Chapter 54

That night, fine snow began to drift down from the sky. Ye Rui was frozen stiff, and by the time she returned to the Xie residence, she looked like a walking corpse.

On the way, passersby saw blood seeping through the back of her robe and called out to her a few times, but Ye Rui didn’t seem to hear them at all. She just kept walking straight toward the Xie residence. Only later did those people notice the waist token at her belt and realize she was one of the Xie household’s people, so they stopped bothering with it.

Ye Rui had just reached the Xie residence gate when Ri Xi rushed out from inside, grabbed her by the arms, and looked her over anxiously. “Where did you go? You had everyone worried sick!”

The Xie residence was still lit. Two dim yellow lanterns illuminated the plaque bearing the words “Xie Residence.” In a daze, Ye Rui remembered the very first day she had come here; she hadn’t even recognized the character for “Xie,” because Xie Tinglan had never taught her.

Lately, so much had been happening at the Xie residence that the Golden and Silver Guardians had been sent out to handle matters with Gong Yinzhi, and the guards in the residence no longer followed Ye Rui around. That was how they had lost track of her.

Xie Tinglan had returned early today, and in such a hurry that even her face looked faintly pale. When she asked where Ye Rui had gone, Ri Xi’s heart nearly stopped. She immediately sent people out to search, but no one could find Ye Rui anywhere.

Now that she saw this person return safe and sound, the tension that had been knotting Ri Xi’s heart for half the day finally eased.

“I just went for a walk.”

After that, Ye Rui had gone to Rizhao Temple, where Master Wuchen invited her to the dining hall for some food and hot tea. The nun didn’t ask her anything, and Ye Rui didn’t say a word either. The two of them sat in silence for most of the day, and Ye Rui’s mood gradually settled.

When Ye Rui was about to leave, she still asked the nun one question: “Master, you pity me, but why do I keep seeing someone else in your eyes?”

Ye Rui didn’t know why she had asked it. During that long stretch of silence, she had met Master Wuchen’s gaze countless times and always felt as though the nun was looking through her, seeing someone else instead.

“Amitabha. This penniless nun is looking at her former self.”

That one sentence pierced Ye Rui’s heart like a blade. So they were all the same kind of heartbroken people.

Ye Rui looked at Ri Xi in front of her again and forced a smile. “I’m fine. It’s cold outside; let’s go in.”

Ri Xi followed Ye Rui inside and kept talking about the dishes Lin Aunt had made today, saying she had saved everything for Ye Rui and could heat it up in a moment. Only when they reached Xiayan Courtyard did Ri Xi realize that the wound on Ye Rui’s back had split open again, blood seeping through. That frightened her badly.

“Wasn’t it already healed? How did it split open again?”

Ri Xi thought for a moment, then asked Ye Rui to wait while she went to get medicine to apply for her. Only then did Ye Rui realize that the wound on her back had really reopened; no wonder it had been aching faintly all along. She had thought it was just her imagination.

Ri Xi applied medicine for her, but Ye Rui hardly ate anything. There was a lot left over, and later the kitchen staff shared it among themselves.

“What happened to you today? Why do you… keep looking so lost?”

Ri Xi remembered the almost shattered look on Xie Tinglan when she came back, and then saw Ye Rui looking so absent now; she guessed the two of them might have quarreled.

Xie Tinglan had said before that she hoped Ye Rui would not be involved in tasks for the time being; they would have to wait a while before letting Ye Rui participate again. It wasn’t only because of Ye Rui’s injuries; it was also because of the various hidden agents the Emperor had planted among the common people.

Although the Emperor was no longer very interested in Ye Rui now, if he ever seized on a single weakness of Xie Tinglan’s, he would naturally come back in full force. Xie Tinglan did not want Ye Rui to be hurt because of her.

She needed some time and preparation to divert the Emperor’s attention.

“I went to Rizhao Temple and listened to sutras all afternoon. I thought about some things; I’m not lost.”

Ye Rui told Ri Xi that she had simply been immersed in Buddhist teachings, even forcing out a faint smile to reassure her. Though Ri Xi felt Ye Rui was hiding something, there were some secrets she ought not pry into. After checking Ye Rui’s injuries and confirming there was nothing serious, she finally left.

After the door closed, Ri Xi could not help sighing at the doorway.

She had once asked Xie Tinglan why she wouldn’t tell Ye Rui the whole plan. Xie Tinglan had only said, “I don’t even have the confidence to handle everything properly myself; how could I give her false hope?”

Hard. Too hard.

Ri Xi turned and left, sighing again in the winter cold. Her boots stepped into the soft snow, producing faint sounds that scattered through the sorrowful night.

After waiting until Ri Xi had gone back and the whole courtyard had fallen silent, Ye Rui finally stepped out of the room and made her way toward Tinglan Pavilion.

Tinglan Pavilion was still brightly lit. At this hour, if the lights were still on, Xie Tinglan should be reviewing documents. But Ye Rui had no mind to guess what Xie Tinglan was doing. She walked up to the study door and knocked.

The candlelight inside flickered once, and instead of hearing Xie Tinglan say “come in,” she came to open the door herself.

The two stood facing each other at the doorway. The cold wind stirred their sleeves, and the white robes tangled together once more; yet in each other’s eyes, how could the distance between them be only those two steps?

Facing Xie Tinglan’s cool fragrance, her slightly tired brows and eyes, and the trace of helplessness in her expression, Ye Rui’s heart began to ache again. It felt as though knives were stabbing at the tip of her heart again and again. Enduring the pain, Ye Rui reached out and touched Xie Tinglan’s cheek.

Her own face was cold, and so were her fingertips. For an instant, Xie Tinglan was dazed, as if the person before her were a snow-and-wind spirit, nothing like the warmth she knew.

“Xie Tinglan.”

Ye Rui called her name. Taking one step forward, she forced the other woman back into the study, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her into her embrace. Xie Tinglan had not expected Ye Rui to hug her; she crashed into a chest full of wind and snow, then fell into the familiar warmth of familiar arms.

“You…”

Xie Tinglan did not struggle. Her hand rested lightly at Ye Rui’s waist. Normally so eloquent, she now didn’t know what to say, because she had no idea what Ye Rui was thinking at this moment.

How could she claim to foresee everything? In love, she was always wrong; every step was a mistake.

“Xie Tinglan, let’s only ask for this day.”

Ye Rui closed the door with one hand, kept one arm around Xie Tinglan’s waist, and covered that face, so flawless yet somehow sickly and distorted, with her other hand.

Xie Tinglan’s eyes turned slightly red, unwilling to let go of Ye Rui’s embrace. When Ye Rui’s kiss fell, she closed her eyes and endured it, as though going to meet a love that crossed mountains and seas. Lips and tongue intertwined; Ye Rui’s sucking and gentle biting made Xie Tinglan tremble uncontrollably.

So much like her.

She liked Ye Rui so much.

And yet she could not tell her a single word.

Ye Rui pulled back slightly, and without either of them noticing, Xie Tinglan was already sitting on top of the desk used for official work. She wrapped both hands around Ye Rui’s neck, her fingers gripping tightly, afraid she would leave like this.

“This is the study…”

Xie Tinglan’s red lips were slightly swollen. The documents beneath her seemed like a pair of eyes, judging her desire at this moment. Ye Rui didn’t care at all and kissed her again. This time the kiss carried anger, like punishment; it would not allow Xie Tinglan to speak, nor allow her to look at anything else.

Xie Tinglan was kissed until it hurt, but she made no sound. She only frowned faintly. As their clothes loosened and slipped away, she lowered her head and looked, seeing Ye Rui’s hand glisten like moonlit water, cold and clear. Xie Tinglan’s face flushed; she fumbled to grab something on the desk and happened to seize the wolf-hair brush.

Her fingers clenched and loosened, loosened and clenched again. Ye Rui’s hand was already moving. Lowering her gaze, Xie Tinglan saw the only thing keeping her supported. She could not lie down on the desk; even just sitting there was an extreme kind of bliss.

At some point, Xie Tinglan’s legs had looped around Ye Rui’s waist. The wolf-hair brush snapped with a crack in her hand, the broken end cutting lightly into her palm. Along with that peak of ecstasy, Xie Tinglan bit down without hesitation on Ye Rui’s shoulder.

But before the aftershocks had faded, Xie Tinglan felt that nearly burning pleasure surge through her body once more.

“No more…”

Xie Tinglan begged for mercy. She was too tired; she really couldn’t take any more.

“Yes, there is. Xie Tinglan, I want it.”

Ye Rui buried her head in Xie Tinglan’s shoulder and neck, lightly taking the tender skin at her throat into her mouth, and said in a low voice, “Xie Tinglan, are you happy?”

“Mm…”

Xie Tinglan let out a breath, her tone carrying a trace of damp, lingering softness. She said, “Why don’t you come in? I want you to come in.”

“Shh…”

Ye Rui turned and lightly bit her lip, then said in a low voice, “My heart shines like jade pearls.”

The tears Ye Rui had hidden never fell. Amid Xie Tinglan’s violent trembling, she bit her earlobe and did not say the next line.

And yet it has no way to bind my life’s path.

Xie Tinglan, may your wishes be fulfilled, may the world become as you desire, and may the path you walk bloom with flowers, brilliant as the coming spring.

**

At the fifth watch, the night was at its deepest. The streets and alleys were silent, with only Dongfeng Street still bustling. A well-dressed man staggered along the street with a wine jar clutched in his hand, dazed with intoxication, as though trapped in a beautiful dream he could never wake from.

On Dongfeng Street, there were still groups of people drinking and singing in the taverns by the roadside. This place seemed never to rest; there was always someone awake.

At a glance, Dongfeng Street was ablaze with lights, and Rain and Mist Pavilion in particular, with all three stories brightly lit; tassels fluttered, lanterns glowed with seductive warmth, like a fairy tower.

Someone hurried into Rain and Mist Pavilion. When the guards saw that the visitor was a woman, they had intended to stop her, but she shoved one aside with a single palm strike. In the blur, they caught sight of a familiar face beneath the veiled hat.

Her?

The guards did not stop Ye Rui. Braving the cold wind, Ye Rui quickly entered that place where even the light seemed to shine in a golden hue. The scent of fine wine, rouge and powder, and delicious food blended together; this was the distinctive smell of Rain and Mist Pavilion, built entirely on money.

Just as Ye Rui crossed the threshold, the steward, who had been facing away from the entrance, immediately turned around. With a handkerchief in hand, she dabbed at Ye Rui’s chest and smiled brightly. “Oh my… this guest. It’s you?”

The steward looked astonished. She had not expected Ye Rui to appear at this hour; it was truly a sight she would remember for a long time. In the hall, voices surged like a tide. The girls leaned crookedly against the men, exchanging flirtatious looks and acting out a false scene of love.

Sweet voices and laughter, goblets clinking, silk and gauze drifting through the air. Ye Rui had no choice but to look away; after all, there were some scenes she hadn’t paid to watch.

“I want to see Mu Xue.”

Ye Rui stated her purpose. The steward rolled her eyes and teased, “Why do you always come looking for the boss? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to her looks?”

Ye Rui was in no mood to joke. Her silence made the steward put away her playful smile. She reached out and tugged Ye Rui along, signaling for her to follow.

Seeing the steward lead a girl upstairs, someone who had drunk too much also dared to speak up. “Hey, is that a new girl? Why don’t you introduce her?”

That line drew laughter from the others, but the steward turned back with a cold look. It frightened the man who had spoken so much that he didn’t dare say another word, and even the laughter stopped at once. Ye Rui was a little surprised. She hadn’t expected such authority from a mere steward, and from the aura that had rolled off her just now, her martial skill was probably not weak.

Rain and Mist Pavilion was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

After reaching the third floor and receiving Mu Xue’s permission, the steward let Ye Rui in and hurried back downstairs to attend to the guests, entirely different from the threatening look she had given a moment ago.

Inside, Mu Xue was seated by the window at a desk, one hand on a ledger and the other working an abacus, busy with calculations. The only sound in the air was the clicking of the beads. Then Mu Xue flattened her hand over the abacus and said, “You came looking for me at this hour; it must be something important. Don’t tell me that sickly thing is already done for?”

Mu Xue joked, turning her head to look at the veiled figure. When that person remained silent, the smile on Mu Xue’s face faded.

“Your mouth is just as sharp as ever.”

After a few breaths, Ye Rui finally spoke and casually removed her veiled hat, placing it on the side tea table. Seeing Ye Rui’s haggard, pale face and the redness around her eyes, Mu Xue asked, “What did you come here for?”

Mu Xue closed the ledger and turned around, crossing her legs, clearly ready to listen seriously to whatever Ye Rui had to say.

“I want to make a second deal with you, but I have one condition.”

After Ye Rui finished, Mu Xue’s eyes lit up. But that was quickly followed by complicated thoughts; inwardly she thought, It seems she and Xie Tinglan have fallen out. Even after falling out, she still can’t stop thinking about her. This person is truly foolish beyond words.

“Tell me first what the condition is.”

Mu Xue’s lips curled slightly. She really did not think Ye Rui was suited to being a businesswoman. Under terms that involved saving a life, she still dared to bargain?

It was fortunate that Mu Xue had a bodhisattva’s heart; otherwise she would have told her to get lost on the spot.

“I don’t want to stay in the capital. The farther away, the better. If I can do something more meaningful, even better.”

On the way here, Ye Rui had thought about it a great deal. She would never stay in the capital again, and she also didn’t want to return to the mountain. She had thought of a place Xie Tinglan couldn’t find her.

“Meaningful? Like what?”

Mu Xue remained patient. Since it was finally this person’s turn, she naturally had more patience than ever.

“I don’t know…”

Ye Rui thought of Xie Tinglan’s vision. She wanted to help realize it too, to do her part in a place Xie Tinglan could not see.

“But I… don’t want to stay in a brothel. Besides, you said yourself I’m not cut out for business. I can’t think of anything right now.”

Seeing Ye Rui’s somewhat helpless expression, Mu Xue merely smiled and said, “I’m not only capable of doing business. I have a good job for you, though it may well cost you your life. Are you willing?”

“What is it?”

Ye Rui asked. Was Mu Xue asking her to kill someone?

“Go serve as a soldier in Qingzhou City and guard the border for Great Yan. Are you willing?”

Every word Mu Xue said was beyond Ye Rui’s expectations. When she finally came to her senses, she asked, “What does the army in Qingzhou City have to do with you?”

Would Mu Xue do anything without a profit?

“That has nothing to do with you. You only need to tell me whether you’re willing or not.”

Ye Rui considered it, then nodded. “I am.”

She could leave the capital and do something more meaningful; wasn’t that exactly the outcome she wanted?

Mu Xue curved her lips and smiled, walking toward Ye Rui. “Although, from what you’ve said, it seems you look down on my brothel business?”

Ye Rui said nothing. Although the girls here did not steal or rob and earned their money with their own hands, she still worried they might be forced into it against their will.

“Don’t look so grave. The girls here all joined willingly, and I don’t do flesh trade; I sell mutual consent.”

Mu Xue passed Ye Rui and went to a large chest. She opened it as if searching for something and said, “If you look into the rules of my Rain and Mist Pavilion carefully, you’ll know there’s never been any coercion here. If a girl wants to leave, I don’t take a single coin. And if a girl doesn’t want to, no one can force her to spend the night with anyone.”

Mu Xue took a smaller box out of the chest and counted something inside before continuing, “Do you think everyone is as old-fashioned as you? When they come to my Rain and Mist Pavilion, who eats whom is still up in the air. Everyone’s just here to seek pleasure and play their part.”

Those four words—play their part—suddenly stabbed at Ye Rui’s heart. Her chest tightened, and even her breathing quickened.

“One has to run a business with business ethics. As a fellow woman, I naturally won’t make things difficult for other women; besides, I have the ability to protect them.”

Mu Xue set the small box she had taken out onto the table. It was a pitch-black little box, locked shut and looking utterly ordinary. No one could tell what it contained.

“You have to leave tonight. I’ll prepare a fast horse for you, and the letter of introduction plus the household registration I had specially made for you are already here.”

Mu Xue placed a letter and a household registry booklet on the table. Seeing Ye Rui’s bewildered expression, she smiled and explained, “I knew that sickly Xie Tinglan would definitely hold on to your registry booklet, so I prepared one long ago. The letter of introduction too.”

After hearing this, many thoughts flashed through Ye Rui’s mind. Then she said, “You already thought I’d agree to the second deal?”

“Of course, because you can’t bear to let Xie Tinglan die.”

Mu Xue said it lightly, yet a bitter smile flashed across her lips. Then she said, “If you don’t leave tonight, you won’t get another chance. Leave from Dongfeng Street; before the end of the fifth watch, pass through the East Gate and go first to Youlan City to bring Lu Yihua with you.”

“Bring Lu Yihua along?”

Ye Rui was stunned again. Then, as if struck by sudden understanding, she realized something. Could this be the trigger for the main quest forcing her to form a team?

So the main quest had already begun pushing her away from Xie Tinglan?

“She’s wasting her martial skill if she stays in Youlan City. Have her bring a few more capable people and go with you to Qingzhou City. I’ve already written everything in the letter. And…”

Mu Xue took something from her drawer and said, “This is your travel pass.”

“Ye Rui, see you in Qingzhou City.”

**

In the morning, the cold was biting. Xie Tinglan heard Ri Xi’s voice and got out of bed, only to find that the bedding at her bedside was already icy cold.

She wasn’t there…

Normally, if they had slept together, Ye Rui would always wake up in her arms, and Xie Tinglan would never feel the cold on the mornings she shared a bed with her.

She resents me. And that is only right.

Xie Tinglan leaned against the bed as she sat up. Her whole body felt weak and sore, especially below; there was still a faint sting. Last night had been a little too wild. She couldn’t even remember how Ye Rui had carried her back, only that she had shed quite a few tears when she reached the peak of pleasure, and naturally… the bedding had been soaked in one place.

She sat up, took the clothes beside the bed, and put them on. Just as she was about to call Ri Xi in, Ri Xi rushed through the door in a panic.

“My lord!”

Xie Tinglan was so shocked by that cry of “my lord” that her soul nearly flew out of her body. A strong sense of unease suddenly surged in her chest, and even her palm instantly broke out in sweat.

“Ye Rui… she’s gone!”

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

Author’s Note: Little Ye is running away [crying][crying][crying]

I saw that you all wanted an extra chapter, but my backlog is a little tight lately. I used up a lot of my saved chapters when I was updating ten thousand words a day before, and I also didn’t have time to write during the wedding I attended, so for now I can’t manage it.

Once I build up some saved chapters again, I’ll add more for you. I’ll do my best to write more! [doge][heart]