Chapter 99 Severed Hair: “What’s the game’s time limit?”

Chapter 99: Cutting Hair: "What is the end date for the game?"

Xie Tanwei's sudden summons disrupted Tian Qin's plans. Zhaolu and Nanny Chen and the others showed panic, their hopeful enthusiasm doused with cold water. Everyone thought the Lord had grown tired of Tian Qin, and her freedom was just around the corner, but the Lord pulled this stunt out of nowhere.

Tian Qin was forced to return to Wuwo Tongchun. Xie Tanwei stood by the half-open window. Clear light from the gaps in the clouds poured down from the sky, early spring's biting cold and faint brightness, profound and distant. His face, unseen for many days, was as ever.

In this room, a dazzling array of treasures filled the space: all kinds of enamelware, Western mirrors, agate stones, and more, glinting in the eye. There were also rare delicacies whose names she didn't know, exuding tempting aromas—brought back from overseas by the fleet sailing to the Western Seas.

Xie Tanwei's coldness had always been openly displayed, and so was his affection.

When they met again, the atmosphere was thick with estrangement and distance.

That night, Tian Qin had returned home in the dead of night, enduring ridicule. Now, she didn't take the initiative to speak. Thinking optimistically, these pearls and jewels might be his farewell gifts; they were about to go their separate ways.

"You're here."

Xie Tanwei, as if nothing had happened, skillfully took Tian Qin's hand, as if they had only been apart for a moment. Their fingers interlocked, his intimate care as before. He led her to the treasures and told her to pick whatever she liked.

"Why bother picking? They're all yours." Tian Qin chose fruitlessly for a while. Xie Tanwei spoke at the right moment, pressing her hesitant hand, his smile like a spring shadow slanting westward, stuffing the most beautiful items into her hand.

The estrangement and barriers of the past few days, the rumors that Tian Qin was about to be kicked out of the mansion—none of it seemed to exist for him. His intimacy was tacit and unspoken; no matter how long they hadn't seen each other, as long as he hadn't explicitly said he would abandon her, their relationship remained where it was.

Tian Qin had long lost the patience to play along. Her heart was utterly disgusted, viewing the treasures as trash. She just wished he would hurry up and drive her away, give her a clean break, instead of this constant slow, piecemeal torture.

"I don't want these."

She refused directly, without even softening it with "brother-in-law."

Xie Tanwei didn't take offense. He asked instead, "Then what do you want?"

He closed in on her, that damp, suffocating narrow cage enveloping her again, vague and intense. Cold yet polite, he gripped her arm, scrutinizing her carefully, as if conducting a routine inspection of his property—a sense of oppression both familiar and alien.

She didn't want gold or silver—so what did she want? Freedom?

Tian Qin had intended to bring up leaving the mansion, but seeing this, she wisely kept her mouth shut. Forced into his embrace, she couldn't see his expression, only the faint shadow reflected in the dim bronze mirror, dark and menacing, like an enormous fishing net.

Docile, obedient, appearing in his arms at any time, and retreating into the shadows when no longer needed—this was his requirement of her. Any slight deviation, and the whip would teach her a lesson.

Tian Qin's back burned, from fear and resistance, but with good sense, she didn't push him away.

The result of her docility was earning him double the warmth and tenderness.

All the treasures and affection were hers. Xie Tanwei pulled her onto the couch and tweaked her nose. "Have you been good these past few days?"

Tian Qin nodded obediently.

But inside, she fiercely resented her own compliance.

She didn't speak, trying to keep her emotions calm, because if she spoke in this indignant state, she'd inevitably get hysterical.

"Very good." Xie Tanwei's tone and demeanor were different from usual, seeming to contain a budding sense of longing.

Tian Qin's heart leaped—this was what worried her most. He still had feelings for her, meaning her long-sought departure was ruined.

Xie Tanwei casually took her wrist and placed it on her own heart. His voice was soft and light, like the clear light at the horizon, no pressure but softness conquering hardness. "Now, touch your Love Gu and say you miss me."

Tian Qin stiffly pulled at the corners of her mouth, like a puppet on strings, unable to feel joy or sorrow. The pounding heartbeat reached her palm, the Love Gu surging eagerly in her skin and blood. "I miss you."

Her face sank into the shadows, devoid of emotion, merely completing an order.

Xie Tanwei accepted it. In this carefully constructed cage, it seemed it didn't matter whether she had feelings or not; as long as she behaved.

These past few days, he had indeed not ignored her, nor had he intended to abandon her. He'd just been distracted by odds and ends and neglected her.

He'd grow tired and let her go, but not now.

The dazzling treasures were all packed up and sent to the Huayuan, for Tian Qin to admire and enjoy at her leisure, or to reward the servants.

Tian Qin herself was made to stay to accompany Xie Tanwei in handling official documents and memorials, serving as a soft cushion.

Xie Tanwei circled her with one arm, while the other hand swiftly and smoothly marked up the dense dispatches with a brush, his strokes mellow. Time passed extremely slowly, solemn and silent, his mind calm and settled.

They hadn't been this close for many days; they needed to dispel the strangeness. Being alone together was the best.

When mouths are silent, their hearts listen.

Tian Qin shrank into his embrace, breathing stealthily, minimizing her presence. In the quiet afternoon, the only sound was the friction of ink particles against rice paper, a numbing tingle that massaged her ears.

The embrace that had once terrified her had now become a temporary shelter from the wind.

What she sought was stability, constancy, avoidance of upheaval. Eternal imprisonment was also a kind of stability.

Though this embrace was suffocating, as long as she stayed still, she wouldn't feel pain.

Compared to the anxiety at Huayuan, being in his arms actually felt like a heavy weight lifted, allowing her a genuine sigh of relief.

Early spring had just arrived; the underfloor heating was off. The biting chill of spring and the lingering winter cold wafted through the room. Xie Tanwei naturally loved brightness and ventilation, and he wouldn't close the windows too tightly, so threads of spring breeze sneaked in.

"You cold?" Xie Tanwei finished writing a beautiful downstroke, put down the brush, and pulled a blanket over Tian Qin.

How ironic the world was. A few days ago, she was mired in rumors of losing favor; today, she was held in the Lord's arms, not a single strand of hair allowed to be hurt. From the valley to the peak—it all depended on the Lord's word.

Tian Qin rubbed against the blanket, shrinking until only her head showed. "Not cold. Very warm."

Xie Tanwei smiled faintly, rubbed her vigorously, a splash of cold water mingled with threads of affection. "If you're sleepy, go to sleep."

Though Tian Qin was in a sleepy and warm state, her mind was particularly clear. His recent hot-and-cold attitude made her think a lot. She plucked up courage and asked the age-old question:

"...Brother-in-law."

"Hm?"

"What is the end date for this game?"

Once, he had promised to marry her off, but now it seemed far away.

She would also grow old, her beauty would fade. She couldn't be his nominal little sister forever. She had already lived a second life; if she didn't enjoy her youth, it would be too late.

She hoped he wouldn't brush her off with vague words like "when I tire" but give her a definite deadline, defining the end of this game, as a mercy from this self-righteous saint.

The answer, naturally, was no answer.

Xie Tanwei stroked her weary eyelids and told her, "You're tired. Go to sleep first."

He wrapped her sharp question in a soft, sticky coating, refusing to be drawn into her pace.

"Will I ever have my own freedom again?"

Tian Qin refused to nap, pressing on.

He shook his head, yet nodded with a sigh, his attitude lost in a fog.

In fact, there was a time limit to the game, but it was in his hands. When the time was not yet ripe, even if he generously granted her a so-called deadline, would she dare to believe it?

Tian Qin's tears fell without warning, soaking a small patch of the blanket. Unwilling to show weakness before him, she forced back the tears hanging in her eyes.

The glitter of gems and trinkets still sparkled, but it could not pierce her eyes. Because compared to these vulgar worldly goods, the Love Gu (a parasitic love curse) that Xie Tanwei had planted inside her was perhaps the most precious, yet also the most venomous. Through it, he could manipulate and crush her entire life.

......

The Painting Garden was quiet for a few days, then regained its former splendor.

The servants all thought that Tian Qin had taken the initiative to curry favor with the Lord, and that the Lord, moved, had bestowed many fine things upon her, so the two had reconciled. Tian Qin had grown accustomed to such rumors, numbly enduring the strange looks from others, dazed and soulless.

Spring advanced faster with each passing day. The pear tree before the gate burst into full bloom like fireworks, an ocean of fragrance spilling forth. Lying quietly on the wicker chair beneath the tree, inhaling the scent for a moment, among the swaying tree shadows, all wounds could be healed.

Wan Cui gathered some fresh flowers for Tian Qin's bath; the warm water was mixed just right, wrapping her limbs in comfort. Tian Qin was accustomed to scenting her hair with fresh petals, avoiding the need for greasy hair oil.

Magnolia flowers have beautifying effects; in addition, baby's breath and locust blossoms were mixed in, along with milk. Tian Qin soaked for a long time; her dark hair carried not only floral scents but also a soft, milky fragrance.

Nanny Chen was the eldest, and her care for Tian Qin was most like that of an elder. The young maids like Wan Cui only smelled the floral fragrance, but Nanny Chen unconsciously inhaled it into the dark corners of her heart.

Yes, the young lady was delicate, a noble daughter. Her beauty and snow-white skin were built with countless sums of money. Staying in the Xie family, though her heart was tormented, she could be fully satisfied materially. No one else could afford to keep her.

Nanny Chen thought of her own ill-fated, devoted Bo Ge, and her eyes grew sore.

This was an impasse, impossible to break.

Normally, Nanny Chen would take advantage of the quiet bath time to share heartfelt words with Tian Qin, but today she could not. She was cautious and silent, for no other reason than that the Lord was in the young lady's boudoir.

Tian Qin stepped out of the water, wrapped in a long towel, looking like a hibiscus bedecked with dewdrops—pure and ethereal. The floor was covered with lamb's wool carpet, changed daily, clean and warm. Tian Qin walked barefoot upon it without feeling cold, leaving a pair of damp footprints with each step.

The charcoal fire in the room blazed, keeping the spring chill at bay, relegating it to a distant world, steam rising in a white mist.

Tian Qin struggled to wring dry her wet hair with a towel, tangling several strands, and one strand pulled at her scalp, causing her to inhale sharply in pain.

Xie Tanwei came around from behind the screen, his voice like melted snow water dripping from the eaves, impossibly gentle. "Clumsy."

He naturally took the comb and towel from her hands. He was a head taller than her, making it easy to dry her hair. The fragrance from the ends of her hair clung to his fingertips. Tian Qin was uneasy. "There's no need."

Xie Tanwei combed through the tangled hair, which had been beautiful in color but which she had hopelessly messed up, practically trampling on its beauty. He gave a helpless chuckle and ordered, "Lower your head."

A beautiful night, he intended to hold her in his arms, letting her take as long as she wanted.

His long, cool-white, deft fingers turned into a comb, weaving through her scalp and hair, smoothing out the layers.

Tian Qin hesitated for a moment, then accepted his ministrations. There was nothing wrong with his technique; the pain of pulling hair roots was gone, but it tickled a little, like feathers of different sizes brushing against her.

"This doesn't feel right. Let me do it myself."

She declined several times, wanting to escape from under his hands.

But he ignored her, almost done drying her hair.