Shen Qingli arrived half an hour earlier than Ji Yuluo.
Originally, he had come in a dusty and angry state to reprimand Xie Subai for his unjust actions yesterday. However, his mood was calmed by the scent of pine in the tea. The incense Xie Subai had lit in the room had a calming effect, and with the warm afternoon sun streaming in, he started to feel lazy after sitting for a while.
Shen Qingli gradually relaxed his posture, lightly shaking the folding fan in his hand. He threw a flirtatious glance at the young maid squatting beside him, adding tea and tending to the incense, “Little Yinzhuang, it’s been a while. You’ve grown taller again.”
The maid named Yinzhuang rolled her eyes in secret and ignored him, focusing only on brewing tea.
Shen Qingli didn’t mind. He was the kind of person who could put on a show even without an audience. He said with emotion, “Look at our little Yinzhuang. When you first came to Cuixue Tower, you were just a child. Now, in the blink of an eye, you’ve become a little beauty. Tsk tsk tsk, that Xie fellow doesn’t know how to cherish beauty at all. How can he let our Yinzhuang do such rough work?”
The maid took a deep breath. Sister Ao Zhi had said that no matter what Young Master Shen said, don’t easily respond. Otherwise, he would perform even more vigorously, and that would not be a good thing.
Shen Qingli rested his chin on his hand and sighed lightly, “Why don’t you change your master? Come serve your Young Master Shen instead. Aren’t I better than that Xie fellow? Don’t you find it stifling and boring to serve him?”
When Ji Yuluo arrived, she saw the maid pouring the brewed tea into a cup through the faintly visible bead curtain, then slamming it heavily on the table and saying in a hostile tone, “Young Master Shen, just drink your tea and talk less!”
Shen Qingli laughed with a “Hey,” and was about to speak again when Ao Zhi parted the bead curtain, revealing a plain face behind her. He immediately sat up straight, and Yinzhuang also turned to look, hurriedly bowing with surprise and joy, “Miss Yuluo.”
Ji Yuluo said, “You two may leave.”
Yinzhuang and Ao Zhi then retreated together.
Shen Qingli faced Ji Yuluo’s indifferent gaze and awkwardly laughed, saying, “Last night, I didn’t mean to leave you behind. It’s just that our Miss Yuluo is highly skilled in martial arts. I figured you didn’t need a useless person like me getting in the way, right? I knew you would come out unscathed—what happened to your neck?”
Shen Qingli’s expression suddenly turned serious.
Ji Yuluo sat cross-legged on the mat, ignoring his question and not bothering to hold him accountable for his unjust actions last night. She only asked, “There have been many rumors in the capital lately concerning the former Crown Prince. Did you do this? Who are you working for?”
Shen Qingli paused his fan for a moment, then resumed fanning lightly, saying mysteriously, “You know the rules of the tower. After taking a commission, we must never reveal the employer’s name.”
Shen Qingli’s words were half true and half false, but Cuixue Tower did indeed have this rule.
Moreover, Shen Qingli was a person who valued money above all else and was usually lazy. If it weren’t for a large sum of money, he wouldn’t have ventured into the domain of the Jinyiwei to do such life-risking work. But the master was also in the capital. Were these two things really unrelated?
Ji Yuluo pondered for a while, staring at him to discern the truth in his words, and finally asked, “Rumors say that Prince Huaijin was framed back then. Is that true?”
Shen Qingli was somewhat surprised. Ji Yuluo usually didn’t care about court affairs, yet she was curious this time. He smiled inscrutably, “Perhaps. It’s an old matter. How could later generations know the truth of it?”
Ji Yuluo’s curiosity was unusually strong today, and she wanted to ask more. Shen Qingli cleared his throat and took the initiative, “It’s my turn to ask you. Your injury… Was it Huo Xian’s doing? Did you fight him last night? Did he recognize you?”
Ji Yuluo was forced to swallow the question she had for Lou Panshun, feeling troubled. She randomly answered with an “Mm,” then picked up Shen Qingli’s tea and took a couple of sips, not hearing Shen Qingli mutter, “Still the same, doesn’t know how to cherish beauty.”
The pine incense curled up in wisps. The two of them stared at the swirling smoke from the jade incense burner, each lost in their own thoughts, without speaking for a while.
After a long time, they faintly heard the sound of a wheelchair being pushed outside.
Soon after, a bitter medicinal fragrance wafted in.
Ao Zhi pushed Xie Subai in.
In just two short months, he looked even thinner, making his already handsome features even more pronounced, as if chiseled by a knife. The pallor of his sickness made him appear naturally aloof, even without trying.
His calm brows and eyes always seemed to carry a layer of frost.
Only when he looked at Ji Yuluo did it show signs of melting.
As the wheelchair approached, Ji Yuluo also stood up.
Xie Subai only glanced at her, his voice still hoarse from the cold he had just recovered from: “You’re here.”
Shen Qingli was completely ignored, and with a sarcastic laugh, he consciously retreated behind the screen.
When the wheelchair stopped, Ji Yuluo sat down again.
Ao Zhi moved to pour tea for him, but Xie Subai stopped her. He leaned forward to hold the teapot himself, performing a set of elegant actions smoothly. As the tea water slowly flowed from the spout, he asked while pouring, “The sun looks bright outside, but winter is ending. Is the wind still cold?”
Ji Yuluo’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at his pale fingers, which seemed drained of blood, looking worse than before. Yet he remained composed, showing no signs of abnormality on his face. Ji Yuluo said, “It’s okay—what did Doctor Yue say?”
That last question was directed at Ao Zhi, but before she could answer, Xie Subai spoke up, “The same as always, careful maintenance, nothing serious.”
He pushed the cup of tea in front of Ji Yuluo and took away the cold one that was Shen Qingli’s. Ji Yuluo nodded and replied, “Does the master have any important matters in the capital? What do you need from me today?”
At this moment, Ao Zhi presented a purple wooden box with a smile, “Miss Yuluo, did you forget your own birthday?”
Ji Yuluo was taken aback.
The 26th of the twelfth lunar month, today was indeed her birthday.
Actually, her birthday was not a significant day for her. She didn’t like lively celebrations and would never hold a grand banquet, but Xie Subai would prepare birthday gifts for her, like the hairpin she used to carry, which unfortunately ended up in Huo Xian’s hands.
Ji Yuluo opened the box to find a silver ring inside. It was simple in design, adorned only with a polished, smooth piece of jade. When worn on the hand, it wouldn’t attract attention. Twisting open the jade revealed a sharp steel needle.
It was a small, exquisite weapon.
Seeing the interest in her eyes, Xie Subai couldn’t help but relax his expression and asked, “Do you like it?”
Ji Yuluo didn’t hide her delight and nodded, “It fits well. Thank you, master.”
Xie Subai said, “Although I drew the design, it was my uncle who made it for you personally. If you want to thank someone, you should go back and thank him.”
Ji Yuluo paused, surprised, “My master?”
Xie Subai’s uncle, Xie Qiao, was indeed Ji Yuluo’s master.
In fact, she didn’t think Xie Qiao and Xie Subai resembled each other as uncle and nephew. The two had nothing in common, from their looks to their temperament. The old man was burly, with a rough appearance and a wild demeanor. He didn’t care much about sitting or standing properly and would never be as meticulous as Xie Subai. Even with limited mobility, sitting in a chair, he maintained a dignified posture.
If Xie Subai seemed like a noble young man raised in an aristocratic family, Xie Qiao was more like a man of the martial world.
However, he never cared about the internal affairs of the tower, living like a carefree cloud, only tending to his small bamboo grove.
Ji Yuluo learned her martial arts in his bamboo grove.
In fact, Ji Yuluo didn’t want to learn martial arts from Xie Qiao at first. When she first woke up in Cuixue Tower, she was very wary of everyone. But Xie Qiao said she had excellent bone structure, perfect for inheriting his martial arts.
Ji Yuluo refused, and Xie Qiao tried to persuade her to no avail. Angrily, he locked her in a dark room and brought in a few live rats. The damp, dark place reminded her too much of the dungeon in Qianfang Pavilion, and Ji Yuluo was so frightened that she pounded on the door. Outside, she heard Xie Subai and Xie Qiao talking:
Xie Subai said, “She has just recovered. This isn’t suitable.”
Xie Qiao replied, “What’s wrong with me teaching her? Others would beg for this chance. Moreover, look at this little girl; she’s so fiery. If we let her out, she’ll get beaten up. With her half-baked skills, how can she survive?”
Ji Yuluo couldn’t hear Xie Subai’s response but heard Xie Qiao pulling a chair to sit by the door, eating peaches and saying, “Little girl, if you kowtow to me three times through the door, it’ll count as you accepting me as your master, and I’ll let you out.”
Taking on a disciple isn’t usually forced. At that time, Ji Yuluo hated him even more, covering her ears and refusing to speak, while Xie Qiao continued outside:
“The weather is so nice. I’ll take a nap here first. I wonder if the little baby inside is still alive… The peach is sweet, and today’s lunch is sumptuous. Some people, however, have to feed the bugs inside. How pitiful—”
In Ji Yuluo’s eyes, Xie Qiao was unruly and disrespectful, always casual and never serious. The only time he seemed serious and like a true master was when she was rescued from Yunyang Prison.
After months of meticulous care, when she could finally walk again, Xie Qiao whipped her back, breaking her newly healed skin.
She knelt there while Xie Qiao walked around her, furious, “I’ve been teaching you all these years, and you dare go seeking revenge with just a bit of training! From now on, you will practice here, practice hard! Each one of you, always trying to show off and embarrass yourselves!”
Ji Yuluo touched the jade on the ring, imagining Xie Qiao cursing while setting the jade, and couldn’t help but laugh, “If I go back to thank him, he’ll scold me again.”
Xie Subai looked at the marks on her neck and said, “The carriage is ready, and the road pass is prepared. You can leave the city now.”
Ji Yuluo’s smile faded slightly, and she looked at Xie Subai, saying solemnly, “I’m not leaving.”
Xie Subai, after smelling the tea, put down the cup and said, “Before, it was fine for you to take risks. But now that he has seen through you, your life is in danger. I will avenge your vendetta one day. You don’t need to stay in the capital anymore.”
Ji Yuluo was silent for a moment but increasingly felt that the recent turmoil in the capital was related to him. She looked at Shen Qingli, who was eavesdropping. He quickly used his fan to cover his face when she glanced at him.
But she didn’t ask.
It wasn’t her business, so she didn’t inquire.
After a while of silence, Ji Yuluo said, “Huo Xian saw through my disguise but didn’t recognize my identity. Besides, he didn’t hand me over to the Jinyiwei, so it’s temporarily safe. Moreover, he said—”
Ji Yuluo paused, her brows furrowed. She rarely showed such a complex and puzzled expression, “Lou Panshun, does he have anything to do with my master?”
“Poof—” Shen Qingli spat out a mouthful of tea.
Ji Yuluo and Xie Subai both looked at him. Shen Qingli smiled awkwardly, “This tea is really…really hard to drink.”
Ignoring him, Ji Yuluo turned back to Xie Subai.
Xie Subai’s expression remained unchanged as he asked, “Why do you ask that?”
Ji Yuluo said, “Huo Xian’s martial arts style seems similar to mine. He mentioned that General Lou had several fellow disciples. Is that true? It seems this is why he is so interested in me and has kept me by his side for now.”
Xie Subai’s lips, hidden behind the cup, twitched slightly.
Of course, it was false. How could Huo Xian not know that Lou Panshun had no fellow disciples? His words likely hinted at something else.
He said indifferently, “My uncle is a man of the martial world. How could he be connected to General Lou?”
Ji Yuluo thought this made sense and slowly nodded. However, her brows remained furrowed as she glanced at the shifting sun. The performance was almost over, so she prepared to leave, saying, “If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave.”
Xie Subai knew he couldn’t force her to leave, so he said, “I’ll give you three days. After three days, whether your matters are resolved or not, you must go. Huo Xian is not a fool. If he cannot extract valuable information from you over time, he may not be inclined to keep you.”
Ji Yuluo pondered for a moment, understanding that Xie Subai’s words made sense, and nodded, “Alright.”
Before leaving, Ji Yuluo glanced at the painting hanging on the white wall opposite the tea table. It was the same “Listening to the Rain at Night.”
Xie Subai had brought this painting with him as well.
The bead curtain swayed gently after Ji Yuluo left. Shen Qingli then walked over and saw Xie Subai leisurely sipping his tea. Shen Qingli sneered, “Pretend, just keep pretending. If you can’t bear to see her go, just say so. Watching you pretend not to care for years is exhausting even for me!”
Shen Qingli’s heart burned with gossip after eavesdropping. But with one cold glance from Xie Subai, that fire was extinguished, and Shen Qingli remembered he had come to condemn him.
He slapped the table, “You are too unjust! You used me as bait to test Huo Xian? If he had caught me and let me go out of old friendship, it would mean he hadn’t fully sided with Zhao Yong or the current emperor. But what if his conscience really had gone to the dogs? Were you planning to collect my corpse? Luckily, I ran fast—”
He ran fast but had sold out Ji Yuluo.
Shen Qingli’s voice grew softer as he spoke, and sure enough, Xie Subai was looking at him lightly, “I can collect your corpse right now if you want. What kind of coffin would you like?”
