Chapter 108 Departure: “Move out as soon as you recover.”

Chapter 108: Departure: "Move out as soon as you recover."

The once orderly Xie residence fell into desolation and ruin after the fire, with the elegant pavilion of Qiutang Courtyard reduced to ashes.

Maids and elderly servants, their faces ashen, swept up charcoal and ashes with brooms. Male servants worked in groups of two or three, carrying half-burned beams and fallen ceiling panels.

A fine drizzle continued to fall, cold and dim, casting a lifeless pall over a late spring that should have been vibrant.

The mistress, Xian Qiu, originally frail and delicate, had suffered burns this time, her residence destroyed, making her the most pitiable person in the entire Xie mansion. The Lord, pitying her solitude and weakness, allowed her to temporarily move to the Wuwo Tongchun residence—how fortunes had turned; the Lord's Wuwo Tongchun had previously only been accessible to Tian Qin.

Tian Qin had fallen to rock bottom, confined to her quarters.

The once vibrant Huayuan Garden became lonely and desolate, like an abandoned house. The Lord never visited her again. This time, the mistress had been too greatly frightened, and the Lord had been constantly attending to her at Wuwo Tongchun.

The maid of Tian Qin, the supposed arsonist, was locked in the woodshed, awaiting the officials to take her away for trial. A crime as serious as arson, destroying the beautiful pavilions of Xie Garden, and attempting to murder the mistress—with multiple charges stacked against her, the maid would surely face death.

The maids and servants who had once curried favor at Huayuan now avoided her, sneering and scornful. After all, she was the daughter of a brothel-born courtesan, a born jinx who had brought ruin to the Xu family and now brought fire to the Xie mansion.

The Lord had doted on her for a day or two, and she had become so arrogant as to harm the mistress. It was said that the Lord and mistress were already discussing her punishment—such a source of calamity would certainly not be kept in the Xie family; she would be expelled from the family register.

Thinking back to that night, the Lord had even drawn a sword to protect the mistress, pressing it against Tian Qin's neck. What affection could remain?

At Huayuan, when Nanny Chen pushed open the door, Tian Qin was facing the wall, wrapped in her quilt, utterly silent.

"Miss, please eat something." Nanny Chen set down the food, helplessly noting that it was only a few pieces of steamed bread and greens, even simpler than monastery vegetarian fare. The rules of survival in this deep mansion were always the survival of the fittest and sycophancy. Seeing the Lord's sword pointed at Tian Qin, everyone was eager to kick her while she was down.

The bulging quilt remained motionless.

"I don't want to." The voice was extremely low and indistinct.

"Miss, you haven't eaten properly for two days now. You must eat."

Nanny Chen approached, placing the food on Tian Qin's bed and exhorting her earnestly. Wan Cui had already fallen ill; the young lady could not afford to collapse as well. Zhaolu was surely doomed this time; everyone was heartbroken, but they couldn't bury themselves along with her.

At this thought, Nanny Chen couldn't help but shed tears. Why? They had been cautious in their words and actions, striving to make a living in this grand mansion, committing no wrongdoings, yet in the end, it was they who were wronged and faced death. Once the Lord issued his order, they had no room for defense.

"Tian Jie'er, come, listen to Nanny, eat a little at least."

Nanny Chen raised a piece of steamed bread, mustering all her courage to coax the young lady into eating. The coarse bread and greens were far inferior to Tian Qin's usual fine fare, even worse than a servant's meal.

But even this was life-saving food.

Endure, they had to endure. This time, the Lord and mistress clearly detested Tian Qin. If she could get through these few days, they might expel her from the mansion, and the freedom they had dreamed of would come.

Seeing the quilt still motionless, Nanny Chen reached out to gently touch Tian Qin's shoulder. At the touch, she was startled—Tian Qin was burning with fever, her temperature unlike that of a normal living person. Turning Tian Qin's face, she saw a pallor tinged with a sickly flush, her breath faint.

"Tian Jie'er!"

Nanny Chen screamed in anguish and rushed out frantically to find help.

...

In her daze, Tian Qin's consciousness grew increasingly faint, much like the last time she had fallen into the sea and nearly drowned. In truth, she still had some strength left within her; if she tried, she could shake off the grip of illness.

But she had no will to live, no motivation to go on. If she struggled to open her eyes, all she would see was Zhaolu's corpse and the coldness of the spiteful servants—a chilly, indifferent world. In that case, she would rather hide in the dark chaos.

She didn't know how long it was before someone forced open her mouth with chopsticks, deftly pressing the soft flesh between her lips to create a gap. A bitter liquid flowed down her throat, battling the rampant illness in her lungs and organs. Five or six long needles, warm from being passed through fire, pierced into her acupoints, stretching her skin taut and making her moan involuntarily.

Later, the bitter medicine stopped, the fine sweat dried, and the silver needles were removed.

Tian Qin lay quietly on her pillow and opened her eyes.

What came into view was Xie Tanwei's silhouette, cool as white jade after being fired, each movement exuding indifference, unaffected by the fire at home or her illness, like the clear, cold sky of early spring.

Xie Tanwei stood firmly by the bedside: "Yu Tianqin, you're awake."

Tian Qin, touched by the sunlight and a gentle spring breeze, regained a bit of color. She didn't react to the address at first—she couldn't recall him ever calling her by her full name, drawing such a clear boundary.

But now he appeared as a stranger, which was what she had long wished for.

Tian Qin's lips curved weakly.

The final moment had come.

"Is the rain still falling?"

After a long pause, her raspy voice broke the silence with an irrelevant question.

Xie Tanwei replied, "It's cleared up."

He clapped his hands, and servants filed in carrying crab roe congee, golden-thread rolls, double-layer cakes with bean paste and jujube mash, and the osmanthus sugar cakes she usually loved. The egg was soft-boiled, the yolk flowing at the slightest touch—also her favorite.

"I've already had the servants who bullied you and withheld your supplies flogged twenty strokes each."

He lifted a spoon, offering nourishment to the ailing young woman. "It's just right, neither hot nor cold."

Tian Qin lowered her eyelids, keeping her distance.

Xie Tanwei remained calm and didn't force her, but said in a negotiating tone, "Eat first, then we'll discuss the next steps."

He had all the time in the world; he could afford to wait.

With a burning sensation in her throat, Tian Qin suddenly grabbed the spoon and ate all the congee and rice. She ate so hastily she nearly choked, and bits of congee spilled from the corner of her mouth. Xie Tanwei handed her a handkerchief, but didn't gently wipe it for her as he used to, nor did he call her "silly girl."

The messy bowls and dishes were cleared by the servants, and the food settled in her stomach. Xie Tanwei stood up, hands clasped behind his back, standing silently by the window. His tall figure blocked the light like a dark waterfall, and he said briefly:

"I'll give you three days to recover. Once you're well, move out as soon as possible."

Tian Qin was thunderstruck, the words ringing in her ears like a deafening roar.

When her ears clearly registered the meaning, she felt a surreal sensation, wondering if she were dreaming. It took her a long time to digest the significance of those words, deeply shaken.

"Has my brother-in-law grown tired of me?"

They had an agreement: when he tired of her, he would let her go.

Xie Tanwei's dark silhouette faced her, his expression unreadable. "Tired."

Those two words shattered all past affections and built an impregnable wall of rationality. "Don't call me brother-in-law ever again. You will sever your sisterly ties with Xian Qiu, and you will be removed from the Yu family register. We are strangers for the rest of our lives, never to see each other again. From now on, as you wished, let the bridge be the bridge and the road the road."

"Xian Qiu will give you a sum of money. As for marriage, she wanted to arrange it, but I stopped her. You have someone in your heart; what we arrange may not be what you want, and forcing a match will only make your remaining years more painful. So, how you live your life from now on is up to you."

Tian Qin was being cast out like trash, yet she felt no sadness. The sobbing in her voice and the red-rimmed eyes were only for the innocent victim, Zhaolu. After a moment's silence, she lifted her lips and said, "Thank you."

"Mm." His figure stood immovable.

"Sister and brother-in-law are going to have a legitimate firstborn son—a great joy." Tian Qin had won her most precious gift and continued to haggle. "The fire was my fault; I shouldn't have argued with sister and brother-in-law. You are magnanimous and can forgive us. If my brother-in-law is still not appeased..."

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering he had forbidden her to call him brother-in-law, and coldly corrected herself: "If you are still not appeased, punish Tian Qin as you will. I only beg you and the mistress to release my maid Zhaolu; she is innocent. We lowly creatures are only dirtying your eyes. Why not drive us all away and enjoy some peace?"

Her tone was clearly unsteady, yet she forced a lightness that grated on the ears. Once, she had endlessly called out "brother-in-law" in a soft, affectionate voice while lying on the bed, but now she was eager to clear the obstacles and leave.

Xie Tanwei harbored a murky unease, snorting coldly, teetering on the edge of reneging.

Why was she in such a hurry to leave him? Hadn't he been good to her? Yesterday, cutting her hair was just for show—had he ever had the heart to touch a single hair on her head in all these years?

He said he was tired of her, and she, in turn, didn't even feign a plea to stay—she had been longing for this.

Xie Tanwei could indeed spare the life of that maid, Zhaolu, with ease, but he wouldn't hand it over for free.

He turned back, after renouncing their relationship as brother-in-law and sister-in-law, once again overstepping by gripping her chin, his meaning profoundly subtle, and questioned accusingly:

"Release your arsonist maid—on what grounds?"

Because she calmly belittled herself, calling the maid an eyesore vermin? That doesn't hold.

Tian Qin's words lodged in her throat. Having worn a mask of cunning flattery her whole life, at this parting, it was a clash of masters—only sincerity could meet sincerity.

"On the grounds that I loved you in a past life."

She stated her feelings plainly, unburdened because she had long let go.

"I don't want to have loved the wrong person. Is that enough?"

In her past life, after entering the manor, she had indeed felt a fleeting fondness for him, so refined and elegant.

This emotion, long regarded by her as a disgrace, she now wielded as a bargaining chip, hoping to stir a trace of guilt in Xie Tanwei to barter for Zhaolu's life.

Xie Tanwei's hostility sank to the clear depths of his heart, instantly cooling.

His already unsteady mind quaked as if struck by an earthquake, his soul scattered and lost. An unnameable word emerged from afar, shattering his spirit alongside the Love Gu in his heart—even though he had issued no command to the Love Gu.

Loved...?

After mulling it over for a long time, he awkwardly dropped a line: "Who gave you permission to love me?"—dismissing her confession as an affront.

Tian Qin knew he would say this; moral blackmail had never worked on him. In the past, when facing difficulties, she could still beg him with her lips and body, but now all those privileges were stripped away. He stood in the clear light as the Head of the Xie Family, an unbridgeable chasm apart from her.

Tian Qin's expression went rigid, and she kept from saying anything more elaborate, afraid of losing the freedom she had gained. The air was filled with a suffocating hesitation.

The veins in Xie Tanwei's temples throbbed wildly, yet his thoughts drifted to that distant day—when he had forced her to say she loved him, and she had hedged and procrastinated, only reluctantly admitting it after a long time. This time, without any coercion, she had voluntarily, without any warning, said she loved him.

...She really did love him.

Those three words echoed like a curse in the lake of his heart, stirring up stormy waves that could sink ships.

Too late. They faced a farewell that meant they would never see each other again in this life. He was determined to send her away, even if she clung to him crying and pleading.

He had to harden his heart.