“Yanqing, who is this young lady?” Xie Lingwan sipped her tea, a faint smile on her lips, but her mind schemed how to make the girl back off and stop entangling the Heir.
“This is Heroine Ji Qingyan, whom I mentioned to Auntie,” Ji Yanqing said respectfully, sleeves clasped, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow.
The room’s atmosphere felt oppressive.
“Oh, so you’re the heroine who saved the Heir. On behalf of the Wei King and the late Princess, I thank you for your kindness,” Xie Lingwan said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling softly.
“Yanqing can be thoughtless. If he’s neglected you, please forgive him and don’t hold it against him.”
Ji Qingyan pursed her cherry lips, her delicate hands secretly gripping her skirt under the table.
The Wei King’s Heir’s actions in the dungeon were merely “thoughtless,” and she was to overlook them? This refined noblewoman seemed just as shameless.
Her words hinted at urging Ji Qingyan to leave.
What nonsense!
She hadn’t reclaimed her famed sword, Shadow Bearer, yet!
“Heroine Ji, Auntie Xie is my mother’s sworn sister, the legitimate daughter of the Gusu Xie clan’s patriarch, of noble status,” Ji Yanqing hurriedly introduced, fearing a clash that would uproar the entire Wei King’s Mansion.
Unbeknownst to him, Ji Qingyan’s silence was the calm before a storm.
“Prince Ji forcibly took my precious treasure. Until he gives me a satisfactory resolution, I won’t leave the Wei King’s Mansion!” Ji Qingyan declared righteously. From teahouse gossip, she knew noble ladies spoke in veiled terms, never bluntly, so she followed suit.
Her words made Ji Yanqing choke, spraying tea and coughing violently, nearly fainting.
Can’t you speak clearly?
Why use such ambiguous phrasing?!
‘Ji Qingyan, are you trying to kill me?’
Lifting his head, he met Xie Lingwan’s fox-like eyes, icy and filled with deep disappointment and disdain.
“Yanqing, is what she said… true?” Xie Lingwan asked, her voice trembling, tears welling in her eyes, a heartbreaking sight.
“No way, Auntie Xie, let me explain…” Ji Yanqing stammered.
“What’s to explain? Did I say anything wrong? Does Your Highness deny what you’ve done?” Ji Qingyan said, hands on hips, fuming.
“Shut up, say less!” Ji Yanqing snapped.
Seeing him scold a girl he’d supposedly wronged, Xie Lingwan’s anger flared. Standing, she chided, “How can you speak to Miss Ji like that? She saved your life and was… compromised by you. Don’t you feel any guilt?”
Faced with such baseless accusations, Ji Yanqing wanted to die, slumping back in his chair, utterly defeated.
I’m done. Burn it all. You two talk.
“So… what does Heroine Ji want to leave?” Xie Lingwan asked.
“Have Prince Ji return my Shadow Bearer sword,” Ji Qingyan said, eating another jade dumpling to not waste food.
This Lady Xie seemed discerning, likely siding with her because the Heir was too shameless.
Though the process differed from her expectations, Shadow Bearer would soon be hers, and she felt a secret thrill.
Hearing Ji Qingyan’s demand, Xie Lingwan exhaled in relief. Not aiming for the Heir’s consort role made things easier.
The Wei King’s Mansion ruled Ji Province—what couldn’t they procure?
Wait… something’s off.
“What did you say you wanted?” Xie Lingwan asked.
“My sword. Your Highness took it days ago and hasn’t returned it. Shadow Bearer is vital to me,” Ji Qingyan explained.
“So, the precious thing taken was your sword?” Xie Lingwan realized, understanding her mistake.
“Exactly,” Ji Qingyan said earnestly, eyes sincere.
“I see,” Xie Lingwan said, hands on her chest, her emotions settling after a rollercoaster. She’d nearly fainted thinking Yanqing had acted beastly, but it was a misunderstanding.
“You two chat. I’m off to bed,” Ji Yanqing said, his grievances fueling his temper as he headed for the door, feigning hurt.
Xie Lingwan panicked. She’d never seen her nephew like this and feared he’d resent her. “It’s my fault, my fault. I misunderstood you, Yanqing. Whatever you want, Auntie will grant,” she said.
“Anything?” Ji Yanqing countered.
Xie Lingwan’s face flushed, seeking to set boundaries to avoid improper acts, but his clear, pure gaze held no malice.
After a moment, she whispered, “Anything.”
[Right now, the alluring, mature Auntie Xie is full of guilt, ready to offer everything for your forgiveness. Your filial heart long twisted, how could you let her off easily? Say…]
[Option 1: An apology should look like one. Strip off your clothes piece by piece, then crawl to me. Reward: Master-level Alchemy]
[Option 2: Since Auntie sees her mistake, I won’t ask too much. Wear a black silk qipao with a fox-tail accessory and apologize in a womanly way. Reward: Fertility Blessing, guaranteed success next time]
[Option 3: With the New Year nearing, I’d like to visit Nanshan Temple to test my marriage fate. Would Auntie join me? Reward: Unsealing the host’s Spirit Platform Seal]
The narrator’s audacity was no surprise, but the third option’s reward piqued Ji Yanqing’s interest.
Spirit Platform Seal?
With his dog-despised aptitude, he still needed a seal?
Gently holding Xie Lingwan’s hand, he said softly, “With the New Year approaching, I hear Nanshan Temple’s divinations are accurate. I’d like to test my marriage fate. Would Auntie come with me?”
Before Xie Lingwan could reply, a bone-shattering pain surged within him, as if something long suppressed was tearing everything apart.
A piercing dragon’s roar shook the heavens. After brief tinnitus, Ji Yanqing’s mind reeled, and he half-knelt, bracing himself.
A burning pain seared his throat, blood spraying from his mouth.
…
Atop Shangqing Peak, Longhu Mountain.
A white-haired, youthful Taoist sat upright, draped in a plain Celestial Master’s crane cloak, a jade chessboard before him, playing alone.
A white piece fell. Gu Yun opened his eyes, gazing toward the Mao-Bi constellation.
“Black dragon unbound, Venus crossing the sky… fate is inescapable.”
Master Gu plucked a wisp of breeze, flicking it lightly. The clouds veiling the stars parted, revealing a clear, vast sky.
“Stargazing’s much better now.”