Chapter 39: Talking of Love?

Just as dawn began to break, Jia Fang hurried to the library pavilion.

The two guards stationed outside had already awoken and were standing with their heads bowed, trembling. Jia Fang, in a state of extreme agitation with a face darkened like a jujube, approached and struck each of them across the top of their heads. His voice was pressed so low that it barely escaped his throat: "Useless trash! Utter trash! You can even fall asleep? Are you tired of living, damn you!"

As he spoke, he slapped each of their faces twice with a sharp "smack-smack," his fury intensifying. He then ordered them to unlock the doors and strode into the pavilion.

The cause of this was that at the first hint of dawn, the Regional Commander had been present. Jia Fang’s personal servant, having risen early to attend to matters, passed by and noticed the two guards appeared to have fallen asleep. A closer look confirmed his suspicion, and he immediately reported it to Jia Fang.

The library pavilion had two sets of doors, guarded both inside and out. After passing the first, they reached the second, where the two guards responsible for the night shift had also fallen asleep, though they had naturally woken up upon hearing the commotion. The two looked at each other, neither willing to admit they had dozed off.

Jia Fang’s gaze locked onto their faces as he entered. "Any abnormalities?"

"None..." they answered in unison, looking as guilty as could be.

Jia Fang had no patience to inspect them further. He immediately opened the second door, had someone light the candles, and hurried inside. He went straight to the second floor of the book collection, pulled out the copy of the "Xuanchong Heart Method," and flipped through it rapidly. Seeing that it had not been swapped, he let out a sigh of relief.

He had truly been terrified.

Once his mind was at ease, he moved the book to a different location. Upon exiting the pavilion, he issued a fierce, low-voiced order: "After the Regional Commander and his party leave, give them fifty lashes each. Damn it all, I’ll show you how to sleep! Do you have any idea whose place this is?"

The two guards immediately knelt, trembling like leaves in the wind, before being dragged away and replaced by others.

Jia Fang’s heart finally settled. Fortunately, it was a close call, and the book was not lost. He figured that even if someone had made it inside, they would never have found the book, nor would they have realized it held a secret.

*******

Yan Xi and her companions did not emerge from the manor until the hour of the snake, returning to the Regional Commander’s residence. Having barely slept the previous night, the young woman bathed and lay down upon her return, sleeping until the afternoon.

When she woke, she first summoned her maid and asked, "Is he in the residence?"

Qinglian responded and came over to help her up. "He has been in the study the entire time..."

Yan Xi gave a soft "Mm," stepped down to put on her shoes, and turned to Qinglian. "Go and prepare some ingredients for me..."

Though Qinglian did not understand what her mistress intended, she obediently agreed and left as soon as Yan Xi finished her instructions. Dressed neatly, Yan Xi went to the pavilion’s small kitchen herself.

********

An hour later, at the Ink Bamboo Pavilion.

A slow, soft laugh echoed from the study. Lu Zhi pinched the edges of the pages, turning them slowly. Before him lay not one book, but two. He had been here since his return, nearly three hours now.

Just then, a voice announced from outside the pavilion: "My Lord, the Young Mistress requests an audience..."

Lu Zhi wore a faint, ambiguous smile, his expression calm. Upon hearing the announcement, he slowly raised his eyebrows and paused his movements. He did not answer immediately, but after a moment, he replied in a cold voice: "Let her in."

Shortly after, the door opened. A moment later, a slender, delicate beauty appeared from behind the screen. She carried a food container, wore a pale pink cloak, and her makeup was light. She bowed her head slightly, occasionally lifting those watery eyes to gaze at him slowly. Before she had even spoken, her face had already turned slightly red.

Approaching, the young woman spoke: "I heard the Heir has been in this study since returning. I brewed some fresh soup; please taste it and warm your stomach..."

As she spoke, she stepped closer, placed the food container on the table, and opened the lid. A fresh, savory aroma wafted out. Yan Xi took a bowl and spoon and began serving him slowly.

During this time, Lu Zhi remained silent, his eyes tracking from her face to her hands as she spoke. Those hands were slender, fair, and beautiful, with delicate, pink nails; they were a rare sight in this world, and few could compare. The man narrowed his eyes slightly, his lips moving faintly as his gaze returned to her face.

Just as she finished serving the bowl and handed it to him, their eyes met.

Lu Zhi spoke nonchalantly: "You made this?"

Yan Xi nodded. "Yes, I made it. I wonder what you think of the taste, Heir? Do you like it?"

Lu Zhi wore a faint, fleeting smile. He took the bowl, his tone neither intimate nor distant. "You can make soup?"

"Mm, I learned it over the past few days..." Yan Xi answered, feeling somewhat nervous.

Lu Zhi had lived a life of luxury, raised in a wealthy household; he had tasted every delicacy and grand banquet, so his palate was bound to be demanding. She feared he would find it unpalatable. She had only learned the soup over the past few days—or more accurately, she had started studying the recipe the day before yesterday. This was indeed the first time she had prepared it in the small kitchen. She had tasted it herself and thought it quite good, but she did not know what this man would think.

Lu Zhi stirred it gently with a spoon and let out a soft laugh.

Yan Xi had been waiting for him to drink and offer an evaluation, but she had not expected that hint of a smile. The smile was somewhat dismissive and distant. She mostly understood what he was thinking; her attempt to curry favor was obvious, and her intentions were easily guessed.

After a long while, she watched as he brought the spoon to his lips and sipped the soup.

Yan Xi asked cautiously: "Does the Heir find it good?"

Lu Zhi gave a deep "Mm" and slowly drank a few more spoonfuls. Yan Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

Once he finished the bowl, he spoke: "Do you want to ask if I will keep my word?"

Yan Xi took the bowl, served him another portion slowly, and did not answer his question immediately, asking instead: "Would the Heir like some more?"

As she spoke, she finished serving and handed the bowl to him, while answering his question simultaneously: "Yes. Does the Heir promise?"

No sooner had the words left her lips than her wrist was suddenly seized. The soup in the bowl swayed, nearly spilling over. Having lost her footing, her body lurched forward, leaning toward him.

In an instant, their faces were inches apart. Yan Xi could clearly see the depth of his eyes and the color of his pupils.

Lu Zhi laughed softly and spoke slowly: "I can keep my word and grant freedom to the four of you. But I must tell you beforehand: if you dare to run, I will kill one of the fifteen people in your quarters every day until I have searched every inch of the earth to bring you back..."

Having said this, his large hand slowly took the bowl from hers as if nothing had happened, as if he had just said nothing at all. He began to drink again, nodding gently at her. "I like it very much."

Yan Xi was startled, but only for a moment before she regained her composure. She realized he was talking about the soup she made, and she also processed his threat.

The young woman immediately countered: "What is the Heir saying..."

"I only want the four of us to return to being normal people. How can normal people live without freedom? I want freedom only so I can occasionally go to the market with Qinglian and Taohong, see the liveliness outside, and if possible, meet a few friends. Why does the Heir not trust me, and why... why do you always scare me..."

As she spoke, her voice choked, her eyelids turned red, and tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. She was on the verge of crying.

Lu Zhi slowly raised his head, looking at her indifferently. The young woman looked on the verge of tears, her demeanor delicate and soft, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach. His heart suddenly stirred—or, more accurately, it felt a twinge of pain. A long-lost feeling...

After a pause, the man slowly set down the soup bowl and laughed.

He reached out, grabbed her hand, pulled her toward him, and pulled her onto his lap, embracing her from behind. There was a hint of amusement in his tone: "Are you scared?"

Caught in his arms, tears clinging to her lashes, Yan Xi’s eyes shifted slowly. Her heart was pounding, but she kept her expression the same, nodding delicately with a trace of a sob in her voice: "Mm..."

Lu Zhi’s voice was hoarse as he whispered in her ear: "If you don't leave me, nothing terrible will happen. What I just said was only talk, hmm?"

Yan Xi nodded slowly: "Mm..."

Then she felt a wave of heat brush against her. He kissed her cheek and then said coldly: "Go."

He was indeed sending her back.

Yan Xi responded with a soft, sweet "Mm." She rose slowly, her eyes sweeping over the table before she went to the side to clean up the bowl and spoon, placing them back into the food container, and turned toward Lu Zhi.

"Then I shall go..."

Lu Zhi nodded nonchalantly.

Yan Xi left the Ink Bamboo Pavilion with the container. As soon as she appeared, Qinglian and Taohong, who were waiting outside, naturally saw that she had been crying. They did not ask immediately; Qinglian took the food container, and Taohong supported her mistress.

The three of them walked down the steps, and only when they were far away did the two maids speak.

Taohong asked: "Did he go back on his word?"

Qinglian also looked at Yan Xi.

Yan Xi shook her head: "No, he will keep his promise. Starting tomorrow, we should be able to regain our freedom and leave the residence as we please."

Qinglian and Taohong were both overjoyed, almost speaking in unison: "That’s wonderful!"

Then they looked at their mistress again. Qinglian asked: "Then why are your eyes red, Miss?"

Yan Xi spoke plainly: "I was scared by him."

Having said that, she repeated his original words to the two maids. Upon hearing them, Qinglian and Taohong both felt a chill and were terrified. They stood silent for a long time before finally speaking.

Taohong said: "That dog of a man, that black-hearted wretch! His heart is truly vicious!"

Qinglian did not curse him, but thought of something else, sighing: "Sigh, how can he foresee everything..."

Yes, he was indeed adept at insight into the human heart. She was still too inexperienced and no match for him. She had thought that by lowering her status, ceasing her resistance, and repeatedly and obviously currying favor with him—coupled with the fact that these thirteen states of Huainan were his territory and she had no chance of running—he should have believed that she had "accepted her fate." But as it turned out, that was not the case.

Was he too suspicious, or did she have too many flaws?

But she really shouldn't have had any flaws...

Yan Xi could not figure it out. In the end, perhaps it was because she had resisted too fiercely before. He was meticulous, his heart as hard as iron; he was not a man easily deceived.

Winning his trust was a long and arduous road, not a simple task at all. Aside from being unusually lecherous, she could not see any weaknesses in him...

So, how could she truly deceive him and make him trust her wholeheartedly?

By playing the lover?

Yan Xi did not know...

Thinking of this, her thoughts wandered, and she suddenly recalled what she had seen on his table earlier. One book was the one she had transcribed for him yesterday, while the other was filled with rows of characters. But she had caught a glimpse, and the characters did not form coherent sentences or even words; they looked like some kind of reference key...

So, the book she had transcribed was not a martial arts manual at all, but some kind of code?