The Witch Nichang- Chapter 94 Late Night Talk

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 94

Late Night Talk

Soon, Old Tie galloped off with the horse. 

After he left, I went to gather the things scattered around the courtyard, picking out those that were useful and tying them together, preparing the supplies for the return journey.

It’s said that the northern route was the safest and most established route of the Silk Road. Old Tie himself had experience traveling this route, and he was confident about it. Still, we would pass through many desolate areas. With just the three of us, it wouldn’t hurt to spend more time preparing. Better be careful than sorry.

I couldn’t help much with the important matters, so I put more effort into these menial tasks. With that in mind, I got down to business. I didn’t know how much time had passed. All I knew was that the sky was getting darker. I worked until it got so dark that I could no longer focus on the tasks. I stood up and let out a long breath, feeling a sense of relief as I looked at my hard work. But as soon as my focus faded, relief was quickly replaced by a sense of unease. 

I turned around and looked at the girl sitting by the blazing bonfire, who hadn’t moved since earlier. I frowned, realizing where this creeping unease came from.

Perhaps it was because we had grown up together. There usually wasn’t much of a conversation going on between us. After all, what was there to talk about with someone you saw all day, every day? Besides, Lian’er was never one for chit-chat. Most of the time, as long as I was with her and could sense her presence, I could do other things without worrying about neglecting her, like how you would spend time with family.

But the air now felt… as if something wasn’t quite as it should be.

Looking at the girl by the fire, her lips pursed as she stared ahead without even glancing over once, clearly radiating an air of discontent, a sinking feeling hit me—had I accidentally ignored her and made her upset? Or had the silent treatment that started at the inn never actually ended?

Guessing wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I calmed down and thought for a moment. I took out some food from the packed supplies and quietly walked over to sit beside her by the fire. I said nothing, just wrapped some jerky in flatbread and roasted it over the fire. Once it warmed through, filling the air with its aroma, I held it out to Lian’er and said softly, “I’m sorry, I got caught up packing. It’s already dark, and you haven’t had anything since noon, right? Just eat something first, okay?”

Lian’er was a practical person from a survival perspective. She turned around when I spoke and gave me a sidelong glance before shifting her gaze to the food in front of her, seeming to consider it for a moment. Then without a word, she took it with a straight face, tore it in half, stuffed one half into her mouth, and shoved the other half back into my hand. 

My heart warmed at her action. I unbuckled the waterskin from my waist and placed it between us. Then we shared the meal together in silence. For a while, neither of us spoke; the only sound was the crackling and popping of the burning wood. 

After swallowing the last bit of food, Lian’er pulled the stopper of the waterskin and took a big gulp from it, then brushed the crumbs off her hands. Her eyes darted around. As if she had made up her mind, she spoke, “Let me ask you—since we’re leaving tomorrow and might not see certain people again, be honest, will you miss them?”

I had been waiting for her to speak, even thinking about how to make her say something. Now that she said something, it caught me slightly off guard. But when I thought about it, it made sense. If my guess was correct, she could only mean one person when she mentioned “certain people,” the source of her recent trouble. 

And for me, this question felt more like a double-edged sword that could be a blessing or a curse.

“Ever since we arrived here, I’ve spent most of my time in a room, barely getting any chance to see much of what’s outside before we’re leaving. To say I don’t feel a little regret would be a lie, but…”

Since it was a double-edged sword, I had to treat it with care. I lowered my gaze and chuckled. Weighing my words, I said, “But what is there to miss? There aren’t a lot of things I would miss. At least nothing from here.”

Despite my sincerity, Lian’er didn’t seem entirely convinced.  She narrowed her eyes and glanced at me. Skeptically, she said, “Oh, how nice. Then why did you make the message you asked Godfather to pass on sound so poetic? All that ‘parting with regrets’ and ‘gratitude remains’—it sounded just like what people would say for farewell in the theater. If not because you miss him, then what was it for?”

Her words always managed to catch me off guard in the most unexpected ways, though I was used to it by now. I chuckled and explained calmly, “How could you compare this to the theater? It’s only polite to leave a few words since he’s helped us so much, not that I miss him. Since we’re about to part ways, it’s only polite to say goodbye with a few words, don’t you think?”

“Hmph…” Lian’er let out a soft scoff, as if she was reluctantly accepting my answer, and didn’t argue back immediately. She tossed two more pieces of firewood into the fire before muttering, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you let me know when we left the inn instead of trying to make an excuse now? Don’t think you can fool me about  being polite.”

Her tone was still sharp, but the edge of discontent had faded, and a faint smile had appeared on her face. I had already started smiling along with her when the memory of the young man’s last expression as we left the inn surfaced in my mind. I sighed and said, “Didn’t you see how terrified he was? How could I have said anything? And also, Old Tie was rushing me. Now that I think about it, I don’t even have to say those words. After witnessing what happened, I doubt he has any lingering feelings for me.”

I thought this would cheer Lian’er up since it had been troubling her, whatever her reasons. Now that the source of her trouble was gone, she should have been relieved. 

As soon as I said that, her brows slowly furrowed in the firelight. She tilted her head skeptically, pondering for a moment before leaning in and asking, puzzled, “When? Do you mean when you killed that bandit during the fight? How would that change anything? Didn’t he just say he liked you and wanted to protect you? How could he change his mind just because you killed someone who deserved it?”

She seemed genuinely puzzled, a childlike innocence flitting her face. I held back the urge to pat her head. Just as I was about to explain, smiling, realization hit me, and I hesitated before asking, “Did you overhear everything…”

It was an unnecessary question, of course—she must have overheard. Otherwise, no matter how clever Lian’er was, she wasn’t clairvoyant. How else could she have known about the conversation between the guide and me in the inn before the incident? 

“Hm, I heard it. When I got there, the fight hadn’t started yet, and you were just finishing your conversation,” she replied frankly, without trying to hide anything. When I asked, she just nodded and admitted it, as if there was nothing wrong. Then she added, “I wanted to step in, but you seemed like you wanted to handle it yourself. And since the ones who barged in were just a bunch of two-bit goons, I figured it’d be good for you to stretch your legs. That’s why I stayed outside.”

I had wanted to tell her it wasn’t right to eavesdrop, but her frank attitude left me unsure of where to begin. Then again, I didn’t care, and neither did she. Since neither of us cared, did it matter whether it was right or wrong? The rules and etiquettes of this world had never been something I cared for, nor something she had ever held in regard. Besides, there was something that mattered far more right now. 

If Lian’er had done something reckless because of what she heard, it would no doubt bother me. At the same time, it wasn’t necessarily reassuring that she hadn’t done anything either. Didn’t this prove that she didn’t care at all? 

A tightness gripped my chest. It didn’t feel good to scare myself like this. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to throw the question out. 

“Lian, um, Lian’er…” I mimicked her actions, breaking a few pieces of dry wood and tossing them into the fire, using it to mask my nerves. Yet, I still couldn’t summon the courage to ask her directly. I stole a quick sidelong glance at her and murmured, “Since you heard everything back then… what do you think?”

The girl beside me wasn’t looking at me. She seemed lost in thought, staring into the flames. At that moment, I couldn’t read her. 

“What I think, huh…” It was a while before Lian’er finally spoke, “He said he liked you a lot. I wasn’t happy when I heard that, but if his feelings for you could change just because you killed a bandit during a fight, then that kind of like isn’t worth much, is it?”

She turned her head then, her eyes meeting mine. I could clearly see the reflection of the flickering flames in her eyes. Then, I heard her say, “If it were me, liking someone means liking them. I wouldn’t stop liking you just because you killed a few people. As long as you treat me well, and I do the same for you, why does it matter what other people think? That guy doesn’t like you as much as I do. You don’t need that kind of affection.”

There was no doubt she meant every word. 

All I could offer in response was a nod and a simple, “Mm, right.”

I thought that would bring the conversation to an end, but Lian’er didn’t stop there. It was as if she had found her momentum, or perhaps she had given a lot of thought to it. After a brief pause, she continued without hesitation, “Actually, earlier, when I said I wanted to tell you something I had figured out, it had to do with this. So I might as well just say it now.”

When she brought up that topic, my heart that had just settled was thrown back in the air. 

Her gaze hadn’t shifted from me since a while ago, her eyes fixed on me as she spoke, unwavering. I had no idea, in that instant, what expression of mine was reflected in her eyes. 

“Seriously, you always leave things unsaid and then tell me to think, really think about them. I have been burning my brain cells these days.”

No matter how I looked right then, it didn’t seem to affect her mood. Lian’er spoke like she always did, even with a hint of complaint, as if she were talking about something completely ordinary, “I finally figured it out later. All that beating around the bush of yours was just your way of telling me that even though we’re not a man and a woman, the things I do to you are something only people in the third kind of love would do. So, what we share is more like the love between a man and a woman. Isn’t that right?”

My heart skipped a beat. This time, there were no misunderstandings, no absurd answers—she stayed on point!

A chill ran down my back, my palms damp with sweat. I was stunned, unable to respond, merely observing her; even my nod was barely noticeable.

Lian’er didn’t seem to care about my staring. Seeing me nod, she frowned and went on, “But how does that make sense? If I were a man, then it would make sense, whether it’s loving you like a man loves a woman or taking you as my wife. But I’m obviously not, and I don’t want to be one either. There aren’t many men in this world who are better than me, and I like who I am. I have no desire to become a man.”

I understood what she meant, but I didn’t know how to respond. 

“Then…” In the end, I could only follow her train of thought, carefully gauging her feelings. “If I were a man, Lian’er, would you be willing to marry me?”

“You?” Her eyes flickered with surprise at first, then the corners of her lips curled up, as if she had just heard something amusing. The curve of her lips widened until she threw her head back and burst into laughter. Still laughing, she said, “No, there’s nothing in this world more absurd than that. It’s ridiculous, absolutely not. And besides, I wouldn’t want to be married to you.”

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