After Ashina Wuduo left, Cui Xun turned to Li Ying. His expression was no longer cold as ice and snow, but had softened somewhat. He said to Li Ying, “Let’s go.”
Li Ying nodded. She walked a few steps side by side with Cui Xun before he suddenly asked, “Just now… did you want to kill her?”
Li Ying softly responded with an “Mm.” Cui Xun said, “The Empress Dowager has lit eternal lamps in forty thousand Buddhist temples throughout the country, gathering the divine power of Buddhism to allow the princess to walk in daylight as a ghost. If the princess kills someone, the Buddhist powers would backlash, and the princess would disintegrate—soul and all.”
Li Ying pressed her lips together: “I… didn’t think that far.”
A gentle breeze blew as the two entered a wisteria corridor. Around the corridor grew tender green weeping willows, their cascading branches like waterfalls, making the scene within the corridor semi-visible, not discernible to outsiders. Inside the corridor, pale purple wisteria flowers climbed the wooden trellis, like strings of water droplets hanging from above, layer upon layer, smoke-like and misty. Cui Xun said, “Actually, you have no grudge against Ashina Wuduo.”
Therefore, there was no need to risk soul disintegration to kill her.
Li Ying lowered her head and said, “But I don’t want her to hurt you anymore.”
Not wanting Ashina Wuduo to continue hurting Cui Xun, she hadn’t even had time to consider whether she would disintegrate. Cui Xun’s eyes grew warm, and he murmured, “How… do I deserve the princess doing this for me?”
“You deserve it,” Li Ying said. Remembering the inhuman torture he’d endured for two years in the Turkic lands, how he never once begged for mercy from Ashina Wuduo, never bowed and scraped to surrender to the Turks, she said word by word: “In my heart, you are a remarkable person.”
A trace of amazement flashed through Cui Xun’s eyes. In these past years, he had been called a despicable person, a lowly person, a vicious person, but never had anyone called him a remarkable person.
Moonlight filtered through the wisteria leaves hanging from the wooden corridor roof, falling like silver sand. In the hazy night, if Li Ying had turned her head slightly, she would have seen the fine, glistening tears hanging on Cui Xun’s fluttering eyelashes. But she didn’t turn her head. Cui Xun blinked, composing his thoughts, and said, “Don’t do this again in the future.”
He said, “I can protect myself.” He paused, then added, “If something were to happen to you because of me, I would rather…” He pressed his lips together, “Rather have never met you.”
Li Ying was stunned. She turned her head to look at Cui Xun. The moonlight was faint, like a thin gauze shining on his face. She could only see Cui Xun’s dark eyes, like deep pools, revealing no emotion. His words seemed to contain some concern, but his expression didn’t make it obvious. What was truly in his heart?
Li Ying couldn’t guess.
She could only nod and say, “Mm.”
The wisteria corridor stretched for half a li. As they talked, they were almost at the end of the corridor. A spring rain had fallen a few days ago, and the pebble path beneath the corridor was somewhat damp. Li Ying’s foot slipped, and she staggered, about to fall to the ground. Cui Xun, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught her, and she fell into his arms. Cui Xun’s arm was still around her waist. She was so close to him that she could see his eyes, black as drops of ink, and he could smell the faint fragrance from her neck. The previous embrace had nothing to do with romance, but what about this one?
Li Ying looked up at Cui Xun. She didn’t struggle to break free, but only gazed steadily at him with her brilliant star-like eyes, seeming to have thousands of words to say. Cui Xun’s usually unruffled eyes showed a rare trace of helplessness. His thin lips pressed slightly together, then he released his arm from her waist, stepped back two paces, and said, “I apologize. In the urgency of the moment, I’ve offended the princess.”
Perhaps because his character was too cold and aloof, his eyes were typically as cold as a chilly spring, showing no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness; no one knew what he was truly thinking. This rare display of uncertainty stirred a mischievous thought in Li Ying’s heart. She stepped forward two paces, closer to him, then looked up and said with a charming smile, “Have you ever offended anyone else like this before?”
Already exquisitely beautiful, when she smiled playfully like this, she added an extra touch of the liveliness and charm of a sixteen-year-old girl. Cui Xun stared at her, and his face, pale to the point of bloodlessness, couldn’t help but show a trace of blush. Even his ears, like jade, turned rosy. He almost awkwardly said, “No… no…”
Li Ying stepped closer again, smiling like a dimpled flower: “Then should I be angry, or should I feel honored?”
Cui Xun retreated somewhat embarrassedly, his speech becoming stuttered: “Wha… whatever you want.”
But Li Ying didn’t step forward anymore. She said, “Don’t go any further. We need to head back.”
Only then did Cui Xun realize that he had retreated several steps, now standing two zhang away from her. A few more steps back, and he would truly be re-entering the wisteria corridor. His face once again bloomed with a peach blossom-like blush. He coughed, lowered his head in embarrassment, then slowly walked forward to Li Ying. Li Ying suppressed a smile and said, “I was just joking with you. Don’t be angry.”
Cui Xun kept his head down but softly said, “I wouldn’t… be angry with you.”
This time it was Li Ying who was stunned. Before she could react, Cui Xun said, “Let’s go.”
With that, he walked ahead as if escaping. Li Ying was taken aback, then followed him. Cui Xun was walking quite fast. Li Ying followed for a few steps without catching up. But suddenly he seemed to realize something and deliberately slowed down, waiting until she reached his side before walking at a normal pace. Beside him was the familiar subtle fragrance, and Cui Xun’s heart grew increasingly calm. Even when the mist concealing the twin lotus in the lake dispersed, he didn’t notice.
Upon returning to the Cui mansion, Cui Xun began to examine the paper travel permit. The permit was issued by the Department of State Affairs, but the name on it was fake. In other words, this was a forged genuine permit. In the Department of State Affairs, only the Left Minister Lu Yumin and the Right Minister Cui Songqing had such authority and courage.
If it were Lu Yumin, Cui Xun could guess his reasons for helping Jin Ni. If it were Cui Songqing… Cui Xun pondered for a long while, then secretly ordered Investigation Department spies to investigate the matter thoroughly. The issuing of permits was managed by the Director and the Assistant Director of the Gate Bureau. By starting with these two people, they could find out who had forged this permit.
But since Lu and Cui were the leaders of two factions, Cui Xun couldn’t directly arrest and interrogate the Director and Assistant Director of the Gate Bureau. He could only have his spies investigate indirectly, which would inevitably slow down the progress.
While investigating the permit, Cui Xun also didn’t give up searching for Jin Ni’s whereabouts. But since escaping from Furong Garden, Jin Ni had vanished like mud in the sea, leaving no trace. Cui Xun’s desk was covered with reports from spies searching throughout Chang’an. He read them one by one, his brows slightly furrowed. Before he knew it, it was the second watch of the night.
A gentle knock came from the carved wooden door, and Cui Xun finally raised his head from the voluminous official documents. He adjusted the white fox fur robe he was wearing, then rose to open the door.
Outside was indeed Li Ying.
Li Ying wore a jade-colored embroidered skirt that accentuated her snow-white skin and flower-like appearance. A touch of gentleness appeared in Cui Xun’s eyes: “Why have you come?”
Li Ying glanced at the mountain of official documents: “To urge you to rest.”
Cui Xun was slightly surprised. Li Ying counted on her fingers: “It’s now the second watch of the night. When the fifth watch drum sounds, you’ll have to attend court. So, how long do you plan to rest?”
Cui Xun’s lips curved slightly upward. He said, “In my rush to catch Jin Ni, I forgot the time.”
Li Ying looked at his gaunt figure wrapped in the heavy fox fur and sighed: “Catching Jin Ni is urgent, but your health is important too.”
“But catching Jin Ni can also help solve the truth behind your case sooner.”
Li Ying recalled the coughing she’d heard just now at his door, and blurted out: “If solving my case means damaging your health, then I would rather you stop investigating.”
Cui Xun was stunned, and Li Ying was also taken aback. Initially, she had sought out Cui Xun hoping he could help her uncover the truth, so she wouldn’t have to remain a wandering ghost and could be reincarnated soon. She had been deeply obsessed with this. Yet just now, she had actually said that if the cost of investigating was Cui Xun’s deteriorating health, she would rather he stopped?
She didn’t know why she had said such words. Wasn’t uncovering the truth her greatest wish for the past thirty years? When had this wish begun to take second place? She found it somewhat incredible.
Lost in thought, she didn’t continue. It was Cui Xun who first recovered: “Don’t say things in anger.” He paused, then said, “Come in first.”
In the white crane incense burner, Li Ying lit a small piece of specially prepared calming incense. Along with the rising blue smoke, the fragrance filled the room. Li Ying said, “This is a new incense I’ve prepared. It can help you sleep better at night.”
Cui Xun nodded. Li Ying looked at his face, pale to the point of near transparency. She pressed her lips together and said, “Just now, I simply felt that you should take better care of yourself.”
Cui Xun said, “I know.”
Li Ying’s gaze moved to his hand resting on the sandalwood table. His hand was so pale that the blue veins were visible. Li Ying knew that looking higher would reveal the numerous scars hidden beneath his clothes. She hesitated, then said, “The two years in the Turkic lands, plus the year in the Dali Temple, have damaged your body too much. If you want to live a few more years, you need to take better care of yourself and can’t keep skipping meals and sleep like this.”
Cui Xun quietly looked at her and softly responded with an “Mm.” His eyes were as black as bottomless pools. When he looked at Li Ying, she could see her reflection in those depths. She felt inexplicably uncomfortable and lowered her head, saying, “I might be talking too much.”
She paused, then added, “Do you regret letting me move back?”
Cui Xun answered quickly: “I don’t regret it.”
After a moment, he added, “You’re not talking too much.”
Li Ying couldn’t help but smile: “As long as you don’t find me annoying.”
Cui Xun looked at her radiant smile and said softly, “How could I find you annoying? I…”
He seemed to want to say something more, but those words ultimately remained unspoken. Li Ying waited for a while, and seeing that he didn’t continue, she said, “That’s good then. I’ll leave now. Rest well.”
She rose to leave, but Cui Xun stopped her: “Princess, please wait.”
Li Ying turned back, puzzled. Cui Xun seemed somewhat embarrassed to speak. After a while, he finally gathered his courage and said, “This calming incense smells very nice. Could you make more for me?”
Li Ying hadn’t expected him to say this. Was this what he had wanted to tell her just now? But this was probably the first time he had asked her for anything. She smiled and said, “Of course.”
Cui Xun gazed at her steadily and said, “Thank you.” Li Ying nodded and said, “Rest well.”
With that, she left. But after leaving, she didn’t return to her room. Only after seeing the white porcelain lamp wick extinguished behind the green window screen, leaving the room in darkness, did she turn and go back.