Chapter 23

Ye Rui decided she had to see for herself what kind of divine being that courtesan was, and just how breathtakingly beautiful she had to be to dare criticize other people’s looks so brazenly.

But then again...

“Why didn’t she tell me herself?”

She stayed in the study with me every day, yet Xie Tinglan hadn’t said a word about this. Why?

When Ri Xi heard Ye Rui’s question, she thought back to the expression Xie Tinglan had worn two days ago when she asked her to pass the message along. Ri Xi rarely ever saw her look so conflicted; the furrow between her brows had seemed to hold some irksome worry. Ri Xi hadn’t dared ask more at the time.

“Lord Xie must have her reasons.”

Even Ri Xi thought her own answer sounded like a brush-off, but she couldn’t make sense of Xie Tinglan’s thoughts. For now, she could only say, “We should go meet up with her.”

Ye Rui could only swallow her doubts and follow Ri Xi to the inner hall. Rizhao Temple also had ancient pines and bodhi trees planted within its grounds; fallen leaves drifted through the air, while sunlight poured down and gave the carved scriptures and Buddha statues on the walls an especially solemn air.

Yet in such a quiet, dignified place, Ye Rui still couldn’t stop thinking about Ri Xi’s words from earlier. She held it in for a bit, but in the end she couldn’t resist gossiping: “Ri Xi, who’s your sweetheart?”

Ri Xi’s breath caught. Her usual composure and dignity took on a touch of flustered restraint as she lowered her voice. “Perhaps you’ll meet her someday.”

She tucked the hair blown across her face behind her ear and said nothing more, but the smile at the corner of her mouth never faded. Ye Rui almost couldn’t hold back her own grin. It was rare to see Ri Xi looking so bashful; she practically wanted to ask a few more questions, just to see her struggle and tease her a little more.

The two of them entered from the side path beside the main hall. After passing through two archways, they finally reached a courtyard, where there was also a simple room; this was Rizhao Temple’s inner hall.

The moment Ye Rui stepped inside, she smelled tea fragrance spreading through the air. There were low voices speaking in the room, and the maid who had been staying at Helian Shaohua’s side the entire time was standing guard outside, her expression cold.

Ri Xi went up first and cupped her hands in greeting. “Miss Shen.”

“Mm. Greetings, Miss Ri Xi.”

Shen Zhuiying’s gaze flicked vaguely across Ye Rui before she said, “Greetings, Miss Ye.”

“Miss Shen.”

After the three of them exchanged pleasantries, Ri Xi and Ye Rui stood quietly to the side. Ye Rui couldn’t help studying Shen Zhuiying again. Her features had a certain softness to them, yet there was also a trace of sharpness; though she wore the long skirts of a palace maid, her aura was steady and her gaze keen. If she stood still somewhere, no one would even notice she was there.

Shen Zhuiying was somewhat like Yin Yue, but her temperament was deeper and more restrained. If Yin Yue was a blade that could be drawn at any moment, then Shen Zhuiying was a hidden weapon lying in wait in the dark, ready to seal a throat with a single strike.

Just then, Shen Zhuiying’s eyes met Ye Rui’s. It lasted only an instant, but it still made gooseflesh rise all over Ye Rui’s body.

Yin Yue had once said that the eyes of someone who had killed people were different. Back then Ye Rui had only half understood; now she understood completely. That was the look of blood-red killing intent hidden at the bottom of one’s eyes, still as a deep pool, carrying the vicious ruthlessness of a vengeful ghost. No matter how well it was concealed, that absolute savagery could not be hidden.

Ye Rui lowered her head and did not dare look again.

Helian Shaohua had such a master by her side, and a terrifying one at that. How could she possibly be as soft and helpless as she looked?

Ye Rui had already heard rumors about Helian Shaohua back in the market town. She was the legitimate eldest daughter of the great Helian clan, entered the palace at sixteen, became empress at eighteen, and was now thirty-six. Everyone praised her for peerless elegance and her virtue and grace, saying she was the perfect choice to stand as mother to the realm.

For years, she and Emperor Yuan had been deeply devoted to each other. Though she had fallen seriously ill at eighteen and had struggled to bear children, Emperor Yuan still treated her as he always had; this affection was the envy of the common folk.

After Helian Shaohua became empress, the Helian family rose as brightly as the midday sun. It had once been believed that Helian Chi would become Prime Minister, only for Xie Tinglan, that unexpected latecomer, to snatch the position away. After that, Helian Chi fell quiet. Most of the time he claimed illness and did not attend court, but Emperor Yuan, mindful of him as the imperial consort’s father, had always kept his ministerial post and the authority that came with it.

It was said that Helian Chi had once asked Helian Shaohua to pressure the emperor into leaving the Prime Minister’s post to the Helian family. But the Son of Heaven was most wary of any one faction growing too powerful, and the inner palace was forbidden from interfering in political affairs; Helian Shaohua had not done so. Of course, that was only a rumor from the streets and could not be taken as fact. Ye Rui had even heard the ridiculous claim that Helian Shaohua and Xie Tinglan were having an affair. Those people really didn’t seem to fear losing their heads.

Naturally, Ye Rui had once doubted it herself, but if the two of them really had a private affair, would they still dare to meet so openly? Wouldn’t the emperor interfere?

Besides, Ye Rui trusted her own judgment. Their relationship was far from ordinary, but it definitely had nothing to do with romance.

Not long after, Xie Tinglan and Helian Shaohua both came out. Helian Shaohua was dressed today in a plain white gown as well; her movements were dignified and graceful, and when she stepped out of the room it was as though she carried with her the faint fragrance of tea.

The three of them bowed to Helian Shaohua. She smiled gently, lifted those beautiful eyes, and glanced at Ye Rui before turning to Shen Zhuiying. “Let’s go; we’ll have some vegetarian dishes.”

“Let’s go, we’re heading back!”

As soon as Xie Tinglan stepped outside, she came to Ye Rui’s side and gave her a deep look, leaving Ye Rui somewhat puzzled.

What was that supposed to mean?

Xie Tinglan said they were going back, but they didn’t really go straight back. Instead, they went to the most luxurious tavern in Xiyan District, Blowing Flowers Tower, and had a meal there. During the meal, Xie Tinglan never mentioned the Rain and Mist Tower. Ye Rui was curious, but she didn’t ask.

On the way out of Rizhao Temple, nothing happened; there was no assassination, no danger. That first made Ye Rui breathe a sigh of relief, but then her nerves tightened again just as quickly.

Since the side quest had appeared, that meant danger was lurking at all times. Ye Rui still couldn’t let her guard down.

They returned safely all the way to the Xie residence. Huan Jing appeared unusually rarely, and this time she showed up with a light, springy step, looking to be in a very good mood.

“Milady, they’ll be arriving in the capital city in a few days.”

When Huan Jing said “they,” her eyes lit up. Ye Rui couldn’t help guessing who it might be; were they people coming to help Xie Tinglan, or Xie Tinglan’s friends?

Friends? Did Xie Tinglan even have friends?

“Mm. Leave the arrangements to you all. I’m going to rest for a while.”

With that, Xie Tinglan covered a yawn with her hand and walked slowly toward her own courtyard.

After Xie Tinglan left, Huan Jing skipped over to Ye Rui, grinning. “Ye Rui, Ye Rui, you’re going to meet our Nameless boss very soon!”

Nameless? Boss?

Seeing Ye Rui’s baffled expression, Ri Xi stepped in at once to smooth things over. She sent Huan Jing away, then took Ye Rui back to the courtyard and explained the organization called Nameless.

“Nameless is a martial arts organization personally built by milady years ago. Yin Yue, Huan Jing, and I all come from Nameless.”

The two of them talked in Ye Rui’s room, keeping their voices low. Even within the residence, Ri Xi seemed guarded at every turn.

“As for what Nameless actually does, you’ll have to ask milady about that. The boss of Nameless is called Gong Yinzhi, also known throughout the jianghu as the jade-faced qin demon.”

Ye Rui: “...”

So the great demon everyone hated and shouted down in public had just been casually introduced by Ri Xi like this? Wait... why was Ri Xi’s face red again?

“Yinzhi is very good to her own people. Don’t worry.”

After saying that, Ri Xi couldn’t help letting a faint smile tug at her lips again. It was the sort of expression that appeared unconsciously when speaking of someone and something that made her happy.

Ye Rui understood at once and chose not to pry. Instead, she asked, “Besides her, will anyone else be coming?”

She had heard the name Jade-Faced Qin Demon before. It was said that Gong Yinzhi was trained in the Immortal Sound Sect, and when she first appeared, she used a single piece, “The Rhapsody of Luo God,” to defeat the experts of the Three Sects and Four Schools, earning herself the name of qin immortal. Later, however, her temperament grew bizarre and cruel. She wiped out the entire Luo clan of Shanhe City, and after that, every time Gong Yinzhi’s name came up, death seemed to follow. Thus the qin immortal became the qin demon; everyone feared her, everyone denounced her.

Come to think of it, the Luo clan was said to have been upright officials with a very good reputation locally. No one knew why the qin demon had exterminated them. Some said it was a private grudge, some said she had done it on a commission, and others said the Luo clan had not been as clean as they appeared, and that the qin demon had merely been eliminating a scourge for the people.

Of course, when a person dies, the truth is buried with them.

At the time, Ye Rui had felt that the fighting and bloodshed of the jianghu were far from her, so she had not paid close attention. She never expected that those matters would, in the end, circle back around and become relevant to her.

“Yes. Nameless’s left and right protectors will also come. They don’t show themselves often, since they’re shadow guards. The one with the gold mask is Jin You, and the one with the silver mask is Yin Zuo.”

Ye Rui: “...”

You people really do name things far too casually.

“I can’t tell you much about Nameless; you’ll have to ask milady. But there is this...”

As Ri Xi spoke, she took five silver notes from the hidden pocket inside her sleeve and said, “This is payment for the Fire-Sparrow Grass.”

Silver notes?

Ye Rui immediately took them and glanced at them. Her eyes lit up at once: one note was for one thousand taels, and five notes made five thousand taels!

Five thousand taels!! Ye Rui screamed it over and over in her mind. It was the kind of excitement people felt when they hit the jackpot; she was so stunned she could barely speak. Who would have thought that the Fire-Sparrow Grass she nearly slipped into pig manure for was worth this much?

Hutu: [You should be thanking me for that!]

Ye Rui: [...Thanking you for leading me straight into pig manure?]

Hutu: [...That was an accident!]

Ye Rui rolled her eyes and stopped talking to Hutu. She was already thinking about how to put the money away for future use, just in case.

“Milady said that this is, in fact, far less than its true value.”

At first, Ye Rui thought that sounded like praise for herself, but on second thought she realized she didn’t really have anything worth praising. Xie Tinglan was praising herself.

She was saying that her true value was far more than this.

“Can, can I go see her?”

There were some things she wanted to ask clearly.

“Milady said you could.”

“When did she say that?”

Ye Rui froze. On the way back, Xie Tinglan had only mentioned that the dishes at Blowing Flowers Tower were pretty good; she hadn’t said anything else. How did Ri Xi know Xie Tinglan had said yes?

“Milady said that after you received these five thousand taels, you would definitely go looking for her.”

Ye Rui was speechless. Xie Tinglan was so good at reading people; why didn’t she go become a fortune-teller?

After seeing Ri Xi off, Ye Rui went to Xie Tinglan’s courtyard. But remembering that the woman had said she was going to rest, she wasn’t sure whether she had already fallen asleep.

Just as she hesitated, a soft cough came from the room, giving Ye Rui courage.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Xie Tinglan answered, and Ye Rui went in. The room was warmed by charcoal. Xie Tinglan had changed into a thin white inner robe and was sitting by the bed, a hand warmer in her hand, her face a little pale as she looked at Ye Rui.

Seeing that nearly translucent pallor, that sleepy weakness in her features, fragile as an autumn blossom, Ye Rui immediately forgot what she had come to ask and hurried to the bedside. “Your cold poison is acting up again?”

“Mm. The effect of the Fire-Sparrow Grass has worn off, and these past few days I’ve been uncomfortably cold.”

Ye Rui frowned and thought for a moment. “I know the area around Yushan pretty well. I’ll go look for Fire-Sparrow Grass again.”

“It’s already autumn. Unless it was stockpiled by merchants long ago, Fire-Sparrow Grass basically won’t grow in the mountains anymore.”

Ye Rui shook her head. “It’s fine. Going to look won’t cost us anything.”

She didn’t know why, but even if there were no reward from the side quest, she still intended to go back to Yushan and search again. This cold poison must be terribly wearing. When it flared up, Xie Tinglan would tremble from the cold, unable to sleep through the night, even letting out soft groans in pain.

“No need. If you can keep me company in bed right now, I imagine I’ll feel better.”

As she said that, Xie Tinglan lifted her eyes toward Ye Rui with a faint, almost pleading look, no trace of her usual domineering force. Ye Rui immediately lowered her head, took off her boots, then took the hand warmer from Xie Tinglan and laid her down on the bed. She herself lay on the outside, pulled the blanket over them, and tucked the other woman in tightly.

Her movements were so practiced that even Xie Tinglan looked a little embarrassed.

After lying down, Ye Rui took Xie Tinglan’s cold hands in both of hers to warm them. Then she said with a smile, “Suddenly I feel like that five thousand taels really isn’t enough.”

Xie Tinglan nestled a little closer into Ye Rui’s arms. The fragrance on her body was wrapped up by the quilts, all of it soaking into Ye Rui’s own clothes.

“You’re taking advantage of me like this; you should be asking for more compensation.”

Ye Rui added that line, and Xie Tinglan did not refute it. She only smiled, pressing her forehead lightly against Ye Rui’s warm shoulder while stiffly enduring the bone-deep chill surging from within her.

Seeing that Xie Tinglan still wasn’t speaking, Ye Rui grew worried. She turned slightly and met Xie Tinglan’s eyes at close range. Sunlight spilled in from the window, and she could clearly see the trembling of those long lashes, the rippling glimmer in those beautiful eyes, the redness at the corners; she looked almost pitiful.

“Is it very bad?”

“Mm.”

Xie Tinglan paused, then averted her gaze awkwardly. “It was fine when I left the house, but as soon as I got back I started feeling unwell. The cold has sunk deep into my bones.”

Ye Rui sighed, then pulled her into her arms, only to realize she was holding a block of ice. Feeling Xie Tinglan’s suppressed trembling, Ye Rui hugged her even tighter, her palm pressed against that slender back and waist, trying to warm that cold skin inch by inch.

Xie Tinglan obediently didn’t resist. There was no knife, no wolfish aura. She curled up in Ye Rui’s embrace like a small beast, each breath seeming labored.

Ye Rui’s heart tightened. In a soft voice, she asked, “How did you endure it before?”

She couldn’t even imagine how this woman had forced herself through it every time. She was truly too good at enduring. Unless... no, Ri Xi had said Xie Tinglan disliked physical contact.

“Dying and coming back to life, I suppose. Perhaps Heaven still needs this wolfhound of mine to wreak havoc in the mortal world, so it hasn’t been willing to let me die.”

Ye Rui clicked her tongue and scolded her, “No more saying things like dying and living. You’re not allowed to say that anymore.”

Xie Tinglan gave no reply, only letting out a muffled laugh. Ye Rui couldn’t tell whether she was laughing at Ye Rui’s superstition or at how cute she was.

Ye Rui held Xie Tinglan down in her arms. Lowering her eyes, she could see the black hair at her temples threaded with quite a few silver strands, and her worry stirred again. “We can’t go on like this.”

Hearing that, Xie Tinglan hooked a slender finger into Ye Rui’s clothes and buried her face lightly against her. Breathing in that clean, pure scent, it felt like the most effective calming incense.

She suddenly had a ridiculous thought, but quickly dismissed it herself. How could she keep being unwell just for the sake of lingering in this person’s scent and warmth?

“Why didn’t you tell me yourself about meeting that brothel courtesan?”

After a long silence, Ye Rui remembered that matter again. She still found it strange. What was so hard to say about it?

“I didn’t want to say it, so I didn’t.”

Xie Tinglan’s tone had a stubborn edge to it; there was even a sense that if Ye Rui asked further, she might really kick her out of bed. Ye Rui didn’t dare test Xie Tinglan’s bottom line.

Still, that only made her more curious. Why was she refusing so firmly?

In the silence, Ye Rui felt that the atmosphere between them was a little off. She couldn’t quite describe it, so she tried to find another topic to change the subject. She noticed a nameless blue-covered book resting by the pillow on the inner side of the bed; it should have been Xie Tinglan’s bedtime reading. So she asked, “What book is that?”

Ye Rui thought: maybe talking about a book will make things feel easier.

“Deeply Intertwined Twin Flowers.”

As Xie Tinglan spoke, a trace more amusement entered her voice. The person she was holding, however, shuddered all over, as if she had just heard something unbelievable.

Ye Rui: “?”

Ye Rui’s face heated up at once. She felt as if she had stumbled onto some unimaginable secret. With a title like that... no way, right? Xie Tinglan said it so calmly, so it probably wasn’t what she was thinking, right...

“Much more interesting than Two Beauties Play at Love.”

Ye Rui: “!!”

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

Author’s note: Little Ye: I really should not have asked that with this mouth of mine!

Prime Minister Xie: Another day of teasing my wife.

[dog head][yellow heart]