Chapter 155: Speak—Who Are You Really?

“Scared?”

Bai Yun’an suddenly turned to look at his little sister, who was nervously clutching the hem of her clothes and lowering her head slightly. He couldn’t help but ask.

The little one looked up, a bit dazed, and stared at her third brother.

The night was dark as ink. Though her third brother wasn’t that old, something about his eyes and demeanor made Juanjuan feel like he was already an adult.

She almost forgot—she was the only real child in the family.

Her brothers might look young, but after the switch, their actual ages probably weren’t.

Faced with her brother’s question, Juanjuan decided to be honest.

“A little.”

“Don’t be scared. It’s okay. I’m here.”

Bai Yun’an reached out and placed two chocolate beans in her hand, saying gently, “Eat them both. Once you do, you won’t be scared anymore.”

Juanjuan took the dark little chocolate beans and popped one into her mouth. It melted instantly—sweet, so very sweet.

“Aren’t you going to ask me where I got these?” Bai Yun’an raised an eyebrow at her.

Juanjuan blinked, then asked, “Where did they come from?”

Bai Yun’an chuckled softly and leaned in, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. “An old immortal gave them to me. Said if a child eats them, they’ll become smarter. He saved them just for you.”

“But Juanjuan has to keep it a secret. If you tell anyone, the old immortal might take your third brother away.”

【Everyone in the family came from elsewhere—only Juanjuan is left. She didn’t ride the ox cart, but could she really not have been switched?】

【Probably not, right? If she had been, then she’s way too convincing. Not a single slip.】

Juanjuan whispered, “Mom and Dad too…”

Bai Yun’an cut her off, “Nope. Can’t talk about it.”

Juanjuan obediently nodded, looking like she understood.

Outside the courtyard, the sound of footsteps grew louder, accompanied by a chorus of voices.

Then came a loud, impatient knocking on the door—like someone was pounding it to collect a debt.

The smile on Bai Yun’an’s face faded slightly. He was just about to get up and open the door when he saw their mother come out of the house and beat him to it.

The door swung open to reveal a crowd of people.

Surrounded by a group of constables stood a lean, composed middle-aged man. His clothes were sharp and carried an air of authority.

Aside from Bai Yunxing, no one in the Bai family recognized what his outfit signified.

But even without knowing the exact meaning, it was clear this man held a high status.

“Show respect to the County Magistrate¹.”

Jiang Dai stepped forward and bowed. “Greetings, my lord.”

She knew when to bend and when to stand tall. Besides, in the film crew, they didn’t just bow—they knelt too.

Let’s just call it a formal greeting.

“No need for that. I am Li Zhiyuan. I must thank you for aiding the Mu Family Army. May I ask where the injured man is? This is the physician—please, let him examine the patient immediately!”

It was obvious the County Magistrate was in a hurry.

Jiang Dai stepped aside and pointed to the room where Mu Hu was resting. The physician quickly jogged over to check on him, and the County Magistrate followed closely behind.

The appearance of Mu Family Army soldiers in his small jurisdiction, coupled with the mention of Northern Barbarian² spies, was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.

He needed to get to the bottom of this—fast.

Mu Hu had been assigned to escort Bai Jiaxing not just for his strength, but also for his sharp mind.

Without even confirming stories with Bai Yunxing, he’d skillfully recounted a version based on what he remembered Bai Yunxing telling his family—downplaying the details and saying he’d only seen spies taking a child hostage to threaten him. He killed the Northern Barbarian spies and then pursued the group.

What happened after that was what everyone had witnessed.

“I ask that Lord Li send word to the capital as soon as possible, and also notify the Ji family in Tongzhou Prefecture.”

Mu Hu’s words startled the County Magistrate so much that he immediately bowed in return.

“Yes, I will take care of it right away.”

Any official worth their salt knew that the squad leaders of the Mu Family’s Twelfth Division, though not formally appointed by the emperor, were handpicked by both the emperor and the Mu Family Head. They had the emperor’s ear.

In fact, there were even rumors circulating among officials that the twelve were directly under the emperor’s command, placed by General Mu’s side to monitor him.

Either way, they were not people a mere County Magistrate could afford to offend.

“Lord Li, this household rendered assistance today. I ask that you leave some constables behind to protect them until all the spies are rooted out.”

“Yes, of course.”

The County Magistrate left men behind and hurried off to carry out Mu Hu’s instructions.

“Thank you both for your help. Mu Hu is deeply grateful.”

Jiang Dai looked at the man who bowed in thanks and asked, “You’re with the Mu Family Army?”

Mu Hu blinked. Hadn’t he already made that clear?

But the woman before him had clear, intelligent eyes—not the look of someone dense. Rather, she seemed to be thinking deeply about something he couldn’t quite grasp.

“Yes. One hundred percent Mu Family Army.”

Jiang Dai said, “My husband’s surname is Bai. He has a nephew named Bai Jiaxing.”

Bai Tian added, “Mm, my second brother’s son.”

Mu Hu paused, his gaze shifting slightly as he looked at Jiang Dai and Bai Tian. A trace of warmth entered his eyes.

“Well, what a small world. I came here with Jiaxing.”

“That’s right,” Jiang Dai said casually. “And thank you again for saving my second son today. It seems you and this child are fated to meet.”

“You just delivered the blueprint he drew this morning, and by evening, you saved his life. On top of that, he wants to become a Great General. His dream is to join the Mu Family Army.”

Mu Hu chuckled lightly. “Then it truly is fate. Your son is clever. If he trains diligently, joining the Mu Family Army is well within reach.”

Jiang Dai nodded and said to Mu Hu, “Then please get some rest. We won’t disturb you any further.”

She and Bai Tian walked out together.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw three children standing at the door.

It was the eldest son, the third son, and the youngest daughter.

“You’re all here? Where’s the second one?”

Just as Jiang Dai finished speaking, the eldest son pointed toward the inner room.

Bai Yunqi said, “Seems like he got scared. He’s not talking, just sitting on the bed.”

“Come on, let’s go take a look.”

The whole family entered the room and saw Bai Yunxing sitting on the bed, staring blankly.

“Mother, I want to talk to you alone,” he said.

Jiang Dai nodded. “Alright.”

She then looked at Bai Tian and signaled for him to take the other three little ones outside.

Bai Tian shook his head. “See? Whenever something’s up, it’s always Mom they go to…”

“Alright, let’s go. Let your mother comfort our second boy properly.”

Like herding ducklings, Bai Tian ushered the three kids out the door, cheerful and carefree, completely unaware that a storm was brewing.

Bai Yunqi glanced at his second brother, silently musing to himself, [Looks like he’s about to come clean. After all, this time the trouble he stirred up wasn’t small—it even involved the authorities and enemy spies.]

Bai Yun’an, on the other hand, was rather curious about how their parents would react.

[Let whoever wants to confess do it. I’m keeping my secrets buried deep… Not like I have a choice!]

Juanjuan clutched her father’s hand tightly, trying to draw courage from his blissful ignorance.

Just before the door closed, she glanced back at her mother and second brother, unable to imagine what might happen to their family if her brother really confessed.

Bai Tian, oblivious to the tangled thoughts in the children’s heads, asked, “Curious? Wanna eavesdrop?”

Bai Yunqi, who could use his spiritual power to cheat and hear everything inside: ?

Bai Yun’an, who also had spiritual power and could do the same: ?

Juanjuan, who had mind-reading abilities that weren’t blocked by doors or walls, only distance: ?

Before any of the three could respond, Jiang Dai’s voice rang out from inside the room.

“Bai Tian, stop eavesdropping!”

Bai Tian: “…”

“Ay! Got it! Me? Eavesdrop? Never!”

Jiang Dai glanced out the window, let out a weary sigh, and then turned her gaze back to her second son.

Without modern light pollution, the ancient night wasn’t pitch black. Bathed in moonlight, one could still clearly make out a person’s face and expression even without lighting a lamp.

At this moment, Bai Yunxing’s delicate, handsome face showed no trace of panic. His appearance hadn’t changed, yet Jiang Dai could immediately sense that he was no longer the same person.

It was the subtle shift in his micro-expressions and aura.

She sighed again, but her voice remained calm and quiet. “Alright, speak. Who are you really?”

Translator’s Notes