Chen Yuan slid to the floor, and groaned in pain. The shadow guard disappeared again before he could be seen.
Lu Yan gasped for breath, wrapping her arms around her middle. Her stomach was hurting too badly.
Shuffling to a chair, Lu Yan sat down slowly. The ache eased slightly.
Chen Yuan slowly raised his head.
Lu Yan ignored the pain and looked down at him.
In his eyes, she saw pain, hate and surprise.
Through gritted teeth, he said, "The Chen family never wronged you. But you entered with the intention to destroy."
Lu Yan scoffed, "If I wanted destruction, do you think any of the Chen family members would be alive today? I have enough secret guards that I could slit all your throats in the night and no one could stop me."
That wasn't true. She only had two secret guards. But it was better for her if Chen Yuan feared her.
Chen Yuan groaned in pain as he slowly sat up, leaning against the wall. "What the hell do you want then?"
"I want sincerity, Chen Yuan."
"Sincerity?" he said scornfully. "Do you even know what the word means?"
Lu Yan smiled at him, "I respect you as Chen Hai's brother. Or I would have killed you when I found you sabotaged me. This is my sincerity."
He looked at her, but didn't open his mouth.
Lu Yan raised the stakes. "Consider your brother and mother, Chen Yuan. With you gone, who will protect them? The Chen family will eat them alive... Unless someone else steps in."
Chen Yuan remained stubbornly silent, but there was a frown between his brows.
Lu Yan let him stew. He had no cards left.
When he spoke, it seemed to be about something unrelated, "I've long been hearing rumors of a spy planted deep by Ji Jing. No one knows who he is. They only call him The Sparrow."
He looked up at her and smiled. "When I first heard the name, I thought, what a stupid name for a spy. Why Sparrow?"
Lu Yan stared down at him, expressionless.
He continued, still smiling, "Seeing you don't want destruction, you must want information."
Lu Yan didn't speak.
He concluded in a voice that was soft, but seemed to ring to in the room, "You're The Sparrow, aren't you?"
Stillness descended on the room- the kind which would usually be broken by a naked blade sliding between ribs and silencing errant tongues.
Chen Yuan didn't seem to notice. He continued, almost gloating, "You look so unassuming and simple on the outside, but you've had long practice using Ji Jing's servants. Gathering information, carrying out sabotage, infiltration: you're involved in all of this."
He sat up straighter, his eyes filled with an excited light, "Tell me, with you and your secrets in my hands, who would dare move against me?"
Lu Yan smiled, "Chen Yuan, if I'm truly as important as you think I am, do you think you can walk out of this room alive? What about your mother and brother? Can they can escape unscathed?"
Chen Yuan leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His body hurt everywhere, and it was so hard to think through the pain.
He huffed slowly, "You are so cold Lu Yan. After a whole year of companionship. After a child. How can you not care about Chen Hai at all?"
Lu Yan looked away as guilt reared its ugly head, "I have never wronged Chen Hai. But all your threats make me angry. So if you want him safe, if you want my guarantee that I'll protect him, you'd better show some sincerity."
Chen Yuan laughed lightly, "It's a little funny. I thought I could trap you using my brother, and now you've done the same. Poor Chen Hai, it seems he's meant to be a pawn in others' hands."
For a while neither of them spoke.
Then Chen Yuan asked, with exhaustion in his voice, "Haven't you taken enough from me? You want even more?"
Lu Yan scoffed, almost amused at him trying to play victim when he had lost, "You should know best Chen Yuan. When power is involved, even your own brother can become a pawn."
"You need to get better at acting," Chen Yuan said, "I almost believe that no matter what I do, you'll keep Chen Hai safe because you like him."
Lu Yan glanced at him with blade like eyes.
He smiled, unconcerned, "You have much to improve if you want to be able to protect my brother."
When Lu Yan said nothing, he continued, "You're fine while no one knows you're a threat. But once you're out in the open, your poker face isn't good enough. And you get angry too quickly. Then you talk too much. And when you talk, you reveal information like a broken pot leaking water."
Lu Yan shifted in her chair, trying to find a more comfortable position. Irritably, she asked, "Are you going to talk or not?"
He sighed, "I don't know what you want me to tell you."
"Chen Yuan, just because I haven't moved against you yet doesn't mean I won't. Don't test me, or I'll destroy everything you care about."
"Hmm. Your threats also need work. It's best to never threaten people. That way, when you finally do throw out a threat, people will know you mean business. And never be explicit with your threats. Be vague, and let your enemy fill in the details on their own. I guarantee, whatever they personally fear will be more threatening than your lame 'destroy everything'."
Lu Yan looked at him, her fury rising.
Just as she opened her mouth, he held up a finger, "Ah- ah- what did I say about anger just now?"
Lu Yan closed her mouth, staring at him coldly.
Finally, the smile on his face disappeared, and he said, "I have a condition."
"What?" Lu Yan asked shortly through gritted teeth.
She wanted this over with. She really needed to lie down.
"You vow never to abandon Chen Hai."
Without a pause, Lu Yan raised her hand, "I vow never to abandon Chen Hai as long as I live."
Seeing Chen Yuan glance meaningfully at her, she continued, "If I break this oath, may lightning strike me, and may I never be reborn."
"I also want to know why you're doing all this."
"Aren't you to curious for your own good?"
"Don't you think I need to determine how sturdy a basket is before I put all my eggs in it?"
"I am doing this because I want the regent's protection," Lu Yan lied.
Chen Yuan smiled knowingly at her.
"Ji Jing is good. He really knows how to pick abandoned talents and train them up to become loyal pawns. You, that Han, his brothers- No wonder he's so successful despite the odds stacked against him." He glanced again at Lu Yan, "And he's so open-minded, no distinctions between men and women, he can use anyone. Imagine if he has a whole team of women placed as spies within the families in the capital. No one would see him coming."
"Stop talking nonsense, already. My patience is truly running out."
Seeing her expression, Chen Yuan sighed like she was putting unreasonable demands on him.
Lu Yan was ready to slap him.
Finally he spoke, "The Jiang family. I know something about them that could be useful to the regent."