"Y-You two had been following us?" Kate questioned as she angrily pointed at the two of them.

"We were just curious why you two were going out this late... We didn't expect you two to be fully naked underneath the invisible cloak like this."

Heat rushed to Kate's cheeks as she tried to cover herself again, only to realize she was exposed, front towards them and back towards Xiaoyun.

"Shut up. I-I didn't come up with this. This was all because of your fault. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your stupid mistake!"

Kate's voice increasingly got louder and louder as she felt more and more embarrassed by the second.

"Xiaoyun... You're such a sick pervert." Yueyue commented, with Leyan looking just as disgusted.

"Woah woah. I didn't come up with this. Kate was the one who came up with the idea. Don't try to push the blame on me."

"Shut up! I didn't! Hand me my clothes!"

"Now you're lying to me again... You know what, you're going to walk back home naked from now on."

"Y-You..."

As Kate fell into silence, Xiaoyun didn't waste any time as he turned towards the other two who had been watching the whole time.

"Do you think you two are just getting away for free? I know what you two did behind my back."

"D-Did what?" Yueyue nervously asked.

"Don't act all stupid. I know you're a part of it, Yueyue... My own head of intelligence, my right-hand man, is hiding secrets from me."

Xiaoyun paused for a second, then continued.

"You two know how hurt I was when I saw that document? It almost feels like you guys are just assuming I was going to die sooner or later.

And please don't say it's just for my sake. Couldn't you all at least tell me about it? Which part of this plan needed to be hidden?"

Both Yueyue and Leyan fell into silence. Neither of them could speak up as Xiaoyun continued lashing out with his anger.

"You guys say I always take too many risks, and that I sometimes have a trust problem... Look at this, now tell me I have a trust problem."

As a folder appeared out of thin air, Xiaoyun began flipping through it page by page right in front of the two, revealing the same info that Renqin had gathered earlier.

"Arresting all of my generals. Leyan, you really are a genius, aren't you? You know how stupid this plan looks? Do you all think the soldiers are just blind?"

Leyan continued to remain silent as she looked to the ground, her face filled with embarrassment as if she realized how stupid the plot now sounded.

"Thank god I found this out sooner... Or else if I really disappear one day, you three are going to ruin all of the progress I had made."

All three of them dared not speak up or look back at Xiaoyun's eyes, their faces all felt embarrassed by the criticism he had raised.

"Leyan, speak up. Explain yourself... Tell me, what's the point of this plan? Who are you trying to set up to replace me?"

"I... I'm sorry, honey."

"Don't call me honey. Tell me. Who are you trying to replace me with? Is it Yezi? Is this the reason why he isn't on the list?" Xiaoyun questioned.

"N-No. I-I didn't put Yezi in the plan. I-I know he won't betray you... I just thought if you really disappear one day, I could put your son in place."

Xiaoyun raised his hand in anger, but put it down last second as he let out a sigh of disappointment.

Publication courtesy of M|V|LE-MPYR.

"Why my son? He's not even two years old yet. What's up with your mindset? You two all though this was the right idea?"

Despite neither of them speaking up, the silence alone was enough of an answer for Xiaoyun.

"Just why? I much prefer you guys just have Yezi or something else, who's actually an adult.

Why a kid? Just because he's mine, you all think he should be the leader? When did we live in a feudal society?"

Seeing Yueyue and Leyan looking all defeated, Xiaoyun turned his attention to Kate, who stood still on the blanket.

"And Kate. You asked me why we don't have elections. And you're now telling me helping a kid that's not even yours to become a king is something you agree to?

Where's your moral? Where's your brain? Has all three of your brains been kicked by a mule or something?"

"I'm just scared..." Kate quietly argued as she looked up a little.

"Scared of what? Who is there to be scared of? The military? They can't do jack shit with Yuqi in the government."

"We're scared, Xiaoyun. That's the answer we got for you... You know how worried we are every time we see you go outside?"

Leyan paused for a second as she looked right back at Xiaoyun's eyes, who still looked to be filled with anger.

"You want to know why I have your son be the leader instead of some other men? Tell me, which men in this town would let us live in peace?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Your head really is made out of wood... Tell me, what happens in the history book when a beautiful woman loses their husband?"

"They..."

Xiaoyun fell into silence. He knew what she was trying to imply, but it just felt too far-fetched to guess something like this.

"Strong men take them and make them obey.... What do you think is going to happen after Yezi retires?"

"I..."

"The moment some of your senior officers have radical ideas. Do you really think we'll be able to defend ourselves as defenseless women?

Is it really wrong for me to try to defend this family when you're gone? Xiaoyun, you're the only love of my life."

"Don't try to distract from the problem. You don't have to hide this from me. You could have been upfront about it right at the beginning."

As Xiaoyun argued back, Leyan could tell his anger had been subdued a little. Just enough that she needed a few more pushes.

"And? You would have just dismissed me as paranoid or just crazy. Your attitude right here tells me everything I needed to know."

Leyan's argument made Xiaoyun fall into silence again. She was exactly on point with her prediction on what he would have said.

"I did this for you and for us. I don't want to see us torn apart and passed around. The only way to cement ourselves is to use your son as the leader."

"Why?"

"Because that's the people's will. Everyone respects you. Not us. Not Yuqi. I know you don't want the settlement to become a feudal kingdom.

But you have to understand that the only successor who would be able to convince the people and protect us is your son."

"He's only one year old."

"We just need an excuse. He's the only way for us to legitimize our control... This is your fault for splitting military power from Yuqi."

Xiaoyun finally couldn't argue back. Leyan was right. He had split the government in half for the sake of balance.

A balance that would instantly collapse the moment he disappears. One that would have played out almost like Pingdingshan's tragedy.

He could already imagine it in his head. Yuqi attempted to cut the military budget, only to be met with a military coup to overthrow her.

"You're right... I had been inconsiderate."

"Thank you. Now you understand our positioning... Honey, I love you, okay? I wouldn't dare to—Ah!"

"That's what I would have said if I didn't get gaslighted by you. Nice try, babe."

As Xiaoyun yanked Leyan over to the blanket, she was completely caught off guard as he ripped her clothes apart.

"Just because I understand your positioning doesn't mean I'm not going to punish you for hiding a secret from me."

"How are you going to punish me, honey?"

Seeing the two of them seemingly reach a compromise, both Yueyue and Kate were a little dumbfounded and confused.

"Mom...?"

"Yueyue, come over here. You don't have to stand right there." Leyan waved as she threw her ripped clothes aside.

"I-I'm good——"

"Who says you're getting away? I still remember you lost your first invisible cloak to Leyan without telling me."

With Yueyue pulled down to the blanket, only Kate remained. She stood still, looking a little stunned by how rapidly the situation had changed.

"X-Xiaoyun, you forgive us?" Kate nervously asked.

"Of course not. At least not yet... But what am I going to do? Cry over spilled milk? I'm a big enough man to accept y'all's apology."

Seeing Kate standing still, Leyan quickly got up to pull her back down to the blanket.

"Come on, don't just stand here... Xiaoyun already accepted our apology. We just need a few more pushes to get him over the line."

"I'm not deaf, you know," Xiaoyun murmured as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, of course I know that, honey... How do you want to punish the three of us?" Leyan asked as she forcefully ripped Yueyue's clothes.

"Mom!"

With a death stare, Yueyue fell back into silence as Xiaoyun looked towards the three of them now fully exposed in front of him.

"I have an idea..."