Guanshan Muyu

chapter 50

There was a knock on the door, abruptly pulling Xia Xun out of his memories.

Qi Yan pushed the door open.

Xia Xun turned his back to him, “What is it again?”

Qi Yan said softly.

“I… I have one thing I want to give you. You just walked away too fast.”

Xia Xun looked sideways and said decisively: “Whatever it is, I don’t need—?!”

With his peripheral vision he suddenly saw what Qi Yan was holding in his hand; the very same comb that Xia Xun had given to the prison guard.

Stunned, Xia Xun asked: “—How… Where did you get it?!”

Qi Yan looked regretful, choosing his words for a long time, then finally said to Xia Xun with difficulty:

“A few years ago, I was the deputy of the Imperial Judicial Review Court, responsible for rectifying the improper trend of prison guards taking bribes from prisoners. One of them took the initiative to confess in order to escape a heavy punishment and presented all the pilfered goods he had at home.

“He said that a prisoner entrusted him to bring this comb to me. But I have not seen it since it was given to you. I asked the man why it was not handed to me at that time. He said that he felt that the prisoner was certain to die and had no intention of actually doing anything for him. He just carried the comb in his pocket for a few days, returned it intact and lied to the prisoner that I didn’t accept it.”

Qi Yan apologised.

“I am sorry, at that time I did not fail to accept it, I was unaware of the matter from beginning to end, so… for many years thereafter, I was bitterly regretting that… I am sorry…”

Xia Xun wanted to pretend to be indifferent, wanted to say a painless “no need, I have long forgotten”.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he heard himself saying instead: “If… if you had seen it, you… would have come to see me?”

Qi Yan paused and put the comb into his palm, then wrapped his fingers tightly around it.

Xia Xun stared at him fixedly, without looking away, just like when Xia Mansion was seized.

And Qi Yan reacted just as he did then.

He did not answer his question, nor did he meet his eyes; his throat rolled up and down, but he never said a word.

Xia Xun did not wait any longer and asked in a cold voice: “Is it hard to answer this question? Then what is the point of you talking to me about this?”

He suddenly raised his hand and threw the comb out of the window fiercely.

“I don’t need it anymore, and since you don’t want it either, then let’s throw it away.”

Qi Yan’s eyes followed the comb as if a part of him fell down there in the darkness outside the house.

Xia Xun took two steps to the side.

“If there is nothing else, please go back.”

Qi Yan walked out of the room. When Xia Xun thought he had left, he slowly lowered his head and took a few deep breaths.

Outside the window there was a dense bush of golden cherry blossoms, and the comb that he had thrown out just now had fallen into the bush.

A few moments later, he heard a noise outside the window and unconsciously raised his eyes to look.

It turned out that Qi Yan did not leave, but bent down over the bush. He groped among the leaves and the branches with his bare hands.

He was looking for the comb.