Karina returned to her bedroom and trashed everything in sight, with her attending servants trembling in fear.
Just as she caught her breath, Lin Cheng sent someone to make the servant who had made a mistake parade through the streets. He also urged her to chop off that servant's hands and send them over for Qiao Ying's inspection.
Karina was somewhat taken aback.
When Qiao Ying said that parading through the streets was too light of a punishment and demanded the servant's hands be chopped off, she had simply found it amusing and didn't take Qiao Ying's words seriously at all. She also hadn't intended to ask for Qiao Ying's hands. But she didn't expect that Qiao Ying would actually be so ruthless as to go through with it.
Karina took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. "After the parade is over, chop off that worthless servant's hands and send them to her. Let her see it with her own eyes!"
After the items were sent over, Karina asked the guard, "Did she see it? How did she react?"
Guard: "She saw it. No reaction."
Karina finally realized that Qiao Ying was no simple character.
The balcony doors were wide open, letting in the cold wind that blew away the lingering bloody smell in the room. The three of them sat together.
"I didn't expect Miss Qiao to be so skilled with computers. It suddenly reminded me of something, of a certain hacker's feats in Hua Country some time ago."
Lin Cheng looked at Qiao Ying, a question in his gaze, "That great and amazing mysterious hacker X wouldn't happen to be Miss Qiao, would it?"
Qiao Ying: "I wouldn't call it great."
Lin Cheng was slightly surprised. "It really was you, Miss Qiao?"
After getting over his surprise, Lin Cheng praised her without restraint.
Then he joked, "No wonder Mr. Qin is so nervous about you. Someone so outstanding, anyone would feel insecure. He ought to keep a close eye on you."
Qin Hanyue was checking the artificial skin mask on Qiao Ying's face.
He flatly said, "The Duke misunderstands. Our relationship is very solid. I'm simply narrow-minded."
Qiao Ying glanced at him.
Qin Hanyue completely understood her look: Undignified.
Lin Cheng chuckled with a nod.
Qin Hanyue: "How did the talk with the King go, Duke?"
"Very smoothly. Before I could even bring it up, the King took the initiative to say that the national banquet would be held earlier this year, just one week from now."
Qiao Ying wanted to find someone, Lin Cheng wanted to reject the marriage, so they planned to take advantage of the once-a-year national banquet.
At that time, all members of the royal family would attend, including those princes. It would make Qiao Ying's search much easier, while he could also take the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Qiao Ying and make the royal family recognize the reality.
But it turned out the King was looking for Lin Cheng about the banquet too.
However, the King wanted to use the banquet to put pressure on Lin Cheng and make that ordinary student Qiao Ying know better than to overreach herself.
Qin Hanyue was very displeased. "She has to keep you company here for a whole week?" Stay together for a week?
Not to mention that princess who only left a dead cat at Qiao Ying's door today on the very first day.
Spending a whole week together, who knows what else might happen.
Lin Cheng: "The King has put me in charge of some of the banquet arrangements. If she's attending, we'll naturally have to keep up appearances."
Seeing Qin Hanyue's darkened expression, Lin Cheng said helplessly, "At least you two still have a bed to sleep in. I'll be sleeping on the couch for a week."
Qin Hanyue: "The Duke can have them open another room."
Lin Cheng: "I'll just take the couch."
Qiao Ying: "Send me a list of banquet attendees when it's done, including their information."
Lin Cheng nodded. "I've checked. Among the royal family members, only a viscount's son had reconstructive surgery on his face due to an accident, when he was eight years old."
"None of those who were granted princely titles in recent years have any records of cosmetic surgery. I've verified all their backgrounds."
"There are plenty of women who've had cosmetic procedures though."
Qiao Ying crossed her arms and leaned lazily against Qin Hanyue as she looked at Lin Cheng across from her.
"I didn't ask you to check their cosmetic surgery records."
Lin Cheng: "Hmm?"
Qiao Ying: "Do you still remember Teng Yan?"
Qin Hanyue: "I remember."
Qiao Ying: "That guy had reconstructive surgery to become Wu Ma Yan in order to escape pursuit. Then he found a good opportunity to kill Wu Ma Yan and took over his identity to grow up as Wu Ma Yan."
Reconstructive surgery to take over someone's identity rather than to start a new one with a new identity.
Lin Cheng was slightly shocked, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"That is to say, any member of the royal family might be your enemy who underwent cosmetic surgery and is impersonating someone. Even the King himself."
Qiao Ying: "There could be discrepancies in height, but I can't even guarantee that he's the real King Square J himself. Even if he isn't Square J's actual person, he could still be one of Square J's subordinates."
Lin Cheng narrowed his eyes. "So this could even be some kind of 'masquerade ball' with multiple imposters involved." More than just one or two.
Qiao Ying: "Don't panic. The probability isn't high. If the King were an imposter, given his ambition, he should be suppressing you instead of coercing you to marry his daughter and inherit his throne."
Lin Cheng: "Are you certain your target is hiding among the royal family?"
Qiao Ying: "Don't think it would be hard to pull off. Given his capabilities, he could infiltrate even larger royal families."
Lin Cheng: "Just who exactly is Square J?"
Qiao Ying: "The top assassin organization. The highest echelons of the shadows."
Lin Cheng was silent for a moment before asking, "Your serious injury and coma, the vendetta tied to them... No, your vendetta should originate from even earlier."
Her eye injury back then, it should have involved them too.
Qin Hanyue reminded: "You're going off topic, Duke."
Connecting it to all the overt and covert power struggles in the royal family over the years and the new blood they've brought in, Lin Cheng had already mentally prepared himself for the worst possible scenario.
It was originally to help her get close to the royal family to find someone, her own business. But now it had become the entire royal family's business.
With the safety of the entire royal family at stake, Lin Cheng could no longer remain indifferent and aloof.
He adjusted his mood and returned to the main topic.
"It will indeed be hard to investigate. With how advanced cosmetic surgery techniques are nowadays, many who have gone under the knife can do so without leaving a trace.
"And after impersonating others for so long, they would have fully settled into their roles. Even standing right in front of me, I'm afraid I wouldn't necessarily be able to discern truth from fiction or spot anything amiss."
Lin Cheng looked at Qiao Ying, "And they might be using artificial skin masks too."
Qiao Ying: "The material is toxic. Reconstructive surgery is once and for all."
Qin Hanyue immediately looked at her, "Toxic?"
Qiao Ying: "I'll only be wearing it for a few days, no problem."
She then said to Lin Cheng, "No need for that look of impending doom on your face. Not just reconstructive surgery, even if he turned to ashes I'd still recognize him."
Lin Cheng: "Then we'll see at the national banquet."
With the discussion over, a silence descended.
Qiao Ying stared at Lin Cheng, making him somewhat uncomfortable.
Just as he was about to ask, Qiao Ying spoke, "Doesn't the Duke have anything to say?"
Lin Cheng: "Hmm?"
Qiao Ying: "That old geezer is my enemy and also the enemy of the entire royal family. I'm here to save you all, to save the entirety of C Country."
Lin Cheng: "If Miss Qiao wants to hear a 'thank you', I can say it now, as many times as needed. But if Miss Qiao's information turns out incorrect..." He smiled, "I can also say those words for Miss Qiao to hear."
Lin Cheng's tone and smile greatly displeased Qin Hanyue.
He said, "The Duke still fails to grasp the situation. Whether she takes vengeance is up to her mood, not a must. But the royal family's safety is of utmost importance, you all have to rely on her."
The little lovers were perfectly in sync, even wanting compensation from him.
Lin Cheng dropped the pretense: "I will provide my full cooperation to Miss Qiao. As for anything Miss Qiao wants, as long as I can take it out."
Qiao Ying hooked the corners of her lips, a hint of laughter escaping her eyes.
Karina returned to her bedroom and trashed everything in sight, with her attending servants trembling in fear.
Just as she caught her breath, Lin Cheng sent someone to make the servant who had made a mistake parade through the streets. He also urged her to chop off that servant's hands and send them over for Qiao Ying's inspection.
Karina was somewhat taken aback.
When Qiao Ying said that parading through the streets was too light of a punishment and demanded the servant's hands be chopped off, she had simply found it amusing and didn't take Qiao Ying's words seriously at all. She also hadn't intended to ask for Qiao Ying's hands. But she didn't expect that Qiao Ying would actually be so ruthless as to go through with it.
Karina took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. "After the parade is over, chop off that worthless servant's hands and send them to her. Let her see it with her own eyes!"
After the items were sent over, Karina asked the guard, "Did she see it? How did she react?"
Guard: "She saw it. No reaction."
Karina finally realized that Qiao Ying was no simple character.
The balcony doors were wide open, letting in the cold wind that blew away the lingering bloody smell in the room. The three of them sat together.
"I didn't expect Miss Qiao to be so skilled with computers. It suddenly reminded me of something, of a certain hacker's feats in Hua Country some time ago."
Lin Cheng looked at Qiao Ying, a question in his gaze, "That great and amazing mysterious hacker X wouldn't happen to be Miss Qiao, would it?"
Qiao Ying: "I wouldn't call it great."
Lin Cheng was slightly surprised. "It really was you, Miss Qiao?"
After getting over his surprise, Lin Cheng praised her without restraint.
Then he joked, "No wonder Mr. Qin is so nervous about you. Someone so outstanding, anyone would feel insecure. He ought to keep a close eye on you."
Qin Hanyue was checking the artificial skin mask on Qiao Ying's face.
He flatly said, "The Duke misunderstands. Our relationship is very solid. I'm simply narrow-minded."
Qiao Ying glanced at him.
Qin Hanyue completely understood her look: Undignified.
Lin Cheng chuckled with a nod.
Qin Hanyue: "How did the talk with the King go, Duke?"
"Very smoothly. Before I could even bring it up, the King took the initiative to say that the national banquet would be held earlier this year, just one week from now."
Qiao Ying wanted to find someone, Lin Cheng wanted to reject the marriage, so they planned to take advantage of the once-a-year national banquet.
At that time, all members of the royal family would attend, including those princes. It would make Qiao Ying's search much easier, while he could also take the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Qiao Ying and make the royal family recognize the reality.
But it turned out the King was looking for Lin Cheng about the banquet too.
However, the King wanted to use the banquet to put pressure on Lin Cheng and make that ordinary student Qiao Ying know better than to overreach herself.
Qin Hanyue was very displeased. "She has to keep you company here for a whole week?" Stay together for a week?
Not to mention that princess who only left a dead cat at Qiao Ying's door today on the very first day.
Spending a whole week together, who knows what else might happen.
Lin Cheng: "The King has put me in charge of some of the banquet arrangements. If she's attending, we'll naturally have to keep up appearances."
Seeing Qin Hanyue's darkened expression, Lin Cheng said helplessly, "At least you two still have a bed to sleep in. I'll be sleeping on the couch for a week."
Qin Hanyue: "The Duke can have them open another room."
Lin Cheng: "I'll just take the couch."
Qiao Ying: "Send me a list of banquet attendees when it's done, including their information."
Lin Cheng nodded. "I've checked. Among the royal family members, only a viscount's son had reconstructive surgery on his face due to an accident, when he was eight years old."
"None of those who were granted princely titles in recent years have any records of cosmetic surgery. I've verified all their backgrounds."
"There are plenty of women who've had cosmetic procedures though."
Qiao Ying crossed her arms and leaned lazily against Qin Hanyue as she looked at Lin Cheng across from her.
"I didn't ask you to check their cosmetic surgery records."
Lin Cheng: "Hmm?"
Qiao Ying: "Do you still remember Teng Yan?"
Qin Hanyue: "I remember."
Qiao Ying: "That guy had reconstructive surgery to become Wu Ma Yan in order to escape pursuit. Then he found a good opportunity to kill Wu Ma Yan and took over his identity to grow up as Wu Ma Yan."
Reconstructive surgery to take over someone's identity rather than to start a new one with a new identity.
Lin Cheng was slightly shocked, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"That is to say, any member of the royal family might be your enemy who underwent cosmetic surgery and is impersonating someone. Even the King himself."
Qiao Ying: "There could be discrepancies in height, but I can't even guarantee that he's the real King Square J himself. Even if he isn't Square J's actual person, he could still be one of Square J's subordinates."
Lin Cheng narrowed his eyes. "So this could even be some kind of 'masquerade ball' with multiple imposters involved." More than just one or two.
Qiao Ying: "Don't panic. The probability isn't high. If the King were an imposter, given his ambition, he should be suppressing you instead of coercing you to marry his daughter and inherit his throne."
Lin Cheng: "Are you certain your target is hiding among the royal family?"
Qiao Ying: "Don't think it would be hard to pull off. Given his capabilities, he could infiltrate even larger royal families."
Lin Cheng: "Just who exactly is Square J?"
Qiao Ying: "The top assassin organization. The highest echelons of the shadows."
Lin Cheng was silent for a moment before asking, "Your serious injury and coma, the vendetta tied to them... No, your vendetta should originate from even earlier."
Her eye injury back then, it should have involved them too.
Qin Hanyue reminded: "You're going off topic, Duke."
Connecting it to all the overt and covert power struggles in the royal family over the years and the new blood they've brought in, Lin Cheng had already mentally prepared himself for the worst possible scenario.
It was originally to help her get close to the royal family to find someone, her own business. But now it had become the entire royal family's business.
With the safety of the entire royal family at stake, Lin Cheng could no longer remain indifferent and aloof.
He adjusted his mood and returned to the main topic.
"It will indeed be hard to investigate. With how advanced cosmetic surgery techniques are nowadays, many who have gone under the knife can do so without leaving a trace.
"And after impersonating others for so long, they would have fully settled into their roles. Even standing right in front of me, I'm afraid I wouldn't necessarily be able to discern truth from fiction or spot anything amiss."
Lin Cheng looked at Qiao Ying, "And they might be using artificial skin masks too."
Qiao Ying: "The material is toxic. Reconstructive surgery is once and for all."
Qin Hanyue immediately looked at her, "Toxic?"
Qiao Ying: "I'll only be wearing it for a few days, no problem."
She then said to Lin Cheng, "No need for that look of impending doom on your face. Not just reconstructive surgery, even if he turned to ashes I'd still recognize him."
Lin Cheng: "Then we'll see at the national banquet."
With the discussion over, a silence descended.
Qiao Ying stared at Lin Cheng, making him somewhat uncomfortable.
Just as he was about to ask, Qiao Ying spoke, "Doesn't the Duke have anything to say?"
Lin Cheng: "Hmm?"
Qiao Ying: "That old geezer is my enemy and also the enemy of the entire royal family. I'm here to save you all, to save the entirety of C Country."
Lin Cheng: "If Miss Qiao wants to hear a 'thank you', I can say it now, as many times as needed. But if Miss Qiao's information turns out incorrect..." He smiled, "I can also say those words for Miss Qiao to hear."
Lin Cheng's tone and smile greatly displeased Qin Hanyue.
He said, "The Duke still fails to grasp the situation. Whether she takes vengeance is up to her mood, not a must. But the royal family's safety is of utmost importance, you all have to rely on her."
The little lovers were perfectly in sync, even wanting compensation from him.
Lin Cheng dropped the pretense: "I will provide my full cooperation to Miss Qiao. As for anything Miss Qiao wants, as long as I can take it out."
Qiao Ying hooked the corners of her lips, a hint of laughter escaping her eyes.
