Chapter 032: There Is Light In The Cracks

The autumn chill had deepened. Even at noon, with the sun high in the sky, the wind carried a gradually piercing cold.

Xie Wei stood at the entrance of the hall.

He was quite tall, perfectly blocking the light coming through the door, casting Jiang Xuening’s slender figure in his shadow. At this moment, she widened her eyes but couldn’t discern Xie Wei’s expression in the backlight.

Was she afraid?

Yes, she was.

Very afraid.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening suddenly felt very tired, as if all her strength had been drained. She finally stopped hiding and blinked, saying, “I am just a young lady from a noble family, with no power or ambition in the court. Apart from my father, I have no other connections with Master Xie. To Master Xie, I am just a small ant that he can easily crush. I pose no threat to him. If I say I am afraid but have never intended to report or harm Master Xie, would you believe me?”

Xie Wei was silent for a long time before asking her, “If you were me, would you dare to believe it?”

It’s not about willingness, but about daring.

Jiang Xuening gently lowered her head, her long, fair neck looking as white as snow even in the dim shadow.

She truly put herself in his shoes and thought about it.

If she were Xie Wei, having had her own plans for at least four years, but due to illness or desperation, had a moment of irrationality and revealed some shocking secrets to the only person by her side at the time, but later escaped unscathed, would she believe that this person could keep the secret forever and not reveal it to any interested parties?

Jiang Xuening’s eyelashes trembled. Despite her reluctance, she had to admit slowly, “I wouldn’t dare to believe it.”

Even if the threat was as small as a speck of dust.

But a thousand-mile dyke can be destroyed by an ant hole. Who knows if this small threat might one day lead to complete failure?

Believing her and letting her go would be no different from putting all his plans and even his life at risk, always worrying: Will this person seize the opportunity to betray me? When will they stab me in the back…

Understanding this, Jiang Xuening was certain that she was doomed.

The pain of a dagger slicing her neck in her previous life almost resurfaced at the same time she realized this, causing her hands, clasped in front of her, to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet at this moment, she didn’t want to show fear. She clenched her fingers tightly.

Xie Wei asked her again, “So, Miss Ning, four years later, if one day I find out that the little girl who knew my secret is not as naive and ignorant as I thought, what should I think?”

Jiang Xuening replied, “She pretended to be crazy to save her life.”

Xie Wei’s gaze fell on her overly clenched hands. “So, if you were me, would you eliminate this person?”

Jiang Xuening closed her eyes slightly. “But sir, I don’t want to die.”

Xie Wei fell silent again.

This moment seemed to stretch infinitely, and in the extreme tension, Jiang Xuening felt like a lamb waiting by the guillotine, not knowing when she would be placed under the blade.

Xie Wei stared at her for a long time, seemingly contemplating something.

Finally, he extended his hand to her and said slowly, “You are not my threat. The real threat is that I don’t dare to trust you, yet I want to trust you. Miss Ning, Xie Wei is not an ungrateful person, but what you have shown is beyond my expectations. I need to see clearly what kind of person you are and whether you are worth the risk of trusting. I don’t want to eliminate my savior, so for the next six months, please stay under my watch.”

As he spoke, his long fingers gently brushed the top of her head.

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Xie Wei continued, “Although you don’t want to stay in the palace, this is the only way I can convince myself not to kill you immediately. Please bury the events of four years ago deep in your heart, as a secret only you and I know. Don’t force me, and don’t anger me again.”

With that, he withdrew his hand and turned to leave the hall.

From darkness to light.

The sunlight outside finally illuminated his entire figure. His pale blue robe fluttered as he walked under the crimson palace walls, gradually moving away.

*

When Jiang Xuening returned to Yangzhi Zhai, she looked like a drowned ghost, her steps unsteady and her face pale.

Fang Miao was sitting under the corridor, counting the time that had passed, wondering if she should go “rescue” Miss Jiang if it really took two quarters of an hour.

It seemed like a joke…

But when she turned her head and saw Jiang Xuening in such a state, she was so shocked that she stood up immediately. “Miss Jiang, what happened to you?”

Only then did she realize that what Jiang Xuening had said earlier might not have been a joke.

But…

But who in the court didn’t know how easygoing Xie Wei was? What could Miss Jiang have argued about to be so frightened by someone with such a saintly temper?

Jiang Xuening did not answer.

She went straight to her room, closed the door behind her, and slowly slid down with her back against it, covering her face with her hands and resting her head on her knees.

Only then could she clearly hear her own heartbeat and breathing.

She was still alive.

Through the small window on the north side, sunlight shone through the white window paper, and tiny dust particles floated in the air like shining points in water.

Jiang Xuening looked at the dust for a long time.

Then she suddenly laughed, a laugh of relief and self-mockery.

Xie Wei actually said he didn’t want to kill her!

Should she trust such a cunning person?

But now she was neither an empress nor held any power. She was just a young lady from a noble family. Even if she were killed by mountain bandits, it wouldn’t cause much of a stir. Those who wanted to cover it up would have countless ways to do so.

Do wolves need to deceive ants?

No.

Then why did Xie Wei say such terrible things to her in her previous life?

Did this madman find it amusing to scare her?

Or perhaps Xie Wei’s change in attitude was due to her own changes in this life—

It had been less than a month since her rebirth, and she had done very little. In fact, only one thing: she had not taken for granted Yan Lin’s kindness and hadn’t started planning to approach Shen Jie.

If this indeed was the reason for Xie Wei’s different attitude towards her in both lives, and Yan Lin had not yet gone to Xie Wei, then she could believe that the secret You Fangyin revealed to her about the previous dynasty twenty years ago was likely true!

It would not be surprising if Xie Wei were to massacre the royal family and the Xiao clan.

Even understandable.

At that moment, Jiang Xuening felt a bit sorry for him. But then she thought, she was like a clay Buddha crossing a river, unable to protect herself, so how could she have the right to pity someone who held her life in his hands?

“Six months, six months…”

She slowly closed her eyes, repeating this time frame in her mind over and over, finally letting out a slow breath.

“If there’s no way to avoid it, then face it head-on!”

It would be great if she could avoid it.

But if she couldn’t, she didn’t want to just wait to be killed.

If Xie Wei’s earlier words were true, then it would be best. After six months, she could leave the palace and live freely. If Xie Wei was deceitful and his words were just to trick her, then staying in the palace for six months would be the safest choice she could make.

No matter what she did, she would always have to be cautious in the palace.

In the worst-case scenario, she would just repeat the path of her previous life, risking everything to continue her relationship with Shen Jie, becoming the empress, and then dealing with Xie Wei slowly!

After figuring out her next steps, Jiang Xuening sat there for a while longer, finally feeling some strength in her legs. She stood up, washed up, cleared her mind, and then packed her belongings, preparing to leave the palace.

These three days in the palace were just for learning the rules and undergoing another selection process.

The real companionship would start two days later. Those who were selected would go home to bid farewell to their parents and pack up before returning to the palace. They would follow the court officials’ system of rest days, returning home for one day every ten days after entering the palace to accompany the princess.

After the results of the academic examination were announced, Princess Leyang Shen Zhiyi sent many rewards, both to those who were selected and those who were not. However, those who were selected received an additional set of the Four Treasures of the Study.

Before Jiang Xuening left the palace with the others, the princess personally came to see them off.

She held Xiao Shu’s hand and talked for a long time, then held Jiang Xuening’s hand and talked for a long time before finally letting her steward eunuch Huang Renli lead the palace staff to escort them out of the palace.

*

The Jiang family’s carriage was already waiting outside the palace gate.

Lian’er and Tang’er stood by the carriage, waving happily when they saw her coming out of the palace gate.

Jiang Xuening bid farewell to the others and got into the carriage.

Tang’er noticed that she seemed a bit tired and quickly arranged the cushions, helping her to sit comfortably. She looked at her with some concern and asked, “Miss, have you been exhausted these past few days?”

Jiang Xuening thought to herself that she was indeed tired, and also scared.

She slowly closed her eyes and, after some consideration, said, “When we return to the mansion, I will take a nap first. Then, send someone to the Marquis of Yongyi’s residence to arrange a meeting with Young Master Yan tomorrow at the You Hour at Cengxiao Tower. I have something to discuss with him.”

In the past, it was mostly Young Master Yan who came to play with the second young lady, so much so that even the maids were used to seeing him appear at the Jiang mansion’s courtyard walls or the young lady’s window from time to time.

It was rare for the second young lady to take the initiative to arrange a meeting with Young Master Yan.

Tang’er listened to Jiang Xuening’s calm voice but couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy. However, she didn’t dare to ask more and responded softly.

Jiang Xuening closed her eyes to rest.

The carriage left the palace gate.

They hadn’t gone far when a low voice called out, “Second young lady, second young lady!”

Jiang Xuening thought the voice sounded familiar.

She opened her eyes.

The coachman had already stopped the carriage and turned to report, “Second young lady, it’s a girl. She seems to be looking for you.”

Jiang Xuening gestured for Lian’er to lift a corner of the curtain and looked outside. It was You Fangyin!

Today, she was wearing a light moon-white dress, which didn’t look very new. Her hair was tied up in a bun, but she wasn’t wearing any hair ornaments. Her face, which could only be considered delicate, was filled with anxiety and nervousness. Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, seemingly holding something, but it was unclear what it was through the sleeves.

Her nervousness seemed to stem from this.

But when she saw Jiang Xuening sitting inside the carriage, her eyes brightened, and even the slightly red tear mole at the corner of her eye seemed to sparkle.

Jiang Xuening was momentarily dazzled by the sudden brightness and liveliness on You Fangyin’s otherwise dull and wooden face. She didn’t react immediately and just looked at her for a while.

In that brief moment, You Fangyin became nervous again.

The initial brightness quickly faded, replaced by her original timidity and fear.

She stammered, “I, I, I…”

Jiang Xuening sighed and said, “Get in the carriage and tell me.”

Seeing her in such a state, it was clear she wouldn’t be able to explain anything while standing outside.

The coachman placed a footstool and stepped aside, allowing You Fangyin to hold onto the carriage shaft and get in.

Jiang Xuening had her sit opposite her and asked, “What do you need from me?”

After sitting down, You Fangyin seemed a bit at a loss, her body tense. She thought for a long time without knowing what to say. She looked at Jiang Xuening twice, took a deep breath, and finally mustered the courage to take out something hidden in her sleeve.

It was a simple square box.

Flat and not capable of holding much, it was made of common rosewood, not valuable.

Yet she held it with both hands and handed it to Jiang Xuening, stammering, “I, I want to give this to you, Miss.”

Jiang Xuening guessed that she might have bought something to repay her for saving her life.

But she didn’t seek her repayment.

So she didn’t reach out to take it and instead softened her voice, saying, “Your situation in the mansion isn’t good. Keep whatever you have for yourself. If you want to repay me, wait until your situation improves.”

“No, it’s not that…”

You Fangyin realized she had been misunderstood and had a lot to say, but she was tongue-tied and couldn’t form a complete sentence. She was especially nervous in front of Jiang Xuening, making her seem even more awkward and clumsy.

She could only place the box in Jiang Xuening’s hands.

“This must be given to you, Miss. It’s all yours.”

Hers?

Jiang Xuening didn’t remember giving her anything. Seeing her insistence, she was touched by her persistence and clumsiness and smiled. “Then let me see.”

She lifted the lid of the box.

In the next moment, she was completely stunned—

Inside the simple box lay a thin stack of silver notes, with a delicately embroidered moon-white sachet beside them.

The bank was the largest in the capital.

Each silver note was worth a hundred taels. Jiang Xuening’s fingers trembled as she counted them. There were as many as 2,500 taels!

How could a mere concubine’s daughter from a minor noble family have so much money?

Seeing the silver notes, she suddenly understood something, her eyes growing warm, almost bringing tears.

But she still looked up and asked, “Where did you get so much money?”

You Fangyin blinked, seemingly not understanding why she asked, “Didn’t you teach me, Miss? I took the money to the Jiangzhe Guild Hall and found a merchant named Xu Wenyi to buy raw silk. Then, after half a month, I sold it when the price went up. I bought 400 taels of silk!”

She actually did it…

Jiang Xuening almost choked up.

But looking at the silver notes, she still calculated and said, “With a capital of 400 taels, even if you made three times the profit, you would only have an additional 1,200 taels. At most, you would have 1,600 taels in total. How do you have 2,500 taels?”

You Fangyin replied honestly, “Selling the silk only earned 1,200 taels, but after selling the silk, I asked Boss Xu on giving me an additional 2,000 taels. He couldn’t refuse, and after persuading him for a long time, he agreed to only add 900 taels.”

Jiang Xuening was puzzled, “Boss Xu gave you money?”

You Fangyin nodded like a pecking chicken, her eyes sparkling as she spoke, “Yes. My silk sold, and Boss Xu’s silk sold too, making a lot of money. The silkworm farmers in his hometown were very happy when they heard about it and asked Boss Xu to tell me that if I wanted to continue the raw silk business next year, they could give me some good goods and let me pay only half the deposit first.”

Boss Xu’s silk sold…

Jiang Xuening’s eyelids twitched, “He knew the price of silk would rise?”

You Fangyin noticed the change in her expression, and her previously bright eyes dimmed a bit. Her voice lowered, “He asked me, and I told him. But don’t worry, I never mentioned your identity. When Boss Xu asked who you were, I didn’t say a word.”

Jiang Xuening held the box of silver notes, hardly believing what she heard.

First, in her previous life, You Fangyin only made three times the profit from this raw silk transaction, but now this You Fangyin turned 400 taels into 2,500 taels.

Second, this silly girl not only made money herself but also shared the information with Xu Wenyi!

She looked at her with a complex expression, “How could you tell him? This kind of information can cause trouble if it gets out.”

You Fangyin’s face turned pale, and she tightly clasped her hands together, stammering, “But, but Boss Xu is a good person…”

A good person?

In her two lifetimes, apart from Zhang Zhe, Jiang Xuening didn’t know what the words “good person” meant.

She said, “How do you know he’s a good person? If he were greedy, you might not be standing here in front of me today.”

You Fangyin was frightened by her harsh words.

She stared at her for a long time, her eyes wide, as if filled with a thousand words.

But she couldn’t say a single word.

Jiang Xuening sighed deeply, “Forget it.”

She made a move to return the box, thinking that since nothing had happened this time, she would just remind her to be more careful in the future.

Unexpectedly, You Fangyin spoke again. Although her voice trembled with fear, there was an inexplicable determination and persistence in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Xuening. “Miss, before I went to the Jiangzhe Guild Hall, I asked around. Boss Xu has his entire livelihood in this business, and the silkworm farmers in his hometown are still waiting in Nanxun for him to sell the silk and bring back the money. My aunt told me that if a person has many friends willing to help him and many people willing to trust him, he must not be a bad person. If I didn’t tell him, what would he do? What would those silkworm farmers do? So I…”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

The next moment, she laughed.

But as she laughed, an overwhelming sadness welled up inside her, and the tears she had been holding back finally fell, dripping onto the silver notes in the box.

“Silly girl…”

Seeing her laugh, You Fangyin’s face brightened, thinking Jiang Xuening was no longer upset and even feeling she had done the right thing.

But before she could be happy, Jiang Xuening started crying again.

You Fangyin panicked, hurriedly raising her sleeve to wipe Jiang Xuening’s tears. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s all Fangyin’s fault. Fangyin knows she was wrong and won’t tell anyone else again…”

Hearing her words, Jiang Xuening’s tears flowed even more.

You Fangyin started crying too, feeling extremely guilty. “Miss wants me to make money, so it must be that Fangyin didn’t do well enough this time. Don’t cry, next time, next time I will study harder and make more money for you. A lot more…”

She really is a silly girl.

Jiang Xuening cried and laughed at the same time, feeling a flood of emotions from her past and present lives. These feelings turned into something deeper and more substantial, grounding her.

She couldn’t stop sobbing.

Looking down at the box of silver notes, she then raised her head, trying to stop her tears, her voice still choked with emotion. “No, it’s very good. You’ve done very well.”

It’s me.

It’s me who isn’t good enough.