Just then, a squad of Qi soldiers suddenly burst onto the street, beginning to violently arrest and interrogate people. Amidst the commotion, Nanyi heard that these men had come to investigate members of the Bingzhu Division.
Nanyi felt something was amiss, unsure if she had done something wrong. She hurriedly lowered her head and walked forward, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.
“You! Stop!”
Nanyi heard a voice behind her ordering her to halt. She slowly stopped walking, her mind flashing through some worst-case scenarios as she calculated how to respond.
“Sir, my younger sister is mischievous and came out to play but got lost looking for me.”
Someone stepped in front of the Qi soldier, presenting a wooden plaque from the Shipping Bureau with an ingot of silver pressed beneath it, offering both together.
“I serve in the Shipping Bureau, working for Lord Wanyan. Please show mercy, Sir, and let me take my sister home.”
Nanyi looked back in surprise – it was Song Muchuan. She immediately understood and obediently stood behind him, taking his arm and saying pitifully, “Brother, why did you take so long to come get me?”
Song Muchuan’s arm felt somewhat stiff, but his facial expression remained forcibly calm as he used all his acting skills to smile affectionately at Nanyi.
The Qi soldier suspiciously examined Song Muchuan and Nanyi. They indeed appeared to be ordinary people. After checking the wooden plaque, he impatiently handed it back: “Unrelated persons should leave quickly. We need to search this entire street.”
Nanyi loosely held onto Song Muchuan’s arm as they walked away for quite a distance, until they had left all the commotion far behind, before she withdrew her hand.
Song Muchuan felt half his body had gone numb, his arm still maintaining its half-bent position. The few steps he walked were actually with the same hand and foot moving together.
Nanyi didn’t notice his strange behavior and asked anxiously, “Mr. Song, that letter… it won’t be discovered, will it?”
Song Muchuan came back to his senses, forcibly steadying his emotions, and smiled reassuringly at her: “He will receive it.”
Nanyi still couldn’t help asking: “Mr. Song, do you know who Yan really is?”
“No.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“No.”
“How can you contain such curiosity…”
“That person refuses to show himself – he must have his considerations. If we insist on unmasking him, it would bring a hundred harms with no benefit.”
Nanyi took this in and nodded thoughtfully: “You’re right, I didn’t think it through.”
“Just trust him,” Song Muchuan said. “No matter who he is, he’s definitely fighting alongside us from the shadows.”
Nanyi needed to understand this kind of trust – how could one trust someone they’d never met to coordinate perfectly with them? How could one trust that his very existence was a source of strength?
She thought about it and looked at Song Muchuan with some confusion: “Trust him just like I trust you?”
Song Muchuan was suddenly stunned.
Such a statement of profound significance came so naturally from her lips that it gave Song Muchuan a sense of wildly growing personal desire.
How much did she trust him? And what kind of trust was it? If he weren’t a member of the Bingzhu Division, would she still trust him so much?
He felt both joy and fear, actually forgetting to answer her question.
Fortunately, Nanyi’s words were more like talking to herself. She was simply trying to understand this kind of bond. She turned back to take a deep look at the chaotic street – the passing pedestrians, fierce Qi soldiers, elegant guests in the wine house, merchants in the shops… Every face could possibly be “Yan.” But whoever he was didn’t matter – he would definitely give his all toward his mission, just like her and Song Muchuan.
Nanyi seemed to understand somewhat. Yes, that unseen “Yan” – they were fighting side by side, and that was enough.
…
In a wine house facing the street, Xie Queshan sat by the window. He had called the Qi soldiers – she had been lingering nearby, making it impossible for him to make contact.
Seeing Song Muchuan lead Nanyi away, he finally gave quiet instructions to He Ping.
“Go get the letter.”
His gaze followed Nanyi’s retreating figure the entire time, watching her hold Song Muchuan’s arm, watching her hair ornament sway with her steps like a dancing butterfly that seemed ready to leap before someone’s eyes.
But that butterfly flew farther and farther away, almost blocked by the layers upon layers of buildings and houses. He restrained the urge to take a step toward her, simply sitting quietly there, waiting for his heart to return to its normal rhythm.
Although they had only been apart for a few days, Xie Queshan felt as if a long time had passed. In his heart, he had already said goodbye to that person, had already accepted the conclusion that their lives would have no further intersection. Yet he still couldn’t help observing the changes happening to her. Compared to the little beggar who dared not raise her head to look at people when they first met, her steps now seemed to have become more lively, her back increasingly straight.
She should be living quite comfortably, shouldn’t she? That would be good then.
He hoped Song Muchuan would use his brain well and act with thorough consideration. A spy who couldn’t protect himself was an idiot unsuited for this line of work.
He didn’t want any danger to come to either of them, or else he really would make them both get lost from Li Du Mansion.
Just as he raised his wine cup, someone sat down across from him with complete composure, pouring wine for himself as well.
Xie Queshan frowned, looking at this annoying Zhang Yuehui.
“I’ve thought of a good plan to bring Nanyi back to my side. Do you want to hear it?”
Zhang Yuehui raised his wine cup toward Xie Queshan from across the table, revealing a confident smile on his face.
Xie Queshan originally didn’t want to pay attention to Zhang Yuehui, but the olive branch he extended was hard to refuse.
“Let’s hear it.”
Zhang Yuehui happily drank his wine: “I’m not telling you.”
Do you have some kind of problem?!
Xie Queshan forcibly swallowed back his cursing words, also raising his wine cup with a fake smile: “Then I wish you success.”
Zhang Yuehui said calmly: “I still need to borrow your favorable winds.”