Although Lord Wei’s expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever, the gaze she directed at Xuesu was intentionally cold. It was rare to see Xuesu looking so flustered, yet the girl still stiffened her neck and argued, "She was the one who insisted on crawling into that carriage herself."
"In the future, whatever she says is right. If you dare to belittle or criticize her again, I will never spar with you again." Wei Qingming’s tone was even chillier than the snowy air surrounding Xuesu. "Not only that, I will send you back to the Tianjun Sect and let Deacon Fang discipline you."
Xuesu gnashed her teeth in fury. "I’ll kill you!" Looking at her expression, it seemed that "letting Deacon Fang lecture her" was even more loathsome and hateful than "not being able to fight Wei Miu." It made me want to laugh, and I felt an inexplicable illusion that Lord Wei was scolding a daughter...
"What about the Demon Zither?" The Lord Envoy stopped entangling with Xuesu and turned to the business at hand.
Lu Lingfeng replied, "The mark is gone. Even my Heavenly Eye cannot see it."
On the night Xia Ji abducted the Demon Zither, Lu Lingfeng had pursued him all the way. Meanwhile, the secret guards of the Yingzhao Temple, who had been stationed near the Xixi Pavilion, followed while reporting to their superiors. According to the temple's custom, any large gathering involving the nobility was monitored by specialized personnel—both for protection and surveillance. The group watching the Xixi Pavilion was slightly larger than usual because Wei Qingming had intercepted relevant intelligence on her way south. She had sent an urgent letter to the Ministry, and her efforts had not been entirely in vain.
She truly did things flawlessly. Knowing that the temple’s reaction would be mediocre at best, she had secretly ordered a portion of her own forces remaining in the capital to guard the vicinity of Fan Bridge, near the Chaoyang Gate heading east. She had even accurately predicted the culprits' escape route. Unfortunately, Xia Ji’s illusion array, which covered a radius of over twenty li, was too precise and seamless. Our carriage had passed over Fan Bridge silently; those outside the array could not see it.
Fortunately, when Xuesu saw me being carried away in the carriage by "Big Bird Bro," she fell into a violent rage. She slaughtered over a dozen lackeys from the Thousand Color Palace, nearly took Meng Tingwu’s life, and almost caused the Secret Brahmin to lose another hand. Relying on the illusion array Yin Huadi had originally set up at the battle site, the Brahmin barely managed to escape with Meng Tingwu and return to the abandoned garden where we were. Xuesu rushed out of the array and was intercepted by Wei Qingming’s subordinates, who then informed my senior brothers and sisters at the Xixi Pavilion.
At that time, Xia Ji had just left, and Lu Lingfeng was about to set out. In a chaotic situation lacking clues, everyone naturally assumed the entire affair was Xia Ji’s doing and that catching him would rescue me. Thus, Xuesu joined forces with Lu Lingfeng, and they followed the mark on the Demon Zither together.
I listened and sighed inwardly. This battle of wits had seen every link fall perfectly into Xia Ji’s calculations. He had easily exploited people's fixed mindsets, making it impossible for anyone to judge the true situation. Wei Qingming, however, was not outmatched. She had received the intelligence only three days prior and was thousands of li away, yet the single chess piece she placed landed in the most critical spot. Had her opponent not possessed the strength of the Canxia Realm and the aid of illusions, the Wen Manor carriage’s suspicious exit from the city would have been spotted and tracked by her men long ago. With those dozen or so reinforcements, the battle against the Thousand Color Palace in the suburbs wouldn't have been so wretched for Xuesu and me. It might even have been possible for them to launch a surprise attack, reverse the situation in an instant, and capture the half-dead Meng Tingwu for interrogation at the temple. At the very least, that would have clarified that there were two separate forces at play, rather than letting Xia Ji use the Thousand Color Palace to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
I couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of fate. One person with such intellect was my Martial Aunt; she should have been indulgent and protective of me, yet she spent every day thinking of ways to kill me. The other had wanted to strangle me to death at our first meeting, yet she ended up becoming my lover, worrying every day that my life wasn't good enough...
Wei Qingming only asked Lu Lingfeng one question: "The last place the mark was visible—was it inside or outside the city?"
"Outside."
Upon hearing this, Lord Wei nodded and rose to leave, not even asking for the specific coordinates. While this was likely because she would see the detailed report from the temple tomorrow morning, I felt she had an air of ease, as if she had already predicted everything. She even subconsciously narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching almost imperceptibly. It was clearly the sharp, excited expression of someone who had met their match. If even I could understand how resourceful Xia Ji was, a person as brilliant as she would certainly want to go head-to-head and test her wits against his.
Before we could even lift the curtain, a damp, snowy chill seeped through. It was already the third watch; the cold night was as dark as ink, and the large snowflakes reflected a faint, pale green light. Just as we stepped out and reached the bottom of the stairs, Wei Qingming habitually walked in front of me to block the wind and snow. Suddenly, she felt a dry, clean shelter over her head. Turning back, she saw me standing two steps above her, smiling as I held an umbrella over her.
She gave a tender smile and said, "I intended to carry you back. The ground is wet and cold; I didn't want you to freeze."
"I'm not that fragile or pampered!" I shook my head helplessly. "I've killed twenty or thirty people these past few days. I'm no longer that delicate flower from back then."
"True," she said, casually taking the umbrella from me. Feeling the back of my hand, which was slightly chilled by the wind, she tucked my hand into the crook of her arm to warm it. With her other hand, she tightened my cloak and flipped the fur-lined hood over my hair.
I silently felt her body heat seeping into my blood. Though the biting wind stung my nose, I could still smell the fragrance on her clothes—a scent that was usually cool, but in this icy world, it felt as warm as a spring day. After walking for a while, we passed a path lined with various plum blossoms. The winter sweets were quietly budding, their faint, cold fragrance refreshing the soul. Given our eyesight, we didn't need light, but I let Yangyang out. She loved shiny and fragrant things, so I let her hold a lamp and flit among the winter sweets.
The two of us stood side by side, smiling as we watched her for a while. Once Yangyang had played her fill among the flowers, she drifted over to Wei Qingming with a coquettish air. Wei Qingming smiled and reached out to stroke her long hair. Only then did Yangyang giggle and fly off elsewhere to enjoy the scenery. We followed her direction, slowly walking toward the Jiguang Courtyard where we lived.
"Tomorrow afternoon, let's go see Eighth Sister," she said.
I nodded vigorously. "We certainly should. I just don't know if her health has improved." I sighed and briefly recounted what I had seen of her and Duan Qimo at the Xixi Pavilion. Lord Wei didn't show much emotion, only saying, "The afflictions of those two are deep and heavy; they can no longer face each other with sincerity."
Feeling me bury my head in her arms and press my body close to hers, she smiled and patted my back. "A-Zhi feels their pain and is moved to pity. You truly are kind."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I gave her a playful punch. "Don't you feel any sympathy? Otherwise, you wouldn't have listened to Duan Qimo's long story or helped her with such a massive favor."
"I... have seen too many tragedies. Perhaps my heart truly doesn't beat much anymore," she replied with a smile. "Beating for A-Zhi alone is enough."
I stood on my tiptoes and reached for her mouth. "Quick, let me tear it open and see if you've been secretly eating the candy I hid!"
She let out a soft laugh, letting me mess around with her lips for a good while before catching my hand. "The wind is cold; put it back in your sleeve." Despite saying so, when it came time to let go, she couldn't bear to, so she held my hand all the way back to the courtyard.
Before sleep, I thought she had already put the matter of Wen Jiang and Duan Qimo behind her, but she finally said, "The world is full of sorrow; you and I are already fortunate. But no matter what, I would never treat you like she treats her. I couldn't bear to."
The "she" likely referred to Duan Qimo. That night, Duan Qimo had said the two of them were similar, and she didn't just mean the cross-dressing. Indeed, both had a cruel and violent side to their personalities. To outsiders, because Wei Qingming’s experiences were a thousand times more painful than Duan Qimo’s, she was only a thousand times more ruthless. I snuggled into her arms and wrapped my arms around her waist. She smiled and continued, "Besides, A-Zhi is the most wonderful thing in this world, yet you love a person as wicked as me with such devotion. How could Sister Jiang compare?"
Only then did I look up at her, shaking my head in embarrassment. "How are you wicked? You've given all your goodness to me. Aside from loving you, I don't seem to have done anything. I haven't been nearly good enough to you..." As I spoke, I took her hand and placed it over my heart, saying solemnly, "No matter what happens in the future, I will trust you and love you. Let there be no misunderstandings, no barriers between us."
"Alright." She kissed my forehead and placed my hand over her heart. "I feel the same."
We were to see Sister Jiang tomorrow afternoon, but in the morning, we had to see Mr. Feng. After Wei Qingming met with Chu Jiangheng, she had sent a letter to Mr. Feng. The old gentleman actually replied, asking me to come along as well. He even playfully said that since I called him "Grandpa," I should visit him more often. After a hurried breakfast, I was once again in a state of high tension, busy with Muyu and Lanrao as they helped me dress and do my hair. Lord Wei sat at the table, smiling as she waited while reading through some files. Only at the last moment did she look up. Seeing me grinning as I dangled a pair of earrings before her eyes, she understood, took them with a smile, and gently helped me put them on.
"Last time you put my earrings on, the meeting with Grandpa went exceptionally well. Today, I'll ask Taoist Wei for some good luck again."
"Asking for luck," she said softly. Suddenly, she planted a kiss on my lips. "You have to pay a reward."
I turned red from my toes to the tips of my hair. Muyu and Lanrao were still in the room! Lanrao had been bought from a wealthy family; she only knew that "Young Master Wei" was the master, so she didn't think much of it, simply lowering her head and looking away. Because Muyu knew too much, she looked quite awkward and hurriedly turned around to pretend she was tidying the dressing table.
I gave Lord Wei a heavy punch on the shoulder and glared at her. She just squinted and smiled, not even bothering to wipe the crimson stain from her lips. I had to reach out and fiercely wipe it off for her, then take out my rouge box to fix my own... Is this habit of hers truly incurable? If she eats the rouge off my lips in front of people again, I'll buy a whole crate and make her eat the lot!
In the carriage, she behaved herself. She had wanted to pull me onto her lap, but she took pity on my expensive clothes and elaborate styling, knowing I couldn't be disheveled for Grandpa Feng. She sat upright and proper, looking all dignified as she started reading a book... I couldn't even find a reason to glare at her, and I couldn't catch her eye.
Chu Jiangheng arrived a bit earlier than us, but he didn't go in. Instead, he paced by his carriage with his hands behind his back. When he saw Wei Qingming place a hand on my waist to help me down, his expression of disgust and disdain was palpable. Every nerve in my body was taut, fearing I might lose my manners before Grandpa Feng, so I didn't bother with him. I simply gave a casual curtsy and retreated behind Wei Qingming. The two exchanged greetings as usual. Wei Qingming asked, "Brother Chu comes from the Ministry; is there any new news?"
"None yet," Chu Jiangheng said, gesturing for her to enter.
He was more than ten years older than her. Although Lord Wei held more power and a higher status, she was very humble and polite, smiling as she let him go first. Chu Jiangheng gave a slight arch of his hands and strode ahead to lead the way. Once he was out of sight, Wei Qingming remained expressionless, but she secretly took my hand under her sleeve. How could I not understand her intention? She was trailing behind simply because she didn't want another man to have the chance to look at me—not even at my back...
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this childish person. I used a sound transmission to say, "Lord Chu wouldn't look at me. He's utterly disgusted by me."
Wei Qingming’s voice, however, was icy. "Do you think he appeared in the southeast suburbs just to look for Wen Jiang?"
I was struck dumb, the words catching in my throat. After a long while, I managed a forced laugh. "That's impossible. I think he probably likes men. He's much gentler toward you than he is toward me!"
To my surprise, Lord Wei’s face stiffened. She didn't even want to speak anymore. I couldn't tell if she was simply disgusted by the possibility of a man having feelings for her, or if I had accidentally guessed the truth... Either way, it was a massive piece of gossip!
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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天钧门 | Tianjun Sect | A sect mentioned in the text.
方执事 | Deacon Fang | A character from the Tianjun Sect.
英招寺 | Yingzhao Temple | An official organization/temple involved in security and surveillance.
朝阳门 | Chaoyang Gate | A city gate.
樊桥 | Fan Bridge | A specific bridge near the city gate.
千色宫 | Thousand Color Palace | An antagonistic sect/organization.
密头陀 | Secret Brahmin | A character/title (Mitoutuo).
殷华菂 | Yin Huadi | A character mentioned as a creator of illusion arrays.
霁光院 | Jiguang Courtyard | The "Courtyard of Clear Light," where the protagonists stay.
央央 | Yangyang | A spirit or creature accompanying the protagonist.
冯阿爷 | Grandpa Feng / Elder Feng | A respected elder figure.
暮雨 | Muyu | A maidservant.
兰桡 | Lanrao | A maidservant.
职庭 | The Ministry / Official Court | Refers to the government office or workplace.
万福 | Wanfu | A traditional feminine greeting/curtsy.
