He probably burned pine branches in his kang (heated brick bed), because you could smell a faint pine scent when you got close. His clothes were probably also dried on the kang, so they also had that smell.

Xie Xiao was unusually well-behaved this time, only looking at her with deep, all-encompassing eyes. "As I said before, I know a lot of things."

Outside, the sounds of the Black Wind Stronghold brothers bustling about were quite loud, which made the inside seem even quieter.

His voice was hoarse, weak from his injury, yet he seemed to be stubbornly holding on.

Li Ruo poured him a glass of hot water. "Drink it, get a good night's sleep, and we'll talk about what you know once you've regained your strength."

She'll be able to bring herself to beat him up then.

Xie Xiao's prominent Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he grinned smugly. "I know you want to beat me up. Come on, I won't fight back."

Li Ruozhen really felt a bit itchy to do it.

Xie Xiao took her hand and kissed it. Li Ruo's eyes widened. "Looking for death?"

The next moment, her fingers gripped his wrist tightly. "Since you're not going to sleep, then tell me when you allied with Xinyang. Why would he believe you?"

If you dare to lie to her again, I'll lose this hand.

Xie Xiao stopped teasing her. "A year ago, I went to the Marquis of Xinyang's residence to pay my respects and told him that there would be a great flood, but he didn't believe me."

The second time was when we went to Zixia Mountain to move supplies. I knew the Marquis of Xinyang would be passing through the area on his way to Qinghua Mountain. This time, the conversation went much more smoothly.

"You can tell fortunes, can't you?"

Xie Xiao's eyes held a hint of mockery. "You can communicate with spirits, so what if I can tell fortunes?"

Li Ruo's heart skipped a beat. "Another dream?"

"Isn't it amazing?" Xie Xiao said, "Aren't we destined to be together? You can communicate with spirits, and I can dream."

"Let's get down to business." Li Ruo glared at him.

Xie Xiao looked at her with a complicated expression. "I not only dreamed of Marquis Xinyang and knew that he would be my ally, but I also dreamed that he had a daughter named Mu Sisi who would be rescued by the people of Zixia Mountain. She also knew medicine, so I pretended not to know that she and her maid were hiding in my village. I even sent the Fifth Master to secretly investigate them."

Li Ruoxin felt as if something had exploded, and she almost dropped the teacup in her hand.

Someone's heart skipped a beat, "You can beat me up later."

She glared at him. "Continue."

"You know how capable the Fifth Master is. There's nothing he can't find out. Take Liao Fusheng, for example. I not only know his original name was Liao Youcai, but I also know everything about his ancestors for eighteen generations. The Fifth Master confirmed that she is indeed Mu Sisi, the daughter of the Marquis of Xinyang."

Just like I dreamt.