The drizzle began to turn into a steady downpour. The group of arrogant noble youths turned around at the sound and saw a youth in pale green robes emerging from behind them. His temperament was refined and his features exquisite, making him look like a young master sheltered from the world.
“Who are you? Do you want to meddle in our business?”
Song Nanqing stared past them, his eyes widening in apparent surprise. He called out, “Minister Jia Liang!”
His innocent expression seemed impossible to fake, and his delicate, handsome appearance was uniquely convincing. Upon hearing the name of the powerful official, the group hurriedly turned their heads toward the direction Song Nanqing was looking.
In the blink of an eye, Song Nanqing darted forward, grabbed Ruan Xianzhi’s arm, and dragged him away as they turned to run, their pace swift.
Jia Shikai and his followers soon realized they had been tricked. They roared in anger and gave chase in the direction the two had fled, their heavy footsteps splashing loudly against the rain-slicked pavement.
It was difficult for Song Nanqing to run while supporting a severely injured man. Ruan Xianzhi had been kicked in the leg, restricting his movement, and Song Nanqing had to drag nearly half of his weight. The two wound through the maze of alleys until they were hopelessly lost, relying solely on sheer willpower to keep moving.
The spring rain continued to fall. As their shoes stepped into puddles, mud splashed onto their hems. Song Nanqing endured the discomfort of his waterlogged socks and shoes as he desperately tried to lead the man to safety. The sound of pursuit grew louder, and his breathing became rapid and labored.
Ruan Xianzhi, looking pale, whispered, “Run to the right!”
Song Nanqing took a turn into a narrower alleyway, and the footsteps in the distance gradually faded.
With the crisis temporarily averted, Song Nanqing lost all strength. Dragged down by Ruan Xianzhi’s weight, he sank to the ground. His bangs were soaked, and his elegant robes were thoroughly ruined and muddy, making him look like a bedraggled puppy as he struggled to catch his breath.
The air after the rain smelled unpleasant, filled with the musky scent of mud, perhaps mixed with the metallic tang of Ruan Xianzhi’s blood. Combined with their damp, clinging clothes and shoes, everything about the situation was miserable.
Ruan Xianzhi wiped his face with a soaked sleeve and said to Song Nanqing, who was sitting beside him, “Thank you for saving my life today, Young Master. But those people will not let this go easily. You should leave quickly and do not let yourself be dragged down by me.”
“Do you still have money on you?” Song Nanqing asked, gasping for air.
Ruan Xianzhi shook his head.
“You have no money, no place to stay, and a pack of demons waiting to break your hands. If I leave, what will you do?”
Ruan Xianzhi froze. He watched the youth beside him flick the water from his sleeves. His face was soaked by the rain, but there was not a hint of fear. The intense run had flushed his cheeks with a faint red. After resting for a moment, he stood up and reached out a hand toward him.
On his slender wrist hung a string of prayer beads that looked slightly too large. They appeared fragile, as if they could break with a snap, yet they held a resilience as tough and unyielding as green bamboo.
“Hurry up and stand. We will be able to get out soon.”
Ruan Xianzhi doubted if he was delirious from the pain and the rain; otherwise, why would someone insist on not giving up on him?
His parents had died young, and he had been raised by his grandmother. The villagers never thought highly of his studies, saying it was better to farm the land. It was his grandmother who insisted on supporting his education, but by the time he grew up and could work while studying, she had passed away.
Since then, no one in the world believed he could succeed.
The villagers said he was the one who killed his grandmother, and he could not deny it. After laying her to rest, he had come to the capital, but the people here looked down on him even more. Clothes, manners, every single action had a standard, and the other end of that standard was their attitude toward him. They would say, “Don’t harbor delusions; how could you compare yourself to those who study in the Imperial Academy every day?”
If he hadn’t studied, if that fire had not been lit in his heart, he would have given up long ago, because giving up was much easier than persisting. But he truly wanted to see the capital, to see the imperial court mentioned in books, and to see the Emperor, that ruler of supreme virtue, so he could do something for the world. After entering the capital, his conviction only grew. Why were the peasants in his village bent double in labor year-round, handing over more than half of their harvest, yet still going hungry? Why did the officials in the capital not know the difference between rice and wheat, yet live in luxury and arrogance?
He wanted to bring peace to the world and achieve the Great Harmony described in the Book of Rites. But that required him to secure a ticket to the imperial examinations.
“I finally caught you! Brother Kai, they are right there!” The sound of chaotic footsteps arrived. Around the corner of the path behind them, those men had caught up again. This time, their momentum was even more aggressive, and their eyes were filled with impatience and hatred.
Song Nanqing cursed under his breath. He struggled to hoist Ruan Xianzhi’s arm and ran forward, moving with a staggered, clumsy gait. But his own strength was too limited, and after only a few steps, they were overtaken.
Ruan Xianzhi opened his arms to shield Song Nanqing, his voice raspy. “Run, please. Since you helped me, they will never let you go.”
“You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Try running again! Do you know where this is? Do you know who Brother Kai is?”
Looking at the wooden club in Jia Shikai’s hand, Song Nanqing felt his breath tighten. The memories of being surrounded and bullied in the palace as a child surfaced vividly. He knew how desperate it was to be isolated and powerless. He could not bring himself to abandon Ruan Xianzhi in this trap of life and death.
Surrounded by his lackeys, Jia Shikai approached with a leisurely gait. When he saw Song Nanqing, his face darkened. “It’s you again. You dare to appear before me? Are you courting death?”
Last time, at the Fengqi Building, this person had snatched away his interest in Yunxiu. Now, he was bullying someone he didn’t like, only to be blocked again. This boy really was his bane.
A droplet of water slid down Song Nanqing’s cheek. He looked at Jia Shikai with those bright, clear eyes. “Have your wounds from last time healed? Flashing your status before me again? It seems you still do not know who I am.”
“I don’t care who you think you are! In this part of town, this is Jia family territory! Beat them!”
The club was raised high. Song Nanqing instinctively raised his arm to block his vital points with practiced ease. When he realized what he had done, he gave a faint smile and mocked himself inwardly: after acting as the Emperor for so long, the body’s conditioned reflexes from being beaten still remained. He thought he had forgotten them long ago.
“Stop this at once!”
The guards from the Imperial Guard, who were rapidly advancing from the alley entrance, were dressed in plain clothes but moved with uniform efficiency. Their blades reflected a cold, metallic light. These black-clad men, well-trained and disciplined, kicked the club out of Jia Shikai’s hand in one strike and subdued the group surrounding Song Nanqing in seconds.
Jia Shikai’s head was forcefully pressed into the mud by an irresistible force. He was humiliated, covered in mire, and subdued. Just as he tried to struggle, a blade as sharp as hair-cutting steel was pressed against his throat.
Chun Jian trotted to Song Nanqing’s side, shaking out a snow-white cloak and carefully wrapping it around him. He held an umbrella over the youth with one hand while blocking the path with the other, effectively separating him from Ruan Xianzhi, who was stained with blood.
Seven or eight guards held the men to the ground, awaiting Song Nanqing’s orders. Their crisp and superior martial arts were clearly not something a common household could train for. They were silent, efficient, and masterful.
“Teach them a lesson, then find a doctor to check on him.” Song Nanqing was anxious to change out of his soaked shoes and socks, so he gave brief instructions and left.
Ruan Xianzhi looked at the silver thread embroidered on the edge of the departing robes, which seemed to flow like a silver river descending from the heavens, untouchable. His vision went dark, and he fainted.
When he finally awoke, he found himself lying on a clean bed, his wounds properly treated.
Chun Jian sat on a stool across from him, looking bored. Seeing him wake up, he said, “Those people will not come to bother you again. This room has been rented for you, and you can stay here until the imperial examinations are over. But if you fail to pass, my Young Master says you need not come to see him again.”
“Oh, right, and here is this silver.” Chun Jian placed a heavy, bulging pouch on the head of the bed. “The Young Master said to lend it to you. You can return it with interest whenever you are able.”
Having delivered Song Nanqing’s instructions, Chun Jian jumped off the stool to leave, but Ruan Xianzhi called out, “You, who is your Young Master? I cannot accept such favors without earning them. I must repay this debt.” His wounds made it difficult for him to get out of bed.
Chun Jian did not turn back. “The Young Master said, if it is fated, you will meet again.”
“Hey, wait!” Ruan Xianzhi struggled out of bed, limping toward the door, only to see two figures standing close together under the eaves not far away. One of them was the youth who had just saved his life.
The rain had stopped. The alley exit was unexpectedly close to Shen Heng’s residence. With such a commotion, Shen Heng, who was home, had been dragged over by Song Nanqing to find a place for Ruan Xianzhi.
The youth was leaning against the wall, one leg raised, arms crossed. He had finished recounting how he met Ruan Xianzhi, omitting the part about getting lost in the alley and falling into danger, simply saying he happened upon Ruan Xianzhi being bullied and saved him.
“Anyway, that is what happened. I think he is a talent worth cultivating and shouldn’t be buried, especially not ruined at the hands of such petty villains. If he truly passes the exam later, he could benefit the common people.” Song Nanqing had changed his clothes and wiped his hair dry. He stood before Shen Heng, explaining why he had saved him.
Shen Heng, who was a head taller than him, listened quietly. His thin eyelids were slightly lowered, and his lips remained in a straight line.
“There are many talented people in the world who never find their chance. You cannot save everyone you see. If you did, my home would turn into an agency for renting out properties.”
Song Nanqing sensed something wrong with his tone and looked up, confused. “If I encounter them, I must save them. Besides, Teacher, you haven’t seen his essay; he has the talent to help the world.”
Shen Heng gave an “mm.” “When he can enter the palace examinations, it will not be too late for me to see it.”
“Teacher, you seem to dislike Ruan Xianzhi. He didn’t offend you, did he?” Song Nanqing was perplexed.
Shen Heng kept one hand behind his back, his fingers hidden by his sleeve. His gaze shifted toward the room, watching Chun Jian emerge from it.
“You even know his name. I didn’t realize when you became so close to him.” Shen Heng reached out and pinched his chin. An imperial green jade ring on his index finger, which was of exquisite quality, caught Song Nanqing’s eye.
Song Nanqing’s eyes lit up. He reached out to grab the ring, examining it from all angles. The jade was of superior quality, even better than the emerald earrings he had seen the other day. He stared at it intensely, his tone changing. “Where did you get this? I toured all the jewelry stores today and didn’t see anything I liked nearly as much.”
Shen Heng held his hand high out of reach, saying, “I see your heart is not on the jewelry, but has flown elsewhere.”
Song Nanqing was very dissatisfied with Shen Heng using his height to bully him. He puffed out his cheeks and leaned forward to reach for the ring. “It’s clearly too small for you anyway, you can’t even fit it on your thumb! It’s perfect for me! Give it to me, I want it!”
Shen Heng moved the ring up and down, causing Song Nanqing to sway as he clung to him. His temples brushed against Shen Heng’s chin several times. To Ruan Xianzhi, who was watching from afar, the pair appeared to be in an intimate embrace.
“I can give it to you, but how will you thank me?” Shen Heng looked down at him. In his peripheral vision, he could see the man limping out of the room.
The two were so close they could feel the heat radiating from each other. Song Nanqing only had eyes for the beautiful jade ring now; the design was exactly to his liking. He hung onto Shen Heng, stretching his hand to its limit to reach for it, when his lips accidentally brushed against Shen Heng’s chin. Both of them froze.
Song Nanqing’s lashes fluttered. A sudden flash of inspiration hit his brain. Scenes of love at first sight from the stories he had read flickered through his mind. He stood on his tiptoes and pressed his lips quickly against Shen Heng’s in a fleeting kiss, taking advantage of the man’s stunned state to snatch the ring from his hand.
“Is that enough of a thank you? Thank you, Teacher!”
He was overjoyed, sliding the ring onto his finger, it was a perfect fit. He danced to the side to admire it, thoroughly satisfied with his prize. He had obtained the ring and used his little trick! He had killed two birds with one stone.
Shen Heng stood where he was. It was as if the soft, warm, and cloud-like sensation of the touch still lingered on his chin. In that brief moment, he had also caught the scent of the rose balm on Song Nanqing’s cheeks, a hot, brilliant, floral fragrance that invaded his nose, faint but lingering.
Ruan Xianzhi had already returned to the room at some point. He stood there, staring blankly at the intricately embroidered money pouch, lost in his own thoughts.