Shi Yu was not so narcissistic as to believe that Wei Qingyan was in love with him and, now that she had resumed her female identity, was taking the initiative to get close to him.
Could it be related to his improved health? Was she using this method to heal him?
Back when he had offered his Soul Fire, although he hadn’t become foolish, his vitality had declined. He was often exhausted and weak, with many things he wished to do but lacked the strength for—truly a frail and sickly invalid.
But ever since that chance encounter with Wei Qingyan at the hot spring pool, he had recovered completely, even surpassing his former strength. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have awakened early during her second kiss.
Fortunately, Jing Zhe had spoken up in time. Being kissed like that truly tested his self-control.
Yet he also felt some regret that Jing Zhe had spoken too soon, startling her away.
Pressing his lips together, he reined in his wandering thoughts. Shi Yu circulated his Neili, and his body felt just as good as when he had arrived.
If it was to heal his body, did she already know about the Soul Fire?
And did she resent his past aloofness, refusing to acknowledge him now, only wanting to repay the favor before cutting ties with him forever?
At the thought of this possibility, Shi Yu’s heart ached with a dense, piercing pain.
Soon, however, he dismissed the idea.
The monk had said he wouldn’t tell her about the Soul Fire, to spare her the burden. A monk of the cloth shouldn’t go back on his word.
Suddenly remembering something, he stood up abruptly.
He had become weak and sickly after offering his Soul Fire. Now that his body had recovered, had the Soul Fire returned?
If that were truly the case, what would happen to Wei Qingyan?
Without the Soul Fire, would she die?
He hurried to the window, but Wei Qingyan was long gone from sight outside.
She had managed to slip into the private room unnoticed, evading their detection, which showed her skills were even better than before. She didn’t seem to be in any trouble.
So what was the reason, then?
For the first time, Shi Yu felt his mind was insufficient, and he couldn’t even ask her directly.
His gaze fell once more on the burnt door curtain. Though he couldn’t guess the reason for now, he could make it easier for her to approach him next time—if she still had such a need.
With this thought, he called Dong Cang in and gave him low-voiced instructions…
Wei Qingyan returned to the private room. The zodiac sugar figurines were already finished, and the craftsman was packing up to leave.
Seeing her return, Xiaoxiao quickly divided them in half, her eyes curving into crescents as she handed a portion to Wei Qingyan.
Noticing traces of sugar still at the corners of Xiaoxiao’s mouth and thinking it wasn’t good for a child to eat too much sugar, Wei Qingyan accepted them. She wiped Xiaoxiao’s mouth and asked, “Are you happy?”
The little head nodded vigorously, with a hint of ingratiation that softened Wei Qingyan’s heart. She instructed A Lu to pack up the sugar figurines, then carried Xiaoxiao to watch a shadow puppet show before returning to the private room for lunch.
On the way back to the residence, perhaps tired from playing most of the day, Xiaoxiao’s head kept nodding as she dozed off. Wei Qingyan had no choice but to sit her on her lap, gently patting her back. “Lean on Auntie and sleep.”
In the half-year since losing her mother, this child had suffered greatly, enduring cold neglect. It was only in Wei Qingyan’s presence that she showed such dependence, yet remained cautious.
Wei Qingyan thought of her own childhood.
Her mother often said that as the future head of the family and the leader of the hundred-thousand-strong Huguojun, she should grow into a man who stood tall and firm—how could she act like a girl, acting cute and seeking affection in front of her mother?
From a young age, she received her mother’s strictness and disappointment whenever she fell short of expectations. Only in front of outsiders would her mother show a trace of tenderness, but this only made Wei Qingyan apprehensive.
She was both delighted and worried that this rare warmth could end at any moment, only to be followed by even harsher reprimands.
In her youth, she had even suspected she might not be Mother’s own child. But when she returned home wounded after her first campaign with her father, Mother’s tears nearly drowned her.
In Mother’s swollen, weeping eyes, she saw genuine heartache, and she felt ashamed for ever having entertained such doubts.
Mother was merely strict, not unloving.
When news of her death in battle reached the capital, Mother fainted on the spot and had been in poor health ever since.
Wei Qingyan lifted the carriage curtain slightly and said to A Lu, who was driving, “A Lu, take Qingtai Lane.”
Qingtai Lane was where the Guardian General’s residence stood.
Her younger sister Wanyi had married Shi Yu’s fifth elder brother, Prince Jing, and after the wedding, she accompanied him to his fiefdom. When Mother fell seriously ill, Wanyi, unable to rest easy, personally traveled to the capital to bring Mother back to Prince Jing’s fiefdom.
The elder sisters born to Madam were not close to them. Aside from the eldest sister, who had married in the capital, the other three had followed Grandmother back to their ancestral hometown to start families.
Now, only a few servants remained to watch over the Guardian General’s residence.
Wei Qingyan did not have the carriage stop, merely gazing from afar through the curtain’s gap.
In the entire general’s residence, aside from her parents, Nanny Qiu by Mother’s side, and Abu whom she had brought home, no one knew she was a woman.
Nanny Qiu was Mother’s dowry maid, fiercely loyal to her.
“Although the Emperor knows you are a woman, the heart of a ruler is hard to fathom. Since ancient times, sovereigns have most feared generals amassing military power.
If the secret were exposed, and civil and military officials pressured the Emperor to convict our Wei family of deceiving the sovereign, it is hard to say whether the Emperor would seize the opportunity.”
These words Mother often repeated, sternly demanding she guard her identity with utmost caution.
Wei Qingyan carefully reviewed the eighteen years she had disguised herself as a man, wondering if she might have inadvertently revealed herself.
Just as she was lost in thought, the sound of a horse neighing sharply reached her ears. Her eyes suddenly turned sharp, and she leapt out of the carriage holding Xiaoxiao.
“My deepest apologies, the horse suddenly went mad. Are you all right?” Dong Cang said with a face full of remorse.
Wei Qingyan glanced at Xiaoxiao, who had been startled awake but remained relatively calm, then at the fallen horse, before turning to Dong Cang. “This horse of yours is no ordinary steed. How could it suddenly go mad?”
“Please forgive me, miss. I have yet to determine the cause, but this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. I only apologize for involving you.”
He looked at the Du family carriage that had been smashed apart by the collision and took out banknotes from his robe. “Your carriage likely needs extensive repairs. This is our compensation, please accept it.”
From his words, it seemed this had happened before. Who in the capital would dare tamper with Prince Rong’s horse?
Wei Qingyan looked suspiciously at A Lu.
A Lu gave her a slight nod.
Wei Qingyan frowned slightly. Was Shi Yu’s current situation so difficult?
Dong Cang seemed to notice A Lu only then and said joyfully, “A Lu? Why, it’s you? Then this young lady is…?”
Since their masters had frequent contact in the past, A Lu and Dong Cang were naturally familiar. Remembering the Marquis’s instructions, he replied, “This is our family’s young lady, the Marquis’s own younger sister.”
That Marquis Anyuan had a lost younger sister was no secret in the capital.
Hearing this, Dong Cang cupped his hands in salute again and introduced himself, “Dong Cang of Rongwangfu pays his respects to Miss Du. My deepest apologies for the offense. If you do not mind, we can escort you on your way.”
Dawei’s customs were relatively open. Given the circumstances, and with A Lu and Xiaoxiao present, Dong Cang’s invitation was not overly presumptuous.
Wei Qingyan turned her gaze toward the carriage from Rongwangfu.
The person inside the carriage seemed to have heard this and lifted the curtain to look over. After a slight pause, he asked, “Are you looking for Du Xueyi?”
Shi Yu’s daze was not feigned. Their first encounter had been at night, and earlier in the private room, he had kept his eyes closed the entire time. This was his first time seeing Wei Qingyan dressed as a woman.
Her posture was upright, lacking the softness of ordinary women, yet possessing a certain youthful, masculine firmness. At the same time, her features were delicate, with a small face and skin as smooth as jade, softening her otherwise resolute appearance.
Coupled with her pure and ethereal aura…
Shi Yu still vividly remembered the shock and heart-wrenching pain he felt when he discovered she was a woman while stitching her body. So this was how she looked dressed as a woman… truly stunning.
“Yes,” Wei Qingyan also looked at him. That day at the hot spring, she had mentioned coming to the capital to search for relatives.
“Your Highness and Miss Du are acquainted as well?” Dong Cang chuckled. “What a coincidence—like water flooding the Dragon King’s temple.”
Shi Yu cast a faint glance at him. He had asked Dong Cang to create an opportunity for them to meet, but he hadn’t expected him to discover someone tampering with the horse and seize the chance by orchestrating a dangerous collision.
Fortunately, she was unharmed. He looked at her and said, “I am an old friend of your brother. Come, let me give you a ride.”