Chapter 11

“Xie.”

Xie Tinglan turned her head and glanced at Ye Rui. When she saw a flicker of surprise in Ye Rui’s eyes, satisfaction curled at the corners of her lips.

Meanwhile, Ye Rui’s mind was spinning. She had guessed this woman was one of Xie Tinglan’s people; now that guess had been confirmed, she was indeed startled. More than that, though, she was tense.

Was she really about to meet the infamous Xie Wolf, the one people spoke of only in whispers and fear?

The one who could be laughing and chatting with you at court in the morning, then lead troops to raid a household and wipe out a clan by noon. They said she had also killed many upright, loyal officials; the common people only dared talk about it behind her back, furious but too afraid to say a word aloud.

Was she really going to get tangled up with someone that dangerous?

“Stop standing there. Come in.”

Xie Tinglan went in first. The guards and servants on either side bowed to her, and that beauty followed smoothly at her right rear as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“My lord, you may go to the Fragrant Bath first,” said Ri Xi. When she finished, she smiled at Ye Rui, and only then did Ye Rui notice the tear mole beneath her eye, which gave her a particularly gentle air and a steady, composed demeanor.

“This young lady may also go to the Fragrant Bath first. Lunch is already prepared; once you’re done bathing, you can eat.”

Ri Xi spoke with a smile the entire time, easy to deal with in manner, and crisp and efficient whether speaking or acting; she was like a perfect steward.

Even the way she looked Ye Rui over was measured, never enough to make Ye Rui uncomfortable.

Beyond the vermilion gate lay an elegant courtyard, with bluestone paths and flowerbeds bursting with blossoms on either side, as well as a lifelike rockery and flowing water. There was also a thriving wutong tree in the courtyard; fallen leaves lay on the jade table beneath it, adding natural color to the surface. It was so beautiful it looked like a scene from a painting.

Ye Rui looked around as she continued to follow closely behind Xie Tinglan into the main hall. The black pillars in the hall were painted with golden bamboo; on both sides stood four armchairs and tea tables each. The seat of honor was also an armchair, but the corners had been carved into tiger heads, exquisite in every detail.

Within the solemn hall, the fragrance of tea filled the air, along with a faint trace of gardenia.

When Ye Rui saw Xie Tinglan stride straight toward the seat of honor, a vague sense that something was off rose in her heart. This was the Xie residence; the seat of honor should belong to Xie Wolf. Even if this woman was Xie Wolf’s confidante, by propriety she still could not sit there.

Yet Xie Tinglan sat down steadily and lifted the purple clay teacup that had already been prepared beside her, removing the lid and taking a light sip.

The warmth of the tea spread across her tongue, and Xie Tinglan’s features visibly softened; inwardly, she sighed in relief. At last, she had good tea to drink.

Ri Xi naturally took her place beside the seat of honor, while Ye Rui stood in the center of the hall, at a bit of a loss.

“I... what am I supposed to do now?”

Ye Rui looked left and right, even wondering if she should just pick a chair and sit down.

Hu Tu: [You’re quite uneasy, aren’t you.]

Ye Rui: [You’re the first one to describe my mood correctly.]

Hu Tu: [Ah, I meant myself.]

Ye Rui: [...... You’re a system; what do you have to be uneasy about? Get lost!]

Seeing Ye Rui’s bewildered expression, Ri Xi couldn’t help lowering her head and laughing softly. Xie Tinglan also curved her lips, set down the teacup, and placed both hands on the armrests.

“Ye Rui, there are two Xie residences in the Capital City. The Xie residence in the southern part of the city is where Xie Wolf’s clan lives; the Xie residence in the northern part of the city is where Xie Wolf herself lives.”

Ye Rui’s throat bobbed. Somehow, things felt increasingly ominous. During this period, she had spent day and night with Xie Tinglan, and she could more or less read her moods. Right now, the corners of Xie Tinglan’s mouth were lifted, her eyes carrying a subtle smile; she looked exactly like a cunning fox.

She... what exactly was she trying to say!

A thought had already formed in Ye Rui’s mind, but she refused to admit it. Xie Wolf was clearly still recovering in the residence; how could she possibly...

“And in the northern Xie residence, there is only one master; only one person can sit in this seat.”

Ye Rui froze. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind; she even suspected Xie Tinglan was lying to her, just teasing her. Instinctively, she turned to look at Ri Xi beside Xie Tinglan. Ri Xi still wore that gentle smile; then her gaze fell on Ye Rui and she slowly nodded, as if giving Ye Rui an incomparably firm answer.

Lingchao was Xie Wolf?!

Lingchao, Lingchao... listening, tide and waves, Tinglan, Xie Tinglan, my god, so that was it!

Ye Rui’s pupils trembled. She hurriedly tried to remember whether she had ever said anything bad about Xie Tinglan during this time, then began to think about what exactly Xie Tinglan intended to do. The more she thought, the more panicked she became; she could not see through Xie Tinglan at all.

Too scary. I’ve actually been living with Xie Wolf for a whole month! Day and night, and even... sleeping in the same bed?!

Seeing Ye Rui’s darting eyes and frightened face, Xie Tinglan inexplicably felt satisfied. She said, “Ye Rui, from today onward, you will be an entry-level guard in the residence. This prime minister... ”

The two characters for “this prime minister” were enunciated heavily; the drawn-out ending was not a show of pressure, but more like teasing some small pet.

With one hand, Xie Tinglan held her other wrist and gently rotated it, those beautiful eyes carrying a faint smile as they never once left Ye Rui.

Looking at that gesture, at that pale wrist, Ye Rui’s heart sank; she immediately remembered that rainy night in the wind and broke into a cold sweat of regret.

“When necessary, you must stay by my side and protect me.”

Having said that, Xie Tinglan stood and walked step by step toward Ye Rui. Her cool fingertips rested on Ye Rui’s chin as she said in a voice only Ye Rui could hear, “I still remember every word you said... ”

And then? No more after that.

By the time Ye Rui came back to herself, Xie Tinglan had already left with Yin Yue’s support. Standing before her now was Ri Xi, whose smile remained as gentle as ever. “Miss Ye, my name is Ri Xi. I’ll take you to the inner hall now.”

Even after saying that, Ye Rui was still dazed, even feeling an urge to run. But the moment she turned around, she saw the two guards standing at the gate. Their expressions were stern without anger, and their hands gripped the hilts of their blades tightly. If she tried to dash out, they’d probably be able to lop her head off with a single slash.

Just like that, Ye Rui followed along in a daze through the covered corridor, only to be brought to the rear courtyard by Ri Xi. Ri Xi was just about to explain the layout of the inner hall when a woman suddenly leapt down from the roof, startling Ye Rui so badly she almost cried out.

However, the woman landed steadily, and before Ye Rui could even finish opening her mouth, she was already in front of her; a gust of strange wind swept past...

Huan Jing gave a chuckle, looked Ye Rui over from left to right for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Why are you so dazed?”

“That doesn’t quite match the message from the ice-face, does it?”

With a light push from her toes, Huan Jing spun once; before Ye Rui could even make out her movement, she was already behind her, one hand resting on Ye Rui’s shoulder. “You’re Ye Rui, right? Do you know martial arts?”

Ye Rui was still stunned, her mind full of only one thought—so this is lightness skill?

“A Jing, don’t be rude.”

Ri Xi took Huan Jing’s hand and pulled her back to her side, then said apologetically, “I’ve frightened Miss Ye.”

Ri Xi gave a slight bow. Ye Rui could only wave her hand and say with a bitter smile that it was nothing.

“She’s Huan Jing, one of my lord’s right and left hands.”

Huan Jing, Ri Xi, Yin Yue; even their names sounded like some kind of martial masters.

Only then did Ye Rui get a clear look at Huan Jing’s face. Her willow-leaf brows were fine and delicate; her features were not especially striking, rather plain and refined, the sort of appearance that was easy to overlook. And yet her red clothes, the bright sparkle in her round eyes, and the way she was always smiling still made her memorable.

The three of them really did each have their own distinct style.

After that, Ri Xi explained the structure of the inner hall. The first courtyard beyond the covered corridor was Songfeng Courtyard, where the guards and servants lived; it was also under Yin Yue’s management. The second courtyard deeper in was Yanhui Courtyard, where Xie Tinglan’s other trusted aides lived; there were six rooms in all. Ye Rui quickly understood that aside from the three she had already met, there were probably other formidable people yet to appear.

As for the third courtyard, it was called Tinglan Pavilion, where Xie Tinglan lived. Ri Xi repeatedly stressed that if Ye Rui wanted to see Xie Tinglan, she had to report first; otherwise, it would be very dangerous.

“What kind of danger?”

Ye Rui scratched her head and looked toward Tinglan Pavilion from a distance. There were two podocarpus trees, a small flowerbed, and two rooms; it didn’t seem like anything special.

“My lord doesn’t like being disturbed, and Yin Yue can’t provide close protection either; so there are many mechanisms set up in the courtyard. If someone isn’t careful...”

Before Ri Xi could finish, Huan Jing sprang out and made a face like a child. “If you’re not careful, you’ll turn into a hedgehog!”

Ye Rui shivered.

Could she go back to the mountains? City people were terrifying.

Afterward, Ri Xi brought Ye Rui to the second courtyard and arranged a room for her. Inside was already a tub filled with hot water, along with a change of clothes.

“These are spare clothes. If Miss Ye prefers to wear your own, that’s naturally fine as well.”

Ri Xi patted the white cross-collared long robe on the screen and left the room after saying that.

After thanking Ri Xi and Huan Jing, Ye Rui quickly cleaned herself up and climbed into the tub. The water temperature was perfect, and flower petals covered the surface, but she had no mind to enjoy a proper bath right now. All she could think about was how to deal with Xie Tinglan.

Although Xie Tinglan had been the one to tease her first, this woman clearly wasn’t someone who reasoned things out. Thinking back on what she had done and said to her, Ye Rui could only say she regretted it deeply.

Maybe... she should find an excuse to leave? Or, failing that, slip out under cover of night?

Hu Tu: [You have to earn the rank of third-tier guard in the Xie residence first! You can’t run!]

Hu Tu’s voice came through and shattered Ye Rui’s thoughts of fleeing outright, leaving her utterly despondent for a moment; she wanted to die but did not dare die.

Hu Tu: [There’s no need to be this discouraged. I think Xie Tinglan seems pretty good; who would dare imagine a hunter like you becoming a guard?]

I wouldn’t, I definitely wouldn’t!

But she really had done some rude things, and Xie Tinglan had specifically reminded her just now. How would this woman retaliate against her?

Leaning against the edge of the tub, Ye Rui let out a long sigh. She told herself that thinking any more would be useless; for now, she could only take things as they came.

Xie Tinglan, Xie Wolf, treacherous prime minister, treacherous minister; this woman’s identities kept circling round and round in her mind.

And yet Ye Rui still felt a sense of unreality. She still believed Xie Tinglan was the Lingchao girl who looked like a wolf, yet patiently taught her to read and write.

Damn it. She actually seemed to have started liking the most dangerous woman in this country.

Another long sigh drifted from the room.

Author’s Note:

----------------------

I’m here, I’m here~ See you again tomorrow~

Did everyone have a happy Qixi Festival? [dog head][dog head]