Chapter 60: Asset

When Ji Yunhe woke up again, it was still deep in the night. Candle flames flickered and quality coal burned, making the room warm and cozy. The wind and snow outside the window howled with a sound that was unique to the Northlands. It was difficult to predict how many people would be buried by the bitter cold tonight.

But in this world of chaos torn by war, death might come as a relief. On the other side of the room, a black robed man sitting by the candle glanced at Ji Yunhe.

Her face was pale, the hands that supported her body were horribly thin, and veins popped out from under the skin, making them look extra creepy.

Changyi tightened his grip on the letter he was reading. But his eyes moved away from her and fell back onto the text, showing no concern for her struggles to sit up.

Ji Yunhe, on the other hand, did not avoid looking at him. She stared for a while then asked out of curiosity, "What are you looking at?" From the part not hidden behind his arm, Ji Yunhe could see the words "Grand Master's house" and "jade phoenix" vaguely written on the paper.

The jade phoenix had appeared in the north a month ago, and as a result, Princess Shunde suffered major defeat and was nearly killed. The Grand Master was pulled to the north and battled Qing Ji for many days in the bitter cold.

Changyi broke into the Grand Master's house during that time, burned it down along with Princess Shunde, and took Ji Yunhe away. And Ji Yunhe knew nothing about what happened after that.

In the days she spent locked up in the center of this lake, she only saw the maid who delivered her food along with the cleaning servants who occasionally walked by…

And of course, Changyi. The servants would not tell her anything, and neither would Changyi.

Seeing familiar names on the letter, Ji Yunhe felt a vague connection to the outside world, so she kept asking, "You broke into the Grand Master's house and killed Princess Shunde... From my understanding of the Grand Master, he would never let this go. Did he give you any trouble?" Changyi turned sideways and looked at her sitting on the bed.

"From your understanding of the Grand Master..." he looked a bit displeased, "how would he give me trouble? "

Ji Yunhe thought he would keep ignoring her, or tell her it was none of her business. But he took such an unexpected angle that she did not know how to answer him.

"He..." Ji Yunhe pondered for a moment, then responded with a question, "didn't do anything?"

Changyi held the letter against the candle flame and waited until it almost burned to his fingers before releasing. With a wave of his sleeve, the ashes were brushed away and he stood up, returning the topic back to what Ji Yunhe had guessed.

"These things are none of your concern."

Ji Yunhe nodded her head and smirked. As expected after all. She looked at Changyi who was about to leave and asked,

"Then what should I be concerned about?"

Changyi paused his steps but did not answer her, so Ji Yunhe continued, "Changyi, are you going to keep me locked up even after I die?" She lowered her head and looked at her pale, boney fingers.

"You know what I want most and what I hate most, so you are doing this on purpose to torment me and to punish me. You want me to suffer and feel hopeless..." While Ji Yunhe was speaking, Changyi did not turn around nor did he walk away.

Until she said, "... You succeeded."

He turned and looked at her apathetically.

"Good."

Then he left.

Ji Yunhe got out of bed, walked to the window and pushed it open. The howling snowstorm outside immediately washed onto her extremely thin face.

Ji Yunhe stood there until it took away her last bit of warmth before closing the window. She sat down by the dresser and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Even though I owe him, this is a little bit too harsh." She touched her cheek and sighed at her withered skin and visible fatigue.