Liang Yun rubbed his eyes in shock.
Someone must have broken into the cave while he was away, stolen his master’s mask, and even played such a prank!
Staring at the pink mask on the man’s face, Liang Yun broke into a cold sweat.
His master had that serious condition—what would happen when he woke up and found himself wearing such a thing…
Suddenly, the man on the ice bed opened his eyes.
They were narrow and deep, utterly sinister and cold, yet inexplicably brimming with endless tenderness and allure.
Liang Yun exclaimed in alarm, “Master, you… you’re awake?!”
Di Xiulan sat up and expressionlessly removed the mask.
With a flick of his slender fingers, the knot on the mask came undone, transforming into a fresh, pink handkerchief.
He lowered his gaze to examine it and praised softly.
“Hmm, what a lovely handkerchief.”
His voice was magnetic and pleasant, seemingly always carrying a strange gentleness.
Liang Yun: “…”
Liang Yun felt a chill run down his spine and immediately knelt on the ground with a thud, terrified. “Master, please calm your anger!”
Di Xiulan indifferently rubbed the handkerchief in his hand, his tone flat.
“Liang Yun, explain.”
Liang Yun hurriedly replied, “Master, last night, I was truly suffering from unbearable stomach pain and stepped out for just a moment… When I returned, you were already awake!”
“Based on my deduction, a master must have infiltrated the cave while I was away, kindly dispelling the Soul-Severing Curse for you. They left no name afterward, only this item as a token!”
As he spoke, he pointed excitedly at the pink handkerchief in Di Xiulan’s hand.
“…”
Di Xiulan: “Heh.”
If he hadn’t woken up early, he might have actually believed this explanation.
The moment his lips were kissed, his soul unexpectedly returned.
Though he couldn’t move at first, he knew very clearly that it was an audacious madwoman who had kissed him.
And after just one kiss, she jumped up in utter disgust, cursed loudly, then stormed off in a huff…
Before leaving, she even took his mask and slapped this thing on his face.
Seeing the man’s dark and subtle expression, Liang Yun couldn’t help but curiously speculate, “Master, the Soul-Severing Curse was originally incurable. What method did that person use to wake you up early?”
Di Xiulan didn’t answer. Instead, he tossed the handkerchief back to him, rubbing his lips with a smile.
“Find that person. Alive.”
Liang Yun shuddered as he caught the handkerchief.
His master’s perverse tone, perverse smile, and the demand for “alive”…
Alive.
Meaning, as long as they were left with a single breath!
Judging by this attitude, that person had likely offended the master.
Liang Yun sighed as he looked at the handkerchief in his hand.
Whoever it was, offending the master would surely lead to a miserable fate!
…
After descending the mountain, Ye Piaoling found a small inn and returned to the imperial city by carriage the next day.
When the carriage stopped in front of the Ye residence, Ye Piaoling looked up at the plaque and sorted through the original host’s memories.
The original host’s father was the current prime minister, named Ye Liao Zhai.
What a name…
Ye Piaoling shook her head and clicked her tongue, as if expecting ghosts to appear.
The original host’s birth mother died early, and Ye Liao Zhai later married several concubines. As the only legitimate daughter, Ye Liao Zhai had treated her quite well in the past. But after she became useless and of no value to the Ye family, paternal love plummeted like a landslide…
She went from being the pride of heaven to an object of bullying and ridicule.
Ye Piaoling sighed and walked through the main gate.
The maids and servants in the mansion whispered and snickered when they saw her.
“Isn’t the eldest young miss supposed to become a nun? Why has she come back?”
“Maybe she’s too useless—even the temple didn’t want her!”
Once the pride of the family, the eldest young miss had now become an unwanted burden and a laughingstock. No one in the entire prime minister’s estate wished for her return.
However, Ye Piaoling paid no mind to others’ opinions. Let them say whatever the hell they wanted.
She walked silently toward her own residence, Fallen Blossoms Courtyard, sulking and wallowing in misery.
Just as she stepped through the courtyard gate, she heard the heart-wrenching wails of a young man coming from the main hall.
“My eldest young miss, how could you leave like this—”
“Wahhh… you’re gone, leaving me all alone, helpless and with no one to rely on. How am I supposed to live from now on?!”
It sounded like mourning cries.
Listening to it, Ye Piaoling felt a mix of emotions.
That familiar voice belonged to Fox Shadow, the Shadow Guard of Fallen Blossoms Courtyard!
Ever since she lost her Spiritual Power, the servants in Fallen Blossoms Courtyard had been gradually withdrawn, leaving only one maid, Qiao Shu, and one Shadow Guard, Fox Shadow.
Qiao Shu hadn’t wanted to stay either and had once complained endlessly. Later, when she heard that the original owner was planning to become a nun, she immediately “chose a better branch to perch on” and went to Concubine Liu’s courtyard.
Only Fox Shadow remained, loyal and steadfast.
Fox Shadow was exceptionally handsome, the heartthrob of the Ye estate. Many maids secretly admired him, and even the concubines couldn’t help stealing glances at him.
Other young ladies in the estate had long extended olive branches to him, hoping he would come to serve in their courtyards, but he had refused without hesitation, stubbornly guarding Fallen Blossoms Courtyard.
Who would have thought that even after his master had left, he would still remain here, unwilling to depart for so long…
“Heaven bless, let my eldest young miss return! I miss her so much!”
“I miss her so much I can’t sit still—I can hardly go on living!”
Fox Shadow’s sorrowful cries continued to echo.
The tone was utterly heartbroken.
Men would fall silent hearing it, women would shed tears…
Ye Piaoling sighed with emotion.
How rare—there was still one person in the Ye family who genuinely cared about her!
Fox Shadow’s loyalty was truly moving!
Tears welled up in Ye Piaoling’s eyes as she pushed the door open.
Then she saw a strikingly handsome man dressed in black martial attire, with eyebrows like flying swords and eyes like cold stars, sitting casually in a chair with one leg crossed over the other. Before him was a table laden with fine wine and delicious dishes.
Fox Shadow sighed deeply as he enjoyed the feast all by himself:
“Ah, my life is so bitter!”
“The eldest young miss abandoned me just like that, leaving me alone to guard this desolate and empty courtyard… This life is truly unbearable!”
Ye Piaoling: “…”
With a dark expression, Ye Piaoling said, “Doesn’t this life seem pretty good to you?”
Hearing her voice, Fox Shadow nearly choked on a chicken leg.
He turned his head abruptly, his handsome and charming face filled with astonishment:
“E-Eldest young miss?!”
Swallowing the food in his mouth excitedly, he stood up and said, “Eldest young miss, you’ve returned?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Ye Piaoling walked to the table and looked at the lavish spread, counting the dishes.
There must have been twenty dishes.
Fox Shadow quickly handed her an empty bowl and pair of chopsticks: “Eldest young miss, after you left, I missed you dearly. Even during meals, I would set out an empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks for you.”
Ye Piaoling twitched the corner of her mouth and said, “Thank you so much…”
This formalism was executed quite thoroughly.
“This is all part of my duty,” Fox Shadow said with a smile, gesturing toward the dishes on the table. “The food was brought by a few maids. If you don’t mind, Miss, please have a taste.”
The maids in the mansion who admired Fox Shadow, seeing him alone in the Fallen Blossoms Courtyard, had sent various treats and inquiries to get closer to him.
Ye Piaoling happened to be hungry, so she ate together with Fox Shadow.
Fox Shadow looked at her, his eyes glinting with an ambiguous smile. “My dear Miss, I truly hope you’ll return soon! My loyalty to you is as clear as the sky and earth!”
Ye Piaoling, engrossed in her meal, asked without looking up or lifting her eyes.
“Fox Shadow, I’m actually quite curious why you’re willing to stay in the Fallen Blossoms Courtyard… Don’t you think following a useless young lady like me is rather unpromising?”