Chapter 89: I Am the Oriole
Xie Huailing sat down opposite her, not looking left or right, nor listening to the incredibly intense sounds of swords clashing outside the door. Those two men possessed the imposing presence of a thousand troops; perhaps they were legendary swordsmen, the likes of which appeared only once every ten years in the martial world, just a wall away.
But regardless of victory or defeat, regardless of the sword's cry like a dragon, regardless of what might happen outside tonight, no matter how noisy it may be, there will only be silence inside.
Utter silence.
This silence wasn't complete; people aren't dead. Every movement, every breath, makes a sound. Moreover, the person in front of her was biting her lower lip, her pearly white teeth pressed into the outline of her red lips, as if she were tearing at her own heart. Her lips were already white, and her unsteady breathing could only come in and out of her nose.
Quietness is a quietness of the soul. When a person knows that she has been outmaneuvered, that the game is lost, and that nothing she does seems to change anything, she will be very quiet.
When a person starts to feel anxious and doesn't understand what will happen next, and develops fear towards someone, she will also become very quiet.
Xie Huailing enjoyed the quiet. She gazed at the man who didn't even look up and asked, "Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? Won't you invite me for tea?"
The girl's eyelashes fluttered, but she still didn't raise her head. The jewels and ornaments on her head had lost their luster; their once dazzling colors were now barely clinging to life. "...Please do as you please."
This was the first time Xie Huailing had heard her speak, and her voice was as thin and weak as a person. Xie Huailing's eyes did not move, still staring at her with a harsh gaze, never leaving her for a moment. Her gaze seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, as if it would crush the girl: "It is not the way to treat a guest."
"..." The girl fell silent. Despite her fear, even though she felt like she was about to collapse, she ultimately did not. She repeated softly, "Please do as you please."
After she finished speaking, she stopped biting her lip, and her trembling subsided.
Xie Huailing shook her head. She finally saw the girl's face clearly, facing the candlelight on the table. She could see it even more clearly than when they first met under the pavilion in the daytime. She did indeed have the features of royalty. Her features had nothing to do with shyness or timidity; they were bold and dignified. If she had changed her habit of bowing her head and been more spirited, she would have appeared before Xie Huailing as a graceful and noble princess.
It's a pity that she only dared to come see her now, and she was still hesitant. Perhaps she was still wondering how much Xie Huailing knew and how much she had actually lost.
Xie Huailing decided to give her a swift end: "Princess, I didn't hear what you said. Could you speak louder?"
The girl's head snapped up, as if she'd been lifted off her feet. At first, she couldn't believe what she'd heard, then slowly widened her eyes. Her fear intensified, gradually gaining the upper hand; the composure she'd managed to muster instantly vanished. She heard Xie Huailing call out the words "Southern Prince's Mansion" from outside, but this was different. How could she have discovered her identity?
"You don't need to look at me like that, Princess, just pour some tea first," Xie Huailing said. "We still have time to talk. We can talk until the outcome is decided outside, or even until dawn."
Behind her words lay absolute confidence, and the girl remained silent for a while. Her fear swelled, and she bit her lip again, this time drawing blood quickly; she tasted her own blood. A moment later, she picked up the teapot, poured the now-cold tea into a cup, and handed it to Xie Huailing.
Xie Huailing was quite intrigued and did not accept the tea. When the tea was brought to her, she asked, "Why is the princess so afraid of me? Do I look like a jackal or a tiger? Even if it is in your nature, you are being far too afraid."
The girl didn't answer. Xie Huailing still didn't know her name, nor did Gong Jiu. Even though she had lived to this day in the Southern Prince's Mansion, she would never be valued by her father and brothers. Since she was so afraid of him now, how afraid must she have been of her father and brothers in the mansion? With such a timid nature, why was she able to kill her sisters and stepmother who had bullied her back then?
Xie Huailing picked up her teacup. Actually, she had an answer too; these two were probably different.
Aside from the misunderstanding regarding Su Mengzhen, she could easily understand anyone. Xie Huailing added, "Or perhaps, the princess is particularly afraid of me, because I did indeed bully her. After all, the princess has already lost to me and can no longer beat me."
Her body trembled violently, and the blush on the girl's lips began to spread. She seemed oblivious to the pain; the malice no longer coursed through her body. She might still be trembling, but she restrained herself, and her head soon lowered again.
Xie Huailing took a sip of tea. Although it was cold tea, it still had a delicate fragrance that lingered on her lips and teeth. After swallowing, she smelled the stench of blood, which seemed quite fitting for the occasion. However, this was of course irrelevant to the young lady. They had only exchanged a few words when the first round of bloodshed began outside.
Inside the warm-toned room, the lamplight danced on the faces of the two people. Under the firelight, no gloom could remain on either face; every emotion was clearly visible.
Xie Huailing knew then that he had been right again.
This girl, who grew up huddled up in the cruel and suffocating royal palace, witnessing her mother's death, possessed two distinct sides to her life. Her fear was genuine; she was afraid of anyone hurting her, and having barely managed to survive through sheer hardship, she feared being bullied again. Her ruthlessness was also real; she was ruthless and vicious towards those who hurt her, not hesitant to act cruelly, because she didn't want anyone to bully her anymore.
But the fear would not end. There were always things she could not do, so she continued to work for the father and brothers who had truly caused her tragedy, and she still wanted the title of princess. Therefore, she was forced into this situation by Xie Huailing. At this time, Xie Huailing was an insurmountable mountain for her, so in her eyes, he was perhaps no different from her father and brothers.
"……Why?"
After an unknown amount of time, the girl asked softly, without wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. In this situation, she was so helpless that she seemed somewhat delirious: "Why investigate? The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion only wants to cooperate with the Beggars' Sect. It's the same even if Ren Ci dies."
"Why not investigate?" Xie Huailing said calmly. "Cooperating with Chief Ren is to fulfill the wish of the previous leader of the Beggars' Sect, and also my maternal grandfather. Chief Ren is an undisputed hero in the world, with noble character, integrity, and righteousness. If Chief Ren dies and I don't investigate, the Beggars' Sect will change hands, and all of this will be in vain. Even if the Beggars' Sect can still provide assistance to the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, it will be like honey with poison, and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion will be unknowingly dragged into a foolish dead end."
She knew what the Prince of Nan's mansion was planning, but she wouldn't say. There was no need to push too hard; it would only backfire. "I don't care what the Prince of Nan's mansion is planning, but involving the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion is a major taboo. Although the Prince's mansion holds a high position and great power, the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion is also quite wealthy. I think the Princess should be aware of that. So, if I were the Princess, I would investigate as well."
"On the contrary, if I were a princess, facing someone who suddenly entered the game in this situation..." Xie Huailing sighed softly, "I would never kill her."
The girl remained silent. Unconsciously, she licked the wound on the corner of her lips. Amidst the subtle pain, the lamplight blurred into a hazy patch of light in her vision, and only after passing through this patch of light could she see Xie Huailing's face.
She could hear her own breathing, but not her own heartbeat. She heard Xie Huailing's voice, but she didn't really want to listen any further.
Xie Huailing continued, "If I were the princess, I would never think of putting in extra effort. Whether this matter succeeds or fails, the most important thing is always to protect myself. Whether she finds out or not, it's not something I sincerely wanted to do. Now the princess has wasted her efforts, and I'm afraid it will still be difficult for her when she goes back. I also have some understanding of the affairs in the Prince's mansion."
The girl clenched her fingers, her eyelashes fluttering. Being called out was the feeling she hated most, as if she had been stripped naked: "Miss Xie, you have quite the nerve… You only won one round, not a complete victory."
“The princess is right.” Xie Huailing leaned forward slightly, getting closer. “A great victory is not something that can be achieved by winning just one game.”
As if struck by lightning, the person was thrown from their seat, knocking over the teacup which shattered into pieces. Tea splashed out in a chaotic, panicked pattern, staining the person's skirt and wetting the gold and silver threads. The girl understood what she meant, opened her mouth but couldn't say anything, took a step back, and knocked over the jade-colored porcelain bottle.
The porcelain vase was shattered on the ground, yet Xie Huailing still had the leisure to drink tea. In the girl's eyes, her empty eyes, even under the light, revealed a ghostly aura that was hard to describe, as if she were a person with a ghostly presence, a ghost that could steal one's spirit: "The princess is a smart person, knowing that she should escape in time, but it's too late. I'm in a bad mood because I was assassinated, so please keep me company a little longer, princess. Anyway, whether you go back sooner or later, it won't end well."
The girl couldn't help but gasp for breath. She stared at Xie Huailing, then suddenly turned around after a few breaths. She could no longer be in the same room with Xie Huailing. She staggered a few steps and bumped into the corner of the wall, but still ran to the door in a panic without looking back. She didn't want to hear Xie Huailing say another word, and she didn't want Xie Huailing's voice to catch up with her.
She yanked open the wooden door, ending the fight outside. The girl ran out.
Xie Huailing remained seated, continuing to drink her tea.
The room was filled with shadows, and even the warm, yellow light only created more and more shadows. In the night after the life-or-death struggle, she moved silently and without a trace, never peeking out. She sat alone, serene in the light and shadow, her presence unpredictable, a wisp of wind and clouds partially obscuring her cold face.
The stench of blood grew stronger, and a cacophony of wind blew into the room, then stopped. The door had closed again.
Xie Huailing poured a full cup of tea, waiting for the young man, whose sleeves were half-covered in blood, to stand beside her. The young man's expression did not change much; his face was calm and still, a stark contrast to the bloodstains on his body, though not all of it was his blood.
In contrast, Xie Huailing, who had faced life and death repeatedly, had never had her hair disheveled. She raised her teacup, and the young man, with one hand on the table, bent down to sip his tea.
A draw?
"No."
Gong Jiu replied calmly, "His sword heart is in turmoil."
But if you don't count, his injuries are too severe. However, Xie Huailing doesn't need to feel sorry for him, and no one needs to feel sorry for the injured Gong Jiu. Perhaps we should feel sorry for Ye Gucheng: "He himself can't answer his own sword, so naturally he can only act rashly."
“That’s true. What about my cousin?” Gong Jiu kept talking, his ears also busy, “She’s not planning to continue with you.”
Xie Huailing didn't care. When did she ever care about other people's opinions? Her gaze swept over them indifferently: "Once things get chaotic, she won't be able to extricate herself."
She had methods she couldn't use in Bianjing, and she had been waiting for this day.
After saying that, she added, "You should go now."
Gong Jiu's wrist was still bleeding, and the blood had seeped onto the table. He said, "You said you had a backup plan."
"I don't need you as my backup plan."
Xie Huailing raised an eyebrow, and the conversation returned to the day they had agreed to meet. The deal would end, and the brief moment of closer proximity was illusory: "Besides, you've seen it all, and you should know that I'm someone you can't force."
Gong Jiu nodded, seemingly in agreement. The blood stained the tabletop, casting a crimson reflection, mirroring his ever-changing state of mind. He sighed softly, his words muffled: "I will come to find you again."
Gong Jiu wouldn't let this go so easily; Xie Huailing understood that even if they parted ways, they would meet again. She just didn't want to guess what Gong Jiu was thinking; if she did, her life would be over.
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