Chapter 37 The Unknown: "You actually traveled with Xue Rongyue?"...
"What exactly are you two doing here?"
glaring angrily at Qin Jin, Liu Ruyu suppressed her resentment and asked in a deep voice.
Though he was foolish, he knew that Qin Jin and Xue Rongyue hadn't entered the Guard Command to see him just to kick him while he was down and make a fool of himself. He didn't have that kind of face.
Aside from anger, Liu Ruyu harbored an unspeakable jealousy and hatred towards Qin Jin.
He couldn't help but feel jealous and resentful towards Qin Jin.
Although both were scions of prominent families in Chang'an, Qin Jin was clearly different from others.
Not only was he born into a noble family, but in Chang'an, a city "filled with gold and jade, and extravagant for thousands of miles," even though he was born into an official family and his grandfather was already a prominent figure in Chang'an, he still had to reluctantly wear a veneer of elegance to maintain his outward appearance of prestige. Qin Jin, on the other hand, who was born with a flair for romance, lived as he pleased, and his unrestrained arrogance constantly stung Liu Ruyu's eyes.
He would never forget the moment when his grandfather discovered he had someone else do his homework, berated him as hopeless, and forced him to kneel as punishment in front of the mansion gate. As the heavy snow blanketed his thin shoulders, and he swayed precariously, behind him stood Qin Jin, tall and imposing, draped in a dark gold cloak, riding freely with his friends down the long street—that unintentional glance he received.
Coldness, arrogance, and a noble air ingrained in her very being. This was a side of Liu Ruyu that she could never reveal in her entire life.
Just like right now.
Qin Jin stood with his arms crossed under the blazing sun as always. Even though his posture was relaxed and languid, every inch of his vigorous and perfectly proportioned body exuded a noble air about him, a confidence born of integrity and openness.
Whether he was forced to kneel in the snow after being expelled from the mansion, or now imprisoned, he always felt ashamed and inferior to Qin Jin.
With a disheveled look down, Liu Ruyu's chest heaved violently with each breath.
Xue Rongyue washed her hands, turned around, and her gaze fell on Qin Jin.
The system clearly states that these characters in the book also have another side that was not written about in the original work and is unknown to the public.
What is Qin Jin's unknown other side?
Xue Rongyue suddenly remembered a story her close friend had excitedly told her about a play in a teahouse a few years ago.
"I overheard my parents talking by chance, saying that Qin Jin was not born to the Marquis of Ding'an and his wife. Although her mother was from a noble family, she was immoral and had an affair with someone, which violated ethics, before giving birth to Qin Jin."
"I don't know if it's true or not. Look, Qin Jin doesn't go to the palace much anymore. It's said that the Empress Dowager was very displeased when she found out about this, and she has been very harsh on Qin Jin as well. I think his good days are coming to an end. It's kind of pitiful."
At the time, Xue Rongyue smirked when she first heard it, thinking it was nonsense and didn't take it to heart. But now she couldn't help but think about it deeply.
The original novel consistently portrays Qin Jin as a prince from a noble family, a proud and arrogant young man who roamed Chang'an with impunity.
But the chosen one of heaven would not be punished by kneeling in the Buddhist hall of the palace with his body covered in wounds, no one would dare to take the opportunity to slaughter his beloved pet, and he would not be starved to the point of wolfing down a bowl of cold meat soup because of his mistakes.
Has he really lived such a carefree and unrestrained life all these years, just as she once thought?
Perhaps Xue Rongyue's probing gaze was too unrestrained, because Qin Jin, who was leaning against the pale yellow silk gauze landscape screen, suddenly raised her head, and her usually clear and indifferent eyes, like the first snow of early winter, met her gaze.
He tilted his head, his brow and eyes subtly twitching in the direction of Liu Ruyu, revealing a hint of nonchalant arrogance.
In the past, when Xue Rongyue and Qin Jin were at odds, what she hated most about Qin Jin's eyes was that they always seemed to overflow with endless provocation and contempt, and even a single glance would ignite a nameless rage. But for some reason, although that feeling still existed, the disgust in her heart had suddenly subsided considerably.
He glanced at Xue Rongyue, but seeing that she remained unmoved, Qin Jin sighed: "Aren't you going to ask anymore?"
Xue Rongyue then remembered that Liu Ruyu was still tied up beside her, and the current situation was not suitable for thinking about that. She coughed lightly and walked up to Liu Ruyu: "What did you ask earlier... Oh, the purpose of our trip."
The dappled sunlight fell into Xue Rongyue's almond-shaped eyes, and the corners of her lips turned up: "You said it yourself, we two have some history, so naturally I'm here to help you get revenge."
Liu Ruyu sensed ill intent in her words and glared at her with a mocking look, as if facing a formidable enemy: "Come to avenge me? Does Madam Xue intend to commit suicide in front of me today?"
Xue Rongyue's curved smile didn't fade at all. She casually slapped Liu Ruyu again, making her dizzy and causing her to spit out a broken tooth filled with blood.
Turning around again to wash her hands, Xue Rongyue coldly snorted, "Listen to me properly. I've already said, I merely exposed your evil deeds. What does your current predicament have to do with me?"
Liu Ruyu dared not speak her anger: "So you've come here today to laugh at me for bringing this upon myself?"
Xue Rongyue said, "Although I dislike your mother, Wang, I have to admit that she was right about one thing: your grandfather was an honest and upright official. Although the Liu family's family tradition is not exactly upright, it is hard to imagine that they raised someone as vicious as you. I suppose someone deliberately seduced you behind the scenes this time."
Liu Ruyu's heart skipped a beat: "...You...you think I'm not a bad person at heart?"
How could that be?
I just think you're too stupid and incompetent, narrow-minded, and cowardly by nature. You don't seem like the kind of person who could run these casinos and brothels right under the emperor's nose.
Without even blinking, Xue Rongyue nodded against her conscience: "Yes, human nature is inherently good."
Liu Ruyu awkwardly closed her eyes.
Qin Jin glanced lazily at Xue Rongyue, disgusted by Liu Ruyu's deeply moved expression. He pressed his slender white fingers against his brow bone, coldly turned his head away, unwilling to watch the two of them continue their back-and-forth exchange.
What is there for Liu Ruyu to feel wronged or moved about?
Xue Rongyue couldn't figure it out, but that didn't stop her from pressing her advantage: "So, who's behind you?"
Liu Ruyu gasped for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "...I don't know."
Cao Mingyu had interrogated him about this issue and even ordered torture to be used, but he really didn't know: "He always saw me dressed in black and with my face covered, so I didn't know who he was."
Liu Ruyu's encounter with the man in black was nothing more than an accident.
He was still young that day, and after being punished by his grandfather and scolded by his mother, he was filled with resentment. He caught a wild dog that was baring its teeth at him. Dissatisfied with the dog's unruly nature, he naturally used it as a tool to vent his anger and drew the knife from his waist.
At that time, he had not yet developed hemophobia. Warm blood splashed on the back of his hands and face, and the smell of blood lingered. When the sharp tip of the knife cut through his skin, the flowing blood made him tremble with excitement. This feeling was something he would miss and search for for the rest of his life.
Those were the first and only pair of eyes he had ever dug out himself.
It was at this moment that the man in black appeared. He witnessed him torturing and killing wild dogs, and then jumped down from the green bamboo, scaring him so much that he fell to the ground and almost fainted.
Liu Ruyu still vividly remembers the indescribable look in the black-clad man's eyes when he stared at him. It contained excitement for his mentor, contempt, and an undisguised eagerness.
The man in black took the knife from his hand, dealt with the details the man hadn't noticed, and even helped him clean up the bloody bamboo forest.
From then on, the two of them kept in touch.
More often than not, however, he could only passively wait for the man in black to come to him. This might be after he was punished by his grandfather, after he argued with his cousin, or under the disappointed gaze of his parents. The man in black always appeared at just the right time, and with just a few words, he could ignite the deepest evil in his heart.
From then on, he followed the man in black with great enthusiasm and raised his butcher's knife.
From birds and beasts to humans.
It got out of control.
Liu Ruyu was never a tough nut to crack, and after being subjected to severe torture, she became even more honest. She asked all the questions she needed to ask and found out everything she wanted to know. Xue Rongyue held the design of the jade pendant that the man in black had given to Liu Ruyu as a token—the actual jade pendant had naturally already fallen into Cao Mingyu's hands.
She still couldn't understand how Liu Ruyu had the audacity to feel wronged. Which evil deed wasn't committed by him personally or ordered by him?
Xue Rongyue stepped out of the main hall, held up the drawing on the paper in the sunlight, and examined it carefully.
The design of this jade pendant is indeed quite unique; even she had never seen one before. Xue Rongyue pondered to herself, perhaps this is not the style of Chang'an, but rather from the border regions or other places.
After returning to the manor, we can summon Zhang Weng and his group of merchants and henchmen who have traveled and worked in the outside world to take a look; perhaps we can find some clues.
"Is Madam Xue going back to the manor?"
Qin Jin stood under the eaves, his tall figure partially enveloping her: "Do you need me to send someone to escort you?"
Xue Rongyue was about to say "no need" when she suddenly remembered something and raised her head to say, "Isn't Prince Qin going back to the manor? Have you also realized that Liu Ruyu's explanation about his hemophobia is not true and want to interrogate him behind my back?"
Qin Jin casually raised an eyebrow and stepped down the stairs: "What's there to hide from you?"
Xue Rongyue gave me a look that said, "Don't try to fool me." She said, "You must already know what I interrogated you about today. You just dragged me here to go through the motions and appease me."
"Whether you resort to torture or coercion in the future, remember to tell me the results of the interrogation."
Qin Jin gave a dismissive hum and said nothing more, it was unclear whether he had responded or not.
Xue Rongyue stepped forward: "So, where is Prince Qin going today instead of returning to his residence?"
Qin Jin's thin lips curled slightly: "There's no need to inform Madam Xue about this, is there?"
The unspoken message was a reminder to Xue Rongyue that she had overstepped her bounds.
Xue Rongyue snorted, "I'm worried that Prince Qin is hiding something. It's not unreasonable for allies to inquire about each other's whereabouts, is it?"
Qin Jin was too lazy to argue with Xue Rongyue any longer, so he casually replied, "Hudong Teahouse."
"Since it's on my way, I'd like to trouble Prince Qin to give me a ride."
After saying that, Xue Rongyue took the lead and left.
Rubbing his temples with his fingertips, Qin Jin stood silently for a moment before sighing and following them.
The carriage stopped at the Hudong Teahouse. Qin Jin dismounted and, after instructing Guang Sheng to escort Xue Rongyue back to her residence, was warmly welcomed into the teahouse by the shopkeeper.
Xue Rongyue met the gaze of the person by the window on the second floor, snorted coldly, and put down the carriage.
It turned out that he had returned.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, and hearing footsteps behind him, Ji Dian said without turning his head, "If I'm not blind, that carriage must be carrying Xue Rongyue. I've only been away from Chang'an for a little over a month, and you're traveling with Xue Rongyue?"
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Author's Note: Next up, of course, is the walkthrough! [Keep it up!]
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