Chapter 135: Blemish On A Beautiful Jade

Outrageous!

This is definitely personal revenge!

During the day, Jiang Xuening finally saw that Zhang Zhe was safe. Her tense nerves relaxed, and she fainted, sleeping until the evening. When she woke up, she felt exhausted all over, realizing that the recent days had worn her out. Her body, pampered and delicate, was already tired, but she hadn’t noticed due to the tension of the past few days. So she stayed in bed, ate something to fill her stomach, and asked Xiao Bao about Zhang Zhe.

Xiao Bao said that Master Zhang was also recovering in the temple.

She wanted to go see him.

But before she could get out of bed, someone from Xie Wei’s side came.

Jian Shu stood outside her door, not entering. Hearing her shout from inside, he calmly repeated, “Sir requests you to come and practice the qin.”

Jiang Xuening angrily said, “I don’t have a qin!”

Jian Shu replied, “Sir said he has one.”

Jiang Xuening almost choked, “I’m a patient!”

Jian Shu said, “Xiao Bao said the doctor checked you and found you are just tired, nothing serious.”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

That little brat must be holding a grudge because she didn’t go to the inn but went to the government office for help, and he reported it to Xie Wei! With things said to this point, she couldn’t refuse.

She gritted her teeth, got up, changed her clothes, and tidied herself before leaving the room.

Jian Shu brought an umbrella to hold for her.

She felt uneasy about troubling Xie Wei’s people, so she took the umbrella herself and followed Jian Shu to Xie Wei’s courtyard.

This should be the courtyard where the abbot of Shangqing Temple lived, a small, secluded place in the corner of the back mountain, quiet and peaceful.

Light snow was falling, but there wasn’t a single lamp around.

Jiang Xuening was surprised when she reached the courtyard, seeing only the warm yellow light from the window paper inside, reflecting the falling snow outside, creating a unique charm.

Perhaps the temple was old and in disrepair. Even though Xie Wei brought people, they weren’t fully prepared, so it wasn’t surprising that there were no lights.

Jian Shu knocked on the door and said, “Second Miss is here.”

A calm voice came from inside, “Come in.”

Jiang Xuening was still full of anger on the way, but hearing this voice was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Her arrogance and anger suddenly vanished, and her legs began to feel weak.

Jian Shu opened the door, and Jiang Xuening walked in.

There was only one lamp lit inside.

Xie Wei sat cross-legged on the Luohan bed by the window. The candlelight illuminated half of his face, his fingers gently pressing his temple, with a faint look of fatigue. He looked up at her.

She had changed into a light purple dress, not very new but finely made, not as luxurious as palace attire, but with a quiet elegance.

She carefully greeted, “Greetings, Sir.”

Her long neck, pale red lips, and fair cheeks had a few small scratches, not fully healed despite the ointment. She really wasn’t afraid of not getting married.

Xie Wei waved his hand lightly.

Jian Shu hesitated but then left.

The doors closed behind Jiang Xuening with a creak, making her shiver and feel nervous.

Xie Wei said, “You act like a mouse seeing a cat when you see me. Where did you get the courage to go to the government office for help and rescue Zhang Zhe?”

Jiang Xuening whispered, “Lives were at stake…”

Xie Wei raised his hand, “Come closer, I can’t see you clearly.”

The room was small, and Jiang Xuening already felt too close, wishing it were bigger so she could stand farther away. She didn’t expect Xie Wei to say this.

“What can’t you see?”

But she was nervous and didn’t dare to argue, so she obediently took a step forward.

Xie Wei frowned slightly and smiled, “If these two legs can’t walk, why not find a time to saw them off?”

Jiang Xuening’s hair stood on end!

Seeing Xie Wei’s smiling expression, she felt he was very serious and had a hint of suppressed anger. How could she dare to hesitate?

This time, she finally walked closer.

But she was still two or three steps away.

Xie Wei extended his hand, “Come.”

His fingertips still bore the marks from gripping the bowstring tightly during the day, a red line that looked like a blemish on a beautiful jade, making one involuntarily think, “What a pity.”

Jiang Xuening was really confused.

On one hand, she felt Xie Wei was extremely strange tonight and should stay away from him. On the other hand, she was afraid and didn’t dare to show too much defiance. Her mind was torn between advancing and retreating, making her hesitate to extend her hand to Xie Wei.

Xie Wei finally grew impatient, his expression fading, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.

Jiang Xuening was unprepared and didn’t stand firm.

Xie Wei was sitting cross-legged on the Luohan bed, which wasn’t high. She stumbled and fell onto the footrest in front of the bed, looking up at him with shock and fear.

His hand was cold as he placed it on her unadorned cheek, leaning in to look at her closely.

Xie Wei’s face was flawless.

Long eyebrows, phoenix eyes, thin lips, and a straight nose. Even the shadows cast by his eyelashes seemed meticulously drawn by a divine hand, making him look like a god, evoking no thoughts of defilement.

But perhaps because he was so close, when Jiang Xuening looked into his eyes, she saw a shadow in his pupils. He looked at her intently, his gaze as sharp as a knife. After a moment, he pulled back slightly, and the light on his face dimmed, making it hard to see clearly.

The cool fingertips made her shiver.

Jiang Xuening’s voice trembled, “Sir…”

The skin under his fingers was so delicate that it seemed a touch would leave a mark, as soft as a blown bubble.

Looking up at him, her slender neck was exposed.

Xie Wei glanced at it, as if trying to sense something, or perhaps the malice hidden deep within him was quietly emerging. He didn’t withdraw his hand and said, “To exist in this world, one must first benefit oneself, then others. I thought you were cautious and clear-headed in the palace. I didn’t expect you to lose your wits once you left. Ning’er, do you remember what I told you when you first entered the palace?”

He had told her to be obedient and not to make him angry.

Xie Wei’s intent to kill was never fake.

Jiang Xuening didn’t dare to move and replied, “I remember.”

Xie Wei’s fingers pressed harder, causing her pain due to the wounds on her cheek. She frowned slightly, and he loosened his grip a bit, his voice growing colder, “If it weren’t for me, you would have died ten times over!”

His actions were ruthless and somewhat inappropriate.

But Jiang Xuening had always seen him as both a saint and a demon. In her previous life, she had dared to offer herself to him, only to be humiliated. She knew he was detached from desires, so she didn’t think he had any other intentions, assuming he just despised her and wanted to torment her.

The angrier he got, the more obedient she became.

Jiang Xuening was naturally inclined to avoid harm. Even though she had changed a lot in this life, her ability to exploit people’s weaknesses was almost an instinct.

Anyone who showed her a bit of pity or reluctance, she would take advantage of it.

This was how she had won Wanniang’s favor as a child.

In her nervousness, this instinct emerged.

She carefully observed his expression, subconsciously feeling that Xie Wei still had some old feelings for her in this life, especially with the matter of Yongyi Hou’s mansion. He should be more lenient towards her.

He was probably just angry that she had ruined his plan.

After all, it involved the Xiao family.

So she boldly smiled ingratiatingly, “But I was lucky to run into you, sir.”

When a young girl smiles, it’s like a peach blossom blooming, indescribably charming. A bit of flattery, but not obsequious, instead giving a sense of closeness and trust.

It made people want to forgive her.

Xie Wei saw this and suddenly sneered, his fingers tightening, pinching her chin and forcing her to look up. His voice was devoid of any kindness, instead filled with a terrifying clarity, “You’ve been my student for so long, yet your strategies haven’t improved. Instead, you’ve mastered these lowly tricks! Who taught you this?”

He could easily draw a full bow, his strength was extraordinary.

With a slight effort, he made Jiang Xuening feel pain.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and hearing his question, she felt as if thunder had struck her ears. She remembered that this behavior would most likely provoke Xie Wei’s disgust, just as it had in her previous life, and she didn’t dare to speak.

Xie Wei looked down at her coldly, “I didn’t kill you because I thought you weren’t inherently bad. But in this world, the bad must be killed, and the foolish can’t be kept. I spared your life, but you treated it as a joke. You wanted to save someone but couldn’t come up with a better plan, risking your own life. Ning’er, your education has been wasted!”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Xie Wei seemed extremely tired of her and finally let go, lowering his eyes and no longer looking at her. He said, “Go practice the qin.”

Jiang Xuening stared at him for a long time, unable to help thinking, “What useful things have you taught me?” After a while, she realized she must have been out of her mind to be distracted at this moment. She got up awkwardly.

Her knees hurt from being pulled down earlier.

She frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably guilty. She didn’t dare to act as arrogantly as usual or complain, so she endured it and looked towards the corner of the room.

There was indeed a qin table with a qin on it.

Jiang Xuening recognized it at a glance.

It was Xie Wei’s Emei qin.

This was a qin Xie Wei had made and used himself. Her eyelids twitched, and seeing no other qin around, she felt even more intimidated and didn’t dare to touch it. However, seeing Xie Wei sitting there without any intention of instructing her, she had no choice but to sit down reluctantly.

She hadn’t practiced the qin regularly, so her hands were rusty.

She had just started playing a few notes of “Bixiao Yin” when she hit a wrong note.

Frightened, she looked up at Xie Wei, but he was sitting there with his wrist resting on his knee, fingers hanging down, seemingly lost in thought in the dim light, not scolding her.

She felt slightly relieved.

She quickly corrected herself and continued playing as if nothing had happened.

The trembling sound of the qin flowed out from the strings, with excellent sound quality. High notes were like the clear cry of a phoenix, low notes like the warbling of orioles, soaring joyfully at times and sinking into melancholy at others.

Jian Shu and Dao Qin listened outside.

In the silent night, there was no sound except for the soft rustling of snow falling from the pine trees.

Inside the simple, clean room, there was a strong smell of medicine. The doctor had just changed Zhang Zhe’s bandages and sighed, “It’s a good thing it didn’t hit a vital spot. Otherwise, such a deep cut could have been fatal…”

Zhang Zhe closed his robe and suddenly looked out the window.

In the dark courtyard, shadows of mountains and trees loomed, and the continuous sound of the qin floated in. Initially a bit raw, the playing gradually became more skillful and smooth.

In such a situation, the only person who would bring out a qin was Master Xie.

It was his qin.

But not his music.

Zhang Zhe lowered his eyes, letting the doctor leave with the medicine box. He slowly touched the wound on his shoulder, the pain lingering deep inside, unrelenting.

He listened for a long time before the qin music gradually stopped.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know if she had been playing for half an hour or an hour. Her fingers felt like they were being cut by the strings, and she couldn’t bear it any longer, so she boldly stopped.

When she looked up, she saw that Xie Wei, who had been sitting, had somehow fallen asleep.

She got up and walked over quietly, softly calling, “Master Xie?”

Xie Wei was leaning on a pillow, his eyes closed. Even with the soft candlelight illuminating his face, it was pale and bloodless, as if he were asleep. The cold, fierce aura from earlier was gone, his serene features as calm as a deep mountain, making her afraid to disturb him, fearing she might wake this celestial being.

Jiang Xuening immediately fell silent.

She stood there, not daring to call again. After thinking for a moment, she realized this was a perfect opportunity to slip away. So, like a cat, she tiptoed towards the door.

Just as she reached the door, she looked back, bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then returned, grabbed a blanket from the side, and carefully draped it over his shoulders. She looked like a thief.

Then she quietly opened the door and slipped out.

Jian Shu and Dao Qin had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing her come out, they turned to speak.

Jiang Xuening quickly put a finger to her lips.

Jian Shu and Dao Qin were stunned.

She lowered her voice and mouthed, “Master Xie is asleep!”

“……”

Jian Shu and Dao Qin exchanged a surprised glance.

Jiang Xuening, feeling like a mouse that had stolen some food, happily waved at them, picked up the umbrella she had left by the wall, and, without waiting for anyone to escort her, quickly and quietly slipped away.

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