Chapter 159: Past Life Events, and Xie Yan (4)

Xie Yan turned his head and glanced at her, saying, "When the snow melts, the weather will get even colder."

He had just finished speaking when Shen Shuangning sat up on the bed and sneezed.

Sure enough, it's cold!

That evening's meal was unusually lavish; the aunt brought a bowl of meat broth slick with oil, its aroma rich, yet somewhat different from before, with a hint of strange sweetness in the scent.

Gou Sheng was very excited, eating with oil all over his mouth.

The aunt's face was flushed, and she eagerly placed a piece of meat into Shen Shuangning's bowl.

Shen Shuangning dared not eat, her hand gripping the chopsticks stiffly.

Seeing she didn't move her chopsticks, the aunt urged again, "Eat!"

The old man also looked over, his gaze somewhat gloomy.

Under the gaze of Gou Sheng's family, Shen Shuangning suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and hesitated to move her chopsticks.

The aunt's gaze gradually turned cold, her smile fading: "I specially went to the cellar to get pork to stew; why won't you eat it? Could it be that you disdain it?"

"I... I'm not..."

Just then, a hand with distinct knuckles reached over and took the meat from her bowl.

Shen Shuangning startled, turned her head, and saw Xie Yan eat it without changing expression, as if it were just ordinary food.

Xie Yan relieved her of the predicament.

He set down his chopsticks, gave the aunt a gentle smile, and said, "She's had a weak stomach since childhood and can't handle such greasy food; please make allowances."

Shen Shuangning could only echo with a couple of words.

The aunt then sat back, pursed her lips, and said, "A girl from Jingcheng is just delicate." Though she said that, the hostility in her eyes eased a bit.

Just then, Shen Shuangning lowered her head to take a sip of porridge to ease her nausea, but in her peripheral vision she saw something thin and short floating in the oil droplets of the meat broth—

It had a skin‑like hue, the tip bearing a hard shell like a fingernail, resembling a severed human finger!

She could no longer bear it, threw down her chopsticks, covered her mouth, and staggered outside to retch.

Everyone inside stared, stunned.

Xie Yan rose to go rub her back, pondering how to explain.

The aunt lifted the door curtain and stepped out, exclaiming, "Ay yo!"—"This can't be… you're pregnant, are you?"

Shen Shuangning: "……"

In the end, no explanation was given.

Shen Shuangning excused herself as unwell and went back first.

After a while, Xie Yan returned, bringing her a bowl of tea.

"Drink it; it will help a bit."

Shen Shuangning trusted him greatly, so she took it without hesitation and drank it.

Seeing she had drunk it all down, Xie Yan then said, "At most two days, they will make their move."

Shen Shuangning hummed, wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, fell silent for a moment, and asked, "Was that piece of meat...?"

"No." Xie Yan cut her off, then lay down beside her, saying, "Don't think too much; sleep, gather your strength, so we can escape."

As soon as Xie Yan's words fell, Shen Shuangning felt her eyelids grow heavy and promptly fell asleep.

A faint sound of knife sharpening came from outside the house.

The night deepened, and the chill inside the house grew heavier.

The blanket given by the farmer was thin and stiff, stuffed not with cotton but with coarse reed fluff, offering no warmth at all.

The high moon hung in the sky, and Xie Yan did not sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, he noticed Shen Shuangning trembling, thought she was too frightened, and comforted her, "Don't worry, we will make it out alive."

But Shen Shuangning did not respond.

Only then did Xie Yan sense something amiss, turned his head, and by the moonlight filtering through the window vaguely saw her curled into a ball.

He hesitated a moment, then slipped his hand into her blanket, feeling only icy cold.

Only then did he realize she wasn't afraid—she was shaking from the cold.

Xie Yan didn't think much, shifted over, carefully crept into her blanket, extended his arm, and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Shen Shuangning twitched slightly in her sleep but did not wake; perhaps from the cold, perhaps because the warmth was too inviting, she unconsciously leaned into his embrace, found a warm spot, and her breathing gradually steadied.

Xie Yan's body tensed, then relaxed; his other hand pulled the blanket up to cover both their shoulders.

The scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the girl's unique fragrance; Xie Yan lowered his gaze to look at her, and a strange peace arose in his heart.

Yet within that peace, a unfamiliar emotion quietly sprouted—

It was a desire to hold her firmly in his arms, to let no one harm her, nor let anyone covet her—a possessive urge.

Upon realizing he had this thought, Xie Yan forcibly suppressed it.

A man like him was not worthy of her.

He had deceived her.

That rosemary was not prepared for that family; it was for her.

In the later part of the night, a loud bang suddenly came from outside, followed immediately by a woman's shrill scream.

Xie Yan opened his eyes and saw Shen Shuangning still sleeping deeply.

After the outside commotion subsided, Xie Yan lifted the blanket, opened the door, and went out.

The woman's room was lit, quiet as if the earlier disturbance had been an illusion.

But if one looked closely, one could see the window paper splattered with much blood, fresh blood still trickling down, looking utterly horrifying.

Xie Yan pushed the door open with a calm face, swept his gaze, and took in the scene inside.

The simpleton lay sideways on the edge of the kang, a deep wound at his neck exposing bone, his head limp, only a scrap of skin at the back of his neck barely holding on, as if a light touch would make it fall completely; his eyes were wide open, retaining the last trace of bewildered fear.

On the ground not far away, the old man was curled up in a pool of blood, half a pair of scissors stuck in his chest, already lifeless.

And that woman, surprisingly, was still alive.

Half her face was stained with blood, the other eye wide open, bloodshot, and when she saw Xie Yan, she suddenly realized something.

"It's you, you gave me the poison! I'll kill you!"

They had planned to act at dawn tomorrow, the old man had already sharpened his knife tonight, but who knew he would suddenly go mad, eyes red, and chop at Gou Sheng!

That's her only son, after all—even if he's foolish, he's flesh from her own body!

Before her words finished, the woman had already raised her firewood knife and staggered toward Xie Yan.

Xie Yan stood at the doorway, unmoving, merely shifting his body slightly, and easily dodged the blow.

The firewood knife clanged against the doorframe.

The woman had drunk Orchid Grass Water for many days, her body already softened by the drug, but the grief over her son overpowered the medicine; in a sudden fury she missed with her swing and still wanted to keep hacking.

In her eyes, Xie Yan was merely a frail scholar, nothing to fear!

She was determined to kill him, to avenge her grudge!

Who would have thought that as she raised the firewood knife, a sharp pain shot through her chest.

She stared blankly, lowering her head, and saw Xie Yan gripping a short dagger, thrusting it into her heart.

This scholar... actually carries a dagger on him?

The woman lost consciousness on the spot.

Xie Yan shoved her away with one hand, saw blood on himself, furrowed his brows slightly, and felt a hint of annoyance.

He had not originally intended to do it himself.

Just as he turned to head back, he saw a young woman standing in the courtyard, her face suddenly stiffening.

"Miss Ning..." Xie Yan instinctively tried to hide the dagger.

Shen Shuangning didn't know how long she had been standing there watching.

The oil-paper lamp inside the house had at some point been splattered with blood spots; its dim yellow light shone through the blood-stained paper, actually giving off a chilling blood-red hue that dyed the indoor gore and the outdoor cold night with an eerie red.

Xie Yan stood in that blood-red light, half his face illuminated, half hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable.

Just moments ago she had personally witnessed him killing that woman.

But in the plan he had told her, there was no killing.

Although reason told her that this family's hands were surely stained with countless lives, deserving death, yet looking at Xie Yan like this, at the indelible bloodstain on his person...

She really couldn't control her fear, her body trembling involuntarily.

Xie Yan had returned to his usual warm and tranquil composure; he stepped toward Shen Shuangning and gently asked, "How did you wake up?"

He was tall and broad-shouldered; standing before her, he blocked the bloody scene.

Shen Shuangning, however, instinctively stepped back: "... It's a bit noisy, I came over to see."

Seeing her reaction, Xie Yan's eyes darkened slightly; he glanced at the distant sky and softly said, "Dawn is coming, the moon will disappear."

Shen Shuangning slowly nodded.

Xie Yan looked at her tense profile and the unfamiliarity in her eyes, then gave an ambiguous chuckle: "Now, do you believe I'm a wicked person?"

"Are you afraid?"

Shen Shuangning pressed her lips, said nothing, and dared not meet his gaze.

Xie Yan suddenly raised his hand and casually tossed the bloodied dagger onto the snow beside them.

His palm was warm; he gently cradled the back of her neck, pressing her head against his chest.

"Don't be afraid, I will never hurt you, don't be afraid..."

Shen Shuangning didn't know why her chest felt tight; she lifted her head through tear-filled eyes, only to see Pei Zhi's face.