BDSMST -Chapter 78 The Unseen Eyes

Ever since the decision that night to thoroughly reinvestigate the Xie family’s wrongful case, an undercurrent of tension had settled beneath the estate’s outward calm.

Gu Yan became even busier. During the day, he still participated in the manor’s labor as usual. But once night fell, he would shut himself in the study—either holding long, hushed discussions with trusted informants sent by Steward Fu, or sitting for hours before a large map of the capital and the northern frontier.

Confidential letters flew back and forth like snowflakes, traveling through hidden channels between the capital and Woniu Village, then onward to various regions. A vast, invisible web centered on Gu Yan—designed to uncover the truth behind the events of three years ago—was quietly spreading.

Jiang Suisui did not interfere much in Gu Yan’s strategic planning. When it came to military tactics and court intrigue, she knew she was no match for him. What she could do was manage Woniu Village flawlessly, ensuring he had no worries weighing on him.

She devoted even more energy to the estate’s production and expansion. The strawberry business remained wildly popular in the capital, and the first batch of vegetable subscriptions for members was running smoothly. “Woniu Village” had already become synonymous in elite circles with high quality and pure, natural goods.

She was even planning that, come spring, she would experiment with tea plants and fruit trees imported from the south—further expanding the estate’s operations.

Life moved forward in a rhythm that was busy yet peaceful.

But both Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan understood that this tranquility was only temporary. The moment they began probing that enormous conspiracy, danger would inevitably follow.

The first to sense something amiss was Wei Ziqian, who oversaw patrols around the estate’s perimeter.

“Madam, Marquis,” he reported one evening to Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan as they reviewed the accounts together, his expression serious. “I feel like… there have been more unfamiliar faces around the village lately.”

“Unfamiliar faces?” Gu Yan looked up.

“Yes,” Wei Ziqian said, frowning as he recalled. “Traveling merchants, peddlers, or people claiming to be lost outsiders. Normally, in this dead of winter, our remote little village barely sees a soul. But these past few days, I’ve encountered one or two every day.”

“Any unusual behavior?” Gu Yan asked.

“Not exactly,” Wei Ziqian shook his head. “They just ask for directions or request some water. Sometimes they rest beneath the big tree at the village entrance and glance toward our estate from afar. When I question them, they answer smoothly—no obvious flaws. But I just feel… something’s off.”

Though Wei Ziqian was usually lively and carefree, he came from an official family background and had trained under Gu Yan for some time. His vigilance far exceeded that of ordinary people. He couldn’t articulate it clearly, but his instinct—like that of a wild beast—told him these people weren’t looking at the estate as one would a simple farm. It was more like they were surveying terrain.

Gu Yan’s gaze darkened.

He knew the other side had begun to sense something. These so-called “traveling merchants” were likely spies sent by Marquis Anyuan to probe their situation.

“Starting today, strengthen security around the estate,” Gu Yan ordered. “Divide the patrol into visible and hidden teams. The open guards continue as usual. The hidden ones will lie in wait at all high points and key routes around the perimeter. Remember—observe only. Do not make contact. Record the physical features of all suspicious individuals, their appearance times, and movement routes. Report to me daily.”

“Yes!” Wei Ziqian acknowledged and departed.

Jiang Suisui’s heart tightened. “They’re… coming for us?”

“No.” Gu Yan shook his head, his eyes shifting toward Xie Zi’an in the distance, who was tending herbs attentively in the medicinal garden. “They’re coming for him.”

Jiang Suisui immediately understood.

Xie Zi’an was the sole surviving witness of that old case—the most crucial piece of evidence. As long as he was alive, he remained a potential explosive threat to Marquis Anyuan.

Previously, Marquis Anyuan had believed Xie Zi’an died during exile and had rested easy. But now that Gu Yan had begun secretly investigating the case, it would surely raise suspicion. He would reexamine Xie Zi’an’s “death.” And if he discovered even the slightest trace of inconsistency, his first move would be to eliminate the root of the problem.

“What should we do? Should we hide Mister Shen?” Jiang Suisui asked, her voice tense.

“It’s useless,” Gu Yan said calmly, gazing out over the vast fields beyond. “Woniu Village is only so big. Where could a living, breathing person possibly hide? Besides, the more we try to hide him, the more it will look like we have something to conceal. That would only provoke them into even more aggressive probing and attacks.”

“Then…?”

“The best defense is offense.” Gu Yan turned back to Jiang Suisui, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. “If they want to watch, we’ll let them watch. If they want to know whether Xie Zi’an is still alive, we’ll let him ‘live’ right in front of them.”

Jiang Suisui paused for a moment, then understood his intention.

He was going against the current—deliberately exposing Xie Zi’an to the enemy’s sight, turning Woniu Village itself into a massive trap, luring the other side into making the first move.

It was an extremely risky gamble.

Over the next few days, everything in the estate continued as usual. Xie Zi’an went daily to the greenhouses and medicinal gardens to guide the farm work. Under Jiang Suisui’s “special arrangement,” he even represented Woniu Village Farm in neighboring villages, conducting a “technical exchange” on winter vegetable cultivation.

He appeared openly and without disguise in public view.

Meanwhile, the “unseen eyes” around the estate grew more numerous.

Each day, the patrolling youths reported several suspicious groups. Their disguises were skillful, but the probing looks in their eyes could not be concealed.

Woniu Village felt like an isolated island surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Although the young men of the estate did not know the full story, they sensed the danger in the tense atmosphere. They no longer laughed and joked as before. During training, they worked even harder. Under this invisible pressure, the cohesion of the entire estate grew stronger instead.

One evening, when Jiang Suisui brought Gu Yan a late-night snack, she found him bent over a topographic map of the estate, marking it with a vermilion brush.

Every building, every road, even every grove of trees was clearly labeled. Around the outer perimeter, red and blue lines formed complex patterns that resembled a meticulously designed defensive deployment chart.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly.

Gu Yan looked up and smiled at her. The smile carried powerful confidence. “Nothing much. Just adding a lock to our home.”

Pointing to the markings on the map, he explained, “I’ve set up early-warning devices along all the main routes leading in and out of the estate. I’ve also placed a few small traps in the surrounding hills and forests. They won’t injure anyone—but the moment someone triggers them, we’ll know immediately.”

“Additionally, I selected ten of the sharpest boys to form a rapid-response team. I’ll train them personally. If anything happens, they can reach any corner of the estate within the time it takes to burn one stick of incense.”

He had divided the entire Woniu Village according to military camp standards—into alert zones, defensive zones, and a core zone. Each area had its own guard arrangements and emergency response plans.

Looking at the map he had fortified as securely as an iron barrel, then at his eyes gleaming under the lamplight, Jiang Suisui felt much of her earlier fear about the impending danger quietly dissipate.

She knew that this fierce tiger, temporarily confined among the fields, might have lost his command and army—but his formidable ability to protect land and people had never vanished.

As long as he was here, this home would be impregnable.

She walked over and gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek against his broad, warm back.

Gu Yan’s body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. He reached back to cover the hands clasped around his waist and patted them lightly.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’m here.”