◎My Daughter Qingqing, Personal Letter◎

Luo Wanqing listened to his words without making a sound.

She didn’t need to ask and already understood why Xie Heng was not allowed, and she also knew that this was a question she couldn’t ask too much about—if she did, perhaps even she would feel heartbroken.

She suddenly understood why, among all the gifts Cui Heng had given her, only this marriage token was something he would touch every time they were intimate.

It was carved with their names, even if they were false names.

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment, then gently consoled him: “Actually, it’s the same thing.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng looked up at her. Luo Wanqing said warmly, “To me, Cui Heng and Xie Heng are the same. Your name is written on the marriage token, together with mine.”

Hearing these words, Xie Heng’s eyes flickered slightly.

He knew he shouldn’t say it, yet he still did: “It’s not the same.”

“What’s different?”

“Zhang Yiran might have had a childhood betrothal with you, Li Guiyu was close to you for five years, and the entire nation knew of your engagement. Each of them has more legitimacy than I do, each of them can tell others about their relationship with you, except for me alone…”

“But all of that concerns Luo Wanqing.”

Luo Wanqing spoke softly, reaching out to grasp his hand that was touching the marriage token, saying earnestly: “And I am Liu Xiniang.”

Hearing these words, Xie Heng’s movements paused as he instantly understood Luo Wanqing’s meaning.

Apart from Zhang Jiuran, he was the first person to meet Liu Xiniang. Liu Xiniang’s growth and everything about her were intimately connected to him. Perhaps they could never announce it to the world, but he would forever be Liu Xiniang’s unique and most intimate person.

This thought made his heart surge with emotion, yet he didn’t dare speak deeply of it, only joking: “How is it you’re suddenly being so magnanimous toward me?”

Luo Wanqing paused, then heard Xie Heng tease: “I thought the Inspector would be angry with me for a while longer.”

“Of course I’m still angry.”

Luo Wanqing smiled, released his hand, and lay down on the bed, quietly gazing at the bed curtains: “Everything is arranged by Young Master, all things go according to Young Master’s wishes. I am neither the most important nor the only one in Young Master’s heart—how could I not be angry?”

“Xiniang is joking,” Xie Heng couldn’t help but prop himself up, placing his hand on his chest and smiling as he looked at Luo Wanqing, “There is only the Inspector in my heart—how can you say you’re not important, not the only one?”

“Then, when we obtain the key, will Young Master show it to me?”

Upon hearing this, Luo Wanqing looked directly at Xie Heng and asked outright.

Xie Heng paused.

Luo Wanqing turned her head away, as if she already understood: “It must be that Young Master will examine it first, and only if it won’t affect the greater situation will you let me see it.”

“Xiniang…” Xie Heng wanted to explain and comfort her, but didn’t know how to begin.

Luo Wanqing lay on the bed, not giving him a chance to speak, only continuing: “Actually, Young Master needn’t say much. I know Young Master’s difficulties. You’re the same as His Highness—every move you make affects others’ lives. You can gamble with your own life, but you don’t dare gamble with others’. This doesn’t mean you haven’t used your true heart—I understand. This is precisely where Young Master differs from Cui Heng; otherwise, being the same person, what difference would there be?”

Xie Heng remained still, knowing Luo Wanqing hadn’t finished speaking.

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment, then looked at Xie Heng again: “It’s just that I understand Young Master’s hardships, but am I not suffering as well?”

With that, Luo Wanqing laughed lightly: “I also have my suffering, but compared to Young Master and my father, my suffering is like a grain of sand in the ocean, insignificant. So even speaking of it makes me feel it’s my fault. I can only sympathize with you both and thus feel resentful in my heart. I keep wondering—to you both, I have some weight, but just how important am I?”

Luo Wanqing seemed somewhat dispirited: “Feelings that are calculated at every step—just how deep can they be?”

Hearing her words, Xie Heng didn’t speak. He suddenly realized that what Luo Wanqing cared about wasn’t just him.

After thinking for a moment, he perceptively asked: “Why do you suddenly mention Uncle?”

“Today I saw Xiang Sizi. He told me he received two tasks: to retrieve something from Zhang Qiuzhi’s place, and to cooperate with my father.” Luo Wanqing knew that with his intelligence, he would understand her emotions upon hearing this, so she didn’t hide anything. As if chatting casually, she slowly said to Xie Heng: “The iron box was on Liufeng Island, placed there by Xiang Sizi and Xie Minsheng. That means Xiang Sizi took the item directly without it ever passing through my father’s hands. If that’s the case, then what was my father doing in Jiangnan?”

Xie Heng quietly listened to Luo Wanqing’s reasoning: “Previously, everyone—whether Li Guiyu or ourselves—thought the item was with my father, precisely because his timing in coming to Jiangnan was too coincidental. Didn’t he know that coming to Jiangnan at this time would make him a target in everyone’s eyes? He knew. He knew he was destined to die, and he knew I might return, so he left Cui Niang and Xiang Sizi to guide me. He calculated everything, including his death…”

As Luo Wanqing spoke, her voice stopped. After a long while, she struggled to control herself, saying with some disappointment: “But he alone didn’t think of me. Did he ever consider whether his daughter, his family, would be sad? But I can’t resent him either. When I see you, see His Highness, Xing Ling, and hear about those common people at Heyu Pass who died wrongly as enemy troops—how can I resent him?”

“So Xiniang feels wronged.”

Xie Heng understood, saying gently: “Then both Uncle and I are like this in Xiniang’s heart, aren’t we?”

Luo Wanqing fell silent. After a long time, she asked Xie Heng in return: “Are we?”

She didn’t give Xie Heng an answer, but let Xie Heng answer instead.

Xie Heng looked at her. After a long while, he said earnestly, “No, no one can calculate everything. I believe Uncle must have cared deeply about you at that time.”

With that, his voice paused slightly. After thinking for a long time, he lowered his eyes, somewhat unnaturally grasping her hand, and said in a low voice: “Just like I do.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing, only looked at him with a half-smile.

Xie Heng felt somewhat uneasy: “Xiniang doesn’t believe me?”

“If you had said this before, I might not have believed you.” Luo Wanqing thought for a moment, half-serious and half-joking: “Now that I know about the things you’ve secretly done, I’ll believe you to some extent.”

Hearing Luo Wanqing’s words, Xie Heng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “You’re happy to hear that I’ve suffered grievances?”

“Mm,” Luo Wanqing seemed to nod seriously, “indeed somewhat happy.”

“I never knew before that you had such wicked thoughts.” Seeing Luo Wanqing joking, Xie Heng couldn’t help saying: “It seems I’m not very familiar with Dr. Luo yet.”

“Not bad,” Luo Wanqing’s tone was indifferent, “it’s just that in the past, Young Master Cui had done me favors, while now Young Master Xie,” Luo Wanqing glanced at him, “brings both favors and grievances. I naturally distinguish between love and hate clearly.”

“Have you always been this vindictive?”

Xie Heng was somewhat curious. Luo Wanqing nodded: “That’s right.”

With that, she reminded him: “Otherwise, how would I have come to the Supervision Department?”

Only then did Xie Heng realize that if not for someone desperately seeking justice, how could she have made it to the Supervision Department?

Understanding this, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly, slapping his forehead with some distress: “This is bad. It seems I’ve provoked quite a bit of trouble.”

Luo Wanqing glanced at him indifferently without saying more. Xie Heng felt his heart itch from that glance and couldn’t help leaning closer to Luo Wanqing: “Then I wonder, what would it take for the Inspector to stop being angry?”

“It’s impossible.” Luo Wanqing closed her eyes: “Anyway, Young Master has your grand reasoning, and I won’t leave the Supervision Department. Why should Young Master care whether I’m angry or not?”

Xie Heng knew she was mocking him, but also understood this was playful—if she truly minded too much, she wouldn’t have spoken of it.

But though she was tolerant, he couldn’t take it for granted.

Xie Heng thought for a moment, stroking her fingers gently: “Besides revenge, does Xiniang have any other wishes?”

Luo Wanqing didn’t speak. After a moment of silence, she asked in return: “What about Young Master? What wishes do you have?”

“Me?”

Xie Heng knew she was unwilling to say more and didn’t press, following her words to think, then smiled: “I do indeed have a wish, quite outrageous, never shared with anyone.”

“What is it?” Luo Wanqing became curious.

Xie Heng pressed his lips in a light smile, saying in a low voice: “I want someone to elope with me.”

Luo Wanqing was startled, then laughed: “Young Master is deceiving me again.”

“It’s true.”

Xie Heng turned over to lie down, pillowing his hands behind his head, looking at the bed curtains. He felt as if he had returned to before age eighteen, sitting in meditation on Daozong Mountain, occasionally opening his eyes to see the clouds rolling and unrolling, feeling that lightness.

“Actually, before eighteen, the life I imagined wasn’t like this.”

Xie Heng’s voice carried nostalgia: “Back then, I had my uncle, my elder brother, my parents. Each of them charged ahead of me. Because of them, I never had to follow the hierarchical rules of the Eastern Capital, and I never belonged to those rules.”

Xie Heng spoke with some laughter in his eyes: “I spent half the year studying at Daozong. I once thought my life should be waiting for my brother to ascend the throne, waiting for a suitable younger brother in the family to grow up, then I, the eldest son, would leave the Eastern Capital to do things I enjoyed. Even without a suitable heir, I should have been like my father, relying on the family, being an idle person who only needed to handle the affairs at hand well.”

Just like the Cui Heng she had seen—gentle and spirited, familiar with every wine house in the Eastern Capital, skilled in various forms of entertainment.

“But in that case,” Luo Wanqing thought about it and couldn’t help smiling, “I probably wouldn’t have met Young Master.”

Xie Heng turned to look at her. Luo Wanqing mused: “I hear that noble families have strict hierarchies. If Young Master were constrained by family, given my status, we probably couldn’t last long together.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng chuckled lightly, as if he had already thought about this, saying casually, “That’s why I want to elope.”

Luo Wanqing was startled. Xie Heng fantasized about the scenario: “I’ve thought about it long ago—if you had met me before eighteen and come to abduct me for elopement, I would have followed you.”

Luo Wanqing heard him speak so outrageously, then remembered that at Qingyun Ferry he had asked if she was asking him to elope. She suddenly realized he had truly thought about these things.

She couldn’t help asking: “Does Young Master truly think this way?”

“I do.”

Xie Heng closed his eyes, saying gently: “Xiniang, actually I’m someone born with a temper. I can’t endure hardship or suffering. In the past without you, I could bear it. But when I had you, every time I would think—if only you could come tie me up and elope with me, that would be wonderful. To tell you the truth…”

Xie Heng smiled, knowing he shouldn’t speak but unable to help himself: “Actually, when I fell into the water at Liufeng Island, I was somewhat happy.”

To be freed in such a way seemed like an excellent outcome.

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing turned to look at him quietly. She felt inexplicably afraid in her heart, but didn’t show it on her face, only saying: “Young Master is joking. If I came, you wouldn’t follow me.”

Xie Heng didn’t immediately respond. After a moment, he smiled bitterly: “If I can’t leave, can’t I at least think about it? People always need something to hope for, right? Look at me now,” Xie Heng looked at her playfully, “every time I think that Inspector Liu will come to elope with me someday, rescuing me from this sea of suffering, I feel happy, and these days have something to look forward to.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. Xie Heng saw her eyes restraining pity and sadness, reaching up to gently place his hand at the corner of her eye, wanting to cover her eyes but not daring to move.

“Just joking,” Xie Heng gently changed the subject, “Xiniang still hasn’t said—what is your wish?”

“I have too many wishes,” Luo Wanqing gazed at this person’s eyes in the darkness, saying softly, “I can’t finish telling them.”

“Then what about regrets?” Xie Heng smiled: “What do you regret most?”

Luo Wanqing was silent for a moment, carefully considering Xie Heng’s words, then said, “Not learning martial arts earlier.”

If she had learned martial arts earlier, if she could protect herself, whether going to Lingnan or the Eastern Capital, she would have had more choices.

Xie Heng immediately understood her meaning and nodded: “One indeed should learn self-protection as the priority.”

Then he was somewhat puzzled: “But since your father had such excellent martial arts, why didn’t he teach you siblings to learn?”

“I don’t know.” Listening to Xie Heng’s words, Luo Wanqing recalled her childhood with some bewilderment: “He taught many people—even the servants in the household—but never taught my brother and me.”

Xie Heng listened, reclining on his side, propping his head up, quietly listening: “Didn’t you want to learn either?”

“We did.”

Luo Wanqing answered honestly: “Before, watching him teach others, I was curious too, so I asked him why he taught everyone else but not my brother and me. He told me that learning weapons means learning to kill. Once you kill, you must repay the debt, with grudges and vengeance entangling endlessly. Better to be like my mother, properly healing and saving people, living peacefully for a lifetime.”

With that, Luo Wanqing smiled: “He said learning martial arts was very hard—how could he let me suffer such grievances?”

But if you don’t suffer the grievances of learning martial arts, you must suffer the grievances of being bullied by others.

Luo Wanqing’s eyes carried mockery as she continued: “I felt indignant then, thinking he was saying I couldn’t endure hardship, so I said—what if I just wanted to learn?”

“What did he say?”

Xie Heng casually followed Luo Wanqing’s words while seriously contemplating. Luo Wanqing chuckled: “He pointed to the Buddhist pagoda at Jinding Temple and told me that the pagoda was guarded by Jinding Temple’s four great masters, with Master Yuanye’s relics inside. If I could retrieve them someday, he would teach me archery. I thought he was deliberately making things difficult—if I could defeat those masters and take Master Yuanye’s relics, why would I need to learn archery from him? So I said I’d have Jiang Shaoyan retrieve them for me. My father just laughed at me, saying if I dared speak a word to Jiang Shaoyan, he’d consider me a married-off daughter…”

Before finishing, Luo Wanqing suddenly felt something was wrong. She instinctively looked up at Xie Heng, but his eyes already showed understanding as he continued: “Said what?”

“He said,” Luo Wanqing began frantically recalling the scene, repeating word by word in a daze: “If I dared tell Jiang Shaoyan, he’d consider me a married-off daughter, spilled water, and never acknowledge me for life.”

“As long as I stayed like now…”

Luo Wanqing remembered Luo Qushu’s expression then—in the afternoon, Yangzhou courtyard, Luo Qushu’s face carried a smile, but his eyes were full of understanding sorrow as he said gently: “You don’t need to learn martial arts, just heal and save people properly. Father can see that Shaoyan cares for you. As long as you always stay as you are now, he will protect you.”

Always stay as you are now, and he will protect you.

In her previous life, she had always remained that Luo Wanqing with no power to fight back. She lived until Li Guiyu was overthrown by Qin Jue, and when she died, Li Guiyu probably didn’t have long to live either.

A beautiful woman who only knew medicine and healing, she had safely traveled from Yangzhou to Lingnan and spent her remaining ten years in Lingnan…

Li Guiyu had indeed protected her.

If before going to Jiangnan, her father hadn’t let her and her brother learn martial arts because he hoped they would stay away from troubles, then coming to Yangzhou, his not letting them learn martial arts was to secure them a way to survive under Li Guiyu.

But if that was the case, why save Li Guiyu?

And at that time, when there were countless reasons to prevent her from learning archery, why specifically mention to a sheltered young lady the Jinding Temple guarded by four great masters, clearly telling her that Master Yuanye’s relics were placed there, and warning her not to say a word to Jiang Shaoyan?

This wasn’t warning her not to learn archery—this was telling her…

“Should I help Miss Luo retrieve Master Yuanye’s relics, or will Miss Luo do it herself?”

Seeing Luo Wanqing realize this, Xie Heng smiled and spoke.

Luo Wanqing glanced at the window, thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “It seems I’ve never competed with Young Master.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng immediately knew her meaning. He propped himself up, sitting with bent knees, joking: “This humble one’s injuries haven’t healed. For Xiniang to compete now would be taking advantage.”

“My injuries haven’t healed either.” Luo Wanqing grabbed a hair ribbon and began tying up her hair, seriously tightening her belt, getting off the bed, and picking up Xiling. She turned to look at Xie Heng: “If Young Master fears I would win unfairly, shall I give you a five-step head start?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng raised an eyebrow and immediately gestured: “That’s unnecessary. Miss Luo, please go first.”

“Then I’m off.”

Luo Wanqing didn’t decline either. Carrying her blade, she leaped through the window and rushed out into the night wind.

She jumped onto the roof ridge, looking up at the distant high pagoda. Before long, she heard someone pursuing her from behind.

Luo Wanqing turned around to see a white-robed figure flash past her side, laughing as he said: “Taking the first step!”

This remark was too arrogant. Luo Wanqing’s fighting spirit was instantly aroused as she quickened her pace to catch up with Xie Heng. Seeing a tall red maple tree ahead, she charged directly at him.

Xie Heng turned aside, his sleeve sweeping against the tree. The red maple was shaken by him, scattering leaves into the air. In that instant, Luo Wanqing seized the opportunity to leap past the tree and bound forward.

“I concede.”

Luo Wanqing called out happily. Xie Heng, using the scattered red maple leaves as cover, watched that white-robed figure rushing away and couldn’t help but smile. Stabilizing himself in that instant, he gave chase again.

The two pursued each other, like two white silk ribbons under the moon, racing to the base of Jinding Temple’s high pagoda.

Xie Heng was the first to enter the pagoda. Upon entering, he immediately sensed the alarm bells, reaching up with two fingers to pinch a transparent thread suspended in mid-air. Both ends of the thread had bells attached—if Xie Heng hadn’t held it steady just now, the entire pagoda would have been filled with ringing bells.

Luo Wanqing took advantage of Xie Heng stabilizing the alarm thread to roll and leap inside, spinning her blade. As the blade edge rotated inward, cutting off all the bells hanging from the threads, both Xie Heng and she immediately reached up to catch the falling bells.

“Six.” Luo Wanqing opened her hand to show Xie Heng the bells inside.

Xie Heng stood in place, quite proudly opening one sleeve to reveal a row of bells inside.

The moment Luo Wanqing saw the corner of his bells, without another word, she immediately flipped up toward the pagoda’s top.

Both suppressed their internal breath, moving silently as cats. Jinding Temple’s four great masters were renowned figures in the martial world, yet they were completely unaware.

The two held their breath as they passed the floor where the four were meditating, leaving a dose of sedative incense on each side. By the time they reached the top floor, sounds of people collapsing could be heard below.

Xie Heng entered first, but the moment he stepped inside, six bronze bells shot toward him. Xie Heng spread his wide sleeves, and when he turned around, Luo Wanqing was already standing in the pagoda.

Xie Heng couldn’t help but be startled, then arranged the bronze bells in a row on the railing and leaped down: “You left the bronze bells here to deal with me?”

“Young Master is so much older than me—if I don’t use some tricks, how could I win?”

Luo Wanqing looked up and surveyed the entire interior of the pagoda. This pagoda’s top had four windows, with Buddhist scriptures written on all four sides. In the center was only a long columnar stone table with a Buddhist shrine containing relics placed on top.

Her father wouldn’t have her come here for nothing. Telling her this location—what was she supposed to do here?

“Jinding Temple is in the south.”

Xie Heng suddenly spoke. Luo Wanqing said slowly: “The Matchmaker Temple is in the east, Mingcui Tower in the west, Kaiyuan Gambling House in the north. This place perfectly fills the last position—south. We should have thought of it earlier.”

“What do you think he left for you?”

Xie Heng folded his arms in front, seriously contemplating. Luo Wanqing walked to the table where Master Yuanye’s relics were enshrined. After thinking for a moment, she reached out and pushed open the shrine containing the relics.

As the shrine moved, she saw a crack. Luo Wanqing immediately pushed the shrine hard aside and saw that although the stone table appeared smooth, there was a perfectly square stone completely embedded in it. It fit seamlessly, with only a faint crack visible, but there was no place to grip it for removal.

“Let me.” Seeing her thinking about how to remove the brick, Xie Heng rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward, lowering his gaze as he thrust two fingers into the stone brick like into mud, penetrating two inches into the stone.

He gripped the brick and lifted it straight out, then dusted off his hands and turned to smile at Luo Wanqing: “A trivial skill—I hope the Inspector doesn’t laugh.”

“That,” Luo Wanqing glanced at his fingers, couldn’t help saying, “I brought a blade.”

Xie Heng’s movements paused. Luo Wanqing suppressed her laughter and turned forward to look at the stone platform, seeing an iron box properly placed inside.

She scanned around, then used her blade to probe inside. After confirming there were no hidden weapons, she tore a section of her clothing and carefully lifted the iron box out through the cloth.

After lifting it out, Xie Heng stepped forward to smell it, confirming: “No poison.”

Seeing his boldness, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help saying: “This is dangerous. Young Master must not test with your body in the future.”

“It’s fine,” Xie Heng observed the iron box, saying casually, “Poisons are useless against me.”

“That’s because your blood quality is special, but it doesn’t mean toxins won’t accumulate in your body.”

Luo Wanqing suppressed her emotions, reaching out to tentatively touch the patterns on the iron box: “If you want to live well and live longer, you should be more careful and cautious than ordinary people.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng couldn’t help but look at Luo Wanqing more closely.

He thought for a moment, then couldn’t help but smile, saying softly: “Understood.”

Luo Wanqing heard his frivolous tone and gave him a cold glance, then looked seriously at the iron box again, weighing it in her hand.

This iron box was similar to the Xuantian Box, but was just the lowest grade imitation.

It didn’t need a key, only three gears for inputting the password. Based on weight and the sound when tapped, there should be no compartment for self-destruct explosives either.

This meant they could try the password unlimited times.

But these three gears, like the Xuantian Box, were all engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Mingcui Tower, Kaiyuan Gambling House, Matchmaker Temple—these were hints from Luo Qushu.

And this was the iron box Luo Qushu left for her.

The answer was obvious.

Xie Heng found a pillar to lean against, contemplating: “Following our initial guess about that time sequence, shall we try ‘Jia Xin Gui’?”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She quietly looked at the box, then suddenly said: “Do you think I’m very important in my father’s heart?”

“Naturally.”

Xie Heng answered without hesitation.

Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but smile, saying softly, “Do you know? My birth date and time include these three characters.”

Xie Heng looked up at her and saw Luo Wanqing’s eyes restraining her emotions as she reached out to gently turn the gears: “Xin You.”

She turned the first gear to “Xin.”

“Gui Si.”

The second gear was turned to “Gui.”

“Jia Wu.”

The third gear was turned to “Jia.”

“Ding Mao.”

There was no corresponding place for this gear, leaving only the final confirmation button.

The moment Luo Wanqing pressed the round button in, she heard a soft “click,” and the box instantly opened.

Looking at the box, Luo Wanqing felt like crying, yet couldn’t help but smile.

There was no need to think so much.

No need for all that tracing and exploring.

As long as she firmly believed her father cared about her and remembered every word he said, she would discover that for others, finding this box would be extremely difficult.

But for Luo Wanqing, Luo Qushu had set up countless reminders.

At every location, every date, every sentence, he had entrusted the most important things to her.

Luo Wanqing controlled her slightly trembling fingers as she opened the box, seeing a letter placed squarely inside.

The envelope bore Luo Qushu’s handwriting—aged ink, gentle yet powerful brushstrokes, writing:

My Daughter Qingqing, Personal Letter

It had been waiting here for a long time, like an expectation that could never be fulfilled.

Never before had Luo Wanqing so clearly realized

What kind of protection Luo Qushu had given, and what great expectations he had placed on her.

Six years ago, when the first noble family of Great Xia fell in an event that affected the entire nation, he had placed this letter here.

He gave the powerless a path to survival in Lingnan.

Yet at the same time, he believed that his daughter, who couldn’t even lift a blade, might one day pass Jinding Temple’s four great masters, silently reach the top of Jinding Temple’s pagoda, open this box in this place, and see what he had written:

My Daughter Qingqing, Personal Letter

Author’s Note:

[Mini Theater]

Luo Wanqing: “Why are we talking instead of sleeping?”

Xie Heng: “Because after ten chapters of good times, I’m getting restless.”

Next Monday return to daily updates, update time every evening at 20:00