From that day on, Ye Nanyuan frequently practiced her music in the pavilion.Every day from the hour of Shen to the hour of You (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM), she would appear. If she was in good spirits, she would play longer; if not, she would only practice for half an hour.Her schedule was not always consistent, but she went every day without fail.She did not always play the konghou, however. The principles of music are universal across instruments, and she also knew her way around the guqin. Though not a master, she could hold her own on stage. The notes she produced lingered in the air, crisp and ethereal.Over the past half month, besides playing music in the pavilion, she had also made several trips down the mountain.Young Master Liu Jie of the Liu family was, as the letter had described, a man who bullied the weak and lusted after women. Ye Nanyuan had only shown her face and exchanged a few words with him twice, and already she had him utterly bewitched—he swore he would marry none but her.Men were all the same in this world. Show them a pretty, innocent face, and they would let down their guard. Ye Nanyuan felt his eyes roaming over her, like a venomous snake that had lost its fangs—slimy and revolting.She wished she could drive a knife into his chest and scrape away every trace of those eyes that clung to her. Faced with a face hollowed out by lust and a body drained by wine and women, Ye Nanyuan could not spare him even a single glance.But the more she looked down on him, the more infatuated Liu Jie became with her cold, aloof demeanor."Miss Ye." Liu Jie performed a perfunctory bow, then raised his head to gaze at her with rapt adoration. "If you would only agree to marry me, I would walk through fire and water without hesitation.""You would do anything for me?" Ye Nanyuan murmured, lowering her head. Her jade-white chin turned, and she cast him a smile.She was truly too beautiful—brows like distant mountains painted in ink, skin as fair as snow, two jade hairpins casually stuck into her dark, lustrous hair. Her face was bare of makeup, yet she was stunning and alluring.Her rosy lips were vivid and bright, the corners curving slightly upward.Liu Jie froze in place, utterly entranced. "I… I would. I would." For a beauty like this, he would give his very life.Ye Nanyuan's smile grew even more radiant. Liu Jie stared at her face, eyes fixed and unblinking, completely bewitched. Only after she had walked far away did he finally snap out of it."Young Master. Young Master."The servant at his side saw how his master was grinning and quickly called him back to his senses. Liu Jie wiped the drool threatening to spill from the corner of his mouth and stared at the retreating figure, murmuring, "Now that's a woman who can hook a man."Up ahead, Ye Nanyuan suddenly stopped. She turned and flashed Liu Jie a dazzling smile, her flowing Ruyi-patterned skirt in dark, shimmering hues swaying gently in the air. Her gaze seemed to carry hooks, snaring Liu Jie's soul and tossing it about in a daze.Only after she had disappeared did he hurriedly command his men: "Quick, send someone to follow her." Having seen Ye Nanyuan come and go freely several times, Liu Jie was now so bewitched that he could not rest easy unless she was kept within his sight."But… but Young Master."The servant reminded him: "If Miss Ye finds out, she will blame you."Liu Jie's entire mind was consumed by her, and he naturally did not wish to anger her. Yet he was equally unwilling to let her slip away. Her whereabouts were unpredictable and unfathomable, and that made him uneasy.Watching her figure vanish completely from sight, he finally said: "Then find two men who don't know me, with no connections, and have them follow quietly behind."He clicked his tongue against his palate and grinned: "One day, I'll have that beauty in my bed."
Sanqing TempleYinzhen had been staying here for over a month now. Every day, besides playing chess and feeding the fish, he listened to Master Liao Kong expound on Zen.Though life in the temple was somewhat austere, it was a rare opportunity to cultivate the mind and body.But while the Fourth Prince showed no sign of returning, the women in his household were growing anxious. Starting a few days ago, the Consort's letters had been arriving one after another. Su Peisheng had just finished reading the latest one aloud, and seeing that the Fourth Prince showed no reaction, quietly tucked it away again."Your Highness." Su Peisheng put away the Consort's letter and pulled another envelope from his robes. "This one is from Side Consort Li. Would Your Highness care to look?"The Consort held the title, but Side Consort Li held the favor—she was a woman who could rival the Consort in the household. With the Fourth Prince away from the residence for so many days, the women of the inner court naturally feared he would forget them.Countless letters were sent each day hoping to reach the Fourth Prince's eyes, but Su Peisheng only dared to deliver Side Consort Li's.The Consort's letters were all about household trivialities, which he dared to read aloud. But Side Consort Li's letters, he would not even dare to glance at. The Consort was dignified, but Side Consort Li was skilled in the art of seduction—who knew what words of love and passion might be written inside?He dared not look.Su Peisheng smiled and presented the envelope with both hands. The Fourth Prince lay on the soft couch reading a book, lazily turning to the next page without so much as a glance. "Just set it down."Seeing that His Highness showed no interest, Su Peisheng discreetly touched the silver ingots hidden in his robes, but dared not press the matter further.The Fourth Prince felt somewhat off today, lacking interest in everything. Su Peisheng was quietly pondering this when he saw his master flip another page of his book and ask indifferently, "What time is it?"This question had already been asked nearly three times in less than an hour.Su Peisheng quickly replied, "Your Highness, it is already the third ke of the You hour (around 7:45 PM)."The Fourth Prince looked up and glanced out the window. Though summer days grew dark late, by the You hour the sky had fully darkened, appearing hazy and gray outside, with some places already lit with lamps.He held a Buddhist scripture in his hands, but his mind was elsewhere. His slender, bamboo-like fingers tapped on the armrest, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "I feel like something is missing today."Su Peisheng was momentarily stunned, then pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "You're quite observant, Your Highness. I was also finding it strange—at this hour, the sound of the zither would usually have come through by now. It seems the young lady practicing her instrument hasn't come today?"That was it. Yinzhen's half-closed eyelids drooped slightly. At this time on previous days, the pear garden would already be filled with the gentle strains of the zither. For some reason today, the young lady hadn't come over yet.It had been over half a month since he'd last seen her. If it were any other time, he would have long forgotten, but that young lady practiced her zither every day, which had inexplicably stirred a hint of concern in him. The Fourth Prince lowered his head, but could no longer focus on the book in his hands no matter how hard he tried.Could something have happened?He took a deep breath, casually tossed aside the book, and pinched the bridge of his nose. This place was deep in the mountains, and the place she lived in only had one maidservant and one old woman. If something truly happened, those few women would have no way to defend themselves.He let out a soft "tsk," and the more he thought about it, the more worried he became. The Fourth Prince rubbed his fingers, his thumb feeling strangely empty.He took a deep breath, and ultimately pushed himself up from the chair with both hands on the armrests. "Come, take a walk with me." The back mountain where he resided was a bamboo grove, and at the end of the small path lay her pear garden.Back when he had chased that fox, he had been led in circles nearly all the way around the back mountain. It wasn't until he returned that he realized the two places weren't actually far apart.Taking the shortcut, it would only take about a quarter of an hour to get there.The Fourth Prince had something on his mind, and his pace was hardly leisurely. Su Peisheng followed behind his master, finding it strange to see him like this—he wasn't strolling but rather seemed to be searching for someone, moving with such urgency.They emerged from the small path, and looking into the distance, the pavilion was empty. The Fourth Prince stood at the stone table in the pavilion and tapped lightly on it.All was silent, as if no one had been there.Su Peisheng stood outside, not daring to speak. If he still couldn't tell what his master had come here for at this point, he would be a fool. He lowered his head, secretly wondering who this young lady really was.The Fourth Prince, however, cast his gaze around the surroundings before finally saying, "Let's go."The two found nothing and silently made their way back. Along the way, Su Peisheng remained quiet, not daring to speak, and secretly glanced up at the Fourth Prince's face.That cold, stern face was tightly furrowed at the brow, radiating a chill—clearly displeased.Seeing this, Su Peisheng's breath caught in his throat with nervousness. He didn't dare say a word and silently followed behind.By the time they made the round trip, the sky had completely darkened into pitch black. Su Peisheng carried the lantern and silently followed behind.It was said that wild beasts often roamed these mountains at night. He wondered if they might run into one coming out this late. Su Peisheng stared at the darkness all around, his heart tense. Just as he was following closely behind his master, a rustling sound came from the bamboo grove beside the path—it sounded like someone crying?Su Peisheng was so startled his hairs stood on end.His eyes widened, and he quickly shouted toward the direction, "Who's there?" The area fell silent for a moment, then the rustling grew louder. The Fourth Prince stopped in his tracks, his icy gaze fixed on the depths of the bamboo grove."Who's there? Get out here this instant!" Su Peisheng held up his lantern and quietly walked toward the source of the sound.His footsteps made a rustling sound as they trod on the bamboo leaves. A moment later, a head cautiously peeked out from behind the large rock. "D-don't… don't come closer."The woman's soft, sweet voice carried a hint of hoarseness, and even the trailing tone trembled with fear in the darkness.Su Peisheng was taken aback, quickly raising his lantern to shine the light over. One look, and he drew in a sharp breath.By now, the sky had completely darkened, with only a hazy moonlight overhead. The young lady was clutching a guqin diagonally in her arms, hiding behind the crevice of the rock, her delicate, petite frame curled into a ball.Su Peisheng stood before her holding the lantern, the dim yellow candlelight falling starkly upon her face. Perhaps the flame was too glaring, for her jade-like face turned slightly away, and her frail body shrank back further. She kept her head lowered, revealing only half her face."Your Highness… it's… it's a young lady."An oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows. Under the candlelight, her complexion was as pale as snow, her features delicate and alluring. Beneath her shimmering, watery eyes, her rosy lips were lush and tempting.She was curled up in a small, delicate ball, dressed in a moon-white gown, her beautiful face innocent and pure.Even Su Peisheng, who had seen his fair share of beauties, couldn't help but draw in several sharp breaths at the sight of her face.When he spoke again, his voice had softened considerably: "Miss, this… in the middle of the night, how is it that you're here?" Her downcast eyes trembled slightly, and her fingers tightened around the guqin she held. She quietly lifted her head."I…" Just as she began to speak, her gaze suddenly shifted past Su Peisheng to look behind him.Under the moonlight, those beautiful eyes reflected the lamplight before her—round in shape, with the outer corners gently curving upward. Perhaps she had just been crying, for a mist of tears shimmered in her eyes as she stared, red-rimmed and disbelieving, at the Fourth Prince behind him.That gaze was burning with passion and surprise.Yinzhen felt a strange familiarity when his eyes met hers, yet after searching his memory several times, he truly could not recall where he had seen her. A girl of such striking beauty—if he had encountered her before, he surely would have remembered.Su Peisheng glanced back and forth between the two. He extended his lantern forward a fraction and ventured cautiously, "Miss, do you know my master?"The bright yellow lamplight drew closer, illuminating her face with greater clarity. Only then did Yinzhen notice that her clothing was slightly disheveled, and the hem of her skirt was torn in two places.Perhaps it was the utter unfamiliarity in his gaze that caused the fiery passion in her eyes to gradually dim. She shrank back, averting her gaze from his.After a long moment, she shook her head. "I mistook him for someone else."As she spoke, she straightened up, and only then did he see the full extent of her disheveled state—her hairpin askew, her skirt torn, and though her fingers clutching the guqin were slender and delicate, traces of blood seeped from her fingertips."It was my fault for disturbing you both, gentlemen." Ye Nanyuan held the guqin at an angle, bending her knees in a slight bow. The moon-white sleeve, embroidered with pear blossoms, trembled slightly, revealing the Buddha-Lotus Jade Bead around her wrist.After finishing her salute, she turned and walked away. From a distance, Yinzhen's brow furrowed, and he suddenly called out, "Stop."Ye Nanyuan, whose back was to him, paused mid-step. The corner of her rosy lips curved upward, but only for an instant before returning to calm. She turned her head, revealing half her face—beneath her glistening eyes, the red mole at the corner of her eye was both pure and alluring.She lowered her eyelids, and when she spoke, her voice was full of innocence: "Is there anything else, sir?"