Ashes to Crown

Chapter 244: Chapter 59: Knowing Full Well (2)

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After leaving Chu Zhao’s side, Xie Yanlai didn’t go back to eat. Instead, he made his way to another house.

The troops were all stationed at the city gates—first, to stand guard, and second, to avoid disturbing the populace, as the city had just endured a siege.

Only the womenfolk had moved in with Chu Zhao.

As Xie Yanlai drew near, a bird cried out from under the eaves, the sound of a startled creature taking flight.

Without so much as a glance upward, Xie Yanlai raised his hand and shoved the door open. CLANG! He burst in, bringing a gust of cold air with him, and the man and woman inside jumped in fright.

Ding Dachui was frozen in his chair, staring wide-eyed, seemingly having forgotten to stand.

The woman, however—Aunt Ding—recovered from her shock and quickly bowed. ”Captain Xie.”

Xie Yanlai looked at the pair and said coolly, ”Uncle, Aunt, don’t mind my barging in.”

Ding Dachui remained rigid, stammering, ”—What?”

Aunt Ding’s face was still veiled, but her eyes crinkled with a smile. She took over for her husband, saying, ”Mr. Xie, you’re too—”

Before she could finish her pleasantry, Xie Yanlai cut in again.

”—Because Aunt Ding, you already received a warning that I was coming. No need for me to announce myself,” he said.

The young man was tall and lanky, with a defiant look on his face. He hooked a chair with one long leg, pulled it over, and sat down with a commanding air, fixing the two with a cold stare.

When Xie Yanlai first arrived, he had made a point of meeting Ding Dachui and the others. He had stared them down one by one, not even sparing Aunt Ding, and had bluntly asked why she kept her face veiled.

Aunt Ding had claimed she was injured and her face disfigured, and that she covered it to avoid frightening others and feeling ashamed.

Xie Yanlai had laughed at the time. ”Aunt, who are you afraid of scaring? These people by your side? If they’re scared, they don’t deserve to be your comrades. And as for scaring anyone else—wouldn’t that be perfect?”

As he’d said it, Chu Zhao had poked him several times from behind. When he ignored her, she’d simply claimed they had other business and dragged him away.

After that, Xie Yanlai had dropped the matter of the veil. He stopped staring at the well-meaning hunters and started ordering them about during drills, treating them no differently than his own soldiers.

Until today. Now he sat here, looking at the two of them.

”Why are you here, Uncle Ding?” Xie Yanlai asked. ”Don’t you two know how to be discreet? You’ve acted more like strangers than a married couple this entire journey.”

”My husband twisted his arm,” said Aunt Ding. ”I was worried, so I asked him to come over so I could take a look.”

She glanced at Xie Yanlai as she spoke.

”A marriage is about what’s in the heart, not outward appearances. We might seem distant, but we’re always thinking of each other.”

’What’s she telling me this for? Who cares how they get along?’ Xie Yanlai scoffed and raised an eyebrow. ”How’d you twist your arm? I don’t recall you getting hurt during the charge, Ding Dachui.”

Though he addressed Ding Dachui, his eyes were fixed on Aunt Ding, a smirk playing on his lips. ℯ

Aunt Ding lowered her eyes and nudged Ding Dachui. ”Go on, tell him. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

After the nudge, Ding Dachui remained rigid. ”Because... I got scared. I lost my footing, fell, and... dislocated it.”

Only after he finished did Aunt Ding continue, ”We... we truly never imagined the young miss’s status was so... extraordinary.”

Xie Yanlai let out a dry laugh. ”Aunt, don’t be so modest. Is there anything you people *don’t* see coming? If you hadn’t expected something, would you have let a little girl convince you to risk your lives for her?”

A smile seemed to flicker in Aunt Ding’s eyes. She reached out to nudge Ding Dachui again. ”Dear husband—”

”That’s enough, Aunt. Drop the act,” Xie Yanlai cut her off. ”You’re the one in charge here. This Uncle Ding isn’t your husband. Or perhaps he is, but he’s merely your puppet.”

’He’s right, I am a puppet. A puppet she can beat whenever she pleases. Someone finally sees it!’ A tear nearly escaped the corner of Ding Dachui’s eye. ’This woman is the real bandit chief!’ He desperately wanted to scream, but then he remembered what happened just moments ago. He had barely even thought about moving, had only shifted his body slightly, and she had nearly taken him apart.

’This Captain Xie might be her equal in a fight, but long before he could win, she could dispose of me with absolute ease.’

Ding Dachui remained frozen, playing the part of the puppet.

Aunt Ding lowered her head, no longer able to hide the smile in her eyes. Then she looked up at the young commander.

”Yes,” she said. ”I am indeed the one in charge. And we did guess that the young miss’s status was extraordinary. But, General, we never could have guessed she would be a phoenix among mortals. This turn of events... it’s truly been terrifying.”

’Terrifying?’ Xie Yanlai looked into the woman’s eyes. He couldn’t see the slightest hint of fear—only delight.

”Feel like you’ve struck gold?” he said coolly.

Aunt Ding said, ”Yes, we’ve hit the jackpot.” This time, she spoke freely without waiting for the young commander’s interrogation. ”People like us... we originally just wanted to get rich. But now that we’ve stumbled upon an opportunity like this, we’re hoping for a shot at a real future.”