Chapter 52 The first embrace, though cold, was burning hot. ...
During the rainy season of Qingming, the rooms in the inn were small, and without opening the windows, they would become stuffy and damp. The weak, old light emanated from the tung oil lamp.
Madam Huang sat behind the elmwood table, watching her sit down, still looking hesitant.
Yue Yining immediately saw through Madam Huang's hesitation. The servants who left the Prime Minister's residence had all received hush money. If the people of the Prime Minister's residence found out that she had come to Yanjing to exchange information about the eldest son of the Xie family for money, she would definitely be in deep trouble.
Madam Huang cautiously began, "You said you were an advisor to the Princess's household..."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Yes. Please rest assured, Madam. Your visit to Yanjing and any interactions I have had with you will be completely erased. The Princess will not allow the Prime Minister's office to trace it back to you."
Madam Huang's hesitation lessened somewhat, but she still looked at her with some reservation: "I understand. Sir, what information do you wish to obtain from me?"
"I was just an old servant doing odd jobs in the Prime Minister's residence. I wasn't very capable. I was just lucky to be assigned to take care of the eldest young master's daily life. But I can't go to Prime Minister Xie's courtyard or the courtyards of the other women. If you want that information, I can't help you."
Yue Yining: "What a coincidence! The matter I'm looking for is related to the eldest young master."
"Please tell me, Madam Huang, about Xie Qingyu's behavior and other daily habits before he returned to the manor. The more detailed the better."
Madam Huang nodded slightly, and her aged, hoarse voice began to slowly recount some of Xie Qingyu's ordinary daily life. From what he did every day, who he associated with, what dishes and snacks he liked to eat, and his most frequently worn clothing style, to his tone of voice, the way he held a pen, and his subconscious behavioral habits.
As Madam Huang spoke, Yue Yining silently took notes.
The wax drippings on the rim of the bronze cup swelled from the size of cherries to the size of apricots, the newly solidified amber color covering the previous brownish scabs. After the wick exploded three times, the flame gnawed at the hemp thread in the oil, burning into a coiled gray snake.
After Madam Huang finished speaking, she mentioned at the end that she had been banished from the mansion. Yue Yining pressed her for an answer: "Why did you leave the mansion and return to your hometown, Madam?"
Madam Huang lowered her eyes: "Since the eldest young master returned to the manor, many people have been sent away one after another. Originally, when the eldest young master went missing, the people who served in the eldest young master's courtyard should have been expelled from the manor. It was only because the master was kind and the madam loved the eldest young master so much that she did not punish us old servants."
"After the eldest young master returned, the servants in the courtyard actually worked twice as hard, but the new head steward still found fault with them and used that as an excuse to send many people away one after another," Madam Huang said. "I'm not young anymore, and I can see clearly that the head steward is doing this under orders. Whether he's acting on your orders or the eldest young master's orders, he'll eventually find a reason to drive us all out. As for me, it's just a matter of time."
"When I left the manor, there were only a few old servants left in the eldest son's courtyard; all I could see were new faces."
Yue Yining gently pinched her fingers in her sleeve.
In other words, after Xie Qingyu returned to his residence, he replaced all the old servants in his courtyard. Those servants who truly understood Xie Qingyu's behavior and daily life, those attendants who were most likely to see through his disguise as the real Xie Qingyu, were all dealt with and then expelled from the residence.
While Yue Yining was still pondering, Madam Huang seemed to remember something: "There is one more thing that I forgot to mention earlier."
"My lord just asked if the eldest son had any marks on his body. I suddenly remembered that there is indeed one, which is known only to me, the eldest son, the madam, and the master."
"When the eldest son was a child, he was naughty. Once, he climbed onto the table and was burned on the chest by a narrow-spouted kettle filled with boiling water, leaving a scar. At that time, I was responsible for applying medicine to the eldest son's wound every day and never asked anyone else to do it, so I have a deep impression of this scar."
Yue Yining suddenly sat up: "Madam Huang, do you still remember what that scar looked like?"
Madam Huang: "I remember it was a diamond-shaped burn mark, only half the size of a copper coin, located slightly below my right chest."
The bamboo curtain's latticework shifted from a diagonal pattern in the southeast to a horizontal pattern in the northwest. After the meeting, Yue Yining returned to the Princess's residence and secretly arranged for carriages to escort Madam Huang safely out of the capital. She then drafted an invitation in the palace and ordered it to be sent to the Xie residence.
Yue Yining didn't think too much about her words. Her intuition told her that Xie Qingyu would most likely not refuse her request.
But the time it took to receive the reply was still faster than she had anticipated.
When Yue Yining received Fu Yao's reply in her bedchamber, her initial surprise turned into a full surprise.
The post was wrapped in five layers of lotus-patterned satin, the outer wrapping alone infused with agarwood. A gold-threaded ruyi knot secured the sandalwood box, with snowflakes clinging to the paper's texture.
Yue Yining looked at it again and again, but before she could even open it, she fell silent.
She clearly remembered the invitation she received from Xie Zhi last time. It was just the usual etiquette for private meetings between high-ranking families: a dark purple silk ribbon tied with a crimson ribbon, printed on five-petaled plum blossom paper, and nothing more than cinnabar mixed with fish glue.
Why has the style of the Xie family's invitation changed so drastically in just one month? Isn't this far too extravagant and too formal?
Opening the reply, the handwriting was elegant and refined, with a faint shimmer in the ink. Yue Yining took a light sniff; indeed, the ink scent carried a hint of pearl powder sweetness.
She recalled how, when she wrote the invitations, she found it troublesome to grind ink again, so she wrote the entire invitation using the remaining ink mixed with pine soot and ash in the inkstone. The ink would crumble and fall if the brush strokes were too heavy, but she didn't care at all. She picked up the scrap paper, blew on it, folded it up, and handed it to Fu Yao.
Yue Yining didn't want to think about it any further.
She deeply regretted it. If she could turn back time, she would have ground the ink again and carefully written the invitations, so that the contrast wouldn't be so stark.
Fu Yao was still waiting for her response: "Miss, Miss, what did the letter say?"
Yue Yining coughed lightly: "It's nothing, just say it's arranged according to my instructions." She thought the reply wouldn't be so quick; the agreed time was three days later.
Even more rain was falling. The torrential rain that lasted for three nights washed the weeping willows on Zhuque Street until they were lush and green. The precious carriage traveled halfway through the blue sky and water, and the reflection of the nine-tiered gate was sandwiched between the bricks and stones on the ground. The carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Yue Yining lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, the wind causing the octagonal gilded bronze lamps hanging in front of the mansion to tinkle.
A maid at the entrance led her inside. As Yue Yining walked, she noticed the scenery was different from her last visit; it seemed she was heading in a circle to the inner courtyard. She then asked the maid who had guided her, "Isn't Lord Xie in your mansion's council hall?"
The maid replied respectfully, "Yes. The council hall is only used when the master receives guests. The eldest and second young masters receive guests who come to the mansion in their own courtyards."
Yue Yining nodded: "I see."
Without giving it any further thought, she followed the maid into the inner courtyard. As she turned the corner, she happened to see Xie Qingyu standing at the courtyard gate waiting for her.
Today, Xie Qingyu wore a dark brocade robe with silver embroidery at the cuffs. She was not wearing a crown or belt, yet she still exuded an air of nobility.
A refined and dignified gentleman, like a newly ground inkstick soaked in snow water.
Yue Yining was still quite far away, but he had already looked over.
Xie Qingyu's eyes immediately lit up with a smile. As she walked up to him, he bowed his head and said with a smile, "I am sorry for not welcoming you properly, Your Excellency."
Yue Yining cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, sir, there's no need for such formalities."
The two exchanged pleasantries in front of the servants, then went into the inner room. Xie Qingyu dismissed the servants who were waiting inside and closed the door.
Yue Yining took her seat at the coffee table first. When Xie Qingyu sat down, she noticed the jade plum blossom hairpin that was tied up in her hair.
He paused, then couldn't help but chuckle softly, drawing Yue Yining's attention. "What's wrong?"
Xie Qingyu smiled and said, "When I chose this hairpin, I thought this color would be most suitable for you, Miss."
"This one?" Yue Yining touched the hairpin in her hair, which she had randomly chosen to wear this morning. "I thought it suited the scenery, so I wore it."
"By the way, speaking of which," Yue Yining said, "I was just about to tell you that you no longer need to send things to the Princess's residence every day."
Xie Qingyu paused in his tea-pouring, looking at her. "Miss, don't you like those congratulatory gifts?"
Yue Yining said helplessly, "It's not that I don't like them, it's just that you're giving them too many and too frequently. Her Highness the Princess also told me before that it's not good for me to keep receiving so many congratulatory gifts from you."
Xie Qingyu lowered her head to pour tea, steadily placing the purple jade cup in front of her, her voice clear and gentle, "I will listen to Miss."
"The young lady said in the invitation that she had something to ask me. What is it?"
Yue Yining looked as if he had only remembered after being reminded by him: "Ah, actually it's just some mundane affairs, but I think you might know more about the officials in the court than I do..."
Yue Yining was not genuinely seeking advice; she had ulterior motives.
The smoke from the smoky incense rose in wisps. Xie Qingyu held her book tightly, looking down at it. Her long, ink-black hair cascaded over her broad shoulders, and her fair skin, with its delicate blush, made her look like a fairy from a painting.
Yue Yining rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, her gaze taking in every detail, until she noticed the dampness on his forehead. She was slightly taken aback, and suddenly realized that his breathing was heavier than usual.
Although it was still chilly in early spring, the stove in the house was indeed too hot. The clothes he was wearing today didn't look light or thin either; perhaps he was feeling stuffy.
Yue Yining asked considerately, "Are you hot? Do you want to open the doors and windows to let some fresh air in?"
Xie Qingyu pursed her lips and shook her head, "No need to trouble yourself."
Yue Yining looked at him and felt that now was a good time, so she spoke up: "Ayu."
Xie Qingyu's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she immediately looked up at her. "Hmm?"
Yue Yining looked at him and smiled again: "It's nothing."
"It just came to mind that I haven't called you that since we recognized each other," Yue Yining said. "After all, things are different now, so it doesn't seem quite appropriate for me to call you that."
Xie Qingyu calmed himself down. He noticed that his fingers, which were holding the book, were beginning to tremble uncontrollably, so he put the book down to hide the unease. He said softly, "If no one else is around, Miss, you can call me that. It's alright."
His heart was beating erratically. But Yue Yining only called his name once, and that was all.
Rather, it's more accurate to say that whatever she does is unbearable for him. Every smile, every gesture of hers feels like a transparent thread tied to his heart; the slightest tug causes both pain and itchiness, making it almost impossible to breathe.
This feeling grew stronger. Perhaps he really should stay away from her, lest he one day reveal something unusual to her.
Yue Yining fell silent again, gazing at him with her long, flowing hair cascading down her back.
"...When we parted, I remember you still had arrow wounds on your body," Yue Yining said. "Are they fully healed now?"
Xie Qingyu nodded: "It's all healed. There's just a tiny scar, but it's nothing..."
"I'd like to take a look."
Yue Yining looked at him and said, "After all, you got hurt because of me, so I'm still a little worried."
Xie Qingyu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his voice went hoarse.
"......good."
The silver buttons on the lapel came undone, and the dark outer robe fell to the ground, like night melting into daylight. The snow-white inner garment, woven from silkworm silk, was now soaked with a thin layer of sweat, turning it translucent, and was also half-open, hanging down.
Yue Yining leaned forward, the ends of her long hair brushing against his waist, but she didn't notice at all. She only felt that the back of the person in front of her was becoming more and more stiff, and the red color on his neck, which was originally as light as smoke, was becoming more and more intense.
Yue Yining naturally saw the arrow scar on his back. Although it was just an excuse for her to trick him into taking off his clothes, she couldn't help but stare at it when it was actually in sight.
A bright light slowly rose within her, and suddenly she understood something. She wanted to know the truth Xie Qingyu was hiding, but even if she knew everything, she had no intention of exposing him.
She could never bring herself to be ruthless towards this man, simply because he had once risked his life to save her.
Yue Yining's gaze paused. Was it just because of this?
...Or perhaps, she was actually reluctant to let go?
Yue Yining turned her head to look at him. Xie Qingyu had closed his eyes from the beginning, but judging from the frequency of the trembling of his raven feathers, he was also restless.
After confirming several times, she stood up and walked around from behind him to the front. She thought she was moving quietly, but little did she know that a thin veil of her dress wrapped around Xie Qingyu's arm, which was even more alluring than a direct caress.
Yue Yining was filled with a myriad of thoughts. She cleared her mind of distractions, quietly squatted down, and stared intently at the area above Xie Qingyu's right chest.
On her flawless skin, there was a striking burn scar, about the size of half a coin, and it was diamond-shaped.
Yue Yining was stunned. Her mind, which had imagined countless possible outcomes, suddenly went blank.
Before Yue Yining could react, Xie Qingyu bent down and pinned her to the table, scattering ink, paper, and brushes across the floor with a clattering sound. Yue Yining was startled, feeling him, but his head was resting on her shoulder, his warm breath dampening her collarbone.
Yue Yining froze. Just as she was about to reach out, she saw Xie Qingyu's face.
The person in front of me had their eyes closed, their face was as pale as paper, and fine beads of sweat kept appearing on their forehead.
Upon seeing this, Yue Yining's pupils constricted slightly, and she immediately reached out and covered his forehead.
It's so hot.
She called him softly, "Xie Qingyu?"
Her body temperature was rather cool, and when I covered her with my hand, it felt like touching a furnace. Whether it was because of the cold palm or the call, Xie Qingyu murmured softly, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing slightly.
For a moment, Yue Yining was stunned. He moved even closer, almost burying his face in the crook of her neck. The warm breath from his lips, mingled with the faint scent of bamboo leaves, clung to her skin.
Did you catch a cold?
Yue Yining frowned as she looked at his flushed cheeks, but why did it look so serious?
If the fever had only started within a day, it wouldn't have been this bad. With so many servants in the Xie household, how could not a single one have noticed that he was unwell?
Xie Qingyu seemed delirious, already drowsy from the high fever. Seeing him turn his head to the side, Yue Yining instinctively supported his drooping neck to prevent his head from hitting the wooden corner of the bed.
They were so close that his trembling eyelashes brushed against her chin. Yue Yining looked down at him, thinking, "It tickles a little."
The ebony screen concealed the overlapping figures between the desk and the table. The person on top of her pressed her against the corner between the desk and the bookcase. It was almost an embrace, except their arms weren't around each other's waists, but he rested his head on her shoulder, his faint fragrance lingering around her, unwilling to leave.
Yue Yining had nowhere to push him away for the time being, and her earlobes were warmed by Xie Qingyu's body heat, turning pink and translucent.
Yue Yining tried to calm herself down. She was thinking about how to free her arm from Xie Qingyu's grasp before making any other plans.
Yue Yining thought to herself, thankfully no one would casually enter or leave the inner room of the eldest son of the Xie family. If such a situation were discovered, she wouldn't be able to explain herself even if she had eighty mouths.
As Yue Yining was pondering this, she heard a soft knock on the door.
She watched as a guard in silver opened the door and came in.
Thinking there was no one inside, Yin Yi slowly walked around the screen and immediately saw Xie Qingyu's back, his inner robe pulled down to his waist. Beneath him lay a disheveled woman, none other than Yue Yining.
Yue Yining: "......."
Yin Yi: "......."
At that moment, Yin Yi heard a crisp sound. It was the sound of his world shattering.
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