He Sui’an kept her head down and quietly slipped away.
The uncle and niece were engrossed in their reunion, paying no mind to He Sui’an, who was just a passerby to Liu Yan. At Princess Luoyan’s invitation, Liu Yan got on her carriage and accompanied her to the palace.
Liu Yan was a leisurely prince, seldom involved in court affairs. Despite the common saying that the royal family is ruthless, often with siblings fighting each other, he had a good relationship with the emperor, frequently visiting his elder brother in the palace.
Princess Luoyan always held Liu Yan in high regard.
As a leisurely prince without real power, Liu Yan faced many who flattered him on the surface but mocked him behind his back. Yet, he lived carefree and happy.
To live carefree and happy forever was Princess Luoyan’s dream.
Her respect for Liu Yan was not only because of his lifestyle but also because he treated her like a daughter, genuinely caring for her.
He had been kind to her since before she was officially titled as a princess, right after her brother and sister-in-law had died.
Liu Yan had known Princess Luoyan’s brother and sister-in-law since they were young, having grown up together. He had watched Princess Luoyan grow up, from her infancy to her first steps.
A long time ago, Princess Luoyan considered Liu Yan her surrogate father but never told him. She didn’t want to involve him in her investigation into her brother and sister-in-law’s deaths due to the complex entanglements involved.
“Uncle.”
Princess Luoyan poured him a cup of tea.
Liu Yan accepted the tea with a kind smile and took a small sip: “I inquired about the prince of Nanliang who recently arrived in Chang’an. He seems to be a decent person, proper in appearance, knowledgeable, and not prone to frivolity.”
Seeing Princess Luoyan remain silent, he put down the teacup: “I know you have someone in your heart, Ah Yan. Should I speak to my brother about declining this match…”
“Uncle.” She smiled, “There is no one in my heart; you misunderstand.”
Liu Yan paused.
He had witnessed Princess Luoyan’s infatuation with Xie Wenqiao, chasing after him and causing quite a few humorous incidents, making her a popular topic among the people of Chang’an.
The thoughts of a young woman were beyond Liu Yan’s understanding. He gently patted Princess Luoyan’s head, affectionately saying, “You, you.”
Princess Luoyan leaned against Liu Yan’s leg as she would have against her father’s: “Uncle.”
Liu Yan asked, “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Princess Luoyan whispered, “I just miss my brother and sister-in-law a bit.”
Liu Yan’s hand, which had been gently patting her head, paused in mid-air before slowly coming down again, his tone filled with compassion: “These years have been hard on you, child.”
The carriage arrived at the palace gates.
The intricately carved vermilion gates were wide open, with guards standing on both sides.
A maid outside reminded them they had arrived, and Princess Luoyan lifted the curtain to get out. Zhi Mo carefully assisted her down, while Liu Yan followed behind.
Xie Wenqiao and his colleagues were about to leave the palace. Seeing Princess Luoyan and the Second Prince getting off the carriage and walking in, they stepped aside, raising their hands and bowing.
Princess Luoyan paused in her steps.
The red official robes were the best test of a person’s appearance and demeanor. Among the officials standing in the palace path, even with Xie Wenqiao slightly bent over and head down, he was noticeable at a glance.
Liu Yan’s gaze shifted between Princess Luoyan and Xie Wenqiao. He cleared his throat softly, prompting Princess Luoyan to walk forward quickly.
They struggled to keep up for a moment.
Entering the palace to meet the emperor, Princess Luoyan wore a ceremonious and intricate palace dress, the long hem trailing behind her. Walking quickly, she almost tripped over the hem when she reached the officials.
Zhi Mo was worried: “Princess!”
Liu Yan called out: “Ah Yan!”
Just as Princess Luoyan was about to fall, Xie Wenqiao, who was closest, instinctively raised his hand to support her, but she steadied herself before he could touch her dress.
Before becoming a princess, she had been trained in martial arts, and she hadn’t neglected her practice after becoming a princess. A simple stumble over her dress was easily handled.
Princess Luoyan glanced at Xie Wenqiao’s already withdrawn hands and scoffed disdainfully.
Xie Wenqiao kept his eyes lowered.
His expression remained unchanged.
According to protocol, officials were not to look directly at the nobility unless requested. Otherwise, it was considered an offense. Xie Wenqiao was always very observant of these rules.
Princess Luoyan continued into the inner palace without looking back, followed closely by Zhi Mo.
Liu Yan knew Princess Luoyan could be headstrong and inconsiderate of others at times. He approached Xie Wenqiao: “Minister Xie.”
Xie Wenqiao replied, “Your Highness.”
Liu Yan opened his mouth to speak, but Princess Luoyan, standing not far away, called out to him loudly: “Uncle!” This was her way of urging him to leave, not wanting him to interact or converse with Xie Wenqiao.
Zhi Mo’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly signaled Princess Luoyan to maintain her decorum. Shouting in the palace was unbecoming; while it was acceptable to be herself in the princess’s mansion, it was completely inappropriate outside.
Liu Yan, who had wanted to exchange a few words with Xie Wenqiao, nodded to him and left.
Other officials stole glances at Xie Wenqiao.
Xie Wenqiao walked out of the palace gates.
Outside, the carriages of the officials who had entered the palace were lined up. After bidding farewell to his colleagues, Xie Wenqiao lifted his robe and got into his carriage, instructing the driver to head home.
Xie Wenqiao’s residence was far from the palace. As he reviewed some documents inside the carriage, he attempted to rest his eyes but felt the carriage stop abruptly. Someone lifted the curtain from the outside.
It was Jiang Songwei, holding the hand of a young girl.
The girl was Jiang Xuewan.
Xie Wenqiao had met them once before and knew they were the brother and daughter of General Jiang, who had died in the battle of Weicheng. He hadn’t known they were still alive and was stunned to see them now.
Jiang Songwei clasped his hands in greeting: “Minister Xie.” His elder brother had told him that there was one trustworthy person in the court, the Assistant Minister of Justice, Xie Wenqiao. He was to seek him out if he ever needed help in Chang’an.
Jiang Xuewan timidly echoed, “Minister Xie.”
Xie Wenqiao noticed something unusual.
Her behavior was like that of a young child.
*
As the sun set in a blaze of gold, smoke curled from the chimneys.
He Sui’an returned from her outing, still carrying only the basket. She entered the inn, took out the red snake, and returned the basket to the innkeeper. The innkeeper looked at He Sui’an’s face, hesitant to speak.
In the end, the innkeeper said nothing more, handing the basket to a waiter who was sweeping the floor, instructing him to take it back to the kitchen. He Sui’an thanked them again and then hurried upstairs in her embroidered shoes.
Despite being out for most of the day, He Sui’an seemed to have bought nothing, her hands empty except for the red snake.
As soon as she went upstairs, she set the red snake down. There were guests in the inn’s lobby who might be scared, so she had carried the snake upstairs.
Once on the ground, the red snake crawled toward the room. Unable to squeeze through the closed door as it could with a window, He Sui’an pushed the door open, allowing it to crawl inside before she stepped over the threshold.
Inside the room, the poisonous Gu worms were crawling around the bed.
As He Sui’an entered, the Gu worms scattered like a swarm, while Qi Buyan sat on the windowsill, his legs naturally hanging down, gazing at the long street outside.
The silver ornaments on his body jingled in the wind, creating a random yet pleasing melody.
Upon hearing the door open and close, Qi Buyan did not turn to look.
There was no need to look; he knew it was her.
The poisonous Gu worms only became agitated and excited when they saw He Sui’an, yet they had to suppress their aggressive urge to bite. Qi Buyan, being the master of the Gu worms, knew this better than anyone.
So he knew it was He Sui’an.
It wouldn’t be those who wanted to kill them.
He Sui’an’s flesh and blood were somewhat unusual, different from ordinary people. Qi Buyan’s flesh and blood were also different due to the Heaven Silkworm Gu inside him, which had fused with his essence.
The Heaven Silkworm Gu had a natural allure for the poisonous Gu worms—they wanted to devour it but also feared it.
But she was different.
He Sui’an had nothing inside her, so what made her flesh and blood different from others? Qi Buyan couldn’t figure it out.
As Qi Buyan pondered this, He Sui’an climbed up to the windowsill and sat beside him. The windowsill was just big enough for two people, their bodies pressed together, their breaths mingling.
After running around all day, He Sui’an’s waist and bones ached. She stretched lazily: “What are you looking at?”
Qi Buyan lifted his gaze slightly.
“Nothing.”
He turned his face to look at her. She had been doing something outside, her long hair slightly messy, her dress full of wrinkles, her face dirty, with a black smudge on her nose.
He Sui’an, unaware of her appearance, felt Qi Buyan’s cool hand touch her face, his fingers wiping away the black smudge on her nose.
“Is there something dirty?” He Sui’an also rubbed her nose.
“Yes.” He dropped his hand.
He Sui’an wiped her nose with her sleeve, the rough action turning her pale skin slightly red. She looked up and asked, “Is it gone now?”
Qi Buyan replied, “It’s gone.”
She grabbed Qi Buyan’s hand and pulled him off the windowsill, intending to go eat. He Sui’an had been busy all afternoon and hadn’t had time to eat. Qi Buyan also looked like he hadn’t eaten, so they might as well eat together.
They ate at a restaurant next to the inn, not taking long.
Usually, He Sui’an ate slowly, but tonight she wolfed down her food. After finishing her meal, she quickly paid the bill and hurried back to the inn with Qi Buyan, as if she had something urgent to do or feared missing something.
Night fell, and the lights of countless homes lit up, making Chang’an look like it was filled with serpentine trails of fire, a spectacular sight.
They climbed onto the roof of the inn.
He Sui’an looked around.
The silver ornaments on Qi Buyan’s body jingled softly as he moved across the glazed tiles, casting shadows on his skin, adding a touch of mystery.
From the long street opposite the inn, a sudden exclamation rang out. The townspeople looked up at the sky, pointing at the numerous Kongming lanterns that seemed to appear out of nowhere: “Who released these lanterns? There’s writing on them.”
Each lantern bore the same crooked traditional characters.
On the rooftop.
The evening wind rose, and silver bells jingled.
In the night sky, the lanterns swayed, drifting with the wind, each one resembling a star in a constellation. He Sui’an leaned close to Qi Buyan’s ear, her breath warm: “Happy birthday, Qi Buyan.”
Among the townspeople on the long street, some curiously read aloud the words on the lanterns. One after another, “Happy birthday” echoed, but Qi Buyan only heard He Sui’an’s words.
A tingling sensation spread through the boy’s ears.
It was as if a stone had been tossed into the still waters of his heart, creating ripples that spread outward.
The ripples lingered for a long time.
Qi Buyan wanted to grasp that stone, to hold it tightly in his palm.
Even if the stone’s edges would cut into his skin, causing him to bleed profusely, he still wanted to hold it. Why? He couldn’t say, didn’t know.
But he just wanted to.
awwwww <3