Chapter 53: The Beginning
"Bai Feifei..." Xie Huailing rubbed the few red marks on her neck, pressing her fingertips against the painful spots, awkwardly massaging them away. She repeated the name, savoring the pronunciation between her lips and teeth; it was indeed an unfamiliar name.
Such a capable and shrewd person shouldn't remain unknown, so Bai Feifei must have other plans, but that's not important.
Xie Huailing's delicate brows furrowed in pain. She muttered to herself, "Ouch, that really hurts. I really hate people who know martial arts. If they had used any more force, I probably wouldn't be dead yet, and the whole 'revolving lantern' would have already finished playing out my life..." Then, as she spoke, she habitually drifted off into her own thoughts, "It's like my neck is free. Everyone with some martial arts skills wants to strangle me. I should have charged them."
She muttered to herself, not really expecting anyone to reply. But Bai Feifei looked at this guy, who was completely different from the one who had been incredibly calm when she pinned him down and even dared to threaten her with Su Mengzhen. Her lips twitched slightly involuntarily, and she blurted out, "Who would pay for that kind of thing? And no one would even want to pinch him."
To everyone's surprise, Xie Huailing immediately looked over upon hearing this, ceasing her neck rubbing and her usually calculating eyes no longer half-closed. She stared at Bai Feifei as if she had discovered a priceless treasure, her joy undisguised… well, joy?
"You can make sarcastic remarks?" Xie Huailing's voice rose an octave, forgetting the pain in her neck, and she leaned closer with a deadpan expression. "You can actually make sarcastic remarks?!"
Bai Feifei felt extremely uncomfortable under her sudden, intense gaze, as if she were being stared at by something strange. A chill ran up her spine from her tailbone, making her scalp tingle. She instinctively took a half step back to avoid the overly burning gaze, but her pride wouldn't allow it, so she frowned and retorted, "What kind of nonsense is this? What exactly do you want me to do? What are the terms of the deal? Explain it clearly now, don't waste my time."
Xie Huailing toned down a bit after being met with Bai Feifei's cold question. She brushed the dust off her clothes, though her gaze towards Bai Feifei still held a hint of unspoken emotion, as if her stand-up comedy routine was about to come to a close.
She said in a relaxed tone, "What's the rush? The fish hasn't taken the bait yet, and the trouble hasn't started. Now, come back to the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion with me."
Bai Feifei's eyes suddenly sharpened, and a chill ran through her: "On what grounds?"
Xie Huailing quickly replied, "Whatever you want is right now, safely stored in the storeroom of Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou. If you want to make a deal with me and get it, would you refuse to come with me?"
They're really taking advantage of me. In Bai Feifei's eyes, murderous intent, calculation, and weighing the options were intertwined in a rich tapestry, but in the end, they all slowly settled down, turning into a deeper, temporary compromise. Without a word, she turned aside, making way for the doorway.
.
Back at the Golden Breeze and Drizzle Pavilion, a pot of tea was warming on the stove. Su Mengzhen, wrapped in a thick fur coat, leaned back in a wide, cushioned chair, holding a dossier in his hand, but his gaze was somewhat unfocused. He was in poor health and could not be exposed to the cold wind for long, so even in such a leisurely moment, the doors and windows were tightly closed, while outside the window the sky was bright, and the boundless snow reflected the cold, hard outline of the pavilion.
Footsteps approached from afar, and the person who had been out for half a day pushed open the door and entered, bringing fresh air into the stuffy room.
Su Mengzhen's gaze fell on her, and he immediately noticed the marks on her neck: "You're back? What happened to your neck?"
Xie Huailing casually responded to the first part of the sentence, then took off her cloak and draped it over the back of the chair next to her. She then naturally dragged over another chair and sat down opposite Su Mengzhen, settling in comfortably. She performed this routine with effortless grace, always managing to create the closest and most comfortable position for Su Mengzhen, no matter where she was.
After finishing that, she added the second half of her sentence: "Minor injury. I found the person investigating me, reached an agreement with them to bring me back to work. It took some effort."
Upon hearing this, Su Mengzhen put down the file and asked, "Who is it?"
Xie Huailing replied again: "There's a rather interesting person named Bai Feifei. Didn't Zhu Qiqi give me a Seven-Leaf Star Soul Grass? Bai Feifei came for it. She really lives up to Zhu Qiqi's reputation; even after she's gone, she can still trick me."
She bent down and poured herself a cup of hot tea, warming it in her hands, then exhaled a long puff of white steam, feeling incredibly comfortable.
Su Mengzhen had never heard of this name before and was also displeased with the wound on Xie Huailing's neck: "You should have brought more people with you, at least so that no one gets hurt. Bai Feifei, I've never heard of this person before, and I don't know anything about her. Is it alright for her to stay in the building?"
Xie Huailing took a sip of tea, the steam blurring her features, but her words remained firm: "I will control myself. She is a smart person, and even more so, a formidable one. The waters of Bianjing are getting increasingly murky right now. Having an outsider from Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou, who is also a smart and capable person, to help with things will make things much easier. Especially those things that we absolutely cannot expose."
Su Mengzhen watched her silently, knowing she had made the most advantageous decision and was very confident in it. After a while, he spoke again, asking a question unrelated to the current situation: "You admire her?"
He gleaned this from her words; she almost never used the word "interesting" to describe the people she had met.
Upon hearing this, Xie Huailing stated very directly and affirmed, "I do appreciate it."
She put down her teacup, poised to deliver a long speech, and leaned back lazily in her chair: "I like capable women. Women who only know how to cry make you angry at their lack of ambition, and women who have no ability and can only depend on others make you pity their misfortune. Compared to these, capable women are so much better. They can get what they want themselves, can't they?"
Su Mengzhen didn't reply, but just looked at her quietly.
“Of course,” Xie Huailing said again, becoming strangely excited, “there’s an even more important reason for appreciating her.”
Su Mengzhen rarely saw her happy; Xie Huailing's happiness was even rarer than her meals. Intrigued by this sudden change in mood, he asked, "What's the reason?"
"She actually makes sarcastic remarks!"
Xie Huailing was sharing a huge secret, the most important secret to her, which might be the real reason she wanted to bring Bai Feifei back after saying all that: "Hey, do you know, I thought that in this whole world, no one understood this kind of fun, no one would complain. Do you know how painful it is to throw out a joke and no one catches it? Do you know how painful it is for me to throw out a joke and you can't catch it and then say 'I don't understand, but I won't say it'?"
Su Mengzhen: "..."
Looking at Xie Huailing's earnest and serious demeanor, more focused than when she was at work, he was momentarily speechless. He didn't quite understand what "complaining" specifically meant, but he could clearly sense the deep resentment Xie Huailing had been building up for a long time towards the lack of understanding around her. This resentment was so profound that she felt finding a Bai Feifei who could complain was more of a pleasant surprise than finding a dangerous person with high martial arts skills.
Still unable to understand, Su Mengzhen wisely decided not to dwell on this topic that he couldn't comprehend. Xie Huailing's summary was correct; he had once again chosen to say, "I don't understand, but I won't say," and instead picked up the file beside him and handed it over: "Take a look at this, news about Long Xiaoyun."
Returning to the main topic, Xie Huailing took the file and quickly began to peruse it.
Su Mengzhen added to her, saying as she looked at the information, "Judging from the information we found, this person has a simple background, mediocre martial arts skills, and is generally well-regarded by his neighbors. The only thing worth noting is that he is a good friend of Li Tanhua. On the surface, there's not much of a problem."
Xie Huailing quickly scanned the file, finally stopping at the page recording Long Xiaoyun's daily acts of chivalry. She pointed to a passage with her slender finger: "Not necessarily."
Su Mengzhen looked over; she was referring to a record that Long Xiaoyun had made in the Hexi area six months ago.
Xie Huailing deeply values people, believing that the process is more important than the result. She said, "Look here, the record says that Long Xiaoyun has helped his neighbors a lot when they were in trouble. For example, half a year ago, when he was staying at an inn, he saw that the inn had been vandalized by thugs. He stepped in to comfort the innkeeper and helped arrange repairs. It seems like a chivalrous act, right?"
Su Mengzhen nodded slightly.
"But take a closer look at this supplementary statement from those present at the time." Xie Huailing turned to another page. "It clearly states that when the thugs broke into the inn and started smashing things, the ones who actually stepped forward to stop them and clashed with them were the martial arts master living in the next alley and the passing bodyguard. As for Long Xiaoyun, he was clearly there the whole time, but he only calmed down the shaken innkeeper and actively helped with the cleanup after the thugs had finished smashing things and left."
"Because of this incident, his enthusiasm and the bravery of the martial arts masters and bodyguards were praised by everyone, and he himself accepted it gladly, even showing a hint of taking the lead."
Xie Huailing closed the file and slowly said, "This can't be called a heinous crime; it's more like human nature. Who doesn't want a good reputation? But it's precisely this human nature that exposes that this person's morality is not flawless; on the contrary, he's trying hard to appear flawless. He's adept at appearing at the right time, exchanging the least effort for the greatest reputation, taking credit for things that don't belong to him, and even blurring the credit of those who actually contributed, cleverly gathering the spotlight on himself."
"This is not a simple case of 'righteousness reaching the heavens,' but rather a yearning for and acquisition of fame. Such a person's mind is never simple, nor is he a truly upright individual. Li Xunhuan showed many favors to Long Xiaoyun in this record, but he did not specify what Long Xiaoyun had done besides verbal promises. My lord, in your view, there is no need to be particular about these things between brothers, but in the view of someone like me, a long-standing debt of gratitude will inevitably turn into enmity."
Su Mengzhen remained silent, his knuckles tapping lightly on the table, his eyes deep and unfathomable, following her train of thought. He admitted that Xie Huailing was right, not just simply reasonable, but Xie Huailing possessed an almost supernatural sensitivity to the subtle nuances of human nature.
Su Mengzhen asked in a low voice, "What role do you think he played in the assassination of Li Tanhua?"
Xie Huailing sipped her tea, tossing the dossier aside. She leisurely closed her eyes and said, "I don't know yet. Although I like to guess, it's not the time to guess when we know nothing. Let's wait and see. The assassination of Li Xunhuan has caused quite a stir. For the sake of his precious grandson, Grand Tutor Li has already risked his reputation to appeal to the Emperor. The important figures in the court can't sit still."
She hummed a little tune again and said, "The imperial decree will be issued soon, Master. Everything will go exactly as Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower predicted. Ah, fishing, fishing."
.
Time slips through your fingers like sand, fleeting and ephemeral. Xie Huailing's prophecy was as accurate as if she had witnessed it herself. The very next day, the Divine Marquis's Mansion's petition to investigate the case was blocked by Cai Jing on the grounds of "avoiding suspicion" and "overlapping responsibilities," and the case ultimately fell to the Six Doors. Less than three days later, the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion welcomed the expected visitors.
The Li family personally came to express their gratitude, bringing generous gifts and earnestly thanking the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion for saving their young master Li Xunhuan's life in a critical moment. Although it was actually Xie Huailing who intervened, Xie Huailing's identity was far more than just Su Mengzhen's cousin. To thank "the skillful hand that cuts the sky," they naturally had to first thank the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion.
In the front hall, Su Mengzhen personally received them, with Yang Wuxie accompanying him; the atmosphere was solemn and polite. Xie Huailing knew perfectly well that it was most appropriate for Su Mengzhen, the owner of the manor, to establish contact with the people of Li Garden on this occasion. She was happy to have some peace and quiet and didn't want to cause any trouble at this time, so she quickly avoided the hustle and bustle of the front hall and, together with Bai Feifei, who was always out early and back late, slipped away.
The two strolled through the courtyard of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion. The secluded courtyard was planted with some cold-resistant flowers and trees, which were particularly beautiful when bathed in the wind and snow. When they came to a more open courtyard, several old plum trees were blooming in the cold wind, with red and white spots, which was breathtakingly beautiful.
Xie Huailing pulled her cloak tighter around herself and spoke to Bai Feifei beside her in a disjointed manner, jumping up and down before finishing her sentences. Bai Feifei mostly listened with a cold face until she couldn't stand her anymore.
Unable to hold back any longer, Bai Feifei blurted out, "Can't you find something to do? Aren't you Su Mengzhen's confidant?"
Xie Huailing sneezed, probably because Su Mengzhen was talking about her, and replied, "Yes, I am, but I don't handle things. I only offer suggestions. I didn't take any of those positions that required me to be in charge."
Yes, besides being Su Mengzhen's personal strategist, she did not hold any other concurrent positions at the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion.
Xie Huailing continued, revealing that from her perspective, she genuinely wished she didn't have any of them: "Being a deputy sect leader sounds like a miserable life where you have to do everything, while being a Western God or Eastern God feels like preaching in the deep mountains and forests, about to be shut down by the authorities. Compared to a position in a martial arts gang, it's easier for me to recall what I was like forty or fifty years ago..."
She paused, and Bai Feifei pressed, "Forty or fifty years ago, what?"
Xie Huailing said unhurriedly, "I wasn't even born forty or fifty years ago, so I don't know what happened."
"...What's there to remember? What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Yes, that's it, keep it up!"
"Stay away from me!"
Bai Feifei, feeling tricked and embarrassed, was about to distance herself from Xie Huailing when she saw Xie Huailing looking in a certain direction and falling silent.
She keenly noticed her unusual behavior and followed her gaze.
In the depths of the plum grove, where shadows slanted across the ground, stood a figure in simple, elegant attire. Slender and graceful, her black hair, like clouds, was loosely tied back with a simple white jade hairpin. She tilted her head back, gazing intently at a cluster of plum blossoms in full bloom on a branch. A hint of resentment lingered beneath her brows, a sorrow that seemed even more profound than the encounter at the Divine Marquis's mansion.
It was Lin Shiyin.
Unaware of the gazes directed at her from the corridor, she was completely absorbed in the tranquility of admiring the plum blossoms. A breeze swept through the plum grove, scattering a few petals that swirled and landed on Lin Shiyin's hair and shoulders. Only then did she seem to notice, carefully turning her head.
Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, met Xie Huailing's gaze from under the corridor.
Lin Shiyin's expression changed in the blink of an eye. She suppressed her sorrow and greeted them gently, "Thank you for the chance encounter, Miss. I was so engrossed in admiring the plum blossoms that I didn't realize I had disturbed you."
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Who was it that only wrote a吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain) character for Ms. Xie in chapter fifty? Oh, it was me...
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