Chapter Sixty-Nine: Handing Over the Pillow on One’s Own Initiative

The afternoon sky had grown dim, as though rain were about to fall again.

The weather matched Xiao Yi’s mood exactly: dull to the point of mold.

After being reborn, how had he forgotten that his beloved woman was such a quiet little hermit? She never stepped beyond the gates of her own home, preferring to tinker alone with little gadgets in her room. So whether it was Wang Yunzhi or himself, no one had seen her these past few days.

If he had known this earlier, why had he gone to the Xue household and taken on the disgrace of shamelessness for nothing?

And yet, to leave now, he truly could not bear it.

He was a youth in the flush of spring, and the charm of having such close access to the one he longed for was sweet indeed. It was only a pity that this “close access” was not yet quite close enough.

After supper, Xiao Yi changed his clothes and decided to try slipping in through the rear gate again. If even the outer wall could be scaled, the inner gate should be easier still.

Just as he was about to leave, Xiao One happened to come in with a report.

Seeing that he had changed into night attire, Xiao One guessed at once. “My lord, off to see the Eighth Young Lady?”

Xiao Yi raised a brow. “As a subordinate, you’re being far too nosy.”

Xiao One was not at all intimidated and went on, “Then at least don’t always choose overcast, rainy nights. Those who know would say it’s only coincidence, but those who don’t might think you’re deliberately hoping to be kept overnight. In weather like this, how could anyone bear to send you home through the rain?”

Xiao Yi: “...”

“When did I ever do it on purpose?”

Xiao One chuckled. “Even when you did it on purpose, they still didn’t keep you!”

Last time, in a downpour like that, Xiao Yi had still been driven out by Xue Fanzhi.

Xiao Yi: “...”

This subordinate was truly hopeless, especially with that mouth of his. He wanted to sew it shut.

Xiao Yi pinched the joints of his elegant hand and said, “If you have something to report, then report it quickly. If what you say doesn’t satisfy me, I really will sew your mouth shut. What use is it otherwise?”

Xiao One only laughed. “Then you’d better listen carefully, my lord. With this piece of news from your subordinate, you’ll have another excuse to go see the Eighth Young Lady. Perhaps if the young lady is in a good mood, and it happens to be raining, she’ll let you stay the night.”

Some people really did know how to hit the sore spot.

Xiao Yi said impatiently, “Say it already, or I won’t listen.”

If he didn’t listen, then his mouth truly would be useless.

Xiao One dared not tease any further and quickly reported what he had found out, along with the matter that concerned Xue Fanzhi at that moment.

Xiao Yi’s brows drew together slightly after hearing it. A-Zhi had actually sent someone to keep watch over the Fifth Young Lady?

This had never happened in his previous life.

In that life, the Fifth Young Lady of the Xue family had killed the Sixth Young Lady and even ruined her reputation after death. Such cruel thoughts toward her own sisters were simply a crime deserving ten thousand deaths.

In truth, he had come to the Xue household this time with the intention of keeping an eye on that matter too.

It was not because he felt particularly fond of the Sixth Young Lady, but because affection extended to those she cherished. In his previous life, after the Sixth Young Lady died, A-Zhi had cried terribly and fallen ill for half a month before recovering. She was a person of deep feeling.

Since he felt heartache for her—for her body, for her heart—how could he bear to watch her sisters destroy one another, to watch sisters who should have been dear to each other lose their lives?

And yet he had not even made a move, so why had A-Zhi already begun watching the Fifth Young Lady?

Or had this actually happened in his previous life too, and he simply had not noticed?

Xiao Yi immediately thought that could not be. If A-Zhi had paid attention to it in his former life, how could he have allowed the Fifth Young Lady to kill the Sixth Young Lady?

If it did not happen in the previous life, yet A-Zhi was doing it this time, then why?

Xue Fanzhi’s slight precocity in this life had always struck Xiao Yi as rather odd, but after spending time with her, he had found nothing truly abnormal. He only knew that he liked her for her loyalty and affection, and the A-Zhi before him had not changed.

Then a wildly absurd thought rose in Xiao Yi’s mind.

Could it be that A-Zhi had been reborn too?

He gave a slight shake of his head, thinking that it was not impossible.

In his previous life, he had died by summoning lightning with the founding sacred weapon of the Xiao family. That ancient imperial sword was said to possess the power to turn heaven and earth upside down and reverse the flow of time. Could it be that time had truly reversed, and everyone had been reborn?

And yet the people around him did not seem like they were living a second life at all.

To live again should be an exceedingly rare thing. There was no reason, just by chance, that he and A-Zhi would both have been granted another life.

This matter still required verification, but there was one thing he must do: while A-Zhi needed help now, he had to hurry over and earn some goodwill.

Xiao Yi patted Xiao One on the shoulder. “Well done. I’ll have a big red envelope for you at New Year.”

He was just about to leave when Xiao One called out, “My lord, wait!”

Xiao Yi turned back in confusion. Xiao One lowered his voice. “There’s movement from the Sixth Prince’s side. He already knows about the Crown Prince’s illness!”

This time Xiao Yi only smiled faintly. “What concern is that of mine?”

Xiao One: “...”

You are a prince, my lord. You do have ambitions, do you not? Otherwise, why would they be making all that money?

Ever since three years ago, Xiao Yi had secretly gone into trade and land acquisition, finding all manner of ways to make money.

Do not assume becoming emperor is so easy. Even a prince needs money; money is the most practical thing of all.

But in just the past few days, Xiao One had discovered that his lord seemed no longer interested in court affairs. Instead, he had become especially fond of the Xue family, running there whenever he had nothing to do. As far as Xiao One knew, his lord had not kept it from him: he had fallen for the Xue family’s Eighth Young Lady. To those who did not know better, it almost looked as though he had set his sights on Xue Jingren instead.

How had his whole disposition changed so suddenly?

“My lord, this is our golden opportunity. We can work something out!”

Kill the Crown Prince, then bring down the Fifth Prince, and in one stroke eliminate two rivals.

Xiao Yi shook his head. “Those matters have nothing to do with me anymore. From now on, only the Eighth Young Lady has anything to do with me.”

When he said this, his brows and eyes were filled with a faint smile, his tone calm and serene, as though his entire bearing had become detached from worldly concerns. He did not sound angry at all.

Xiao One was truly stunned, and somewhat anxious too. In a low voice he said, “My lord, are you choosing beauty over the realm now? What exactly is so charming about the Eighth Young Lady that you’d even abandon your kingdom for her?”

Xiao Yi’s smile grew gentler still. He nodded. “Even the finest spring breeze cannot compare to a single one of her smiles. You have never spent time with A-Zhi, so you would not understand.”

Xiao One was about to say more, but Xiao Yi cut him off. “Of course, I also won’t let you spend time with A-Zhi. You won’t need to understand for the rest of your life!”

He only needed to obey orders.

Xiao One suddenly felt that he had perhaps meddled too much.

……

As Xue Fanzhi soaked her feet, her brows furrowed in worry as she considered whether she should go ask Xiao Yi for help. Then she heard faint movement beneath the eaves.

She had never practiced martial arts, but she was extremely sensitive to such sounds, because in her previous life, whenever she and Xiao Yi argued, he would refuse to speak during the day when he was still angry. But at night, when he could no longer hold out, he would come looking for her from some unseen opening in the house, from who knew which direction.

He had probably come.

Thinking this, Red Lotus lifted the water from her footbath, opened the window, and splashed it outside in one swift motion. Xue Fanzhi had no time to stop her.

“...”

Then, from the roof, came an utterly incredulous complaint: “Couldn’t you have taken two more steps and poured it out there?”

Red Lotus, having just emptied the footbath water: “...”