Chapter 45: Two People Facing Each Other
The moon rises above the willow branches, and we meet after dusk.
Di Feijing lit the lamp, and the hazy light dappled the curtains, the table, and the wine, casting shadows that sank to the bottom of the cups. He looked like a painting; his head bowed, like a lover in a book, waiting anxiously. The endless sunset, like brocade, surrounded his handsome face, radiant with the warmth of winter. The moon outside, no longer shyly veiled, rose into the sky, bathed in the last rays of its light.
But as dusk was almost over, the fiery clouds gradually turned into night, and the sky was shrouded in a hazy blue light, the beauty we were waiting for finally arrived late.
Shaman stayed outside, while Xie Huailing went in alone.
She stood tall and graceful, with an ethereal beauty. She blew away the chill of her journey through the snow, and it would take a while for her frostbitten face to regain its rosy hue, making her even more like a jade beauty. This jade beauty sat down directly in front of him, a table serving as a boundary. After their scheming and power struggles, they were once again seated together.
It was Di Feijing who had invited her, so he spoke first, saying calmly, "Miss Xie, you're a little late. Were you delayed on the way?"
Xie Huailing didn't rush to answer him. She first looked at the purple clay teapot, took a light sniff, and smelled tea. Then she said, "No, I just had some pastries. I just left late."
She seemed quite displeased when she brought it up, and Di Feijing glanced at her again, only to find her looking back at him. Her eyes were hazy and dull, yet they illuminated his gaze. She could clearly see that Xie Huailing was practically scrutinizing him. Having already revealed her true colors, she had no intention of continuing the charade. Her suspicions, following his gaze, were blatantly honest, just as his calculated invitation had been completely undisguised.
Whoever loses the first stalemate, Di Feijing withdrew his gaze and poured himself a cup of tea: "I see, I thought something had happened on the way."
"Nothing could possibly happen." Xie Huailing pushed the teacup towards him, indicating that he should pour her some too. "And there's no one who could possibly cause me any trouble. After all, I'm not really a weak woman. Right, Master Di?"
Her tone was flat, but she was clearly mocking the Wuzheng Manor and bringing up their previous meetings. Di Feijing's expression remained unchanged as he said, "However, too much scheming goes too far. Miss Xie, please take care."
He refused to pour tea for Xie Huailing and instead wanted to return her teacup and teapot to her.
But she placed her hand on the handle of the teapot, almost pressing down on his fingers. He couldn't back down and show weakness, so his movement faltered halfway. Xie Huailing, in that position, glanced at his neck, which he couldn't straighten, and a hint of coldness slipped into her mouth: "What Master Di said is especially unconvincing."
She tapped the pot again: "When making an appointment, you should act like one. Whatever Master Di's intentions are, please."
Di Fei gently brushed her fingers away before pouring her a cup of tea. He didn't look up after pouring the tea; he seemed to be looking at his own reflection, showing no other reaction.
They had met several times, but this was a rare moment between them. Stripped of her pretense, Xie Huailing was as cold as a different person. Even from the distance of a table, her fragrance seemed far away, yet her chill was very close. He was the same; the confidant of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion's master, and the head of the Six and a Half Hall, were meant to be this way.
The play on the stage began at that moment. Di Fei had booked the entire theater, only telling them to sing whatever they wanted except for "The Wandering Swordsman." The actors then chose a play about talented scholars and beautiful women, a favorite of high-ranking officials and nobles. When they sang the line "I wait for my beloved with all my heart, but she is far away," they changed the tune a bit. The melodious lyrics were like the warbling of a nightingale. He suddenly felt his knuckles tighten and realized his throat was a little dry.
Di Fei was startled and took a sip, while Xie Huailing had already turned her head away when the opera became lively on stage.
The layout of the theater was such that the railings weren't too far apart, making it easy to listen to the opera. She peeked out and looked downstairs, then flipped through the opera scripts beside her, as if she really was there to watch the opera. She flipped through the scripts again and again; this was an opera she hadn't heard of before, so Xie Huailing carefully picked one out, as if Di Feijing was insignificant and not someone important.
She liked to make people wait for her; it was a sign of her disdain, and perhaps she didn't think much of herself, Di Feijing knew. Almost every time they met, he would be left hanging for a while, and he figured out this pattern: she liked to use time to torment people, and was used to it, so one needed to be patient.
But one cannot admire a beauty under the lamplight; to be captivated by one's own reflection is to be easily intoxicated by the beauty of flowers. If she continues like this, it truly seems as if he is having a secret rendezvous with her.
He still spoke up: "Miss Xie."
Interrupted by him, Xie Huailing's voice finally came out again: "What a troublesome plot... Ah, I forgot about Master Di. I'm all ears to hear what Master Di has to say."
She turned another page.
Di Feijing said gently, "I asked Miss Xie to come out so we could have a chat."
"That's not a good idea," Xie Huailing replied without looking up, resting her chin on her hand. "Just half a month ago, we were fighting like madmen in the alley. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
“There’s nothing inappropriate about it.” His gentleness was quite impolite. The head of the Six and a Half Hall, no matter how polite or seemingly shy he was, was not a scholar. “I invited Miss Xie. Miss Xie has already arrived.”
Xie Huailing still didn't look at him, and said without blushing or skipping a beat, "That's because I'm honest and trustworthy. People should do what they say, right?"
"But in any case, you're still sitting here."
“But I’m sitting here just for myself; I don’t necessarily have to talk to my opponent.”
"No, if it were only for myself, Miss Xie would never be sitting here. At least you and I both have something to ask for."
"oh?"
Xie Huailing closed the opera book. She had heard something funny, but she didn't laugh. Instead, she let out a soft breath, as if she were thinking about something, or perhaps just lost in thought. It was indeed Di Feijing's right guess. Just as Di Feijing knew she was trying to get closer and would continue the performance, she knew Di Feijing had something on his mind and would definitely come to keep the appointment—it was profitable, and for them, that was the only important thing.
They are confident that they can protect what they have given and that they can maximize the use of what they have gained.
She finally looked him in the eye and continued, "Master Di is quite the talker. Sometimes, probing doesn't have to be phrased as politely as 'we both have something to gain.' So, what do you want to talk about?"
Di Feijing simply said, "Anything is fine."
Xie Huailing nodded and took a small sip of tea. The fragrant and refreshing taste slid down her throat, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth. She didn't savor it, but her eyes, reflected in the tea, were clear and deep, like a half-burnt lamp: "How about this then? Since we're going to chat, why don't we order another pot of wine and play a game? Can Master Di drink alcohol?"
Before Di Fei could ask a question, she continued, "The game is simple. You ask me a question, and I ask you a question. Once you ask, you have to answer—of course, truth or falsehood doesn't matter, but we have a clever way to tell the difference—if you don't want to answer a question, you punish yourself with a cup; the second time, you punish yourself with two cups, and so on. We'll each rely on our own abilities. When the wine is empty, whoever drinks the most must answer a question in great detail. What do you think, Lord Di?"
She laid bare their feelings, but Di Feijing was already prepared. The Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion and the Six and a Half Hall hadn't yet come to blows, so he could sit down and play a game with her calmly without any objection. However, he had something else to say: "I don't drink much."
Those who are discreet and reserved should reject behaviors that disturb their minds.
Xie Huailing wouldn't allow it: "Then I'll leave right now, and we won't have to see each other again. Master Di, you talk like you can kill someone with a pot of wine."
"..." Di Feijing, with his eyes half-closed, had no other choice. "Alright. Miss Xie, please go first."
Xie Huailing didn't stand on ceremony. She ordered a pot of wine from the waiter, and when the first round of the game began, she asked her first question: "What happened to Master Di's head?"
"My neck is broken."
Di Feijing answered quickly. Even when the topic of painful memories came up, he didn't seem particularly distressed, and his answer was quite sincere. He then turned to Xie Huailing and asked, "When we met at the theater last time, what happened to Miss Xie's neck?"
Xie Huailing sighed upon hearing this. In the first round, no one needed to lie: "I was accidentally injured by my cousin. Those martial arts practitioners are really annoying. They can even beat my sister when they get ruthless."
The two of them shared their information, leaving it to the other to brainstorm.
Then it's time for the second round.
Xie Huailing's provocative intentions were beginning to surface when she asked a very subtle question: "What kind of woman does Master Di like?"
Di Fei was stunned into silence.
Many things haven't disappeared yet; he can't deny that, but he also can't show weakness in the second round. She shouldn't have asked that question, yet she did anyway.
What kind of person does he like?
He couldn't remain silent for too long, nor could he recall the past. Finally, he answered, "Someone gentle. And what kind of man does Miss Xie herself prefer?"
"Good looks." Xie Huailing didn't even need to think for a moment before launching into a long speech, "First and foremost, the most important thing is appearance, second most important thing is probably appearance, and last most important thing is probably still appearance. Status and wealth won't remain unchanged for a lifetime, but if a man is not good-looking, he will never be good-looking."
Then the third round.
The undercurrents of passion were now completely out of control; even the opera music downstairs seemed to fade. What was clearly a lovers' intimate whisper could only serve to highlight the turmoil in their hearts amidst the beautiful scenery. Xie Huailing asked, "Does Master Di really not know martial arts? Am I the only one who doesn't know anything?"
Her words were certainly malicious and provocative, and compared to the previous questions, they were as abrupt as she was.
"I have never practiced martial arts, and a fractured skull would preclude me from doing so," Di Fei replied, echoing the rumors.
The murderous intent was hidden in just a few words, left for the intelligent to ponder; the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water would freeze. Anyone else here would have been stripped bare.
Di Feijing showed no mercy and went straight to the point: "Why does Miss Xie work for Master Su and risk her life? She could have lived a life of wealth and honor as a cousin."
Every word seemed to pierce the room, rendering the stove useless and intensifying the cold. The snow was no longer falling outside; it had become an invisible force, sweeping into the room and fueling human schemes like fire meeting oil. Yet Xie Huailing was not surprised. She didn't even make the meaningful expression that Di Fei had expected.
Without pausing, she said, "Because it's different."
It was too obvious; she was telling the truth. She actually spoke the truth on this topic. Even knowing it was bait, Di Feijing couldn't resist taking it. Xie Huailing repeated herself, "Because of my cousin, because of the Lord of the Pavilion, it's different."
She added, "Because I also have desires."
Then she threw down the bait and bent down, lowering her body.
She was about to ask her fourth question, and Di Fei had a strong premonition of something bad. He should probably sit further away to avoid such contact, but his sense of smell came first: she had changed the incense, to a warmer scent, the delicate fragrance seeming to linger on his face as well, a lingering aroma, both soft and strong, almost burning his heart.
...Our hearts are burning with desire.
He knew that the emptiness in his heart existed, that it had been there for a very long time.
“Look at me,” Xie Huailing asked, her mischievousness overflowing.
She asked a question that, for her, was merely to satisfy her own desire to be difficult, but for him, it was like a thunderbolt:
Did Master Di drink the wine I offered him that day?
"I don't want to hear about 'rarely drinking'; just answer yes or no, Master Di."
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