Xie Nanyou glanced at Wu Erbai. "Fifth Master certainly knows how to raise children. My own brother was a disappointment; in the end, his only remaining son even ran off to someone else's family."
Xie Nanyou stared at the person kneeling there with a look of sorrow, delivering every single word like a knife piercing the heart.
"Aunt, I had my reasons. The Xie Family started with Eldest Brother..." Before he could finish his defense, Xie Nanyou cut him off.
"Shut your mouth! Knowing your eldest brother had an accident and still failing to act with caution—even if you were schemed against, it just shows how useless you are." Seeing the look of pain and remorse on his face, she continued, "Did you think your actions were secretive enough? Little did you know that every move you made was under someone else's surveillance."
The two men stared at Xie Nanyou with wide eyes, just about to speak, when the study door pushed open, accompanied by a cheap, deep voice. "Youyou, see what the Blind Man brought you?" As he spoke, he was already pushing the door open.
Seeing the scene inside the study, he paused for a split second, then instantly pulled back his stepping foot and started drawing the open door back.
"Get your ass in here," Xie Nanyou barked, halting the escape of the person trying to run.
Seeing him enter, she turned back to the two kneeling figures. "Get up. Even as an elder, I don't need you to kowtow like this. Go get some rest and prepare for the vigil." With that, she watched the two stand up and leave.
Black Glasses made way for them, raising an eyebrow as he watched the pair support each other out, his heart tightening involuntarily.
Was he going to have it just as miserably? He strode over to sit on a nearby sofa, pulled a booklet from inside his tunic, and handed it over. "Youyou, the reason I came back late is because I went to find this for you." Seeing Xie Nanyou take the booklet, flip through it casually, and toss it onto the table, he grew frantic.
Terrified that Xie Nanyou might be dissatisfied with the item, he quickly piped up, "The Blind Man really went to great lengths to find this! I swear to heaven," he added, raising a hand with a solemn expression.
Xie Nanyou stood up. "Blind Man, go investigate the Huo Family. I want to know if the Head of the Huo Family was involved in the Nine Gates incident this time. Once this matter is cleared up, consider your debt to me repaid." She picked up the small booklet and walked out of the study.
Black Glasses stared after Xie Nanyou's retreating figure, then glanced at the doorway for a long moment before finally getting up to leave.
By nightfall, Xie Nanyou was in the mourning hall. Before she could even insert the incense sticks into the censer, a figure materialized behind her. Not until she bowed deeply in respect did the person step forward, take the incense from her hands, and place it into the censer.
She glanced briefly at the two people burning paper money off to the side. "Speak," Xie Nanyou said, turning on her heel to walk away.
"Young Miss, that troublemaker from this afternoon went out drinking tonight and got into a traffic accident on the road, breaking his leg. I doubt he'll be able to make it to the funeral procession."
Xie Nanyou gave a slight nod. Seeing Xu Ansheng walking over, she instructed, "Have the kitchen prepare some hot soup and send it inside in two hours so they can warm up," before waving a hand to dismiss everyone around her.
Xie Nanyou walked all the way back to the inner courtyard, entered the study, and sat down. Looking at everything inside, a wave of desolation washed over her, and she slumped face-down across the desk.
A sudden noise from outside the window made Xie Nanyou lift her head. Seeing the man standing by the windowsill, she raised an eyebrow. "Is the Zhang Clan Head here to offer thanks? You've picked a terrible time. Just have Zhang Rishan deliver the reward. Please see yourself out." Though she had plotted and schemed plenty, she currently had no mood for this.
Zhang Qiling pressed his lips together, jumped down from the window, walked up to stand firmly by the desk, retrieved a small box from his tunic, opened it, and set it down. "Taking responsibility."
Xie Nanyou stared at the jade ring inside the box. "Splendid. I've received the thank-you gift, so the Zhang Clan Head can take his leave now." With that, she reached out to take the box.
Before Xie Nanyou's fingers could brush the box, the silent Zhang Qiling reached out, grabbed her hand, picked up the jade ring, and slipped it onto her finger. "A betrothal gift." This was no mere thank-you gift; he had made a trip to the Old Mansion for this—it was the token of the Clan Head's wife.
"A betrothal gift?" Xie Nanyou pulled her hand back to look at the jade ring, then raised her gaze to Zhang Qiling. "You Zhang Family members really do love jade rings, don't you? You use jade rings as tokens, and jade rings as betrothal gifts. But pray tell, why don't I remember ever being betrothed to the Zhang Family?"
Xie Nanyou made to pull the jade ring off as she spoke. This man was truly bizarre; her brother was still laid out in the mourning hall, yet he had come here to propose marriage?
Zhang Qiling watched Xie Nanyou trying to remove the ring, his thin lips pressing together even tighter. "Marry you."
Xie Nanyou set the jade ring down on the table. "I never imagined the Zhang Clan Head was such a card. Don't tell me you're marrying me just because I happened to see your naked body? In that case, Xiao Si treats you every day, sticking needles all over you and seeing you from head to toe—why don't you marry him instead?" She pushed the jade ring away. "Besides, do you even know who I am? You have the nerve to brazenly claim you want to marry me over a single ring?"
Under the dim lamplight, Zhang Qiling watched as the shadow of a Nine-tailed Fox slowly rose behind Xie Nanyou, growing larger and spreading from the wall up to the ceiling. He took a step forward and caught her by the arm. "Don't be angry. I'm serious."
Seeing the fur on the tails at the ceiling bristle and stand on end, he looked back into Xie Nanyou's eyes with a sense of urgency. "We've met before. I've been looking for you."