Chapter 108 Bai Xiuming, the Sun Has Set…

Chapter 108 Bai Xiuming, the Sun Is Setting...

After holding her for just a moment, Bai Xiuming sensed the person in his arms growing restless.

She shifted slightly, adjusting her posture, then rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers still toying with his hair.

Bai Xiuming watched the sun steadily sinking on the horizon and couldn't help but smile to himself.

He lowered his gaze to A Chan nestled in his embrace. Her soft, delicate body radiated a continuous warmth, making him reluctant to let go.

Feeling the vibration in his chest, A Chan tilted her head. From this angle, she could only see his sharply defined jawline and his bobbing Adam's apple.

A Chan stared at his throat for a moment, finding it amusing, but resisted the urge to reach out.

After another pause, she couldn't help but ask, "Bai Xiuming, aren't you tired?"

"Not tired."

"Oh."

But being held like this was making her a little tired. A Chan yawned, feeling drowsy. Soon, she'd be asleep.

"So... are you still sad?" A Chan straightened slightly, tilting her neck back to see his expression.

Bai Xiuming gently pressed her head back onto his shoulder. "Sad."

A Chan bit her lip, then mumbled, "You're so hard to comfort."

That little girl had perked up after just a short hug—how long had he been holding her now?

"Be patient. I'm grieving."

Someone truly grieving wouldn't talk like that. A Chan pouted and deliberately said, "You're a grown man. Why are you sad for so long? I never am."

"Is that why you only cry secretly when you're sick?"

A Chan stiffened and objected loudly, "I don't!"

"It's fine if you cry. Only I saw it."

"Oh." She relaxed.

Just as she did, Bai Xiuming added, "And Feng Yang and Jiang Kai."

After a pause, she tugged his sleeve and said seriously, "We should silence them when we get back."

Her voice filled his ears as Bai Xiuming slowly closed his eyes. The dark mood that had hung over him since arriving in Xiling finally seemed to lift, as if touched by sunlight.

"Did you hear me?"

"I heard. We'll deal with it when we return."

Though he was just humoring her, A Chan perked up right away.

Seeing he seemed less upset, A Chan grew more talkative. "Bai Xiuming."

"Hmm?"

"Are we taking the carriage back to Shangjing?" The thought of possibly traveling without Huixue made her mood drop for a second.

"If you don't want the carriage, I can take you there myself."

"Forget it." She was tempted but declined. "I can't leave Huiniang behind. And I bought so many things—I have to take them with me."

"You could have her go back with the returning party. No one will touch your belongings," Bai Xiuming suggested.

"Then... you'd fly me back?"

"I can."

"You have to carry me on your back. It's too windy up there—you'll have to block it for me."

"Mm."

"And go slower. Last time, I choked."

"Alright."

Having an unusually compliant Bai Xiuming, A Chan's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Are the prisoners coming back to Shangjing with us?"

"Some will be sent there."

"What about... the Shen family? Are they being sent to Shangjing too?"

Bai Xiuming didn't answer.

When he didn't answer, she leaned close to his ear and said slowly, "Bai. Xiu. Ming. Are you ignoring me?"

"I heard. I just don't want to answer."

He couldn't just not answer! She'd only just started her probing—was it over already?

"Just tell me. I'm too curious."

"Are you curious about the entire Shen family, or just the one person you care about?"

A Chan paused, then shot back, "I thought you were in a bad mood? Why are you noticing such trivial things?"

Even in his gloom, he wasn't any easier to trick. How unfair!

"Probably because I know you never come to me without wanting something."

As they spoke, a breeze ruffled A Chan's hair.

Before she could react, Bai Xiuming brushed the loose hairs behind her ear, his fingers brushing her small, soft earlobe.

Since he already knew, A Chan stopped pretending. She grabbed his hand and asked tentatively, "Then... could you let her go quietly?"

Realizing how blunt that sounded, she hurried to add, "Look, Shen Huixue has been in Shangjing all these years. The Shen family despised her for being half-yao and never associated with her. Now that the Shens are guilty, why should she be punished too? It's not fair."

"Anything else?"

A Chan hesitated. "And... Shen Huixue's mother."

Though she never showed it, A Chan didn't like Shen Qingwu nearly as much as Huixue.

Even if Sixth Uncle's death wasn't really Shen Qingwu's doing, A Chan still blamed her.

If not for Shen Qingwu, if it weren't for the Shen family, Sixth Uncle might still be alive.

She manipulated Shen Qingwu against the Shen family, and Shen Qingwu was fully aware of it. By accepting this manipulation, she had also accepted the same fate as the rest of the Shen family.

When A Chan made this decision, she hadn’t wavered.

Originally, she had intended to leave Shen Qingwu to her fate, but the words tumbled out unbidden. She thought, Huixue had already lost her father—she must’ve been glad to stay with her mother.

Having family by one’s side was always better than being alone.

“Is she innocent too?”

“She’s not exactly blameless, considering she’s Shen Zhiheng’s younger sister.” A Chan’s tone shifted. “But she’s been out of her mind for over a decade and only recently began coming back to her senses. No matter what the Shen family did, she can’t be held responsible. Besides, it was because of her that the Flood Dragon Mother lost control. Even if we don’t reward her, we shouldn’t let her die with the rest of the Shen family, right?”

After speaking, A Chan looked at Bai Xiuming expectantly.

“Hmm, that makes some sense.” Bai Xiuming’s words made A Chan’s eyes light up a fraction—until he added, “But no.”

A Chan was dumbstruck. He had been agreeing with everything she said earlier—how could he change his mind so quickly?

“Since when are men allowed to be this wishy-washy?” A Chan muttered.

“Maybe because I’m more pliable when I’m upset?”

His flippant excuse only made her angrier. “Why don’t you just stay upset, then?”

“Because you cheered me up?”

A Chan’s face turned red with frustration. Why had she caved and comforted him earlier? She was furious!

Seeing her scowl, Bai Xiuming suddenly asked, “You’ve come up with so many reasons for them—what about you?”

“Me?” A Chan started, drawing herself up as she looked at the suddenly serious man.

Bai Xiuming met her gaze. “Why are you helping them? Why were you so determined to take down the Shen family?”

When A Chan hesitated, he pushed, “Give me a reason that can convince me.”

A Chan had a dozen excuses ready, but under his unblinking gaze, she realized he was serious this time—he wanted the truth.

The full truth was out of the question, but she could share part of it.

After a brief pause, she spoke. “You know, my life was saved by that fox spirit. I’ve always been grateful to her.”

Bai Xiuming frowned slightly but didn’t interrupt.

A Chan smiled. “When I first met Huixue, we chatted, and she mentioned her father’s name was Liufeng. What a coincidence—in the memories passed down to me, there was also a fox spirit named Liufeng.”

That caught him off guard.

“Liufeng was her uncle. They were once very close, but one died in the capital, and the other died in Xiling.”

If she hadn't met Ji Chan, she and Sixth Uncle might have truly died in places unknown to each other.

Bai Xiuming’s face stayed impassive. “So you came to Xiling specifically to destroy the Shen family and avenge that fox spirit’s uncle?”

A Chan immediately denied it. “Of course not! I really just came here to clear my head. Who would’ve thought I’d run into you, get involved in your feud with the Shen family, and then discover their connection to Liufeng’s death?”

“I never planned to do anything, but they kept provoking me. And since Shen Qingwu was so eager to avenge her lost love, I just… gave her a push.”

A Chan played it off like she was just a bystander, which was how she had always operated.

She wasn’t one to act impulsively. She liked to bide her time for her prey to expose their weaknesses before going in for the kill.

The more eager and aggressive one was, the easier it was to slip up. Her first day in the capital, when she had encountered Bai Xiuming and been thrown into the prison, had taught her a harsh lesson—one that made her even more cautious.

Bai Xiuming’s brow unfurrowed a little, but he still warned her, “You’re too fixated on that fox spirit’s memories. It’s not healthy. You’re human, not a spirit.”

A Chan lowered her eyes, a shadow crossed her face, but she argued, “She saved me. I have to repay that debt.”

“How? By hunting down every spirit tied to her and helping them as repayment?”

“Not necessary. Aside from her uncle, the only one who really mattered to her was a younger sister. I just need to find her and make sure she’s doing well. If not, I’ll help.”

Bai Xiuming never imagined he’d one day be standing here, listening to someone explain how they planned to repay a spirit—and unable to convince them otherwise.

Seeing how dead-set she was, with a plan already in place, he fell silent for a long moment before finally sighing. “Just this once.”

A Chan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“But there’s a condition.”

“Shoot. I’m all ears.” Her voice bubbled with excitement.

“I’ll spare them, but from now on, they must leave Great Xia.”

Bai Xiuming could go against the emperor’s orders—even if the emperor found out, he wouldn’t raise a fuss over two nobodies—but he still had to consider the emperor’s dignity.

“Deal.” That was exactly the outcome A Chan had wanted.

Just then, Bai Xiuming lifted his gaze toward the horizon.

A Chan turned to follow his line of sight. The last of the sunset was draining away, the sun now a blood-red orb, its brilliance dimmed.

It was slowly sinking below the horizon.

A Chan squirmed free from Bai Xiuming’s hold, standing on tiptoe to scan the horizon, only for the parapet to block her view.

She shuffled over, but the angle still wasn’t right.

As she fussed, she suddenly felt weightless—Bai Xiuming had lifted her with one arm.

He hoisted her onto his right shoulder, his arm locking her legs in place to keep her steady.

A Chan barely had time to register the movement before her attention was wholly drawn to the sight.

They stood atop the city walls, watching the last embers of daylight die into darkness.

“Bai Xiuming, the sun has set,” she murmured.

A Chan lingered in the sunset’s hush, but before she could fully savor it, she was set back on the ground.

The sudden drop in height left her momentarily thrown off.

“The sunset’s over. Should I take you back?” Bai Xiuming asked.

A Chan shook her head. She figured he would soon go to recover his mother’s bones—and then he’d be sad again.

He had stayed with her all day. Maybe she should stick around for him a little longer?

"Can I go back to the Prince of Xiling's palace with you?" she asked.

"What for?" Bai Xiuming didn’t refuse but countered with a question.

A Chan naturally wouldn’t tell him about the inexplicable thought that had crossed her mind. She came up with a perfectly good reason for her strange idea: "You promised to release Huixue and her mother? I’m going to fetch them."

"They’ll be brought to you. There’s no need for you to fetch them."

A Chan bristled—why was he being so uncooperative?

"Well I’m going!"

Bai Xiuming seemed to see right through her thoughts and gave a small laugh. "Let’s go."