novelraw Chapter 699 - 679: Crime of Passion
Chapter 699 - 679: Crime of Passion
The Beiman always use fire pits during winter—it’s too bitterly cold here. Without a heated bed, a person could freeze to death overnight. The doctor’s house had only one empty room with one heated brick bed.
After sending out a courier, Lan Ningzhen began fumbling with the fire pit for Xie Jue’s comfort as he recovered from his injuries. She wasn’t accustomed to such tasks, and after working at it for half a day without success, her face was smudged with soot. Yet it couldn’t conceal the brilliance of her eyes.
Xie Jue couldn’t stand it anymore. "Let me do it!"
"You?" Lan Ningzhen arched a brow in surprise, blurting out, "How come I didn’t know you could do this?"
"What makes you so sure I can’t?" Xie Jue really didn’t know how, but he figured he could hardly be worse than her. Even if he hadn’t slaughtered pigs before, he’d at least seen them run, hadn’t he?
Lan Ningzhen hesitated for a moment, then silently stepped aside with a gesture—"Young Master, please!" Xie Jue stiffened his resolve and attempted to start the fire. Beiman firewood was notoriously damp and scarce. Ordinary families had to stockpile it before winter, much of it hauled over from Qianling Town. Lighting it wasn’t easy. Xie Jue tried to remember how his soldiers started fires in the camp and mimicked their techniques. But after half a day, he fared no better, ending up in an equally sorry state. By the time Lan Ningzhen had laughed enough at his expense, she worried he’d gotten soot on his face. Smiling, she said, "Oh, Young Master, why don’t you go sit back down instead?"
Xie Jue couldn’t help but retort, "As if you’re not a pampered young lady yourself!"
Half a dozen of one, six of the other—neither had any room to mock the other!
"Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right!" Lan Ningzhen admitted with a mischievous grin. After dismissing Xie Jue back to his seat, she focused her attention with extraordinary patience and finally managed to light the fire.
When he returned indoors, covered in dust, Lan Ningzhen noticed that Xie Jue wasn’t sitting on the heated brick bed but on a wooden stool, eyes closed in restful meditation. Only then did Lan Ningzhen realize the bedding on the heated bed wasn’t exactly clean. Xie Jue, unable to endure even the slightest filth, was evidently waiting for her to return. Winters here in Beiman were relentlessly cold, and the bedding was seldom washed. Even under the sun, enduring snow and wind, it was impossible to get anything completely dry. They would have to use fire to dry it—which made clean bedding an uncommon luxury during Beiman winters.
Xie Jue couldn’t abide even a hint of disorder, and Lan Ningzhen found it unbearable as well. Thus, she went out to the doctor and successfully procured a clean quilt—though it cost her a small fortune and a promise to deliver food supplies to the doctor’s family once they returned to the city. When the bedclothes arrived, Xie Jue couldn’t bear watching her run around more and personally set about changing the sheets and quilt covers himself.
Lan Ningzhen brought in water and set it on the stove to boil. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Xie Jue discreetly sniffing the fresh bedding, checking if it carried any odors. A faint smile curved her lips.
How adorable!
How could someone be this adorable?!
However, she couldn’t laugh. If she dared to tease him, he’d likely fly into an indignant rage and attempt to assassinate her.
Once Xie Jue had finished changing the bedding, he tossed the dirty linen at Lan Ningzhen to deal with. Lan Ningzhen took it back to the doctor’s wife and returned with two sets of clean clothing. Since they’d be staying at the doctor’s house for a few days, she meticulously cleaned the room, wiping down the tables and chairs. Xie Jue, for all his fastidiousness, also understood the principle of adapting to local customs. While picky, he wasn’t truly unreasonable.
But if the person before him were Fang Chuning, he’d definitely make things difficult!
He was simply in the habit of picking on Fang Chuning.
Feeling a stinging itch on his cheek, Xie Jue resisted the urge to scratch, only for Lan Ningzhen to intervene as she boiled water nearby. "Don’t scratch it; if you break the skin, it’ll leave scars!"
"I’m a man—I don’t care!" The itch was maddening; it took significant effort not to scratch. If he fell asleep, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stop himself.
As his hand moved toward his face, Lan Ningzhen darted forward with lightning speed and grasped his wrist. "I care. Such a handsome face—don’t ruin it."
"Let go!" The sudden closeness unnerved him—the warmth of her breath lingered in the space between them, and with the fire pit warming the room, Xie Jue instinctively stepped back, evading her touch.
"Promise me you won’t scratch, or I’ll tie you up!" Lan Ningzhen’s tone was firm. Irritated, Xie Jue pushed her hand away. "Fine, I got it!"
He could tell Lan Ningzhen wasn’t used to such chores either. She fumbled with everything she did, yet her earnest attempts to ensure their shared comfort left her sweating from exertion.
She joked, "Don’t we look just like a newlywed couple, building a nest together?"
Xie Jue: "..."
This teasing remark was blatantly provocative, but Xie Jue acted as though he hadn’t heard, his cold expression giving nothing away. Lan Ningzhen, however, was delighted. She continued as if genuinely arranging their marital chamber, fetching more items from the doctor’s house and even setting up a screen. Xie Jue secretly imagined the doctor must be utterly fed up with her endless requests.
Once the heated bed was entirely warm and the room sufficiently cozy, Xie Jue removed his thick cloak and heavy coat, leaving only a plain white tunic. The man, who had been wrapped up for winter like a snow bear, now revealed a slender but well-proportioned figure. At seventeen, he had the lithe yet healthful build of a striking young man.
Lan Ningzhen, in the middle of preparing water, glanced back and froze for a moment. She couldn’t help but whistle. "Wow... Mr. Helian’s not just handsome—his physique is equally exquisite."
Her gaze roved over Xie Jue’s waist, accentuated by a jade belt, with the intensity of a ravenous wolf.
When her bold and eager eyes rested on his slim waist, Xie Jue’s first reaction wasn’t disgust—it was something indescribably peculiar. "Aren’t women supposed to prefer robust and muscular bodies?"
Beiman women all adored physiques like the Beiman King’s—they seemed to embody the standard of beauty in Beiman. By contrast, Yanyang people’s bodies were as delicate as fragile beasts in their eyes, utterly insignificant and devoid of appeal.
Even the two young princesses in the Second Prince Manor favored their towering, burly brothers.
Lan Ningzhen, still whistling, fixed him with an ardent gaze. "I like men like Mr. Helian—whether it’s the face, the body, or the soul. As long as it’s Mr. Helian, I like it all!"
Xie Jue, his heart calm as water, was already numb to such flattery.
Yet he couldn’t help but wonder how any man could resist such a passionate, bright, clever, and stunning woman’s fervent admiration.
Xie Jue remained clear-headed, never forgetting who he was or why he had come to Beiman.
Still, if he disregarded everything else and focused solely on Lan Ningzhen, he realized she surpassed every other woman he’d known. She was entirely unique.
Clever, vibrant, fiery in temperament, quick to love and hate, capable of both pen and sword, and adept at distinguishing right from wrong. While her persistent pursuit bordered on overbearing and she occasionally took liberties, she never resorted to coercion or crossed his bottom line. She understood the limits and maintained them with remarkable clarity.
Such a young woman, Xie Jue thought, could easily win the affection of any man she set her eyes on.
Unfortunately, he was Xie Jue.
Between them, there was no possibility of being together.
Everything she did was destined to be in vain.
Tonight was his best chance to kill Lan Ningzhen. To lower her guard, perhaps he ought to play along in her little drama.