The next morning—
When Lian Yin woke up, still half-asleep, she felt something soft and fluffy brushing against her neck… She reached out and grabbed it, only to find the little bird curled up in a ball.
She instantly woke up a bit more, then felt slightly relieved that she had slept peacefully the night before and had not tossed around, otherwise a tragedy might have happened.
“How did you end up flying onto my bed? You scared me.”
She gently stroked the now-awake bird. “I’ll take you to find your owner later.”
Warm sunlight filtered softly into the courtyard.
The young man had not fully recovered from his illness and had also gone through yesterday’s chaos, so he did not look very energetic. When he saw the bird Lian Yin brought, his expression remained listless.
“How would I remember where a bird lives? If you don’t like it, just ignore it. Do you really need to figure out where it belongs?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it…” Lian Yin looked at the bird in her palm. It was small enough that a stray cat could swallow it in one bite.
She gently patted its head. “I don’t plan to raise a bird. I just happened to encounter it. I can’t keep it forever. If I just let it fly around, wouldn’t that be dangerous? It could easily die.”
Xie Lanyin seemed to understand. “So you don’t like it that much, yet you want to keep it in a cage so it can live every day…”
Lian Yin: “…?”
What kind of twisted interpretation was that?
“Don’t make me sound so cruel,” she said, placing the bird on the table and pushing it toward him. “This wasn’t mine to begin with. It belongs here, to your household. And it’s so plump, someone must have been feeding it. You really don’t remember anything?”
Xie Lanyin reached out to tease the bird, only to get pecked on the finger. “Does this look like something I raised?”
Lian Yin: “……”
“Didn’t we dismiss a lot of people before? It probably belonged to one of them. They left and didn’t want it, so they didn’t take it along.”
That sounded reasonable.
“Can’t we find someone to take care of it?” Lian Yin asked. “Like giving it to someone who likes raising birds?”
Xie Lanyin continued idly playing with it. “It likes you very much and came close to you on its own. If you give it to someone else, it might be so sad it dies. Wouldn’t it be better to just let it fend for itself?”
Lian Yin paused and looked at the lively bird hopping around. “Is it really that serious?”
“Well, things you can’t see might as well not have happened,” Xie Lanyin said. “Then I’ll go with you today to give it away, and we’ll see how many days it takes before it dies.”
Lian Yin: “……”
Seeing her fall silent, he raised his eyes. “What’s wrong? Can’t bear to part with it? It’s such a shallow, cheap kind of affection, what does it matter if it dies?”
Lian Yin did not want to argue and replied calmly, “The point of giving it away is because I can’t take care of it well, and I hope it finds a good home, not to send it off to die and test how long it lasts.”
She disliked his sarcastic tone. Talking to him always felt like standing next to a lit firecracker, ready to explode at any moment.
“How do you know you can’t take care of it?” Xie Lanyin said. “Is it so hard to admit you don’t care that much and don’t want the responsibility? What’s wrong with not wanting it?”
Lian Yin frowned. “I didn’t provoke you today, did I? Do you have to argue with everything I say?”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked lightly. “You’re worrying over a random bird you found on the road. Am I really less important than a bird?”
Only then did Lian Yin realize the cause. “…Didn’t we already settle what happened yesterday?”
“What did we settle?” he asked.
“An emergency measure.”
“Mm.” Xie Lanyin smiled faintly, gesturing for her to continue.
“And you didn’t suffer any loss…”
“Didn’t I?” he suddenly asked.
Lian Yin: “……”
She could not even say it out loud. What exactly had he lost?
Was it because he had embarrassed himself in front of her yesterday, so he now found her irritating, afraid she might spread it around?
“No one else knows about yesterday,” she said. “It’s your private matter, and it was an accident. I’ll keep it confidential…”
“Keep what confidential?”
The voice came from the side.
Lian Yin turned to see Xie Sui walking along the corridor, dressed in a red-and-white robe with gold accents, looking energetic and spirited.
Also red and white.
She glanced at Xie Lanyin again. He looked completely different, languid and indifferent. Judging from his expression, he was not surprised at all, which meant she had been the only one unaware that Xie Sui was coming.
As Xie Sui approached and received no answer, he repeated, “What are you keeping confidential?”
Lian Yin smiled. “If it’s confidential, then of course I can’t say.”
Even though she was annoyed, her lips were still sealed.
“Actually, it’s nothing that can’t be said.”
Seeing both of them look over, Xie Lanyin smiled lazily. “Someone drugged my wine yesterday. I asked her for help, but she ended up discovering that I’m apparently not very capable…”
Lian Yin: “…”
Xie Sui: “……”
Lian Yin had thought he would brush it off with some excuse, but he had actually exposed himself so casually. Then who had been acting like they wanted to die yesterday?
At the same time, she felt Xie Sui’s gaze slowly shift toward her face. This was not a conversation anyone could reasonably continue, but she was just as shocked.
“You said you had something to do?” she prompted quietly.
Xie Sui withdrew his gaze and got straight to the point. “About yesterday, I investigated it. The rumors have been clarified, but those involved had their arms severed last night, and something also happened on First Madam’s side. Although the news was quickly contained, a lot of unfavorable rumors have still spread.”
“Have they found the culprit?” Lian Yin asked.
“Not yet.”
A bad feeling rose in her chest. The incident had originally been directed at her, and Xie Lanyin had taken the blow. Now those who harmed them had been attacked—wouldn’t that make the victims the most suspicious? No wonder he had asked about confidentiality earlier.
“Really? That’s great,” Xie Lanyin said with a smile.
Lian Yin shot him a look. Could he tone down the schadenfreude? They were suspects right now.
“This is Zhaoyang City,” Xie Sui said. “It wouldn’t sound good if this spreads, so the culprit still needs to be found… but I only plan to go through the motions.”
Lian Yin blinked. “You’re just going to find someone to take the blame? What if the real culprit strikes again? Won’t that expose things?”
“Then we’ll just catch someone again,” Xie Sui replied casually. “Who can prove it’s the same person?”
Lian Yin: “……”
She had not expected Xie Sui to handle things so carelessly.
“I only came to make an appearance. Just don’t let anything slip later,” he added, glancing at the table. “Why is there a bird?”
“It’s cute, right?” Lian Yin seized the chance. “It’s very well-behaved. Do you want to keep it?”
Xie Sui looked at it for a second, then shook his head. “I have things to take care of. Tomorrow I’ll be busy again, and the day after I have to travel. I won’t be back for a few days.”
Lian Yin understood. He had no time.
After finishing his business and saying goodbye, Xie Sui left.
“Now there’s nothing left to keep confidential,” Xie Lanyin said with a smile when she looked at him. “Shall we continue?”
Lian Yin frowned. “…What exactly do you want?”
“Do you want to pretend nothing happened?” he asked.
“What else should I do?” she replied. “Don’t tell me you expect me to take responsibility for you?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Xie Lanyin said, giving her a once-over before adding, “With you like this, you wouldn’t be able to take responsibility anyway…”
“…Should I thank you for looking down on me?” she retorted.
“No need.” He chuckled softly. “Come kiss me.”
Lian Yin froze.
He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin lazily on his hand, pale arm extending from his wide sleeve. Sunlight scattered across his face, his lashes long and thick, his gaze quiet and seemingly innocent.
Yet what he said was—
“I’m feeling better today. I can help you.”
For a moment, she felt drawn in by the faint smile in his eyes, but quickly regained her senses. “No. I don’t want to exchange things this way.”
“Not even one last time?” he asked, sounding disappointed.
One last time.
A deceptively familiar phrase. Lu Ying used to trick her with it all the time, especially with that pitiful expression. Most of the time, it was a lie.
“No,” she refused firmly.
“Alright then,” Xie Lanyin said, giving up. “I’ll just take the loss and pretend nothing happened.”
Lian Yin forced a smile. “…Where exactly did you suffer a loss?”
“So shameless,” she muttered inwardly.
“Aren’t you trying to find an owner for the bird?” he said, standing up. “Let’s go.”
She paused for a moment, then followed with the bird in her arms. “We’re not just giving it away randomly.”
“Not randomly,” he replied. “We’ll find someone it likes and you’re satisfied with. Alright?”
Only then did she relax. “Okay.”
Helping, in Xie Lanyin’s case, turned out to be simple—just like when they first met, he threw money at the problem. Whoever the bird liked would be rewarded.
“Isn’t two thousand spirit stones too much?” Lian Yin asked.
“Too much?” he frowned.
“If the reward is too high, people might act recklessly just for the money,” she reasoned. “They might not even like birds… maybe we should give less, or even none at all? Or reward those who help spread the word…”
Xie Lanyin looked at her profile without blinking. “Do whatever you want.”
After all, no matter how much they offered, the bird would never be given away.
Zhaoyang City was lively, especially the lakeside district, where people came and went in great numbers. Many were interested in birds.
From time to time, Xie Lanyin would make ominous remarks.
“See that one? Looks starved, probably going to stew the bird… that one looks like he enjoys tormenting animals…”
Three days passed. Lian Yin had seen over a hundred people, yet the bird was still with them. No matter who approached, no matter how gentle or experienced they seemed, they all got pecked.
The bird seemed dissatisfied with everyone. If someone tried to touch it, it dodged. If forced, it pecked. Sometimes it even panicked. It was nothing like the gentle, affectionate creature she had seen.
By the end, fewer and fewer people came, and they began looking at Lian Yin suspiciously. Calling such a fierce bird gentle sounded like deception.
Yet when she reached out, the bird immediately leaned its head against her hand, obedient and affectionate.
Lian Yin fell into deep thought.
Was something wrong with the world… or with her?
Xie Lanyin watched her sitting on the deck, looking utterly perplexed, then walked over with a wine flask and sat beside her.
“Want a drink?”
In the past few days, aside from occasionally making ominous remarks, he had mostly been lounging around, eating and drinking.
Lian Yin shook her head. “No.”
Her alcohol tolerance was poor.
“What a pity.” He did not insist, pouring himself a cup. “This is called Dream Pillow Drunk. It’s worth a fortune. They say after drinking it, you’ll have a beautiful dream and see the person you want to see.”
A beautiful dream…
Lian Yin thought of the illusion she had experienced.
It truly had been a rare dream.
Would she see it again if she drank this?
She glanced at the delicate jade cup in his hand.
At that moment, he turned to her. “Still not drinking? There’s not much.”
She looked at the small flask beside him. It did not seem like many cups could be poured from it.
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
He handed her his untouched cup and poured himself another.
She took a sip. The taste was mellow and fragrant, though it still burned slightly as it went down.
“Will one cup be enough to dream?”
Xie Lanyin laughed and poured her another. “Who knows? The more you drink, the better the chances.”
She had not asked for more, but since he had already poured it, she obediently drank again.
The sunset sank into the horizon, blazing brilliantly.
The breeze brushed against her as she felt her mind slowly dull under the alcohol.
“Lian Yin.”
Someone called her name.
She turned instinctively and met a pair of violet eyes more dazzling than the sunset, her thoughts drifting.
His lips moved as he spoke, but she could not hear what he said. The distance between them seemed to close.
Why did he look so surprised?
Oh… because she had cupped his face and pressed her lips to his.
She paused, her head heavy.
Why had she done that?
She had not meant to…
She lifted her eyes, wanting to explain, but when she saw the flicker of something dark in his gaze, she lost herself again.
Tilting his chin upward, she parted his lips with her tongue, almost forcefully.