Chapter 121 Negotiation: “Dragging me back to hell.”

Chapter 121: Negotiation: "You're dragging me back to hell."

Tian Qin soon stopped the bleeding.

Not long ago, she had thrown water at him to show she was done with him, but in a mere few days, she had humbled herself, like a slender bamboo bent under the weight of snow, her attitude completely reversed, obediently sitting back beside him.

But after all, she had tasted the flavor of freedom, and her innate pride still burned in her bones. As he casually licked her fingers, her expression remained dignified and solemn, as if she were at a serious negotiation—just negotiation, nothing more, radiating an unassailable strength.

Xie Tanwei broke the tense atmosphere, gently stroking the indentation on her forehead, his voice softening: "That wound from the other day, does it still hurt?"

Tian Qin was startled for a moment, then denied it.

"That day you bled so much—half your dress was stained red. It was shocking. I imagined a hundred ways you might get back at me, but never like this. Like this, you win."

Xie Tanwei shook his head and sighed, his face fading into shadow, quietly immersed in memories, as if the danger of that day were still vivid. He stroked the dent on her forehead repeatedly, making sure new skin had grown over it, only then did he feel a stone settle in his heart.

Tian Qin flared up again at his reckless words. What did he mean by doing it for revenge? As if she even cared about him.

He sounded so sure of himself that she almost believed it too, doubting if her confused heart really held some crazy idea: that she hated him, and that she hurt herself just to make him feel regret, pity, or pain.

She was sure she didn't.

But his words undoubtedly disturbed her convictions, needlessly tugging at her feelings.

Tian Qin irritably pushed his hand away and decided to get straight to the point: "Lord Xie, the reason I've come today is to..."

The tea attendant cut her off again. It was time for the midday meal, and delicate dishes were carried in one after another.

"Let's eat first."

Xie Tanwei's voice was warm and dreamlike, just like when he spoiled her most—lavishing her with fine houses, beautiful dresses, gold hairpins—making it feel unreal—especially since she was now a stray cat thrown out of the house.

Tian Qin coldly refused, wanting to continue her topic, but Xie Tanwei had already prepared milk with the right balance of sweetness and saltiness, had broken the soft-boiled egg yolk over her white rice, letting it steam with an enticing aroma, as if the two had never parted.

A faint medicinal smell drifted into her nose; it was a restorative medicinal meal made just for her. Compared to the delicacies of the Garden of Paintings in the past, it was even more exquisite.

Her worries grew, and her throat tightened. She had originally brought dry provisions in her cloth bag—two hard buns and a wild-greens ball, steamed by Nanny Chen before Bo Ge's incident.

"No, I brought my own food. Go ahead and eat."

She drew a cold, sharp line between them, though the dry provisions in her bag were hardly suitable for eating. After settling her affairs, she planned to buy a dozen buns for ten coins on the street—filling and satisfying. Why should she accept his gifts?

"How can I eat by myself?" Xie Tanwei, sticking to his so-called noble manners, resting his chin on his hand, adopted an attitude of waiting it out. "If you don't eat, I won't eat either."

Tian Qin excused herself: "I don't like eating rich meats and fish."

Xie Tanwei knew there was no rich meat or fish in the meal, nor anything greasy like that; all the dishes were ones she used to like. Her eyes couldn't even see the dishes clearly, so when she made excuses, she was just spouting nonsense.

He didn't expose her: "Then what do you like to eat?"

Tian Qin found his nagging annoying, especially about an obvious lie. He acted like he didn't have a clue about how the world worked. She stammered, "I was going to buy some buns later."

"Which shop? What soup?"

"No place special. The corner stall down the alley. No soup."

Xie Tanwei had someone go buy them.

Soon, fresh hot buns arrived, so hot they made Tian Qin flinch, leaving her feeling completely unreal.

"You..." She frowned deeply, her tongue tied, at a loss for words, as if defeated, her blind eyes full of confusion.

After a moment, she reluctantly pulled out ten coins and handed them over, settling the account: "Thank you."

Xie Tanwei's eyes were like cold, clear water. He glanced at the coins with a thin smile. He didn't respond, just quietly watched her eat the buns.

Even blind, Tian Qin felt uncomfortable under his stare. She wolfed down the buns, wanting to finish so they could get to business.

When she choked, he quickly handed her a cup of thin milk, patting her back and saying, "Slow down."

"Lord Xie, it's like this: my 'husband,' due to his ignorance of the law, picked some Jiulongpan (a rare herb) and ended up in prison, full of regret. I can't stand to see him lose his life over this, leaving behind a house full of frail women. I beg you to put in a good word with the magistrate, to pardon him this once. We'll accept any punishment."

She hastily swallowed her food, her breath uneven, seizing the opportunity to state her reason.

Since he put on a facade of impartiality, she spoke to him in official jargon, stressing the word "husband" to remind him that her heart already belonged to another.

"Your husband?"

Xie Tanwei kept a gentle expression even at such a sour topic, but it was tinged with icy blue. He said, "I know your 'betrothed' is in trouble, but the state has laws, and the family has rules. Now the magistrate suspects not only the bun seller, but also you and your family, are involved in this trafficking scheme, and plans to arrest and execute everyone."

Tian Qin's breath caught.

Nanny Chen, Zhaolu, Wan Cui, herself... none of them could afford to go to prison. Otherwise, not only would they fail to save Bo Ge, but given their frail nature, every one of them would perish in jail.

"Lord, you wouldn't let me go to prison, would you?"

She injected each word with a stubborn, venomous force, gauging his sullied thoughts. "Things done too ruthlessly lose their flavor, don't they?"

Xie Tanwei let out a graceful, light laugh.

"Of course."

He leaned close to her ear, soft as spring mud, brushing past her trembling, contemplative, delicate brows and eyes. "There is indeed a way to spare you from imprisonment, since you didn't actually sell the herbs—you were just implicated. Divorce. More precisely, you break off the engagement with him, because you've only had a betrothal ceremony, not yet become husband and wife. Sever ties with him, and naturally it will be hard for the authorities to pursue you. No need for moral burden—even married couples fly apart when great trouble comes. I'm just offering advice. In the end, the decision lies with you and your 'husband.'"

He circled back to his original sinister purpose, never straying. Tian Qin's eyes beneath the gauze seemed ready to burst into bloody tears: "Just breaking the engagement?"

Perhaps breaking the engagement was only the first step.

Xie Tanwei's ethereal voice was as quiet as fine rain, calmly facing her hostile interrogation: "There is something else, but it's not malicious—it's for your sake, since after the engagement is broken, you'll be homeless."

Tian Qin had long seen through his evil calculations. She pressed her eyes shut, her heart as bleak as a dry well. She would have to abandon Bo Ge, to return to his side in some unspeakable capacity. If she refused, he would toy with her and Bo Ge, like two impoverished puppets, in even harsher ways.

"Xie Tanwei."

She gnashed her teeth, spitting out the name that had tormented her for two lifetimes. "Back then, you and Xian Qiu wanted a legitimate eldest son. You couldn't tolerate a lowly concubine like me, so you slandered me and drove me and my maids out."

"I admit I pestered you once afterward, privately asking Xian Qiu for money, but that was only because we couldn't survive and had no other choice. There was never any intention of blackmail. And besides, I didn't get any money."

Xie Tanwei's crow-black eyelashes shaded his eyes, casting a dangerous and ominous shadow. He said heavily, "Driving you out was a momentary lapse of judgment on my part. I thought you should leave me and start a new life. And at that time, I was indeed tired of you."

"Fine, tired of me, tired of me. Since you were already tired of me, and time has passed, and I have finally managed to stand on my own in the mud, why are you forcefully disrupting my life?"

Tian Qin roughly tore off the blindfold, tears glistening, trying to see clearly the expression of this cold-blooded creature.

"Going back on your word—don't tell me it's because you saw I was doing too well, and you want to drag me back to hell."

She began to sob rapidly, gasping for breath.

Two lifetimes, and she had never wronged him.

If anyone owes anything, it's him who owes her.

"What's this talk of hell? How disrespectful."

Xie Tanwei abruptly cupped her face, the warmth of his palms felt intimate, but his attitude was utterly cold.

Letting her go was the most foolish thing he had ever done; it only proved he was useless—her departure had shattered the pillar of his so-called cleverness. So he regretted it, regretted it every moment, and would stop at nothing to imprison her again by extreme means.

The Love Gu hadn't been removed, and of course, couldn't be.

With the Love Gu in place, he could track her whereabouts to the ends of the earth.

"Don't cry. I'll give you more time. I don't want to take advantage of you in your moment of crisis. Bo Ge's punishment will be postponed by five days, giving you plenty of time to decide. After five days, I hope you won't disappoint me. If you love him, save his life. Of course, it's understandable if you give up on Bo Ge—everyone yearns for freedom—but you must know that I won't let the matter rest either."

"I don't want to deceive you any longer; I need to explain clearly what happens next. I won't let you enter the Xie family home. You and I can only meet in places of passion and pleasure. As for the mansion and independence I promised you the other day, I will not give them, because my sister threw that cup of water—such an act has consequences. That cup of water woke me up. Even the most worthless person knows when to cut their losses."

What he cut his losses on was naturally the feelings he had invested in her.

Having said that, Xie Tanwei released his hands and silently allowed her to leave.

He wiped her tear-streaked face with a handkerchief, as thoughtful as a friend.

Tian Qin angrily brushed him off, no longer able to remain calm.

"You will get your comeuppance." She left this empty curse behind and drifted away gracefully.

Xie Tanwei sat alone in the shadows and smiled, the sunset reflected in the cup with dazzling colors. He threw his head back and drained the cup, letting the darkness engulf him, as if someone like him belonged in the darkness, unworthy of the light.

After a long while, he rose and went to the window. Night had fully fallen, the streets still bustling and splendid, but amid the crowd, her figure had long vanished.

At that moment, he inexplicably envied Bo Ge, the man who sold pastries. Though poor, he often received her smiles, shared a plate of delicious buns from the shop at the corner, and talked about their thoughts without any burden.

But he could only stand alone on the upper floor countless times, secretly gazing at their backs, like a bystander watching a fisherman, merely envying his catch.

He knew that his fate with Tian Qin was not severed; taking her back and imprisoning her by his side was only a matter of time. But if possible, he still wished she would be a little more willing, replicating the beautiful moments she shared with others onto himself.

He was not a person who loved to force others, except for her—in the court and the rear mansions, he had never forced anyone else.

At this moment, the lingering fragrance she left in his palm gradually faded away...

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Note: "Sitting idly by watching the fisherman, only envying the fish" is from Meng Haoran's "Gazing at Lake Dongting Presented to Prime Minister Zhang."