He had saved some silver and bought a residence. The residence wasn’t large, but every plant, every tree, every room and building was arranged exactly like the eldest miss’s courtyard.

He thought Master Xie would eventually pass away, and the eldest master and eldest mistress would eventually take over the household.

If one day they couldn’t tolerate the eldest miss, he would beg Third Master to bring her to live in the residence.

No need to pretend obedience, no need to please anyone—she could simply be herself as she wished.

Actually, the eldest master and his wife might not be intolerant, and Third Master might not agree, but he was just wishfully thinking like this.

“Miss Yan, it’s not only the dead who have heart demons—the living have them too.”

Zhu Qing lifted his head, perfectly calm. “She is my heart demon, and has been for many years.”

In the room, you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone’s expressions changed.

Especially Xie Zhifei—he stared fixedly at Zhu Qing kneeling before him, unable to say a word.

It had indeed been many years—cold came, summer went, seasons turned. And he had noticed nothing at all!

At this moment, Yan Sanhe spoke.

“You’re right—the living also have heart demons. It’s just that they cannot be spoken aloud. Since they cannot be spoken aloud, how did Xie Daozhi know? Freedom alone isn’t enough to make you betray Third Master.”

“I don’t know how he knew, but he just saw through it. Perhaps when someone loves another person, their gaze cannot hide it.”

Zhu Qing paused. “He said to me: You covet the eldest miss. According to the rules, you should be driven from Xie Manor, driven from the capital.

As long as I told him Third Master’s whereabouts, besides granting me freedom, if my feelings for the eldest miss remained unchanged, after his passing, he would consider entrusting the eldest miss to my care.”

Yan Sanhe’s expression changed.

Xie Daozhi actually said this?

Truly prescribing medicine to match the illness.

Clever, so clever!

“You agreed?”

“I…”

Zhu Qing lowered his eyes, his voice dropping considerably.

“Miss Yan, I don’t harbor hopes for what happens after the master’s passing. What I want is just to occasionally encounter her in the manor, to see her, to know she’s well—that’s enough.”

“You damned—you’re truly infatuated!”

Xie Zhifei slammed the table hard.

“Can’t you tell he was manipulating you? If I didn’t agree, could he drive you from Xie Manor, from the capital?

After his passing, eldest brother will be there, I’ll be there, and if nothing else, people from the second household will be there. Would the eldest miss ever need your care?”

Zhu Qing gave a bitter smile, prostrated himself on the ground, and said nothing more.

He wasn’t making excuses for himself. Once someone grasped your weakness, what rationality, what careful thought—it all went out the window.

Yan Sanhe gave Xie Zhifei a cold glance: And what did you promise me?

Xie Zhifei’s chest heaved several times before he collapsed into his chair.

“Zhu Qing, lift your head. Tell me in detail—regarding the Zheng family, what exactly did you tell him?”

“Besides Miss Yan’s background, everything he should know, he knows.”

Zhu Qing straightened up, speaking in great detail. “After the Zheng family wall collapsed, how far Third Master investigated, whom he investigated, whether there was progress—he required me to report everything in detail.”

Yan Sanhe: “Did you ask why?”

Zhu Qing: “I asked. He wouldn’t say.”

The answer would be known soon enough.

Yan Sanhe answered in her heart. “So regarding Yan Xi, how did you send him information? Or do you have a special method of communication?”

“Among the little beggars, there’s one called Chunzi who’s my person. Every time, he delivers letters to the master. I never appear in person.”

Zhu Qing gave a complete account.

“Once we had a lead on Yan Xi, I immediately notified Chunzi, and Chunzi told the master.”

No wonder it was done so seamlessly.

Yan Sanhe looked down at him from above. “Do you regret it, Zhu Qing?”

Zhu Qing pressed his lips tightly, his dark eyes fixed on Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe turned her gaze to Xie Zhifei beside her. “After this matter, there will no longer be a place for you by Third Master’s side.”

A sour, bitter feeling rushed to his eyes.

“Zhu Qing, where’s that smoke-blue robe of mine?”

“Zhu Qing, go tell Mingting—tonight we’re drinking at Spring Breeze Tower. We won’t go home until we’re drunk.”

“Zhu Qing, I’m drunk. Help me up.”

“Zhu Qing, my elder brother is about to scold me. Watch my signals and act accordingly.”

“Zhu Qing…”

“Zhu Qing…”

“Zhu Qing…”

Amid the bitter feelings, Zhu Qing’s gaze turned toward Xie Zhifei.

He remembered the first time he met Third Master. Third Master was still lying in bed, his small face deathly pale, but his eyes clear as a lake.

“You’re called Zhu Qing? That’s a nice name. Who gave it to you? It’s two colors!”

“Don’t worry, I’m very easy to serve.”

“From now on, we’re on the same side.”

“If anyone bullies you, don’t endure it—tell me, and I’ll stand up for you.”

He had nodded while thinking:

Both sons of officials—why was this one so good? He was already an orphan. Who in this world could still stand up for him?

Zhu Qing said nothing, gradually lowering his head.

He had never been good with flowery words, and there was no need to defend himself. Wrong was wrong. There was no medicine for regret. Whether to kill or punish was entirely up to the master to decide.

Did he regret it?

The moment he thought of Third Master, he regretted it to death.

He thought he would never in this life encounter a master better than Third Master.

Did he regret it?

If heaven gave him another chance to choose, if Xie Daozhi still used the eldest miss as his weakness, he would probably make the same choice.

What was a weakness?

It was a person’s most vulnerable spot, their vital point.

A snake’s weakness, seven inches down, was its heart.

A person’s weakness was also their heart.

One cannot betray one’s own heart. Even if it meant eating much bitterness, even if it meant losing everything, in the end he could still smile and say: I have no regrets.

…

Zhu Qing’s interrogation was complete.

After kowtowing three times to Xie Zhifei, he left one sentence and withdrew from the flower hall.

“Master, don’t be soft-hearted. Someone like me, disloyal and unrighteous—however you decide to deal with me, I have absolutely no objections.”

He had truly given up everything, but it troubled everyone in the flower hall.

Kill him?

The matter hadn’t reached the point of killing him.

Don’t kill him?

It seemed the matter couldn’t pass so easily either.

Drive him away?

Only Third Master could drive him away.

Everyone’s gazes turned toward Third Master—whose eyes showed a cold, sunken darkness, black and profound, chillingly cold.

Ding Yi sighed inwardly.

Third Master deducted his monthly wages every month, yet secretly supplemented them every month. If he treated him, an outsider, this way, then toward Zhu Qing… Ai, truly difficult!

Li Buyan sighed inwardly.

In this world, there’s no such thing as truly understanding another’s feelings. Just as others couldn’t comprehend the bond between her and Sanhe, they also couldn’t comprehend the bond between Zhu Qing and Third Master.

Ai, extremely difficult!

Yan Sanhe didn’t sigh. Instead, she spoke slowly.

“Regarding Zhu Qing—if you haven’t decided how to deal with him, set it aside for now. The matter has been clarified anyway, and there’s no rush. Next, you still have to face Xie Daozhi.”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei stared straight at her, his face showing indescribable chagrin, clearly still unable to emerge from Zhu Qing’s story.

“Tell me—am I contemptible? He already betrayed me, yet after hearing about him and my sister, my heart still aches for him.”

“You’re not contemptible.”

Yan Sanhe’s words were pointed. “That’s called being constant in affection.”

Xie Zhifei was struck speechless, his heart surging with undercurrents.

Constant in affection—that was a characteristic of Zheng family men.

—

Regarding the character Zhu Qing, Yiran has a few words to say.

Originally, at such a critical juncture, his flashback shouldn’t have been inserted, or rather, it should have been briefly glossed over so as not to affect the pacing. But after much consideration, I still chose to slow the pace and flesh out this character. Otherwise, his motivation for betraying Third Master would seem very weak and wouldn’t hold up.

There’s also my personal bias—I really like the character of Zhu Qing. He doesn’t talk much, but handles everything properly.

I haven’t decided what to do with Zhu Qing going forward. I’d like to hear your opinions.