WNST - 108

Zhang Yuehui, always well-informed, quickly heard about Wanyan Puruo’s situation in Jinling. He couldn’t help but feel a little gloating. The normally calculating princess was now being blatantly outmaneuvered by the ministers of the Yu dynasty—he wondered how she would react to such a blow.

Yet, he also felt a bit of wistfulness.

He thought this dynasty was rotten to the core, that it should have collapsed long ago. But at the moment of its downfall, the people were still united, standing together as one. The dynasty should thank its citizens, how fortunate they were.

However, Zhang Yuehui didn’t feel like one of those citizens.

He didn’t even know what he was. An onlooker? If so, who was he supposed to cheer for?

As these thoughts swirled, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He was willing to be an onlooker, but others might not want him to stay seated quietly. The few who knew Wanyan Puruo had gone to Jinling included him, and he had spread the news. Now that the situation had reached an impasse, sooner or later she would hold him responsible.

One wrong step, and every step after was wrong.

Zhang Yuehui was troubled.

People have a certain drive, but he felt his energy was slowly draining away, even his desire for revenge was fading.

By now, he genuinely wanted to run, but how could he convince Nan Yi to willingly leave with him?

Just as he was thinking about Nan Yi, she arrived uninvited.

Today, a secret informant from the Bingzhu Division sent word to Nan Yi that there was no trace of Xie Que Shan in the northbound convoy, only his personal attendant, He Ping.

If Xie Que Shan didn’t return to Great Qi, where could he be? Could he still be in Lidu Prefecture? Nan Yi was extremely anxious; nothing like this had ever happened before. What kind of trap was this, where even someone as crafty as Xie Que Shan could vanish without a trace?

She was filled with panic and had no idea where to begin. Since this matter seemed linked to Wanyan Puruo, and Song Muchuan had warned her that Zhang Yuehui was associated with Wanyan Puruo, she couldn’t help but wonder: Could Zhang Yuehui have betrayed Xie Que Shan?

Deep down, Nan Yi didn’t think Zhang Yuehui was that kind of person, but she couldn’t claim to know him completely. She wasn’t sure what choices he might make under greater pressure and the temptation of higher benefits. After all, he was a businessman through and through.

With no other leads, she decided to take a gamble and went straight to Huachao Pavilion to find Zhang Yuehui.

“Everyone, out.” Nan Yi swept her eyes over the servants who had come to greet her, not showing any courtesy.

The servants dared not move, glancing at Zhang Yuehui for cues.

With a playful grin, Zhang Yuehui waved his hand. “This is your future mistress; her word is my command.”

“Understood, Mistress,” the servants said in unison and quickly left.

Nan Yi was already mentally kicking Zhang Yuehui a few times—this cunning merchant never knew when to shut up. Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly realized how easily he had tried to draw her into irrelevant chatter.

She had to get back to the point. She took a deep breath and demanded, “Zhang Yuehui, did you betray Xie Que Shan?”

Zhang Yuehui stared at Nan Yi, thinking to himself that she was becoming more like Xie Que Shan, hard to deceive.

He was pleased to see her. Her arrival was like a gust of spring wind blowing open the windows, even if that wind hadn’t come for him.

He had already guessed what she was going to ask. With her angry demeanor, she must have learned something from the Bingzhu Division, and now she knew Xie Que Shan’s situation wasn’t good. The Bingzhu Division knew about his connection to Wanyan Puruo, so from her perspective, he was the most likely person to have betrayed Xie Que Shan.

But he still wanted to delay her question. He didn’t want her to ask.

He was a true scoundrel, but ever since his confession to her, every word he had promised to her, he had kept to the best of his ability. He had even begrudgingly helped his sworn enemy, Xie Que Shan.

These things weren’t easy; he had risked his life.

Although Zhang Yuehui was thick-skinned, he still felt a twinge of sadness.

Not everything could be laughed off.

His smile turned into a bitter one, though still tinged with sincerity. “So this is how you see me. If you believe it was me, then feel free to smash the bracelet.”

Nan Yi’s anger suddenly dissipated. She suddenly realized that when Zhang Yuehui had said not to take off the bracelet, or he would betray Xie Que Shan, it hadn’t been a threat, but a promise.

For her, he wouldn’t betray Xie Que Shan. This was Zhang Yuehui’s true heart.

She had used that sincerity, and then trampled on it. Nan Yi immediately felt regretful; she shouldn’t have been so hasty.

It seemed that it really wasn’t him.

The atmosphere became awkward.

Her remorse brought Zhang Yuehui back to life. If he didn’t take advantage of this moment, when would he?

Zhang Yuehui seized the opportunity to pull Nan Yi into a seat, speaking with a touch of feigned bitterness, “Think about it. I was involved in the Gusha incident too. If I had really betrayed Xie Que Shan, could I still be sitting here so calmly?”

“Then what happened to him?” Nan Yi asked anxiously.

Zhang Yuehui coaxed, “Xie Que Shan left without saying goodbye, there must be a reason. If even you don’t know, it means he never considered you one of his own. Rather than staying in this uncertain situation, why don’t you come with me while things are still manageable?”

Nan Yi ignored his invitation, focusing only on what she wanted to know. She pleaded, “Since things are still controllable, can you help me find him?”

“I can’t find him,” Zhang Yuehui immediately refused, his tone firm.

“Why not? Have you already looked for him? Or do you know where he is and are saying you can’t find him?” Nan Yi’s rapid-fire questions left Zhang Yuehui momentarily speechless.

Zhang Yuehui realized he had become too eager to get Nan Yi to give up, revealing a slip. For some reason, he was suddenly very impatient, wanting to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

He spoke seriously, trying to scare Nan Yi off: “After Xie Que Shan met with Wanyan Pu Ruo, he just disappeared. Wanyan Pu Ruo is a ruthless character. If she wants to hide someone, no one will ever find them.”

“But you’re different—Zhang Yuehui, are you not just anyone? You know Wanyan Pu Ruo, you’re familiar with her style. Xie Que Shan should still be in Lidu, and with your vast abilities, you can definitely find him.”

Zhang Yuehui finally understood that he couldn’t persuade her, because every time she came to see him, it was always for Xie Que Shan. Every word and every compliment she gave him was for Xie Que Shan.

He couldn’t help but become sharp: “What does this have to do with me?”

Nan Yi anxiously responded: “You know Xie Que Shan’s identity. He can’t die.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Zhang Yuehui laughed and repeated his question slowly, which made Nan Yi realize the truth.

His helping her was solely because of her, not because they were on the same side.

There are all kinds of people in the world, some are tightly bound by a sense of belonging, while others remain detached, alone, coldly watching, unwilling to intervene. These choices are neither right nor wrong.

Once she realized this, Nan Yi felt somewhat disheartened.

“Don’t tell me you still want to stay with him?” Zhang Yuehui suddenly asked a deadly question, breaking the silence.

His question was aggressive, and Nan Yi immediately understood what he was trying to confirm. But with his life uncertain, why was she even still talking to him about this?

Annoyed, Nan Yi shot back: “Yeah, why can’t I want that?”

She admitted it openly and decisively, like pulling out a sharp, unstoppable knife. The problem was, this knife had been handed to her by him.

He knew that he now looked extremely ridiculous.

He couldn’t maintain that cheeky, carefree demeanor anymore. There were too many things in life beyond his control, and his helplessness erupted in that moment.

“Stop dreaming. You and Xie Que Shan are impossible. In this chaotic world, why be foolish lovers? I’ll tell you, he’s doomed. You won’t even be able to collect his bones. Save your energy, come with me now, and at least you’ll survive.”

Nan Yi was so angry she nearly jumped up: “Zhang Yuehui! This is where we’re different! How can you be so dismissive of life and death? The more you say he’s doomed, the more I can’t run away! I will save him until I can’t anymore! Even if he’s not Xie Que Shan, if it’s someone else, you, or anyone from the Xie family, I’d do the same! I’m not going with you, because we’re not on the same side!”

Zhang Yuehui froze, and after a long moment, muttered, “…Then pull me along.”

His voice was a bit vague, and Nan Yi suspected she had heard wrong. He looked at her again and repeated: “You and I are on different paths, so pull me along.”

It was like a plea to save himself, or perhaps a hopeless cry after he had already shattered himself.

For the first time, Nan Yi saw Zhang Yuehui’s vulnerability. Real emotions like joy, anger, and sorrow flashed across his face.

He was the one on the stage, with heavy makeup masking everything, not knowing whose path he was walking, or whose life he was singing. He liked exaggeration and extremes, as it made things more lively and hid his insecurities. He was an extremely contradictory person. Only when the show was over and everyone left, could he return to his solitary self.

He was that pitiful soul who, when his family was destroyed, wandered without direction, trapped in that year, unable to escape.

He longed for someone to pull him out, but when someone really extended a hand, he felt it couldn’t last and ran away before trying.

After all these years, he finally realized that pitiful soul still wanted to be pulled by her.

Pulled back to the real world, to belong somewhere, to have a place to go.

Nan Yi felt confused. She didn’t know how to handle it. They had both lost control. She had already placed someone else in her heart, and she couldn’t face Zhang Yuehui’s outstretched hand. She hurriedly stood up and walked out, but when the warm wind brushed her face in the corridor, she slightly regained her clarity.

Zhang Yuehui was strange. According to his personality, even if he found finding Xie Que Shan troublesome, he would have agreed just to appease her. Yet he even got into a fierce argument with her rather than agreeing.

He must know something she didn’t, but he didn’t want to lie to her, so he just avoided it.

Nan Yi looked back, her gaze absentmindedly passing through the window, and suddenly noticed a mask of a New Year’s doll placed on a display shelf. It was old and didn’t match the surrounding antiques. She thought for a moment, then dug out a long-buried memory. It was from a year’s Lantern Festival when they had no money, wandering around the lantern festival. She thought they shouldn’t spend the holiday too miserably, so she drew two clumsy masks, one for each of them. Her own had long been lost in the turmoil, but she never expected he had treasured it. In this trivial detail, she finally realized that Zhang Yuehui had invested real emotions toward her, not just his unwillingness or guilt as she had thought.

The past years had left their marks not only on her.

She felt sad, because she couldn’t let go of the last chance to find Xie Que Shan, even if it meant ruthlessly exploiting Zhang Yuehui’s vulnerability.

She turned back.

“Zhang Yuehui, do you really not know where Xie Que Shan is?”

She asked very seriously, so seriously that Zhang Yuehui couldn’t lie to her while looking at her face.

Nan Yi already had the answer in her heart, and with certainty, she said: “I’ll come again tomorrow, until you tell me.”

She wasn’t someone who liked to hurt others, but at that moment, she felt cruel.

She had no choice. Everyone was wounded, with their knives pointed at others, and also at themselves, fighting for survival, fighting for righteousness, and fighting for a bit of selfishness.