Chapter 31

◎The truth was revealed.◎

Xie Huaijin looked at her quietly, watching the girl's tears and collapse.

After a moment, he raised his hand, his cold, slender fingers gently caressing the girl's eyelids, wiping them gently. He seemed genuinely distressed, yet he still seemed to be wearing the same false mask as before.

The young man's voice was remarkably gentle. "Ciying, kindness is a virtue that superiors use to win over people, but if left unchecked, it will only become a sharp blade that pierces you. You said they were like family to you. Do they treat you this way?"

"We can't open people's skin to see their hearts. In life, we can only judge by their deeds. What Xiaowan did, what Ruzhen did, every single thing, was it ever truly for your own good?"

"As you said, you treat them like family, but Ciying..." He looked directly into Ciying's eyes and lowered his voice, "You are my only family. They are just slaves to me. I don't know your past with them. When you naturally put them before me when faced with a choice, I naturally get angry."

The young man was talking about a mixture of truth and lies, and when he reached this point he lowered his beautiful eyes.

Ci Ying looked up in panic, her head so dizzy that she couldn't tell what was true or false.

Xie Huaijin's voice followed, "Similarly, because what they did hurt my wife, even with your request, I still cannot forgive them. Even if they truly didn't have bad intentions as you say, their mistakes can't be written off as a matter of course."

He reached out and gently pressed Ciying's shoulder. His voice was so soft, like a snow-white feather brushing across Ciying's ears, causing her body to tremble unconsciously. The young man's words surfaced in her eardrums: "And I only made some decisions for my soft-hearted wife that she should have made. Ciying, you can't call this a lie."

Ci Ying looked at him blankly.

It was not because of Xie Huaijin's words that made her hesitate about her understanding of the past, but because of this person.

She knew that Xie Huaijin usually said nice things, and if she hadn't heard his conversation with Yuwen Fu in the study that day, she might have really believed it.

Letter...Xie Huaijin is a husband who worries deeply about his soft-hearted wife.

Something that seems ridiculous even when repeated over and over again.

Ciying used to really believe it.

But she heard it.

She knew that the handsome young man in front of her was lying, and every word he said was a lie.

She was confused about his purpose.

What was it about her that Xie Huaijin wanted that made him weave so many lies? Ci Ying asked, "So you're saying that everything you did was for me, right?"

The young man stroked the girl's face. She raised her head along the slender hand and looked into Xie Huaijin's eyes. She said seriously, "Then Xie Huaijin, if it's for my own good, can you give me what I want?"

She held the young man's hand, and in his slightly stunned gaze, she whispered, "Just like you have things you want to do, I also have things I want to do. I want to stay in Jiangnan. I want freedom. I have no interest in what you call 'superiors,' 'power,' or 'buying people'."

As if to emphasize, Ci Ying repeated: "I'm not interested at all."

Although she said she had no interest in those things, the girl's shining eyes were looking at the young man in the snow-white clothes.

She was rarely so peaceful.

Xie Huaijin unconsciously stroked the girl's face with his index finger, his eyes moving away from her pale lips. Under the girl's expectant gaze, he said softly, "No, Ciying."

"I will give you what you want, but not now." The young man turned her around and pushed her onto the long steps. He stood behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Compared to Jiangnan, Chang'an is a place where you can do what you want."

Ci Ying couldn't look into the distance, she could see nothing.

He is so clever and has calculated everything.

She was trapped in a situation with no way out.

Her body lost strength, and she turned around to look at Xie Huaijin. She could no longer remember what the person she liked when she was young looked like.

She didn't say anything else, and her refusal was meaningless.

She followed Xie Huaijin's gaze and looked towards Chang'an, but all she saw were high walls and the sky at four corners. The August sun was scorching, but she felt cold all over.

The gaze that followed her like a shadow wrapped around her tightly. She didn't turn around, but she seemed to know that Xie Huaijin must be looking at her at this moment.

Li Sheng's arrival saved her.

The sickly scholar huddled past the guards at the gate, knocking on the courtyard door and shouting "Miss," "Miss." Seeing no response from inside, he shouted "Female Teacher," "Female Teacher" over and over again.

For the first time, Ci Ying's eyes welled up with tears at the sound of someone calling her. She pushed Xie Huaijin aside and tried to open the door, but Xie Huaijin grabbed her hand. Without looking at him, Ci Ying simply held his hand, then parted it, and without a word, pushed Xie Huaijin into the room.

Facing the young man's puzzled look, she dodged and said, "Master Li doesn't know our relationship, nor does he know you. If he suddenly saw you in my courtyard, I'm afraid it would be a joke."

"I, I don't want to make a fool of myself..." Ci Ying made up a story and locked the young man in the door before he could even open his mouth.

A loud "bang" blocked the young man's smiling eyes.

The girl leaned against the door, her eyes lowered. Her heart seemed to have resumed beating. After a brief breath, she took a few steps forward and responded to Li Sheng's words: "Wait a moment."

It became quiet outside. After a while, Mr. Li stood in the yard.

The study door was tightly closed. Ci Ying poured a cup of tea and handed it to Li Sheng. She didn't notice her hands were shaking, but Li Sheng did. Li Sheng coughed and glanced at the closed study door.

The scholar, who had always been weak, did not say anything about going indoors, as if he could not see Ciying's sickness and dishevelment. He just talked to Ciying about Wang Chuyu in a casual manner.

Until a noise was heard in the study, Ci Ying's body froze and she said goodbye to Li Sheng with a smile.

Mr. Li was a little worried about her condition and asked softly, "What did the doctor who came today say?"

Ci Ying shook her head: "Just take good care of yourself for a couple of days, it's nothing serious."

The topic ended here. Before leaving, Li Sheng invited her to go boating on Yan Lake in a few days. Hearing that the lanterns along the way were unique and many scholars in Jiangnan liked to go boating and recite poetry, Ci Ying agreed.

After Mr. Li left, Ciying slowly got up and went to the study.

When I entered, the young man was flipping through a collection of poems and essays, which contained folk songs and ballads from several dynasties in the south of the Yangtze River. From the perspective of poetry, it was not very regular, but it was very wild and interesting.

The young man's voice was very calm: "You are so sick and your face is so haggard, but he didn't even notice it."

Ci Ying thought this sounded strange, but she didn't have the energy to dwell on Xie Huaijin's words, nor did she really want to pay attention to him. But Xie Huaijin was clearly not someone she could ignore. While she was resting on the bed in the study, the young man slowly approached her with the book of poetry.

Ci Ying closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm very tired."

The young man just sat down beside the bed and read a book to her in a gentle voice. Ci Ying was stunned for a moment, raised her eyes and glanced at Xie Huaijin lightly, then slowly lowered them. She curled up her body and faced Xie Huaijin.

She didn't know what he was going to do.

She didn't know what else she could do.

Yuwen Fu's forces briefly implicated Xie Huaijin's people. She did not escape along the planned route. After arriving in Jiangnan, she was so cautious that she didn't even tell anyone her name. So what went wrong?

Or...the power of the people in front of her has reached such a peak.

Ci Ying was thinking and gradually fell asleep. Something exploded in her mind for a moment, but was quickly covered up. In her dream, Ci Ying heard someone screaming. She thought it was Xiaowan or Ruzhen, but when she got closer, she saw it was herself.

When Ci Ying woke from her nightmare, she found herself being held by someone. Even in the scorching heat of August, the young man's hand was pale and cold. Ci Ying shrank back, raising her eyes and then lowering them again. The young man paid no attention, saying, "I've hired a new teacher for Miss Wang. You can say goodbye to those you know. We'll return to Chang'an in two weeks."

His tone was light, his brows were calm, and there was no hint of negotiation in his words.

Ci Ying: "I'm not going back."

"Be good." The young man smiled and touched Ci Ying's head. His expression seemed like he was coaxing someone, with a doting touch that made Ci Ying feel cold. However, between the lines it sounded like Ci Ying was being unreasonable.

Ci Ying's hands curled up. She couldn't understand the person in front of her. When people see danger they can't face, they will naturally run away. Ci Ying swallowed her saliva and repeated, "I said, I'm not going back."

"Are you reluctant to leave Miss Wang?" Xie Huaijin suggested gently, "If you really can't bear to leave, then you can discuss it with the Governor and ask if Miss Wang can go back with us."

Ci Ying sat up: "Are you threatening me again?"

She always calls her Miss Wang, but Wang Chuyu's external identity is clearly a man.

Xie Huaijin touched Ciying's head and said softly, "Ciying, did I really threaten you?"

These words sent a chill down Ci Ying's spine. Xie Huaijin had indeed never openly threatened her, but everything he did was a threat. She gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve, "I'm not going back."

Xie Huaijin seemed not to hear. He said softly, "It's only half a month left. Say goodbye to Miss Wang properly. I apologize to you for what happened to Ru Zhen. Ciying, if you want something in the future, I won't stop you."

......

After Xie Huaijin left, Ci Ying took a long time to lift the quilt. She recalled Xie Huaijin's suggestive words in her mind, and the strength she had finally recovered was disappearing again.

She looked at the ground, her eyes dazed.

She couldn't... couldn't go back like this, she had to run.

If one time doesn't work, then two times, even if it's just for Ru Zhen...

There is still half a month left.

Xie Huaijin did not threaten Ciying.

He didn't need to use such subtle means.

Ci Ying could never refuse him anything he wanted to do. He understood this, and so did Ci Ying.

In the study, Xie Huaijin was flipping through a book and thinking about the earring in the study of the Xie Mansion in Chang'an.

——That’s where the truth came out.

He never thought it would be so troublesome.

The young man gently stroked the white jade ring, without much regret.

He naturally wouldn't leave Ciying's earrings in Yuwen Fu's hand, and he'd casually placed them in the lacquered wooden box. Being discovered... was a bit unexpected, but it was okay. Ciying's intelligence should have enabled her to realize that the outcome would be the same with or without his instigation. Ultimately, the entanglement between Ruzhen and Yuwen Fu was the root of the problem.

He thought it was harmless, but he didn't expect Ciying to care so much.

The young man sighed, but a faint smile appeared on his face.

Ciying was nostalgic, soft-hearted, and emotional, so he just changed everything for her.

Suwei and his aunt handed Ciying over to him. After their death, Ciying was his only family.

family......

Wife, madam.

He wanted to be her father more than a partner.

In other words, Ci Ying has a kind of innocence that is not tainted by the world, squandering her softness and desires childishly. Rather than being a partner, he is more like her father along the way.

Love, like his father and mother, like those two lumps of white flesh, is full of mediocrity and darkness, and is compromised and useless.

When he was young, he looked at his father's back, but his father never looked back.

It doesn’t matter, he will always hold Ciying’s hand, tell her what is right and what is good, and lead her to higher places.

If one day, Ci Ying stood at the pinnacle of power and was able to push him off a cliff, he would congratulate her.

Use corpses and blood.

Praise the ambition in her eyes.

......

Ci Ying asked for her resignation from the Governor. The Governor sighed and continued to address her as "Female Teacher." "Please, Female Teacher, say goodbye to Huizhi. She loves you and will be sad if she knows you will be leaving soon. I hope you can comfort her. You have worked hard these days."

Ci Ying shook her head. "Thank you, sir, for not caring about my origins. You've given me, a single woman, ample protection during this time. I don't know your past, and I shouldn't have meddled in your family affairs when we're parting. But, sir, the past is like smoke, and heavy obsessions passed down to the next generation are like shackles. I'm not trying to persuade you to let go. I only heard Chu Yu's general account of what happened back then, so I don't really understand. There may be more to it than meets the eye. The shame and injustice you've suffered over the years has led to your persistence."

"But... Chu Yu is your Excellency's only child. She's delicate and insecure, and often swallows her emotions. If this continues, I'm afraid things will happen that we don't want to see. Your Excellency has given Chu Yu many things, but I think you should ask if it's what Chu Yu wants. The world can't confine everyone. I used to serve a young lady. She had great status, power, and wealth in this world, but every day she wanted to visit Jiangnan. She said she wanted to see the swallows and the waters of Jiangnan."

The governor's expression was complicated. He stroked his beard and asked, "Did the young lady see it later?"

Ci Ying nodded and chuckled, "I see."

She saw it, and the young lady saw it too.

Maybe one day he had come to her roof, but she didn't look up, or maybe she was asleep. She secretly felt that this could not be called a missed opportunity, and there was always a place in the world where they existed together.

"Okay, thank you, Master. I will think carefully about what you said." Governor Wang stood up and bowed to Ci Ying.

Ci Ying hurriedly helped the man up and said softly, "Everyone knows that you and your wife love Chu Yu more than anyone else in the world."

After leaving Lord Wang's study, Ci Ying was on her way back. She hadn't received any news yet and didn't know how Zhu Guang had fared. She had been gone for many days, and she heard that there had been a problem with a shipment of goods, but she didn't know if it had been resolved.

With more than ten days to go, Ci Ying still hadn't made up her mind. If Zhu Guang had time, she would hire him to travel with her for a while. Xie Ran had written to her before, inviting her to Wuxiang.

The place is remote, and if we can avoid Xie Huaijin's people, we can definitely keep it secret for a long time.

She could also go and see the weeping willows and ducklings mentioned in Xie Ran's letter. Although the season was not right, she could stay in Wuxiang this spring. Now that she thought about it, half a year was just a blink of an eye. She would leave Wuxiang when spring came and flowers bloomed.

If Zhu Guang could go with her, she wouldn't have to worry too much about safety. Fortunately, she had a lot of silver, enough to hire Zhu Guang for a long, long time.

Ci Ying thought about it. Although she hadn't figured out how to escape the supervision of Xie Huaijin's men, she felt a little relieved. Just as she was about to return to the courtyard, she remembered that Xie Huaijin might be there, so she turned and walked towards Li Sheng's courtyard.

Li Sheng was surprised to see her coming. The scholar was still holding the broken fan, perhaps they were about to part ways. Ci Ying had become much kinder to everyone she met along the way. She said softly, "Chu Yu has looked at your fan many times, wanting to say something but stopping herself. I know you can't save up money, so go to Yubaofang and pick out a new one someday. I'll give it to you as a gift."

Mr. Li coughed twice: "What...what does this mean, cough, cough."

Ci Ying didn't think Li Sheng was embarrassed. After all, that was the scene when they first met. She pretended to hesitate and said, "Yeah, that counts..."

Before she could even finish the word "forget", the frail young man immediately responded, "How about the boat trip that day? Ahem, ahem...Excuse me, young lady."

Ci Ying was still smiling, but after a while something occurred to her mind, and the smile on her face gradually faded. She blurted out, "What did you call me just now?"

Li Sheng didn't know what was going on and said hesitantly, "...Girl."

Ci Ying clenched her fists, but from Li Sheng's perspective, he only saw Ci Ying trembling all over. He heard Ci Ying ask him softly, "What do you usually call me?"

Li Sheng recalled slowly: "Miss, female teacher...Miss?"

Ci Ying lost all her strength. The flash of white light that had flashed through her mind when she was sick and drowsy before now completely exploded. Her voice trembled: "Did I, did I not tell you my name?"

Li Sheng was startled, his heart shivering, but he still put on a smile and comforted Ci Ying: "Yes, what's the matter, young lady, are you finally willing to exchange names with me?"

Ciying said, "My name is Ciying."

She looked straight at Li Sheng, who smiled and said, "What a good name! It must come from the saying 'A river never refuses to be filled.' My name was chosen very simply. My mother was ill in the womb and died giving birth to me. I was also very thin. When my father gave me this name, he just hoped I would survive, and it has come true to some extent. The master originally said I wouldn't live past the age of eleven, but now I have reached adulthood."

Ci Ying didn't listen to many of Li Sheng's words and turned around to retch.

Li Sheng's face changed, and he hurriedly helped her up, saying softly, "Are you okay?"

Ci Ying had no intention of responding to Li Sheng's words, her eyes were misty. Yes, she didn't tell Zhu Guang her name, so how did Zhu Guang know her name was "Ci Ying" so early on?

There must be many people named Ciying in this world, but how did Zhu Guang avoid knowing her name? She didn't even use her real name on the written examination paper at the Governor's Office.

Ci Ying pinched her neck, bent down and saw a tear drop on the ground.

She wiped it away with her sleeves. Mr. Li looked at her with worried eyes. Ci Ying felt that she was really in a very embarrassing state. Maybe she was not sad to the extreme. At this moment, she felt a little embarrassed.

She said "sorry" and whispered an excuse: "The illness I had two days ago may not have completely subsided. I left first. You weren't feeling well either. It's my fault if I infected you."

Mr. Li wanted to say "It's okay", but Ci Ying had already stood up and left.

Behind her, Li Sheng stared intently, waiting for the girl's figure to disappear around the corner. He lowered his head and looked at the fan in his hand.

The kind lady said she would buy him a new fan.

...Always so kind.

He was too kind, even a cold-hearted person like him could hardly bear it.

"Xie family..." Li Sheng thought, put away the fan in his hand, turned around and walked out of the mansion.

The guard at the gate already knew him: "Master, are you going to buy medicine again?"

Mr. Li coughed, "Well... My cough has been getting worse these days. Little brother, please stay away from me. I'm afraid you might get sick."

The guard patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Master. I'm in good health."

Mr. Li smiled, but the smile faded after he walked out of the door. He hunched over and when he removed the handkerchief, he saw a blood mist on it.

The fan hung around the scholar's waist, shaking Li Sheng's few remaining consciences.

...Let's just call it conscience.

*

After Zhu San dealt with the mess in Mobei caused by that useless Zhu Er, it was already September when she returned to Jiangnan. She found Mo Yu and reported on the situation in Mobei. While she talked about the situation in Mobei, her eyes never left Mo Yu.

During this time, he would occasionally say, "Master, why have you lost weight?", "Master, am I doing well?", "Master, you don't even smile at me anymore." Zhu San changed into a maid's clothes today. Mo Yu looked at her and asked, "Are you going to see the Madam later?"

Zhu San touched his face and said, "Yeah, I'll go after I tidy up my face. Master will go and tell the young master about this. He doesn't really like seeing me. Zhu Er is such a loser. If it weren't for Zhu Yi carrying him around all these years, I don't know what he could have accomplished. He can't even handle such a small matter in Mobei."

"How is Yuwen Fu?" Mo Yu asked.

Zhu San's tone was still lazy, and her eyes were fixed on the man in the black brocade robe. Her master's waist was really...

"Zhu San." Mo Yu said coldly.

Zhu San hurriedly said with a smile: "He was locked up in the dungeon, probably waiting for his father to reveal his true intentions, but Yuwen Shu is also an old man. After hearing the news, he kept his troops at bay. Even I didn't find out much."

Mo Yu was silent for a moment, then looked at Zhu San: "You told me before that Madam likes you very much."

Zhu San nodded: "I like Madam very much too."

Mo Yu was probably the person who knew Zhu San best in the world. He asked in a serious tone, "Are you sure you didn't give yourself away?"

Zhu San covered his face, changed his voice and asked Mo Yu with a smile: "Will Master recognize me like this?"

Mo Yu turned and left.

Zhu San stuck out his tongue, wondering why he wouldn't let her tease him at all.

She didn't chase after him to harass him. She squatted down and began to paint her face in the water in the copper basin. Half an hour later, when she finished the painting, Zhu San was ready to get up and look for Ciying.

It was almost dusk, and Zhu San knocked on the door but heard no response from Ci Ying.

She turned over and went into the yard, and saw Ciying sleeping on the table in the tree. She remembered that Mo Yu had told her that Ciying had been ill two days ago, so she quietly went to Ciying's side and took the clothes beside her to put on Ciying.

She lay down opposite Ciying and slept for a while. She reached out to feel Ciying's pulse and was relieved to see that nothing was wrong.

Zhu San looked at the candlelight not far away. She moved her hand lightly, a needle flew out, the light suddenly dropped, and the study became dark.

Zhu San whispered, "Ciying, sleep well," then turned and left.

But when he turned around, Zhu San glanced at the sleeping girl lightly.

A gust of wind dissipated, and after a long time, Ci Ying's hand trembled and pinched her sleeve. The girl slowly opened her eyes and hugged her knees with both hands. The clothes that Zhu San had put on her fell down with her movement, layer by layer like the skin shed by a snake.

Ci Ying looked at the clothes on the ground and blinked lightly.

She touched her heart and told herself that she must never trust others so easily again.

I've learned my lesson, so don't make the same mistake again.

If Zhu Guang had not revealed his true intentions this time, she would have hired Zhu Guang to go on the journey with her. Xie Huaijin would have known her plan before she even ran away.

There are no such perfect people in the world.

Ciying said to herself.

But in her mind, she still remembered the scene of Zhu Guang holding her hand and walking through the streets and alleys of Jiangnan. Zhu Guang subdued the thief with one move and he raised his head proudly to her. Zhu Guang drove away the bad guy who harassed the girl on the street. Zhu Guang smiled and taught her how to turn the blade quickly.

Ci Ying sighed.

She was not angry with Zhu Guang.

Zhu Guang just followed the orders of some bad people. Although he monitored her, all he did was to protect her.

Ci Ying liked Zhu Guang, such a good man, even if they could no longer walk together. Ci Ying felt a little regretful, but also vaguely realized that this might be a breakthrough point.

Zhu Guang is so skilled, and is no worse than Zhu Yi and Zhu Er in the past. So Zhu Guang's status in the secret guards must be quite high. When Zhu Guang is by her side, the people in the secret may not be around.

A plan slowly emerged in Ciying's mind.

run.

She wants to run.

【Author’s words】

I said long ago that Xie Gou is a BT (stacked armor)

He will be more powerful when he breaks the defense (poke hand)

[Cat's Paw]