Nanyi was at a loss, looking at Zhang Yuehui in complete bewilderment. Zhang Yuehui only smiled at her, his narrow eyes slightly creased, making him seem both sincere and cunning.

She turned to Madam Gantang for help, but Madam Gantang was even more unclear about what this situation was.

Her gaze finally fell evasively on Xie Queshan. He sat unmoved by the eight winds, his jade-like fingers caressing the cup in his hands. She somewhat hoped he would say something, but it appeared he had no intention of speaking.

Madam Gantang still came out to smooth things over: “A widow remarrying is different from ordinary marriage – it’s somewhat a matter requiring caution… And ultimately, we can’t make this decision. It still depends on Nanyi’s own intentions.”

“I, Zhang, am willing to offer the entire Guilai Hall as betrothal gifts.”

Nanyi’s jaw dropped completely in surprise, and Zhang Yuehui became blurry in her eyes again.

This was her childhood sweetheart. They had spent day and night together. Though she didn’t understand him enough, she could be counted among the few people in the world who had known him. Most of the time he was a carefree and interesting person, but he had some strange requirements for things – anything that passed through his hands had to be perfect, complete, and meticulous. But these traits were restrained; he never imposed these obsessions on others.

However, things couldn’t always go as desired. Very occasionally, he would show some obsessive determination to achieve his goals, then quickly sober up and conceal these emotions. The former Nanyi had vaguely felt that this might be the real him.

After their reunion, she had glimpsed his greatest secret and found it absurd yet somewhat reasonable. So he had placed his shocking persistence on other matters.

She had taken the initiative to step back, generously forgiven him, and didn’t want to delve into past hurts. No one was truly carefree – they just pretended not to look. She thought that between them, dust had returned to dust and earth to earth. But he appeared again and again, declaring his obsession with her.

She felt both panic and confusion. She couldn’t remember what between them he couldn’t let go of.

Zhang Yuehui finally put away the smile on his face and looked seriously into Nanyi’s eyes: “As long as you nod, Guilai Hall will never do business with the Qi people again and will be at the Bingzhu Division’s disposal.”

He had completely thrown out the chips he had painstakingly built over many years, putting all initiative in Nanyi’s hands.

He was simply an obsessive person – his life had never had middle ground.

The hall fell into complete silence.

“Wait, what did you say?”

Nanyi’s head buzzed as she suddenly realized something – he said Bingzhu Division? He said Bingzhu Division in front of Xie Queshan? Wasn’t that…?

“He knows all your identities perfectly well.” Zhang Yuehui was quite calm, raising his chin toward Xie Queshan.

Nanyi was caught off guard by these successive attacks and couldn’t utter a word for a long time.

Everyone valued speaking with hidden meanings, making themselves inscrutable, but Zhang Yuehui was simply a shameless rogue without scruples. He liked throwing words directly in people’s faces, tearing off all fig leaves so no one needed to save face.

The Bingzhu Division was taboo to others, but to these four people in the hall, it was just an open secret that everyone knew but hadn’t put on the table.

Zhang Yuehui had calculated precisely – exposing it would cause no real harm.

Xie Queshan couldn’t deny it – should he pretend he just found out? That would only seem like protesting too much. Each of Zhang Yuehui’s words was forcing him, his face dark as storm clouds about to destroy a city.

After a long while, he squeezed out a sarcastic remark: “Boss Zhang truly shows great sincerity.”

“I’m also afraid of putting Young Master Xie in a difficult position. After all, you receive the ruler’s salary and serve the ruler loyally – on one hand you must report to the Qi people, on the other your whole family are anti-Qi warriors. You can temporarily turn a blind eye to what your family does privately, but who knows when you might have no choice but to betray someone… Wasn’t it Young Master Queshan who voluntarily revealed to Lord Wanyan about Princess Lingfu bringing the succession edict? You gained face with the Qi people through this, but the Bingzhu Division was roasted over fire because of it.”

Crash – Madam Gantang’s hand trembled, and the porcelain cup in her hand smashed on the ground like receiving thunderous disapproval.

Nanyi also looked at Xie Queshan in disbelief – how could he do such a thing? Wasn’t this pushing Princess Lingfu into a fire pit? At the New Year banquet, he had clearly helped the Princess.

She could understand his serving different masters, sometimes having to put on a cold facade, but she had always believed he wouldn’t do anything to truly harm others.

“Is it true?” She stared at him, trying to see a trace of denial on his face.

Don’t admit it, don’t admit it… she prayed in her heart.

“Yes.” Xie Queshan uttered a single word flatly.

The trap he had set for Zhang Yuehui, Zhang Yuehui had swallowed without batting an eye, then used his snare to counter-attack him. And now, he had no choice but to swallow everything whole.

His fists clenched in his sleeves, but his face maintained extreme coldness. Finally, he slowly spoke, saying calmly: “Since Boss Zhang has laid everything out, it would seem tactless for me to obstruct further. Nanyi can make her own decision.”

Xie Queshan stood up, stepping over the mess of cups and plates on the ground. As he reached Nanyi’s side, he glanced up and saw that glaring, bright red outside the door, pausing again.

He wished he could burn away all the sincerity that man had poured out, but he sadly discovered he couldn’t even give her these things.

He couldn’t refute Zhang Yuehui’s words. In the Xie family, by his side, was definitely not a safe place. To gain the Qi people’s trust while helping his secret comrades, he had to place people around him in dangerous positions then rescue them. But with Nanyi, he had gambled once – a narrow escape from death – and having developed a weakness, he no longer dared gamble. He clearly knew he had to send her away.

Zhang Yuehui was a capable yet selfish person. Such people could stand firm and live well in chaotic times.

He had already decided to let go. Her marrying someone else was a matter of time – what could he control? His clenched fists in his sleeves suddenly relaxed, a bitter smile crossing his face as he said beside her: “Boss Zhang may not be a bad choice for a husband.”

But he didn’t want to hear her verdict. After speaking, he walked out expressionlessly with a sweep of his sleeves.

Madam Gantang pulled her trembling hands into her sleeves, her face drained of color, her tone frosted: “Boss Zhang is right – the Xie family is not a good place.”

She looked at Nanyi with pity in her eyes: “Nanyi, what does prestigious family matter? In chaotic times, they can fall at any moment and can’t protect you long-term. I also hope you can find a good place to settle.”

“Must only a man’s protection be a good destination? I don’t believe it. I won’t marry.” Nanyi bit her teeth and stubbornly retorted.

Xie Queshan, who had just stepped over the threshold, stopped and looked back.

“Zhang Yuehui, how you want to dispose of your property, who you want to help – these are all your wishes. Guilai Hall never had anything to do with me in the first place. I won’t covet things that don’t belong to me.”

The light in Zhang Yuehui’s eyes dimmed somewhat, but he still smiled at her: “It’s alright. You can think about it more – no need to decide hastily.”

Facing Zhang Yuehui’s gentle eyes at this moment, Nanyi couldn’t say more words. She fled as if escaping.

Her answer was beyond Xie Queshan’s expectations. A trace of joy arose from the bottom of his heart, but greater unease covered it. He couldn’t move his feet, watching her come out. His gaze wandered, not daring to look at her, but when she passed him, she actually raised her head and glared at him fiercely.

…

There were no secrets that didn’t leak in the mansion. A merchant rich enough to rival nations had come to marry a widow from a prestigious family – this strange affair quickly spread throughout Wangxue Hollow.

Continuing like this, Nanyi would only become more conspicuous. She had to leave quickly.

The next day, Xie Queshan went to give his second sister a message. Madam Gantang then invited Song Muchuan over.

If the dissolute Zhang Yuehui couldn’t take her away, surely the harmless Song Muchuan could? This young man’s head was full of propriety and righteousness – he wouldn’t dare covet anything else and wouldn’t pressure Nanyi. They worked well together in the Bingzhu Division and probably already had an understanding.

Making these decisions, Xie Queshan felt no relief – his heart was sour. He felt extremely pathetic. He couldn’t control every detail of the overall situation, and when small losses of control came, especially when these involved Nanyi, they would magnify into thousands of times the pain gnawing at his heart.

He was already at some critical point. If he didn’t resolve this, he would go mad first.

But even when Song Muchuan came, Nanyi gave the same answer.

“I won’t leave.”

Song Muchuan was somewhat puzzled. He thought Nanyi’s return to Wangxue Hollow was just an accident.

“Why?”

Nanyi was silent for a long time, seeming to ponder.

Song Muchuan didn’t rush to pressure her and told her about some outside events from these past days.

Princess Lingfu had been settled safely – no need to worry.

Because of his negligence regarding the edict matter, Wanyan Jun was under house arrest by the Black Crow Battalion, who had authority to act first and report later, awaiting the royal court’s judgment. Gusha now monopolized power, and his style was iron-blooded suppression – the outside situation was becoming increasingly severe.

Coincidentally, just yesterday Han Xianwang’s secret letter had reached Li Du Mansion, mentioning the edict matter. Fortunately, they had acted one step ahead.

Hearing this, Nanyi frowned and asked: “That means the Qi people will eventually know about the Princess carrying the edict?”

“Yes.”

A thought arose in Nanyi’s mind, but she still wasn’t certain. Perhaps sometimes, alerting the enemy wasn’t necessarily a bad thing?

She looked up at Song Muchuan and said seriously: “Mr. Song, Xie Queshan is well-informed. If I stay at Wangxue Hollow, I can gather intelligence from beside him, which would certainly help the Bingzhu Division’s activities.”

Song Muchuan was stunned.

“This is a fire pit!”

“I insist on jumping in.” Nanyi answered with certainty.

…

After Song Muchuan left, Nanyi sat in the garden for a long time before the inexplicable boiling in her body quieted down. She knew she had made an extremely risky and somewhat impulsive decision – even she didn’t know if it was right or wrong.

There were thousands of reasons for her to leave, but she was tripped up by one nearly unreasonable reason.

As darkness fell, she finally returned dejectedly to her small pavilion. Just as she pushed open the door, she was pulled over by an irresistible force.

The person slammed the door shut with his other hand, grabbed her neck, and pressed her directly against the carved door.

She cried out softly in pain and met Xie Queshan’s furious eyes.

“Why won’t you leave?!”