The tense, almost frozen atmosphere in the warm pavilion finally eased slightly due to Xiao Xun's thunderous decision and those five words of promise. You Ye and Lin Wanyi, as if they had found their pillar of support, immediately accepted the order and left, their steps filled with a sense of urgency.
Xiao Xun then looked at Xin Jiuwei again. She was still leaning there, her face pale, but the despair in her eyes had faded, replaced by a suppressed fear and a faint but tenacious hope, like wild grass sprouting anew. She bit her lower lip tightly, trying to keep the tears from flowing.
"Take good care of yourself." Xiao Xun's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, yet still leaving no room for doubt. "I will have the battle report from Black Stone Ridge sent to you as soon as possible. As for news about Xin Yunzhou... you will be the first to know."
Having said that, he gave her a deep look, his gaze complex and unfathomable, containing too much: a solemn understanding of the situation, a sense of responsibility, an awareness of her vulnerability at that moment, and perhaps... a deeper emotion that even he himself hadn't fully grasped. He said nothing more, turned and strode away from the warm pavilion. His dark cloak billowed in the doorway, creating a gust of cold wind; his back was straight and solitary, as he once again headed towards that invisible battlefield.
Xin Jiuwei stared in the direction he had disappeared, unable to recover for a long time. The cold touch of his clothes seemed to linger on her fingertips, and the spot on her cheek where his fingertips had brushed against still felt slightly warm. Her heart still ached, but the excruciating fear was forcibly soothed by his promise, "He won't die," as if by an invisible hand, leaving behind a feeling of utter exhaustion after surviving a catastrophe and… an indescribable, heavy sense of dependence.
She slowly raised her hand and placed it on her chest. There, something seemed to have been shaken by that rock-solid promise after experiencing extreme hatred, icy killing, and desperate fear. A crack quietly appeared, allowing a strange, warm emotion to seep in.
In the days that followed, Xin Jiuwei clung to this as if it were a lifeline, forcing herself to pull herself together. She took her medicine on time and tried to eat, even when she had no appetite. She followed Lin Wanyi's instructions, walking slowly in the warm pavilion to stretch her muscles. She knew she had to recover as soon as possible and not become a burden to anyone. Her brother was struggling between life and death, and Xiao Xun was strategizing; she couldn't fall.
Battle reports from the northern border poured into the Prince's residence like snowflakes, and were immediately delivered to Xin Jiuwei by You Ye or Xiao Xun's trusted advisors. The battle was fierce and protracted. The new Khan of the Rongdi, Ashina Duobi, was indeed cunning and ruthless, constantly harassing the defenders using the harsh cold and terrain, attempting to wear them down. The Black Stone Ridge defense line was once on the verge of collapse after Xin Yunzhou was seriously wounded, but fortunately, the deputy general fought desperately to stabilize the position. The reinforcements and supplies dispatched by Xiao Xun were like timely rain, barely holding off wave after wave of the Rongdi's frenzied attacks.
News about Xin Yunzhou was scarce. All that was known was that the imperial physicians had rushed to Black Stone Ridge day and night and were doing their utmost to treat him. Each wait for news was agonizing for Xin Jiuwei. She could only force herself to shift her attention elsewhere, such as… the old lady of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
Under the meticulous care of Princess Zhao and the skillful treatment of Imperial Physician Lin, the old lady's recovery was nothing short of miraculous. After her health improved somewhat, Xin Jiuwei was finally able to visit the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence again.
This time, the atmosphere inside the warm pavilion was completely different. Sunlight streamed in through the bright window frames, dispelling the winter chill. The old lady sat back in a thickly cushioned armchair; though still thin, her face had regained a faint color, and her eyes were clear and warm. Seeing Xin Jiuwei enter, her cloudy eyes instantly brightened, and a genuine, loving smile appeared on her face.
"Wei'er..." The old lady's voice was still a little weak and hoarse, but it was already clearly audible. She reached out her hand to Xin Jiuwei.
"Aunt!" Xin Jiuwei hurried forward, sat down on the embroidered stool beside the couch, and tightly grasped the old lady's thin but much warmer hand, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. This time, they were tears of joy.
"Good child...you've lost weight..." The old lady stroked Xin Jiuwei's cheek tenderly, her gaze lingering on her face as if trying to recall all the worries she had endured these past few days. "You've suffered..."
“Wei’er is alright, Auntie.” Xin Jiuwei shook her head vigorously, pressing her cheek against the old lady’s hand, feeling the warmth she had regained. “As long as you are alright, Wei’er is not afraid of anything.”
The grandmother and granddaughter nestled together, sharing intimate conversation. Xin Jiuwei tried to choose light topics, talking about the newly blooming plum blossoms in the mansion and the nourishing medicinal meals prepared by Lin Wanyi, avoiding all bloodshed and heaviness. The old lady listened lovingly, occasionally asking a few questions about daily life, but her gaze would often sweep meaningfully over Xin Jiuwei's eyes and brows, as if silently asking something.
"Sixth Prince..." the old lady suddenly spoke, her voice soft, but her gaze, filled with a knowing calm, fell on Xin Jiuwei's slightly lowered eyelashes, "How is Wei'er...?"
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably. She looked up, meeting the old lady's gentle yet seemingly insightful gaze. Her aunt… what did she know? Or was she testing her?
"Your Highness... has treated me very well." Xin Jiuwei's voice was soft, with a hint of barely perceptible bitterness. "If it weren't for Your Highness's protection, I'm afraid..."
“Silly child,” the old lady gently patted the back of her hand, a knowing yet profound smile on her face. There was no reproach in that smile, only a wisdom and kindness born of experience. “Your aunt has been through it all. Some things, some people, don’t need to be said; eyes… don’t lie.” She paused, looking at Xin Jiuwei’s slightly flushed cheeks, her voice softening further. “The way he looked at you… was just like how your uncle looked at me back then. That was… the look of someone truly holding a place in your heart.”
To truly hold someone in your heart...
The old lady's words were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirring even greater ripples in Xin Jiuwei's heart. She remembered his silent support outside the dungeon, his clumsy yet gentle wiping in the sedan chair, the warmth he conveyed by his hands wrapped around hers, and even more so, his reassuring promise and decisiveness, as solid as a mountain, when faced with news of her brother's critical condition…
Xiao Xun... he...
Xin Jiuwei's heart pounded uncontrollably, a complex emotion she had never felt before—a mixture of confusion, excitement, fear, and a faint sweetness—quietly spreading through her. She lowered her eyelashes, avoiding the old lady's discerning gaze, but the blush on her cheeks deepened. That cold, hard barrier of the contract, after being tempered by life and death, the end of hatred, and the entrustment of despair, seemed to be crumbling uncontrollably. What was revealed was a wasteland—a wilderness both unfamiliar and vaguely anticipated by her, thorny yet brimming with unknown possibilities.
And the man who once coldly declared himself a "fellow traveler" is now standing on the other side of the wasteland.
This time, what he extended seemed to be more than just a hand; it was… a heart, burning with desire, also tentatively reaching out. The road ahead remained shrouded in mist, the flames of war in the north had not yet died down, and the undercurrents in the capital were still surging, but something had already been silently and completely changed, and could never be reversed.
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