It was very late at night. Qi Yuan couldn’t fall asleep, so he walked out of the room and wandered around to relax. Suddenly, he heard two soldiers whispering.

Since he was not a nosy person, Qi Yuan planned to just walk away. But hearing they were talking about the “ghost girl in white”, he stopped and listened carefully.

One of the soldiers said, “There is a ghost girl in white outside the palace gate.” Before he could think twice, Qi Yuan had already been on his way to the palace gate. He felt that the ghost they mentioned was probably Wu Xin.

As soon as Qi Yuan left, the two soldiers stopped talking. After putting on their night walking clothes, they hid secretly in the dark and left the imperial palace.

...

Outside the palace gate, a woman in white was waiting for Qi Yuan.

All the preparations for the big show were in place. How could Wu Xin let the show miss the leading actor? She arranged the soldiers chatting in the palace. After all, without calculation, there wouldn’t be that many coincidences in the world.

Wu Xin didn’t like to count everything on luck or fate. She preferred to think carefully about everything because she believed that her destiny was in her own hands. But was it really the case? Was everything determined by fate? No one knew the truth, but clearly, plans often would fail if one didn’t keep up with the changes. Shortly, Wu Xin would learn the lesson herself.

The night in spring was somewhat cold, as if the winter chill was still hovering around. Standing by a tree, Wu Xin was waiting for Qi Yuan. Even from a distance, one could see a disfigured woman in white, wearing a simple pearl hairpin on a casually tied bun. As the breeze blew, her dress swayed gently. She did look like a ghost, especially in the chilly wind!

In a hurry, Qi Yuan arrived and panted slightly, making him seem less of a frigid man. “Why are you here?” he asked.

“Master, I just want to go home with you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“Thanks to your help, I’ve got a home. Since there is nothing I can do, I’d like to accompany you on your way back every day.”

“There’s no need.”

“Is it because of my ugly appearance? Right, my face will indeed make you lose face in front of others,” Wu Xin said, appearing upset.

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Master, do you blame me for coming without your permission?”

“No.”

“Then can I pick you up every day when you finish your work?”

“No,” he said. But when Qi Yuan saw how disappointed Wu Xin looked, he added, “Wait for me at home.”

“Okay.” Hearing it, Wu Xin smiled again, although it didn’t bring much beauty to her disfigured face. “Master, I will wait at home for you, and we can have dinner together. Does it sound good to you?”

Wu Xin’s smile was far from beautiful, even a little scary, yet Qi Yuan found it pleasing to the eye. Just as he nodded, Wu Xin grabbed his sleeve and walked towards his mansion.

“Master, it’s a deal between us. You can’t go back on your word! We will have dinner together every day. Remember to keep your promise!”

Under the moonlight, their shadows were stretched long. Although Wu Xin had got a horrible face and Qi Yuan was so indifferent, they looked like a good-looking couple from behind.

But Qi Yuan didn’t notice that something had just flashed in Wu Xin’s eyes. Bit by bit, her strategy of winning Qi Yuan’s heart had been carried out.

Since then, Qi Yuan had never been alone during his breakfast and dinner. It might seem pretty normal for most people, but those who had led a lonely life for years could get addicted to such a lifestyle.

As Wu Xin arrived this spring, Qi Yuan gradually felt a sense of belonging. Once experienced it, few could quit life with a companion. Isolated for many years, Qi Yuan finally found a place where he belonged to. Besides, Wu Xin was not a noisy woman. Quite the opposite, every word she said to him was just on point. Elegant and gentle, she behaved exactly like a well-educated lady.

Wu Xin was special. Other women could look beautiful or horrible, but none of them had the temperament of Wu Xin, not even the pure Princess Xi. Compared to others, Wu Xin was way more calm and determined. No matter how bad she looked, her charm remained. Staying under the same roof with such a tender companion, Qi Yuan had already begun to appreciate her but still hadn’t fallen in love with her yet.

Since Wu Xin came to pick him up that night, Qi Yuan always followed what they agreed. He didn’t spend the night in the palace anymore. No matter how late, he would definitely rush home to have dinner. It was simple to form a habit, and it was what Wu Xin wanted. While few fell in love at first sight, most people fell in love in the process of getting along.

Once again, it was happy dinner time. In the mansion of Qi Yuan, four dishes and one soup were served on the dining table in the living room. They were not fancy, but just home-cooked dishes, enough for exactly two people.

Qi Yuan was sitting in the main position as the owner of the mansion. Wu Xin in white sat next to him. She wore the simple pearl hairpin as always. She was disfigured, but the atmosphere between them was still warm and harmonious. Of course, Qi Yuan was still indifferent, but he was much better than before, not so cold as he had been.

Qi Yuan picked up chopsticks. He didn’t touch the dishes but said, “Wu Xin.”

He called her name for the first time. They had lived under the same roof for days, but Qi Yuan seldom talked. Wu Xin did talk, but she was not talkative. The two of them had a good habit—no talking while eating. It was very unusual that Qi Yuan spoke right now!

Wu Xin answered, “Yeah?” She felt a bit strange. However, she knew that Qi Yuan would not call her casually. She was waiting for him to continue.

“The matter of the Zuos has settled.”

“The matter of the Zuos?” Wu Xin was not anxious. After all, the matter of the Zuos was just her excuse. She borrowed Zuo Xin’s identity, and she avenged Zuo Xin. Wu Xin had done far beyond enough for the girl. “What happened to my father and that prostitute?”

“She has miscarried and been beheaded. The Zuos’ property has been confiscated, and Master Zuo will be exiled.”

“Great. Everything finally comes to an end. Mother, you can rest in peace now. I have avenged you.” Wu Xin looked sad because she had to be a good actress, wholeheartedly mourning her “biological mother”! She now had to shed crocodile tears. It was difficult for Wu Xin to cry, so she pinched her thigh secretly. She tried her best to shed a few tears, thinking about her saddest thing, “Thank you for avenging us, master.”

“Your father will be in exile tomorrow. Do you want to visit him?” Qi Yuan saw Wu Xin’s tears and felt pitiful.

“No, I don’t want him to see my face, and I don’t want to be related to him anymore.”

Well, Wu Xin didn’t even know Master Zuo. To keep it a secret, she would not allow the real Zuo Xin to visit her father either.

“Okay.”

“Master, please ask the people to take good care of my father on the way. No matter how bad he is or how much I hate him, he is still my biological father!”

To make it more convincing, Wu Xin continued to speak and showed kindness and softness. At the same time, she wanted to match up with the sad atmosphere and stop acting. Therefore, she stopped eating on purpose. With sad tears, she went back to her room early.

...

In Wu Xin’s room in the mansion of Qi Yuan, Xuan Zhi had always been waiting for her. He was the harbor of Wu Xin’s soul and the person who she cared about the most.

Pushing open the door, Wu Xin’s crocodile tears disappeared when she saw Xuan Zhi. She was tired of acting, so she stayed in Xuan Zhi’s arms and rubbed him with her head like a spoiled child.

“Zhi... Zhi... I’m so hungry!”

“Didn’t you have enough food tonight?” Xuan Zhi asked and held Wu Xin tightly.

“Well, Qi Yuan just told me that Master Zuo will be exiled tomorrow. That prostitute has miscarried and been beheaded. I have finished the revenge for Zuo Xin, but I am such a poor girl!”

“What’s the matter?”

Seeing Wu Xin’s aggrieved and cute face, Xuan Zhi couldn’t control himself but kiss her on the forehead.

“I... I had to pretend to be sad, so I couldn’t eat anything!” Wu Xin said so and rubbed her stomach, even more aggrieved.

“Then I will buy you some delicious food.”

“Let’s go together!”

“Okay.”

However, someone knocked on the door before they had time to leave through the window.

It was Qi Yuan. He was worried about Wu Xin. Seeing that she hadn’t eaten much, he came to visit her. This heartless man cared about someone for the first time in many years! It was really rare to see him acting like this.

“Who is it?” Wu Xin had no choice but asked.

“Qi Yuan.”

“Master? I went to bed early today. Give me a minute to change my clothes.”

“Okay.”

Wu Xin asked Xuan Zhi to leave first. She saw that Xuan Zhi was not happy, so she kissed his face. She said softly to Xuan Zhi after he stopped frowning, “Zhi, go back and tell Zuo Xin about the Zuos’ matter first. However, you must keep an eye on her. She should never have the chance to run away. We let her go only after completing the mission this time.” Having been through too much, Wu Xin would never let her guard down now. She would not allow any uncertain factors to affect her plan.

“Okay, I see. Be careful.”

“Well, be back soon.” After finishing her words, Wu Xin kissed Xuan Zhi on the cheek again before pushing him away.

Xuan Zhi always followed her orders even though he was reluctant to leave her. But he knew that Wu Xin would not be in danger this time, so he left without any worry.

They didn’t want Zuo Xin to leave at this moment, but they would never expect that they couldn’t get rid of her in the future. Xuan Zhi looked handsome, and he spoiled Wu Xin. He was really a model husband. After spending time with him every day, Zuo Xin fell in love with Xuan Zhi! At that time, she only wanted to stay by his side day and night.