Chapter 66

Since returning to the capital from Songyuan County, every day has been spent on the road.

With rain falling constantly along the way, Yiling had stayed in the carriage almost all day and kept her accommodations simple at the relay stations each night. She hadn’t gone out much and hardly noticed the changes in the weather.

It wasn’t until tonight, when the wind blew against her face without the usual biting chill, that Yiling realized the first month of the lunar calendar had passed and spring had arrived.

No wonder she’d felt the bedding in the relay station was excessively thick, making her restless and too hot to sleep.

After a while, she quietly got out of bed, draped an outer robe over her shoulders, and stood by the window.

Leaning halfway out, she glanced to the right and saw that the room next door had already gone dark with no sound of movement.

“Sigh…”

Yiling let out a long sigh, propping herself against the window frame and gazing at the night sky.

She had no idea what time it was; perhaps dawn was near, yet she still couldn’t fall asleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with the image of Xie Hengzhi’s infuriatingly unyielding expression.

What had she said to him back then?

“Don’t get the wrong idea—I only came to check if you were dead.”

Her words couldn’t have been harsher, yet Xie Hengzhi had merely looked at her with a meaningful gaze, saying nothing in return.

That calm and direct stare seemed to silently convey: Stop making excuses.

Who was the one making excuses here?

In the end, Yiling had been too furious to respond and stormed off to the adjacent room.

Tossing and turning in bed for half the night, Yiling still felt frustrated.

She had only gone to check on his condition—after all, he had been injured while saving her. 

How had it somehow become proof that his actions weren’t entirely selfless?

This clearly only proved her kind-heartedness!

The Next Morning

When Yiling got out of bed with dark circles under her eyes, she startled Mallow half to death.

“Madam, what happened to you?” Mallow exclaimed, carrying in a basin of water. Seeing Yiling’s haggard appearance, she hurriedly added, “Are you feeling unwell? I’ll fetch a doctor right away!”

“No need,” Yiling replied, slipping into her shoes and waving a hand dismissively. “I just didn’t sleep well—probably not used to the bed.”

Not used to the bed?

After over a month on the road, why would she only now start feeling out of place?

Ah… Madam and the master were arguing, weren’t they? Weren’t they sleeping separately now?

So, it wasn’t about the bed—it was about the person.

Realizing this, Mallow sighed in relief and smiled. “Don’t worry, Madam. Once we’re back in the capital, everything will be fine.”

Fine? What’s fine about it?

Thinking about this only gave Yiling a worse headache.

Just a day earlier, she’d been eager to return, desperate for a proper rest.

But now, she understood clearly: if Xie Hengzhi was so overbearing on the road, how much worse would it be once they were back on his turf? She would be completely at his mercy!

“Enough,” Yiling said, rubbing her temples. “Help me get ready.”

After washing up and eating breakfast, Yiling finally lowered her brows and prepared to step out of her room.

The moment she opened the door, before even setting a foot outside, she heard sounds coming from the adjacent room.

She froze in place, staying by the doorway, and turned slightly to peek outside.

The sun had only just risen, and most of the relay station’s windows were still shut, leaving the courtyard dim.

Outside, Li Chun stood waiting. When Xie Hengzhi stepped out, Li Chun reported, “Master, everything is ready. We should be able to reach the capital by nightfall.”

Xie Hengzhi nodded at this, preparing to leave, but suddenly cast a glance at Li Chun.

Li Chun stiffened nervously. “Master, is there something else?”

Xie Hengzhi gestured with his chin. “Your belt isn’t tied properly.”

“…Huh?”

Li Chun looked down and saw that his belt was indeed loose. He quickly adjusted it. By the time he looked up again, Xie Hengzhi had already descended the stairs.

Li Chun scratched his head, watching Xie Hengzhi’s retreating figure. What’s with the master today…?

On the other side, Mallow, who had been sneaking a peek alongside Yiling, tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Why does the master seem to be in such a good mood today?”

Yiling: “…”

Good mood? What’s he so happy about?

The carriage they were traveling in wasn’t particularly luxurious but was spacious and practical.

Even with Yiling and Xie Hengzhi sitting side by side, there was plenty of room. If it weren’t for the bumpy mountain roads, they could have easily placed a small table between them for tea.

Xie Hengzhi hadn’t spoken a word since they set off.

Shortly after they departed, he even took out a scroll and began reading, as if there was no one else there.

This was how it usually was between them.

Most of their time on the road was spent in silence. They weren’t close enough to chat all day, so Xie Hengzhi would read, and Yiling would daydream.

But for some reason, today’s silence felt particularly strange.

Earlier, Xie Hengzhi had been all smiles when dealing with his attendants. So why was he so quiet now, sitting across from her?

She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was plotting something.

Determined not to show any weakness, Yiling sat with her back straight, her face stern, as she stared out of the carriage window at the quickly retreating scenery. She looked as still as a meditating monk.

And yet—

In the unnervingly quiet carriage, Yiling felt Xie Hengzhi’s gaze land on her back.

It burned like fire, sweeping over her again and again, making her increasingly restless.

The quieter it was, the heavier his gaze seemed.

Finally, Yiling couldn’t take it anymore. She whipped around to face him—and, sure enough, caught him staring.

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

Xie Hengzhi leaned lazily against the carriage wall, keeping a polite distance from her. His gaze, however, was anything but polite.

“I’m looking at my lawfully wedded wife. Which law forbids that?”

Yiling: “…”

I let my guard down again.

If Xie Hengzhi had a tail, it would surely be wagging smugly by now.

The only way to deal with him was to be as impenetrable as a fortress.

So, Yiling turned her back on him again, leaving him to stare at the back of her head.

The carriage windows were wide open, letting in fresh spring air tinged with the scent of grass and soil.

As Xie Hengzhi gazed at the early spring scenery outside, he adjusted his expression and asked, “We’ve been away for so long. Do you miss home?”

“No,” Yiling replied curtly, her tone cold and firm.

Xie Hengzhi raised an eyebrow. “Then what are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about when the sky will drop a rock to crush you to death.”

Xie Hengzhi clicked his tongue. “Don’t be like that. If something did happen to me, how many times would you sneak over to check on me in one night?”

Yiling: “…”

She didn’t respond. Instead, her shoulders lifted slightly as she took a deep breath, then she exhaled heavily.

Satisfied, Xie Hengzhi smiled faintly and returned to his book.

Yiling didn’t say another word for the rest of the day.

Even when they stopped for lunch, she kept her face cold, so much so that Mallow and Li Chun felt uneasy and barely touched their meals.

The only one with a good appetite was Xie Hengzhi.

After a brief rest, they set off again.

An hour or two later, the road became smoother and wider. More tiled-roof houses began to appear, signaling that they were nearing the capital.

The coachman, perhaps eager to return home himself, whipped the horses with such force that the wheels nearly sparked against the ground.

Meanwhile, Yiling silently urged him to go even faster. She couldn’t bear staying alone in the carriage with Xie Hengzhi for another moment.

When they left capital, it was still the dead of winter, with nothing but barren branches and withered leaves in sight. Even the red walls and green tiles seemed bleak and desolate.

But on their return, spring had arrived, with grass growing and orioles singing. The earth had come back to life, and even the passersby were dressed in light spring attire.

From a distance, Yiling could already make out the silhouette of the Xie residence against the dusky twilight.

After being away for over a month, even spending the New Year in a courier station, Yiling felt utterly exhausted and as if her body were about to fall apart.

As the carriage drew closer to the Xie residence, Yiling peeked out of the window and saw a grand scene outside the solemn gates. Besides Mama Cao and the steward, even Xie Xuan was waiting outside with her maids. Altogether, more than a dozen people stood there, eagerly looking forward to their arrival.

A brazier was set up at the gate, and as soon as Yiling got out of the carriage, before she could say a word, she was ushered across the brazier by the crowd.

Next, Mama Cao brought out a bowl of water boiled with pomelo leaves. Dipping her fingers into it, she sprinkled it over Yiling from head to toe.

That wasn’t the end of it. Once she entered Linfeng Yuan, she was required to wash her hands with pomelo water to ward off any lingering bad luck.

Finally, a large basin of hot water was prepared for her bath. By the time all these rituals were completed, the sky had turned completely dark.

After bathing away her fatigue, Yiling wrung out her hair and lazily stepped out, only to realize something was amiss.

Looking around, she was about to ask, but Mama Cao beat her to it.

“The master has gone to the palace,” she said. “He changed his clothes and left earlier.”

No wonder the servants seemed noticeably more relaxed.

Yiling nodded and sat down at the table. “Prepare the east wing for me. I’ll sleep there tonight.”

“Hm?” Mama Cao looked puzzled. “Why… why is that?”

Yiling didn’t explain. She only said, “Just do as I say.”

After all…

If Xie Hengzhi dared to misbehave while they were away, who’s to say he wouldn’t do the same now that they were home?

Seeing Yiling’s expression, Mama Cao immediately understood. It was likely some squabble had occurred during the journey.

Ah, youth.

Mama Cao sighed quietly as she turned to serve the dishes she had prepared—an entire table of Yiling’s favorite foods.

As she ladled soup for Yiling, she casually asked, “Madam, I heard from Mallow earlier that there was no epidemic in Songyuan County. What’s going on?”

This brought back a flood of memories for Yiling, and she had much to recount.

As it happened, Xie Xuan arrived with her maids, and Mallow led a few others into the room to tidy up. Hearing Yiling begin to talk about her experiences on the journey, everyone gathered around.

She started with the eerie scenes she witnessed upon arriving in Songyuan County and then described the horrifying sights at the charity refuge.

When she recounted her nighttime investigation of the “ghost market,” everyone gasped in unison and bombarded her with questions.

“And then? Was there really a ghost market?”

Yiling deliberately left them hanging, teasing them not to rush, and then narrated the perilous moment she thought she’d contracted the plague.

Step by step, she unfolded the story. By the time she mentioned Xie Hengzhi’s plan to burn down the charity refuge, the room had filled with curious onlookers, all wide-eyed and stunned.

“At first, I was terrified too. But then I thought it through and immediately understood his intentions.”

“So I climbed the watchtower and pretended to cry out in desperation, just to scare the county magistrate’s wife.”

“Sure enough, when he gave the order, the magistrate’s wife broke down completely and confessed everything on her knees!”

“What a malicious couple they were, deceiving the court for disaster relief funds by committing such heinous acts!”

Gasps of astonishment filled the room. Someone marveled, “Madam, you’re incredible. If it were me, I’d never have figured out what the master intended.”

“Oh, it wasn’t hard.” Yiling smiled. “It was obvious. I just needed one glance at him to know what he was planning.”

The flurry of praise made Yiling feel a bit embarrassed. She felt that any further boasting would be over the top, so she said, “Alright, I’m tired. You all—”

She stopped mid-sentence as she looked up and saw Xie Hengzhi, who had somehow returned without her noticing.

The night had deepened, and the room glowed warmly with lamplight. Xie Hengzhi stood at the doorway, arms crossed, bathed in the soft light behind him. He gazed at Yiling with a faint, knowing smile.

In the moment Yiling froze, everyone else noticed his presence too.

After a brief silence, Xie Xuan was the first to scurry out, followed by the others, who left one after another without a word.

The lively room suddenly turned eerily quiet.

Now alone with Xie Hengzhi, Yiling’s unease grew.

While everyone else feared being reprimanded for their breach of decorum, Yiling sensed something different in his gaze—something unsettling.

Oh no.

Here he goes again with his one-sided notions.

Without saying a word, Yiling lowered her head and tried to leave. But just as she reached the door, Xie Hengzhi straightened up and moved to block her path completely.

Yiling stopped in her tracks, not even daring to look up at him.

“What are you doing?”

Still with arms crossed, Xie Hengzhi stepped closer, nearly brushing against her. “Didn’t you say you could tell what I’m thinking with just one glance?”

His teasing, though spoken lightly, carried an undercurrent of intimacy that felt amplified in the stillness of the room.

Yiling turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, and focused on the flickering candlelight on the table instead.

“I… I don’t know.”

His gaze lowered, unable to meet her eyes; he could only see the side of her face.

“Then why are you blushing?”