Chapter 31: A Show of Force

Chu Xi turned her head slightly to steal a glance at Qi Huan. Though the only light available in the night was the faint glow of the lantern in his hand, she could clearly see the sorrow washing over his face.

"We will still have a chance to meet again in the future," Chu Xi said, trying to comfort him.

Qi Huan smiled awkwardly. "It is thanks to you that I was able to leave that forbidden area and catch a breath outside the manor gates just now."

Hearing this, Chu Xi felt a pang of heartache so deep she could not find the words to express it. To think that there was someone in this world sharing a fate as tragic as her own—a sense of resonance, of two souls adrift in the same wilderness, stirred within her.

Qi Huan continued, "Ever since I heard you had entered the Prime Minister's residence, I swore to myself that I would protect you at all costs. If I could not save you, I would have ended my own life to stop the cycle of evil. But fortunately, thanks to General Mo, you are finally able to leave the residence safely."

Chu Xi turned in astonishment, lifting her face to look at him. "Qi Huan, is there anything I can do for you once I am out?" Her heart was shaken by him.

Her own biological parents had not hesitated to send her to her death to achieve their goals, yet this man, whom she had never met before, was willing to risk everything to save her.

Qi Huan looked at Chu Xi with a smile in his long, narrow eyes. "No need. To have met you and to have shared the grievances in my heart with you is enough for me."

Chu Xi could no longer hold back her tears. "You must take good care of yourself. Whether you are a man or wish to be a woman, I am willing to be your friend. If there is ever anything I can do, I will do my utmost to help you."

Qi Huan smiled bitterly. "I may be married again soon. This time is different; it is an imperial decree, so my aunt will not dare to act as easily as before. In a way, I feel as though I have been granted a reprieve."

"That is good news. Perhaps this Princess Lanxin can change your current plight and walk with you until you grow old," Chu Xi said, sincerely hoping it would be so.

Qi Huan raised the lantern, the orange light illuminating Chu Xi’s delicate features. He seemed to want to see her clearly, to etch her image into his heart.

"You... you won't forget me, will you?" he asked hesitantly.

Chu Xi bit her lip and shook her head, tears spilling over. "No, of course not. Chu Xi will always remember the kind demon who sat with me in the dark side hall, sharing grievances and confiding secrets. I will always remember."

"That is good, that is good," Qi Huan repeated, appearing somewhat flustered.

As they neared the gates of the Prime Minister's residence, Qi Huan knew that their parting was imminent, and that this farewell might be forever. At the thought, his nose stung, and his eyes reddened. Fortunately, they were in the dark of night, and Chu Xi did not see.

"Miss! Miss!" Caiping cried out, running toward Chu Xi from the side, her voice filled with raw emotion.

"Caiping, you are still here?" Chu Xi’s voice trembled with joyful surprise.

Standing to the side, watching the reunion of mistress and servant, Qi Huan wore a look of gratification, though his heart was heavy with words he would never have the chance to say. He sighed softly and said, "Take care."

Chu Xi looked back at him. "Yes, you too."

Watching Chu Xi and Caiping walk through the gates, Qi Huan felt as if his heart had been hollowed out. For a moment, he had selfishly wished to keep her there, but he knew he could not.

As she stepped over the high threshold, Chu Xi looked back one last time at Qi Huan, who remained where he stood. She smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Xi'er!" Seeing her emerge, Mo Zixiao strode toward her.

Beside them, the Left Prime Minister shook his head in disgust. "General Mo, feel free to do as you please. I shall take my leave." With a flick of his sleeves, he turned and headed back into the manor.

"Miss, Caiping!" Wang Mu also hurried over.

Looking at Mo Zixiao, Chu Xi was overcome with a mixture of resentment and gratitude, and her tears fell in a steady stream. Mo Zixiao was visibly moved. Ever since he learned she had been taken into the Prime Minister's residence, his heart had been in his throat. Seeing her standing before him, unharmed, his own eyes grew red.

"Let’s go," he said softly.

"Where to?" Chu Xi asked, looking up at him, her tear-stained face appearing touchingly vulnerable. Mo Zixiao could not help but be moved.

"General, the carriage is ready," Pang Hu reminded him at the right moment.

Mo Zixiao shifted his gaze from Chu Xi and said, "Come with me to the General’s residence. From now on, you will no longer be at the mercy of others or their schemes."

Chu Xi paused, asking in a trembling voice, "Truly?"

"Yes," Mo Zixiao replied, nodding firmly—a promise worth its weight in gold.

The cold winter wind whipped at the stray hairs at Chu Xi’s temples. Her almond-shaped eyes were fixed entirely on the man who had promised her safety.

Mo Zixiao drove the carriage himself through the biting wind of midnight, just as he had when he first brought her out of the Duke’s residence, fearing any further harm might come to her. In the rhythmic jolting of the carriage, Caiping and Wang Mu had fallen into a weary sleep, but Chu Xi remained, her eyes cast down, savoring the words Mo Zixiao had spoken at the gate. Even in the cold of night, her heart felt warm.

"Xi'er, we have arrived," Mo Zixiao’s deep, steady voice rang out from outside the carriage, bringing her a profound sense of peace.

Caiping helped her alight. People were already waiting at the General’s residence, and upon seeing the carriage, they hurried out to welcome them.

The steward, Zhao Cheng, ran forward. "General, you have returned. Everything has been arranged as you instructed."

Mo Zixiao nodded, then turned to Chu Xi. "This is Zhao Cheng, the steward of the residence. If you need anything, just speak to him."

Chu Xi nodded slightly. "Steward Zhao."

"This servant greets Miss Chu," Zhao Cheng said. Having witnessed how the General had risked everything for her, he knew her position in the household would be significant, and he treated her with great respect.

Just then, an older woman approached. Mo Zixiao looked up to see that it was Mother Li, who served his mother.

Mother Li bowed to Mo Zixiao, then pulled a long face and said coldly, "The Old Madam is not feeling well. She told me to inform the General that there is no need to pay respects tomorrow morning, and she will not be receiving any guests."

This was clearly aimed at Chu Xi, a calculated warning delivered the moment she stepped through the door.