"Lost?" Xi Linchuan narrowed his eyes at her, searching for any sign of deceit—but found none. Unconsciously, his grip on her shoulders loosened.
Red Robe bit her lip gently. "I… I've never left the manor before."
She'd never gone out alone, was burning with fever, and her head was muddled. That's why she'd gone the wrong way after leaving the clinic—she wandered far past the gates before realizing something was wrong. And when she turned back, she overshot again in the other direction.
She held her breath and said nothing further, knowing full well that Xi Linchuan held a deep prejudice against her. Part of her hoped he'd believe her; another part didn't dare expect it.
After a long moment of tension, he finally let her go.
As his hands fell away, Red Robe clutched her chest, not caring that he was still standing beside her. She turned to the nearby bookshelf for support and coughed harshly—so hard it made her dizzy.
Only after some time did she calm down, her breath heavy. After another few moments, she turned back to look at him again.
But the moment their eyes met, Xi Linchuan looked away first, his face clouded.
"Return to your room," he said darkly.
.
Red Robe shuffled out of the study, supporting herself against the wall. Through the half-open window, Xi Linchuan watched her stumbling steps under the setting sun—her figure faltering, yet her back remained stubbornly straight.
There was still a kind of unyielding pride in her, faint but unmistakable. He frowned slightly, reminding himself not to think too much about her.
After that, the room fell quiet. He picked up a military text and began to read. Somewhere outside, he vaguely heard that Red Robe had fainted not far from the study—but that wasn't his concern. The servants would take care of it.
He read into the depths of the night.
Outside, the wind rustled the withered leaves. Still sleepless, Xi Linchuan left the study, deciding to stroll in the dark for a while.
Night had a way of stirring up memories—some good, some bad. And even the good ones… could hurt.
Every corner of this manor, he had once walked with Red Robe.
He remembered once, before he set out on campaign, she'd somehow heard of the danger ahead. She had hidden herself in an old courtyard and cried there until midnight. He, by chance, had also been reading late that night, and passed by the courtyard on his way back—just in time to hear her quiet sobs. He'd entered and found her, her makeup smudged from weeping.
Now that he thought about it… that courtyard was directly on the path between his study and his residence. Had she waited there on purpose?
With a sigh, he looked up—and saw that very courtyard ahead of him.
A faint light glowed through the paper windows. Someone was inside and awake. He frowned slightly and was about to leave, when a shadow flickered across the yard.
He paused. The figure turned—it had been crouching, doing something he couldn't see clearly. Not until the person stepped out and bowed did he recognize her.
"Green Sleeve?"
"Young Master." Green Sleeve gave a respectful curtsey, but her eyes darted, clearly trying to hide something.
His gaze passed over her shoulder into the courtyard. Amid the darkness, he spotted a small flicker of flame—perhaps a stove.
He sniffed lightly and caught the scent of medicine. His heart guessed the answer, but he still asked, "Who are you brewing medicine for?"
Green Sleeve's face paled. She lowered her head and replied, "For… Red Robe."
His expression darkened for a moment before settling. He nodded. "Go on."
Green Sleeve bowed again and returned to the courtyard. From her movements, he could faintly see her pour the medicine into a bowl, place it on a sandalwood tray, and carry it into the room.
Xi Linchuan hesitated briefly, then stepped into the courtyard himself.
The door was old and didn't close properly; there was a wide gap along the edge. He leaned slightly and peered through it.
Inside, Green Sleeve was sitting beside the low couch. His gaze shifted slightly—and there was Red Robe, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
"Drink it while it's hot," Green Sleeve said as she handed over the bowl.
Xi Linchuan nearly chuckled. Green Sleeve was asking for trouble—Red Robe hated bitterness and had always needed coaxing to take medicine, pouting as if she were being sent to the execution ground.
But in the next moment, he watched her take the bowl and down the entire thing in one smooth gulp.
"So bitter," she still muttered with a frown. But then she flopped over, pulled the blanket over herself, and went straight to sleep. She didn't even touch the candied fruit beside her.
That… was not the Red Robe he remembered—the one who always demanded sweets after every dose.
Xi Linchuan lingered at the doorway for a while, then left quietly before Green Sleeve came out.
.
For several days after that, all was calm.
As the manor remained peaceful, war with Heqi was officially declared. The Emperor named Xi Linchuan as Commandant of the Vanguard and ordered him to accompany Grand General Zheng Qi to the battlefield.
Yu Dan, ever tactful, took his leave without causing any awkwardness. He even left behind many parting gifts for the women of the household.
Rouge, powder, jewelry—nothing was left out. Xi Linchuan barely reacted to the report, until the steward's next words made his brow twitch.
"Lord Yu also sent a hairpin to Miss Red Robe."
"A hairpin?" Xi Linchuan looked up. The steward bowed. "Yes. He even stayed in her room for a quarter of an hour."
Before Xi Linchuan could ask further, the steward presented a long, narrow box. "This is the one."
"…" He opened the box and glanced inside. "Why is it with you?"
"She gave it to me," the steward answered truthfully. He hesitated, then added, "She also told me herself about Lord Yu's visit—and insisted I stay in the room the entire time to observe."
…What was the meaning of that?
"She was so obvious about it, it almost made her look more suspicious," Xi Linchuan said with a wry shake of the head, tapping the box lid before pushing it aside.
"That's what I told her too," the steward said, bowing. "But she replied… that even if it couldn't clear all suspicion, at least it would prevent Young Master from misunderstanding this specific event. So she couldn't accept the gift, and made me listen to every word they exchanged so I could report it back to you."
He froze.
Strangely… he was impressed by her thoughtfulness.
"Send it back to her," he said offhandedly. He'd seen it himself—nothing strange. And besides… a hairpin like that had no use sitting on his desk.
But the steward didn't retrieve the box. After a pause, he said, "Miss Red Robe said… if you felt it could still be returned to her after hearing everything, then I was to sell it instead."
"…Sell it?" Xi Linchuan was taken aback.
"Yes. She said she wanted to save up some money," the steward explained. Then, thinking aloud, he added, "Perhaps her monthly allowance isn't enough… or maybe she has other plans."
But Xi Linchuan wasn't concerned about why she wanted the money.
In her previous life, Red Robe had never tried to save money for herself. Not because she spent too much—but because she feared being seen as disloyal.
So no matter how much jewelry she had, she never used it. And if he left her funds before heading off to war, she would present a neat ledger upon his return, detailing every single expense.
He used to think she lived too carefully—because of her background and past. He'd cherished her all the more for it. Yet in the end…
Despite never saving money, she had gone to Heqi, become a concubine, and spent the rest of her life in comfort.
That contrast stirred something uneasy in his heart.
He steadied himself and nodded. "Let it be sold, then."
.
Two days later, the steward brought the money to Red Robe.
The silver hairpin fetched twenty taels. As he handed her the money, he casually mentioned that Xi Linchuan would soon be leaving for war.
Red Robe was secretly relieved to hear it.
She couldn't wait for him to be gone—the thought of him away from the manor brought her great comfort. Even if he would eventually return, at least she'd have some months of peace.
She thought for a while, then hesitantly asked, "Steward Qi…"
"Hmm?" Though Qi noticed the flicker of unrest in her expression, he still waited patiently for her to speak.
"I was wondering… if I wanted to buy my freedom—how much silver would I need?"
The moment the words left her lips, her heart began to race. She silently prayed the price wouldn't be some unreachable fortune. She wanted to save up quickly and live a free life as soon as possible.
"Buy your freedom?" Qi's brows knit. He eyed her carefully. "You want to redeem yourself?"
"Yes…" Red Robe nodded slightly. "I… I can't stay a lowborn forever."
Qi gave her another look. After some thought, he shook his head. "I'm not sure. No one in the manor has ever made such a request before. And you were granted by the Princess herself. This matter… I'll have to ask."
"Thank you, Steward Qi."
Red Robe bowed deeply—forgetting, perhaps, to ask the most important thing: who exactly he would be asking.
.
"Buy her freedom?" Xi Linchuan's brow jumped as he turned to Qi, incredulous. "She brought it up herself?"
"She did," Qi answered, bowing. After a moment of thought, he added with a sigh, "In my opinion, Red Robe's never been one to settle quietly. I mentioned your upcoming departure in passing—everyone else in the manor looked worried, but she… she seemed almost pleased."
He paused, then added, "Young Master should just name a price. Let her redeem herself early—save yourself the trouble."
Though he already knew what would happen—he'd lived this once before—he still felt a strange hollowness.
She was happy about his departure.
Xi Linchuan smiled bitterly, wondering if her coldness now was because of how he treated her in this life… or if, in truth, she'd always been like this. That the warmth she'd shown him before had all been an act.
"Two thousand taels," he said indifferently. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
His steps looked calm on the surface—but if one looked closely, they were slightly quicker than usual. As if he were fleeing something.
Or someone.