Chapter 1

Snow Over the Cold River

At this moment, Nan Yi found something peculiar.

This young man appeared to have been fishing here for quite some time, yet the spot wasn’t far from where she had just been beaten by the merchants and harassed by the soldiers of Qi.

With all that commotion, it was impossible he hadn’t heard it. If he had intended to intervene, he would have done so already.

The float on Xie Queshan’s fishing line moved. He abruptly lifted his rod, and a large fish flopped on the hook—it was the biggest fish he’d caught in recent days. His expression relaxed as he reached out to remove the fish from the hook.

Nan Yi glanced back at the Qi soldiers, who were quickly closing in. The ferry dock was wide open, with no cover or place to hide. She had nowhere left to run. Her last glimmer of hope now rested on this man.

She looked up at him with pleading eyes, attempting to stir his compassion.

“Young master, I beg you to save me.”

Xie Queshan lowered his gaze indifferently, his eyes landing on Nan Yi’s face.

The girl, clad in tattered clothes and covered in blood, looked dirty and disheveled at first glance. Yet her eyes were strikingly bright, and her torn garments clung to her skin, faintly revealing her barely matured figure. She resembled a young beast that had just taken form—innocent and bewildered, with a fragile beauty. No wonder those Qi soldiers had been tempted by her appearance.

But Xie Queshan had always despised weak and spineless women. His eyes betrayed no trace of emotion as he continued his task, placing the fish into his basket.

“If you’d rather not submit to the Qi soldiers, then you might as well die to preserve your dignity,” he said coldly.

From his sleeve, Xie Queshan drew a dagger and tossed it onto the ground.

Nan Yi froze, staring at the dagger, her mind going blank. The man before her remained unmoved; there was not an ounce of mercy in his eyes.

The disordered sound of footsteps grew closer behind her. Nan Yi knew her options were running out. Trembling, she reached for the dagger, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t summon the courage to grip it tightly.

“Still trying to run? Do you have a death wish?”

A Qi soldier’s hand pressed down on her shoulder. Nan Yi spun around abruptly and, using every ounce of strength she had, drove the dagger into the soldier’s arm.

The soldier let out a howl of pain and staggered back, clutching his wounded arm.

Nan Yi pulled the dagger free, then turned decisively and leapt into the river. A few streaks of blood appeared on the water’s surface.

“Damn girl! Someone catch her!” The Qi soldier, enraged, shouted for reinforcements.

The girl’s actions caught Xie Queshan slightly off guard. The enormous splash on the river’s surface finally stirred a faint trace of pity within him.

Xie Queshan lifted his head, the last light of the day falling on the face beneath his bamboo hat, fully illuminating his features. His expression was blank as he looked toward the cursing Qi soldiers.

The Qi soldiers charging up froze in place when they saw him. Before they could say a word, Xie Queshan uttered a single word.

“Leave.”

The word carried the weight of a thousand pounds, sending the soldiers scattering in panic.

Nan Yi, clutching the edge of a small covered boat, emerged from the river and took a deep breath. Just as she was about to dive back into the water, she saw that the Qi soldiers on the riverbank had fled, leaving only Xie Queshan standing there. She was momentarily stunned.

“Do you know how to row?” 

Xie Queshan asked, looking at Nan Yi in the water.

Nan Yi blankly nodded.

“Take me to Hu Gui Mountain.”

Xie Queshan removed his thick cloak and tossed it onto the deck of the small boat.

The small covered boat cut a long wake across the river. Night had fallen, and a lantern was hung on the boat. The paper shade swayed in the wind and snow, causing the light on their faces to flicker.

Nan Yi and Xie Queshan sat across from each other. Nan Yi, draped in Xie Queshan’s cloak, sat on the deck, rowing. From time to time, she glanced at Xie Queshan, who sat beneath the cover of the boat.

He was a young gentleman, dressed in a black, round-collared robe with a wide jade belt around his waist. Hanging from the belt was a dark pouch embroidered with flying fish and cloud patterns. Though not extravagantly dressed, he exuded an air of nobility. His features were as warm as jade, yet his cold expression and distant demeanor made him seem unapproachable.

Xie Queshan emptied the contents of his fish basket back into the river.

Curious, Nan Yi asked, “If you caught them, why release them?”

“Small fish and shrimp, unworthy of notice.”

Nan Yi shivered. She instinctively felt like she was one of those small fish and shrimp, her life entirely at his whim. The only reason she was alive now was because he didn’t deem it worth his effort to crush her.

Changing the subject, Nan Yi asked, “You don’t seem like a local. What brings you to Hu Gui Mountain?”

“To collect animal hides.”

“This winter’s trade hasn’t been easy,” Nan Yi muttered. But Xie Queshan didn’t respond, and she wisely fell silent.

Nan Yi’s clothes were still wet, and in the heavy snow, she could only huddle against the cold. Wrapped in Xie Queshan’s large cloak, she looked small and frail, her face tinged red from the cold. Under the lantern’s glow, she appeared surprisingly delicate.

Xie Queshan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before shifting to her hands gripping the oars.

Each time she rowed, her sleeve slipped back slightly, revealing a pale wrist.

On her wrist was a jade bracelet—fine quality, though not exceptionally rare. Having just been submerged in water, it still glistened with beads of moisture. The translucent jade highlighted the delicate smoothness of her wrist. The elegant accessory seemed out of place with her ragged attire, yet the more he looked at it, the less discordant it seemed.

Snowflakes landed on her skin, melting instantly. The surrounding silence, broken only by the rhythmic creak of the oars, made the moment feel strangely intimate.

Realizing he’d been lost in thought for some time, Xie Queshan wordlessly withdrew his gaze and asked, “Where are you from?”

“Li Du Prefecture,” Nan Yi lied. In truth, she had merely passed through Li Du Prefecture and lingered there for some time. Without official travel documents, she could be convicted if the authorities investigated. Judging from his demeanor, Nan Yi felt this man was either wealthy or noble, so she chose her words carefully.

“Who’s in charge of Li Du Prefecture?”

Nan Yi hesitated before answering, “The Prefect oversees part of it, and the Xie family handles another part.”

“And the remaining part?”

“Left to its own devices.”

Xie Queshan said nothing more. The two of them sat silently across from each other until the small boat approached the dock at Ganxi Village.

Xie Queshan rose to disembark, and Nan Yi stood up as well, causing the boat to sway slightly. The tall man, caught off guard by the sudden motion, staggered briefly as he stepped forward.

Nan Yi quickly moved to steady him. “Careful, young master.”

Xie Queshan instinctively avoided physical contact, subtly stepping away from her as he strode ashore.

Nan Yi removed the cloak and ran after him, holding it out along with the dagger. 

“Thank you for saving me today, young master.”

“Dirty. Keep it.” 

Without even glancing down, Xie Queshan walked away with his hands behind his back.

Nan Yi watched his retreating figure, her heart pounding wildly. Only when his silhouette disappeared completely did she exhale deeply.

In her hand was now a pouch she had deftly taken from Xie Queshan earlier. Opening it, she found ten taels of silver inside.

In chaotic times, money opened doors. At that moment, Nan Yi naively believed this sum would help her reach the frontline in Fufeng County, where she hoped to reunite with her lover. Little did she know, this marked the beginning of all her misfortunes.