Three Steps: From Assassin to Empress - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Not a Friend, Then What Could It Be…

It was the third kè after hài hour. The night was late, and the moon was dim. Outside Lushan Guesthouse, the willows were faint, the flowers were dark, and the lamplight under the black eaves was misty.

Ying Xiu quickly changed back into his golden robes and stealthily approached the small side gate of the guesthouse. He had checked earlier with his light-foot skill and saw that no one was on duty there.

After questioning the gentry, he went to see someone else, and also hid his bamboo hat and mask. This delay meant he was back late, and he figured the retainer must have already gone to bed.

The night was deep and the dew was heavy; it was better not to disturb anyone.

Before Ying Xiu could even scale the wall, a soft “creak” sounded in his ear, and the door hidden by the vegetation opened in front of him.

A young servant holding a lamp stood there, as if he had been waiting for a long time. “Young master has returned. My lord is still waiting for you.”

So late, and Xie Zhou was still waiting for him.

A wave of baseless guilt washed over him. Ying Xiu subtly straightened his messy robes. He had been so short on time earlier that he hadn’t changed out of his black clothes, only hastily putting on his golden robes over them. To see Xie Zhou, he had to change his clothes first.

He rushed back to his own quiet room. In the candlelight, Ying Xiu fumbled to kick off his boots and change his clothes, using both his hands and feet to remove the gold-sleeved robes, and then the black clothes that were the assassin’s uniform.

He threw all the removed clothes on the bed. He picked through them, taking the golden outer robe he had just taken off and sniffing it. There seemed to be a faint scent of bl00d, perhaps from his fight with the jail official.

This couldn’t be smelled by Xie Zhou. What if he became suspicious?

Ying Xiu stood barefoot in his thin undergarments, his feet cold on the floor. He bent down and rummaged through the cabinet.

It was full of all kinds of golden robes, beautiful and brightly colored.

Thinking that Xie Zhou was still waiting for him, not sleeping, Ying Xiu didn’t have time to choose. He just grabbed a random garment and put it on.

As soon as he put it on, he started making a clinking sound as he walked. The young man walked clinking and clanking to pick up the long sword among the messy clothes and stared at the blade in the candlelight for a few moments.

Compared to what he wore today, this golden robe was even more luxurious. It was inlaid with beautiful jade and adorned with bright pearls on the lapels, dazzling in the dark night.

Ying Xiu: …He felt like a beautiful, shining piece of gold.

He loved beautiful things and couldn’t help but admire the sword for a while.

It was too dazzling. An assassin would never wear such a dazzling and magnificent outfit. Ever since he had been living with the retainer, the clothes the retainer prepared for him had become more and more beautiful.

He took another look at the black clothes he had kicked under the bed and shoved them further underneath with his foot in disgust.

If it weren’t for going out to assassinate people, he would never wear such a thing.

As soon as he stepped out of the quiet room, the young servant holding a lamp and guarding the sides of the porch suddenly saw Ying Xiu. His pupils widened slightly, then quickly lowered his eyes, as if he didn’t dare to look at him too much.

Ying Xiu clinked and clanked his way through the corridor. The sound initially made him a little uncomfortable, as if he would be exposed at any moment. But then he remembered his current identity and slowly relaxed.

This was Xie Zhou’s territory, and Xie Zhou’s territory was his own.

Inside the large, empty quiet room, moonlight poured in from the windows all around.

The moment he stepped in, Ying Xiu’s face turned red. He stood frozen in place, not averting his gaze.

In the moonlight, the room was filled with a clear glow.

Xie Zhou was dressed in a thin, snow-white undergarment. One could vaguely make out his well-defined muscles and his tall, well-proportioned frame, which contained a formidable and chilling power.

When Xie Zhou lightly lowered his eyes and glanced at him, Ying Xiu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he woke up from his daze. He clinked and clanked forward, stuttering as he tried to find something to say: “I, I today…”

He had so much to say in the court, but in front of Xie Zhou, he seemed to have his calm exterior stripped away, leaving only panic and helplessness.

Ying Xiu himself wasn’t sure what he was panicking about.

“You requested to be put in the court official’s prison,” Xie Zhou calmly interrupted him. “Ying Xiu, is this how you investigate cases?”

…Was Xie Zhou worried about him?

Ying Xiu wasn’t sure.

He cautiously observed the other’s reaction, uncertain whether he should fully reveal his plan. He looked at the white-robed retainer’s beautiful face and thought for a long time, then hesitantly said, “I won’t be in any danger. I just went to the court official’s prison to check on something.”

“If you wanted the records from the duty room of the court official’s prison, why did you have to get them yourself?” Xie Zhou said.

The court official’s prison in Jiangzhou was a place of great importance, heavily guarded by jailers and a web of surveillance.

If someone hadn’t brought him in, he probably couldn’t have entered successfully.

As for how to get out after obtaining the records, Ying Xiu had a plan. He had sent a message to Wang Shouzhen via a chi xiao (owl-like bird) when the jail official was not paying attention.

When Wang Shouzhen saw the message, he would naturally come to rescue him. However, strangely, he had not received a reply from Wang Shouzhen until now.

Wait, how did Xie Zhou know he went to get the records?

He had been careful all the way, hiding himself extremely well. It was impossible for anyone to have noticed him.

Ying Xiu subconsciously voiced his doubt, and the white-robed retainer said indifferently, “After you left, the court official’s prison was in a bit of a panic. The records from the duty room were missing.”

He not only knew that the assassin had stolen the records but also that he had knocked out the jail official and two guards, then stopped the gentry’s carriage with his sword, and finally went to see Wang Yu.

The assassin was truly busy tonight, doing everything himself and never using the tokens he had given him.

As if he hadn’t expected Xie Zhou to know everything, Ying Xiu’s face grew even redder. He had a strange illusion that he was completely naked, with all his thoughts exposed right in front of the other person.

He lowered his gaze, his eyes unintentionally sweeping over Xie Zhou’s snow-white undergarment. The tips of his ears inexplicably burned. They were both wearing the same thing, so why was it…

The young man was deep in thought, so focused that he even forgot to look away.

Xie Zhou: “…”

He slowly walked over, his long eyelashes lowered, and reached out to stroke the young assassin’s fluffy head. The young man’s hair was a little rough, and the ends were slightly yellow. It seemed he should be well-cared for.

While the retainer was thinking idly, his cold, large hand slowly and forcefully pressed down on the young assassin’s slender neck, inch by inch.

“—Have you looked enough?”

The retainer’s gentle and indifferent voice sounded from above his head.

Ying Xiu: “!!!”

He suddenly looked up, and his head bumped into something hard with a thump. It was the retainer’s jaw.

…How could a person’s jaw be so hard?!

In the candlelight, the assassin’s eyes were a little watery, glistening with a hint of accusation.

With that distraction, Xie Zhou almost forgot to properly “correct” Ying Xiu.

“You must use the things I give you,” the white-robed retainer’s voice was unusually calm but held an undeniable firmness. “Do you understand?”

He had always disliked things that were out of his control, but he considered himself to have some patience with Ying Xiu.

Ying Xiu ran his hand through his disheveled hair. He first stood up straight, then suddenly darted right under Xie Zhou’s gaze, his eyes bright as if he had discovered something new, or as if he had caught Xie Zhou’s little tail.

“I know!” Ying Xiu’s eyes were full of curiosity. Xie Zhou was willing to hear what he knew, but what came next was an abrupt statement: “You want me to use the gifts you gave me? You can just say it.”

Ying Xiu paused, his voice getting a little softer. “If you want me to use them, I will.” He explained, “I just didn’t use them because I was afraid of causing you trouble.”

He still had the jade pendant Xie Zhou gave him safely hidden on his person!

Xie Zhou was silent for a moment. He suddenly reached out and gently smoothed down the strand of hair that was sticking up on Ying Xiu’s head. As soon as he smoothed it down, it stubbornly sprang back up.

Xie Zhou: “…” He really needed to take good care of this hair.

Getting back to the main point, Ying Xiu became serious and asked Xie Zhou a grave question: “Has… has that eldest son of the Wang clan sent you a message?”

Not long ago, the Wang family of Langya and the Xie family of Jianzhang had agreed to join forces to divide the shipping channels of the four regions after the canal was completed. Now, the Wang family of Langya was deeply mired in trouble in Jiangzhou, and they should have logically asked the Xie family for help.

The chi xiao sent to Wang Shouzhen had brought no news, which made Ying Xiu a little worried.

Actually… that slap no longer hurt.

“He hasn’t,” the retainer said.

He didn’t seem to care about the matter. His handsome, cool face showed no expression, as if he didn’t care much about the shipping trade either.

After all, they had been friends for four years. Ying Xiu couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

The young man was worried, worried for that young man of the Wang family. The retainer subtly observed Ying Xiu’s expression, his dark, deep eyes growing colder.

“You’re very anxious.”

Suddenly having his thoughts exposed, Ying Xiu didn’t feel angry. He explained, “He is my friend, after all. Now that I have no news of him, I am truly worried.”

“…Then what am I?” the retainer asked in a low voice.

His voice was deep, calm, cool, and husky, as if he were just asking a casual question.

…What exactly was Xie Zhou to him?

Ying Xiu had never thought about this question. He only knew that Xie Zhou was very handsome, and his nature was gentle and kind. He liked being by Xie Zhou’s side.

As for anything else, he had never considered it.

Was he a friend he met by chance, or something else…

Ying Xiu was stunned.

This question was too difficult for the assassin. He had lived for seventeen years, and the only people he had come into contact with were his father, friends, superiors, and the people who were about to die by his sword.

Clearly, Xie Zhou wasn’t his father. He was too young to be his father, and it was even more impossible for him to die by his sword. Perhaps he would be his superior in the future… For now, he should be his friend.

A friend… seemed to be a different kind of friend than Wang Shouzhen.

What was different? Was it because Xie Zhou was too handsome? Every time he saw him, he couldn’t help but blush and have his heart race.

The assassin was stumped. He stammered, “We are friends, aren’t we?” He had a flash of inspiration and even asked Xie Zhou back. Now, Xie Zhou could only say yes or no.

He waited for a long time, so long that Ying Xiu heard the candle flame in the glazed lamp burst twice. He quietly counted, wondering if there would be a third time.

The third time the candle flame burst, making a crackling sound.

Finally, the retainer’s low voice came from above: “Mm.”

The assassin and the retainer were a pair of friends.

Ying Xiu felt a little lost for no reason. Then he thought about it. Friend was the best relationship in the world. He quickly became happy again.

He wanted to be good friends with Xie Zhou for a long, long time. Hooray!