After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Xie Dai seemed lost in distant memories, and his voice became faint, "That child was stubborn from a young age, and also very thoughtful."

"He thought he was hiding it well, concealing his fear and doubt beneath that calm and precocious mask."

"But I watched him grow up... ever since he stopped rushing into my arms and calling me 'Dad' without any restraint."

"From the way he looked at me, that pure dependence gradually began to be replaced by wariness..."

"I knew it, he knew everything."

"He practiced martial arts relentlessly, willing to become a disciple of others, endure numerous hardships, and even ventured to the border to fight amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood to earn military merit. What did he seek?"

"It's all so that one day I can completely break free from my control, live with dignity, and no longer live in the shadow of Xie Dai's son, who could be abandoned at any moment."

At this point, he seemed to realize that he had said too much.

These words, hidden deep in his heart and never spoken to anyone, involuntarily flowed out in front of this woman he was meeting for the first time, a woman whose fate was intertwined with his son's.

Xie Dai composed himself, stood up, and regained his imposing and unfathomable demeanor as the Duke of Zhenguo.

"It's good to know he's alright." His voice returned to calm. "There's no need to tell him about tonight's events. Even if it's just a facade of fatherly affection between us, this charade must continue."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Thank you, Duke Xie." Jiang Dusheng's voice rang out behind him.

Xie Dai paused slightly.

Jiang Dusheng slowly stood up, his gaze falling on the man's tall, straight back, and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time:

"Since you're not entirely heartless, and you have the heart to protect him, why pretend to be heartless and let him live in suspicion and resentment? Isn't that another form of harm?"

Xie Dai did not turn around.

After a long while, a sigh escaped his throat and blended into the night:

"Do you know that the thing people fear most in life is falling in love?"

"Because once you fall in love, you develop a weakness."

"Once you have a weakness, you are no longer invincible. You become vulnerable to being manipulated and attacked. One wrong step could mean... a gruesome death."

"but…"

He turned his head slightly and his gaze fell on Jiang Dusheng.

That gaze held an elusive admiration.

"Now it seems that you are more than just his weakness. Perhaps you are also his variable, his...lifeline."

After saying that, he didn't linger and strode towards the temple gate.

Jiang Dusheng stood there, the night wind ruffling her clothes and hair.

If what Duke Xie said tonight was all pretense, then this pretense was far too clever.

But if there was indeed some sincerity in it, then how do you explain today's ambush and the death squad members whose auras were the same as his personal guards?

Just then, Jiang Dusheng heard light footsteps behind him.

Jiang Dusheng didn't turn around, but gazed at the empty temple gate and asked softly:

"Master, in your opinion, is what he just said true or false?"

However, it was not Huiming's voice that answered her.

A voice, clearly lacking in strength yet possessing a unique quality, slowly rang out not far behind her:

"It's half true, half false... I've been eavesdropping for so long, it's giving me a headache."

Jiang Dusheng froze, then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned around abruptly.

Under the eaves, Xie Jinchen was only wearing a loose white undergarment, the collar slightly open, revealing his clearly defined collarbone.

He leaned against a pillar beside him, his face pale, his lips bloodless, and his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

His body was visibly swaying, as if a slightly strong gust of wind could blow him over.

"You're awake?!" Jiang Dusheng's voice was filled with undisguised surprise, a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.

She instinctively walked over, wanting to help Xie Jinchen, but then hesitated, afraid of hurting him. Her hand paused in mid-air.

"Why did you run out as soon as you woke up?" She finally walked quickly to him, so close that she could smell the faint scent of medicine on his wounds.

Her tone softened unconsciously, a stark contrast to the cold, sharp edge she had displayed when facing Xie Dai.

Xie Jinchen seemed to have exhausted his strength to support himself, and leaned most of his body weight against her.

Jiang Dusheng immediately steadied himself, bearing the weight as he pressed down, and carefully wrapped his arms around his waist to avoid any possible injury.

Xie Jinchen rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, his voice weak and intermittent, his breath brushing against her ear:

"When I woke up, I saw three giant Buddhas looking down at me, shining with golden light... I thought it was because I was too kind-hearted in my life, and I ascended directly to heaven after death..."

He chuckled, a slight tremor running through his chest. "In the end... I endured the pain of my bones feeling like they were about to fall apart, struggled to sit up, and realized I had been overthinking it."

"Buddha probably thinks I have too much anger and too much karmic fire, so he doesn't want to accept me for the time being. He thinks that if I go to the Western Paradise, I will corrupt the atmosphere."

Hearing that he still had the energy to joke and the inclination to make fun of Buddha, Jiang Dusheng's anxiety finally subsided.

She steadily supported him, saying, "Stop joking. You've just recovered from your injuries and are still very weak. You can't stand for long. Let me help you back to the main hall to rest."

However, Xie Jinchen remained standing still.

His body weight still leaned against her, but it seemed to have taken root, refusing to move in the direction she was guiding him.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Dusheng immediately tensed up, tightening his grip on his hand slightly, a hint of panic in his voice. "Are you feeling unwell? Does your wound hurt? Or... is the evil energy stirring again?"

Xie Jinchen did not answer immediately.

He simply nuzzled his chin against her shoulder, finding a more comfortable spot to lean on, then turned his head, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive neck, bringing a slight shiver.

Xie Jinchen lowered his voice, his tone weak, "Jiang Dusheng..."

He paused, "Although it's a pure Buddhist place, saying these things might be inappropriate, even offensive..."

Xie Jinchen raised his eyes, his eyelashes almost brushing against her cheek, his gaze fixed on the profile of her face so close to his:

"But...can I sleep in the same room with you tonight?"

He paused, as if afraid she might misunderstand, "In the main hall, the Buddha statues are solemn and golden, and I can't sleep lying down there. It's too bright and too solemn."

"I felt that every ray of Buddha's light was examining my sins, making it hard for me to breathe."

That's half true and half false.

The Buddha's light might make him feel uncomfortable with the evil energy he had just suppressed, but his insomnia and shortness of breath were just excuses.

Jiang Dusheng tightened his grip on his hand slightly, and his ears began to burn uncontrollably.

If she hadn't been able to see her own feelings clearly before, she could have calmly slept on the same bed with him, but now…

Xie Jinchen noticed her silence, and a hint of sadness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

That feigned weakness and pitifulness seemed to be crumbling, soon to be replaced by genuine frustration.

He straightened up with some difficulty, deliberately creating some distance between them, and forced a self-deprecating smile:

"Oh, I forgot."

He lowered his eyelashes, his voice regaining some of its calmness, yet sounding even more distant. "You're still going to avoid me. The two-day period hasn't ended yet, has it?"

He turned his head, looking towards the dark temple gate, his tone erratic, as if talking to himself:

"Then I'll wait for the guards outside the temple gate to come and get me. They should be here soon, so I won't disturb your peace."