New Year's Eve Dinner
I don’t know how long it took, maybe just a moment.
Shen Qianyue's slightly cold hand took the initiative to hold his slightly trembling fingers hanging in the air.
Fingers interlocked.
"Go back." Shen Qianyue's voice was slightly hoarse, but gentler than ever before.
"Yeah." Xie Shangjia nodded vigorously. The huge happiness and satisfaction almost overwhelmed him. He held her hand tightly, as if holding the warmth of the whole world.
The two of them stopped talking, just held hands, turned and left the noisy riverside, stepped onto the bluestone road covered with light snow, and walked back slowly.
Xie Shangjia's steps were brisk, with the joy of a teenager. From time to time, he turned his head to look at the people around him, with undisguised satisfaction in his eyes.
Shen Qianyue lowered her eyelashes slightly, the smile on the corner of her lips never faded. She let him hold her hand, walking calmly and steadily.
The light elongated the two people's cuddling figures, casting them onto the wet stone road, overlapping each other, as if it was supposed to be this way, inseparable.
The wind and snow seemed to be stronger. They walked slowly on the road back to Kelaiju. Their hair was dyed white by the snow, and it became a walk hand in hand with white hair that belonged only to them.
Xie Shangjia held Shen Qianyue's slightly cold hand tightly with one hand, and pushed open the door of the inn with the other hand.
The waiter immediately came up to greet them: "My dear guests, your friend has booked a private room on the second floor. I will take you there right away."
The private room was warm and the charcoal basin was burning brightly.
The round table was already filled with steaming hot dishes. Although not as exquisite and luxurious as those in the capital's mansions, it was full of the characteristics of the Jiangnan water town.
Pei Miaoyin was fiddling with the dishes on the table. When she saw them come in, her eyes moved to the eye-catching osmanthus velvet flower on Shen Qianyue's temples.
"Sister Yue, you're having a great time. The flowers have all wilted waiting for you. If you wait any longer, the skin of the pig's trotter won't be crispy anymore. Come on, sit down and warm yourself up."
Xie Shangyu sat alone by the window, holding an empty wine glass in his hand, staring at the wind and snow outside the window in a daze.
Hearing the noise, he slowly turned his head, his usual gentle smile on his face, and nodded slightly at them: "I'm back."
"Yeah." Shen Qianyue responded lightly, which was considered a response to the two of them.
She let go of Xie Shangjia's hand, calmly took off the mink cloak that was damp from the wind and snow, and handed it to the waiter waiting beside her.
Xie Shangjia also took off his cloak and attentively pulled out the main seat for Shen Qianyue.
Shen Qianyue sat down with an elegant posture. The osmanthus velvet flower and the hint of market life on her body made her look less distant than usual.
Xie Shangjia sat down next to her.
Pei Miaoyin smiled and picked up the wine pot, first pouring a glass of warm wine for Shen Qianyue: "Come, come, it's New Year's Eve, let's drink a glass to get rid of the cold, and wish us a smooth journey!"
She glanced at the four people at the table and smiled.
Shen Qianyue picked up the wine glass, but did not drink it immediately. Her eyes swept calmly over Xie Shangyu.
Xie Shangyu picked up the wine jug and raised his hand: "Sister-in-law, happy new year."
"Let's have fun together, second brother." Shen Qianyue took a sip of the wine in the glass.
Xie Shangjia also raised his glass and clinked it with Xie Shangyu's. He then asked, pretending to be nonchalant and asking casually, "Second brother, are you married?"
Xie Shangyu nodded, but didn't want to say more.
Xie Shangjia didn't ask any further questions and felt relieved. It would be good to get married. Chen Qianyue would not like this second-hand old cucumber.
Pei Miaoyin told the interesting stories she heard from the innkeeper.
Shen Qianyue echoed a few words with a smile on her face.
Xie Shangjia was busy serving food to Shen Qianyue, picking out the light Jiangnan flavors that he thought she would like.
Shen Qianyue let him serve her. She ate very slowly and ate very little. She neither refused nor showed any particular enjoyment of Xie Shangjia's hospitality, as if all this was natural.
Xie Shangyu seemed much quieter, as if he was detached from the bustle. He hardly touched the food in front of him, only occasionally picking up the wine jug and taking a sip silently.
The atmosphere at the banquet was superficially harmonious and lively, thanks to Pei Miaoyin's eloquence and Xie Shangjia's undisguised hospitality.
After three rounds of wine and almost all the food, we heard more frequent firecracker sounds outside the window, mixed with the cheers of children, and the festive atmosphere was strong.
Shen Qianyue put down the silver chopsticks in her hand, picked up a snow-white silk handkerchief, and gently wiped the corners of her lips. Her movements were very light, but they instantly froze the relaxed atmosphere at the table.
Pei Miaoyin stopped talking, and Xie Shangyu also put down his wine glass, his eyes all on her. Only Xie Shangjia was still eating.
Shen Qianyue turned her gaze to the inn waiter standing by the door.
"Please, please also send a decent meal for our accompanying servants. The dishes don't have to be too elaborate, but they should be warm enough to satisfy your hunger. A pot of warm wine will be enough to keep the cold away, but don't overdo it."
Her instructions were clear and organized, with the majesty of someone who had been in a superior position for a long time, and she also handed the waiter some small change.
The waiter was stunned for a moment, then a flattered smile appeared on his face, and he bowed repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! Madam is so kind! I'll do it right away!" After that, he hurried out.
Xie Shangyu lowered his eyes to look at the amber wine in the glass. The gentle smile on the corner of his mouth seemed to fade a little, revealing a hint of indescribable complexity.
His sister-in-law really knows how to control her subordinates. She uses both kindness and strictness to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
And... Pei Miaoyin, who does she belong to?
A child abandoned by his family was able to open one of the best medicinal materials pawnshops in the capital. There would certainly be many people looking for trouble. The Valley of Divine Doctors had already secluded itself from the world, so there must be a high-ranking official protecting it.
Her undisguised dislike for Xie Shangjia further strengthened Xie Shangyu's determination to be optimistic about her.
Xie Shangjia's face was filled with pride, and he wished that the whole world could come and see that this was his wife! Not only was she kind to him, but she was also so considerate and thoughtful to her servants!
The new year arrives quietly in the interweaving of wind, snow and warmth.
The four people in the private room had different thoughts. They sat around the New Year's Eve dinner that symbolized reunion, but seemed to be separated in their own worlds by an invisible barrier.
Shen Qianyue was already full, and she was waiting for Xie Shangjia to finish eating before leaving the table together.
The two returned to the bedroom, and Shen Qianyue hung their cloaks together.
After a whole day of excitement and tenderness, Xie Shangjia was satisfied and fell asleep almost as soon as he touched the pillow after washing up.
He hugged Shen Qianyue sideways, his breathing soon became even and long, and a pure smile still remained between his handsome brows.
Shen Qianyue lay quietly in his warm embrace, feeling his steady heartbeat through the thin pajamas.
The wind and snow outside the window seemed to have subsided a little, but I could still hear the subtle sound of snowflakes falling on the tiles, as well as the sporadic sound of firecrackers in the distance.
She closed her eyes.
Time passes in silence.
Only after confirming that Xie Shangjia had fallen into a deep sleep and even his breathing had become long and steady did Shen Qianyue move very slightly.
Her movements were like those of a nimble cat. Without causing any extra air to flow, she silently broke away from Xie Shangjia's arms and slid down the bed quietly.
Walking barefoot on the cold floor, the chill instantly hit me.
Shen Qianyue did not pause at all. She simply put on her clothes and robe, and walked silently through the dark corridor like a ghost without any temperature.
The corridor was empty, with only the wind lamp at the end casting a dim, swaying light, stretching her shadow into a slender and blurred shape. The cold wind blew in from the stairs, blowing her scattered hair.
She walked silently and went straight to the bottom of the stairs, which was the corner where the inn stored miscellaneous items and also the temporary resting place for the chief guard on duty tonight.
In the shadows, an iron-like figure instantly tensed up, its sharp eyes piercing through the darkness as it locked onto the thin figure appearing at the edge of the dim light.
"Madam?" The guard leader's voice was very low, with a hint of imperceptible surprise and absolute respect.
He quickly took half a step out of the shadows, touched one knee to salute, and his tall figure appeared extremely respectful in front of Shen Qianyue.
These guards seemed to be hired by Pei Miaoyin, but in fact they were all elite soldiers from the Shangshu Mansion, and they were just sent out of the city by Pei Miaoyin.
Shen Qianyue didn't look at him, her eyes fell on the shadow of the lamp swaying in the wind at the corner of the stairs. Her voice was as slow and clear as if it was soaked in the cold air of the wind and snow outside the window.
"Today at the market, the Shangshu and I went out and encountered four robbers."
The guard leader's heart trembled, and he said in a deep voice: "My subordinates have failed in their duty. I should have followed at that time. Perhaps..."
Shen Qianyue raised her hand, and with an extremely slight movement, she interrupted his attempt to take the blame. Her fingertips looked unusually pale in the dim light.
"They took my banknotes."
Her voice was still calm, but it pierced the air like an icicle.
"In the upper left corner of the banknote, there's a tiny cinnabar mark from the Shangshu Mansion's inner treasury. You need to look closely at it by candlelight and follow the traces of their spending to find the inn, gambling house, or wine shop..."
The guard leader nodded and said, "Once you find it, what will you do with it, Madam?"
Shen Qianyue finally turned her gaze back, her phoenix eyes, bottomless in the darkness, like two cold pools that swallowed up all light.
"They've been killed. Take back all the remaining banknotes, not a single one missing. You don't need to recover the ones you spent. The leader has a crescent-shaped scar on his hand. I want that hand."
Her tone was calm, yet it carried a resolute determination and a cold disregard for life.
The leader of the guards accepted the order and said, "Yes, I will go and discuss this with my brothers. If we haven't found it before we set out, I will leave one of my guards behind to finish it off with me. Once we have finished, we will follow the Shangshu and his wife's carriage."
Shen Qianyue patted his shoulder, and the guard leader's nerves instantly tensed up.
"Be clean and don't disturb the quietness of the New Year."
"Yes!" The guard leader didn't hesitate at all. He lowered his head deeply, and spoke in a suppressed yet firm voice, as if the most loyal weapon had been awakened: "I understand! No trace will be left!"
Chen Qianyue said no more, and didn't even look at the leader of the guards. She silently followed the way she came and disappeared into the dark corridor again.
The guard leader was still kneeling on one knee in the cold shadow until the figure completely disappeared. He then slowly stood up. His tall body looked like a beast ready to pounce under the dim light.
There was no surprise in his eyes, only execution like a puppet. He quickly made a few secret gestures, and in the corner, two other silent figures like shadows appeared silently, waiting for instructions.
The wind and snow seemed to become even more fierce at this moment, whimpering and slapping against the doors and windows of the inn.
In the warm room upstairs, Xie Shangjia unconsciously turned over in his sleep, groping with his arms, and once again embraced the cold body lying next to him. He murmured in satisfaction and fell into a deeper sleep.
Shen Qianyue lay quietly in his warm embrace and closed her eyes, as if the killing order had never happened.
The snow outside the window silently covered the town, and also covered the bloodshed that was about to happen and no one knew about.
The warmth of New Year’s Eve and the hustle and bustle of staying up late are like a fragile and hypocritical layer of sugar coating, covering the cold and hard murderous intent inside.
The first ray of light of the new year has not yet arrived, but the sharp sword in the darkness has already been unsheathed.
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