Chapter 64: Petty Jealousy

"If the General wanted to come, you could have come quietly. Making such a commotion—are you trying to make Su Yun suspect me?" Song Xirui frowned, glaring at Xiao Yunxi, who sat opposite her with an air of complete indifference.

"Why shouldn't I come?" Xiao Yunxi retorted, "Or perhaps Madame is afraid I would witness the tender affection between you and your dear husband?"

Song Xirui sneered. "What business is it of the General to meddle in such idle matters? You sound quite like a jealous, nagging shrew."

These words struck right at Xiao Yunxi's sore spot. He averted his gaze, looking rather uncomfortable.

Song Xirui let out a soft breath. "The General is not normally a capricious man, but surviving in this inner courtyard is arduous enough. I must ask the General not to add to my burdens."

Her priority right now was to maintain Su Yun's trust in her. If he grew suspicious, it would spell trouble for her grand plans.

Xiao Yunxi glanced at Su Yun, who was fast asleep, reined in the disgust in his eyes, and said calmly, "I merely came to tell you that it would be best not to let Su Yun involve himself in this upcoming imperial examination. However, since he took a beating and has requested leave for several days, the Third Prince's favor has cooled toward him anyway. I only dropped by to drop a word."

"If that is all, why did you have to come in person?" Song Xirui asked, looking at him strangely.

Xiao Yunxi gritted his teeth. "Am I not allowed to be curious? How on earth did you manage to render Su Yun bedridden overnight?"

He grabbed at a flimsy excuse to mask what he truly wanted to say.

Song Xirui smiled faintly. "What is so difficult about that? Have a few ghosts beat him senseless, of course."

"How?" Xiao Yunxi widened his eyes in rare disbelief. Could a mere mortal woman truly possess the power to command spirits?

Seeing his skepticism, Song Xirui took a sachet from her vanity case, retrieved a small jade bottle from her lapel, and sprinkled some of the powder within onto the sachet. She then tossed it directly onto the heavily sleeping Su Yun.

Turning to Xiao Yunxi, she chanted an incantation into his eyes: "Manifest!"

Immediately, a horrifying scene unfolded.

Dozens of ghosts materialized out of nowhere, lunging directly at Su Yun, pouncing on his body and trading fierce blows.

The spirits fought for the span of half an incense stick before finally halting. In the end, one ghost managed to snatch the sachet, while the rest scattered in hot pursuit.

"And that is how it is done," Song Xirui said indifferently.

Xiao Yunxi remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking, "If you truly possess the power to command spirits, why did you ever need my help?"

Song Xirui gently shook her head. "If I only wished to vanish from this world, I would walk away alone, completely unburdened, and I would never have had to seek out the General's assistance. But I happen to be the daughter of a Marquis. I could easily walk away, but what of my father? What of my mother? What of the entire Song family? These are difficult times, and the hardships faced by women are beyond what the General can imagine."

Hearing this, Xiao Yunxi fell silent, knowing well that the woman spoke the truth.

Song Xirui was the sole daughter of a Marquis and still required a legitimate, compelling reason to obtain a divorce; the plight of ordinary women went without saying.

Seeing his silence, Song Xirui chuckled softly, devoid of any fear. "Yet, difficult as these times may be, what can they possibly do to me? I, Song Xirui, have never feared the hardships of this world; my only fear is losing my own heart and allowing myself to be manipulated at whim."

In her past life, she had foolishly mistaken Su Yun for her absolute anchor. She had indulged in unrequited devotion and stubborn self-righteousness, ultimately bringing ruin upon herself.

Living a second life, whatever else might be lacking, her shrewdness had grown by leaps and bounds.

Hearing her words, a heavy sensation suddenly gripped Xiao Yunxi's chest. "By that logic, after Madame leaves Su Yun, does it mean you are unwilling to ever seek another good match?"

The question was abrupt, yet he could not hold it back.

Song Xirui gave him a bewildered look. "Naturally, the world is vast and I shall be free and untethered. Having barely escaped one fire pit, who in their right mind would leap into another?"

"What if it is not a fire pit, but a scenic paradise of bright waters and lush green mountains?" Xiao Yunxi pressed on, refusing to drop the subject. "Would Madame be willing to go then?"

Song Xirui shook her head. "I would not. Even if it were a place of gold and jade, a paradise far from the mortal realm, it could never compare to my own boudoir in the Song residence. Being able to constantly attend to my parents and spend each day in peace and fulfillment is enough."

Xiao Yunxi fell silent once more.

After a long pause, seeing that he had nothing further to say, Song Xirui sighed softly. "If the General has nothing else, you should return early. I must get some proper rest."

Did he think her body was forged of iron like his? This delicate frame of hers was frail in the truest sense!

Xiao Yunxi suddenly blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere, "Your art of spirits is exceptionally powerful. Why don't you make a sachet for me? I could find a way to plant it on His Majesty and have spirits wail grievances into his ears day and night, just to see if he grows suspicious."

Though shocking, the suggestion was undeniably direct.

Song Xirui's lips twitched. Could this Xiao Yunxi genuinely harbor ambitions of usurping the throne?

His Majesty was advanced in years, and his health was failing day by day. If the Emperor were literally scared to death by ghosts, who would take the blame?

She rejected the idea flatly. "Absolutely not."

"Why?" Xiao Yunxi raised an eyebrow.

Song Xirui looked at him and spoke fluently, "Leaving aside the fact that His Majesty is old and in poor health, he is the Son of Heaven. While his destined lifespan is not yet exhausted, how could ordinary spirits dare to infringe upon him? Furthermore, does the General truly believe my little tricks could escape the notice of the high masters surrounding the Emperor? Throughout history, monarchs have always had extraordinary talents in their service. That is not something a mere woman like me can contend with. Once discovered, it is a crime punishable by decapitation."

"The General fancies himself peerlessly clever; can he truly not understand such a simple truth?"

She might as well have written the words "This is a terribly stupid idea" directly across Xiao Yunxi's face.

Xiao Yunxi had not held much hope to begin with. Hearing this, he fell quiet and said no more.

"Very well, I am leaving." He looked at Song Xirui, his voice carrying a trace of inexplicable emotion.

Song Xirui nodded. "Take care, General."

Then, she added a final remark: "Unless absolutely necessary, the General need not come personally. With Su Yun here, it is inconvenient in many ways."

She only worried that Xiao Yunxi might be discovered by Su Yun, but instead, Xiao Yunxi immediately halted his steps, turned around, and fixed a burning, intense gaze upon her.

Song Xirui: "???"

A flicker of hard-to-detect anger surfaced in Xiao Yunxi's dark eyes. "Song Xirui, do you still harbor affection for him?"

Song Xirui initially wanted to retort that it was none of his business, but she noticed how genuinely grim the man's expression was. Though she could not fathom what her feelings—or lack thereof—toward Su Yun had to do with him, she ultimately trusted her ally and replied, "Even if every man under the heavens were to perish, I would not spare Su Yun so much as a single glance. In my heart, he is not even human."

She then looked back at Xiao Yunxi. "Is the General satisfied now? If you are satisfied, you may leave."

Hearing her resolute tone greatly improved Xiao Yunxi's mood. However, as he reached the window to depart, he turned back once more to address the thoroughly impatient Song Xirui. "Song Xirui, you had better mean what you say. Do not lie to this General."

With that, he vaulted out the window and vanished into the night.

Only Song Xirui remained in the room, wearing an expression of utter bewilderment. Had this Xiao Yunxi truly lost his mind?