Still Secretly In Love With My Enemy Today - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: 

 

When the intelligence from Iron Cloud City arrived, Xie Huaishuang was busy studying my Cloud-Cutter—I had asked him to see if there was anything that could be further improved.

 

Xie Huaishuang hadn’t said whether he was willing to come to Iron Cloud City, but he took my sword nonetheless.

 

The report contained nothing unusual, simply stating that the Temple’s dispatched group was about five or six days’ journey from Hengzhou and advising me to remain vigilant.

 

I waited for Xie Huaishuang to set the sword down before asking, “Any ideas for improvement?”

 

“Let me think.” Xie Huaishuang was still musing as I pulled him over to sit down. “Yours is more complex than his… let me think.”

 

“No rush.”

 

I pushed a teacup toward him and told him about the Temple. After asking about a few specific details, he frowned. “Why are they holding a ‘God-Pleasing Ceremony’ now? It’s not the right time for it at all.”

 

Those details hadn’t seemed special to me; I didn’t know how Xie Huaishuang could tell just from that that the Temple was coming to perform such a grand, ostentatious ceremony.

 

Hengzhou is a relatively wealthy region. I could only think of two possibilities.

 

“Either they’re short on funds and coming to Hengzhou to use those tricks to swindle money,” I wrote in his hand, “or they’ve found you.”

 

Xie Huaishuang’s lashes flickered. I immediately added: “I didn’t mean to imply you were a swindler before.”

 

“Do you feel now,” he knit his brows slightly, “that I am… different from the others in the Temple?”

 

“You’ve always been different,” I repeated. “Different from the very beginning.”

 

The tension in his brow relaxed, and he seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

 

“What do you plan to do?”

 

“The usual,” I wrote. “I have people I can mobilize in Hengzhou. We’ll cause some trouble for the Temple, then find a way to slip away.”

 

If it was the former, there wasn’t much to say. But if the Temple truly was coming for Xie Huaishuang, it meant they at least had a lead—finding two people in Hengzhou is like looking for a needle in a haystack; without a lead, the Temple wouldn’t be moving with such fanfare.

 

Hiding from the Temple forever was pointless anyway.

 

Xie Huaishuang thought for a moment and nodded. “Understood. If they are coming for me… well, we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

 

I actually saw a hint of anticipation on his face. I hesitated before asking, “Do you also want to… stir up some trouble for the Temple?”

 

“Yes.” Xie Huaishuang nodded in admission. “They’ve harmed so many people, deceived so many. Why wouldn’t I want to cause trouble for them?”

 

He added in a whisper, “And I’ve never done something like this before… I really want to try. That time at Linlang Pavilion… was very satisfying.”

 

It was satisfying. That was the first time I had fought side-by-side with him.

 

“Alright.” I touched his fingertips. “I’ll take you with me this time. And the next time, and the time after that. I’ll always bring you.”

 

Xie Huaishuang was clearly very happy. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and the sunlight from the window rippled in the “spring pools” of his eyes.

 

“Then, in the future,” I asked tentatively, “would you be willing to come to Iron Cloud City?”

 

“Me?”

 

Xie Huaishuang thought for a second, then lowered his eyes. “My identity…”

 

“I’ll explain for you.” Seeing that he seemed genuinely willing, I quickly wrote it in his hand. “Besides, the City Lord is a very good, very just person. Once she knows what you’ve done, she won’t care only about your former status.”

 

Xie Huaishuang didn’t speak. His lashes lifted, his gaze lingering on me for a moment. The hand resting on his knee clenched slightly, creating a small fan of green fabric folds.

 

…

 

Ye Jingwei came through the door and immediately inspected her third iron puppet, tapping it up and down and pointing at the joints.

 

“It’s a bit loud. See if you can dampen the sound a bit more.”

 

“This is loud?” I reminded myself to keep smiling. “Which of the ones currently on the market doesn’t have more noise than this?”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Ye Jingwei was unimpressed and shook her head as she stood straight.

 

“I wouldn’t know; I’ve never bought one. But the ones Miaomiao made for me didn’t make this much noise.”

 

“…”

 

How could you even compare the two? Senior Sister Chen specializes in mechanical puppets; I’m just a weaponsmith!

 

“Then go to her next time.”

 

“This will do in a pinch.” Ye Jingwei shook her head again. “She’s very busy; I won’t bother her.”

 

…Do I look like I have nothing to do?

 

Xie Huaishuang emerged from the house at some point. When I heard the sound and turned around, I saw him standing on the porch, waiting for me to go over.

 

—When the clothes were being made, I had asked him what colors he wanted. He had ended up picking the same shades of deep and light greens I had initially set my eyes on.

 

Today he was wearing bamboo-green. The flower shadows swayed across his lapels, sleeves, and hem. A small jade sculpture leaning against the doorframe, waiting for me in silence.

 

My irritation vanished instantly.

 

Xie Huaishuang held several pages of paper, detailing the symptoms and timing of Rebel Sovereign that Ye Jingwei had asked for. He had dictated it last night, and I had transcribed it for him.

 

He must have learned some medicine in the Temple; his terms were precise and his descriptions objective. I had used every ounce of my effort to keep my handwriting even remotely legible.

 

Even though I had seen him during an episode more than once, hearing him describe it himself, word by word, still felt like a weight crushing my chest, making it hard to breathe.

 

Why? Why did he have to suffer such agony?

 

As I turned a page, Xie Huaishuang suddenly moved closer, his fingers tugging at my sleeve.

 

“It doesn’t hurt now.”

 

I finally lost my grip on the pen, leaving a blot of ink blooming on the paper.

 

“This,” Xie Huaishuang raised his hand, and I snapped back to reality. “Give this to Physician Ye.”

 

I agreed, letting him hold my hand as usual as we walked slowly into the courtyard. Ye Jingwei looked at Xie Huaishuang, took the papers, flipped through them, and then glanced at me. “Why has your handwriting gotten ugly again?”

 

“…”

 

Ye Jingwei left medicine behind before she departed.

 

“This is for internal use; brew it according to the prescription.” She pointed. “This is for external application; I’ve written down the instructions.”

 

“Will it take long?”

 

“No.” Ye Jingwei shouldered her medical box. “There aren’t any side effects either—this prescription took me nearly half a year to perfect, after all.”

 

“Was it from the time you treated Senior Sister Chen’s eyes?”

 

Ye Jingwei didn’t answer. She just waved her hand and pushed open the courtyard gate to leave.

 

Xie Huaishuang peeked out from the house. “Is Physician Ye gone?”

 

“She’s gone—why?”

 

“Oh.” His tone dropped a bit. He pointed to a small food box in his arms; I saw it contained the cherry pastries we bought yesterday. “She said last time that these were good.”

 

And I had wondered why he—who clearly hated crowds—had insisted on dragging me to wait in a line that wrapped around the block three times yesterday.

 

Xie Huaishuang loved working away in silence like this.

 

“It’s okay, we’ll give them to her next time. She’ll be back soon anyway—next time you can tell her in advance to wait for you.”

 

Xie Huaishuang thought about it, nodded, and asked me: “Do you want some? But you’ll probably find them a bit too bland.”

 

Theoretically, he was right. My senior sister and the others always complained that the things I liked were too sweet. But then again, this was something Xie Huaishuang was offering.

 

What room did I have to be picky?

 

…

 

In the evening, I continued studying Iron Cloud City’s layout near Hengzhou. Xie Huaishuang took his medicine and sat nearby, lost in thought while staring at Cloud-Cutter.

 

As I was writing, I heard a rustling sound. I looked up and saw that Xie Huaishuang had, as expected, sneakily shaken off the outer robe he was draped in.

 

Ye Jingwei had specifically warned that the medicine would make the body feel hot, but because Xie Huaishuang’s foundation had been damaged, he absolutely had to avoid catching a cold. Even a tiny bit of chill entering his system would be troublesome.

 

When I wrapped him back up in the clothes, Xie Huaishuang looked displeased. He looked up, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

 

“I’m telling you,” I tucked the robe tight around him, giving him a verbal warning, “Don’t you dare act out just because you know I like you.”

 

Xie Huaishuang couldn’t hear me, but I suspected that even if he could, he wouldn’t have any intention of repenting.

 

He looked up at me, frowning. “So hot.”

 

“Endure it.”

 

I noticed his palms were also a bit sweaty. I wrote a couple of lines, then found a handkerchief to wipe them dry.

 

“Ye Jingwei specifically said you can’t catch a cold.” I patted the back of his hand. “Just bear with it for a bit, okay?”

 

Xie Huaishuang stopped talking and leaned toward me, resting his forehead against my shoulder, giving a low “Mm.”

 

Isn’t leaning against someone even hotter?

 

But Xie Huaishuang showed no sign of sitting up, so I could only let him stay.

 

“It won’t be long,” I talked to him aimlessly. “Senior Sister Chen was the same; her situation was a bit like yours. After the medicine, she got better very quickly.”

 

Xie Huaishuang gave another “Mm.” I felt his forehead and his wrist and found they were indeed very warm. With a temperature like that, anyone would be uncomfortable.

 

“By then, you’ll be able to see and hear.”

 

Maybe that would distract him.

 

“What do you want to see? I’ll go with you wherever you want to go.”

 

Xie Huaishuang tried to shake off his clothes again, but halfway through, he obediently pulled them back.

 

“So many things I want to see.”

 

He slowly counted them off one by one. “The flowers in the courtyard… the iron carriages, that shop with the delicious food, the mountains outside the city… I want to see them all.”

 

“Okay.” I took his hand. “In a few days, you’ll be better. We’ll see them all then.”

 

Xie Huaishuang didn’t speak. He rubbed his forehead against my shoulder, a few strands of hair damp with sweat.

 

“What else?”

 

“The Temple… I want to see them get into trouble.”

 

“Definitely.” I wiped his hand again. “I’ll make sure you see it—what else?”

 

Xie Huaishuang lifted his head slightly. His deep green eyes looked like shimmering water in the lamplight.

 

His burning fingertip suddenly touched my brow. Xie Huaishuang withdrew his hand and smiled.

 

“I also want to see you,” he said softly, adding, “It’s what I want to see… most of all.”

 

Why do you want to see me most?

 

I glanced at Xie Huaishuang. He seemed to be drifting into sleep, his voice getting lower and lower.

 

Why me? Could it be what I’m hoping for?

 

I didn’t know. In the past, when it came to questions about Xie Huaishuang, I had nowhere to ask, so I’d ask every star on the roof.

 

Will I win the next fight against him? If yes, blink once.

 

Will I see him next month? If yes, blink once.

 

Will I see his face clearly next time? If yes, blink once.

 

Sometimes those twinkling stars really did give me the right answer. I helped Xie Huaishuang lie down properly, tucked the quilt in tight, and walked out to stand on the porch, looking at the star-filled sky of the spring night.

 

“Does Xie Huaishuang like me—even just a little bit?”

 

I looked up at the clear Milky Way, the stars flashing in turn.

 

“If he does, blink once.”

 

Amidst the rustling of leaves and flowers in the spring night, I saw a star in the east blink once.