Jiang Dinglian stroked the hilt of his sword and suddenly said, "Yihuan, follow me to the study."
As dusk seeped through the window lattices, Jiang Songyi leaned on the chaise longue in Langhua Garden, watching Zhu Sha and her men carry Xue Xin's box in. Bai Linxi tugged at her sleeve angrily, "Sister, why did you agree? That woman clearly..."
"Good sister." Jiang Songyi stuffed a piece of osmanthus candy into her mouth. "Have you heard of catching a turtle in a jar?" Her fingertips lightly tapped the secret compartment of the makeup box, where a poisoned silver hairpin lay.
When the clock struck three quarters past midnight, Xue Xin stood timidly beside the screen, holding a medicine pillow and saying, "County Lady, I'll sleep on the couch in the outer room."
"That won't do." Jiang Songyi waved, her long hair loose. "Come here." She suddenly grabbed Xue Xin's wrist and pressed it against the dressing table. The bronze mirror reflected their overlapping figures. "Tell me, what kind of poison was Jiang Yihuan infected with?"
Xue Xin's pupils suddenly constricted as a small, blood-red snake emerged from her wrist. Jiang Songyi, anticipating this, pinned her wrist with a silver hairpin, then leaned in close to her ear, whispering, "Or perhaps I should ask—what exactly are you, the Nanzhao secret guards, planning by sneaking into the Marquis's mansion?"
Suddenly, there was a soft creaking of tiles outside the window. Jiang Songyi stuffed the snake back into Xue Xin's sleeve and raised her voice, "Good sister, get some rest. I'll take you to the rouge shop tomorrow." As she blew out the candle, she heard very light breathing coming from the beams.
Jiang Songyi gripped Bai Linxi's wrist, and they both took a half step back. Three long shadows were cast on the bluestone slabs, and a dragonfly skimmed across the lotus pond.
"No." She met Xue Xin's expectant gaze, her voice as clear and cold as a copper bell hanging from the eaves.
Bai Linxi breathed a sigh of relief. All the way from the border to Jindu, she'd watched Xue Xin charm the soldiers with her deer-like eyes, even the Second Prince allowing her to accompany the army. Seeing Jiang Songyi's blunt refusal, she felt the breeze through the corridors breathe a fresher breeze.
Xue Xin stood there in a daze, her fingertips still poised to tug at someone's sleeve. The morning light illuminated her silver butterfly steps, making them glitter, but also made her face appear even paler. "Sister...are you tired of me?"
"Of course." Jiang Songyi glimpsed the dark patterns on the silver butterfly's wings and took a half step back to avoid the sun's shadow. "You saved Jiang Yihuan. He and I are enemies of each other." Her skirt brushed against the mossy stone steps. She raised her voice deliberately, "Besides, I hold grudges. I hate anyone who gets close to him."
[Let Xue Xin harm Jiang Yihuan for the rest of his life. Lin Xi and I must stay away from this Miao Saint.]
Jiang Yihuan was about to scold her when he heard the words "Miaojiang Saintess" and his heart skipped a beat. Xue Xin had indeed rescued him from the poisonous forest when he was attacked two weeks ago, but that forest...
"Miss Xue, there's no need to feel wronged." He suppressed his doubts, and the black iron wristband clanged against the corridor pillar. "You can stay in Weiyang Garden for now. When Yuyao returns home, she will have someone close to her to keep her company."
Xue Xin seemed oblivious to the words, still gazing at Jiang Songyi intently. Upon closer inspection, her eyes shone with a faint emerald green, like jadeite that had been immersed in a deep pool for a century. "Sister, if you allow me to live with you, I will give you my most precious Gu King."
Bai Linxi shuddered suddenly. She remembered seeing a shaman using a bamboo flute to exorcise poisonous insects when passing through a Miao village. Now, a faint rustling sound came from Xue Xin's sleeve, as if something alive was hidden.
"Leave your precious Gu King to coax Jiang Yihuan." Jiang Songyi dragged Bai Linxi and turned away, her apricot-colored shawl sweeping off a few pomegranate petals. "If you really want to show your love, why not move to the Fourth Prince's residence and keep Jiang Yuyao company?"
[The Fourth Prince's Mansion is currently in need of someone who can cast a curse. Wouldn't that pair of jackals, tigers, and leopards be a perfect match?]
"Jiang Songyi!" Jiang Yihuan's sword-gripping hand bulged with veins. He had clearly heard the girl call Yuyao a "wolf," but he couldn't find any evidence to support her. He could only watch helplessly as the two of them passed through the moon-shaped gate.
Bai Linxi didn't laugh until they were out of the second gate. She grasped Jiang Songyi's hand, the silver bracelet jingling on her wrist. "If I'd known you hated her so much, why would I have endured this whole journey? Xue Xin is so wicked. During the march, someone always spoke up for her for no apparent reason."
"for example?"
"Last month, the grain was robbed, and the Second Prince wanted to punish the transport officer. She only shed a few tears, and all the generals in the tent pleaded for mercy." Bai Linxi frowned. "Brother Yihuan has always been the most strict about military discipline, but that day he broke his habit of saying, 'It's excusable.'"
Jiang Songyi's steps faltered slightly. As they passed the lotus pond, she suddenly grabbed Bai Linxi's pulse and said, "Don't move."
Spiritual energy penetrated the meridians like a gossamer thread, winding up along the Sanyinjiao acupoint. Bai Linxi felt a warm current surge through the soles of his feet and looked at the two people's clasped hands in surprise: "You..."
"It's very hot in Jindu, let me help you get rid of the dampness." Jiang Songyi gently waved a round fan, but his eyes were fixed on the other person's heart - there were dormant insect eggs the size of rice grains, which were slightly beating with the heartbeat.
Bai Linxi didn't doubt it, pointing at the twin lotus flowers in the pond and said with a smile: "There's no such scenery outside the Great Wall. I..."
The words stopped abruptly. Jiang Songyi suddenly exerted force with his fingertips, transforming spiritual energy into a fine needle that pierced the Gu egg. However, the thing dodged like a living thing, disappearing deep into his blood vessels in the blink of an eye.
"What's wrong?" Bai Linxi was frightened by her pale face.
"The sun is too strong." Jiang Songyi loosened his grip and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The poisonous egg had actually been able to devour spiritual energy. If he hadn't stopped in time, he would have immediately alerted the person who cast the poison.
The two of them went to the waterside pavilion to rest. Bai Linxi was leaning on the railing to feed the koi when she suddenly felt an itch on the back of her neck. Turning around, she saw Jiang Songyi retracting her hand. "Did you just..."
"There's fallen leaves." Jiang Songyi spread her palms, and a ginkgo leaf drifted into the pond. While fixing her hair, she slipped the silver needle hidden between her fingers back into her sleeve pocket. She had just tried to seal the acupuncture point with the gold needle, but the Gu egg had evaded her again.
Bai Linxi rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "I always feel like you're acting weird today."
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