Chapter 54 “What Were You Two Doing Just Now!”

Chapter 54: "What were you two doing just now!"

"From now on, I care not for fine nights, / Let the bright moon descend the western tower alone."

It was nearing the second watch of the night. The ancient, somber sound of the night watchman's clapper drifted from afar, like the resonant evening drums and morning bells. Outside, the moon hung sharply askew, its misty light spreading across the daybed by the window.

I gazed blankly at the frost-covered ground, countless memories surfacing. I, too, had spent countless beautiful nights with Xie Yan—those hidden nights of intimate whispers and shared embraces. Now, recalling them only brought a sense of time's relentless passage and the irreversible changes in life.

Love, when pushed to its extreme, transformed into endless hatred.

A throbbing pain in my temples compelled me to look again at Xie Yan’s face, a face that could bring ruin. He lay quietly on the bed, sleeping peacefully and serenely. The flush on his cheeks had faded, his hands rested obediently on the brocade quilt, and his thick, dark hair just barely concealed his thin, pale face. He appeared as docile as a peony blooming quietly in the shadows, making my heart pound uncontrollably.

Xie Yan, did you, like me, deeply engrave those tranquil and sweet nights into your memory?

I received no answer.

Xie Yan was deep in sleep, his exquisitely handsome features now stripped of their usual cold sternness, possessing instead a gentle, ethereal quality—like a spirit accidentally fallen into the mortal world, untouched by any worldly corruption.

His thick lashes veiled his eyes, his breath was light and calm, his thin lips slightly upturned, and a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, as if he were immersed in an endless beautiful dream.

The awake Xie Yan was always sharp and cutting, forever composed and superior. But now, weakened by illness, he gave me a sense of equality among all beings.

Peeking at Xie Yan’s old belongings brought me no useful clues about the seal; instead, it stirred up all sorts of unwarranted emotions. These emotions, carrying returning fantasies, suddenly made me feel very tired.

I often tread the line between love and hate. One moment, I wished I could skin Xie Yan alive and tear out his heart and lungs; the next, I found him quite endearing, wanting to embrace him tightly while also demanding fiercely why he had been so cruel to me.

But now, there was no turning back. I had made my decision and had given Xie Yan a chance.

It’s truly lamentable. Since birth, my life has never been in my control. I never intended to cause my mother’s death, never thought I would fall in love with Xie Yan, never expected to be reborn after I took my own life—and yet, here I stand.

Heaven both pities and toys with me. In the end, love remains unresolved, hatred remains unforgotten. With great difficulty, I tore my gaze away from Xie Yan.

If I could choose, Xie Yan, I would wish that the two of us had never stepped into that beautiful night.

When I woke the next day, I saw indigo silk curtains above me and realized with a start that this wasn’t my bed. After tending to Xie Yan last night, it was already the second watch of the night. Too exhausted to move, I had wrapped myself in a blanket and fallen asleep on the daybed by the window. Having been exposed to the cold wind for hours, my head was still buzzing faintly.

Rubbing my aching forehead, I pushed myself up and realized I was lying in Xie Yan’s bed, the faint, cold scent he always carried lingering around me.

I had been perfectly fine on the daybed last night—how did I end up in Xie Yan’s bed? Could it be that Xie Yan carried me here? The thought made me frown deeply, and the disgust of being touched by him surged through me again.

When the steward entered with attendants, I was still sitting there dumbfounded. It wasn’t until an attendant brought water for washing and rinsing my mouth that I snapped out of it and noticed the steward smiling at me.

"Thank you for your chivalrous help, Young Master Qiu. This old servant can never repay you."

As he spoke, he began to bow, but I quickly stopped him and reassured him, "Steward, such a gesture is too much for Qiu Yunqing to accept. It was nothing remarkable—there’s no need to stand on ceremony."

I held no resentment toward the steward. On the contrary, I found him diligent and devoted, showing nothing but heartfelt affection for Xie Yan—something that was hard not to be moved by.

"How is His Highness the Crown Prince? Is he better now?"

I wasn’t truly concerned about Xie Yan; I just wanted to change the subject and divert the steward’s attention from thanking me.

Sure enough, the steward’s expression relaxed considerably. He no longer looked as solemn as when he was thanking me and said, "This is all thanks to your care, Young Master. His Highness is much better today. He finished his morning meal early and has already gone to his study to work."

Perhaps Xie Yan’s recovery brought him genuine joy, as the steward became unusually chatty.

"When I came in this morning, I happened to see His Highness carrying you to the bed to rest. It was my oversight—I should have prepared an extra quilt for you. I hope you weren’t too cold last night?"

So it was indeed Xie Yan who moved me from the daybed to the bed. It had only been a guess, but now that the steward confirmed it, I felt even more uncomfortable, as if licked by a snake’s tongue, raising goosebumps all over.

But in front of the steward, I forced a faint smile and said, "That’s good. Since His Highness is fine, I can return to my room to rest a bit."

"Indeed," the steward nodded in agreement, adding, "His Highness also instructed that you rest well today and need not attend to him."

"Mm," I replied casually before hurriedly leaving Xie Yan’s room and rushing back to my own. It was utterly disgusting—I needed to scrub every place Xie Yan had touched.

At my command, Huai Xin promptly prepared a full bucket of hot water for me. I scrubbed my skin until it was slightly red before finally feeling somewhat satisfied and stepping out of the tub.

When I emerged from the bath fully dressed, I saw Huai Xin staring at me with a mix of worry, pity, and unspoken awkwardness. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, but didn’t utter a word.

"Speak if you have something to say," I said coldly, growing impatient waiting for him to continue.

"Ah, Young Master, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Should Huai Xin call a physician for you?"

Huai Xin looked me over, his dark eyes filled with sincere concern and guilt. "Young Master, if you have any grievances, you can tell Huai Xin. I would never betray your secrets."

What in the world was he talking about? His hesitant expression and suggestive words made my head ache. Combined with my poor sleep last night, my expression turned icy.

"If you keep speaking in riddles, go back to Yuanzhou."

Other incentives might not work on Huai Xin, but this threat hit its mark. He immediately dropped to his knees, his eyes reddening with anxiety.

"Young Master, please don’t send Huai Xin away. I just thought you might have been... taken advantage of by His Highness last night, so I wanted to comfort you."

"Don’t be angry, Young Master. I won’t say such things again."

Finally, I understood what he was implying. But I couldn’t blame him—after serving the Crown Prince all night, I had immediately asked him to draw water for me to clean myself. His misunderstanding was natural.

Yet, the mere thought of such a misunderstanding made me feel nauseated and humiliated. I wanted to scrub my skin all over again, a gagging sensation rising in my throat.

It took me a long time to calm down. I finally said coolly, "Nothing happened. What you imagined did not occur. But I don’t want to hear such words again. If you repeat this, return to Yuanzhou."

Huai Xin rarely saw me so stern and was about to cry, hastily promising never to repeat his mistake.

But I was too agitated to listen, coldly tossing out a "Don’t follow me" before leaving.

In truth, I was usually lenient with Huai Xin—we were almost like brothers. After I spoke those harsh words and wandered outside, I felt I had been too severe.

Even if Huai Xin’s suspicions were unfounded, he had only been overly worried about me. I had spoken too harshly, but I couldn’t accept the possibility his words implied. Just thinking about it made me feel as if a poisonous snake were crawling over me, leaving me disgusted and unsettled.

Xie Yan was my father’s murderer. If I were to have intimate relations with him, how could I face my father in the afterlife?

My thoughts grew increasingly tangled. I had to wander around to clear my head, eventually stopping at the pavilion in the estate. Watching the lush lotus leaves in the pond and breathing in the cool, moist air, my knotted thoughts finally began to unwind.

My attention was completely captured by the beautiful scenery, so I didn’t notice someone approaching from behind. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered my eyes, and a light, gentle voice, tinged with fox-like cunning, whispered, "Guess who I am?"

"Who else could it be?" I said irritably, feeling guilty and worried that someone might see me interacting with Xie Xing. I quickly pulled his hands away and turned to see his pretty, delicate face.

He blinked playfully at me, his fox-like eyes slightly upturned, a sweet smile revealing his canine teeth. Instantly, my guard dropped. His appearance always made him seem like an innocent, well-behaved youth, masking the cunning and ruthlessness beneath.

Nervously, I glanced around and chided him, "Why are you here? What if someone sees us?"

Perhaps my flustered expression amused Xie Xing’s mischievous side. He grinned even wider, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

"Pretty brother, your guilty conscience is just too adorable. Look, if you don’t think of yourself as a thief, our meeting is just a coincidence—a casual greeting. It’s not as serious as you imagine."

Xie Xing’s words made some sense. I was being overly suspicious, seeing danger everywhere. Remembering how Xie Xing had once called me foolish, I shut my mouth, not wanting to give him another reason to mock me as stupid as a pig.

"Pretty brother, why so unhappy?"

Xie Xing's nature still carried a childlike romantic innocence. He blinked his brown eyes and moved closer to me, lifting a pale fingertip to rest under my right eye. He leaned in very close, speaking softly, as if deliberately trying to comfort me.

"Pretty gege, you don’t need to worry. I didn’t come specifically to find you this time. I just went to see the Crown Prince, but he was busy, so I came out for a stroll. I happened to run into you and thought I’d mess with you a bit."

Oh, I see. Then there was no reason for me to feel guilty.

I let out a long sigh and simply nodded. Then I heard Xie Xing lazily ask, "But I still want to ask, pretty gege, have you found the seal yet? Everything else is ready—we’re just waiting on the seal."

Even while discussing framing someone, Xie Xing’s lips still curved into a sweet, innocent smile. Yet that smile never reached his amber eyes. Standing so close to him, I could only see the cold, cruel killing intent within them.

Xie Xing truly had two different people within him, just as I had imagined. Afraid our conversation might be overheard, I whispered and spoke slowly, "I’m still looking. I’ll give it to you once I find it."

"Mhm, pretty gege, just do things your way. There’s no need to rush." Xie Xing comforted me gently, his slender fingers suddenly moving from beneath my eye to my chin.

I didn’t know why he had to stand so close—close enough that his breath brushed the tip of my nose. I looked up at him and saw his gaze drifting into the distance, his eyes curved in a smile, his pale pink lips quirking upward. There was a tone of delight in his voice, as if he enjoyed stirring up trouble.

"What should we do, pretty gege? It seems I’ve caused trouble for you."

I didn’t understand what he meant, only sensing a sly pride in his cunning eyes, like a mischievous child trying to act innocent to escape blame. His clear eyes kept staring behind me.

As if waking from a dream, I turned around and saw Xie Yan standing rigidly not far away. His thin white robes fluttered in the cold wind, giving off a desolate, hollow feeling. His frail, gaunt body looked as though it might cough up blood at any moment.

I saw sparks ignite in his dull gray eyes, his fingers clenched into fists at his sides, and his face twisted into an eerie, sinister expression, like a vengeful spirit clawing its way out of hell.

He stared at me for a full three seconds before gritting his teeth and asking, his voice cold as ice and furious as fire.

"What were you two up to just now?"

For a moment, I didn’t react, standing there dumbfounded, thinking that Xie Xing’s and my plan had been exposed.

But then Xie Xing suddenly blew a breath onto my face, and I suddenly understood—from Xie Yan’s perspective, hadn’t Xie Xing and I just looked like we were intimately kissing?

No wonder he was acting so strange, like a husband who had just caught his wife red-handed.

"Author’s Note"

Little Xie is green today!

By the way, I changed the ending of the previous chapter—everyone, remember to check it out.