Chapter 203: Beyond Repair

The end of September and the beginning of October mark the transition from late autumn to early winter.

However, Jinan, being north of the Huai River, already experiences weather as cold as winter in the south.

Jiang Xuening, having spent the past two years mostly in the south, had grown unaccustomed to such dry and chilly weather. Now, faced with it again, she found it hard to adjust. During her stay in Jinan with Xie Wei, she had no desire to go out and explore, choosing instead to stay cooped up indoors.

Her body recovered quickly.

Although the time in the mountains had been extremely tense, she had slept soundly on Xie Wei’s back during the journey back. Upon waking, she felt weak, but thanks to the doctor’s careful treatment, she was back to her lively self within a couple of days.

Xie Wei, however, had a tougher time.

Physician Zhou mentioned that he had suffered frostbite on his legs and feet from walking too long in the snow, and it was best not to move around too much for a while. There were also frequent deliveries of decoctions to his room, with the doctor carrying a medical bag and performing acupuncture and massage to promote blood circulation.

It wasn’t until the sixth day that Jiang Xuening, by chance, opened the window and saw him standing under the corridor.

Xie Wei, after all, was a close confidant of the emperor and a high-ranking official in the court.

Since his arrival in Jinan, many officials from Shandong Province had come to pay their respects. Just like in Tongzhou, he received them all without hesitation. However, he made no mention of his plans to head to the border. Instead, he claimed to have encountered an ambush by unknown assailants on the road and ordered the officials of Jinan and the surrounding provinces to investigate thoroughly.

Who would doubt this?

Naturally, the provinces launched full-scale investigations, suspecting it to be the work of the Tianjiao sect, and promptly reported the incident to the court.

Jiang Xuening sometimes couldn’t believe it: truly, this was the man who would later massacre the palace. Such audacious and brazen acts, yet he dared to carry them out. And because his initial excuses were so well-crafted, no one suspected him.

Poor these officials, so submissive and trembling with fear…

Little did they know that this seemingly saintly Master Xie was, in fact, a treacherous rebel at heart.

When Xie Wei reappeared, his complexion seemed much better than the day she had visited him. His dark hair was tied up with a single ebony hairpin, most of it cascading down his back. He wore a light robe with a loose belt, the simplicity of his snow-white Taoist robe reaching a state of pure, unadorned elegance, exuding an air of serene refinement.

It was a quiet kind of charm.

When she saw him, he also looked in her direction.

Jiang Xuening blinked, still remembering the “trap” she had fallen into when she went to see him the day she woke up. She felt both annoyed and apprehensive, torn over how to maintain her distance from him. In the following days, she didn’t dare to visit him again.

But now, with their eyes meeting directly, she couldn’t just pretend not to see him, could she?

Summoning her courage, she raised her hand and waved from a distance, offering a greeting.

Xie Wei looked at her for a while, as if studying her, before finally smiling. He didn’t say a word, nor did he make any move to approach her. Instead, he continued walking along the corridor, heading south after exiting.

That wasn’t the direction of the main gate.

Although Jiang Xuening hadn’t left the house these past few days, the courtyard wasn’t large, and she had familiarized herself with it during her walks. She immediately recognized that the south led to the kitchen.

For a moment, she was speechless.

Her mind flashed back to Xie Wei’s words that day: “I’ll cook for you someday, so you’ll be convinced.”

Could he actually be serious about this?

Jiang Xuening’s heart pounded as she watched Xie Wei’s figure disappear down the corridor. Driven by a nervous fear that his words might come true, she quickly closed the window, afraid she might see something she shouldn’t.

But as time passed—one moment, then another—she sat in her room, feeling restless. She couldn’t help but peek through the window crack from time to time, sneaking glances outside.

After what felt like half an hour, Jiang Xuening began to think Xie Wei was just joking. After all, a gentleman stays away from the kitchen, and he was practically a saint—surely he wouldn’t take such a thing so seriously?

But just as this thought crossed her mind, the window trembled slightly.

Someone stood outside, tapping lightly with their knuckles: “Open the window.”

It was Xie Wei’s voice!

Jiang Xuening’s hair stood on end. Her body, sitting right beneath the window, stiffened instantly. She looked up and, through the white window paper, could vaguely make out the shadow of a tall figure.

Her mind raced, and she decided to stay silent, pretending she wasn’t there.

After all, their earlier encounter was just that—earlier. Couldn’t she have gone out for a walk and not be in her room?

Unfortunately, Xie Wei wasn’t so easily fooled. His voice came through the window again, tinged with amusement: “Since when did you become a turtle?”

Clearly, he saw through her act.

Jiang Xuening could no longer keep up the pretense. With a sigh, she pushed open the window and, sure enough, saw Xie Wei standing outside. One of his sleeves was rolled up, and in his hand was a plate of enticingly golden peanut crisps.

The faint sweetness of the sugar and the rich aroma of roasted peanuts wafted in with the breeze.

Jiang Xuening, still inside, quickly glanced at the peanut crisps before shifting her gaze back to Xie Wei. She forced a smile and greeted him awkwardly: “Master Xie.”

Xie Wei placed the plate of peanut crisps on the windowsill.

Having recently experienced his cunning tactics, Jiang Xuening had already warned herself to stay vigilant. Seeing this, she quickly said, “Your kindness is too much, sir. I’m an unworthy student—how could I accept this? It’s always the student who should show respect to the teacher. Please, take it back.”

Xie Wei’s deep, abyss-like eyes fixed on her. There was no trace of teasing in his expression as he replied calmly, “If you have to suppress even your cravings, always cautious and restrained, how much freer are you really living than I am?”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Without waiting for her reaction or response, Xie Wei turned and walked away, hands clasped behind his back, disappearing down the corridor.

It took Jiang Xuening a long time to recover. She looked down again.

The plate of peanut crisps sat quietly on the windowsill.

She instinctively felt that Xie Wei’s words were just another one of his “tactics,” but her mind churned with the realization that what he said was undeniably true—striking and strangely compelling.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether she agreed too strongly with Xie Wei’s words or if the irresistible aroma of the peanut crisps was simply too tempting. After holding back for so long, she finally couldn’t resist and reached out her guilty little hand…

With the first bite, the sugar coating was perfectly sweet, clinging to the peanut kernels like a layer of oil, solidified into a caramelized glaze that was golden and crisp but not burnt. The peanuts were both tender and crunchy, and when crushed, they blended seamlessly with the sugar, creating a flavor that surpassed either sugar or peanuts alone. It exploded on her tongue in a perfect harmony of taste.

Jiang Xuening almost swallowed her tongue along with it.

It was so delicious!

In her past life, she had been fortunate enough to taste the wild rabbit roasted by Xie and the peach slice cakes he made. But after all, the wild rabbit was cooked in the wilderness, and the peach slice cakes were only a few pieces. The former was slightly lacking in flavor, and the latter was gone in no time.

This was the first time in this life she had tasted something else made by Xie Wei.

She could hardly believe that someone in the world could cook to such an exquisite level!

Was there no justice in the world?

Being first in academics was one thing—after all, it was said that Xie Wei had been precocious and brilliant since childhood. Excelling at playing the qin and outsmarting others in strategy also seemed natural.

But how could this man also be such a skilled cook?

Jiang Xuening suddenly felt as if she had been slapped in the face, humiliated from head to toe.

Yet, her hands were beyond her control.

She ate one piece, then reached for another.

Needless to say, she had fallen right into Xie Wei’s “trap.”

Just like how men in the world kept mistresses or concubines, Jiang Xuening couldn’t control herself. Once she crossed the line, eating Xie Wei’s food and drinking his tea, there was no turning back—it was either zero times or countless times.

What could she do now that she had eaten it?

Spit it out?

Besides, what Xie Wei had said was not wrong. She had already been reborn into this life. Even though true freedom might not exist in this world, if she couldn’t even satisfy such a small desire as her appetite, what was the point of living? Moreover, it was she who had once sworn to Xie Wei that she couldn’t bear to die because she couldn’t let go of the various attachments and desires in this world.

So, she ate it.

When under someone else’s roof, how could she not lower her head?

She thought about how she still needed to go to the border, find Yan Lin, and rescue the princess. There would be many occasions where she would need Xie Wei’s help, and there would be times when she would have to speak softly. If he was willing to cook for her, she might as well accept it. If she ruined their relationship, wouldn’t she just be shooting herself in the foot?

So, she decided to throw caution to the wind and simply indulged in Xie Wei’s food and drink without guilt.

Within a couple of days, she could no longer stomach the dishes cooked by the chefs in the estate.

But Xie Wei wasn’t really a chef who could cook every meal, so Jiang Xuening had to watch for him walking down the corridor toward the southern kitchen. She would then follow under the pretense of “showing respect to her teacher” and wait for the freshly cooked food.

Xie Wei, after all, had the air of a reclusive scholar.

When he took off her outer robe and rolled up her sleeves, he actually looked quite competent while cooking. Occasionally, she would lift her gaze from the ingredients on the cutting board or in the pot and glance over, feeling that this version of Xie Wei, steeped in the heavy aura of daily life, was much more pleasing to the eye compared to the half-saint who stood aloof in the halls of power, strategizing and scheming.

These past few days, Xie Wei didn’t seem to be in a hurry to depart. The officials from Shandong Province had all been met, and the courtyard had quieted down. He would occasionally play the qin, read books, or cook. He was remarkably patient. Although the journey had been delayed, there was no sign of panic in him. Clearly, he had his plans, but aside from preparing some food for Jiang Xuening, he made no additional moves.

Jiang Xuening felt as though she was being slowly simmered by him, almost forgetting her initial vigilance. She didn’t know how to do anything in the kitchen except watch the fire. Even then, she was occasionally scolded by Xie Wei for failing to control the heat properly, risking ruining the texture of the ingredients.

Today was already October, and the chill of winter was beginning to show. The kitchen was warm and cozy, with a stove heating water on one side and a fire burning in the hearth on the other. News of the princess being trapped by the Tatars had already spread far and wide, and the streets were abuzz with discussions.

Jiang Xuening added a piece of firewood to the hearth and, after staring at the flames for a while, couldn’t help but look up at Xie Wei. Xie Ju’an’s slender fingers pressed down on a fresh, tender piece of fish belly on the cutting board. With unhurried precision, he sliced it into thin pieces, his expression as calm and focused as when he was reading or playing the qin.

In the pot in front of him, a small amount of water had just begun to bubble. He lifted his eyelids to glance at the water and, without even looking at Jiang Xuening, knew she was distracted again: “You didn’t add enough firewood. Even while tending the fire, your mind wanders. If you have something to ask, just ask.”

Jiang Xuening felt a pang of frustration upon hearing this, but since she was relying on him for food, she obediently added two more pieces of firewood to the hearth and said, “We’ve been in Jinan for so long. Didn’t you say we’d head to the border before the snow arrives?”

Xie Wei didn’t pause in his slicing: “If I’m not worried, why are you?”

Jiang Xuening rolled her eyes: “But didn’t you say Yan Lin has already gone to the border? You’re planning to forge an imperial decree, but—”

Xie Wei cut her off: “The ‘edict’ is already on its way to the border.”

Jiang Xuening was instantly shocked, her mind flashing to the absent Dao Qin these past few days: “No wonder Dao Qin has been missing!”

But still…

She couldn’t help but frown again: “If we don’t get there, can Yan Lin succeed on his own?”

Xie Wei lowered his head, his hand pausing for a moment. His voice carried an inexplicable indifference: “If he can’t succeed without me, then all the suffering he endured during his years of exile would have been for nothing.”

Jiang Xuening felt an inexplicable pang in her heart. After a long while, she asked hesitantly, “Then when will we set out?”

Xie Wei finally finished slicing the fish. He glanced at her, then picked up a few pieces of ginger to chop, his voice calm and steady: “No rush.”

—

The setting sun was as red as blood.  

The border town was desolate.  

The north wind blew in from the northwest, and the old banners, covered in dust, fluttered atop the city walls. Outside, the barracks of the border army stretched in a continuous line. On the high command platform, fallen leaves scattered about, and the bronze-cast qilin, its claws and teeth unpolished and unmaintained, was already covered in rust.

The young man’s features were more defined and striking than they had been in his youth, and his eyes carried a deeper sense of steadiness and restraint. Yet, when he occasionally looked up, they still shone like an unsheathed sword—  

brilliant as the blazing sun, sharp and unyielding! 

Dressed in a dark blue martial outfit, his sleeves tightly bound, his sturdy arms displayed smooth, muscular lines. His back was straight, exuding a sense of latent power. His hands, calloused from years of wielding swords, slowly brushed over the rusted engravings of the qilin.

Something seemed to rise along the ancient patterns.  

Though it was undeniably cold, Yan Lin felt a long-lost searing heat.

The command platform stood three zhang high and a hundred chi wide.  

Below, fifty thousand border troops stood in formation!  

Yet he stood alone atop the high platform. Lifting his gaze, all he saw was the vast wilderness, banners fluttering in the wind, crimson clouds rolling across the earth, and swords gleaming like snow!

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