A soft cough escaped Ling Yan's lips, and she slowly drifted back to consciousness. She was back in the Prefect's residence. With a sigh of relief, she turned her head. A figure sat by her bed.
"You're awake?" Xue Feiyan rose and gently helped her sit up.
She leaned on him, her eyes clouded. She remembered her foot slipping, the tree falling. And then? Arms holding her tight. Someone had called her name, but it was all a blur.
"Ling Yan, I saved you once before. From that moment, your life was mine to protect." He stood by the bed, his hands behind his back, a cold frost on his face. "This time, you were reckless."
"This subordinate…" She lowered her head. A sudden pressure built in her chest, and a cough she had been suppressing burst forth. She doubled over, her pale face flushed.
He moved to her side, gently patting her back. He could smell the faint, coppery scent of blood on her breath. He sighed. When they had crawled onto the bank, her face had been the color of death, but her hand had been clamped around that damned brocade box. The sight had stolen the breath from his lungs.
"Better?" he asked softly.
She nodded, her hand over her mouth, still unable to speak.
A knock at the door broke the silence.
"It is Gongzi Qiwu," Xue Feiyan said, opening it.
Qiwu placed a bowl of medicine on the table. "Now that the silver has been delivered, I'll take my leave."
"So soon?" Xue Feiyan's eyes narrowed. "If not for your timely aid, I'm afraid we would have been lost to the flood. I will never forget this debt." He gave a deep, formal salute.
"There is no need." Qiwu caught his arm. "The Seventh Prince is my master's brother. He would have ordered me to save you at any cost."
Xue Feiyan understood. "Then please, convey my thanks to my sixth brother."
Qiwu just smiled. "I will take my leave." He paused.
"Oh, and the Third Young Master of the Huaying Yang family, who accompanied me, would like to have a word with you."
Xue Feiyan glanced at Ling Yan, who was still trying to stifle her coughs. "I will be sure to pay him a visit later. Thank you."
Qiwu nodded and left.
"Here, drink this," Xue Feiyan said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"This subordinate… cough… can do it herself," she rasped, reaching for the bowl. But he moved it aside, lifted the spoon, blew on it, and even took a small sip himself before bringing it to her lips.
She stared, forgetting to open her mouth.
"It's not hot," he said gently.
"Still… I can do it myself," she insisted.
He sighed and set the bowl down, taking her outstretched hand in his.
Cold fingers, a warm palm. She stared at him, and he looked back, his gaze just as soft.
"My lord…" She tried to pull her hand away, but the more she struggled, the tighter he held.
It was hard to tell if the color on her pale cheeks was from the fever or embarrassment.
"Why were you so reckless?" he asked, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
Her lips curved, but the look in her eyes was hollow. "It was the gift you procured for Lady Deng. It must have been precious to you."
"And because I cherished it, you were willing to throw your life away?" His grip tightened. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.
A sharp cry of pain was choked back, only to trigger a more violent fit of coughing.
He immediately loosened his hold, but didn't let go. "What am I to do with you?" he sighed. He reached into his robe and took out the violet-gold pin, gently tucking it into her messy hair.
"It was always yours anyway. Don't think you got soaked for nothing." His voice was a mix of scolding and tenderness. He tapped her head lightly.
"This…" She frowned, struggling to sit up and face him. She reached to pull the pin out.
"What are you doing?" He caught her other hand.
"My loyalty is my duty. I dare not accept a reward. Besides, I endangered you. My merits don't outweigh my faults."
Is that the real reason? he thought. Or is it that you won't accept a gift meant for another woman?
"And you know I went in to save you?" he asked, leaning closer.
"My lord…"
"If you were just a subordinate, I think I would be a bit too kind," he said with a soft laugh. "You know the rules of Night Blade, Ling Yan. Life and death are one's own responsibility."
She lowered her head, silent.
"So, it's not as simple as that." He released her hands and cupped her pale cheek. "You are not just the sharpest blade in Night Blade."
She looked up at him, confused, and yet, not. It had always been this way.
"Think about it," he said with a laugh, rising. "My sixth brother sent someone with the relief silver. I should go see them."
"Cough, cough…" She opened her mouth to speak, but only a cough came out. Her heart went cold. Even without a physician's knowledge, she knew.
Seeing her expression change, his own heart sank. "Drink the medicine," he said, his voice light. "So it doesn't become a chronic problem."
"Yes," she whispered, and drained the bowl. It will be fine, she told herself, but could not hide the despair in her eyes.
He closed the door, and the smile vanished. The water had damaged her lungs. The cough would likely never leave her. A woman who thrived in the shadows—how could she bear this?
"Seventh Prince." A figure stood in the courtyard. It was Xing, but today, she was Yang Mincheng, adopted son of the Huaying Yang family.
"Young Master Yang." The grief on his face was gone, replaced by a warm smile. "Thank you for delivering the silver."
"My family was entrusted by the Sixth Prince. We are only doing our part for the kingdom. I hope you'll put these two hundred thousand taels to good use," Yang Mincheng said, a pointed look in his eye.
Xue Feiyan's gaze dropped. "Of course. When this is settled, I'll personally deliver the account books to your residence."
"No need for that," he said quickly. "We would never doubt your integrity, Seventh Prince."
He paused. "But I would like to offer a word of warning."
"Oh?"
"The riot at the Chen estate, the man who delivered the news, the timing of your 'accident'… I don't believe it was a coincidence."
"Are you suggesting someone is trying to kill me?"
"That, I do not know. But I heard the rioters saying that if someone had led them sooner, they wouldn't have suffered such losses. A coincidence? I think not."
Chen Wei would not let this go. Even if the Emperor said nothing, the Chens' network would drown him in accusations. A good plan, Xue Feiyan thought. To kill with a borrowed knife.
"I have said my piece. I will leave the rest to you," Yang Mincheng said. "My task is complete. I'll be leaving tomorrow." He bowed and turned to go.
At dusk, a pigeon flew from his window, a small bamboo tube tied to its leg, barely visible in the setting sun.