A young lady loving cats was truly the most normal thing.

Seeing this, Yan Lin couldn’t help smiling at her.

Everyone’s gazes were drawn to Jiang Xuening. Almost no one noticed Xie Wei’s momentary stiffness just now. When they turned their gazes back, Xie Wei as a whole already had no flaws.

Shen Zhiyi curiously looked at Xie Wei: “Is Teacher Xie going to Chengqing Hall?”

Xie Wei said nothing.

The steward bowed to Shen Zhiyi in greeting, smiling as he explained: “Precisely so. It’s rare for an honored guest like Teacher Xie to visit. The Marquis specially invited the Teacher to go speak with him.”

This was hardly surprising.

Throughout court and country, everyone knew Xie Wei was easy to get along with, but one seldom heard of him being close with anyone or having very good relationships. It was always others wanting to curry favor with him, visiting his door. One had never heard of him proactively visiting anyone.

Knowing the capping ceremony would be held shortly, everyone dared not say much to delay his time.

Of course, Xie Wei was originally their teacher—there wasn’t much to say anyway.

So after exchanging a few pleasantries, the steward led Xie Wei, walking along the corridor, circling around the hanging flower gate behind, heading toward Chengqing Hall.

Watching his figure recede into the distance, only then did Jiang Xuening finally breathe a sigh of relief.

With her heart relaxed, the strength in her hands also loosened.

That uneasy little spotted cat, seizing the opportunity, immediately kicked with both legs and sprang from her arms. With a “meow,” it jumped onto the railing in a flash and disappeared among the artificial mountains piled by the waterside.

Only at this time did she feel a fine stinging pain transmitted from her wrist.

Lowering her eyes to look, at some unknown time, a bloody scratch had been drawn on her wrist.

One look and it was clear it must have been scratched by the cat’s flailing claws when she held it.

Only just now her mind had been too concentrated, her attention completely not on this, so she actually had no sensation at all. Only now when her spirit relaxed did she feel the pain.

Shen Zhiyi was still looking at the direction where Xie Wei disappeared, unable to help nudging Yan Lin with her elbow, teasing: “Among all the noble sons in the capital, going forward you Yan Lin will have the greatest face. You could actually invite Teacher Xie to come bestow your courtesy name—I wonder how many people will be envious to death.”

Only then did Yan Lin also withdraw his gaze.

He slightly lowered his eyelids, saying: “Most likely it’s all for my father’s sake.”

But Prince Yanping didn’t care about all that, directly stirring up commotion at the side, saying: “Don’t care, don’t care—in any case, it’s a good thing. Seeing as there’s still an hour or so before the capping ceremony is held, today everyone who came is a guest, and you Yan Lin are the host. The host follows the guest’s wishes. We came with great difficulty—you must entertain us properly, right?”

Yan Lin smiled at him: “What do you want to do?”

Prince Yanping’s age was still not very great. Looking left and right, as if afraid of being discovered by someone, only then did he blink and say: “Is there wine?”

Hearing this, everyone laughed together.

Though it was Prince Yanping’s suggestion, everyone truly rarely had opportunities to gather together like this. Even Shen Zhiyi agreed along with them.

Yan Lin thus had no choice but to have Qingfeng and the servants bring some wine to place under that cherry tree, sitting down with everyone to play and drink.

The steward stopped before Chengqing Hall, only lightly knocking on the door forward: “Marquis, Teacher Xie has arrived.”

From inside came coughing sounds, rather like getting up somewhat urgently. In the somewhat aged voice was hidden some emotion others couldn’t fathom: “Quickly, please come in.”

Only then did the steward push open the door.

Xie Wei stood before this door for a moment before walking inside.

The daylight of winter wasn’t as bright as summer to begin with. Most of the windows inside the room were covered, with no lamps lit either, so it appeared somewhat dim.

In the air floated a vague bitter medicinal smell.

On that bed with curtains hung by golden hooks, in this short period of time, Yongyi Marquis Yan Mu had already added much aged appearance. His temples were tinged with a bit of frost-white. But his pair of eyes were already sharp as lightning, immediately falling upon that person walking in from outside.

Full of restraint, filled with the aura of towering mountains and deep seas—calm yet also carrying some weightiness.

High mountains and vast seas, wandering while singing of picking ferns—like a sage, also like a hermit.

Long brows indifferent, both eyes deeply tranquil.

Yan Mu carefully stared at his features, as if wanting to glimpse a few familiar shadows from these unfamiliar contours. But no matter how he searched his memories, time had already passed twenty years.

No matter how clear a face was back then, all had been eroded by the years.

Moreover, that was just a six or seven-year-old small child. To find traces of past features on the face of an already mature young man was truly somewhat fantastical. Not everyone who grew up still resembled their childhood appearance.

It was only that when a person’s heart felt it resembled, no matter how one looked, it resembled.

Yan Mu coughed twice more, lightly waving his hand: “Teacher Xie, please sit. Yan has illness in his body and hasn’t been able to go out these days. I’ve been remiss as a host—please forgive me. That sir is willing to come truly makes this humble manor shine with glory.”

Xie Wei silently sat on the brocade stool beside him.

Yan Mu said: “My unruly son, receiving much grace from His Majesty, was selected and summoned to the palace to study at the Wenyuan Pavilion. I heard he received much of sir’s care. He didn’t cause you trouble, did he?”

Xie Wei said: “The heir is not unruly at all, quite sensible. When studying at the Wenyuan Pavilion, he rarely gives anyone cause for worry. The Marquis Manor’s scholarly lineage runs deep, and discipline is very strict. This junior… with shallow learning and meager talent, only provided slight constraint here and there.”

Junior.

By age, Xie Wei truly counted as a junior. But as an official in court, even the Xiao family had to give him some face. One had never heard of him calling himself “junior” before Xiao Yuan, Duke Dingguo.

Yan Mu’s heart tightened a few degrees.

But afterward, several parts of desolation surged up. He sighed: “If Teacher Xie has shallow learning and meager talent, there probably aren’t any learned scholars in this world. When you see Yan Lin’s rowdy and playful unruly appearance and think it’s good, that’s because you haven’t seen truly well-behaved children. Previously, Yan Lin had a cousin. When reading and studying texts, he could recite everything after reading once—clever, bright, and lovable. Only his qin playing was a bit worse, but he was willing to practice hard. Such a small child already knew how to endure hardship—too rare. My younger sister often brought him back to the manor from the Xiao family side to play. When I saw him, I thought if my child when born could also be like this, it would be good. Only unfortunately, Prince Pingnan and the Heavenly Sect rebel faction revolted. Once heavy troops surrounded the city, before Yan Lin was even born, that child was gone…”

“…”

Xie Wei lowered his gaze. His fingers resting lightly on his knees trembled once, slowly clenching into a fist, before he could sit steady.

Yan Mu’s eye sockets reddened, leaning back on the bed. His gaze somewhat vacant, in his somewhat weathered voice was hidden accusation against and anguish over this perilous world: “Such a small child, barely past six years old, not yet seven. In such cold weather, snow covering and freezing together. His mother stumbled out from the palace as if crazed, pulling away those blocking her, all the way to that palace gate piled high with snow. She used her hands to dig. When she couldn’t dig, she seized the blades and swords of soldiers beside her, grabbing the iron bars in their hands, striking down again and again. That ice and snow was truly too hard, too thick. Even the blood flowing out froze together. When the iron bar struck it, the shock numbed one’s hands, wearing through skin and seeping blood. Digging out a child, five or six years old, but ice and snow had stuck down skin and flesh—one simply couldn’t tell who it was. Only when family members cried did they pull her back…”

Xie Wei sat unmoving, like a statue.

But Yan Mu looked at him again, tears in his eyes, his voice pouring out irrepressible tragedy: “He was only that young, hadn’t even left the capital. That winter was so cold. I don’t know if they lit lamps inside the palace, made fires, whether at night there was someone to cover him with blankets. What kind of heartless person could bear to push him out? If Heaven has eyes and sent mercy, allowing this child to still live in this world, what appearance would he have grown into?”

Xie Wei finally slowly closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple surging. After a very long time, as if forcibly pressing something down, he opened his eyes again.

He wanted to smile at Yan Mu.

However, the corners of his lips were too heavy, too weighted down—they couldn’t curve up. He could only woodenly face him, saying lowly: “The fortunate have Heaven’s protection. Since Heaven took pity, it should have him endure all tribulations and be tempered into excellence.”

“Good, good…”

Yan Mu actually laughed, though laughing through tears. Yet he felt that twenty years of accumulated grievances all gushed forth from his chest, transforming into overwhelming emotion rising ten thousand zhang!

“Should endure all tribulations, should be tempered into excellence!”

His younger sister, in anger back then, divorced and returned home, yet始终 refused to believe that child was buried in the tomb of three hundred righteous children. Containing pain and enduring humiliation, she searched in many ways. Unfortunately, in such a vast world, there was no news. But he was just a small child—even if clever, how could he escape that siege’s calamity?

Ultimately couldn’t be found.

Everyone felt it was just a mother not believing her child was gone. Until over half a year ago, when remnants of Prince Pingnan were captured by their people, they actually claimed that when they and the Heavenly Sect massacred the capital, the heir Dingfei wasn’t among those three hundred righteous children, but was taken away by the Heavenly Sect’s leader.

Yan Mu didn’t dare think—if what these people said was true, then a child born of two great families, bearing noble bloodline, falling into the hands of such cruel and vicious rebels, what kind of life did he live, and how much suffering unknown to others did he experience…

Just thinking about it made his insides burn, unable to find peace!

At this moment, he only extended his hand tremblingly toward this young man before him.

Xie Wei rose, walked to his bedside. When he extended his hand, Yan Mu grasped it tightly, that strength so great it actually hurt.

Raising his eyes again, he met Yan Mu’s wide-open eyes full of bloodshot veins!

Inside them was surging hatred reaching the heavens, spilling resentment!

Finally, it transformed into deep, thick sorrow.

His voice hoarse, gazing at him: “When you came, before that Qingyu Hall, there should be a cherry tree, planted for twenty-two or twenty-three years. When it was just planted, it didn’t bear much fruit. That child would sit on the steps under the eaves reading, also watching the tree, day by day hoping for those cherries to ripen. Now it’s grown tall, lush. Once summer arrives, beneath the layers of green leaves, red fruits hang everywhere. Next year at summer solstice, Teacher Xie might as well come pick and taste some—they’re much sweeter than many years ago…”

Xie Wei’s throat had already choked up. After a long while, so low it was almost inaudible, he said: “Alright.”

Having finished speaking, Yan Mu became somewhat tired.

He hadn’t asked—if that child was still alive, still in this world, why didn’t he come early to recognize his relatives.

Xie Wei withdrew from inside the room.

The daylight in the corridor was too bright, piercing into his eyes and stabbing into his heart. In his chest was a fire-scorching pain, making him unable to help raising his hand to forcefully press against his heart. His feet stumbled two steps. One hand supported himself against a corridor pillar, fingernails even sinking into the pillar surface leaving marks, before he managed not to collapse.

Brows tightly furrowed, face pale white.

The steward not far from the door was startled, hurriedly walking over to support him.

But Xie Wei steadied himself.

The steward was alarmed, very worried: “Are you alright?”

Xie Wei slowly released his hand. In his eyes, murderous energy clearly surged, yet at this moment was deeply pressed into those layered masks. When he raised his eyes again, he was as calm as before, only calm to the extreme, like dead water without ripples: “It doesn’t matter. Just some problems with body coldness and heart palpitations.”