Chapter 91 My Thoughts Are in Disarray If you won't resent or hate me in the future, then...
Huan Xun, leaning against the couch, was dozing off with one hand supporting his head.
Upon hearing that voice, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the doorway.
When he saw that it was indeed her, his lightly tapping fingertips paused almost imperceptibly.
The next instant, he raised his hand to signal, and the musician who was playing the zither inside immediately stopped playing, and the dancers followed suit, turning and bowing their heads as they retreated.
The woman kneeling to add tea also glanced at Yu Nie. When she saw her, she didn't feel like a stranger, as if she had seen her before. She then quietly followed her out of the room with her teacup.
In an instant, only the four of them remained in the room.
Huan Xun's gaze fell on the person at the door, and he immediately stood up and walked over to greet him.
He scrutinized her attire, a question already welling up in his throat, but he swallowed it back when he caught sight of Song Ai standing behind her with her head bowed, and instead gave a curtsy.
Following Huan Xun's gaze, Yu Nie was surprised to find that Song Ai was still waiting beside her.
She had spoken carelessly and now felt uneasy about calling his name.
She quickly stole a glance at Song Ai.
Song Ai lowered her eyes, and as if sensing her gaze, she wisely took a half step back.
"Your Highness, please speak with Lord Huan here first," she said, deliberately bringing Cuiwei, who was standing by her side, "This servant will take Cuiwei downstairs to see how those White Guards are doing."
She thought for a moment, it was almost noon, and she couldn't just ignore those few guards, so she immediately replied:
“Ju Ling is right. Please have Ju Ling and Cui Wei bring the rest of you to have lunch together later. It’s almost noon, and everyone must be hungry.”
"Yes." Song Ai didn't say anything more, and gestured for Cuiwei to follow. The two of them walked downstairs.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, and she turned the corner of the stairs until the figure upstairs was completely blocked by the pillars and could no longer be seen, Song Ai suddenly stopped and looked up.
Recalling the somewhat casual and familiar manner with which Yu Nie spoke to Huan Xun, a different thought came to her mind.
They were of similar age, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, and had been through life and death together...
Cuiwei asked, puzzled, "Juling? Why aren't you leaving?"
Song Ai withdrew her gaze and remained silent for a moment.
After a short while, she pondered, "When did the princess become so familiar with Lord Huan? They..." She didn't finish the sentence, but it was enough to reveal her worry.
Knowing the truth, Cuiwei was afraid that Song Ai would misunderstand, so she quickly waved her hand: "Juling, don't overthink it, nothing like that! The princess and Lord Huan really have no connection."
“Ju Ling, as you know, our princess is just that lively. She’s used to being outside, and sometimes she might say something that’s not in accordance with etiquette.”
Hearing Cuiwei say this, Song Ai thought again, perhaps she was just overthinking it, calling someone by name is not a big deal.
Upon hearing this, she no longer hesitated and went downstairs.
*
The Jin Yue River downstairs is so blue it's like a piece of fine jade. The water is so clear that in some shallower areas you can almost see the pebbles on the riverbed.
The private room he booked was spacious and elegant, almost twice as spacious as a regular private room.
What is particularly eye-catching is that in the right corner of the room, there stands a specimen of a gray wolf.
The wolf raised its head slightly, baring its fangs, adopting an attack posture. The texture of its fur was clearly visible, as if it were about to pounce at any moment.
Yu Nie glanced at the wolf specimen and asked, "This specimen is quite rare. I wonder how it came to be?"
“I had it placed here,” his voice came from behind her.
Yu Nie turned around and saw him looking at her: "But this is a restaurant. If you let someone set it up here, will the restaurant owner be willing?"
"This private room is for my exclusive use; no other people are allowed to come in."
Since returning to Jian'an, he has rarely been involved in official business on the surface. Instead, he takes leave every few days and has become a regular customer of Chongyue Tower.
When others saw this, they thought that this young general, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, had been captivated by the romance and beauty of Jian'an City and had been spending his days in taverns listening to music, unable to extricate himself from it.
People often gossiped in private that the young general, who had made great military achievements, was not as invincible as a fortress. In the end, he was just an ordinary person who could not escape some decadent talk.
For Huanxun, such public opinion was a good thing.
After all, if one always presents a diligent and capable image, it is easy to give people the impression that "this person has no flaws and is difficult to control".
This is not what he wanted.
He wanted the person in the palace to truly believe that he, Huan Xun, could be bought off, controlled, and manipulated.
Only in this way can the things that truly need to be done unfold in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone.
Hearing his words, Yu Nie was secretly puzzled. He was not a different race, so why would he have such a thing in his room?
You should know that in Beiye, such a decoration would not be considered presentable.
If someone sees it, they will only sneer and say "utterly tasteless," and secretly they will classify its owner as a crude person no different from a barbarian.
However, she respected everyone's preferences and didn't press the matter further. Besides, in her mind, someone like him wouldn't care about such rumors.
She continued to stroll slowly around his private room with her hands behind her back, her gaze finally drawn to a colorful enamelware on the table, and she stopped involuntarily.
"What a unique vase! I've never seen anything like it before." She bent down, examining it intently, thinking that it must be very valuable, and that this person was far too rich.
“It’s Persian enamelware.” He let her wander around, then led Langxi and Ahui to sit down.
Perhaps knowing his true identity, the other two felt uneasy when they met him again, as if something was off about them.
Huan Xun treated them in the same way he had when he was in Huaiyuan.
He showed no airs of superiority whatsoever, but instead maintained the demeanor of Huan Zijing, greeting them with ease: "When did you two Daoist masters arrive in Jian'an?"
"I just arrived a couple of days ago," Langxi replied, his voice tinged with a hint of awkwardness and embarrassment.
Huan Xun looked at their expressions and understood perfectly. Someone must have told them everything about his situation.
He decided to be frank and explained why he had concealed his identity.
However, he never revealed his identity even after He Renzhi and the others were brought to justice. This is a point he has never mentioned.
"It was necessary at the time, and I hope the two Taoist priests will understand." His words were sincere, without the slightest trace of pretense.
After finishing his observation, Yu Nie returned to the group and overheard his conversation with Lang Xi.
But given past experiences, Yu Nie couldn't tell whether his current demeanor was genuine or a more sophisticated response.
Langxi and Ahui also saw hesitation in each other's eyes.
However, their hesitation was completely different from Yu Nie's speculation.
Logically speaking, he no longer needs to put on an act for them at this point.
After all, given the villainous image Yu Nie had previously described him as, someone like him should have disdained sitting at the same table with them.
Considering that now was not the time to pursue these issues, they secretly thought that it would be best to keep a low profile and not cause trouble for Yu Nie.
"Lord Huan, you flatter me." Lang Xi paused briefly, then replied gently, "At Huaiyuan, it was simply your duty, and we understand the reasons."
Huan Xun nodded.
A moment later, he asked about Xu Jingyang: "Master Shen, have you seen Xu, the Compiler?"
Lang Xi shook his head. Yu Nie then repeated Xu Cai's words to him.
The Secretariat and the Central Secretariat had no overlap in their administrative affairs, and he often claimed illness and did not go to court. If there were matters that required his handling, there were special people who would send them to the Ministry of Personnel.
Upon hearing that Xu Jingyang had been sent to Xuzhou, he said, "Xu Jingyang is a conscientious and responsible official, a handsome man, honest and upright, and a gentle and refined gentleman."
"Although I have only met him once, it is not hard to see that he is indeed a person worthy of entrusting one's life to."
He spoke casually, as if chatting with someone: "When you two get married in the future, don't forget to let me know. That way, I can prepare a small gift and ask for a drink at your wedding."
Yu Nie spoke before Lang Xi could, her tone tinged with disbelief: "Lord Huan is so busy with affairs of state, does he really have time to go?" In her opinion, this was most likely an excuse.
Upon hearing this, his gaze fell on her, who was already seated, and a smile appeared on his lips: "If you have time to go, young lady, I certainly do."
With no outsiders present, he called her as before.
She looked up and met his smiling gaze. His eyes were dark and unfathomable, with a hint of playfulness, yet he looked at her so intently, as if his reply was not a casual joke, but a solemn promise.
A flush of heat rose to her cheeks, and Yu Nie lowered her eyelashes to hide the fleeting look of panic in her eyes.
He saw her lower her eyes and avoid his gaze, her fingertips stroking the rim of the glass unconsciously stopping. He felt a sense of melancholy he had never felt before, but he quickly suppressed it.
He had never felt this way before.
To avoid an awkward atmosphere, Yu Nie quickly changed the subject: "Let's not just keep talking."
She composed herself and looked at him with a calm and collected expression: "We have reserved a private room next door, so we won't disturb you any further. I'll take my senior brothers and sisters there first. We'll go ahead, Lord Huan."
She made him become polite again.
His intuition told him that this title was far less pleasant than calling him "Huan Xun".
Before she could get up, he spoke up: "It's not easy to see Master Shen and Master Ahui again. I bothered them for so long in the temple back then. Now that we're in Jian'an, I have to treat them to a proper meal."
"I cannot pay for this meal today. Please, Princess and the two Taoist priests, do me this favor."
Without giving Yu Nie any chance to refuse, he called out loudly towards the door, "Someone come here."
The person outside the small restaurant entered upon hearing the call and waited with their head bowed for instructions.
He looked at Yu Nie and the others, then said to his attendants, "Let my guests order a few dishes they like first, and then bring out all of your signature dishes."
Seeing that he had gone this far, Yu Nie and the others felt too embarrassed to insist on refusing.
So we ordered a few dishes.
The dishes were served without delay at Chongyuelou. Before long, all the dishes were served, filling the table to the brim.
They moved to the round table and sat down.
During the meal, Yu Nie mentioned the star-gazing banquet to be held the next day.
Huan Xun hadn't originally planned to go, but considering that all the royal relatives, including the princess herself, would be there, he abandoned the idea.
As the meal was drawing to a close, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.
Song Ai knocked on the door and peeked in, whispering, "Princess, Xu Zhige has sent someone. He said that Xu Zuozhulang has delivered a letter and specifically asked Daoist Langxi to come over."
Upon hearing that Xu Jingyang had sent a letter, Lang Xi paused in his chopsticks, his eyes filled with delight.
He stood up as if he couldn't sit still and quickly walked to Song Ai's side: "Is what Ju Ling said true?"
"It's absolutely true, Daoist Master. Xu Zhige's men are waiting downstairs."
Upon hearing this, Langxi turned to look at the other three, about to apologize and say that he had to leave first.
Yu Nie, as if she could read her mind, said, "Senior Sister, go ahead and don't worry about us."
Huan Xun nodded in agreement: "Master Shen, the matter is urgent, please do as you see fit."
"Alright, please forgive my rudeness, I'll take my leave now."
Seeing that Langxi was heading to Xu Cai's residence, Ahui stood up and gestured that he wanted to go too, saying that he was going to fetch something and would be back in a moment.
Seeing his hurried appearance, Yu Nie was a little puzzled: "Junior Brother, what is so important to you? Wouldn't it be easier to have Junior Sister bring it to you when she comes back later?"
Ah Hui waved his hand, a mysterious smile in his eyes: "Anyway, it's not far, I'll be right back. Qiqi will be very happy when she sees me."
Yu Nie wanted to persuade him again, but he had already quickly caught up with Lang Xi's steps, and the two of them left the private room one after the other.
Before she could finish speaking, the door closed with a soft knock.
The spacious private room was now empty except for the three of them.
Song Ai glanced at the two of them, then bowed slightly and left.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained.
The two exchanged a glance. Yu Nie felt rather uncomfortable and tried to pick at the rice in his bowl, only to find that he had already eaten all the rice, leaving only air.
She glanced furtively at the person beside her, trying to see if they had seen her embarrassing moment.
Seeing someone pouring tea for themselves, she quickly adjusted her movements and reached for the yam in the plate with her chopsticks.
As Huan Xun sipped his tea, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.
Not saying anything all the time isn't good either. Yu Nie picked up some food and thought to herself that she had to find a topic to start a conversation so that the atmosphere wouldn't get awkward.
Thinking of this, she remembered the jade thumb ring she had given him.
She then asked him, "We didn't have a chance to meet the past few days. I wonder if Lord Huan likes the jade thumb ring I chose?"
She didn't think there was anything strange about her question; her tone was hopeful, and her bright, beautiful eyes stared straight at him, waiting for his answer.
He was stared at for only a moment, then didn't meet her gaze again. He picked up the teacup on the table and replied, "Does it matter whether I like it or not?"
Yu Nie raised her voice and said, "Of course, it depends on my taste. Besides, when giving a gift, you have to consider whether the recipient likes it or not. If they do, the person giving the gift will be very happy."
"However, you don't need to consider my feelings, just tell the truth."
Hearing her say that, he took a sip of the tea in his hand.
Under her expectant gaze, he mumbled a barely audible "Mmm."
Yu Nie leaned closer and pressed, "What? Does Your Excellency like it or not?"
Huan Xun refused to repeat himself, saying only, "I've already told you the answer. If you didn't hear it, that's your own problem."
Seeing his expression, she suddenly smiled slyly, put down her chopsticks, crossed her arms and looked at him with an air of pride: "It seems that Young Master Huan is quite arrogant. Fortunately, I have excellent hearing and heard your answer."
As she spoke, a hint of unease appeared on his handsome face.
After a short while, everything returned to normal.
He slammed the teacup down on the table, stared at her, and said in a low voice, "Trying to trick me?"
Seeing this, she immediately knew when to stop and hurriedly raised her hands, saying, "Heaven has eyes, how could I dare? Even if I had ten lives, I would keep it to myself and not dare to overstep the bounds."
His long fingers rested on the rim of the cup, the smile hidden in his eyes concealed by his long eyelashes.
When I looked up at her again, it was with a slightly leisurely air.
She reluctantly buried her head in her chopsticks, not daring to say another word.
After she had eaten and drunk her fill, she stretched contentedly.
A fragrance of flowers wafted in from outside.
"What flower is this? It smells so good." She sniffed it, got up and looked out the window, following the fragrance.
“It’s a hibiscus flower.” His gaze followed her figure.
She leaned against the window frame, gazing at the clusters of hibiscus flowers along the riverbank, and exclaimed in admiration, "So beautiful! I didn't even notice it when I came to the river last time."
Even now, she still doesn't know that when she fell into the water, he instinctively tried to save her.
The mimosa trees on both banks are in full bloom, and their petals drift down to the water, adorning the entire river surface.
She suddenly turned her head, and the stray hairs at her temples fluttered with the movement, while strands of hair brushed past the corners of her eyes.
She looked at him with a smile: "Lord Huan, won't you come and take a look?"
He looked at her, propped his head up with one hand, and replied, "I've seen this scene before you countless times. Even the most stunning scenery should have lost its charm by now."
"Yesterday it was scorching hot, today the sunlight is just right, and every time I look at it, it's always different."
She said, "Besides, the people who are watching are different. Come on, Junior Tutor Huan, Vice Minister Huan, why not take a look at the beautiful scenery? Anyway, it's free."
As if unable to resist her calling him so often, he finally got up and slowly walked towards the window.
This moment of quiet is incredibly comforting.
She simply leaned against the window frame, admiring the beautiful view before her.
Hearing her sigh softly, he crossed his arms and turned to look at her: "With such a beautiful scene before us, why be sentimental?"
Yu Nie dragged out his voice, sounding somewhat lazy.
"My lord does not understand; I am merely moved by the sight of this place."
She said, "Sir, you may not know, but my hometown also has a river like this, which is clear and green all year round, and is also crowded with tourists in the height of summer."
He recalled Huaiyuan and was filled with doubt: "Is there such a big river in Huaiyuan?"
At this point, her voice changed, and she looked at him and said, "Perhaps, my hometown is not just Huaiyuan."
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly curled her lips into a smile, her gaze drifting away, the previous seriousness vanishing completely:
"Just kidding. I was abandoned at Guanmenkou when I was little and grew up in Huaiyuan. I don't have any other hometown."
"And what about you?"
She changed the subject, trying to dodge his questions:
"I remember you said you were always on the run until you were thirteen. Weren't you from a military family? Were you on the run because of military service back then?"
He gazed at her silently: "Want to know the answer?"
Yu Nie nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice; she was genuinely curious.
Hearing her response, he turned his gaze away and looked into the distance.
"It's not the right time yet. You'll know when the time is right."
"When will the time be right?" she pressed, full of confusion.
"Peace and tranquility prevail throughout the land." An answer she hadn't expected.
As she listened to his words, she straightened up, thinking to herself, if he truly harbored such thoughts, why would he have caused so much bloodshed? "Rong Yunie," he suddenly called out to her, his voice neither loud nor soft.
She paused, then subconsciously replied, "Hmm?"
He looked at her, his clear voice slightly deep.
He said, "Want to make a deal with me?"
"What deal?"
"If you will not resent or hate me in the future, tell me about your past and where you came from."
He stared intently at her, his gaze deep: "In return, I will help you find the person who seized your family property, and then you can do whatever you want with them."
She didn't have time to think about the first half of his sentence before blurting out, "How do you know that my family property has been taken away?"
Huan Xun did not keep them in suspense.
He also mentioned that he had suspected her and investigated her in Huaiyuan.
"Furthermore," he admitted, "I said you were useful to me because I value your abilities. With you around, you can indeed help me reduce a lot of losses."
“I have nothing to hide from you.” Despite having the clear advantage, he surprisingly conceded: “If you want to negotiate with me based on your abilities, then speak up.”
He didn't have to do this, since he had leverage over her anyway.
But he inexplicably took a step back, a step for which he himself could not explain the specific reason.
Perhaps what he really wanted to say was:
"I don't know why you think I'm so wicked and hate me."
"I'm actually... not that scary, at least I won't kill innocent people indiscriminately."
"You don't need to be afraid of me."
His tone was calm, and there was not a trace of a joke in his expression.
She gazed into his eyes, unsure whether to believe him.
Why did he suddenly change his attitude and want to make this deal with her?
Why did you give her room to negotiate?
Is this yet another of his tricks, a performance to deceive her?
The emotions in his eyes were too deep, like the undercurrents beneath a dark pool, making them difficult to see clearly.
She couldn't tell whether it was real or fake.
Trust him? But how could someone as self-serving as him suddenly act this way?
Don't believe me? Yet his promise at this moment is beyond reproach...
Just as she was wondering how to respond, a cheerful voice came from the doorway.
Looking back, it turned out to be Ah Hui who had rushed back on horseback.
Ah Hui smiled and gestured for her to see the cage clearly.
Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she ran over in a few steps, her voice filled with joy: "Xue Nu?!"
She hadn't expected that Ah Hui would bring Xue Nu to her.
When she left Jingyuan Temple, Xue Nu and her beloved chestnut pony were forced to remain in the temple.
Before she left, she specifically instructed Wuxiang to take good care of her two little ones.
She will definitely come to find them if she has the chance.
Unexpectedly, Ah Hui would bring her this.
Ah Hui handed the cage to her, and she reached her fingertips through the bars, teasing the little creature inside.
Ah Hui gestured to explain:
“My senior sister originally wanted to come with me and bring your little horse with her. But just before we set off, the little horse suddenly fell ill. Although it’s not serious, the journey is too long, and we were afraid that it would not be able to endure the journey and that its illness would worsen. So we decided to leave it at the temple for now and pick it up later.”
Yu Nie said it was alright, then opened the cage door and took the little creature curled up inside into her arms.
As she ran her fingers over the soft, fluffy rabbit fur, she didn't forget that she still had something to say.
She looked up at the person standing by the window, a smile playing on her lips: "If everything you just said is true, I will accept the deal. As for... the conditions you mentioned, please allow me to think about them some more."
As she spoke, she raised the front paw of the snow slave in her arms and shook it, a mischievous glint in her eyes: "We're old friends meeting again, Lord Huan, won't you come over and say hello?"
She agreed to one of them, which is fine.
Huan Xun listened without saying anything more, lowered his eyelids slightly, and strode over.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
