Night Song

Chapter 86

Jiuwei revealed herself for the first time to admire.

She forced a smile, her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly.

Author's Note: I obediently increased the conflict... This chapter reveals the reason for the female protagonist's avoidance.

There is no such thing as free power in this world; everything comes at a price. Xiaoye's sacrifices for power were even heavier.

It was terrible, but how else could one survive and leave the Tianshan Mountains? Survival is a cruel reality.

The experiences of Yunshu and Jiaye perfectly illustrate a common proverb.

Those who lie dormant for a long time will surely soar high; those who bloom first will wither early.

So, those of you who want to beat me up, please have mercy. If you really can't control your impulse, please silently recite the following mantra:

This is not a tragedy. This is not a tragedy. This is not a tragedy. This is not a tragedy. This is not a tragedy. This is not a tragedy.

irritate

Sometimes Jiuwei would stare at him in a daze, as if he were hiding something in his heart.

Every time he saw him plotting how to find the courtyard where Jia Ye lived, stubbornly refusing to give up, we would subtly advise him, but without exception, he would ignore us, leaving us utterly helpless. Then, using the excuse that the journey was not easy, we dragged him around Chang'an, spending our days wandering the streets and alleys, the dance halls and pavilions, exploring every corner of the Western Capital. Everyone was of one mind, as if we had agreed beforehand, taking turns to suggest different things each day, leaving him no time to be alone.

Letters urging him to return home arrived like snowflakes, and his father's tone grew increasingly stern each day. The reason for his prolonged stay in Xijing had already been relayed home by his second brother, who was extremely dissatisfied with the situation.

He knew what those around him were hoping for, but he didn't want to leave. Even if he couldn't see Jia Ye, she was still somewhere in the King's Palace. Who knew when she would return? If she disappeared again, how could he search for her for another four years?

“Everyone wants you to give up, even her,” Jiuwei said bluntly.

He understood that this was the truth and knew how to be rational, but deep down he always harbored resentment and a humble, irrepressible passion that grew increasingly intense under pressure as time passed.

"Look at the mess you've made of yourself." Jiuwei seemed to want to mock him, but she tugged at the corner of her lips and then sighed.

He gazed at the verdant willows by the imperial pond in Chang'an, swaying gently in the early spring breeze like scattered, uncombed strands of hair. Kites, impatient to fly, took to the sky in twos and threes, their silhouettes against the clear blue sky evoking smiles more beautiful than the spring breeze itself…

"I will return the day after I receive the news from my second brother."

Jiuwei visibly relaxed, yet still somewhat incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"real."

Go back and finish up the tasks at hand.

When he leaves home again and returns to his penniless wandering life, will Jia Ye still be so resolute?

If she still runs away... Suddenly, he smiled helplessly. After struggling with this question for so many days, there was only one answer.

Regardless of the nature of Jun Suiyu's relationship with her, and regardless of what kind of unresolved issues Jia Ye harbors, once he is all alone, he will have plenty of time to sort things out. How can she so easily sever such a long-standing entanglement and bond?

He won't let go.

Looking at his face, Jiuwei guessed most of what was going on, and felt a pang of pity, unable to offer any further advice. After a long silence, she recalled her earlier doubts. "What did you send him to investigate?"

He smiled slightly and didn't answer until they entered the inn where they stayed.

"I asked my second brother to approach someone; he's good at getting information out of people."

"Who is it?" As she approached the room, the faint sound of arguing could be heard. Jiuwei asked casually, her mind already focused on the area inside the door.

"Doctor Fu, the top doctor in the Central Plains who treated Jia Ye." He heard the argument at the same time and recognized Xie Jingze's voice. He quickened his pace without noticing his best friend's sudden frozen expression.

"...You don't need to tell him. Just come with me to escort him back to Yangzhou. This is also Father's intention." The angry voice was Xie Quheng's. My heart sank. My elder brother really couldn't hold back and came to Xijing as well.

“Big brother, Third Brother has investigated for so long, he should know.” Qinglan’s voice was hesitant, her objection wavering. “Jia… Miss Jun’s illness… she meant well…”

“I admit she meant well, so we should keep it from my third brother. Anyway, she won’t live much longer, so why make him sad?”

A buzzing sound filled his mind, and he could barely hear what was being said inside the room, but he vaguely heard Xie Jingze say, "What if my third brother finds out later..."

"Once we return to Yangzhou, all news about her must be suppressed." Xie Quheng paused, "It will fade away with time."

Qinglan remained silent for a long time. "Could Second Brother have made a mistake? I saw her last time and she looked extremely well, not at all like..."

“That’s because Jun Suiyu spared no effort to keep her spirits up with elixirs. She sleeps so long every day because she is too exhausted, like a candle in the wind…” Xie Jingze also sighed. “It is said that Jun Suiyu has been searching for all kinds of rare remedies in the world in recent years, trying her best to find a few rare medicinal herbs. If she gets them, she may be able to last a few more years.”

"Judging from the changes in her physique, I thought the poison had been eliminated by about 70-80%, so how could she still be in such a serious condition?"

"The fatal thing wasn't the poison, but the martial arts she practiced. Doctor Fu strongly advised her to abandon her skills. Although her meridians were temporarily blocked, acupuncture and herbal medicine could prolong her life for a while. Otherwise, it would be like drinking poison to quench thirst, shortening her own life." Recalling the regret on Doctor Fu's face, Xie Jingze couldn't help but shake his head. "She refused to listen no matter what, preferring death to reason. Even Jun Suiyu was at a loss."

"She's not afraid of death, yet she's so infatuated that Jun Suiyu is worried sick about her," Xie Quheng said coldly. "That guy's lost his mind. He could have just crippled her martial arts himself, but he let her do whatever she wanted."

"Doctor Fu Tian once suggested that," Xie Jingze said with a wry smile. "Jun Suiyu, however, would not dare to do so."

"Don't dare?" Qinglan asked, puzzled. "She sleeps eight or nine hours a day, does she think she won't have a chance?"

"She has an extremely strong will, which is why she was able to master this extremely difficult skill. But for some reason, she has lost all willpower and doesn't care about life or death. As a result, all kinds of spiritual medicines have lost their effectiveness. If her martial arts are ruined and her mind collapses, it might... take her life instead."

Xie Quheng was surprised for a moment, then sneered. "So she doesn't really trust Jun Suiyu either."

"Big brother!" Qinglan was dissatisfied with his elder brother's attitude. After all, she was the person his third brother cherished, and even he felt a little sorry for her.

“If she hadn’t been so greedy and attached herself to the Jun family, I might have respected her a little more. But now… you’ve seen it for yourself.” Xie Quheng showed no pity. “Fortunately, she still has a conscience. Knowing she doesn’t have long to live, she has already found another better match and hasn’t bothered the third brother anymore.”

Xie Jingze sighed.

"It's settled then. When the third brother comes back, he can't say he knows anything. We'll set off for Yangzhou tomorrow, and no one is allowed to mention it again." Xie Quheng made the decision in a firm tone, got up to arrange things, and opened the door to find himself facing a pale, bluish face.

Everyone froze.

After standing frozen for a while, Xie Yunshu turned and left, so fast that no one could react.

Jiuwei was the first to chase after them.

"Wait!" With all her might, she finally stopped him at the intersection. "Do you know where she is in the King's Palace?"

He paused for a moment, then dodged to get around it.

"I'll tell you." Those words stopped him in his tracks.

Jiuwei sighed, broke off a tree branch, drew a route on the ground, marked the courtyard, and identified the hidden and visible sentries one by one, then sneaked into the blind spot.

"When did you find out?" The words were squeezed out of my chest, piercing my heart and lungs.

“I visited her at the Prince’s residence half a month ago.” Jiuwei looked directly at him. “She doesn’t want you to know.”

"So...you all knew." My heart tightened and felt damp, I couldn't think of anything, it was all jumbled up like a thousand steel needles pricking me, and I felt like everything went black.

"Third brother," Xie Quheng stopped him, "Don't do anything foolish. She's terminally ill. What good will it do you if you go?"

Xie Jingze couldn't bring himself to persuade her, and Qinglan didn't know what to say either; she couldn't stop her, nor could she let her go.

Silver Swan and Jade Falcon followed the two back and heard everything clearly, leaving them both dumbfounded.

Xie Yunshu etched every inch of the map into his heart, brushed away his brother's outstretched hand, and spoke in a hoarse, broken voice, "I... can't care about anything else... please forgive me, elder brother..."

He finished speaking through gritted teeth, drew his longsword, forced his horrified brother aside, and rushed out without looking back.

"Silver Swan and Jade Falcon, keep a close watch on him from a distance, don't let anything happen to him," Jiuwei said immediately. The two nodded without objection and disappeared in an instant.

The biting wind of early spring whipped up dust from the streets, which then drifted across the sky above Chang'an.

Xie Quheng stared in the direction his third brother had gone, filled with immense frustration.

"Miss, please go inside. It's windy outside," Shuangjing gently urged, and stepped forward to pick her up.

"I want to get some fresh air." She avoided his hand, took off her fox fur coat, and handed it to him. "It's already spring, it's alright."

"It's so cold..."

"Just sit for a while." Holding onto the silk ropes, the swing set swayed gently. "This will calm your mind."

Shuangjing took two steps back, no longer trying to persuade him, a hint of worry in her eyes.

I wasn't thinking about anything, just leaning against the swing ropes, staring blankly at the blue sky peeking through the broken clouds. The familiar coldness gradually seeped into my skin, and I felt a vague sense of nostalgia.

The clouds were blown away by the cold wind, and the sky turned leaden gray, with fine, crystalline snowflakes falling everywhere. It was springtime, yet it was snowing lightly. Tiny white flakes drifted down, and if you tried to catch them with your outstretched hand, they would melt instantly before they even reached your palm, disappearing without a trace, leaving only a desolate chill.

The swing set creaked softly; a bewildered gaze swept over tall trees and low walls, upturned eaves, and peach blossoms laden with buds ready to bloom… and a person stood beside the tree…

My heart suddenly started pounding.

The person stood under the tree for an unknown amount of time, blending into the scenery behind them.

That despair... His pained and confused eyes seemed to be wounded to the extreme, dangerously intense, staring intently at her.

He...understood.

She suddenly realized what was happening and was so shocked she didn't know what to do.

Seeing Shuangjing step forward to stop and question him, he did something he had never dreamed of before: he jumped off the swing and ran away.

He's here... He knows...

There was nowhere to hide. Even though I knew it, I ran with all my might, as if returning to my room would allow me to escape everything and not have to think about anything.

I vaguely heard Shuangjing's startled cry.

Her legs buckled, and she tripped and fell. Without looking back, she struggled to her feet and continued running. What used to be an easy task became difficult and strenuous, but she dared not stop. The more anxious she became, the more distressed she felt, and she fell again, this time more heavily. As soon as she got up, a hand landed on her shoulder.

Her fingers were strong, fair, and slender; they had once gently caressed every part of her body, but now they gripped her shoulders tightly and twisted her body forcefully.

Her face, burned with intense pain and rage, and her hands, merciless... she was in so much pain that her mind was almost completely clouded.

He wanted to make her suffer, to make her suffer as much as he did.

Even at this point, she saw him still running away.

The person before her was breathing unevenly, her eyes no longer held her stubbornness, but instead revealed an undisguised panic. She had fallen several times in a disheveled manner, and her fingers could not detect any internal force. The once sharp and formidable top assassin had suddenly become an ordinary person who knew nothing of martial arts. The martial arts that had caused her both pain and pride had vanished without a trace.

Despite his weakened state, he still tries to cover it up, desperately wanting to disappear silently from his life.

Her hands tightened, pinching harder and harder. She endured it until cold sweat seeped out and she almost fainted.

He watched silently, until he could no longer restrain himself, and gripped her chin, kissing her fiercely. There was no tenderness or affection, it was more like a punishment, savage and brutal, the taste of blood gradually lingering in his mouth. She endured it silently, as if she felt no pain, the fire within her growing ever stronger, devoid of any pleasure, filled only with a destructive desire.

Shuangjing lay motionless on the ground, her heart filled with anxiety. She watched helplessly as the man grabbed Qianying without any pity, pulled her into his arms, and shamelessly ravaged her. He even carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut.

She tried to call out to all the guards, but the restriction prevented her from making a sound. Suddenly, a gasp of surprise rang out from the side.

"My God... Boss, this time it's really... Silver Swan, did you see it?"