Three Steps: From Assassin to Empress - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Late Return

The sword gleamed brilliantly, its motion like a gust of wind turning back the snow, then stopping abruptly, pointing at the neck of the powerful gentry member. The reflected light made the assassin’s collar, which was almost one with the darkness, shine like snow, a captivating brilliance.

The gentry member trembled, almost collapsing, and nearly forgot how to speak. “Who, who are you?”

The black-clad assassin descended nimbly from the rafters. The tip of his sword remained pressed against the man’s neck, not moving an inch. He said in a low voice, “I’m here to take something from you.”

“…What, what?” The gentry member was startled, then nervously blurted out a location, just hoping the other person would move the sword away quickly.

The black-clad assassin looked quite young, with a slender, tall figure, as beautiful as a fine sword, exuding a dangerous aura that was impossible to ignore. He didn’t search immediately. Instead, he pressed the sword tip an inch closer, the point resting against the man’s pulsating vein. A slight push was all it would take for bl00d to gush out.

The gentry member’s face was filled with horror. He opened his mouth to shout for help, but the next moment, a swift wind hit him in the face. A sharp pain shot through the back of his neck, and his jaws clenched together before he suddenly passed out.

Ying Xiu searched the location the man had mentioned, and as expected, he found nothing. He didn’t get discouraged. He simply woke the gentry member with a slap and repeated the process. When he finally got what he wanted, Ying Xiu woke the man up again and politely asked, “Where do the other stronghold leaders and guild masters usually live?”

Is there no justice in this world? It wasn’t enough to rob him; now he wanted to rob other gentry members as well! The man couldn’t be happier to tell him and eagerly listed the addresses of the others. Ying Xiu expertly knocked him unconscious and kindly lit a lamp for him before leaving.

The small lamp dimly lit the sundial in the corner. Judging by the moonlight, it was now a quarter past eight in the evening, leaving less than half an hour until nine o’clock. The assassin subtly blocked the moonlight, pretending not to see the sundial. He leaped out the window. A bird on a tree branch saw him and chirped.

A tired bird should return to its nest.

At a quarter past eleven in the evening, Ying Xiu changed his clothes and carefully climbed over the wall to return to the guesthouse. As he climbed, he worried that a servant with a lamp would be standing behind the small gate, but thankfully, no one was there. He let out a sigh of relief and expertly avoided the patrolling guards, quietly returning to his own quiet room. He opened the door, set down his Heart-Asking Sword, and reached for the glass lamp on the shelf, about to light it.

Puff. The wick sparked. Ying Xiu quickly covered the lamp with its shade and placed it back on the shelf. He took off his woven shoes in the candlelight, bent down to place them neatly, and stood barefoot on the floor mat. His fingers pressed against the leather belt of his outer robe, and with a gentle pull, the belt fell loose.

An inexplicable panic welled up in the assassin’s chest. He slowly turned his head. In the dim, yellow candlelight, a tall, upright figure sat quietly behind the bed curtains. He was nearly startled. His hand trembled, and his outer robe slipped, piling at his ankles and revealing the black assassin’s outfit underneath. Ying Xiu was just grateful that he hadn’t brought his bamboo hat and mask back with him. If he had, it would have raised Xie Zhou’s suspicion.

“Xie, Xie Zhou, what, what are you doing here?” the youth stammered, his clear eyes filled with guilt. He lowered his head, not daring to look at him.

“A quarter past eleven,” Xie Zhou said slowly. “You’ve only just returned at a quarter past eleven.” His tone was gentle and calm, but it sent a shiver down Ying Xiu’s spine.

“I, I didn’t mean to. Something came up, that’s why I’m late,” Ying Xiu said, his voice becoming more confident. He then questioned Xie Zhou, “How could you just enter my room…” He stopped mid-sentence as he suddenly remembered that the entire courtyard belonged to Xie Zhou, including the very room he was in.

Ying Xiu fell silent. He bent down to pick up the outer robe that had fallen to the floor. With a swift movement, he pulled it up to cover himself, pretending nothing had happened. “I’m going to sleep. Feel free to leave.” He fastened his belt and walked toward the bed, passing by Xie Zhou without a change in his expression.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. A tall figure blocked his path. Xie Zhou stood up and said calmly, “You smell of bl00d. Are you hurt? Let me see.” In the darkness, Ying Xiu felt that the voice from above was particularly mysterious.

Ying Xiu’s grip tightened on the belt. He lowered his head and sniffed his clothes. He vaguely smelled a faint scent of bl00d. It must have been the gentry’s bl00d that he had accidentally picked up. How could he explain this?

“Do I?” Ying Xiu chose to play dumb. “I don’t smell anything…”

The next moment, the other person took a step closer. The space between them became even tighter, so close that if Ying Xiu looked up, he would hit Xie Zhou’s chin. Ying Xiu kept his head down, seeing his entire body enveloped in the other man’s massive shadow. Even his own shadow was completely consumed by it. He heard his heart beating faster and faster, its frantic rhythm clear in the deep, silent night. Was it fear, or something else… Ying Xiu wasn’t sure.

The client, who had waited for him for two hours, was now incredibly calm. He reached out his hand to Ying Xiu. Ying Xiu, feeling guilty, looked at the man’s defined, bony hand and instinctively placed his own hand on top of it.

In an instant, the man’s hand tightened around his. The prominent knuckles pressed into his wrist, causing his skin to turn a little white and his veins to sink.

“Tell me,” the client repeated softly, “what did you do in those clothes?” His voice was so light that it showed no sign of anger; it could even be considered gentle. But with an assassin’s intuition, Ying Xiu was inexplicably afraid. He cautiously took a small step back, then slowly raised his head. Good, he didn’t hit the other man’s chin this time.

The light in the quiet room was dim. The candlelight from the glass lamp was completely blocked by the bamboo curtains, filtering into scattered shadows. The moonlight, however, was at its brightest, cool and clear like water, spilling over the client’s body through the hazy window.

Ying Xiu was completely entranced. His mouth was slightly agape, his eyes wide, staring at the client without blinking. Xie Zhou was truly beautiful, the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

Xie Zhou smiled faintly, the curve of his lips fleeting. The smile vanished like morning dew, leaving Ying Xiu dazzled. Ying Xiu couldn’t help but reach out his other hand. His slender fingertips carefully reached up, lightly touching the corner of the other man’s lips, trying to bring back that small curve. He was utterly captivated, as if in a dream, as if he had fallen into a jar of wine. He wished he could just stare at Xie Zhou forever, so intently, so focused.

Xie Zhou was amused by his expression. He let go of Ying Xiu’s hand and no longer questioned the scent of bl00d on him. “I’ll let it go this time. But if it happens again…” A cold sense of danger shot up Ying Xiu’s spine. He didn’t have time to think about it. He withdrew his hand, a little hesitant. After a moment of thought, he asked in a small voice, “Um… can we…?”

Xie Zhou waited patiently for him to finish.

“I… I want to live with you,” Ying Xiu asked, mustering his courage. Although he and Xie Zhou were already in the same courtyard and seeing each other wasn’t difficult, it wasn’t as close as sharing a room.

“But we already live together,” Xie Zhou pretended not to understand, enjoying the sight of the youth’s flushed and hesitant face.

Ying Xiu gave up and blurted out, “I want to sleep in the same room as you!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was startled by his own audacity. He lowered his head abruptly and turned his back to Xie Zhou. There was no sound behind him for a long time. Ying Xiu took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, practicing his breathing exercises. He took three silent breaths, then was about to turn around to comfort the startled Xie Zhou, to tell him he was just talking nonsense and that Xie Zhou shouldn’t take it to heart.

“Okay.”

A calm voice suddenly came from behind him.

Ying Xiu, who had just prepared himself psychologically, was stunned by the word when he turned around. He stood still, unable to believe his ears.

“You can move in with me,” Xie Zhou said. His tone was so decisive and calm that it didn’t give Ying Xiu any time to react.

Looking at the beautiful, cold face, Ying Xiu was still a little dazed. From now on, will he be able to see Xie Zhou every time he opens his eyes? Ying Xiu stood still for a moment, then suddenly reached out and hugged Xie Zhou’s waist, burying his head in Xie Zhou’s chest.

After a moment of silent embrace, Ying Xiu said in a muffled voice, “Xie Zhou, I’m so happy…” He kept his voice low and soft, as if it were dampened by mist. This was the second time he had said those words.

Xie Zhou was silent for a moment. He reached out and gently stroked Ying Xiu’s head. A black ribbon tied the waist-length hair. The assassin must have been on a mission today, as he had changed his hair ribbon and worn black. When he returned, he didn’t even bother to change his clothes, just casually wrapping himself in the golden robe. He was… so unguarded.

“Promise me that from now on, you’ll tell me what you’re going to do first,” the white-clad client said, untying the black ribbon from the assassin’s hair. The black hair instantly fell loose, cascading over his body, reaching the youth’s slender waist. There were two shallow dimples there, holding a soft, resilient patch of white skin, delicate and smooth, with a few old scars running across it.

Ying Xiu promised in a low voice. Xie Zhou was just a client. Even if he had great power, he still worked under a master. Using Xie Zhou’s token last time was a necessity. Next time… no matter what, he would never involve Xie Zhou again.

Ying Xiu hugged Xie Zhou as if he were holding a solid block of ice. He felt a little cold and wanted to let go, but then he thought of Xie Zhou’s face and hugged him even tighter. “Xie Zhou, has anyone ever told you… that you are very beautiful?” Ying Xiu whispered, his voice so low that it seemed he was afraid of startling the servants outside.

After a moment of waiting, Ying Xiu finally heard a deep, calm voice from above his head. “…Yes.”

Ying Xiu’s heart fluttered. He was a little curious. “Was it me?”

In a place where the assassin couldn’t see, the white-clad client’s expression was unusually calm. A faint killing intent flashed across his captivating and beautiful face as he thought of something. A moment later, he slowly hugged the youth in his arms, not like an embrace, but like a silent shackle.

On the floor, shadows spread everywhere. Even the gentle moonlight seemed cold and somber.

“…It was you,” the client told the young assassin.