Xie Jiang's slightly flickering eyes held a hint of hesitation, as if she were considering whether to tell him what was on her mind.
Yi Yan Geng tried his best to appear trustworthy.
Presumably deeming it nothing to hide, Xie Jiang pondered for a moment before choosing to be forthright.
"My grandfather is old and has been increasingly unable to cope in recent years. He has the idea of returning to his roots, and I'm here to scout ahead."
Xie Jiang sighed, seemingly thinking of her grandfather, who didn't have much time left, and appeared somewhat dejected.
She could still maintain her acting skills even when so drowsy; she truly held herself to too high a standard.
"Your grandfather wants to return to Da Yu? Or are you planning to have your entire clan defect?" Regardless of how much truth or falsehood was in her words, Yi Yan Geng instantly understood that this was her next course of action.
"Back then, it was due to years of war and hopelessness, and the court was so corrupt that it persecuted capable individuals, which led my great-grandfather to lead the entire clan to seek refuge overseas. But our Xie family's roots are ultimately still in Da Yu; how can we forget our origins just because we've been Lan Yong people for a few years?"
"It's not just my grandfather who wants to return to his roots; my great-grandfather also instructed before his death that future generations should return one day."
"So that's why you actively helped Xu Heng Yan plant sweet potatoes? It wasn't because you liked eating them that your servants loaded them onto ships to take back to Da Yu, was it?"
Sweet potatoes were her weapon to pave the way.
Even without Xu Heng Yan, she would have brought out the sweet potatoes.
Xu Heng Yan was merely a tool.
No wonder she pretended to be a poison doctor to enter the Duke Wei's mansion; she had already figured out Xu Heng Yan's background.
Xie Jiang looked at him with a playful smile, "You're truly smart."
Yi Yan Geng suddenly thought of something, "Isn't the Xie family the royal family of Lan Yong?"
Had she said that? They all verified facts based on their own deductions. "Lan Yong has no royal family."
Yi Yan Geng understood what was happening and couldn't help but smile faintly.
Xie Jiang was stunned by his smile.
Yi Yan Geng looked truly handsome when he smiled.
Normally, his handsome face had a suffocating effect if one looked at it for too long, but this smile instead gave one a sense of being reborn from a desperate situation.
It was so captivating.
Yi Yan Geng had always known that she was attracted to him based on his looks.
If she desired something, it had to be hers.
Even if he was unwilling, she would make him willing.
He couldn't resist for long before...
Even if she had been presenting herself in men's clothing after arriving in the capital, how long could Xu Heng Yan resist? "Xu Heng Yan will inevitably promote sweet potatoes on a large scale, and Madam Xu's health has also greatly improved. There's no need for you to stay in the Duke Wei's mansion anymore, right?"
Xie Jiang immediately sobered up from her daze, turned her head, and said, "What business is it of yours? I'll live wherever I want."
He knew then that she wasn't just interested in Xu Heng Yan's capabilities as a tool!
Did promoting sweet potatoes require her to cling to Xu Heng Yan and make him carry the burden?
Yi Yan Geng recalled Xu Heng Yan's appearance.
Extremely outstanding!
Whether it was his appearance, his abilities, or certain tactics, Xu Heng Yan was an outstanding figure among his peers.
Yi Yan Geng, holding her smelly foot, wanted to pry off her toes one by one! What else did she plan to do to Xu Heng Yan?
Yi Yan Geng's aura turned cold inch by inch, and his previously smiling eyes gradually became thin, indifferent, and cold.
Xie Jiang seemed to sense something, pulled down the quilt covering her face, and looked up at him.
Yi Yan Geng instantly restrained himself.
"Having the entire clan defect is not a simple matter. Is there anything I can help with?"
"Since you're so enthusiastic, if I need your help in the future, I won't be polite."
"Where were your ancestors originally from?"
The continuous warfare for over a hundred years, leading to widespread suffering, meant that it wasn't uncommon for entire clans to flee the Central Plains.
Xie Jiang said with a touch of pride, "My great-grandfather was not an unknown figure. You might have heard of his great name; he was called Xie Cai Jin."
"Marquis Jinghai Xie Cai Jin?" Yi Yan Geng almost instantly recalled the name and was greatly surprised.
In fact, he could tell from her that the clan she came from was by no means ordinary, and he had wondered which Xie family it would be.
He just hadn't expected it to be Xie, the descendant of Xie Cai Jin.
"Didn't Marquis Jinghai die of illness in the army?"
"Of course, it was a feigned death."
It was said that it was because Xie Cai Jin died that the Xie family fell apart, declined, and eventually disappeared in the chaos of war. He hadn't expected Xie Cai Jin to feign his death, lead the entire Xie clan overseas, and eventually settle in Lan Yong.
"You're actually a descendant of Marquis Jinghai." Yi Yan Geng found it incredible.
"Don't I look like it?"
"I haven't met Marquis Jinghai himself."
"Will you sleep with me tonight?" Xie Jiang was sleepy and hooked her legs around his waist.
Yi Yan Geng stared at her intently, unmoved, "I'll watch you sleep."
Xie Jiang snorted.
Let's see how long he could keep up this pretense!
One day, he would beg and plead to crawl into her bed!
...
There was no sound in the bedroom for a long time.
Steward Zhang pricked up his ears, looking somewhat worried.
He had clearly heard the sound of flesh hitting the ground earlier, and it was likely his dim-witted master.
It couldn't possibly be that his master had kicked the Xie demon away, could it?
He would have wished for that.
But his master wasn't that capable when facing the Xie demon.
The Xie demon was ruthless and cruel, and she showed no mercy to his master... her actions were never light-handed...
The door was opened from the inside, and Yi Yan Geng walked out.
Steward Zhang immediately noticed something was wrong, "Master, are you alright? Should I call a doctor?"
Yi Yan Geng wasn't wearing his outer robe, and the area over his heart was stained with blood, clearly indicating that his wound had reopened!
Damn it!
The Xie demon couldn't stand to see his master doing well!
Yi Yan Geng gave him a warning glance; his voice was too loud, and she had finally managed to fall asleep again.
Steward Zhang felt extremely aggrieved.
Shan Bai had something to report, but seeing his master in poor condition, he hesitated to speak.
Yi Yan Geng seemed to have anticipated it, "Something happened in Wu Jia Alley?"
Shan Bai had no choice but to say, "Wu Jia Alley caught fire, but Miss Xie had already made arrangements, so there were no problems."
...
Couldn't sleep at night, couldn't wake up in the morning.
The next day, as the sun was high in the sky, Xie Jiang finally lifted the bed curtains.
Hearing movement in the room, Steward Zhang tiptoed in and stood by the screen, "Young Master Xie, Young Master Xu San has been waiting for you for half a day."
"Where is he?"
"He's wandering outside. Should I invite him in?" Steward Zhang stared at the ground, his gaze not daring to stray, "He's a bit far away, Young Master Xu might not be willing to come in."
He was the young master of a Duke's mansion, after all. Why was he so cowardly? "Has Yi Yan Geng ever eaten people? Why is Xu Heng Yi so afraid?"
"The one who ate people was Lu Bao Fang. My master simply has a more imposing presence; it's called awe-inspiring and unapproachable." How could his master be compared to disgusting things like Lu Bao Fang!
Xie Jiang nodded in agreement, "He is indeed difficult to approach."
Steward Zhang: "..." Still feeling quite regretful? Doesn't she know her own character? How could she succeed so easily? If she were to abandon him again, wouldn't her master be heartbroken once more?
Xie Jiang got up and stretched. With the help of two maids, she washed up. "Have someone call him; whether he comes in or not is up to him."
When Xu Heng Yi hobbled in, Xie Jiang had just sat down to have breakfast.
Seeing that Xu Heng Yi seemed to have a lot to say, Steward Zhang wisely beckoned, leading the servants who were attending them to retreat quietly.
Just as Xie Jiang took a bite of her soup dumpling, she heard a rumbling sound and looked up at Xu Heng Yi, "Haven't you eaten breakfast?"
"I just ate a few mouthfuls casually this morning, and I'm hungry from running all the way here." The steward of the Prince's mansion was truly thoughtful; he had even prepared an extra set of bowls and chopsticks. Xu Heng Yi sat down without hesitation.
He yelped in pain and lifted his buttocks slightly, then resolutely sat back down. Eating while standing would affect his performance.
"Your treatment is too good! No wonder you're willing to stay here." Xu Heng Yi's eyes were dazzled by the sight of a table full of breakfast, many of which he had never seen before. "Where did you find the chef for the Prince's mansion? His cooking is so good!"
"There are so many varieties just for one breakfast! More than our entire family eats combined. Do you eat like this every time you come here?"
Xie Jiang couldn't be bothered with him, looking like someone who had never seen the world.