, and no matter how the guards threatened or enticed him, he refused to open his mouth.

Seeing this, Lin Shiya personally went to the interrogation room.

She did not resort to torture. Instead, she engaged him in a battle of wits.

Beginning with the details of his clothing, accent, and habitual movements, she gradually uncovered the truth about him.

In the end, under Lin Shiya’s relentless pressure, his mental defenses collapsed, and he confessed the identity of the mastermind.

To her astonishment, it was an official whom Lin Shiya had previously exposed for embezzlement and caused to lose his office.

“So it really is them!” Lin Shiya clenched her fists, anger surging through her heart.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

She had originally thought this was merely a simple case of inciting a riot among the people. She had never expected it to involve the remnants of the earlier embezzlement case.

It seemed that these people were unwilling to accept defeat and were plotting to rise again.

Lin Shiya rubbed her brow, a headache beginning to throb.

This game was far more complicated than she had imagined.

She returned to her tent, lit the oil lamp, and stared at the map on the table, sinking into thought.

Now that the investigation involved government officials, the matter was no longer as simple as inciting unrest among the people.

Lin Shiya understood clearly that what awaited her would be an even more brutal struggle.

Just then, faint footsteps sounded outside the tent.

Lin Shiya looked up warily and saw a familiar figure appear at the entrance.

“Murong Fu?” Lin Shiya was somewhat surprised. “Why have you come so late at night?”

Murong Fu came to her side, a trace of concern on his face.

“I heard that you captured a suspicious person, so I came especially to see you.” He paused, his gaze settling on Lin Shiya’s weary face. “Are you all right?”

Lin Shiya forced herself to smile.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

Murong Fu looked at her.

“Shiya,” he said softly, “promise me you’ll be careful.”

Lin Shiya met his deep gaze, and warmth welled up inside her.

She nodded.

“I will.”

“You seem to have run into trouble.” Murong Fu studied the documents scattered across the table and said thoughtfully, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Lin Shiya hesitated, then shook her head.

“I can handle this myself.”

Murong Fu looked at her resolute expression and said nothing more.

He knew that Lin Shiya was an independent woman with her own ideas and principles.

All he could do was support and protect her in silence.

“Shiya,” Murong Fu suddenly said, “I…”

“What is it?” Lin Shiya asked, looking at him in confusion.

Murong Fu drew a deep breath.

“I…” He hesitated, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

“If you have something to say, just say it,” Lin Shiya encouraged him.

Murong Fu looked at her.

“I… I’ve realized…” His voice was low and hoarse. “I seem to…”

Suddenly, hurried knocking sounded from outside the tent.

“My lord, this is bad!”

Lin Shiya’s brows drew tightly together. Beneath the candlelight, she carefully examined the minor official’s testimony. Between the lines, it revealed his resentment toward the distribution of disaster-relief supplies.

The rough texture of the paper brushed against her fingertips, conveying a cold sensation.

She raised her head. The candlelight leaped in her eyes, reflecting their sharp brilliance.

“As I thought,” she murmured. “Greed has driven them mad. They actually dare to act with such brazen recklessness!”

She rose and walked to the hanging map. Her finger passed over the suspicious locations marked upon it, each one like a nail piercing her heart.

“Pass down my order,” she said, her voice firm and cold. “Arrest every person involved in the case. Show no mercy!”

She would never allow anyone to trample upon the lives and hopes of the people for the sake of personal desire.

Night fell gently, the moonlight pouring like water over the refugee camp.

Lin Shiya had changed into a simple, elegant dress and was strolling along one of the camp’s narrow paths.

Her steps were light, like those of a fluttering butterfly dancing beneath the moon.

Not far away, Murong Fu’s figure entered her field of vision. He wore a moon-white robe, his bearing gentle as jade, a tender smile upon his handsome face.

“You came.”

A smile curved Lin Shiya’s lips before she was even aware of it. Her voice was soft, like a breeze in the third month of spring.

Murong Fu approached at an unhurried pace. His gaze was deep and tender, as though it could draw a person into its depths.

He reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Lin Shiya’s ear, his movement tender and indulgent.

“I was worried you might be too tired, so I came,” he said. His voice was low and gentle, carrying a faintly magnetic quality.

Warmth spread through Lin Shiya’s heart. She stepped to Murong Fu’s side and leaned against his chest.

She could sense the cool, clean fragrance rising from him, touched with the fresh scent of bamboo leaves.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Murong Fu lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of her hair. His arms tightened around her, as though he wished to press her into his very bones and blood.

Beneath the moonlight, their shadows overlapped, resembling a breathtaking painting.

“Thank you,” Lin Shiya whispered, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.

Murong Fu said nothing. He merely held her more tightly, answering her gratitude with his actions.

He gently stroked her back, feeling the softness and warmth of her body.

He loved holding her like this, feeling her warmth and listening to her breathing, as though he possessed the entire world.

She rested against him like a docile kitten, her head brushing lightly against his chest as she gave a small sigh.

“Shiya,” Murong Fu said, his voice touched with hoarseness. “You… do you know? I…”

His low voice was like a rich, mellow wine, intoxicating to the senses. He lowered his head and gazed at her, his eyes filled with profound love and longing.

Lin Shiya raised her head. Her eyes were clear and bright, like two dazzling stars. She watched him quietly, waiting for what he would say next, a hint of confusion and anticipation on her face.

“I seem to…”

Just as Murong Fu was about to speak his heart, a burst of hurried footsteps shattered the tender moment, accompanied by an urgent cry:

“My lord, this is bad!”

Outside the tent, a guard hurried in, his face filled with panic. In his hand was a secret letter.

He dropped to one knee and presented it, destroying the ambiguous atmosphere and casting a shadow over both Lin Shiya’s and Murong Fu’s hearts.

The guard’s intrusion cut through the warmth between them like a sharp blade.

Lin Shiya and Murong Fu were both stunned, the sudden turn of events scattering the tremors in their hearts.

Lin Shiya took the secret letter and unfolded it, reading it carefully by the candlelight.

The hurried, crooked handwriting revealed an unusual agitation. Her brows drew together slightly, and her expression gradually grew solemn.

“What is it?” Murong Fu asked in a deep voice when he saw the change in her expression.

Lin Shiya handed him the letter. Murong Fu took it, glanced over its contents, and his expression darkened as well.

“Master Fang?” There was a trace of doubt in his voice.

The letter concerned the force that had been stirring discontent among the refugees. The mastermind behind it was none other than Master Fang, the aristocratic young lord who appeared refined and cultivated and had always shown favor toward Lin Shiya, while secretly concealing such sinister designs.

Lin Shiya gave a cold laugh, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.

“He certainly hid himself well.”

Murong Fu crushed the secret letter in his hand.

“I’ll send men at once…”

“No need,” Lin Shiya interrupted him. “Since he dared to make a move, he should be prepared to bear the consequences.”

She went to the table, picked up her brush, and wrote a line of words. Then she handed it to the guard beside her.

“Deliver this letter to the Fang residence.”

The following morning, the Fang residence received a secret letter bearing the signature “Lin Shiya.”

After reading it, Master Fang’s face instantly turned livid. He had never expected Lin Shiya to discover his plan so quickly, much less dare to declare war on him so directly.

He knew that if he did not act soon, he would fall into an abyss from which there could be no escape.

Thus, a silent struggle began to unfold beyond the refugee camp.

Lin Shiya exploited Master Fang’s desperation to escape, setting one trap after another.

On the surface, she pretended to know nothing. In secret, however, she pressed forward step by step, gradually dismantling Master Fang’s influence.

When Master Fang believed his plan had succeeded and prepared to flee, Lin Shiya had already led the guards to wait along the route he was bound to take.

Master Fang’s men were no match for the well-trained guards, and they soon collapsed into disarray.

When Master Fang was brought before Lin Shiya, his eyes were filled with terror and unwillingness.

He had never imagined that the conspiracy he had so painstakingly arranged would be unraveled by Lin Shiya with such ease.

“How… how did you manage it?”

Lin Shiya gave a cold laugh, a trace of mockery in her eyes.

“You thought those little tricks of yours could escape my notice?”

With Master Fang’s capture, the refugees who had been stirred into discontent gradually came to see the truth.

One after another, they apologized to Lin Shiya, saying that they had been deceived.

Lin Shiya did not blame them. She merely told them to trust the imperial court and trust her. She would certainly lead them in rebuilding their homes.

The refugees looked at Lin Shiya, their eyes gradually filling with remorse and hope.

Lin Shiya gazed at these simple, honest people before her, and strength filled her heart. She would build them a better home.

And yet, everything had only just begun.

“What should we do next?” Murong Fu came to Lin Shiya’s side and asked softly.

Lin Shiya turned to him, a trace of doubt in her eyes.

“And the person behind all this…”

Her voice abruptly stopped. Her gaze swept toward the distance, where a familiar figure was slowly emerging.

Page 3 of 3