“Murong Yun! You tricked me!”
Song Qi’s roar split the air, startling several sparrows from the treetops. On their way home, the three of them passed by the river, and Song Qi insisted that the other two admire his handsome face.
Reflected in the water was Song Qi’s image. His entire face had been painted bright red with rouge, complete with two thick charcoal eyebrows. At first glance, he looked remarkably like one of those fortune tellers at temple fairs who presided over exorcism rituals.
“I tried to stop you, but you insisted on looking. Now that you’ve seen it, you’re unhappy!” Murong Yun suppressed her laughter and stepped back, only for her foot to slip on the sandy riverbank. Losing her balance, she instinctively grabbed the arm of the person beside her.
Her body tipped forward until her head rested against his chest.
Her heart skipped violently.
Bracing herself with both hands, she looked up at him, her thoughts beating like drums in her mind.
Quickly releasing his wrist, she turned back to continue speaking to Song Qi, rubbing at her chest and pretending nothing had happened.
“This is the latest fashion. Especially those eyebrows. Paired with your handsome face, who wouldn’t call you exceptionally heroic when you walk down the street?”
“Heroic?” Song Qi splashed river water onto his face as he scrubbed it clean. He had been trying to think of a retort, but the more he stared at his reflection, the more familiar it looked.
“Don’t tell me you modeled this after the door god Guan Yu?”
Shangguan Xuan suddenly raised his folding fan to block Song Qi’s face and laughed.
“Murong, run. He’s angry.”
Murong Yun immediately bolted.
Slim and agile, she moved with ease, while Song Qi’s recent indulgence in food had done nothing for his speed.
As she ran, she turned back and shouted, “Who cares who it was based on? If it weren’t for your face being intimidating enough, would Magistrate Huang have obediently loosened the soil for Granny Wei today? As long as it worked, why are you still complaining?”
After all the rolling on the ground and dramatic shouting earlier, Murong Yun began to tire. Her pace slowed.
“You get angry even after doing a good deed. Granny Wei was delighted earlier. Clearly, I don’t know how to appreciate kindness. Next time, I won’t bring you. I’ll paint it on Shangguan’s face instead.”
As she spoke, her voice grew weaker and weaker.
Shangguan Xuan was the type to hold grudges. If given the chance, he would definitely get revenge. Unfortunately, once the words had left her mouth, she could not take them back.
Unexpectedly, Shangguan Xuan leisurely remarked from behind, “So many people turned to look at him. I’m dying of jealousy.”
Song Qi’s eyes lit up.
“H-Hey, wait!”
“Looks good, it really looks good!”
Afraid the others would walk too far ahead, he sprinted after Murong Yun and blocked her path. Holding his face in both hands, he waved it in front of her.
“The red face with black eyebrows, loud and imposing. Walking at night, I won’t even need a lantern. Lord Guan’s appearance is majestic. It’s great. I love it. Next time, paint me like this again.”
Then he lowered his voice and whispered to Murong Yun,
“The Lord Guan look isn’t something just anyone can pull off. Shangguan’s face isn’t big enough. It wouldn’t look imposing.”
“Indeed. Yours is the biggest.”
Song Qi puffed out his chest and planted his hands on his hips, delight written all over his face.
“Of course it is.”
Even so, something felt off.
He clearly remembered being the one in the right. So how had he somehow become the one coaxing Murong Yun?
A moment later, Shangguan Xuan’s folding fan smacked the back of his head.
It hurt a little, but Song Qi was in too good a mood to care.
“Today’s meal is on me.”
“How generous.” Murong Yun still wore her rough peasant disguise, making close conversations feel strangely awkward.
Song Qi casually picked up a stick from the ground and kicked pebbles along the path.
“Just follow me.”
At the foot of the mountain, the bamboo forest flourished beneath the summer sun. Lush green stalks swayed in the breeze, while yellowing leaves rustled overhead. Beyond the forest stretched vast fields where freshly planted wheat shoots had only just begun to emerge.
Murong Yun plucked a foxtail grass stalk growing by the roadside. The fluffy head brushed against her nose, making her sneeze repeatedly.
The gray powder on her chin had smudged, making her look thin and famished, as though she had not eaten for days.
When she turned around, the two men behind her burst into laughter.
“No laughing allowed.”
Waving the foxtail grass, she chased after them, aiming for their noses.
“Wait here.” Song Qi suddenly spotted something. “I’ll get something delicious for the two of you.”
Near a vegetable patch, an elderly woman in a warm yellow outer garment walked by carrying two baskets suspended from a shoulder pole.
“Grandma, are you selling these sweet potatoes?”
The sweet potatoes were still coated in fresh dirt.
The elderly woman smiled kindly.
“These are for our own family to eat. They’re not pretty enough to sell. Young master, perhaps you’d prefer the market?”
“No need, no need. Freshly dug sweet potatoes are exactly what we like. How about five copper coins each? We’ll buy three.”
Five copper coins could buy a much better sweet potato at the market.
The old woman was overwhelmed.
“Selling, of course I’ll sell them! I’ll pick out three of the biggest, sweetest ones for you!”
Using the hem of his robe as a pouch, Song Qi gathered the sweet potatoes and happily went to the river to wash off the dirt.
After collecting the payment, the elderly woman thanked them repeatedly before departing with a bright smile.
Song Qi squatted by the riverbank when Murong Yun’s questioning face suddenly appeared reflected in the water.
“Roasted sweet potatoes?”
“Hehe. I’ve been eating a lot lately, so money’s tight…” He quickly straightened his expression. “But my roasted sweet potato skills are unmatched.”
It was late summer, and haystacks dotted the fields.
Murong Yun rushed toward one enthusiastically.
“Come on! Can we use this for fuel?”
Standing beside the haystack, she waved both arms in the air. Her smiling eyes curved into crescents, and her lips lifted high.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Song Qi stood frozen. Shangguan Xuan stepped forward before him.
“The moment food is involved, your legs move this fast? Wait for me!”
Song Qi grumbled and hurried over.
As the sun dipped westward, the three gathered around the haystack.
“We’ve got hay. We’ve got sweet potatoes.” Song Qi hugged the sweet potatoes tightly. “Who’s got a fire starter?”
Murong Yun stretched her neck to search for nearby campfires, only to discover Shangguan Xuan crouching on the ground, rubbing sticks together.
“Will that actually work?” Song Qi collapsed onto the ground, his legs sore from all the walking. The roasted sweet potatoes that had seemed so close now appeared out of reach.
Shangguan Xuan said nothing.
His hands moved faster and faster.
Before long, sparks appeared. “A miracle worker!”
Song Qi leaped to his feet.
The sparks caught the hay, and flames burst upward as thick smoke engulfed them.
Once the fire had mostly died down, leaving behind glowing embers, Song Qi tossed the large sweet potatoes into the ashes one by one.
“Stand back! Sweet potatoes have no eyes. If flying sparks burn you, I don’t have money to compensate you!”
When the embers cooled further, they carefully dug out the sweet potatoes using sticks.
The skins had blackened completely.
Even before peeling them open, their fragrance filled the air.
Murong Yun selected one and sat cross legged on the ground, rolling it around with a small stick.
Her gaze remained fixed on it.
She swallowed. Beside her, Shangguan Xuan reminded gently, “Careful! It’s hot.”
After waiting a while longer, Shangguan Xuan lightly touched one of the sweet potatoes.
“You can eat them now, you two gluttons.”
They hurriedly peeled back the skins, revealing golden flesh inside.
Soft! Sweet! Perfect!
Murong Yun ate slowly, occasionally drifting into thought.
The earthy scent of the fields reminded her of her grandmother’s home.
Her grandmother had died many years ago.
She had not returned. She had not cried.
Long ago, she had prepared herself for her elderly grandmother’s eventual passing.
Yet this field transported her back to those distant memories.
Without saying a word, she continued eating.
From behind her, Shangguan Xuan noticed tears slipping down Murong Yun’s face.
One! Then another.
Her nose had turned red. “Murong?” He stepped in front of her. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s… it’s just too delicious…” She casually wiped away the tears.
Murong Yun was a head shorter than him.
A strange feeling stirred within Shangguan Xuan.
Looking down at the untouched sweet potato in his own hands, he said, “I don’t like sweet potatoes. You can have mine.”
“Thank you. Then I won’t stand during the ceremony.”
Murong Yun smiled at him.
The sadness had vanished entirely from her phoenix eyes, as though Shangguan Xuan had merely imagined it.
He plucked a few wild leaves growing nearby and carefully wrapped the sweet potato.
“This way, you won’t burn your hands.”
Then he took the sweet potato she had been holding and wrapped it the same way.
“Eat.”
Murong Yun’s right hand was already red from the heat, though she had not noticed.
Taking another bite, she thought, It’s really sweet.
After eating their fill, they left the village and returned to Qingshan Academy.
Behind them, an elderly woman called out.
“Young masters, wait!”
“Granny Wei?” Murong Yun asked. “Where’s Magistrate Huang?”
Granny Wei chuckled. “Still working in the fields. With you three around, he wouldn’t dare slack off.”
Then she produced three talismans.
“Thanks to your compassionate hearts, this old woman’s fields have been preserved. I prayed to Emperor Wenchang for your success in the imperial examinations.”
After parting ways with Granny Wei, Song Qi could not stop smiling.
Even his steps grew lighter, bouncing along with childish enthusiasm.
“I’ve always thought studying was difficult. Every day, I followed my classmates, reciting texts while nodding my head. Whenever I encountered passages I didn’t understand, I could only force myself to memorize them.”
Spreading his arms wide, he exclaimed, “But today, Murong showed me what it means to truly apply one’s learning! You recited everything from On Governing the State word for word. That corrupt official was completely dumbfounded.”
Murong Yun twirled a stalk of foxtail grass between her fingers and smiled faintly.
Shangguan Xuan fanned himself thoughtfully.
“Why didn’t you report the matter directly to the prefect? Wouldn’t that have allowed others to punish the county office for you?”
Murong Yun replied, “What if the prefect’s people aren’t any better? Those fields would merely pass from one set of hands into another instead of truly being returned to the common people. Besides, Huang Ping may not be beyond redemption. As long as something exists that he fears, he can be restrained.”
Shangguan Xuan glanced sideways at her.
“You still believe Huang Ping can change?”
“He isn’t worthy of trust,” Murong Yun said. “But evil may rise a foot, while righteousness rises ten.”
Spotting a roast chicken stall in the distance, she bought two chickens.
Song Qi stole several glances at them while quickening his pace.
Only two, only two. Don’t look, don’t drool.
Before he could take another step, a hand grabbed him.
“You and Shangguan each get one.”
Song Qi stared blankly at the fragrant roast chicken placed in his hands.
“R-Really? You’re giving this to me?”
“When have I ever asked you to lose weight?” Murong Yun replied.
The oil paper wrapped around the chicken felt heavy in his hands.
She found a seat at a nearby tea stall.
“Finish eating before we continue. Eating while walking damages your scholarly image.”
Shangguan Xuan was genuinely hungry. He tore off pieces of chicken and ate with measured elegance.
Meanwhile, Song Qi devoured his portion at astonishing speed.
Seated between them, Murong Yun tapped rhythmically on the table with her chopsticks, entirely at ease.
“What? Still holding a grudge against me?” she asked quietly.
Murong Yun’s naturally single lidded eyes gave her an advantage when disguised as a man.
People would never associate those eyes with femininity at first glance.
Yet her eyelashes remained long. Raised in a wealthy merchant family, her complexion was fair and healthy.
At that moment, she resembled a delicate young scholar.
Compared beside a burly man, she would undoubtedly evoke sympathy.
Shangguan Xuan’s heart skipped a beat.
Stepping back naturally, he replied, “How could friends harbor grudges?”
“What are you two talking about?” Song Qi interrupted, his cheeks stuffed full as he strained to eavesdrop.
“I’m telling him to eat faster. We need to head back,” Murong Yun answered.
…
The entrance to Qingshan Academy lay in silence.
They had returned far too late, completely missing curfew.
“What do we do? Where are we sleeping tonight?” Song Qi paced anxiously outside the gates.
If caught, they would surely be punished.
Meanwhile, the other two remained perfectly calm.
“See you tomorrow.”
The moment Shangguan Xuan finished speaking, he stepped onto a nearby tree trunk and vaulted gracefully over the academy wall.
Song Qi: ? Shangguan Xuan knew martial arts?
His eyes immediately turned toward Murong Yun with renewed hope.
“Murong, I guess you’ll have to bring me in.”
Murong Yun frowned thoughtfully.
“Are you sure? My method might be a little dangerous…”
“Enough talk. As long as it looks cool, what’s a little dangerous?”
Song Qi’s excitement surged.
He had always wanted to experience flying through the air.
Just as vivid images filled his imagination, Murong Yun suddenly crouched down before lying flat on the ground.
“…What are you doing?”
Lowering his voice in the darkness, Song Qi asked nervously.
“Get down and follow my instructions,” Murong Yun whispered.
Assuming this was to avoid the academy patrols, Song Qi hurriedly obeyed.
“You really think things through. How far do we crawl before it’s safe?”
“Murong, how did you get inside? What is this?”
“A dog hole. Hurry up and crawl through.”
Murong Yun kicked backward twice.
“Keep your voice down. If people find out we’re crawling through a dog hole, we’ll be laughed at forever.”
Song Qi’s worldview shattered.
Why did Shangguan Xuan get to fly over the wall while they had to crawl through a dog hole?
“You don’t want to? Then sleep on the streets. I’m not responsible for you.”
Murong Yun stood up and dusted herself off.
Looking utterly aggrieved, Song Qi squeezed through the hole.
His larger frame nearly got him stuck, forcing Murong Yun to pull him free.
Perched atop one of the academy rooftops, Shangguan Xuan quietly watched the two suspicious figures sneaking across the grounds beneath the moonlight.
He found himself unable to sleep.
When Song Qi finally emerged, hair disheveled, Shangguan Xuan was waiting near the lower dormitory entrance.
Tall and refined, he folded away his fan.
“I’ll walk you back.”
Song Qi’s lingering resentment vanished instantly.
“You’re the best.”
Then he began complaining again.
“Murong really went too far, making me crawl through a dog hole without warning me first.”
After a pause, he added, “But honestly, he’s a good person. Both of you are smart. One day, when you become officials, you’ll definitely do good things for the people.”
Shangguan Xuan asked, “And you’re not smart?”
“My mind just isn’t as sharp as yours and Murong’s. You’re both excellent students, eloquent speakers, quick thinkers…”
His voice grew quieter toward the end.
Beside him, Shangguan Xuan spoke softly.
“Even so, you possess eyes that can distinguish good from evil. That’s something others envy.”
As for himself…
He was too cautious in both people and matters.
He could never trust his own judgment as readily as Song Qi could.
Murong Yun had a nightmare.
In the dream, she chased after her grandmother’s retreating figure while crying desperately.
Yet no matter how hard she ran, the distance only widened.
It had been so long since she had dreamed of her grandmother.
Since her death, Murong Yun’s life had become dull and monotonous.
Even the 996 grind had become tolerable.
She had moved away from her parents, living the kind of single life that many people online envied.
Yet she had never possessed hope for the future.
Not even a little. Around Granny Wei, however, she had inexplicably found warmth.
The ability to sense happiness, long since lost, had returned.
As she wandered through the academy grounds, she eventually arrived near Confucius Hall.
The incense had burned out. No candlelight remained.
The surroundings were utterly silent.
Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds.
Pressing herself against the wall, she waited.
Fortunately, the light colored clothing she wore blended well with the pale stone.
A figure emerged. Recognizing him, Murong Yun frowned slightly.
Yu Ziyang. He carried a broad lotus leaf piled high with pastries.
Looking around guiltily, he hesitated by the doorway before taking a bite of one peach cake.
At first, Murong Yun assumed he was hungry.
Then, to her surprise, Yu Ziyang threw the partially eaten pastry onto the ground and crushed it beneath his foot.
Crumbs scattered across the entrance as he ground them repeatedly beneath his shoe.
He was creating the illusion that birds had eaten the peach cakes.
Passing nearby before, Murong Yun had occasionally overheard Master Wang complaining about greedy birds stealing the offerings. He had even muttered about poisoning them.
Yu Ziyang wasn’t hungry.
Unable to waste such exquisite pastries, he had tasted one first before reluctantly destroying the rest.
The sweet peach flavor melted in his mouth.
Then came agonizing stomach pain.
Dizziness followed. He collapsed.
Fearing exposure, Murong Yun nevertheless rushed forward and caught him.
Yu Ziyang’s loose robes concealed just how thin he truly was.
He looked nearly two sizes smaller than Song Qi.
Even so, he was still a grown man. Dragging him proved exhausting.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through her chest.
Perhaps she had exerted herself too much.
Suppressing the pain, Murong Yun managed to bring him back to his room.
Yu Ziyang opened his eyes to daylight.
Remembering the unfinished cover up involving the peach cakes, panic seized him.
Yet the moment he tried to stand, weakness overtook him.
The room’s furnishings were unfamiliar.
Martial arts manuals and books on concealed weapons littered the floor beside the bed.
His legs gave out beneath him.
Looking up, he saw Murong Yun asleep at a nearby tea table.
“Murong…!” he croaked.
Murong Yun’s complexion was frighteningly pale.
Although she usually resembled a delicate young gentleman, now even her lips had lost their color.
“Y-You’re awake.”
Dizzy herself, Murong Yun poured him some tea.
“Drink some water.”
A bowl of medicine sat nearby.
“I brewed an antidote last night. Another half day of rest, and you’ll recover completely.”
“I was poisoned?” Yu Ziyang exclaimed.
“Where did you find me?”
Steadying herself, Murong Yun replied, “I couldn’t sleep this morning. I found you while wandering around.”
Yu Ziyang relaxed slightly.
“Who asked you to save me? Someone else would’ve done it.”
Murong Yun handed him the medicine.
“I’ll remember that next time. I’ll ask around first to see if anyone else plans to save you before stepping in.”
After drinking the antidote, Yu Ziyang asked, “How much did the herbs cost? I’ll repay you.”
Before she could answer, the door burst open.
Master Wang stormed inside with a group of students.
“Murong Yun, how dare you steal pastries from Confucius Hall!”
“Outrageous!”
Murong Yun clutched her chest.
“I didn’t…”
Zheng Yuan stepped forward. “And you’re still denying it? Peach cake crumbs led straight to your room!”
Master Wang raised a hand.
“It doesn’t matter. I poisoned those pastries. Whoever ate them would be poisoned.”
At that exact moment, Murong Yun coughed up blood.
A mechanical voice echoed within her mind.
[The host has forcibly altered another person’s fate through the system and is suffering backlash.]
Before losing consciousness, Murong Yun thought, You stabbed me in the back again…
“Master, he’s poisoned!” Zheng Yuan cried, pointing toward the collapsed figure. “Murong Yun ate the pastries!”
Alarmed, Yu Ziyang attempted to feed Murong Yun the remaining antidote.
His trembling hand had only just reached her when a voice interrupted.
“Stop!”
Everyone froze. Shangguan Xuan entered the room with an icy expression.
Lifting Murong Yun into his arms, he carried her effortlessly.
Her long eyelashes rested against her pale cheeks.
Were it not for her deathly complexion, she would have appeared merely asleep.
“Put him back on the bed first,” Yu Ziyang said.
As Yu Ziyang moved aside, Shangguan Xuan glanced at him.
The usually gentle eyes had turned sharp and piercing.
That single look sent chills through Yu Ziyang.
Shangguan Xuan carried Murong Yun back to his own room.
Song Qi had barely managed to throw on his outer robe when he encountered Shangguan Xuan.
“How is he?”
“He lost consciousness,” Shangguan Xuan answered. “Clean up his room. Especially removing any unrelated people.”
Seeing blood at the corner of his friend’s lips, Song Qi’s anger flared instantly.
“They pushed him until he coughed up blood?!”
Then he noticed Master Wang.
“Master… you’re here too.”
Master Wang casually surveyed the luxurious furnishings.
Turning to Zheng Yuan, he said, “You handle this matter. Don’t wrong an innocent person.”
Zheng Yuan nearly beamed.
Master Wang was entrusting the investigation entirely to him.
“This student will act impartially.”
“I just need to wipe the floor,” Song Qi muttered weakly. “Master, could you perhaps continue the discussion outside?”
Master Wang snorted.
“You should learn from Murong’s way of speaking. Then perhaps you wouldn’t have only two friends.”
Song Qi scratched his head in confusion.
Yu Ziyang sighed. “Don’t take it to heart. Master Wang says things without thinking.”
“Huh? What did he mean?” Song Qi blinked. “My two friends come from good families and rank highly in class. Sounds pretty great to me.”
Yu Ziyang suddenly realized his consolation had been entirely unnecessary.
Song Qi had not understood the insult at all.
Murong Yun dreamed of the previous night.
After classes ended, she wandered into the academy library carrying a stack of books.
At a corridor corner, Shangguan Xuan stood, fanning himself.
The hem of his robe had been stained with dirt. Normally meticulous about cleanliness, he seemed not to notice.
His attention remained fixed on her.
“Brother Shangguan, admiring the scenery?” she asked.
He pointed toward the unlit lanterns overhead.
“I’ll accompany you to the library.”
Walking ahead of her, he somehow produced a lantern.
Its bright glow illuminated the small mole on the right side of his neck.
“I’m a grown man. I can go by myself,” Murong Yun declared bravely.
“You always leave a candle burning before heading down the mountain,” Shangguan Xuan replied calmly. “I simply happen to be going to the library as well.”
They walked side by side.
After returning her books, Murong Yun prepared to leave.
The night wind carried a chill.
Unlike his usual gentle tone, Shangguan Xuan’s voice sounded strangely lonely.
“Murong, is your home far from here?”
“Very far,” Murong Yun answered. The Murong family had long understood that prominence invited disaster. Their immense wealth had led them to settle far from the capital. “What about yours?”
Shangguan Xuan smiled faintly.
“I only have a place to stay. I don’t have a home.”