“A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to Zalina, Arie, Hui Yen, Alketa, Julie, Piotr, Catherine, Mandy, Lia, Kara, Jan Loise, Maria, Laura, Vesna, Aileene, Jenifer, Tatjana, Ivy, Justine, Felicity, Chloe, Arsenia, Zobayda, Ashley, Olena, and Dung Hanh for your incredible support! ?✨ Many of you have been here time and time again, and I can’t even put into words how much that means to me. Thanks a million for sticking around and being part of this journey—you’re the best! ???”

Chapter 208: Self-Deception

On her way back, Jiang Xuening happened to run into Yan Lin.  

Judging from his direction, he seemed to be heading toward Xie Wei’s place.  

Noticing her pale, almost sickly complexion and her unsteady, floating steps, he couldn’t help but pause. He glanced behind her first before asking, “What’s wrong? Did you just come from Master Xie’s place?”  

Jiang Xuening felt a sour taste rising in her throat and even throughout her stomach. She really didn’t want to say another word. Waving her hand, she replied, “Master Xie seems to be in a bad mood today. If you’re going to see him, be careful.”  

Yan Lin was puzzled.  

Jiang Xuening, however, almost couldn’t suppress another wave of nausea as she spoke. She quickly excused herself and hurried back to her room.  

This left Yan Lin even more curious.  

He watched her retreating figure for a moment, deep in thought.  

Nevertheless, he continued on his way to see Xie Wei.  

Along the way, he ran into Jian Shu and asked him what he was doing carrying a plate of food.  

Jian Shu smiled awkwardly and said he was going to feed the dogs.  

Yan Lin found this rather strange.  

Soon, he arrived outside Xie Wei’s room, where Dao Qin stood guard. Dao Qin bowed slightly in greeting, and Yan Lin stepped forward, bowing respectfully toward the door. “Yan Lin is here to see you, sir,” he announced.  

Xie Wei, inside, called for him to enter.  

Once inside, Yan Lin observed Xie Wei’s expression. It was calm and composed, no different from usual. There was no sign of the “bad mood” Jiang Xuening had mentioned earlier.  

The two of them discussed matters related to military provisions.  

Winter had already arrived.  

The weather in the north was growing colder by the day.  

With the impending war, the delay in the arrival of provisions left everyone uneasy. According to their original plan, Lu Xian was supposed to arrive today, but there had been no word from him, which was causing some concern.  

Xie Wei, who had been closely monitoring the situation regarding the provisions, was well-informed. He calmly explained, “Lu Xian didn’t bring anything with him when he went ahead. The people from the Ren family salt fields are following a few days behind, and they are the ones responsible for the actual provisions and supplies. It’s not a big deal if Lu Xian doesn’t arrive on time, as long as the Ren family’s people arrive on schedule. Lu Xian is a man with his own plans, so there’s no need to worry about him.”

The meaning behind his words was clear—  

If anything were to happen to Lu Xian on the road, it wouldn’t be a great loss since he wasn’t responsible for transporting the provisions anyway.  

It was a good thing Lu Xian wasn’t present, or else he would have been furious upon hearing this.  

Yan Lin finally sensed a hint of that “bad mood” Jiang Xuening had mentioned earlier.  

Xie Wei seemed to notice his hesitation and asked, “Do you have something to say?”  

Yan Lin looked up and replied, “I ran into Ningning on my way here. She seemed unwell and mentioned that you seemed to be in a bad mood today.”  

Ningning.  

Xie Wei’s slender fingers flipped a page of the Taoist scripture in front of him. His faint, ink-wash-like eyebrows lifted slightly, and he smiled lightly, as if it were nothing of consequence. “The little girl is a bit disobedient. She’ll be fine once she’s taught a lesson. As for me, I’m perfectly fine.”  

Yan Lin looked at him but said nothing.  

Xie Wei glanced back at him, seemingly unaware that his words might have been inappropriate. He remained calm and composed, effortlessly steering the conversation back to military matters.  

*  

What on earth is wrong with Xie Wei?  

After returning to her room, Jiang Xuening rinsed her mouth several times and popped a few sweet candies into her mouth to suppress the sour taste. Although the sourness was gone, her confusion began to grow.  

Did she have no suspicions at all?  

Not exactly.  

Sometimes Xie Wei made his intentions quite obvious.  

If she claimed to have no clue, that would be a lie.  

But if she thought too deeply about it, it would only add to her frustration.  

It was better to play a little dumb.  

After all, Xie Ju’an was a man who knew his limits. He acted without speaking, likely aware that some things were better left unsaid.  

If those unspoken truths were ever laid bare, it would only lead to awkwardness for everyone.  

So she figured that even if he was upset or displeased, he wouldn’t torment her for too long. Besides, even if he wanted to, would she be foolish enough to walk right into his trap like she did this time?  

Jiang Xuening believed that such a thing would only happen once, not twice.  

With that thought, she felt much more at ease.  

Half an hour ago, she had been drowning in vinegar at Xie Wei’s place; half an hour later, she was already acting as if nothing had happened, asking the kitchen to prepare some good dishes to calm her nerves.  

The next day, Xie Wei indeed didn’t send anyone to summon her. Jiang Xuening took a stroll around the city and even bought a small spinning top.

On the third day, Xie Wei and Yan Lin went out of the city to inspect the military encampments. Jiang Xuening spent the evening playing cards with her maid.  

On the fourth day, Xie Wei summoned the military generals for a meeting, while Jiang Xuening visited the best restaurant in the city and even indulged in a couple of drinks.  

On the fifth day…  

On the fifth day, Xie Wei finally had some free time.  

Early that morning, just as Jiang Xuening opened her eyes, Jian Shu’s voice echoed outside her door, summoning her like a haunting call.  

She was jolted awake in an instant.  

Despite her numerous excuses and firm determination not to fall into the same trap twice, her resolve crumbled under Jian Shu’s calm yet ominous remark: “Sir said that if you don’t want to go willingly, he’s fine with having you tied up and brought over.”  

“…”  

Jiang Xuening surrendered.  

She never expected that, aside from setting traps, Xie Wei would resort to such shameless coercion. How despicable and low!  

When she arrived at Xie Wei’s room, she was once again greeted by a table full of delicious dishes.  

Jiang Xuening ate with the caution of someone testing for poison, her heart pounding with fear.  

However, to her surprise, this time it was genuinely just a table of good food. The sourness was mouthwatering, the spiciness made her salivate, and the crispy meat soaked in a clear broth with green vegetables warmed her from throat to stomach with every bite. The diced chicken, dipped in Sichuan pepper, was stir-fried with plump, tender green peas, and when mixed with rice, each spoonful sent a delightful tingle from her lips to the tip of her tongue…  

At first, she had seen Xie Wei as nothing short of a devil. But after finishing the meal, she almost felt like he was a saint sent to relieve her suffering.  

After this meal, Xie Wei seemed to have more free time, while Yan Lin was busier than ever, rarely seen in the residence.  

It was obvious—the war was approaching.  

As a general, it was impossible for him to stay idle.  

For the next few days, Jiang Xuening enjoyed every meal, eating happily each time. It seemed as though Xie Wei’s anger had subsided, and she thought it best to let bygones be bygones, putting that nightmare of a meal behind her.  

Unexpectedly, one day Xie Wei suddenly asked her, “Now you dare to eat without holding back again?”

Jiang Xuening shuddered, nearly choking on the meatball in her throat.  

Xie Wei handed her a cup of water.  

After drinking it and coughing twice, she forced a smile. “Sir, with a heart as kind as a saint’s, you don’t necessarily have to cook for others. If someone is fortunate enough to taste your food, they should be endlessly grateful. If there’s any fault, it must surely be theirs.”  

Her words were flattering, but Xie Wei found them irritating.  

He smiled faintly. “You really do forget the pain once the reward is given.”  

Jiang Xuening thought to herself: *Isn’t that exactly the result you wanted after hitting me with a stick and then offering a handful of sweet dates? Why are you mocking me now?*  

She pretended not to understand.  

Instead, she feigned innocence and said, “Who could blame me when you cook so well? It’s simply too delicious to forget.”  

Xie Wei disliked her fake smile. He twirled the wine cup in his hand and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  

Jiang Xuening clenched her fist. “I’d go through fire and water for you, sir.”  

Xie Wei scoffed. “Isn’t it more for the food than for me?”  

Jiang Xuening’s eyes sparkled like a cunning little fox as she smiled shyly. “If only you, sir, can create such exquisite flavors in this world, then isn’t serving you and craving this food one and the same?”  

Xie Wei stared at her for a long time without speaking.  

Jiang Xuening, however, began to feel sweat forming in her palms. Despite warning herself to stay calm, the flicker in her eyes and the tension in her brows betrayed her unease.  

After what felt like an eternity, Xie Wei finally looked away, his gaze falling on the wine cup in his hand. He suddenly said, “You say you and Zhang Zhe were deeply in love. Why didn’t you end up together?”  

Jiang Xuening’s pupils constricted sharply.  

Her past with Zhang Zhe was a scar on her heart, and Xie Wei’s words were like a knife, mercilessly reopening the wound.  

He was doing this on purpose.  

Even maliciously.  

Her expression turned cold. “Lovers don’t always end up together. The world is unpredictable. Even the finest porcelain can develop cracks that can’t be mended. What does it have to do with you?”  

Xie Wei was no kind soul. Seeing her bristle like this actually pleased him, though his gaze couldn’t help but carry a hint of mockery. “Cracks in porcelain?”

Jiang Xuening clenched her fists tightly.  

Xie Wei let out a cold laugh and casually tossed the wine cup onto the table, where it landed with a heavy *thud*. “True. If you could figure out why you and he didn’t end up together, you wouldn’t be Jiang Xuening, and you certainly wouldn’t be sitting here today.”  

This fear of pain, this avoidance of hardship, this self-deceiving cowardice—  

It was exactly what he had to deal with.  

He couldn’t be bothered to waste another word on this blockheaded fool. With a flick of his sleeve, he stood up and walked toward the door, saying, “The more you eat, the duller your mind becomes. Lu Xian and You Fangyin are already outside the city. Stop eating and come with me.”

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