AUBTN -Chapter 191 An Unsimple Identity

From this day forward, he would not only be her support—but also the only shield standing before her.

He took a deep breath, carefully returned the dossier to its place, closed the heavy iron box, and locked it.

When he turned around, extinguished the oil lamp, and stepped out of the secret chamber, all the shock, fear, and panic in his eyes had vanished.

Back in the study, Su Hewan was sitting quietly under the lamplight, waiting for him.

The moment she saw him, her clear eyes filled with concern.

“Did you find anything?” she asked softly.

Shen Jue walked over to her and naturally took her slightly cool hand.

There was no trace of anything unusual on his face—he even wore a faint, reassuring smile.

“Mm, I found some clues.”

Choosing his words carefully, he wove a half-truth, half-lie into a protective net around her.

“That badge belongs to a secret organization from the previous dynasty called the Fuyuan Society. It’s made up of former officials and remnants of that era, who have always plotted to overthrow our Great Wei. When your father, Lord Su, was alive, he was upright and incorruptible. He impeached many officials connected to them—perhaps that’s why they held a grudge against him. Or perhaps… they want to use your identity as the daughter of a disgraced minister to stir something up.”

This explanation was reasonable. It accounted for the origin of the badge and hinted at Madam Lin’s possible motives—yet perfectly concealed the most crucial and deadly truth.

Su Hewan was intelligent. She could sense that Shen Jue was still holding something back.

She also caught the fleeting heaviness deep in his eyes.

But she didn’t press further.

If he didn’t want her to know, then it must be something she couldn’t bear.

“I understand,” she nodded obediently.

“I’ll stay far away from Madam Lin and follow all your arrangements.”

“Good girl.” Shen Jue gently ruffled her hair and pulled her into his arms.

The figure in his embrace was small and soft—

Yet she carried a secret capable of stirring a storm of bloodshed.

He tightened his arms around her.

Wanwan, don’t be afraid.

From now on, your world need only have romance and beauty—not blood and danger.

All the filth and peril—I will bear them for you.

Night deepened.

By the time Su Hewan returned to Wutong Courtyard, Yu Qing was still awake.

The business association conference had been a huge success, but the follow-up matters were countless.

Seeing her return, Yu Qing immediately peeled an orange, handed half to her, and, noticing her distracted expression, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? You went to Shen Jue’s place and came back looking completely out of it.”

Su Hewan took the orange and sat down.

“Qingqing, tell me… what are we, really, in this world?” she suddenly asked, her question drifting and abstract.

Yu Qing froze for a moment, then laughed freely. “What are we? We transmigrated, got unlucky, or maybe the heavens just gave us another chance. What else could it be?”

“But we’re not really them in the end,” Su Hewan said softly.

“I took over Su Hewan’s body and inherited her memories. You became Yu Qing, a loyal maid. We always thought this was our set identity—the daughter of a disgraced official and her personal maid. A very clear starting point.”

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Yu Qing took a bite of the orange.

“Even if the start was rough, haven’t we played this bad hand pretty well?”

“But…” Su Hewan lifted her eyes, her clear gaze filled with an unprecedented trace of confusion.

“What if this ‘starting setup’ itself is wrong? What if Su Hewan’s identity… is far more than just the daughter of a disgraced official?”

She carefully recounted to Yu Qing everything—Madam Lin’s reaction, as well as the grave seriousness Shen Jue had tried so hard to conceal.

After listening, the playful smile on Yu Qing’s face gradually faded.

Though she wasn’t as meticulous as Su Hewan, her keen intuition as a modern woman immediately told her something was wrong.

“You mean… the original Su Hewan’s identity is questionable?”

“I don’t know.” Su Hewan shook her head, her brows slightly furrowed.

“It’s just a feeling. I feel like I’m standing before a vast fog—unable to see the past, nor the future.”

“Was Su Wenyuan really Su Hewan’s father? Was the extermination of the Su family truly just a wrongful accusation? Or… is there something else hidden behind all of this?”

These questions tangled in her mind, leaving her restless.

Yu Qing fell silent.

She recalled the cave, the mysterious inscriptions carved into its stone walls.

At the time, they had dismissed it as relics left by predecessors. But now, it seemed it might not have been a coincidence at all.

Everything appeared to be connected by an invisible thread.

“Then… what did Shen Jue say?” Yu Qing asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

“He said it was a secret organization from the previous dynasty that might want to use me,” Su Hewan replied softly.

“Do you believe him?”

Su Hewan lifted her head and met her friend’s searching gaze. Slowly, yet firmly, she nodded.

“I believe the answer he gave me.”

She paused, then added, “But I know that’s definitely not the whole truth.”

Yu Qing grew a little anxious. “You know he’s hiding something, and you’re still not going to press him for answers?”

Su Hewan smiled.

“Qingqing, I can feel it—he’s not lying to me. He’s protecting me.”

She recalled the fleeting trace of shock in Shen Jue’s eyes when he came out of the secret chamber.

“He must have discovered something terrifying inside. Something… that, once spoken, would bring disaster upon me. So he chose to bear it alone. Someone as proud as him is willing to go to such lengths—carefully crafting a seemingly flawless explanation just to reassure me.”

Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear.

“If he doesn’t say it, I won’t ask. Because I trust him completely. I believe everything he does is for my sake.”

Yu Qing looked at Su Hewan’s serene profile under the lamplight, a wave of emotion rising in her heart.

Perhaps this was the most enviable part of their bond—this unspoken understanding and trust.

He carried the burdens for her, while she quietly guarded the rear for him.

Both of them knew the truth, yet both carefully upheld this unspoken lie.

Then Yu Qing rubbed her chin and teased, “Sis, I’ve had a revelation. I always thought I was the lovestruck one—turns out it’s you!”

Feigning disdain, she clicked her tongue, though deep down she felt happy for her friend.

“Who are you calling lovestruck? I’m telling the truth!” Su Hewan retorted, lightly smacking her.

Yu Qing burst out laughing. “Alright, alright. Since your Lord Supervisor insists on carrying everything alone, we’ll just focus on what we need to do and not distract him. Once our Women’s Chamber of Commerce spreads across the land and we’re rich enough to rival a nation, who cares about some secret organization? We’ll just crush them with money!”

Her words successfully made Su Hewan laugh.

The gloom in her heart seemed to dissipate somewhat under such bold declarations.

Yes—no matter how uncertain the road ahead might be, they were not fighting alone.

They had each other, and… the ones they loved—and who loved them in return.