“Miss Yuluo, the master requests your presence.”
Upon hearing this, the girl’s hand gripping the blade paused slightly. The phrase “Miss Yuluo” made her expression waver. In just two short months, it felt like an eternity had passed. She raised her eyebrows lightly, and the demeanor that belonged to “Ji Yuyao” seemed to crumble in an instant. She withdrew her hand and let her gaze move past the black-clad man’s shoulder, landing directly on a cliff corner across the stream.
Through the misty rain, she saw a figure in snow-white robes, someone holding a sky-blue umbrella for him from behind.
Under the umbrella, the person sat quietly in a wheelchair, gazing at the shimmering lake. The moonlight bathed his profound face, illuminating his serene and indifferent expression. Beneath this calmness lay a detached coldness, as if he was silently pushing all worldly matters away. The mountain mist gathered at his feet, making him look like an immortal descended to the mortal world, with an air of otherworldly isolation.
It was only upon approaching that one could notice the unhealthy pallor of his complexion.
As if sensing her approach, his gaze reluctantly shifted from the rainy scene to her. It was a long, deep scrutiny, and finally, his eyes settled on the wide sleeves hanging down from the girl’s shoulders.
His thin lips parted slightly, “Come here.”
His voice was like a gentle stream, clear and distant.
Ji Yuluo walked straight to him. Just as she was about to speak, the man silently lifted her sleeve, revealing two hideous bloodstains on her wrist, likely from when Gu Rou had scratched her. The desperate struggle of a dying person had been forceful, and blood dripped from her fingertips.
But she seemed not to feel any pain, merely following the force of Xie Subai’s grip and crouching down before him.
The maid, who carried various bottles and jars, quickly understood the situation and handed over a hemostatic medicine. Xie Subai took it, focused on treating her wound. As he wrapped the brocade handkerchief around it, he asked, “Was it fun?”
Ji Yuluo was startled. When she looked up, she realized that this cliff corner faced the pavilion where she had just pushed Gu Rou. From this higher ground, everything on the opposite side was clearly visible.
When he asked if it was fun, she didn’t know if he was referring only to what happened with Gu Rou or to everything that had occurred in the Ji residence.
While Ji Yuluo was pondering, Xie Subai tied a knot on the handkerchief and quickly withdrew his hand. He looked up at the girl in front of him, “Do you hate them?”
This time, Ji Yuluo didn’t hesitate. She shook her head and said, “But they deserve to die, don’t they?”
Xie Subai looked at her for a long moment before saying, “If you want them dead, you could take direct action, or present the evidence from back then to the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, or even the Jinyiwei. You have a thousand ways to punish them, but today, your actions only scratched the surface, at most causing some annoyance to the Ji family. It won’t shake their foundations—you don’t want Ji Chongwang to really get into trouble, do you? Is it to maintain the identity of the eldest daughter of the Ji family so you can smoothly marry into the Huo family?”
He paused for a moment and said bluntly, “The one who attempted to assassinate the Huo family two months ago was you.”
Ji Yuluo pressed her lips together, remaining silent, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.
The sound of the rain grew urgent, hinting at an impending downpour.
The “da, da, da” on the umbrella became louder, with rainwater streaming down its edges, wetting the hem of the girl’s old white skirt.
Xie Subai lowered his gaze to look at her. Suddenly, a cold wind blew from the lake, and he started coughing violently, his already pale face turning worse. Ji Yuluo quickly took the water from the maid, but Xie Subai raised his hand to stop her.
He gradually calmed his cough and steadied his breathing, saying, “I won’t stop you from going anywhere, but at least let me know what you intend to do. Don’t be like three years ago—”
As his words fell, the two maids behind him were stunned, then exchanged glances and lowered their heads.
Three years ago…
They would probably never forget the scene of their usually gentle and calm master carrying a blood-soaked, nearly dying Miss Yuluo out of the Yunyang prison. The rage in his eyes was enough to tear someone apart, leading to the infamous “Prison Massacre.”
Ji Yuluo seemed to remember something, her face changing several times before she said, “I found him, Zhao Yong.”
Her eyes grew colder as she continued, “Turns out he is the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The palace is heavily guarded; killing him won’t be easy, and escaping unharmed even harder. But Huo Xian serves closely by the emperor’s side and has dealings with Zhao Yong. Only by following him can I get a chance to enter the inner court and get close to Zhao Yong.”
Xie Subai was silent for a moment, then said, “So you infiltrated the Huo residence that day not to assassinate Huo Xian?”
A furrow appeared between Ji Yuluo’s brows, adding a touch of vitality to her otherwise cold and clear face.
She pressed her lips together and said, “It was a mistake in the information…”
That night, there was not only Huo Xian in the room but also a eunuch who had sneaked out of the palace. The information she received was that Zhao Yong would leave the palace, but it turned out that only a minor eunuch under Zhao Yong had left. Mistaking him for Zhao Yong, Ji Yuluo dared to act, leading to an unintended confrontation with Huo Xian. She almost failed, and if not for the timely encounter with Ji Yuyao returning from Chengyuan Temple, and the officials at the city gate being reluctant to search the future wife of Huo Xian, she might not have escaped.
Thinking of this, the furrow between Ji Yuluo’s brows deepened.
With this, the situation became clear.
Xie Subai did not ask about the minor details, such as whether the real Ji Yuyao was alive or dead. He merely gazed at the distant rain, letting out a sigh that was both helpless and indulgent, saying, “There are our hidden posts in the capital. You know the locations. Remember to seek help in times of trouble. I’m not comfortable with you entering the Huo residence alone; I’ll assign someone to you.”
Ji Yuluo hesitated, “I have Chaolu.”
Upon hearing this, Chaolu, holding her sword, nodded repeatedly, looking at Xie Subai with a sense of grievance, feeling that the master was blatantly dismissing her capabilities.
Xie Subai said, “Chaolu is too impulsive, not reliable enough.”
Chaolu: “…”
So he was still saying she was not up to the task.
Ji Yuluo did not argue over these minor matters. After agreeing, she got up to leave. Xie Subai did not stop her; he merely handed her an oil-paper umbrella.
The fingers gripping the umbrella handle were cold, pale, and slender, reaching out towards Ji Yuluo. But as soon as she unintentionally touched him, he quickly withdrew his hand.
Ji Yuluo paused slightly, thanked him, and then her figure disappeared into the long night.
A maid behind them lamented, “Why doesn’t the master bring Miss back?”
Xie Subai’s face remained impeccably calm, but the hand hidden in his sleeve was tightly clenched into a fist. Then, he started coughing heavily again. The handkerchief he pressed against his lips was stained with blood. He closed his eyes for a moment, saying nothing, his voice hoarse, “The rain is heavy, let’s go back.”
