Qi Buyan had his head lowered, his eyes downcast. He needed to adjust to He Sui’an’s height, whether standing or sitting. Whenever he looked at her, he had to accommodate her height.
Otherwise, Qi Buyan wouldn’t be able to see He Sui’an’s facial expressions clearly and thus wouldn’t be able to understand and sense her emotions.
He Sui’an held the small braid hanging over Qi Buyan’s shoulder, flicking the silver ornament at the end.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
The small bell made a crisp sound.
He Sui’an took off the silver bell ornament, saying, “Let me wear it for a bit.” Although she didn’t know Princess Luoyan’s intentions, since they were invited to a banquet, she couldn’t dress too plainly.
She had left the silver ornaments Qi Buyan had given her in the inn room.
“Sure.” He tied the end of her braid with a silk ribbon and attached the small bell ornament, the silver contrasting against her black hair.
She then looked at the forehead ornament Qi Buyan was wearing.
Though it was just a casual glance, she felt as if Qi Buyan’s eyes softened. He reached behind his head and untied the chain securing the forehead ornament.
The silver tassel forehead ornament was placed on He Sui’an’s forehead, still warm from Qi Buyan’s touch. She continued looking up at him, blinking. In the candlelight, her small face was fair and delicate, her nose small and high.
The forehead ornament had adjustable straps, fitting her forehead perfectly.
The carriage stopped.
Zhi Mo called to them from outside the carriage.
He Sui’an lifted the curtain and stepped out. The coachman had already set up a stool for her to step on. When she looked up, she realized they were at the Princess’s mansion.
Two lifelike stone lions stood at the red gate, guarded by sentries. Behind them, high walls rose, with eaves and intricate carvings, showcasing the grandeur and majesty of the Princess’s residence.
Zhi Mo led the way into the mansion, guiding He Sui’an and Qi Buyan.
The guards recognized her and did not stop them.
Princess Luoyan had spontaneously decided to host a banquet, claiming she wanted to hold one last celebration before marrying into the Nanliang Kingdom. Although the invitations were sent out late, many people still attended.
The Emperor valued the marriage alliance with the Nanliang Kingdom highly and, naturally, valued Princess Luoyan as well. No one dared to refuse her invitation, at least not during this sensitive period.
Almost all the invited guests had arrived.
Not only did they come, but they also brought lavish gifts.
It would be beneficial to have Princess Luoyan speak favorably about them to the Emperor. Even though she was about to marry into the Nanliang Kingdom, she hadn’t left yet, so they could still try to curry favor with her.
Liu Yan sat to the left of Princess Luoyan. The prince from the Nanliang Kingdom was also present, wearing military attire. He was tall and muscular, with healthy, tan skin. He sat to her right.
Xie Wenqiao was also there.
An hour ago, he had received Princess Luoyan’s invitation. He hesitated but ultimately decided to come.
Princess Luoyan didn’t invite him alone; she had invited many people from Chang’an, seemingly ready to move past old grievances. Since that was the case, Xie Wenqiao saw no reason to refuse her.
Xie Wenqiao sat at the far end of the right side of the table, next to an unfamiliar noble young man from the capital.
Prince Tuoba Wu of the Nanliang Kingdom seemed to have heard rumors about Princess Luoyan and Xie Wenqiao, glancing at him from time to time. Xie Wenqiao remained unfazed, sitting upright with a posture as straight as bamboo.
Tuoba Wu slowly scanned the people at the banquet, raising his thick eyebrows slightly. Were all the citizens of Great Zhou so slender? It seemed like he could knock them all down with one punch. No wonder they avoided war.
He downed a bowl of wine.
While others used small wine cups, Tuoba Wu had requested this bowl from the staff at the Princess’s residence, preferring to drink heartily and without restraint.
He Sui’an and Qi Buyan were led by Zhi Mo to Princess Luoyan. When Liu Yan saw them, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and his grip on his wine cup tightened and then loosened. He looked thoughtfully at Princess Luoyan.
Princess Luoyan ignored him and rose to greet them, saying, “Miss He, Mr. Qi.”
He Sui’an bowed.
“Princess Luoyan,” she replied.
It was not common for the Princess to stand and greet someone, so the guests at the banquet all eyed them curiously. Xie Wenqiao’s look was one of surprise, though he didn’t show it.
Tuoba Wu also scrutinized them. When he arrived at the Princess’s residence, Princess Luoyan hadn’t risen to greet him, but now she did for them. Did this mean their status was special?
Their attire was indeed distinctive.
The young man was adorned with silver ornaments from head to toe, making sounds in the breeze, and a bone flute that looked like jade hung at his waist.
Compared to the typical elegant attire seen in Chang’an, Qi Buyan’s dark blue clothes had a unique style, covered with intricate embroidered patterns that invited close inspection.
The totem-like designs seemed almost alive. At first glance, they were exquisitely beautiful, but a prolonged look could dizzy anyone with weak willpower, as the intricate patterns seemed to twist unexpectedly.
Tuoba Wu rubbed his brow, calming his mind, then looked at the girl.
He Sui’an wore a light yellow high-waisted ruqun. The skirt’s ribbon was tied at her waist, the ends draping diagonally over her legs. Her long braid, interwoven with silk ribbons, hung in front of her chest, decorated with silver bell ornaments.
She wore a forehead ornament, the hanging tassels swaying gently, casting a shadow on her skin that accentuated her facial contours.
Besides their striking good looks, Tuoba Wu couldn’t see anything particularly special about them at the moment.
Princess Luoyan invited them to sit beside her. Tuoba Wu scoffed; she didn’t even treat him, her future husband, with such importance.
He Sui’an, under the gaze of everyone around, took her seat.
Qi Buyan sat next to her.
After settling them, Princess Luoyan returned to her place and raised her cup, toasting everyone present. Tuoba Wu downed another bowl of wine. Liu Yan lowered his eyes and sipped his wine slowly.
Qi Buyan didn’t drink alcohol, so He Sui’an poured him a cup of tea as a substitute.
Once there, He Sui’an could roughly guess Princess Luoyan’s intentions. It seemed she wanted to make her intentions clear and test Liu Yan.
She couldn’t wait for them to confirm it.
After the toast, Princess Luoyan put down her cup, her demeanor bright and cheerful. Looking at Liu Yan, she said, “Uncle, I will soon be married to the Nanliang Kingdom. The person I’ll miss the most is you.”
Tuoba Wu watched with interest.
People of Great Zhou were so sentimental. Getting married seemed like a matter of life and death to them, unlike the straightforwardness of the Nanliang Kingdom.
Xie Wenqiao felt that Princess Luoyan’s behavior tonight was off. There was an unusual emotion behind her smile that he couldn’t quite place, but it wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have been such a smile.
He Sui’an, aware of the truth, was anxious.
Qi Buyan leisurely drank his tea.
Liu Yan smiled lovingly, his expression full of affection. The way he looked at Princess Luoyan was as if he were looking at his own daughter, which moved those around them.
Even Princess Luoyan wavered in her resolve to test him, but she quickly reaffirmed her decision: “Bring in the gift I prepared for my uncle.”
“Yes,” Zhi Mo responded, bringing in a red brocade box in front of everyone.
The box was open.
Inside was a Water jade pendant.
A wealthy merchant had bought the Water jade pendant at the auction, and Princess Luoyan had purchased it from him at a high price. She took the red brocade box from Zhi Mo and presented it herself: “Uncle, do you like it?”
Liu Yan calmly accepted it and said, “Ah Yan, you are so thoughtful. I like it very much.”
Princess Luoyan’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled slightly, but she continued to smile as if she were pleased: “I’m glad you like it, Uncle. It was worth the effort to get this Water jade pendant.”
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
Recently, there had been talk of a Water jade pendant being auctioned off and bought by a wealthy merchant. Now, Princess Luoyan presented a Water jade pendant to Prince Liu Yan. What a coincidence.
Wasn’t the Water jade pendant supposed to be extremely rare? How could there suddenly be two?
Princess Luoyan didn’t pay attention to their reactions: “Uncle, it’s been a long time since we’ve sparred. Since everyone is here, why don’t we perform a sword dance together for them?”
Liu Yan had learned martial arts from her brother and sister-in-law and could perform their moves.
Why hadn’t she thought of this before?
Liu Yan closed the red brocade box containing the Water jade pendant, handed it to his attendant, and maintained his smile: “Another day, perhaps. I’ve been feeling unwell recently.”
Princess Luoyan appeared to blame herself: “Uncle, have you seen an imperial physician? If you’re unwell, you didn’t need to come today. It’s my fault for impulsively deciding to host this banquet.”
“It’s nothing serious,” Liu Yan said. “I wanted to come; it’s not your fault.”
She fell silent.
Suddenly, Tuoba Wu stood up and volunteered, “I’ll entertain the Princess.”
“Very well,” Princess Luoyan said, eager to release her frustration. She drew a sword and tossed another to him. In the next instant, she spun away, her robes fluttering gracefully, moving with the speed of a dragon.
Tuoba Wu initially approached the match with the intention of playing along with the pampered princess, but he soon developed a certain admiration.
Her every move was precise, her internal strength formidable, and her sharp sword aura was palpable.
Where her sword passed, not a blade of grass remained.
As they were about to reach a draw, Princess Luoyan pushed herself to surpass Tuoba Wu, exerting all her strength for the final move. At the critical moment, a stone was flung from an unknown direction, striking her sword from her hand.
The sword, infused with Princess Luoyan’s strong internal force, flew toward He Sui’an and Qi Buyan’s table.
“Watch out!” Princess Luoyan cried out in alarm.
Qi Buyan caught the sword, but as everyone’s attention was on the sword, a dagger appeared out of nowhere, silently flying towards He Sui’an. She twisted her body, rolling to one side.
She avoided the dagger, but fell to the ground, hitting the back of her head on the hard stone floor. Her ears rang, a buzzing sound filling her head, leaving her mind momentarily blank.
The crowd gasped, not expecting such an incident, speaking in a flurry of voices.
He Sui’an couldn’t hear them.
The ringing in her ears continued.
She reached up to touch her head, her palm growing damp as blood stained her fingers. Her previously blank mind was suddenly flooded with a kaleidoscope of colors, as if fighting to fill every corner.
The jar holding her long-sealed memories shattered completely, and memories surged uncontrollably, flashing through her mind like a film reel. Unlike the previous fragmented and blurry recollections, these were clear and seamless.
Clear enough to remember everything.
As the memories surged, He Sui’an’s headache intensified. It hurt so much.
So, she had transmigrated into a book.
The memories kept flooding back, causing He Sui’an to clutch her head and roll a few times on the stone floor. Her light yellow high-waisted ruqun became dirty and wrinkled, and the silver ornament at the end of her braid loosened.
With a clatter, the silver ornament fell to the ground, masked by the noise of the banquet.
Qi Buyan dropped the sword and walked towards her. Before he could reach her, He Sui’an got up on her own, her dangling hands covered in blood from hitting the stone floor, a shocking sight.
He reached out to touch her.
But He Sui’an grabbed his hand, not letting him touch her. Her hand, trembling violently, smeared blood onto his.
She remembered everything, every single thing.
Qi Buyan was momentarily stunned.
“He Sui’an…” His voice was so soft it seemed to blend into the dark night.
