When Song Yue saw Xuan Sibei standing pitifully in the courtyard with his quilt, shivering from the cold wind, she couldn't quite discern what she was feeling.
She had also slept alone since childhood and hadn't felt the warmth of being cared for in a long time. After all, he was still young; it was possible that he simply couldn't fall asleep alone.
"Alright, the wind's strong out here. Come inside, and we'll talk," she said, taking the bedding from him. "But you need to grow up. A man should be brave. If you can't even sleep alone, people will laugh at you in the future."
Xuan Sibei's long lashes fluttered lightly. His flawless, delicate face made him appear completely harmless. Like a well-behaved child, he silently followed her inside, holding his pillow and placing it on her bed.
His right hand still clutched a gold ingot, as though he were hesitating about something.
Earlier, when they had entered the house, Song Yue had smiled at that "Brother Li." Thinking about that smile, even while sitting in his own room, his heart couldn't let go of the thought. Lost in thought, he began overanalyzing everything.
The man in black had calloused hands from wielding weapons and moved with near-silent footsteps—clearly, he wasn't just the "merchant brother" Song Yue had claimed. Additionally, he had a face that could easily charm women. A man with such a questionable background treating a naive widow so kindly—it all reeked of ulterior motives.
Song Yue might have been a bit naïve, but she kept herself well. Her pretty face might not catch his eye, but it was certainly attractive elsewhere. And, being widowed and alone, if that man took her in and sweet-talked her a little… with her kind of mind, she might really fall for it.
Seeing Song Yue walk out with her bundle, he thought she might be going after that man. The gold he was about to give her, he tucked away again. Her future had nothing to do with him—but maybe he just couldn't stand seeing such a foolish woman be deceived, so he ended up coming over anyway.
And now, here he was, foolishly standing outside her courtyard, hugging his pillow. He really must've lost his mind.
"Little Bei, can't sleep? Want me to tell you a story?" Song Yue fixed the bedding and pulled out a chair for him, racking her brain to figure out how to get a child to fall asleep.
She had no experience with this sort of thing… Should she ask the system?
[With all due respect, you two are very similar—both little brats.]
Song Yue: With all due respect, based on soul age, I'm several hundred years old.
Seeing the gentle look in Song Yue's eyes, Xuan Sibei's palm warmed. He suddenly stopped dwelling on that "Brother Li," and, using his figure to shield himself, quietly slipped the gold ingot under her pillow. His face remained expressionless as he replied, "Oh."
He had just felt a few copper coins under the pillow—seemed like Song Yue really cherished money, even afraid of thieves in her sleep. Next time, he should bring her more. Maybe that would make her a bit happier.
At this moment, in Song Yue's eyes, Xuan Sibei looked just like a gentle little rabbit. The thought of this child gradually walking down the right path under her guidance gave her a sense of comfort. "Alright, get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're heading back."
"Back?" He lifted his eyelids slightly, standing at the bedside and looking at Song Yue, who had tightly wrapped herself in the quilt.
Two quilts. As expected.
He wasn't used to being too close to others, but he also didn't want to be too far from Song Yue—this setup was just right.
"Of course!" Song Yue thought to herself nervously—was he planning to stay and stir up trouble? But she kept her expression dignified and serious. "Don't forget which country you belong to. This is Yandu, right under Ji Wuchao's nose! If something were to happen to you, I…"
"It won't."
"And besides, what about the job Qian Jiang introduced you to? You're not doing it anymore? I was counting on you earning some silver to support me in my old age! Didn't you come to Yandu just to see me? Now that you've done that, it's time to head back. I don't even have a residence here, and I can't keep bothering Brother Li…" Seeing the deep, unreadable look in his eyes, Song Yue felt her eyelids twitch, and a flood of wild guesses filled her mind.
No. No matter what it takes, she had to persuade him to return to Jiulong Bay! Leaving this ticking time bomb in Yandu was just too dangerous!
To her surprise, this time, Xuan Sibei obediently climbed into bed, lay down beside her, and pulled the quilt over himself. That well-behaved posture—lying flat on his back, eyelids slowly closing—paired with his fair, delicate skin, made one want to bite his cheek. Even his voice was soothing: "Alright. I'll listen to Song Yue. I'll leave tomorrow."
"Ah…" He agreed so easily, it left her a little off balance. "Good!"
Since he was willing to go, she could finally relax. Feeling a bit playful, she couldn't help but tease him. "Little Bei, Little Bei, do you want to hear a story?"
Thinking about how this little sapling would one day be molded at her will, she felt a quiet delight...
"Mmm…" Xuan Sibei gave a soft hum from his nose, sounding a little drowsy.
In the palace, whenever it was his bedtime, not even the slightest sound was allowed outside the hall. With his level of martial skill, he could hear everything clearly. Yet, even without disturbances, he never slept well—especially after surviving an assassination attempt. He spent most nights in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, hypersensitive to every noise. If anyone approached, he might instinctively lash out with a deadly strike.
It had always been that way, since he was a child.
"That night, he was unusually kind and chose to sleep beside this woman, but she insisted on telling him a bedtime story as if he were a child... He realized there would be no peace the whole night."
"Alright then, I'll tell you a story from The Analects!" Song Yue's eyes lit up with excitement, and she even had the urge to reach out from under the quilt and ruffle his hair.
It's said that learning before sleep helps deepen memory. She really wanted to test that theory...
"I'm going to sleep." As expected, there was no point in expecting anything from her stories.
Xuan Sibei turned over, giving her a cold, stiff back.
"..." Tch, no interest in learning.
Unexpectedly, he really did fall asleep. His even breathing made her drowsy too. After a yawn, she turned over with her back to him and gradually drifted into slumber.
Even in sleep, Song Yue wasn't the least bit worried that Xuan Sibei might do anything to her. Perhaps his "good boy" image had become too deeply rooted in her mind. With a quilt between them, she acted just like when she was sleeping alone, shifting around carelessly in her sleep.
Before dawn, with the sky still dark and the world silent, Song Yue remained sound asleep. But Xuan Sibei, always a light sleeper, slowly awakened.
Had he actually fallen into a deep sleep just now?
His eyes darkened as he fully awoke, only to realize he seemed to be lying against something soft. A jolt went through his heart—yet instead of reacting and breaking the awkward moment, he moved cautiously, stealing a glance at Song Yue.
Her breathing was steady. That little bit of movement wouldn't wake her. She must be sleeping deeply.
Their quilts were now a messy jumble, and her arms had casually wrapped around him—along with his quilt—pulling him tightly into her embrace.
This woman's sleeping posture...
Xuan Sibei gave a cold snort, but the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl upward.
Though the bed was left in chaos, it had been the best sleep he'd ever had. He'd never rested so completely before. At times, he even doubted if he'd ever truly slept. Yet last night, he had let his guard down completely—even being held like that, he hadn't instinctively lashed out.
Such a strange woman...
Waking up feeling so refreshed—it had been a long time since he'd experienced that. A secretive thought even crept into his mind: What if I could sleep like this with her every night...
Damn it.
His expression darkened. He didn't know why such a ridiculous thought had entered his mind. Without disturbing her, he gently slipped out of her arms, got dressed, and prepared to leave the room.
As he was putting on his shoes, he suddenly caught sight of her small embroidered shoes by the foot of the bed. Something about them seemed different—they looked a little taller than regular shoes.
A strange feeling passed through him. He picked one up and examined it closely, then reached inside and felt the insole.
There it was.
Inside the shoe was a soft, sloped heel pad. Wearing it would make her nearly half a head taller.
His long, dark eyes narrowed slightly, deep in thought. Just then, Song Yue was awakened by the system's scheduled chime, and she slowly opened her eyes in a daze.
At first glance, Song Yue saw Xuan Sibei holding her shoe, staring at the heel.
She closed her eyes again.
It's only a dream... How could Xiao Sibei have such a terrifying look?
When she suddenly realized something and opened her eyes, Xuan Sibei had already noticed the change in her breathing. With an indifferent expression, he placed her shoes down, glanced at her with confusion, and asked, "Are you awake?"
The previous moment seemed as if it had never happened.
Song Yue was stunned for a moment, then nodded absentmindedly, still replaying the scene in her mind.
Did I just imagine it? Maybe I'm still not fully awake? If he was staring at my height-increasing shoes like that, he would have noticed my secret... But now Xiao Bei looks completely innocent, clearly unaware of anything.
"You… why are you up so early?" she asked, unsure.
Xuan Sibei shot her a cold glance. "I'm going on the road."
"Ha?" Was he going to Yandu for revenge?
"Of course, back to Jiulong Bay. I promised you tonight, didn't you forget?" He calmly adjusted his clothes, casually tying his black silk-like hair at the back of his head. Lowering his gaze, he added, "I was planning to leave quietly so as not to disturb you... Go back to sleep, it's still early."
Song Yue's gaze slowly drifted downward. She noticed the quilt was in a mess, and she was still holding onto both their quilts... She couldn't believe what she had done last night. "I didn't... do anything to you, right?"
Just then, a trace of a smile appeared in Xuan Sibei's eyes. It sent a chill through her, making her lose her confidence.
He walked to the bedside, fastening the last piece of clothing, and slowly leaned toward her. In a clear and magnetic voice, he softly said, "... No."
Song Yue let out a quiet sigh of relief. What the hell? Why does this kid still look like he regrets it?
Xuan Sibei's peripheral vision caught the changing expressions on Song Yue's face. For some reason, his mood lifted. Thinking this was "Brother Li's" house, he decided to give her a subtle reminder. He casually asked, "The ring on your hand, you didn't take it off to sleep?"
"How did you know…" Could it be that she had used this gold ring to poke him last night?
[P! Last night, this system was perfectly fine. Who would dare to poke this guy... Host, be careful. You've been pretending to be poor and haven't pawned the gold ring yet. He must have grown suspicious.]
Just as Song Yue was nervously thinking of an excuse, Xuan Sibei lowered his head slightly. His gaze turned cold, and he smiled as he whispered in her ear, "The ring was from your late husband, wasn't it?"
"Ah... yes." She nodded hurriedly.
"That 'Brother Li'... be careful around him."
"… Oh." Even she could tell that Fei Yu had high martial arts skills. He must have noticed too. No wonder he seemed off this morning—was he trying to warn her about the danger?
A sense of comfort filled Song Yue's heart. It seemed that her son had been taught well these days—he was always looking out for her. Gaining her son's influence was only a matter of time!
As Xuan Sibei stepped out of the room, his face was not as cold as usual, but his eyes were still dark, void of any light.
He had lied to her.
This trip wasn't to Jiulong Bay but to the imperial palace of the Yan Kingdom. He didn't want that silly woman to get involved in these complex matters. She just needed to focus on her small business. If she truly lost everything, he might even take her in.
A kind-hearted lie... After all, those who know nothing are the happiest.
Outside the courtyard, on a thick and lush camphor tree, Qian Jiang had been crouching motionless at the top for a long time. Finally, when he saw the Lord come out of the house, his shock was beyond measure.
Last night, the Lord had actually stayed in the same room as that old woman?!!