Chapter 237: Warm Porridge In The Cold Night

This trip to the capital was not as smooth as Dao Qin had imagined.

Zhou Yinzhi was no longer the unremarkable man he once was. His newly built mansion reflected his current status, and as a high-ranking official in the Jinyiwei, he placed great emphasis on his personal safety. The guards in his residence were all highly skilled, patrolling day and night. Sneaking a living person out of the back courtyard without anyone noticing was no small feat and required careful planning. In the end, it was Xiao Dingfei, a street-smart man who had climbed his way up, who came up with a plan. He enlisted a female assassin trained by the Heavenly Sect to kill court officials. Disguised as an embroiderer, she entered the mansion carrying a large chest filled with clothes and left with a chest containing a living person—a sleight of hand performed right under Zhou Yinzhi’s nose.

Getting out of the city gates was another ordeal.

Only then was the person brought to Zhending Prefecture.

Jiang Xuening naturally understood Yao Niang’s fear, but who could return her lively Fangyin to her? Any pity she felt was overwhelmed by hatred.

She said little, only withdrawing her hand and instructing, “Take her down and keep a close watch. She’s pregnant, after all, so be careful.”

Dao Qin led Yao Niang away.

Yao Niang seemed to have a thousand things to say, but she was clumsy with words and couldn’t express them.

Besides, Jiang Xuening had no interest in listening.

After they left, she sat alone in the room for a while. Looking out the window at the starry sky and the nearly full crescent moon, a wave of desolation spread through her heart, leaving her sleepless.

So she got up and walked outside.

The patrolling soldiers tread lightly at night. When they saw her, they stopped and called out, “Second Miss Ning.” She nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t linger, heading straight toward the quietest courtyard where Xie Wei resided.

Yet, in the late night, the courtyard was eerily silent.

Though a lamp was lit inside the room, it was empty.

Only Xiao Bao sat under the corridor outside. Upon seeing her, he smiled and, without her needing to ask, said, “The master went to the kitchen.”

Jiang Xuening found this odd. Why would Xie Ju’an go to the kitchen in the middle of the night?

Without asking further, she turned and headed there.

As she approached the kitchen, she saw light spilling out. The sound of a knife rhythmically hitting a cutting board came in quick, precise bursts, suggesting the person wielding it was skilled, likely chopping vegetables.

Jiang Xuening stepped inside and, with a glance, asked, “Are you hungry?”

On the counter were clean bowls and plates.

A pot of porridge simmered gently on the stove.

Xie Wei stood tall by the stove, sleeves rolled up, focused on dicing yam on the cutting board. He pushed the pieces aside before looking up at her and saying calmly, “I’m not hungry, but I thought you might want something to eat tonight.”

The kitchen, unlike the study, was lit only by two oil lamps, casting a dim glow. Yet this soft light perfectly outlined Xie Wei’s tall frame, casting faint shadows along his neck, as if cloaking him in the mundane warmth of the mortal world.

Jiang Xuening felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.

This man always seemed to know everything.

She had once thought that if she were truly with Xie Ju’an, his formidable nature and difficult personality—part obsessive, part mad—would make things exhausting, even stifling, as Yan Lin had warned.

But over the past half-year…

Half the time was spent learning the zither, the other half traveling. From food to necessities, from people to matters, not a single unpleasant moment had arisen. Xie Ju’an always arranged everything perfectly. Things she shouldn’t worry about, he handled entirely; things she needed to manage, he never interfered with.

When learning the zither, he’d sometimes scold her laziness and tap her with a ruler.

But if she playfully cried out, he’d hold her hand, purse his lips, and find it hard to follow through with any real punishment. More often than not, he’d let her have her way, even brewing her tea or bringing her snacks, letting her rest before continuing.

Of course, there were times she pushed him too far.

In those moments, Xie Ju’an was not one to let her off easily. Twice, when her teasing sparked his temper, he’d stripped half her clothes off in broad daylight, pinned her against a wall near a window lattice, making her tremble with fear and go weak. Then, he’d ask her, voice low, “Do you dare do that again?”

If she said she didn’t dare, he’d let her go.

But if her stubbornness flared and she refused to admit fault, she’d be asking for trouble. By the time zither practice was over, her hands might not ache, but her legs certainly would.

Afterward, though, it was Xie Ju’an who’d coax her, holding her close, kissing away the tears at the corners of her eyes, and teasing, “Let’s see if you talk back next time.”

Jiang Xuening truly felt he embodied both saint and devil in one.

Yet no matter the moment, his gaze upon her was always calm and deep. Sometimes, when she was speaking with others and happened to look up, she’d catch him watching her. At first, when she noticed, he’d show a hint of unease. But over time, he became open about it, his gaze steady and unapologetic.

She’d once asked, “Haven’t you seen enough?”

Xie Ju’an didn’t answer at first.

It wasn’t until they’d taken Jinan Prefecture, during a celebratory banquet where he’d been toasted a few extra cups of strong liquor, that he spoke. That night, he somehow produced a handful of gorgon fruit, sat on the footstool by her bed, and peeled them one by one for her to eat.

She thought he was drunk.

Xie Wei said, “I’m perfectly sober.”

In that moment, with no light in the room, his eyes seemed to shimmer as if dipped in water. He leaned in to kiss her, cautious as if afraid to shatter a dream, and asked, “You won’t leave, will you?”

Jiang Xuening fell silent.

She didn’t know what surged in her heart at that moment.

After a long pause, she answered, “I won’t.”

She never asked how he knew she occasionally craved those snacks, but afterward, she rarely saw Yan Lin. When they did meet, others were always present, and after brief pleasantries, they’d each go their separate ways.

And today, though she hadn’t said or done anything, Xie Wei seemed to know what was on her mind.

She did want someone to talk to.

But knowing he already understood made words feel unnecessary.

Jiang Xuening sat quietly on a small wooden stool by the stove, watching Xie Wei add the diced ingredients to the nearly finished porridge. He stirred it slowly with a spoon and finally said, “I’ve never truly killed anyone.”

Xie Wei finished stirring and covered the pot.

He sat down beside her by the stove, his gaze fixed on the glowing coals, calm as ever. “There’s always a first time.”

Jiang Xuening slowly hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, blinking as if lost in thought, saying nothing more.

Xie Wei stayed by her side.

After a long while, when the world outside had fallen completely silent, he ladled some porridge into a bowl and handed it to her. They didn’t bother moving to a table, simply sitting by the stove in the chilly, frosty night, sharing half a bowl of warm porridge until the glowing coals faded to embers. Then, together, they left the kitchen.

Xie Wei walked her back to her room, sensing her low spirits. He tucked her into bed, kissed her lips gently, and said, “No zither practice tomorrow morning. You can sleep in.”

Jiang Xuening was bundled in the blankets, only her face peeking out.

She smiled. “You’ve been quite the gentleman lately.”

Xie Wei looked up, fixing his gaze on her. “If you want to die a quick death in the middle of the night, I can oblige you right now.”

Jiang Xuening shrank back, then giggled, not daring to provoke him further. She obediently closed her eyes.

Xie Wei watched her for a long while before saying, “I’m leaving.”

Jiang Xuening opened her eyes to look at him.

Xie Wei’s hand rested on her forehead, and he kissed her gently on her lowered eyelashes before letting go. He left her room, closing the door behind him.

The stars and moon were faint.

A cool breeze brushed his face.

He meant to return to his room but paused at the corridor’s corner, glancing back at Jiang Xuening’s closed door for a moment before finally heading to his own quarters.

Dao Qin had just returned.

Jian Shu was tidying the desk.

Xie Wei entered, his eyes lowered, a trace of the night’s darkness lingering in his indifferent gaze. He sat by the zither table, silent for a long time.

Dao Qin and Jian Shu, having been with him for years, could guess some of his thoughts.

Jian Shu hesitated to speak.

Dao Qin, ever direct, said, “Keeping her is a liability. Once this is over, just kill her and be done with it.”

Zhou Yinzhi was as good as dead—neither Jiang Xuening nor Xie Wei would spare him.

But Yao Niang was a problem.

Especially with a child in her womb—who knew what it might grow into?

Xie Wei looked at the scar on his left palm, recalling Jiang Xuening’s warm gaze earlier and the heavy snow in the palace years ago. He slowly clenched his fist and, after a moment, said, “No need.”

Dao Qin and Jian Shu both looked at him.

He said, “If Zhou Yinzhi dies, it’s his own doing. Ning’er and I have clear consciences. There’s no need to wipe them all out.”

Leading the Heavenly Sect, conquering the land, he’d calculated every step, never showing mercy. At times, to ensure success while navigating the treacherous space between court and sect, he’d done countless bloody deeds, far from virtuous.

He had indeed considered killing Yao Niang.

He knew the power of vengeance all too well, having walked that path himself. The graves of three hundred righteous children still haunted him, and the snow from over twenty years ago still weighed on his heart, unthawed…

Xie Wei asked, “What’s the situation in the capital?”

Dao Qin replied, “It’s already in chaos. The Jinyiwei have secretly arrested several court officials, and panic is spreading. When I left the city, I heard rumors that Yuanji had packed his belongings and slipped out, likely seeing the situation turning bad.”

Xie Wei let out a cold scoff.

Jian Shu asked, “This man often opposed you in the past. This time…”

Xie Wei said, “Meng Yang will deal with him. He might already be a corpse in some mass grave. Yuanji was only useful to keep Wan Xiuzi in check. Now that the Heavenly Sect has reached the capital, he’s outlived his purpose. Better he’s dead sooner.”

Jian Shu nodded.

But Dao Qin’s brows furrowed, as if he had more to say.

Xie Wei noticed and asked, “What else?”

Dao Qin hesitated. “There’s news from the palace. They’re planning to send someone to negotiate, to join forces and suppress the Heavenly Sect first…”

That was utterly impossible.

But it wasn’t enough to make Dao Qin pause.

Xie Wei’s eyes twitched slightly, and he asked in a low voice, “Who is Shen Lang sending?”

Dao Qin lowered her head, her voice softer. “Lord Zhang from the Ministry of Justice.”

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