◎Dao Sect is the mountain gate I cannot return to, the Xie clan is the homeland I cannot go back to◎

Upon hearing those words, “welcome home,” Luo Wanqing was stunned.

It wasn’t until Xie Heng stepped out of the carriage that she somewhat hazily realized what he had just said.

He said Welcome home.

She didn’t know why, but just thinking of the word “home” made her feel a sourness rise to her throat.

Her home had been gone long ago.

The Luo family residence was in Li Guiyu’s hands; her father had been forced to death by Li Guiyu, she didn’t know where her family members were, and she was called Liu Xiniang.

Liu Xiniang was rootless and without support, having no origin and no destination, just a wandering soul that came for revenge.

When Zhang Jiuran called her Liu Xiniang, she lived like this.

She was Liu Xiniang now…

Yet when she met Cui Guanlan, she had a home too.

For an instant, Luo Wanqing felt her eyes sting, then felt this emotion came inexplicably. She forced herself to suppress her feelings, first going to instruct the coachman to change to another carriage and wait for them at the alley entrance, then took a small bottle from the table. After confirming this was the antidote to the sleeping drug, she went forward and let Zhang Yiran and Qinglu each smell it.

Zhang Yiran woke up groggily, saying, “I… how did I fall asleep again?”

“You weren’t sleeping.”

Qinglu raised his hand to cover his forehead as he got up, looking up at Luo Wanqing: “Why did Chief Xie use sleeping drugs?”

“There were some words inconvenient to say in front of you. I’ll first send Jiqing into the Supervision Department, then you two get off and change to another carriage for travel.”

Luo Wanqing explained simply. Qinglu and Zhang Yiran tactfully didn’t ask more questions. Luo Wanqing carried Jiqing off the carriage, leaped through the back door into the Supervision Department, quickly came to the White Tiger Division, and directly climbed to where Baili worked.

At this hour, Baili was generally working on the second floor of the White Tiger Division. As soon as Luo Wanqing entered, she saw him. Baili was somewhat surprised, then saw Luo Wanqing put down Jiqing and say, “Master, this person is very important for my next case. I trouble you to watch over him.”

Baili glanced at the person on the ground, nodded, then looked at Luo Wanqing: “When did you arrive? So now you’re going to…”

“I still have some matters. I’ll chat leisurely with Master another day.”

Saying this, Luo Wanqing thanked Baili and climbed back out, returned to the carriage, brought Zhang Yiran and Qinglu off the carriage, quickly walked to the alley entrance, boarded the changed carriage, and headed to the Zhang residence.

In the carriage, Luo Wanqing briefly explained the arrangements to Zhang Yiran. Jiqing was placed in the Supervision Department, and she would handle the filing of this case through the Supervision Department. Before she filed the case, Zhang Yiran might have been watched. She would first have Qinglu look after Zhang Yiran, and when people from the Supervision Department came, she would return.

After all this, they had almost reached the Zhang residence. Luo Wanqing had Qinglu first survey the surroundings, and only after confirming safety did she bring Zhang Yiran off the carriage.

The three entered the Zhang residence together. Zhang Yiran explained their purpose to his mother, and Aunt Zhao arranged accommodation for the group.

Luo Wanqing simply washed and rested for a while. When she got up in the evening, it was already dark. She ate dinner with the Zhang family, and when she returned to her room, preparing to meditate, rustling sounds suddenly came from outside. Before Luo Wanqing could react, she heard Qinglu shout sternly, “Who?!”

“It’s us, us.”

The voices of Fang Zhi, Fang Yuan, and Fang Shun rang out together. Fang Yuan said excitedly, “Miss, don’t attack. Is Inspector Liu here?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing immediately got up and walked out the door, seeing the three Fang brothers’ eyes light up as they said happily, “Inspector Liu!”

“Are the three of you well?”

Luo Wanqing smiled and cupped her hands. Seeing that both sides knew each other, Qinglu sheathed his sword. The three Fang brothers excitedly came forward, with Fang Yuan looking her up and down, saying, “Not seeing each other for months, Inspector Liu indeed looks more formidable!”

“Are your eyes a ruler?” Fang Zhi glanced at him, then said, “It’s because we heard news from outside. We heard Inspector Liu defeated Jirui Fang?”

Fang Zhi looked at Luo Wanqing. Luo Wanqing felt rather embarrassed and changed the subject: “Are you here to take over the shift?”

“Correct.”

Fang Shun took up the conversation, smiling as he looked at Zhang Yiran, who had come out, nodding: “We’re acquainted too, Lord Zhang.”

Zhang Yiran had an impression of the three and hurriedly bowed.

After the group exchanged pleasantries, Luo Wanqing heard Fang Shun say, “The Supervision Department’s carriage is outside, saying they’ve come to pick up the Inspector. If Inspector Liu has matters, you may leave first. Rest assured, leaving this place to us.”

Hearing the word “carriage,” Luo Wanqing’s heart skipped, knowing it was Xie Heng’s arrangement. She suppressed that bit of anticipation in her heart, took her cloak and put it on, bid farewell to everyone, and walked out. But upon leaving, her steps couldn’t help but become somewhat lighter.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a carriage stopped not far away. The carriage was elegant but with particularly exquisite carved patterns, with a white plum blossom hanging on the carriage. Luo Wanqing recognized this as Xie Heng’s style at a glance. After confirming her identity with the coachman, Luo Wanqing boarded the carriage. Inside was empty except for pastries and tea that Xie Heng had already prepared, plus several miscellaneous books for passing the time.

As soon as Luo Wanqing sat down and briefly looked around, she felt the carriage start moving. Without her needing to speak, the coachman seemed to already know the destination.

This feeling made Luo Wanqing somewhat curious. She looked at the pastries on the table and picked up a piece of date cake to put in her mouth.

This date cake was moderately sweet and not greasy, carrying the clear fragrance of dates. Luo Wanqing unconsciously ate two more pieces.

Eating pastries and drinking tea, Luo Wanqing then opened the miscellaneous books and discovered these “miscellaneous books” were all about various families’ secrets. This finally made her feel she had returned somewhat to her Inspector identity. She was indeed interested in this information, so she spent the journey reading news and eating pastries to pass time. Soon she heard the coachman say, “Miss, we’ve arrived.”

Luo Wanqing responded with thanks and came out of the carriage, only then discovering they had reached a mountain in the suburbs of the Eastern Capital. Before them was an extremely large estate, with a plaque bearing no family name, only bearing the two characters “Plum Garden.”

Maidservants were already standing ready at the entrance. As soon as Luo Wanqing got down, the maidservants came forward—one came to offer her water to wash her hands, another handed her a hand warmer, one changed her cloak, and only then did the maidservant holding the lantern finally speak, respectfully saying, “Miss, please.”

These maidservants moved extremely efficiently, clearly servants from prestigious families. They led Luo Wanqing into the house quietly and in an orderly manner. Luo Wanqing was led by them into the inner courtyard. They brought her into a room, first attended to her bathing, then brought clothes for her to change and dress up, and only then led her toward the depths of the courtyard.

They dressed her in plain white snow-colored robes with golden silk-embroidered cloud patterns, covered with fox fur, with golden hairpins holding up her hair, adorning her snow-colored outfit, making her look quite noble.

Following them to the back courtyard, Luo Wanqing discovered it was a plum grove with white plum blossoms blooming perfectly. In front of the plum grove stood a small house, with Xie Heng sitting in the long corridor, weaving something.

His clothes were extremely similar to hers—white with golden patterns, even the patterns were the same, only differing in male and female styles, but roughly made from the same fabric.

Seeing Xie Heng, the group came forward to bow: “Young Master.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng looked up, his gaze sweeping over Luo Wanqing’s face, then nodded: “You may withdraw first.”

The others bowed and withdrew. Luo Wanqing untied her fox fur and hung it on the corridor, walking to Xie Heng’s side.

In front of Xie Heng, wine was being warmed, its fragrance filling the air. Luo Wanqing sat across from the wine stove, curiously asking, “What are you weaving?”

“Since you want to know, why not come over and see?”

Xie Heng continued weaving with his head down, but didn’t move.

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment and understood his meaning, walking around to sit behind him, leaning sideways to observe what was in his hands: “Can you tell me now?”

Xie Heng didn’t move and made no sound. After thinking for a moment, Luo Wanqing tentatively leaned forward, placing her chin on Xie Heng’s shoulder, softly calling again: “Young Master?”

“It’s a lantern.”

Xie Heng finally spoke, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Luo Wanqing knew she had guessed correctly and heard him patiently explain: “The Imperial Observatory said there will be snow tonight. I’ll take you to appreciate plum blossoms later, and I want to make a lamp to light the way.”

“Aren’t there ready-made lanterns?” Luo Wanqing found it strange. “Why make one yourself?”

“Because my mother said that lamps for lighting the path must be made by oneself to see clearly.” Saying this, Xie Heng’s eyes carried some nostalgia. “Every New Year in the past, my mother would bring the family together, each person making a lamp.”

“But it’s not New Year now.” Luo Wanqing listened with confusion. “Why are you making a lamp?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng turned to glance at her.

She was very close to him, just inches away, her pair of eyes clear and lively, like the wild deer he’d seen in mountain forests.

Xie Heng thought for a moment, then raised his hand to draw Luo Wanqing into his embrace, letting her recline against his legs.

Luo Wanqing lay back looking up at him, his wide sleeves covering her body, blocking the cold wind.

He wove the lantern while saying softly, “Time has always been a human-made measure. If no one regulated it, how would you know what day today is?”

“So?” Luo Wanqing raised her hand to play with the tassel hanging from his chest. Xie Heng’s eyes slightly lowered, looking at the woman in his arms, and he couldn’t help but smile. “When you’re here, it’s my New Year.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing was stunned. Seeing her expression, Xie Heng chuckled softly and looked up to continue weaving the lantern in his hands.

Luo Wanqing lay in his arms, taking a long time to slowly react. She suppressed her heartbeat, looking up at the person above, pretending to be calm as she said, “If my presence makes it New Year, then how did you spend New Year this year?”

“Conducting official business during the day, writing letters to you before sleep, no different from ordinary days.”

“Didn’t you…”

Luo Wanqing hesitated, not knowing whether to say it, placing her gaze on the tassel at Xie Heng’s chest, playing with it as she said, “Didn’t you go see…”

“No.”

Xie Heng had already guessed what she wanted to say. He wasn’t without family; he shouldn’t spend New Year alone.

He explained calmly: “My going to see him would be bad for both him and me.”

Luo Wanqing was silent. After a while, she said, “Don’t you miss him?”

Xie Heng’s weaving motion paused. After a long time, he said, “Back then, he gave me a choice—return to Dao Sect to recuperate and never concern myself with court affairs again, and the Xie family would protect me. But I chose the second path. From that day on, I was no longer his son and could never enter the Xie family gates again.”

Saying this, Xie Heng took the already-drawn lantern paper from the side, pasted it onto the lantern frame, then took a candle from the side, placed it inside the lantern, and after lighting the candle, the lantern brightened.

Xie Heng held the lantern at a distance. Luo Wanqing looked sideways, admiring the lantern with him.

The lantern slowly rotated in the wind, illuminating the ink wash painting drawn on it. However, as Luo Wanqing looked, she discovered that the ink wash wasn’t of mountains and water, but a woman’s face.

This woman was very familiar to Luo Wanqing. She couldn’t help but turn her gaze to look at this young man who had tried every way to paint her face.

His features were consistently cold, covered with frost and snow, but distinctly colored, making them appear somewhat gorgeous—a kind of aggressively beautiful quality, sharp-edged and making people afraid to approach.

At this moment, under the dim lamplight, his features were shrouded in warm colors. With the cold night and harsh wind around them, he alone was bathed in warm colors, making this gentle brightness seem particularly unique, as if belonging only to her.

Luo Wanqing gazed at him while Xie Heng looked at the lantern, saying softly, “Dao Sect is the mountain gate I cannot return to, the Xie clan is the homeland I cannot go back to. Xiniang…”

Xie Heng called out her name but didn’t speak, only quietly looking at the distant darkness.

Luo Wanqing waited for him to continue, but after waiting a long time, she only saw him turn back to smile at her: “It’s snowing.”