“Young Lord Jiang.”
A cold yet nervous female voice sounded at the door.
Qin Xuange stepped into the room, her tall and upright figure accentuated by a dark black dress.
Her winding Dragon Horns shimmered with a dull luster under the soft indoor light.
Her Dragon Eyes were locked onto Jiang Huai’s face as if carefully discerning his complexion, with subtle ripples of emotion deep within them.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over his wrist hanging at his side, where the fading blood-colored veins beneath his skin were faintly visible, making her heart tighten slightly.
“It’s been a long time. How is your injury?” she asked softly.
Jiang Huai’s gaze fell on her face.
Her appearance was so similar to Qin Qingyue’s—especially the charm in her eyes—that he felt a bit dazed.
A complex, bitter smile appeared on his face, and an inexplicable sense of melancholy surged in his heart, as if he were seeing a certain figure far away in the Immortal Realm through the person before him.
He waved his hand, and his voice became much gentler without him realizing it. “It’s no longer a problem.”
“I heard from Chi Lian that you often come looking for me. Is there something important?”
Not far away, Zhu Siyao was leaning against the wall, holding her Red Spiritual Sword.
She appeared casual, but her full attention was focused here.
Her bright eyes narrowed slightly as she observed every interaction between the two.
‘What does this mean? Why does his voice become so gentle as soon as he speaks to Qin Xuange?’
‘He couldn’t really be looking for a substitute, could he? How could this happen?’
She secretly ground her back teeth, her gaze scanning back and forth between Qin Xuange’s cold and elegant face and Jiang Huai’s gentle expression.
“It’s nothing, it’s just…” Qin Xuange lightly bit her full lower lip, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on her usually cold and proud face.
She wanted to say these words to Jiang Huai in private. Zhu Siyao understood immediately and shook her head like a rattle, her tone crisp and decisive.
“No, I’m not leaving. My Husband Lord’s body is still weak; how can I just leave? If something goes wrong, how will I explain it to Sister Su and Sister Tang?”
Facing her own husband in her own territory, she naturally wouldn’t be polite.
She strode into the room, sat on the Bed of Soft Jade, crossed her legs, and swung her embroidered shoes. She patted the bed and hummed.
“This is where I usually sleep. I’m not leaving.”
“Is there anything that can’t be said in front of me? I’m his concubine, after all. I’m not leaving.”
She looked at Qin Xuange’s reddening cheeks and teased, “Or is it that you have a guilty conscience?”
Qin Xuange opened her mouth, standing prettily in front of Jiang Huai. For a moment, she was speechless and looked at Jiang Huai helplessly. Some things were better said only to Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai patted Zhu Siyao’s thigh beside him and said helplessly, “Don’t be like this. What if she has something difficult to say?”
Zhu Siyao yawned and replied, “Then she can just come back when your injury is healed.”
“Regardless, I’m not leaving.”
She reached out her slender hand, pinched the soft flesh at Jiang Huai’s waist, and sent a Soul Transmission to his ear. ‘Why do you want to be alone in a room with her so badly? Could it be…?’
Zhu Siyao’s tone shifted as she pinched him lightly. ‘I’ll complain to the Main Wife later, do you believe me?’
Jiang Huai felt a bit guilty at her words and retorted, “What are you talking about? How could I have those kinds of thoughts?”
“Nonsense.”
Seeing that persuasion was useless, Jiang Huai could only say to Qin Xuange, “Just say what it is. Siyao won’t spread it around.”
Qin Xuange hesitated for a moment, her posture somewhat bashful. She took a deep breath and encouraged herself.
‘I am the Saintess of the Black Dragon Clan; I should naturally dare to admit what I’ve done! What is there that can’t be said?’
“Young Lord Jiang, I wonder if you still remember the bet from last time? Specifically, the one from the Five Dragons Competition,” Qin Xuange said to Jiang Huai.
As soon as those words left her mouth, her heart beat incessantly. She watched Jiang Huai closely, wanting to see his reaction.
Jiang Huai frowned slightly.
He naturally remembered the match with Qin Xuange.
At that time, he had put up a palace from the Nine Heavens Palace as a stake to force Qin Xuange to fight him.
Since she couldn’t produce a Spiritual Treasure of comparable value, she had said that if she lost, she would become his servant.
Jiang Huai had never taken this matter to heart and didn’t take it seriously at all.
Moreover, that battle was likely orchestrated by White Dew to give the Black Dragon Clan some face, lifting both of them up as if they had both been injured.
“That matter… weren’t we at a draw back then?” Jiang Huai said calmly.
“It wasn’t a draw, nor did we both lose. You won,” Qin Xuange said immediately, taking a step forward. “You know this. You won.”
“I came… I came to…”
Zhu Siyao listened carefully and suddenly slapped the Bed of Soft Jade. Even her embroidered shoes stopped swinging as she interrupted, “What do you mean?”
She had heard a bit about the bet last time and understood the stakes.
She had always thought it was a mutual loss.
Had Jiang Huai actually won? But no one knew, and no one would pursue the matter. Why was she bringing it up now?
‘Another one who wants to cling to Jiang Huai’s side?’
“You’re really popular. Someone—no, some Dragon—is rushing to be your maid,” Zhu Siyao said to Jiang Huai, her voice full of jealousy.
“And she’s the Saintess of the Black Dragon Clan, too. How wonderful. The Main Wife will surely be very happy when she finds out, right?”
Qin Xuange didn’t know how to respond to those words.
The Black Dragon Tail behind her twisted uneasily.
She lowered her eyes and stared at Zhu Siyao’s embroidered shoes.
The shoes were embroidered with pink Spirit Flowers and looked very bright and lively.
Zhu Siyao started swinging her feet again, and Qin Xuange’s gaze was drawn to the movement of her slender feet, as if she were trying to escape reality.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Huai remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing that he didn’t refuse immediately, Zhu Siyao pinched his soft flesh again and glared at him with her bright eyes.
‘Why is he always attracting trouble? Is he still not going to refuse?’
Jiang Huai waved his hand and said, “I never took that matter to heart. I only wanted to compete with you, which is why I put up the palace as a bet.”
“Let’s just leave it at that. Act as if it never happened.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
Hearing this, Qin Xuange looked at Jiang Huai with a trace of resentment. In her heart, she hoped that the fewer people who knew, the better, but now Zhu Siyao knew as well.
“Fine. I, Qin Xuange, am not someone who breaks my word. If word got out, it would be even worse.”
“Because of this matter, a heart-demon has even formed in my cultivation. Why don’t you let me stay by your side for a while, Young Lord Jiang?” Qin Xuange said, glancing guiltily at Zhu Siyao.
She only wanted peace of mind; as for what would happen later, they could talk about it another day.
Zhu Siyao’s eyes widened. She was about to argue, but Jiang Huai held her down.
While pressing down on the hand Zhu Siyao had used to pinch his waist, Jiang Huai spoke gently to Qin Xuange, “How about this? We didn’t set a time for the bet that day, did we?”
“Since you are determined to fulfill it, then stay here for a while. When you want to leave, you can just leave.”
“Being a maid for a month or even a day is the same thing, right?”
Zhu Siyao caught his eye and finally understood what he was thinking. She jerked her hand away and looked at Qin Xuange’s face again.
At that moment, the sun outside the window was already sinking in the west, and its light was no longer as blazing and dazzling as it was at noon.
The light changed angles, becoming soft and slightly yellow, and the brightness in the room decreased accordingly, making it look a bit dim.
Under such light, the profile of Qin Xuange’s face and the expression in her eyes looked even more like the Qin Qingyue in her memory.
For a moment, Zhu Siyao felt as if she were really seeing that long-lost, formidable Main Wife standing before them, only her gaze wasn’t quite as oppressive.
“Fine, Jiang Huai…” Zhu Siyao pursed her lips and spoke in a drawn-out, complex tone. “I think I understand what you’re planning. So you did have this intention after all.”
“Nonsense.”
The tips of Jiang Huai’s ears turned a subtle red, but he tried his best to maintain a calm expression and denied it righteously.
“What intentions could I have? I’m simply helping others by resolving a cultivation difficulty for a fellow traveler.”