The lattice window was half-open. The sun hanging in the sky was only a pale white blur without much warmth, casting down a few faint strands of golden light.

Half of Xie Zheng’s face was illuminated by the sunlight, while the other half remained hidden in shadow. His eyes were calm and unreadable.

Fan Changyu wanted to deny it, but meeting his gaze, she found herself unable to speak. Hugging her knees, she sat on a low stool nearby, her voice muffled.

“The disasters in my family have already dragged you into danger twice. You don’t owe me anything anymore. If you draw a clear line between yourself and my family, maybe you’ll be safer.”

Xie Zheng asked, “Do you believe those words from that ignorant old woman?”

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Of course she did not truly believe them. But her parents had died, Fan Da had been killed, Changning and Yan Zheng had nearly been harmed as well. If the soldiers had not arrived in time last night, perhaps Aunt Zhao and Carpenter Zhao would have been implicated too.

Maybe… just as Mother Song and Old Madam Kang said, she really did possess the fate of a lone heavenly fiend, and everyone close to her would meet a terrible end.

Seeing her silence, Xie Zheng understood immediately. His handsome brows knit slightly as he asked, “You think distancing yourself from me is for my own good, but what about your younger sister? Are you going to distance yourself from her too?”

Fan Changyu tightened her clasped hands around her knees, her thoughts tangled into a complete mess.

That was right. To avoid implicating the Zhao couple and Yan Zheng, she could try to stay away from them.

But what about Changning?

Changning was only five years old. In this world, she had no other family besides her.

As she remained silent, Xie Zheng slowly said, “What’s more frightening than ghosts, gods, and destiny in this world is the human heart.”

Fan Changyu raised her almond-shaped eyes, looking somewhat confused.

The corners of Xie Zheng’s exquisite lips curled faintly with mockery.

“There are no such supernatural things in this world. Even talk of heavenly fate and national destiny is merely used to fool people, much less fortune-telling and destiny.”

Fan Changyu still did not understand.

“What do you mean?”

Xie Zheng lifted his eyes and said, “Some people commit evil deeds and like using ghosts and spirits as cover for themselves. Just like when you frightened that old woman earlier by saying she had fallen because something supernatural struck her. Since she didn’t know the truth, she became frightened and half believed it. But you and I both know she fell because she was hit by a pine nut candy.”

Fan Changyu lowered her eyes. After a long moment, she said, “Of course I know the Song family only brought up my supposed fate because they wanted to break off the engagement. But it’s also true that disasters keep happening to my family. That’s why my heart feels unsettled.”

Xie Zheng said, “Your parents made enemies years ago. They didn’t provoke ghosts or gods. What’s there for you to feel unsettled about?”

Fan Changyu stared blankly at him, thinking this man truly had a poisonous tongue. Yet the suffocating gloom in her chest really did ease somewhat.

She sighed and simply gave up trying to hide her feelings.

“I understand everything you’re saying. I just felt bad for a moment after hearing those words. Once this feeling passes, I’ll be fine.”

Xie Zheng showed no mercy at all.

“Whoever made you feel bad, go teach them a lesson. Saying those things to me is one thing, but if you start distancing yourself from this elderly couple too, just wait and see whether they feel sad or happy about it.”

Fan Changyu lowered her head and muttered, “Sorry. I acted impulsively earlier.”

His eyelashes cast a graceful curve at the corners of his eyes, and only then did his expression brighten slightly.

“You’re not someone who quietly accepts bullying. Yet after getting splashed with water this morning, instead of teaching them a lesson on the spot, you came back here to sulk by yourself. Impressive.”

Fan Changyu stayed silent for a moment before saying, “I once heard a saying: ‘The law does not punish the masses.’ It means when too many people commit the same crime, the authorities won’t punish everyone together. Right now, everyone in town fears my so-called cursed fate, and the whole town talks about me behind my back. Even if I can teach one person a lesson, can I teach everyone a lesson?”

Xie Zheng froze slightly.

Some hidden corner of his heart was stirred by her words, unlocking old memories covered in dust.

He had lost both parents at a young age and grown up in the Wei residence. Naturally, his road to this day had never been smooth.

Even now, he still remembered the feeling of having his ribs broken by that person’s son and having a brocade boot grind his face into muddy blood.

He had fought across battlefields and survived life and death countless times. The military achievements he earned through scars of blades and axes across his back were still secretly mocked by others because his uncle was Wei Yan. They said he had disgraced the Xie family name and become another man’s hunting dog.

He raised his eyes slightly, thin lips uttering a few words.

“Then have you also heard the phrase ‘kill the chicken to warn the monkeys’?”

“Human nature is inherently cruel. If you’re weak and easy to bully, no matter how kind you are, few people will help you. But if you rise to power and prosperity, even if you’ve truly committed unforgivable crimes, plenty of people will still rush to flatter you. Isn’t your former fiancé exactly that kind of person?”

Hearing this, Fan Changyu fell silent once more, hugging her knees as she stared wordlessly at the glowing charcoal inside the iron brazier.

The fingers Xie Zheng tapped against the bamboo chair suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his words carried a sharpness even he himself did not notice.

“You still haven’t let go of your former fiancé? Mentioning him makes you upset again?”

Fan Changyu looked up at him strangely. Then she suddenly remembered how she had once lied, claiming she still had feelings for Song Yan so he would not misunderstand her intentions toward him.

Lying truly came with consequences.

She opened her mouth, but in the end only sighed.

“I really am a little upset. He’s someone who earned scholarly honors. This year, Qingping County only produced one successful provincial graduate, and it was him. Even the county magistrate flatters him, so you can’t blame others for fawning over him. He truly has risen to great success now. What do I even have to compare with him?”

Xie Zheng let out a soft scoff.

“He’s only a provincial graduate. The Great Yin Empire has one capital and seventeen prefectures. How many provincial graduates emerge every year? What is your former fiancé worth, exactly?”

Fan Changyu could not help glancing at him.

“It’s fine to say those things in front of me, but don’t say them in front of outsiders. People will laugh at you.”

Xie Zheng frowned.

“Laugh at what?”

Fan Changyu felt this man truly lacked self-awareness and helplessly said, “You don’t even have a xiucai degree yourself, yet you talk about someone who passed the provincial examination like this…”

She paused before adding, “I know you’re only saying these things to cheer me up.”

Feeling embarrassed after saying all this, Fan Changyu scratched her head.

“Actually, I was only speaking casually. I’m not truly that upset inside. Life is still something you live yourself. Him passing the examination and rising to success is his business. What does it have to do with me? And those people who flatter the powerful while stepping on me won’t gain anything from the Song family just by insulting me a few times. They’re only gossiping.”

Xie Zheng’s expression turned strange.

“Why would I comfort you? A provincial graduate truly amounts to nothing.”

Fan Changyu choked.

“What, do you think you’re some high-ranking official or something?”

Xie Zheng immediately closed his mouth and said nothing further.

Fan Changyu secretly found it amusing. Thinking about how he could read and write and even compose examination essays, she actually began planning a future for him.

“I think you’re pretty smart too, and your handwriting is beautiful. Your injuries keep relapsing, and even the doctor said that if they don’t heal properly, you’ll probably suffer chronic problems later on. Escort work is so dangerous. Why don’t you study and take the imperial examinations too? Maybe you could even become a provincial graduate one day and end up becoming an official!”

Xie Zheng: “…My ambitions do not lie in officialdom.”

Fan Changyu sighed.

“That’s really a pity.”

Half-jokingly, she added, “But if you ever do become an official someday, and your rank ends up higher than that Song fellow’s, I’m counting on you to make things difficult for him!”

A nearly imperceptible smile rose at Xie Zheng’s brow.

“Alright.”

After joking around like this, all the earlier gloom completely disappeared.

Remembering the chicken soup she still had stewing downstairs, Fan Changyu said, “The chicken soup in the clay pot should be ready by now. I’ll go bring you a bowl.”

As she stood up, she noticed the candy packets by his bedside had noticeably flattened. Immediately pained, she said, “I’ll find you some pebbles instead. Don’t use candy to hit people anymore in the future. These things are expensive. What a waste!”

After she went downstairs, Xie Zheng stared at the paper packets of candy and frowned.

He disliked sweet foods. In the past, even his food, clothing, and daily life had always been handled by his personal guards. He truly had no idea whether such things were expensive or cheap.

She herself was always strapped for money, yet she still bought him candy. Was it only because she mistakenly believed he feared bitter medicine that day?

Xie Zheng closed his eyes, his emotions unexpectedly complicated.

—

Two days later, Zheng Wenchang brought soldiers once again to the small town of Lin’an.

After hearing the news, Fan Changyu went out to greet them at the entrance to her home.

Mounted high atop his horse, Zheng Wenchang said, “The reasons behind the several murder cases in town have already been investigated thoroughly. They were indeed committed by bandits.”

Hearing this answer made Fan Changyu’s heart skip.

“But my home was attacked twice by those villains—”

Zheng Wenchang interrupted her.

“Your household was attacked twice because of a shipment your father escorted years ago. Rumor says he was transporting a treasure map belonging to the former imperial family. More than ten years ago, everyone in that escort agency was slaughtered by those trying to seize the treasure map. Your father barely escaped with his life and returned home, which is why he managed to live peacefully all these years. Recently, chaos erupted in Chongzhou, and news about the treasure map surfaced again. Some bandits traced your father’s whereabouts, which is why they repeatedly came searching your home for the map.”

This explanation truly accounted for all the strange incidents that had happened in Lin’an Town lately.

Fan Changyu asked, “Then my parents also died at the hands of those bandits?”

Zheng Wenchang frowned slightly and avoided her gaze.

“Of course.”

Learning the true cause of her parents’ deaths still weighed heavily on Fan Changyu’s heart. Thinking about it now, perhaps her father had taught her martial arts yet forbidden her from displaying them publicly because he feared drawing the attention of those villains.

She said, “I never once heard my parents mention anything about a treasure map. Could there be some misunderstanding?”

Zheng Wenchang replied, “The rumor that the treasure map was in your father’s possession was naturally false. A few days ago, rebels in Chongzhou released word claiming they had already obtained the treasure map. The bandits won’t come back to town again, so you may rest assured.”

As he spoke, he gestured to a soldier below, who brought forth a tray containing silver.

The look Zheng Wenchang gave Fan Changyu carried a subtle complexity difficult to detect.

“Governor He of Jizhou cares deeply for the people and specially ordered this official to deliver fifty taels of compensation.”

Fan Changyu sincerely thanked him.

The neighboring townsfolk also praised him enthusiastically.

“Governor He truly is the righteous official of Jizhou Prefecture! Every family who suffered from those bandits and lost relatives received compensation from the authorities!”

Someone asked, “But I heard other households only received twenty-five taels. Why did Fan Er’s family receive fifty?”

Someone immediately answered, “Those other families only lost one person. But both Fan Er and his wife were killed, so naturally the compensation is higher.”

…

Now that the case had been closed, the official seals pasted over the Fan residence doors were finally removed.

Fan Changyu cleaned the house from top to bottom, especially the courtyard and rooms where blood had been spilled. She washed them repeatedly with water and even sprinkled them again using boiled pomelo-leaf water, which folk tradition claimed could ward off evil and disaster.

Only after everything in the house had been thoroughly cleaned did Fan Changyu bring Changning and Xie Zheng back from the neighboring Zhao residence.

She lit a stick of incense and placed it before her parents’ memorial tablets, the corners of her eyes faintly red.

“Father, Mother, you can finally rest in peace.”

Only Xie Zheng continued frowning.

He already knew those people were Wei family death soldiers. Naturally, they could not possibly have been the bandits Zheng Wenchang claimed they were, nor were they searching for any ridiculous treasure map.

Still, the authorities had actually fabricated such a convincing lie to close the case and even distributed silver to the affected families. They had truly gone to great lengths.

No matter how much Xie Zheng thought about it, he could not understand.

If He Jingyuan also wanted to obtain the letter for Wei Yan, then he should have sent soldiers to seal off the Fan residence and conduct a thorough search.

But instead, he returned the house to Fan Changyu and painstakingly smoothed over the murder cases, almost as though he did not wish to disrupt her ordinary life and wanted her to continue living peacefully in this town.

What exactly was He Jingyuan trying to do?

Or perhaps… was he acting this way because the letter the Wei family death soldiers sought was no longer in the Fan residence at all?

Xie Zheng looked toward the two memorial tablets on the ancestral altar.

He Jingyuan likely knew the true identities of this husband and wife.

Perhaps he also knew the secret behind that letter?