Chapter 27

The world spun, and her head throbbed. When Ye Rui woke, it felt as if heaven and earth had flipped over; even the bed beneath her seemed to be turning. The aftereffects of that wine were brutal. She pressed a hand to her forehead and steadied herself, forcing her thoughts to come back one by one.

No wonder it was called Beauty Drunk. If the world saw a beautiful woman drunk like this, who knew whether they’d still recognize east from west? The moment Ye Rui woke, she honestly couldn’t tell southeast from northwest.

Hu Tu: 【You say that as if you can tell when you’re awake.】

Ye Rui: 【...Since when did you get so good at sniping at people?】

Hu Tu: 【I’m still holding a grudge over you saying my navigation was useless, when you’re the one who’s directionally challenged, hmph!】

Ye Rui: 【...And who was the one leading me toward wild boar crap, tell me!】

Hu Tu: 【You really are petty!】

Ye Rui: 【Right back at you!】

Wait. Where was she now? Had Mu Xue agreed to help Xie Tinglan last night? Ye Rui gathered herself and realized she was in her own room. The quilt still carried her own scent, and the window was cracked open a sliver. Outside, plane tree leaves drifted across a blue sky; the view was familiar.

Had Mu Xue taken pity on her and sent her back? No, that didn’t seem right. It already felt like mercy enough that woman hadn’t dumped her in the middle of the street for a laugh.

Or had Xie Tinglan sent someone to carry her back?

Ye Rui was still thinking when she tried to sit up and heard a very soft voice: “Don’t move.”

“Ahhh—!”

Ye Rui jumped in fright. She hadn’t sensed anyone in the room at all; she rolled all the way to the corner of the bed and curled up, even knocking her back against the wall with a muffled grunt. Her face went pale before she finally made out the visitor: a woman wearing a jade mask, with a gold fox painted across it.

She was dressed in white, and the robe was embroidered with fox patterns in gold thread, like a thousand-year-old fox spirit who had emerged from the mountains and entered the mortal world. Tall and graceful, her presence was as light as a ghost. Seeing Ye Rui react like this, she let out an amused little laugh from beneath the mask.

“You—who are you? Human or ghost?”

Ye Rui still wasn’t fully sober; the motion of rolling around had only made her even dizzier, and she couldn’t tell whether the thing in front of her was a person or something else. Her face had already gone white with fear. After all, having a System was strange enough; if she ran into a ghost too, somehow that would feel almost reasonable.

Hu Tu: 【How is that my fault?】

Ye Rui: 【If not you, then who?】

“I’m human. I’m Gong Yinzhi.”

Gong Yinzhi answered solemnly. She had been standing by the door, but with a flutter of sleeves she seemed to take only one step and was suddenly by the bed. Ye Rui was once again unsure.

This really wasn’t a ghost?! She walked like she was floating!

Gong Yinzhi sat beside the bed and raised a jade-white hand toward Ye Rui. Ye Rui widened her eyes and was about to dodge, but her wrist had already been caught.

So fast!

“You, you... what are you doing?”

After being seized, Ye Rui actually calmed down a little, because Gong Yinzhi’s body temperature was normal and warm; it wasn’t cold.

She wasn’t a ghost.

Hu Tu: 【Of course she isn’t a ghost. Gong Yinzhi, don’t tell me you forgot, that six-finger qin demon!】

Hu Tu’s reminder finally made Ye Rui remember, and she immediately shot back: 【It’s jade-faced qin demon! Jade-faced qin demon! What six-finger qin demon? You’ve watched too many wuxia films!】

Hu Tu’s silence carried its embarrassment all the way across dimensions: 【...I got distracted by the beautiful Lin beauty, what was I supposed to do, heh heh...】

Ye Rui didn’t want to talk to Hu Tu anymore. She looked skeptically at her own wrist, then at Gong Yinzhi. Why was she taking my pulse?

Could this mass murderer actually know medicine too?

Gong Yinzhi loosened her two fingers. Beneath the mask, a pair of cold eyes looked straight at Ye Rui, staring until a chill crept up her spine.

Didn’t Ri Xi say she was a pretty good person? Why did she look at people so frighteningly? She was almost on par with the first time she met Xie Tinglan.

“Drinking harms the body. Drink less in the future.”

Gong Yinzhi’s voice was cool and detached. Even concern in her tone still carried little warmth, but the helpless sigh at the end instead made her seem a little more human.

Ye Rui tried hard to clear her head. “Did you bring me back yesterday? And did Mu Xue agree to help her? Ah, drinking really does ruin things!”

She slapped her own head in frustration. She didn’t even know when she’d fallen asleep, and she hadn’t woken on the way back after being carried home. If someone had slit her throat, she probably still wouldn’t have known how she died.

Gong Yinzhi was silent for two breaths, as if considering something, before saying, “Mu Xue has already agreed. My lady wants you to go to the study once you’ve sobered up.”

With that, Gong Yinzhi pointed to the steaming bowl on the table. “Sobering soup. Drink it; it’ll help.”

She was just about to turn and leave when Ye Rui hurriedly stopped her. “I, you... yesterday, I didn’t say anything strange while drunk, did I?”

Ye Rui rarely got drunk. Her friends always said that once she was drunk she was very well-behaved and would just sleep obediently, but she was still worried about the one-in-a-million chance. If she had blurted out anything about the System or tasks, who knew whether it might arouse Xie Tinglan’s suspicion.

Mu Xue had deliberately tried to sow discord yesterday, but Ye Rui knew in her heart that Xie Tinglan truly didn’t fully trust her yet. She didn’t want to add any more suspicion on top of that. She had even thought that if worst came to worst, she could just leave here; but thinking of Xie Tinglan, she couldn’t bear it. She still wanted to stay. And if she wanted to stay, then she couldn’t let Xie Tinglan doubt her.

Gong Yinzhi smiled again and shook her head. “Hurry and get ready. I still have things to do.”

People always said Gong Yinzhi was cold; she was cold in speech and in tone, but not in heart. Those occasional hints of a smile made Ye Rui feel her warmth.

She just hadn’t expected that their first meeting would be in such a slightly awkward state.

“Miss Gong, I’m Ye Rui. Please teach me well in the future.”

Gong Yinzhi paused, then inclined her head toward Ye Rui. “I wouldn’t dare. We’re all colleagues.”

After speaking, Gong Yinzhi drifted out as gracefully as before. Ye Rui once again had the baffled feeling that she was a human, a ghost, or some immortal being. Still, Gong Yinzhi’s one word—colleagues—gave her a steadier heart. At least now, inside the Xie residence, the people around her all acknowledged her as one of their own.

Gong Yinzhi. After hearing Ri Xi mention her, Ye Rui had also heard martial artists in the streets speak of her name. “One tune of Luoshen, the soul breaks; one finger plucks sound, and it falls into the Nine Netherworlds.” That was how the jade-faced qin demon Gong Yinzhi was described. They said her qin music was beautiful, but every note claimed life; every strike cut the soul, impossible to guard against. Some even said her performance of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" could rupture a person’s heart meridians and make blood pour from their seven apertures, all while dying with a smile.

Dying with a smile. Just imagining that scene made Ye Rui feel creeped out; it would be better not to smile at all.

Ye Rui staggered out of bed to wash up, then drank the sobering soup before hurrying off to the study to see Xie Tinglan. Today, Ri Xi and the others were all absent. After she left the courtyard, she didn’t see Gong Yinzhi either, nor the two elusive shadow guards Jin You and Yin Zuo that Ri Xi had mentioned.

For some reason, the atmosphere felt strange today. The servants in the courtyard were speaking less than usual, and when something like that happened, it was usually because Xie Tinglan was in a bad mood and everyone was afraid of stepping on a landmine.

By the time she reached Xie Tinglan’s room, Ye Rui was inexplicably tense. She didn’t know what she would be facing in a moment.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Xie Tinglan’s voice was cool, like winter snow, and it instantly made goosebumps rise all over Ye Rui. Incense for calming the mind was burning in the study today. Xie Tinglan was seated at the desk reviewing official papers, her brows tightly furrowed, as though even more vexed than usual.

Today she wore a dark, crossed-collar long robe, with a white fur cloak casually draped over it. The black-and-white combination made her seem even more solitary and cold; her bearing placed an unbridgeable gulf between her and everyone else.

Ye Rui froze in place, too afraid to breathe. Xie Tinglan today had “not to be trifled with” written all over her face.

A gust of autumn wind drifted in from outside. Xie Tinglan’s hand paused; she looked up at Ye Rui and curled her lips in a cold smile. “Sober now?”

Her tone carried a trace of mockery. Ye Rui could only suppress her irritation and say, “Yes, much better. I heard from Miss Gong that Mu Xue agreed, so the drinking wasn’t for nothing.”

Ye Rui didn’t know what Xie Tinglan was dissatisfied about, but she still had to remind her that the task had been completed, and that she only drank because of the mission. Otherwise, why would she have gotten herself drunk on that painted pleasure boat with its billowing curtains?

Xie Tinglan’s brow furrowed again. She slowly lowered her gaze to the official papers and said after a pause, “This is the long sword I promised you.”

Xie Tinglan didn’t even look up. Ye Rui had already noticed the long box placed on the desk; it was a dark blue brocade case, with a token resting on top.

“Also, you’re now a third-rank guard in the residence.”

Only then did Xie Tinglan look up. Seeing Ye Rui happily pick up the token engraved with her name and glance toward her with bright eyes, their gazes met for a moment before Xie Tinglan frowned and looked away again.

Ye Rui: “?”

Her fingers brushed over the surface of the brocade box as she asked softly, “Can I open it and take a look?”

“Yes.”

Xie Tinglan raised her wolf-hair brush for a long while but never wrote a stroke. In the end, she set it down and watched as Ye Rui carefully opened the box and joyfully took out the long sword inside.

The scabbard was black and glossy like iron, but the sword itself felt as light as a leaf when lifted. The blade was entirely white, nimble and sharp, and the word “Rui” was engraved on it, as if branding it as hers. Though the design seemed simple at first glance, the guard was carved into the majestic shape of a taotie.

The taotie was warlike, with a dragon body and a wolf’s head; it loved battle and always held a treasured sword in its mouth, a blessing said to enhance a warrior’s strength. Even the hilt fit perfectly in her palm, and when she swung it, it felt remarkably natural. It was clearly made just for her.

“Thank you.”

Ye Rui didn’t know what Xie Tinglan was angry about, but she had put so much effort into having this sword made for her that this one thank-you simply couldn’t be omitted.

Xie Tinglan said nothing; her attitude remained cold. Ye Rui could feel that the atmosphere was different from their usual ease, and she no longer wanted to linger.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first.”

“Mm.”

Xie Tinglan answered quickly, and that very direct response actually left Ye Rui a little disappointed. Why was it that after she completed her task, Xie Tinglan was the one acting distant?

Had she done something wrong? No, right? She had reported everything and even risked herself by going onto that pleasure boat. Fortunately, Mu Xue had no ill intentions; she hadn’t encountered any danger, only drank herself into a stupor. Could it be that she had done something improper while drunk?

She looked back at Xie Tinglan. Xie Tinglan had already picked up her wolf-hair brush again and was methodically reviewing the documents, her entire expression saying don’t bother me. Ye Rui had to forcibly swallow her questions.

This person was obviously in a mood; it wasn’t a good time to talk.

The main quest was complete, and her sword skill had already advanced to the beginner level before she’d even practiced properly. Hu Tu had said this would help her learn swordsmanship faster and get twice the result with half the effort. When Ye Rui asked about the next task, Hu Tu only said it would go look for it; after the task database was repaired, everything was still a mess. After that, Hu Tu clammed up.

But Ye Rui kept feeling that Hu Tu was just lazy and hadn’t organized it, which was why the task database data was still a chaotic mess to this day. Based on her understanding of Hu Tu, that guess was highly likely to be true.

Today the autumn wind was cool, fallen leaves were fluttering everywhere, and sunlight spilled generously across the ground, bringing a warm feeling to the body; it was excellent weather for martial practice. Ye Rui hadn’t been in great shape when she got up, but after the sobering soup she felt better, so she went into the courtyard for her daily training, and Yin Yue arrived on time as well.

When she saw the long sword placed on the stone table, her eyes lit up. Looking at Ye Rui still in horse stance, she said, “My lady really understands you.”

Even without picking it up, Yin Yue could tell that sword suited Ye Rui perfectly. When had Xie Tinglan ever been this thoughtful with anyone?

Yin Yue thought of Xie Tinglan’s pale face after returning from Zhaoyue Lake yesterday and couldn’t help worrying a little. It was already autumn in the capital, the weather bitterly cold, yet Xie Tinglan had insisted on making that trip to Zhaoyue Lake. After bringing back that drunken cat, she had fallen ill again. Ri Xi had burned firewood in her room all night and only now had time to catch up on sleep.

“Today I’ll teach you swordsmanship.”

After saying that, Yin Yue drew the long sword at her waist. The humming sword cry made the fallen leaves tremble, and Ye Rui’s heart trembled along with them.

Yin Yue’s sword was called Dawnbreak. Ye Rui didn’t know its origins, but just from that humming resonance she could tell it was no ordinary blade.

Ye Rui followed Yin Yue step by step and learned the movements. Just as Hu Tu had said, someone as clueless as she was seemed to have suddenly opened the Ren and Du meridians. After watching just twice, she had already learned Yin Yue’s sword forms and could quickly imitate them in a decent, presentable way.

Swish, swish, swish—

The sound of the sword cleaving the air rang out as Ye Rui reproduced, one by one, the sword techniques Yin Yue had just taught her in the courtyard. In the autumn light, fine beads of sweat covered Ye Rui’s face, and she tried her best to make every movement as good as possible. She knew that if she didn’t, Yin Yue wouldn’t let her off.

Yin Yue stood at the side with her arms folded, watching. The sword wind was fierce. Ye Rui very quickly integrated the forms; every lift and thrust was neat and proper. Yin Yue even suspected she might have known swordsmanship before. But then she remembered how clumsy Ye Rui had been when she first drew a sword, not even knowing how to hold it correctly, and that thought was dismissed.

Some habits and reactions couldn’t be faked. She was certain Ye Rui truly hadn’t known swordsmanship before this.

Ye Rui didn’t know internal energy, didn’t know lightness skill, yet she could still wield her basic sword technique—"Parting the Clouds, Opening Heaven"—with impressive force. That counted as top-tier talent. Only, today Ye Rui seemed a little distracted. Yin Yue had struck her wrist several times before she finally focused. Who knew what that little head of hers was thinking about again.

Once Ye Rui had practiced the set repeatedly and become sufficiently familiar with the moves, Yin Yue finally called a stop with satisfaction. As always, she offered no comments, only told Ye Rui to rest well before leaving.

Ye Rui was gasping for breath after practice. She had thought working up a sweat would clear her mind, but the moment she remembered Xie Tinglan’s expression from earlier, her mood sank again. She had planned to watch Xie Tinglan carefully over lunch and see what was going on, but Xie Tinglan didn’t come to eat.

That meal immediately lost all appeal, and even the dishes she loved most tasted like dry wax.

Only Ri Xi and Yin Yue came to the dining hall today. Before leaving, Ri Xi looked at the downcast Ye Rui and thought for a moment before casually explaining, “My lady is unwell today, so she didn’t come to the dining hall.”

Even Yin Yue, who loved eating the most on ordinary days, was gloomy today. It was clear something was off. And if Yin Yue could notice, how could Ri Xi, who was so sharp-eyed, not see it?

After speaking, Ri Xi sighed as if in annoyance, then glanced at Ye Rui’s worried expression and deliberately brought up last night: “My lady had an episode last night and was extremely uncomfortable. She didn’t sleep at all.”

Probably because her mind was in turmoil, Ye Rui still couldn’t see the intent behind Ri Xi’s obvious reminder. Her thoughts were entirely occupied by Xie Tinglan’s pale, trembling face and her curled-up, helpless body.

“I-I’m going to practice calligraphy in the study.”

Ye Rui always went to the study to practice writing at noon. Although Xie Tinglan was in a bad mood today, she hadn’t told her not to go, so perhaps... there was still room to turn things around?

Ye Rui dashed off in a hurry. Ri Xi and Yin Yue exchanged a look and couldn’t help smiling wryly, with a touch of helplessness.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Xie Tinglan’s voice was a little faint. Thinking of what Ri Xi had just said, Ye Rui no longer hesitated and pushed the door open.

Xie Tinglan was still at the desk handling official documents, her face even paler than it had been in the morning. There were also a few unfinished bites of food on the table; she clearly had no appetite.

Ye Rui sat down at her usual place. Seeing that Xie Tinglan was still acting as if she didn’t want to acknowledge her, she felt a little uneasy, but in the end she still gathered the courage to ask, “Are you angry?”

Xie Tinglan stopped writing, turned to look at Ye Rui, and held her gaze for two breaths before saying, “Why would I be angry?”

“You’re not right today.”

At that, Xie Tinglan raised a brow and said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “I’m like this every day.”

“No, you’re not usually like this.”

After hearing that, Xie Tinglan said nothing more and resumed her brushwork, reviewing official papers with eyes on nose, nose on heart, looking utterly focused, as if she didn’t want to deal with Ye Rui at all, leaving only her cold side profile.

“Did I say something improper after getting drunk yesterday?”

Everyone said her drinking manners were good. Could it be that she’d shown her true colors in front of Xie Tinglan?

Xie Tinglan’s gaze sharpened, as if she had thought of something. Grinding her teeth, she sneered, “You have a poor tolerance for alcohol, yet you still insist on drinking. If that had been a den of dragons and tigers, or a nest of demons, would you have even left a bone behind?”

Hearing Xie Tinglan’s mocking tone, Ye Rui suddenly had a flash of inspiration and lightly caught Xie Tinglan’s wrist. The other woman immediately stopped writing.

“Are you worried about me?”

Xie Tinglan frowned and tightened her grip on the wolf-hair brush.

“Or... are you jealous?”

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

Author’s note: Jealous Prime Minister Xie: I’m not jealous. I’m always like this.

Little Ye, looking at Prime Minister Xie’s murderous expression: Mm-hm, yes, yes, you’re always like this.

[dog head][dog head]