Huo Xian stood outside the bathroom and handed something to Ji Yuluo. When Ji Yuluo looked down, she realized it was the Frost Flower Hairpin that he had taken from her when she first barged into the Huo residence. He had mentioned that night at the Xiao residence that after they checked the secret passage, he would return both the hairpin and the ring to her.
But now, he only gave back the hairpin. Before she could ask further, he went into the bathroom. By the time he came out, Ji Yuluo was preoccupied with other matters and didn’t insist on getting the ring back.
His hair was still wet, and his body was covered in steam. He pointed to a wooden bench, indicating for Ji Yuluo to sit down with him, and said, “Nanyue said you were looking for me. What do you want to say?”
Ji Yuluo sat down and said, “You saw it today. Zhao Yong is secretly colluding with the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion, yet he hides it from you, which shows he doesn’t fully trust you and even guards against you. Similarly, you are not genuinely loyal to him.”
Huo Xian twisted his hair with a towel and smiled, signaling her to continue.
Ji Yuluo watched his movements and couldn’t help but pause. She realized that Huo Xian really disliked others getting close to him. He didn’t allow anyone to serve him while bathing, and he didn’t even let maids help with drying his hair.
It was probably because he had committed too many sins and was overly suspicious.
Ji Yuluo looked away and continued, “Since the establishment of the Jinyiwei, they have been the emperor’s claws and fangs and not subordinate to the Eastern Depot. Through several emperors, the relationship between them has been one of power struggle, not one where one must always be subservient to the other. Emperor Xianzhen favored the eunuchs, so the eunuchs gained power. But now, the current emperor relies on you, Lord Huo. Isn’t this your chance to rise? If Zhao Yong dies, the Eastern Depot will be leaderless, and the Jinyiwei will have unimpeded authority, with no drawbacks. Helping me is also helping yourself.”
After speaking, she set her cup down and warmed her hands around it.
Huo Xian threw aside the towel, leaned over to close the window, and seemed to seriously consider it for a moment. “How can I trust you? What if you run away after doing bad things and pin the blame on me, killing two birds with one stone? I wouldn’t be able to clear my name.”
Ji Yuluo said, “I can assure you—”
“How much is your assurance worth?” Huo Xian laughed. “Have you thought about this: If Zhao Yong falls, the Eastern Depot remains, and the beasts under him remain. Next, there will be Zhang Yong, Li Yong, Wang Yong, but not everyone is my adoptive father. The Jinyiwei is not yet able to stand on its own. At that time, they will still be dependent on others and might lose the current good times. No matter how you calculate it, I will lose.”
Ji Yuluo frowned. Huo Xian looked at her and said, “So not only will I not help you, but I will also hinder you. After all, I have worked hard for years to gain this backing.”
They stared at each other. Ji Yuluo’s eyes were dark, seemingly contemplating.
If Huo Xian could help her, it would be a path. If not, it would just mean changing paths. In that case, the Huo residence would be useless to her and would even become an obstacle.
Seeing that she was thinking of leaving, Huo Xian suddenly said, “You can leave if you want. The guards in the courtyard have been withdrawn; no one will stop you. But if you step out of the Huo residence tonight, by tomorrow morning, the streets and alleys will be plastered with your wanted posters. With your face, it was easy to enter my Huo residence, but it will be equally hard to walk around the capital in the future. The capital is my territory. Without my permission, you won’t even have a chance to sneak into the palace.”
At the end, a hint of amusement appeared in his peach blossom eyes.
Ji Yuluo looked at him coldly, finally understanding why he always traveled with so many hidden guards. She stood up slowly, looking down at him condescendingly, and sneered, “Threatening me?”
Huo Xian added tea for her, “How is it a threat? This is a reminder out of old friendship. Besides—”
With a “bang,” Ji Yuluo had already overturned the table.
Huo Xian had been watching her fist and dodged the flying teacups and lids. Immediately, she moved as fast as lightning.
The tea table, dressing table, desk, and pearwood shelf were all knocked over. Huo Xian only dodged and did not fight back, so his left arm was slashed, bleeding. She was aiming to strike first, every move deadly.
The two fought and rolled onto the bed. Huo Xian lay on his back, blocking Ji Yuluo’s hand holding the hairpin. He stretched his long leg to hook the nearby bed curtain. With a “rip,” the curtain fell, covering them and dimming the light.
Huo Xian seized the opportunity to snatch her hairpin in the dark, “I haven’t finished speaking yet, why are you in such a hurry?”
Ji Yuluo struggled out of the curtains, her hair disheveled, and sneered, “What does the Lord Zhenfu have to say? Go to the netherworld and wait for Zhao Yong.”
The bed was kicked with a loud bang, the entire bed frame seemed on the verge of collapsing. The sharp weapon in Ji Yuluo’s hand was lost in some corner of the curtains, and Huo Xian took the chance to wrap his long arms and legs around her.
There was no other way; this was the only way to catch his breath and say a word.
Ji Yuluo was pressed into a corner, unable to move. Just as she raised her leg, he pinned it down with his foot. Huo Xian panted, “Did your master always tell you to be quick with your hands? He really turned you into an eel.”
Ji Yuluo was momentarily stunned. Indeed, Xie Qiao had said something like that.
She came back to her senses and frowned, “Let go.”
“Let me finish first.”
At this moment, the two were lying side by side, facing each other. Huo Xian slightly propped himself up and looked down at her, “Zhao Yong needs to be eliminated, but not now. I’ve told you before, the Jinyiwei are not strong enough to stand on their own. You’ve also seen the changes in the Duke’s Mansion. Investigate the inside of the mansion for me. If you can take down Xiao Cheng and split the Xiao family, the Jinyiwei will have the confidence to confront the Eastern Depot.”
Ji Yuluo laughed, “So, your target is the Xiao family. Lord Huo is a good strategist. But why should I work for you?”
Huo Xian said, “Money. Isn’t Cuixue Tower known for taking money to get things done? Wouldn’t you want a business delivered to your door?”
Ji Yuluo glanced at him and said nothing.
Huo Xian switched to supporting himself with his other elbow and said, “You didn’t want to reveal your identity at the Xiao Mansion yesterday, and you didn’t take action the moment you saw Zhao Yong. Was it because of Xiao Cheng? Xiao Cheng was once an imperial inspector of Xuanzhou. He had private dealings with Zhao Yong. Do you have any grudges against him? You probably can’t be sure.”
Having her thoughts seen through, Ji Yuluo instinctively struggled, but Huo Xian only tightened his hold.
The action was too intimate, but there wasn’t the slightest romantic atmosphere. Instead, the smell of iron from Huo Xian’s bleeding arm filled the air.
Huo Xian said, “Helping me is also helping yourself.”
He returned her own words to her verbatim.
The eel in his arms settled down.
It had to be said, Huo Xian’s words were precisely targeted. First, he threatened her, making her understand that it would be difficult to move freely in the capital after leaving Huo Mansion, breaking down one of her defenses. Then, he gave a carrot after the stick, and this carrot was something Ji Yuluo also wanted. Although she didn’t like being controlled by others, a fight to vent her anger could help her calm down.
She looked up and said, “Three conditions.”
Huo Xian smiled slightly, “Alright.”
Ji Yuluo hated seeing his fake smile and just wanted to tear off his hypocritical mask. She held back and said, “First, after the event, you must help me take Zhao Yong’s life; second, remove the guards from the courtyard, I don’t need them; third, according to our rules, this job is too difficult, twenty thousand taels of silver, half as a deposit.”
Twenty thousand taels of silver.
Huo Xian watched Ji Yuluo demand an exorbitant price without batting an eye and curled his lips, “Fine. I also have a condition. In public, you are my wife. Your every move concerns the safety of the Huo Mansion. You can’t act on your own.”
Ji Yuluo didn’t respond, just scoffed.
Neither of them moved; they were simply too exhausted.
Ji Yuluo stared at the bare canopy of the bed, lost in thought.
Huo Xian tightened his arms around her. He didn’t expect her fists to be so hard, yet her body was still soft.
His gaze dropped, and he suddenly froze. Perhaps during the fight, without realizing it, her neckline had been pulled down a bit, revealing a hint of a light pink floral pattern below her deep collarbones.
Huo Xian shifted his eyes to her face, watching her amber eyes blink occasionally, as if calculating something.
Ji Yuluo was calculating the expenses for the Jiangbei branch for the next year. With these twenty thousand taels of silver, a big problem was solved. After all, every year, she had to rack her brains for this money, never refusing any business. Next year, she could finally have some peace.
Huo Xian naturally didn’t know what she was thinking. He just felt thirsty and hoarsely said, “If I let you go now, can we talk properly?”
Ji Yuluo’s mental calculations were interrupted. She glanced at him and responded with a simple “hmm.” Only then did Huo Xian slowly release her. As soon as they sat up, there was a sudden “creak,” and the bed shook violently. They watched as the beam above the bed fell down.
The entire bed collapsed just like that.
Outside, Nanyue had been eavesdropping for a while, thinking they must have fought inside. He was only concerned about who won or lost. However, Nanny Liu, who passed by and didn’t know the situation, was startled by the noise and rushed in. She was shocked to find the room in complete disarray, with clothes scattered everywhere, and the lady’s shoes lying at the door.
Nanny Liu was utterly terrified.
This… this is terrible! She hurriedly backed out and stopped Nanyue, who was trying to peek inside, pointing at her and saying, “Things are different now. You can’t just barge into the room for no reason. Be careful not to see what you shouldn’t.”
Nanyue was baffled. What was so inappropriate about a fight?
Nanny Liu calmed down and waved her hand, saying, “Go fetch the step bed from the next room and put it up here for now.”
Nanyue had no choice but to go.
Huo Xian went to the bathroom to tend to his wounds while the maids helped Nanny Liu tidy up the room. By the time everything was somewhat back in order, it was already very late.
Ji Yuluo looked at the bed with only one blanket, frowned, and stood by the bed. Huo Xian acted as if he didn’t notice, lifted the blanket, sat down, and said, “Come, let’s continue our conversation.”
