Chapter 79

The spring flowers were beautiful, but as soon as Nan Yi turned around and returned to the room, finally reaching a place where Zhang Yuehui could neither see nor hear her, the tears began to flow uncontrollably. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, gradually breaking into sobs, then a full-on wail.

She cried for the years she had lost, telling herself that it was fine and that she had let go, but the grievances in her heart had long since reached a breaking point. There had to be a grand, dramatic ending.

Nan Yi’s cries were earth-shattering and unceasing, full of righteous indignation. She didn’t even realize when Xie Que Shan had entered.

Suddenly noticing someone sitting there, she was startled. His deep, unmoving gaze was fixed on her. Nan Yi froze for a moment, then decided it wasn’t worth acknowledging him and tried to continue crying. But suddenly, she lost the mood to cry.

Although she stopped, her body still shook with sobs, and Nan Yi felt a little embarrassed and a bit angry.

He was just sitting there, indifferent, as though watching a play.

Nan Yi walked over, poured herself a glass of water, drank it in one gulp, and then, having cried herself hoarse, cleared her throat. With little patience, she asked, “What are you here for?”

Xie Que Shan felt innocent—he hadn’t done anything to provoke her. Why was she so angry with him?

What he thought was, I came to see you, but when the words came out, they turned into something much harsher: “I came to watch over you.”

Seeing her so heartbroken over Zhang Yuehui, he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to comfort her, but a petty voice inside his heart said, She’s obviously still thinking about Zhang Yuehui. What good would it do for me to speak?

“I’m not going anywhere.” She retorted sharply.

“Zhang Yuehui’s quite something. You’re not running off with him?” His words were dripping with sarcasm, and today, Xie Que Shan’s words were particularly lacking in grace.

Nan Yi wiped her tears harshly, then lashed out, “Why do I have to run off with some man? I leave when I want, I come when I want. What’s so great about you men? Why do you get to arrange everything for me? I have legs! Can’t I walk by myself?”

“……”

Why lump him in with Zhang Yuehui like that?

But Xie Que Shan was stung by her words. He also felt guilty. When he felt guilty, he had the habit of pretending to be deep and inscrutable. Nan Yi thought he was angry.

But she wasn’t scared; she just glared at him.

In the end, he softened, his voice lowering slightly: “Zhang Yuehui is no good. I’m just afraid he’s deceived you.”

—You’re just as bad as he is. Who are you to say he’s no good?

She almost retorted, but then she saw Xie Que Shan’s expression suddenly turn cold. Before she could react, he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap, one large hand covering her mouth.

“Mm—” She fell against Xie Que Shan’s knee, and in order to keep her balance, she awkwardly grabbed at his sleeve.

The room fell silent. Nan Yi heard the faint rustling of tiles overhead. Under normal circumstances, she would have thought it was just a hawk flying over the roof, but now, seeing Xie Que Shan’s serious expression, her back broke out in a cold sweat.

Nan Yi turned her face to look at Xie Que Shan, then glanced at the flickering candle flame, silently asking if he wanted her to extinguish it.

Xie Que Shan slowly shook his head. Doing so would only make them seem more guilty. He closed his eyes, listening intently, capturing the almost imperceptible sounds of wind.

Outside, about five or six men in black moved stealthily along the eaves and quietly dropped into the small courtyard behind the house. The men scattered in different directions around the courtyard.

These were assassins sent by Hu Sha. Ever since Hu Sha had openly started to suspect Xie Que Shan, this small secret team had been following him day and night. Even the most cunning fox can’t hide its tracks every time. They had finally traced him to this small courtyard, believing it was likely a meeting point for him and the Bingchu Si faction.

They needed to figure out who was hidden in the courtyard and what they were plotting, then report everything back to Hu Sha.

Two of the assassins had already crept up to the only lit room, pressing against the wall.

Xie Que Shan didn’t hesitate. He picked up Nan Yi, crossed the curtain, and entered the inner room. The candlelight cast their shadows onto the paper window, creating a picturesque scene.

The inner room had no windows, so Nan Yi dared to speak. She lowered her voice and asked, “Are they here to find me?”

“No, they are after me,” Xie Que Shan said with certainty.

He placed her on the bed, his expression calm.

“It’s fine, these people don’t have heavy weapons, they’re probably just probing, they won’t attack.”

Nan Yi recalled Zhang Yuehui’s words and asked uncertainly, “The Qi people don’t trust you?”

Xie Que Shan didn’t answer. Instead, he whispered, “Just sleep peacefully, don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

Though he said this to reassure her, Xie Que Shan knew his options were limited. He couldn’t just kill these people, as that would only increase suspicion against him. Doing nothing, however, would be the safest course.

Nothing would happen tonight, but in a few days, things could get tricky. He wasn’t sure if it was Wanyan Jun or Hu Sha who was suspicious of him, but the house had been targeted, and his immediate priority was to move Nan Yi.

Once she fell asleep, he could think about his next steps.

But how could she sleep now? Nan Yi felt anxious. She didn’t understand why the Qi people didn’t trust Xie Que Shan, but since they had tracked this house, it was likely they would discover her involvement as well.

She was connected to the Bingchu Si… She couldn’t tell if Xie Que Shan knew about it or if his calm demeanor was part of his own plans. Perhaps he was loyal and unafraid of the Qi people’s probing, but if she fell into their hands again… she wasn’t sure if she could survive another round of interrogation.

Regardless of his situation, Xie Que Shan was a powerful figure. She needed to use him as a shield to keep others in the dark.

Determined, she climbed off the bed.

Xie Que Shan grasped her wrist, puzzled, and looked at her.

Nan Yi had already figured out her plan. A man and a woman alone in a room could invite many interpretations. She needed to send a message to the people outside—Xie Que Shan wasn’t doing anything shady in the outer chambers; he was simply hiding a mistress in his golden house.

After all, Xie Que Shan had used this trick before, and she was just mimicking him.

She shook off his hand, resolutely climbed down from the bed, and braced herself against the bedpost, making the wooden bed creak loudly. The intense sound alone would make anyone eavesdropping outside jump to conclusions.

Xie Que Shan’s mind quickly realized what she was doing, but his body froze. A strange heat rushed to his head, the creaking sounds making it difficult to focus.

Her actions were completely unexpected. He couldn’t even tell if he was the one standing by the bed or if the bed itself was swaying—it didn’t matter, either way, they were both her tools.

Her rapid growth in cunning made him feel out of control.

His foggy mind suddenly wondered, How does she understand this so well?

Ironically, although life in Yucheng’s army was harsh, it was filled with youthful men, and it wasn’t unusual for them to secretly pass around spring palace images, gathering in groups to look at them. Once, Nan Yi had stumbled upon them. Curious about what they were laughing at, she peered over their shoulders…

So, now, Nan Yi could confidently say she understood it very well.

After a while, Nan Yi still didn’t feel satisfied. She lifted her leg onto the edge of the bed, exerted force on her leg to make the bedframe rock, and pulled up her pants, revealing her pale, scarred calves. At the same time, she deftly took out some ointment and applied it to her wounds.

The pain made her grit her teeth, and she involuntarily let out some painful moans.

It was convincing. Truly convincing.

Xie Que Shan was stunned, momentarily lost, feeling as if he had no place to put himself.

He had seen worse and had even treated her wounds before. But now, he realized she was just trying to mislead others. Still, the scene in front of him was both ridiculous and, in some way, unsettling. It was as if a feather had drifted through the air, scratching at his heart, and he couldn’t even figure out where to look.

He finally couldn’t stand it anymore and grabbed her hand, trying to stop her from making any more of those maddening noises.

His palm was burning, while her wrist felt ice-cold, and it was as if water and fire were clashing, yet they also seemed to merge together.

Nan Yi glared at Xie Que Shan. When he didn’t let go, she lowered her head and kissed the back of her hand.

The sound of the kiss was loud enough.

One kiss wasn’t enough, so she kissed it a few more times, like a chick pecking at rice.

At this moment, Xie Que Shan was dumbstruck, frozen in place. Nan Yi almost became addicted to this game and reached back to scratch his palm.

He jerked his hand away in surprise.

Great, he was ticklish. Nan Yi found his weakness and immediately poked him in the waist. Xie Que Shan instinctively tried to dodge, but Nan Yi pushed him down onto the bed. She acted like a little rogue, mercilessly teasing him. He dared not move too much, fearing it would affect her injury. His face flushed crimson, and he couldn’t help but groan a few times.

Nan Yi found it absolutely hilarious, and a bit satisfying, though she couldn’t laugh out loud and had to stifle it painfully.

“Enough,” Xie Que Shan finally grabbed her hand, grinding out the words through gritted teeth.

“Is this time… enough?” Nan Yi asked, a bit uncertain, her face showing serious confusion.

Xie Que Shan took a deep breath, his teeth clenched: “Enough.”

Nan Yi felt a strange sense of relief in her heart, temporarily forgetting the things that made her sad. She patted her bottom and got ready to get up, only to be suddenly pulled forward by Xie Que Shan, and once again, she landed on top of him.

She locked eyes with him. His gaze was dark and intense. Usually, such a look would make her tremble in fear, but now it reminded her of the bitter traditional medicine she had to drink every day.

Bitter, but it would make her better.

She blinked, looking up at him innocently, her eyes still swollen from crying, with the mist of unshed tears lingering.

“You’re done for,” he said.

At that moment, Nan Yi suddenly realized she was in trouble. Xie Que Shan was the kind of person who could make things extremely difficult for you if he wanted revenge.

“Tomorrow you’ll drink the medicine, no candy for you,” Xie Que Shan said viciously.

“I won’t drink it,” she retorted.

“You dare!” His voice was almost a whisper, but his face showed his frustration.

“Do you like me thinking this way?” With such a close distance, Nan Yi could almost see her reflection in his eyes. She leaned close to his ear and, in a low, deliberate voice, said, “You don’t want me to die, do you, Xie Chao’en?”

This question, which had been swirling in her mind for a long time, escaped her lips without much thought.