SC Chapter20

When Xiao Ning returned home, Shen Yunjie was still awake. The dim candlelight reflected on his face as he sat at the table. He seemed to have lost more weight recently as his previously well-fitting robe now looked somewhat loose on him.

“Waiting for me?” Xiao Ning pushed the door open and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Shen Yunjie walked up to him and squatted down. He dipped his finger into the foot-washing water he had prepared for Xiao Ning earlier: “It’s cold. I’ll go heat some more.”

Xiao Ning grabbed Shen Yunjie’s hand and pulled him into his arms: “No need.”

Shen Yunjie stumbled into Xiao Ning’s embrace. The smell of wine mixed with the heavy scent of perfume rushed into his nostrils, immediately turning his stomach sour and making him nearly vomit.

“Young Master came back so late, where did you go?” Shen Yunjie pressed down on his chest, struggling to suppress the urge to vomit as he managed to ask.

Xiao Ning loosened his grip slightly, took off his outer robe, and threw it aside before saying, “It’s not your place to ask.”

Shen Yunjie indeed asked no further. He simply broke free from Xiao Ning’s arms and stood silently by the door.

“Why are you standing so far away?” Xiao Ning snapped, “Come here.”

Shen Yunjie lowered his eyes, which were stinging with bitterness, and couldn’t help but ask, “Did the Young Master truly go to Nanjiu Alley?”

Xiao Ning froze, his expression instantly turning gloomy: “You know quite a lot.”

Shen Yunjie forced a bitter smile and turned to leave. Before he could take a single step, Xiao Ning seized him and flung him back onto the bed. The wooden frame thudded dully, and for a moment Shen Yunjie’s mind went blank. When he came to, his entire body trembled from the pain.

“Shen Yunjie, who are you throwing a tantrum at?” Xiao Ning was furious as he gripped Shen Yunjie’s wrist tightly, wishing he could crush the slender bone. “What does where I go have anything to do with you? You overrate yourself far too much. I kept you for a few days, and you genuinely think we are husband and wife?”

Shen Yunjie curled up, his face deathly pale, his vision blurring in waves.

“Shen Yunjie, your hands are stained with the blood of my Xie family, and I will never forget it in this life.” Xiao Ning repeated this in his heart, speaking it less to Shen Yunjie than to remind himself of something. He suddenly felt ridiculous; the person beneath him was his sworn enemy, yet time and again, he felt as if possessed, unable to be cruel to him.

Shen Yunjie’s vision kept blurring, and warmth seeped out from beneath him. He weakly reached out to pull on Xiao Ning’s sleeve and called out hoarsely, “Young Master…”

Xiao Ning shook off his hand within even sparing him a glance. He haphazardly grabbed his outer robe, threw it on before pushing the door and left. Shen Yunjie watched helplessly as the door was slammed shut, extinguishing the only candle on the table. The room immediately plunged into darkness.

The door of the medical hall was kicked open, and Old Zhou nearly fell off his bed. He groggily rubbed his face, squinting before he could make out who had barged in.

“Why must you take it out on my two door panels?” Old Zhou rubbed his messy hair, put on his outer robe, then got out of bed.

Xiao Ning grabbed a long bench as he sat down, slamming two jars of wine onto the table.

“Gently, please. It’s the middle of the night. Even if we’re not sleeping, others need to.” Old Zhou searched for a while before finding two clean bowls, unsealed the wine, and filled them up.

Xiao Ning picked up a wine bowl and drank in silence, guzzling the wine as if it were water.

“What’s wrong? Did you quarrel with your wife?” Old Zhou clinked his bowl against Xiao Ning’s and took a swig of wine.

“He’s not,” Xiao Ning sneered. “He never wanted to marry me.”

Old Zhou shook his head while pouring more wine: “If he didn’t want to marry you, why would he let you torment him like that? For what? For a few of your flatbreads?”

“You don’t understand.” Xiao Ning tilted his head back and poured the wine down.

“Fine, I don’t understand. Just keep tormenting each other then.” Old Zhou stroked his chin as he sighed, “Life is only a few decades long after all. Whether you regret it or feel pain, it’ll pass in the blink of an eye.”

The wine slid down his throat, leaving a sharp, fiery burn in its wake. Xiao Ning drank bowl after bowl, then suddenly stood up after half a jar and turned to leave. Old Zhou stopped him: “Why are you not drinking anymore?”

Xiao Ning felt an inexplicable panic: “I’m not drinking anymore.”

Old Zhou didn’t stop him and just pointed to the door: “That’s good, then you’ve figured it out. Go on, go on.”

Xiao Ning turned and left. The farther he walked, the more restless he became, and by the time he neared home, he was almost running. When he pushed the door open, the room was silent. In the darkness of the night, only his rapid breathing could be heard.

“Shen Yunjie.” Xiao Ning sat on the edge of the bed and nudged the person lying there.

The person on the bed didn’t move, offering no response.

“Shen Yunjie?” Xiao Ning shook Shen Yunjie’s arm. The air seemed to be mixed with the metallic scent of blood. He fumbled frantically for the flint and steel. The sudden light illuminated Shen Yunjie’s pale face and the glaring red stain at the hem of his clothing.

In the dark of the night, Xiao Ning once again kicked open Old Zhou’s dilapidated doors while holding Shen Yunjie.

Old Zhou was dead drunk. Xiao Ning dumped half a pot of cold tea over his head, jolting him awake. He clutched his head, ready to explode in anger, until he saw Xiao Ning’s tear-reddened eyes inches from his face, looking as though the sky had collapsed.

“Wha-what is it?” Old Zhou was dazed, unsure if he was dreaming.

“Hurry and look at him.” Xiao Ning’s voice trembled as he carefully placed the person in his arms onto the bed.

Old Zhou frowned, took Shen Yunjie’s wrist to check his pulse, and after a long moment, turned his head with slight hesitation. “The child in his belly might not be able to be saved.”

Xiao Ning’s mind went blank, his body swaying unsteadily a few times before Old Zhou caught him with one hand.