After a few breaths, Xie Zheng straightened up. His face, like cold jade, showed no emotion, as if the vulnerability from a moment ago had truly been Fan Changyu's imagination.
He raised a hand to tuck away the stray hairs by her ear and simply said, "Go change your clothes."
No matter how many questions Fan Changyu had, she could only suppress them for now.
The Office of Presentations was full of prying eyes. If she had him wait outside, a guard from the Office of Presentations leaving her room would be seen, and the resulting rumors would not be pleasant.
To avoid unnecessary complications, it was best not to let him leave the room.
She picked up the guard uniform that had fallen to the floor, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped behind the screen.
As she unfastened the soft armor she was wearing, Fan Changyu uneasily poked her head out to glance at the man standing with his back to her.
Except for the night before he entered the capital, even when they had shared a bed, they had always slept fully clothed. She had never undressed in front of him in broad daylight.
Fan Changyu felt very uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, though Xie Zheng's back was to her, it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. "Relax, I won't look."
Fan Changyu was suddenly struck with the embarrassment of having judged a gentleman by her own petty standards. She pulled her head back and began to rustle out of her clothes.
But from beyond the screen came the latter half of Xie Zheng's sentence, spoken faintly, "What's to be seen and what's not to be seen, haven't I seen it all?"
Fan Changyu's hand, which was untying her sash, froze. A fierce light entered her eyes, and she gripped the screen behind her, letting out a "crack" as the wood splintered. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Xie. Zheng!"
A very low, soft chuckle came from the other side. "I'm teasing you. Hurry up and change."
Fan Changyu slipped on the guard uniform. As the corner of her eye glanced past the screen again, she frowned unconsciously.
Xie Zheng was doing it on purpose.
It seemed he didn't want her to ask too many questions, so he had deliberately changed the subject.
After Fan Changyu finished changing and came out, she didn't press the matter further. While fastening the vambraces at her cuffs, she asked, "Who are you taking me to see?"
The guard uniform was dark cyan. She had tied all her long hair up into a small bun on top of her head, revealing a long, fair neck. Her features were already strong-willed, giving her a distinct heroic air.
It was just that after the leather belt was cinched, her waist was too slender, not resembling a man's.
Leaning against the openwork carved moon gate that separated the inner and outer rooms, Xie Zheng watched Fan Changyu quietly, his eyes as dark and profound as an ancient well that had never seen the sun. "You'll know when we get there."
As Fan Changyu approached, he raised his veined hand and suddenly began to undo the collar she had just fastened.
Startled, Fan Changyu dodged to the side. The delicate skin of her neck brushed against his cool fingertips, and instantly, she felt half her neck go numb.
She chided in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Xie Zheng looked down at her. The doors and windows were shut tight, and the dim light in the room made his handsome features appear even more profound.
"Your waist is too thin. You'll be recognized. We need to strap on two pieces of cotton armor."
His voice was very faint. His fingertips moved to the right, and with a hook and a pull, he undid Fan Changyu's collar without any resistance this time.
With such a righteous excuse, Fan Changyu couldn't bring herself to scold him. But he was too close; every breath was filled with his scent—a cold, crisp mix of the northern snows and soap beans. Coupled with the light, teasing touch of his fingertips, the tip of Fan Changyu's nose grew hot and beaded with fine sweat.
As he reached for the leather belt at her waist, Fan Changyu took a step back, unfastening it herself with a deft movement of her hands. "I'll do it myself."
Without the restraint of the leather belt, her outer robe fell open. The snow-white inner garment was very loose, held only by two ties at the front, and the delicate curve of her collarbone was already visible.
The bite mark on her left collarbone had faded to an extreme degree, leaving only two rice-grain-sized impressions.
As she found two pieces of cotton armor and bent her head to tie them around her waist, a loose strand of hair fell forward, landing right on her neck and shoulder.
Xie Zheng reached out to brush the strand away for her. The sensation of the hair being drawn across her skin was indescribably ticklish. Fan Changyu shrank her neck and, frowning slightly, looked up at Xie Zheng just as his calloused fingertips landed on the two faint marks.
Fan Changyu's shoulders flinched again—his fingertips were very cold.
Xie Zheng made no further transgression, but as his gaze swept over her noticeably flatter chest, he asked, "Binding your chest again?"
Although he only had two fingers resting on her collarbone, Fan Changyu had the illusion of a sharp weapon being held to her neck. It felt as if all the strength in her body was being drained away through his fingertips.
She managed to maintain her composure. "It's more convenient for wearing armor."
Xie Zheng gave a faint "en," his fingertips stroking the bite mark on her collarbone intermittently. He suddenly exerted strength in his right arm, wrapped it around Fan Changyu's waist, and in one motion, lifted her onto the round table.
Caught off guard, Fan Changyu leaned back, only steadying herself by planting her hands on the tabletop. By the time she came to her senses, Xie Zheng was holding her chin and kissing her.
This position left her with no choice but to receive it, and it also made it easier for Xie Zheng to deepen the kiss, his lips and tongue exploring hers.
While kissing her, he even managed to free a hand to securely tie the cotton armor that was about to fall from her waist. As he closed her outer robe and fastened the leather belt, he glanced down at her, bit the collar of her robe over her left shoulder, and pulled it down. He covered the two rice-grain-sized marks with a new red one before pulling her collar back into place.
Fan Changyu's breathing was very unsteady. Though her clothes were no longer disheveled after he had straightened them, her cheeks were flushed crimson, and the knuckles of her hands, braced on the edge of the table, were white from the force.
Xie Zheng lifted his head and pecked her slightly swollen red lips twice more. "If you keep looking at me like that, we won't be going out today."
His voice was deeper than usual, as if he had been drinking, with a magnetic hoarseness.
Fan Changyu's gaze gradually cleared. From her position, she grabbed his lapels, pulled him down to her, and bit down hard on his neck and shoulder.
Xie Zheng let out a soft hiss. Before he could react, Fan Changyu had already released him and jumped off the table.
She took a few steps away before looking back at him, her eyes filled with the wild, untamable spirit of a leopard. "Let's go."
Xie Zheng pulled up his collar to cover the bite mark on his shoulder and neck. He rubbed his fingertips over it lightly before unhurriedly getting up to follow.
Because Xie Zheng had said someone would inform Xie Qi and the others of her whereabouts, Fan Changyu didn't go out of her way to find Xie Qi to explain.
Using the excuse of going out to make purchases, the two entered a shop that sold brushes, ink, and paintings. They were led to the second floor, where a servant brought them clothes to change into.
Fan Changyu stood by the window of the private room, pushing it open a crack. She watched as two members of the Blood-Clad Cavalry, wearing their previous guard uniforms, left. Immediately, several people in plain clothes on the street began to follow them discreetly. She was startled and turned to ask Xie Zheng, "You knew from the start that someone was following us?"
Xie Zheng sat at the table, his long fingers with their faint scabs holding a cup of clear tea. He raised his eyelids slightly. "All guards and servants from the Office of Presentations are followed when they go out."
Fan Changyu understood his meaning. Those people were the palace's eyes.
Even when sending servants or guards out on errands, the emperor would keep a secret watch.
She returned to the round table, which was covered with an exquisite embroidered satin cloth, and sat down. "So where are we going next?"
Just as she finished speaking, the neigh of a horse stopping a carriage came from downstairs.
Xie Zheng put down his teacup. "The carriage is here."
Seeing him stand up, Fan Changyu also picked up the veiled hat the servant had brought and followed him.
This type of veiled hat was worn by noblewomen or young ladies in the capital to cover their faces when they went out. With this hat on, Fan Changyu no longer needed to apply those disguise paints to her face.
As they were leaving, a "husband and wife" from the carriage were being led upstairs by the shop's servant. Fan Changyu noticed that the clothes this "couple" wore were identical to what she and Xie Zheng were wearing.
Seeing the servant give Xie Zheng an almost imperceptible nod as the "couple" entered the private room they had just been in, Fan Changyu guessed that these were also Xie Zheng's people.
Now was not the time to talk. She remained silent and followed Xie Zheng downstairs. After Xie Zheng paid for two scrolls of calligraphy, he led her to the carriage parked by the roadside.
The driver cracked the whip, and after the carriage had traveled some distance through the bustling market, Fan Changyu lifted a corner of the curtain to look back for a while. After confirming that no one was following, she dropped the curtain and asked Xie Zheng, "Are the people in that shop yours?"
Xie Zheng leaned against the carriage wall. The wind blew the curtain at the window, and the flickering light fell on his disguised face, still unable to hide the superiority of his bone structure.
He replied, "That's one of the Zhao Family's businesses."
Fan Changyu still remembered the Zhao Family Bookstore that had opened in Qingping County. She just hadn't expected the Zhao Family to have businesses in the capital as well.
After Xie Zheng closed his eyes to rest, Fan Changyu lifted a small corner of the curtain to observe the street scenes along the way.
The capital was indeed more prosperous than any place she had ever been. No wonder Changning had been so happy upon returning from her outing.
Fan Changyu propped her elbow up and watched for a while, then turned her head to stare at Xie Zheng, whose eyes were lightly closed.
He had something on his mind, but he was unwilling to tell her.
Fan Changyu pressed her lips together slightly. She didn't like the feeling of dejection that this realization brought her.
As she was staring at him in a daze, the man who had been resting his eyes suddenly opened them. "What are you looking at me for?"
Caught red-handed, Fan Changyu was half guilty and half embarrassed. She quickly sat up straight and cleared her throat. "I was curious what material your mask is made of."
Making a human-skin mask was not easy. When they left the Office of Presentations, Xie Zheng had worn a human-skin mask that fit the contours of his face, while Fan Changyu had applied some disguise paints.
When they changed at the Bookstore, the paints on her face had been washed off.
Hearing her say this, Xie Zheng raised a hand to his face, peeled off the scarred face mask, and handed it to her.
Fan Changyu took it and rubbed it with her hand, frowning. "I can't tell by touch."
Xie Zheng said, "I thought you would have guessed it was human skin."
Fan Changyu's expression changed in an instant. As her almond eyes widened, her pupils contracted, as if she were truly a startled cat.
Seeing her like this, Xie Zheng lowered his gaze to hide the smile in his eyes. The gloom that had been accumulating in his chest seemed to dissipate a little.
An indescribable look appeared on Fan Changyu's face. Holding the mask with just the tips of her two thumbs, she handed it back to Xie Zheng, her expression conflicted. "They say all debts are cleared upon death. This person is already dead, yet their skin was peeled off to make a mask. It's truly detrimental to one's karmic virtue. You should stop using it in the future."
Xie Zheng propped his head up with one hand, gazing at her and deliberately saying, "But there's no more suitable material than human skin. It has excellent resilience and fits perfectly..."
As he spoke, he pushed the mask Fan Changyu was handing back a little closer to her. "If you don't believe me, try it on."
Fan Changyu's face was about to turn green. She looked at the mask so close to her as if facing a great enemy, her neck stiff. "I won't try it!"
She was like a leopard cat about to bristle.
A few muffled chuckles escaped Xie Zheng's throat. "You actually believed it?"
Fan Changyu realized she had been tricked and glared at him without speaking.
Xie Zheng chuckled in amusement. "It was made by a magician from donkey-hide gelatin."
The wind occasionally lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing that the scenery outside was now the suburbs.
Fan Changyu held the mask in one hand and clenched the other into a fist. When the driver reined in the horse to a stop, she threw the mask at him, followed by a flurry of punches that landed with a "thump, thump."
When Xie Zhong heard the horse's neigh and came out of the villa, he heard a loud "clatter and bang" from inside the carriage parked at the entrance.
A moment later, a young lady in a lotus-root pink silk dress was the first to jump down. With bright eyes and pearly teeth, she was very beautiful, though she looked a bit fierce. But her eyes were clear, and she had a certain gullible honesty about her, making her seem like a spirited girl.
Xie Zhong didn't recognize Fan Changyu, but he figured that since she was brought here by a Blood-Clad Cavalry driver, she probably wasn't an outsider.
A moment later, Xie Zheng emerged from the carriage. For some reason, he had put the scarred face mask back on his face.
Seeing him, Xie Zhong quickly clasped his fist. "Marquis."
Xie Zheng nodded faintly, his voice betraying no abnormality. "How is General Zhu's recovery?"
Xie Zhong replied, "Everything else is fine, but his legs cannot be healed."
This was something the doctor had warned them about from the beginning.
Xie Zheng turned his head to look at Fan Changyu, whose anger had not yet completely subsided, and said gently, "The person I wanted you to meet is inside."
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