Chapter 9: The Innocent
Xie Huailing's line of thought is very complete.
Su Mengzhen's personal welcome signifies his high regard for this business deal; Zhu Qiqi's willingness to share six and a half halls without hesitation suggests that Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou has likely not yet reached an agreement with the "living god of wealth." Therefore, she gambles that the big deal has not yet succeeded, and can use this opportunity to raise funds for Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou through Zhu Qiqi, while also giving herself another chance to test Su Mengzhen.
Fan Fenyan's subtle attitude was the final touch. An older, shrewd person like him naturally understood this better than anyone else, implying that the deal was far from smooth. As she had predicted, Su Mengzhen was astute enough to seize the opportunity presented to her after realizing the potential profit. This allowed Xie Huailing to: 1) briefly leave Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou; 2) test Su Mengzhen's tolerance; and 3) forcefully integrate herself into Su Mengzhen's plan without getting too deeply involved. While seemingly a risky move under someone else's roof, it was actually a triple win, allowing her to escape unscathed.
As for what happens next, Su Mengzhen's intentions are yet to be revealed; she still has a good period ahead of her.
The only pity was that, despite all her calculations, she forgot to consider that Zhu Qiqi was truly energetic and radiant every day, and also straightforward, spoiled, and impulsive. Before dawn, she was already eager to drag Zhu Qiqi out of bed, unable to sleep, and pounding on the door with deafening force.
"Huailing! Huailing, are you up? We're going out!"
Xie Huailing pulled the blanket over her head, dreaming of her high school days. Only a few strands of her long hair were visible, their shadows superimposed on the gray-blue fabric, like a drowned ghost, lifeless and spewing vengeful spirits. The maids exchanged glances, unsure whether to wake her or let her go back to sleep.
Even when the impatient Zhu Qiqi couldn't stand it anymore, Xie Huailing hadn't mastered the art of remaining unmoved by wind and rain. She stretched out a hand from behind the covers, looking utterly miserable, her hand deathly pale. She lacked both perseverance and astonishing willpower; all she felt was the despair of being so disturbed that I couldn't sleep anymore. She groped her way up, nearly falling off the bed, then painfully sat up, her eyes staring blankly into a corner, her pupils unfocused and dilated.
The maid went to invite Zhu Qiqi to have breakfast in the private room, closing the door tightly behind her. Then, with great boldness, she pulled Xie Huailing from the bed, as if picking up a doll. She didn't make a sound, her eyes open as if her body had no soul. With repeated "excuse me," she was pressed in front of the dressing table. Only after water was wiped on her face did she awaken from her dream and come back to her senses.
Xie Huailing found her voice in her throat and asked blankly, "What time is it?"
"Miss, it is 4:45 AM."
Oh, six o'clock sharp—why are you calling my soul so early? I want to die, I don't want to live anymore.
Exhaustion reached its peak at this moment. She vaguely remembered that she had managed to fall asleep at midnight, which was a rare good sleep for her. However, she was still ruthlessly woken up by Zhu Qiqi. Where did Zhu Qiqi get her energy? Did she consider that not everyone is like her?
Thinking about it carefully, Zhu Qiqi might not have really thought that much. Xie Huailing's head started to ache, but she could fall asleep just sitting there. She was only kept from collapsing because of the maid's support. She didn't protest as the delicate white powder was applied to her face. She just let the maid apply makeup to cover up her fatigue in a half-dazed state. During this time, she thought about death from the perspective of new life, and from Su Mengzhen to quitting. Then, her thoughts went blank, and her beautiful mind became listless and vacant.
A maid placed earrings on her head—a pair of round, bright pearls. As the brocade robes fell away, the person in the bronze mirror was finally wheeled out of the bedroom. Xie Huailing closed her eyes, her soul nearly leaving her body the moment the light entered. A death wish welled up within her, impossible to shake off.
Zhu Qiqi was wiping her mouth after finishing her breakfast when she saw her finally arrive. She clasped her hands together and said, "I've been waiting for you for a while—oh, what's wrong with you?"
She frowned slightly, then suddenly realized and covered her mouth: "You don't usually get up at this time, do you? I remember the people from Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion always... Ah, I forgot you don't practice martial arts..."
After she finished speaking, her apology came over her head. She grasped Xie Huailing's hand, her eyes reflecting her haggard appearance. She bit her lip, looking like she was about to cry, and said, "What should we do? Do you want to go back and get some more sleep? I promise I won't do it again!"
Xie Huailing didn't even have the strength to pull her hand back. She said to her, "Thank you so much. You've already pulled me up and let me go back to sleep. Please spare me and let me use some things."
Zhu Qiqi didn't understand her implied meaning at all. She let go of her like the wind passing through the forest and kept piling food into her bowl. Soon, the food was visibly piled up into a small mountain.
Having a hard life is truly a gift. Xie Huailing's head almost fell into the bowl.
.
After finishing her breakfast, Xie Huailing devised a way to briefly send Zhu Qiqi away, telling her to come back at 9:00 AM if she had something to do. She lay on the table, wanting to sleep until the world seemed to end, but she could only rest for an hour.
An hour later, she got up again, too lazy to draw her eyebrows and lips, so she simply washed off all her makeup and changed into plain clothes. Feeling light all over, Xie Huailing felt that this was long overdue. How could she be bound like a dumpling by the identity of a cousin? The maid looked at her, hesitant to speak, but observing her expression, she said nothing.
The man Su Mengzhen sent stood outside for over an hour. His name was Hua Wucuo, and he had the appearance of a江湖 (jianghu, a martial arts world) figure—tall, imposing, and with a resolute countenance. He possessed a striking, intimidating aura that inspired fear, though this subsided considerably upon seeing him, making him appear like an ordinary guard. Hua Wucuo was nominally there to protect Xie Huailing, but he had other plans. Su Mengzhen hadn't told Xie Huailing, only instructing her to cover for Hua Wucuo.
Zhu Qiqi also brought a group of people, who were quite short and dressed very strangely. She wore a cloak so red it resembled human blood, completely concealing her face, yet her sinister aura was undeniable. Furthermore, she was wrapped up like a ball of flesh and disliked standing in public. Only after Hua Wucuo gave a sharp shout, and her weapon was about to be drawn, did she finally emerge from the shadows. It was indeed strange; how did she manage to hide herself in such an eerie red?
Xie Huailing remained silent, but one glance was enough to tell that the person in front of him was probably not a righteous person, at least not in the past.
A "living god of wealth" who has traveled far and wide to become incredibly rich doesn't rely on martial arts skills for his own reputation. Therefore, when roaming the martial world, he needs to compensate in other ways, and recruiting talented and extraordinary individuals is the most convenient way. Among these talented and extraordinary individuals, those who have made countless enemies and follow unorthodox paths are the easiest to recruit. They are barely able to protect themselves; if a helping hand can save them, they will have no choice but to stay wholeheartedly until a new opportunity arises.
However, such a risky approach could easily backfire, making it a poor strategy. And since it's not a wise strategy, Xie Huailing does not advocate it.
Zhu Qiqi protected the red-clad dwarf, saying he was a family guard who had watched her grow up and whose martial arts included unique concealment techniques, allowing him to hide in the shadows. Xie Huailing didn't say much, only that she had never practiced martial arts and didn't understand these things. Then, as expected, she noticed Zhu Qiqi turn her face away, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Slowly descending the stairs, the red-clad dwarf returned to the shadows. Xie Huailing walked side by side with Zhu Qiqi, but Zhu Qiqi was talking and walking quickly, a few steps ahead of her. She followed leisurely behind, with Hua Wucuo following closely behind.
At a corner of a staircase, Zhu Qiqi went down one floor first and called to Xie Huailing to hurry up. Xie Huailing sighed, and Hua Wucuo took the opportunity to speak up.
“Miss.” He spoke in a low voice, not calling her “Miss” because he was Su Mengzhen’s confidant and held a superior position in the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. “The Pavilion Master told you to stay away from that dwarf.”
Xie Huailing's confusion was perfectly timed, her reaction a beat slow, her feigned syllable discrimination truly masterful: "What about the dwarf?"
Today, her cheeks were pale, and her simple white dress concealed her beauty that seemed timeless. Her frail figure seemed to defy the passing of time, and the two red moles on her face seemed to hate the bright sunlight. This sight touched Hua Wucuo's heart, and before he could think it through, he blurted out, "Steward Yang has investigated. This dwarf was one of the 'Thirteen Heavenly Demons' who roamed the martial world many years ago. His real name was Hua Ruixian. He was ruthless, vicious, and utterly heartless. He was saved by the 'Living God of Wealth' and has stayed with the Zhu family ever since."
"There's another story behind it," Xie Huailing said after a few seconds. "Although I don't quite understand it, it's better to be cautious."
Her Mandarin wasn't very good yet, and she spoke slowly and deliberately. Hua Wucuo stepped back, and although Su Mengzhen had warned her (that this person was dishonest), she didn't suspect anything.
As we left the Yellow Tower, several wild geese flew high above, making the sky appear even more magnificent. The tall buildings with their overlapping eaves soared high, piercing straight through the empty clouds. Only through the gaps could we glimpse the silhouette of Bianjing City and the rippling Bian River.
Two carriages were already prepared. Zhu Qiqi, unable to wait any longer, pulled Xie Huailing into one first. Once inside, she launched into a long-winded explanation: "I'll take you to a wonderful place first. There are so many luxurious homes in Bianjing City, things you'll never see outside the Great Wall! Let me tell you, they have all kinds of jewelry there. Last time I only got halfway there..."
Xie Huailing lifted a corner of the carriage curtain with her index finger, speaking to her without looking at her: "Then I'll have to see it for myself. Besides there, shall we go somewhere else?"
"Why not! Of course we'll go! Let me think, there are so many places we can go." Zhu Qiqi muttered to herself, naming many places. "This place is fine too, but Shen Lang might be there, let me think about it some more."
Xie Huailing didn't want to criticize her ulterior motives; she really wasn't interested in the relationship. Seeing that Zhu Qiqi's heart had already wandered off, she mentioned the place Su Mengzhen had mentioned: "I heard that a new, high-class auction house has opened in Bianjing, right in Pankou in the west of the city. Do you want to go check it out? I'm not planning to save my cousin any money today."
"What a coincidence! It's my house. Hmm... we can go there first and then buy jewelry." Zhu Qiqi, completely unsuspecting, readily agreed.
She started talking about Shen Lang again, and grabbed Xie Huailing, wanting to confide her girlish thoughts: "But actually, I want to go somewhere else, I want to find someone."
This is a common step in girls making friends. Xie Huailing listened attentively, but half of her gaze was still fixed on the scenery outside the car window.
Before she lowered the curtain, on the top floor of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, in front of the large and magnificent stained-glass window, she saw a red figure appear, her gaze slowly approaching.
Xie Huailing lowered the carriage curtain, and the brocade fabric dispersed the clouds and smoke.
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There are still two or three chapters until Ms. Xie's designated sandbag appears.
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