On the carriage during the journey, He Zhong always felt that the little Daoist sharing the carriage kept looking at him with eyes that made his hair stand on end—it was just like the look she had a few days ago when she was suppressing something wicked, scheming ways to outwit Noble Consort Wu Shu.
Unable to bear it any longer, he finally scooted to the side and said gruffly: “What wicked scheme are you thinking up?”
“Deputy General He, what a thing to say,” Qiu Xinran said amiably. “I just want to inquire about something with you.”
He Zhong looked at her warily. After seeing her deliberate for a moment, she asked in a roundabout way: “Is Marquis Dingbei about to return to Qizhou?”
Not knowing why she would proactively ask about this, He Zhong couldn’t help but look her up and down suspiciously: “So what if he is?”
“I heard Miss Zhang is also going back with him?”
“Miss Zhang is Brother Rong’s sister. After suffering so much hardship outside, now that the siblings are reunited, naturally she’ll return with us.”
Qiu Xinran pondered thoughtfully: “So you’re saying the Marquis Dingbei’s party returning to Qizhou can include women?”
“When the Marquis returns to Qizhou, aren’t the maidservants and old women serving at his side all women?” He Zhong thought her question strange. “What exactly do you want to ask?”
“I was thinking wrong,” Qiu Xinran smiled and sat up straight, saying sincerely, “To be honest, I’ve recently been considering leaving Chang’an to go see other places.”
Hearing this, He Zhong was shocked and immediately recalled those words he’d heard at the wine house. Could it be she truly feared the Marquis would come to settle accounts and was preparing to flee? But that wasn’t right—if she wanted to run, why would she specifically come tell him?
What Qiu Xinran was thinking was: Since she couldn’t stay in Chang’an, she should make plans early. She had come down from the mountain wanting to know why she studied divination. Why must she be confined to Chang’an alone? With the world so vast, after she traveled around everywhere, perhaps she would find answers elsewhere.
But traveling alone—how could that be so easy? Not to mention that since birth she had never traveled far from home. Going on the road alone, if she encountered danger she had no ability to protect herself. Just considering her current reputation, there were quite a few in court who resented her. If someone truly took advantage of her leaving the capital to move against her on the road, she would have nowhere to cry injustice.
But if she could leave the city together with Xia Xiuyan, that would be completely different. Under this heaven, was there a more reliable traveling companion than the Changwu Army? As long as she traveled with them for a stretch of road, found a pleasant town midway to settle in, performed divinations for people to earn some travel money, then after a few years when she had made thorough preparations, she could set out to wander freely—wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?
Thinking of this, her gaze toward He Zhong became involuntarily more amiable: “Since the Marquis is about to leave the capital, could you allow me to follow you out of the city together? It would be good to have protection on the road. Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t cause you any trouble.”
Hearing this matter, He Zhong said strangely: “Why did you think to come find me?”
Actually, asking Zhang Rong for help with this would be best, but that emotional declaration he had made when they parted at the temple had been far too solemn and serious. She felt that if she had made this request of him at that time, it would be tantamount to exploiting his gratitude! Coming to find He Zhong now, she had no such burden and could lie with eyes wide open: “You are a capable person at the Marquis’s side, so naturally I thought to find you first.”
Indeed, a thousand flatteries and ten thousand flatteries never go wrong. Hearing these words, He Zhong’s expression improved somewhat. But after pondering for a while, he felt something was off. This little Daoist showed not the slightest guilty conscience toward their Marquis, and even dared to proactively propose following them out of Chang’an together?
He secretly contemplated this in his heart when suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, a bold and incredible speculation arose in his mind: Could it be this little Daoist liked their Marquis?
The more he thought about it, the more reliable this speculation seemed. Their Marquis was brilliant and mighty, handsome in appearance. In Qizhou, countless distinguished families competed to marry their daughters to him. Coming to Chang’an this time, he had also seen quite a few sons and daughters of nobility, but in his eyes, looking around, not one could compare with their Marquis! Thinking this way, it was the most normal thing in the world for this little Daoist to like his Marquis.
Moreover, if he followed this line of thought deeper, many previously inexplicable matters could be readily explained. For instance, back then perhaps she truly believed the Marquis was a martial god descended to earth who could certainly turn the tide. That was why she divined before the court, determining that in the present age only he could resolve the Qizhou crisis. In the end, as expected, this established the resounding reputation of Marquis Dingbei! Another example—these past days she had worked diligently to help. If she didn’t have feelings for their Marquis, why would she put herself in danger and involve herself at such a time? Moreover, thinking carefully, from the moment she got in the carriage, she first asked if the Marquis planned to leave the capital, then asked if Zhang Hui would follow the Marquis out of the capital. Could it be jealousy? Hearing she would go along, that’s why she asked for his help, wanting to go together?
Thinking to this point, He Zhong’s gaze toward Qiu Xinran actually became somewhat sympathetic. Alas, who would have thought that as someone who had left secular life, she harbored such complicated and subtle feelings toward their Marquis—she truly was a pitiable person. He just didn’t know if the Marquis knew about this matter, or what thoughts he had about her?
Just as this thought arose, he immediately shook his head inwardly: The Marquis had always been aloof and solitary by nature. After so many years at the border, one never saw a woman at his side. Even arriving in Chang’an, staying daily in a tender haven like Fragrant Pond Garden, facing the women in the garden he remained unmoved. How could he possibly have any feelings for this Daoist? She would probably end up with a melancholy conclusion in the end.
Qiu Xinran watched as this eight-foot-tall man beside her looked at her with increasingly strange eyes that even seemed to carry some pity. Her skin crawling, she quickly coughed twice and pressed: “Is Deputy General He willing to help me with this favor?”
“I can’t decide this matter—I still need to ask the Marquis.” He Zhong looked at her and said euphemistically, “But I advise you to abandon this notion. The Marquis most likely won’t agree.”
“Why?” Qiu Xinran said strangely. “Since Zhang Hui and Gao Yue will both be there, bringing me along shouldn’t be such a big matter, right?”
He Zhong was at a loss for words: “Miss Zhang is Brother Rong’s sister, and Gao Yue is originally Gao Yang’s sister. How are you the same as them?”
“Do you all require people to be sisters to travel together?” Qiu Xinran found this amusing in her heart and pondered: “…If that’s the case, does Deputy General He still lack a sister?”
Before He Zhong could put on a stern face to rebuke her for frivolity, he saw her shake her head and reject this proposal herself first: “But I’ve never been anyone’s younger sister before. In the past on the mountain, I was more often a senior martial sister to people. If Deputy General He doesn’t mind, I can be an elder sister to you.”
He Zhong: “…”
For the rest of the journey, He Zhong didn’t address another half sentence to her. Qiu Xinran hadn’t expected him to be so easily teased. After getting off the carriage, she still felt somewhat regretful. By the looks of it, the path of asking He Zhong for help wouldn’t work.
Who knew that just as she jumped down from the carriage, He Zhong called out to her from inside. Qiu Xinran turned her head rather unexpectedly, just thinking there might be some unexpected turn of events, but saw He Zhong’s dark face showing a trace of red. Feigning casualness, he said: “Didn’t you say in the temple earlier that Miss Zhang has an umbrella still at your place, and you were going to return it another day?” She saw his gaze wandering left and right, and after a long while he squeezed out a sentence: “Though I can’t decide that matter from before, I could conveniently return that umbrella for you.”
Seeing his uncomfortable appearance, Qiu Xinran had a sudden realization: “Ah—”
“What are you ‘ah-ing’ about!” He Zhong put on a fierce expression and glared at her unhappily.
Qiu Xinran smiled with narrowed eyes: “I don’t even know where I put that umbrella. I think I’d better go back and search for it carefully. Meanwhile, Deputy General He can also go back and think carefully about what I said in the carriage. Maybe by the time I remember where that umbrella is, Deputy General He will have thought it through too.”
He Zhong had his weak spot seized. Behind her back, he huffed irritably as he watched her walk into He’s Restaurant with light, cheerful steps.
But before Qiu Xinran could walk into the establishment, she noticed the downstairs was unusually quiet today. Belatedly looking up, she saw seated prominently in the center of the main hall a young man in brocade white robes. He wore a silver crown on his head and a blue-gold jade belt at his waist, sitting leisurely at a wooden table with a black-robed sword-bearing man standing beside him. The two were quite eye-catching sitting on the first floor.
He looked utterly out of place with this restaurant, to the point that with him sitting there, even the discussion among nearby diners involuntarily quieted. Hearing her enter, he set down the cup in his hand and looked up. Qiu Xinran’s foot crossing the threshold just stopped frozen in midair.
Seeing her return, He Xiu’er’s eyes lit up: “Daoist, you’re back? A guest has been waiting for you for quite a while!” As she spoke, she walked near and pulled on her sleeve, using a voice only the two of them could hear, suppressing her excitement to ask quietly: “That person… is that person Marquis Dingbei?”
Qiu Xinran didn’t know how to answer. The day Xia Xiuyan returned to the capital riding a horse through the streets, quite a few people had seen his true appearance, but a fleeting glimpse made it hard to be certain. After Wu Guangda’s incident, the matter from seven years ago was dug up again. Someone had inquired and learned she was that Daoist from back then. The streets and alleys were currently full of people waiting to watch the spectacle. Xia Xiuyan appearing here at this time was even more intriguing.
“Why didn’t you take him to the second floor tea room to wait for me?” Qiu Xinran felt somewhat troubled.
“Oh my, I forgot!” He Xiu’er secretly glanced at the man behind them, her eyes showing some shyness. “When I thought this might be Marquis Dingbei, I simply didn’t dare go up and speak with him.”
Seeing everyone in the main hall whispering to each other and looking over, their gazes full of undisguised curiosity, Qiu Xinran could only steel herself and step forward. Not daring to expose his identity publicly, she said politely: “Do you have some important matter this time?”
Xia Xiuyan sat at the table and watched her for a while, then said unhurriedly: “I seem to still have something at the Daoist’s place.”
Qiu Xinran was startled and recalled the token he had given her, which indeed she hadn’t had time to return to him. She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief: “I see. It was my oversight. I’ve troubled you to make a special trip here.”
Xia Xiuyan rose leisurely, shaking out his robe hem, and said indifferently: “No matter. I happened to be passing by and can have my fortune told.”
Qiu Xinran was startled again. When he walked to her side, she involuntarily stepped aside to make way for him: “What does the Marquis… want to divine?”
Xia Xiuyan glanced at her sidelong: “Why not divine about marriage prospects?”
The tea room on the second floor had its window open, but today the banner reading “One Divination Not Wrong” had not been hung out.
Xia Xiuyan walked around the tea room and finally stood with hands behind his back at the window, looking outside for a while, lost in some unknown thought. Qiu Xinran poured him a cup of water. When he sat down, he touched the cup’s rim with his hand, seemingly detecting it was overnight cold tea, and withdrew his hand again. Qiu Xinran thickly pretended not to notice his disdain. Instead, Gao Yang, seeing this, stepped forward to take the tea set downstairs to change the water, leaving only the two of them in the room for the moment.
Qiu Xinran retrieved Xia Xiuyan’s token from inside and handed it to him, feeling as if she had unloaded some burden and breathing a long sigh of relief: “Finally returned to its rightful owner. Mission accomplished.”
Xia Xiuyan casually took it and found her reaction amusing: “I’m not even afraid you’d secretly run off with my token. What are you afraid of?”
“The Marquis jests.” Qiu Xinran laughed dryly twice, then carefully observed his expression. Seeing he seemed to have something on his mind, lost in some thought, she couldn’t help but ask: “Does the Marquis seek me for some other matter?” She really didn’t quite dare believe Xia Xiuyan had truly come to have her divine his marriage prospects.
Indeed, Xia Xiuyan casually toyed with the token in his hand and started: “I heard you were ill?”
After the Great Sacrifice, probably because the tightly wound string in her heart suddenly relaxed, combined with it being the transition between spring and summer when the climate was unpredictable, she had indeed been coughing recently. But she didn’t know where Xia Xiuyan had learned of this. After a moment of surprise, Qiu Xinran answered: “I had a slight cold a few days ago, but I’m mostly recovered now. Thank you for the Marquis’s concern.”
Hearing this, Xia Xiuyan nodded, seeming absent-minded, and asked casually again: “How did you fall ill?”
How did she fall ill? How else could she fall ill? Qiu Xinran was completely baffled, feeling he was acting strangely today. She couldn’t help but joke: “Surely it wasn’t the Marquis who passed his illness to me.”
Just as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said. The memory of that morning by the water pool at Crouching Dragon Mountain surfaced before her eyes. For a moment, she wished she could bite off her own tongue. Looking at the person before her who was also clearly stunned, she stammered an explanation: “I meant to say… the Marquis’s illness should be completely healed, no need to worry about passing illness to me again…”
Before finishing her words, Qiu Xinran already felt darkness before her eyes and utter despair in her heart. She had never felt herself so clumsy with words. Could this be the price for taking advantage of He Zhong in the carriage? But this price was far too great. If possible, she would be willing to go back and call He Zhong “grandfather” to make up for this mistake.
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard the man by the window let out a low laugh. His earlobes hidden behind his dark hair were faintly and suspiciously reddening. After a long while, she finally heard him say with lowered eyes: “You wish.”