Chapter 201: The Heart Like Floating Dust

Jiang Xuening almost blacked out and lost consciousness. Later, in a dazed state, she seemed to enter a half-dreaming, half-awake state. At first, she felt cold, but gradually she could sense the warmth of a body next to her, and then the cold disappeared completely.

Surprisingly, she had an exceptionally good sleep.

Perhaps it was because she had been trapped for a while, worrying about her situation and concerned about Xie Wei’s condition, her mind had been constantly tense. Now, finally closing her eyes, even though there was still some unease, her exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Vaguely, she felt some commotion around her, followed by a period of bumpy movement, before everything quieted down.

Jiang Xuening woke up from hunger.

When she opened her eyes, her stomach was growling, and her vision was blurry, as if everything around her was covered in a layer of mist. She could feel that she was lying on a bed, the soft silk quilt was extremely warm, and there seemed to be a hot water bottle at her feet. Inside the luxurious bed curtains, there was a faint, refreshing fragrance.

She blinked a few times before her vision became clearer.

This turned out to be a rather elegantly decorated room.

The tables and chairs were all made of pear wood with a clear lacquer finish. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings of bamboo and plum blossoms. On the square table by the window, an incense burner was lit, and it seemed the person who lit it had just left, as the incense tongs were gently placed on the corner of the table. A few slender flower vases held only two branches of white plum blossoms, exuding an air of simplicity and elegance.

Jiang Xuening took a moment to process her surroundings, almost doubting whether she was in a dream.

How did she end up here?

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she recalled the last memory before she lost consciousness: she had discovered the *Wushi Powder* that Xie Wei was carrying and angrily demanded it from him, but he had knocked her out.

And…

The most infuriating part was that he had the audacity to complain that the food she roasted was terrible!  

A surge of anger rose within her, and Jiang Xuening threw off the quilt and got up. She noticed that her inner garments had been changed, but as soon as she stood, she felt dizzy, the world spinning around her, and she nearly stumbled back onto the bed.  

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.  

A young voice, seemingly leading the way, said, “Doctor, you said the young lady was just asleep and that there’s nothing wrong with her, but she’s been sleeping for two days now. Are you sure you didn’t misdiagnose her?”  

Walking behind was an old man carrying a medicine chest. He had a sparse goatee on his chin, drooping eyelids, and wrinkled, pale skin, though his nose was a ruddy, alcoholic red. Hearing the young boy’s words, he shot him a sidelong glance and sneered, “I’ve been practicing medicine for so many years. I may not boast about curing every illness, but can’t I even tell if someone is sick or not? Even your master didn’t have this many questions. Why are you giving me such a hard time?”  

Xiao Bao muttered to himself, *Isn’t it just because we’re worried something might go wrong?*

Although the master appeared calm and composed on the surface, who knows if he secretly shared the same doubts about this old man being a quack and was just as anxious!

But good doctors were hard to find in the city.

It’s better not to offend someone who can treat illnesses.

Xiao Bao immediately put on a smile and said repeatedly, “Yes, yes, you’re right. It’s all my fault for being confused.”

As they spoke, the door was pushed open.

When the two looked up, they saw Jiang Xuening standing by the bed, her dark hair cascading down, her skin as pale as snow. Her willow-leaf-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she stared directly at the door, at the two who had just entered.  

Xiao Bao was momentarily stunned.

After a moment, he finally reacted, a hint of pleasant surprise flashing in his eyes. He quickly walked in and said, “Miss Jiang, you’re awake?”

Jiang Xuening had found the young voice outside familiar, and when the person walked in, she recognized him. She didn’t know the old man with the goatee, but the cheerful-looking young boy seemed somewhat familiar.

It was Xiao Bao, whom she had met during the battle in Tongzhou.  

Why was he here?  

She asked, “How did I end up here?”

Xiao Bao quickly ushered the doctor in to check her pulse. He hadn’t changed much since their last meeting, just grown a bit taller, his facial features more defined. The small braid he used to wear had been replaced by a wooden hairpin, giving him the air of a young scholar.

He said, “You came here with the master.”

Jiang Xuening asked him to explain clearly.

Xiao Bao then recounted the whole story.  

The situation wasn’t complicated.  

It turned out that on the road, they had noticed someone following them with ill intentions. To mislead the assassins, they split into two carriages, with Jian Shu following one to act as a decoy. Dao Qin stayed with Jiang Xuening’s carriage, escorting her and Xie Wei along the main road. When they were ambushed halfway, she and Xie Wei fled on horseback into the forest, while Dao Qin stayed behind to hold off the attackers.

Outnumbered and outmatched, it was inevitable that they would struggle to hold their ground.

Dao Qin fought valiantly, buying them time until Jian Shu, who had dealt with the pursuers on his side, arrived and broke through from the rear, rescuing them.

However, the enemy was numerous, and in the wilderness, they dared not engage in prolonged combat. They chose to retreat, carrying Xie Wei’s seal, and raced to Jinan Prefecture to seek reinforcements.

The enemy, naturally, did not linger. After a fruitless search in the mountains the next day, they withdrew.

Only then did Jian Shu and Dao Qin lead their men into the dense forest to search.

“Luckily, we were fortunate. The master set up a decoy plan, but we found the horse, which led us to the valley where you had abandoned it,” Xiao Bao said, pushing open the window and shouting to someone outside, “Bring some porridge!” He then turned back and continued, “Such a vast mountain, and it had snowed too. Both Dao Qin and Jian Shu were extremely worried. Fortunately, after crossing two mountains, they found your trail and noticed directions carved into the tree trunks with a knife. That’s how they managed to find you and the master after such a difficult journey.”

Directions carved with a knife?

Jiang Xuening realized she hadn’t noticed this detail. She guessed it must have been Xie Wei who left the marks while out hunting.

This man was indeed meticulous.

And he had great confidence in the abilities of Dao Qin and Jian Shu.

He didn’t carve the marks initially, fearing the pursuers might also discover them. But after crossing two mountains, he knew Dao Qin and Jian Shu would have likely resolved the immediate threat and would never give up searching for them.

Thus, they would naturally find the marks.

Following the marks to locate them would then be straightforward.

If not for the unexpected heavy snow, they might have escaped even sooner.

The doctor had already taken her pulse and said, “As I said, it’s just exhaustion, a bit of cold, and some weakness. Miss, you’re fine. I’ll prescribe a tonic to help you recover. The most important thing is to eat well and stay warm.”

Xiao Bao said, “That’s good to hear.”  

The doctor stood up to write the prescription.  

Jiang Xuening frowned slightly and asked, “Doctor, did you check on Xie Wei before coming here?”

The doctor was momentarily taken aback by her casual use of Xie Wei’s name.  

But he didn’t dwell on it and replied, “Yes.”

Jiang Xuening’s eyes flickered, and she smiled, asking, “He took *Wushi Powder*. Is he doing alright?”

There was a hidden trap in this question.  

She hadn’t actually seen Xie Wei take the powder, nor had she heard of him using it before. Yet, she asked as if it were a common occurrence, as if she were deeply familiar with the matter. Most people wouldn’t suspect anything from such a question.

The doctor, in theory, shouldn’t have noticed anything amiss.

But unexpectedly, he glanced at Jiang Xuening, as if he had detected something, and said, “Miss, there’s no need to worry. *Wushi Powder*, also known as *Hanshi Powder*, was originally a prescription written by Zhang Zhongjing to treat illnesses. However, nowadays, nobles and aristocrats have taken a liking to it, and since its toxicity outweighs its medicinal properties, it has caused endless harm. But Master Xie only took a small dose. In a desperate situation, it was used to generate heat. It’s not a big issue, and it won’t lead to addiction.”

Jiang Xuening was momentarily stunned.  

The doctor, however, smiled and said, “Master Xie rarely takes such risks. This time, something went wrong, but I will do my utmost to ensure he recovers fully. However, the heart is difficult to heal, so I must ask you, Miss, to take on some of the burden.”

Heal him?

Ask her to take on the burden?

Jiang Xuening didn’t quite understand.  

But the doctor had already finished writing the prescription, handed it to Xiao Bao, and left the room. After leaving, he walked along the corridor, heading toward the east wing. Outside, he heard faint strains of a zither, intermittent and seemingly reflecting the unsettled and drifting mood of the player.  

For some reason, both Dao Qin and Jian Shu were waiting outside.  

As soon as he arrived, the two turned to look at him almost simultaneously.  

Dao Qin stood still.  

Jian Shu walked over and asked, “Old Zhou, how is she?”  

Zhou Qihuang was also a member of the Tianjiao sect. Though his body, carrying the medicine chest, was aged, it still exuded a certain vigor. He smiled and said, “She’s awake.”

Then he pointed toward the room and asked, “Is he playing the zither?”

Jian Shu nodded but still stepped forward to knock on the door, announcing, “Old Zhou is here. He says Miss Ning has woken up.”

The zither music abruptly stopped.  

Xie Wei’s voice, still carrying a hint of hoarseness, sounded light and calm: “Let him in.”  

Only then did Zhou Qihuang enter.  

Inside, the windows were closed, but the paper on them let in plenty of light. A low table was placed on the kang, with a zither resting diagonally on it.

Xie Wei sat beside the zither.  

His snow-white robe draped down the side, and his loose hair fell over his slightly open, disheveled collar, giving him an air of both refinement and untamed recklessness. Having walked through the snow for a long time, his legs had been invaded by the cold, so now a woolen blanket covered them. One leg was bent, and he propped his head up with one hand.  

When the doctor entered, Xie Wei didn’t look up, only asking, “She’s awake?”  

Zhou Qihuang bowed slightly and said, “I arrived just in time. She had just woken up. She’s just a bit weak, but there’s no major issue.”  

Xie Wei’s fingers gently brushed the zither strings, and he asked again, “Did she ask anything?”  

Zhou Qihuang secretly glanced at him, his heart also pounding, and replied softly, “She asked about you taking *Wushi Powder*.”  

The zither strings trembled, but his fingers pressed down on them, preventing any sound from escaping.

Yet it was as if he could hear the sound resonating within his heart.  

Xie Wei paused for a moment before asking, “And what else?”  

Zhou Qihuang’s forehead immediately broke out in a cold sweat, which trickled down his face. His hands trembled slightly as he desperately tried to recall if the young lady, Jiang Xuening, had asked anything else. But he could only remember her asking those two questions.  

But Master Xie…  

He suddenly realized that he might have inadvertently stepped into some kind of battlefield. Trembling, he stammered, “She… she didn’t ask anything else.”  

“…”  

The finger pressing the zither string remained still.  

Then, slowly, it released.  

Xie Wei sat silently for a while before saying, “I see. You may leave.”  

Zhou Qihuang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly retreated.  

After he left, Xie Wei sat quietly for a long time.  

A certain emotion crept up through his fingertips.  

For the first time, he was so clearly aware of it. It was like a drop of water disturbing his calm, yet it drifted and floated, elusive and hard to grasp. Though as tiny as a speck of dust, it always tugged at his heart.  

In the white porcelain jar, a few goldfish seemed to be affected by the stillness, pausing motionlessly in the water.  

Xie Wei gently reached out, intending to touch the zither strings again, but as soon as his fingers lifted, he slowly withdrew them, simply gazing at the strings.  

Until a commotion came from outside.  

It was a voice, delicate yet laced with a hint of dissatisfaction: “Don’t tell me your master is asleep. I must speak to him in person and get this cleared up!”  

The fish in the jar suddenly darted away.  

Their beautiful tails swished, splashing water droplets.  

Xie Wei’s fingers trembled slightly. That tiny speck of dust floating in his emotions finally settled. He pressed his lips together, but a faint smile still surfaced. The sunlight filtering through the window paper reflected in his eyes, clear and translucent like glass.  

Jiang Xuening pushed the door open unceremoniously, without a hint of politeness.

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