He Sui’an squeezed the note back into her palm after glancing at it, not wanting Qi Buyan to know about it. She turned to look at him, trying to stay calm, “Why did you come out? I was just about to go back to my room.”
He was half-leaning against the vermillion gate, looking up at her. With his arms crossed, the tassel of the bone flute slanted on his belt swayed near the indigo fabric at his waist, drawing one’s gaze instinctively to that part of his body.
Qi Buyan also saw Ah Xuan.
However, he was a step too late and only saw Ah Xuan’s departing back, “Princess Luoyan wants to see us today… Why did he come to see you?” He answered her question first, then asked his own.
The “he” referred to Ah Xuan.
He Sui’an quickly thought of an answer, “He came to see me about Miss Jiang.”
Qi Buyan looked at He Sui’an walking towards him. Today, she wore a light cyan flowing wide-sleeved dress, the hem swaying gently with her steps, and silver-threaded butterflies embroidered on her waist.
He was unsure whether to believe her or not, “About Miss Jiang?”
He Sui’an said, “They have already found Miss Jiang and dispelled the Gu poison from her. Because I know Miss Jiang, Aunt Cui specifically sent him to inform me to put me at ease.”
She wasn’t exactly lying; the first sentence in the note was about this matter, and the following content was about ways to conceal the Gu’s aura.
Qi Buyan wasn’t interested in their affairs and didn’t ask further, “Hmm.”
He Sui’an took his hand.
She said, “Then let’s go see Princess Luoyan now.” After seeing Princess Luoyan, they still had to meet Su Yang, Shen Jianhe, and others.
Regarding the matter of time travel, He Sui’an would omit it. Qi Buyan would believe her, but that didn’t mean others would. It would be good enough if they didn’t think she was crazy, so she had to think carefully about how to explain Liu Yan’s matter.
As He Sui’an thought about this, they walked towards the rear garden of the princess’s residence.
A servant walked ahead to lead the way.
The meeting place was in the rear garden.
Princess Luoyan was picking flowers. The surroundings were filled with blooming flowers, wisteria entwined, and rockeries rising and falling. The sound of spring water flowing into the pond outside added to the charm of the rockeries and the flowing water.
She wore a vibrant pomegranate-colored long dress, holding a broken flower in her hand, standing among the hundred flowers. The morning dew still lingered on the petals.
“Princess, they are here,” the servant who brought He Sui’an and Qi Buyan reminded Princess Luoyan.
Princess Luoyan looked at them upon hearing this.
The vibrant flowers made her hands look very pale.
He Sui’an first looked at Princess Luoyan, who didn’t seem as cheerful and smiling as usual, then at the flower crumpled in her hand, “Princess.”
Princess Luoyan threw away the flower and invited them to sit in the pavilion in the rear garden. He Sui’an and Qi Buyan exchanged a glance, then followed her into the pavilion. The servant served tea and quietly withdrew.
He Sui’an took a seat.
The pavilion was filled with the delicate aroma of tea.
The tea was floral, the kind that needed to be savored slowly to taste its sweetness. However, Princess Luoyan picked up her teacup and downed it in one gulp, wiping her mouth with her sleeve afterward. Zhi Mo no longer reminded her to maintain her princessly image.
He Sui’an understood that Princess Luoyan was not feeling well; anyone would feel bad after experiencing such events. It was commendable that she hadn’t acted impulsively.
Princess Luoyan got straight to the point.
“What is the reward you want? Speak.” She no longer needed them to confirm that Liu Yan was indeed the one who murdered her brother and sister-in-law.
Some things were just short of being explicitly stated, and Liu Yan had now even stopped pretending. During the banquet, Princess Luoyan only tested him a little, and he couldn’t hold back, attempting to kill He Sui’an and Qi Buyan.
What more proof was needed?
Not believing it would be self-deception.
In any case, Princess Luoyan considered this transaction complete and would not break her promise. The reward she had agreed to give them would be provided, and she didn’t want to delay, so she had found time today to ask them.
Qi Buyan also didn’t beat around the bush and stated directly, “The reward is the Millennium Red Jade.”
Princess Luoyan’s eyes showed hesitation.
Zhi Mo became anxious.
The Millennium Red Jade was a gift from Princess Luoyan’s brother. She had worn it since she was young, and after her brother and sister-in-law’s death, it became a memento, something she often looked at to remember her brother.
Zhi Mo couldn’t bear for Princess Luoyan to lose the Millennium Red Jade, which she used to reminisce about her brother, so she hurriedly asked if they could choose something else.
He Sui’an remained silent.
She could see that the Millennium Red Jade might hold significant sentimental value for Princess Luoyan, but she also wanted Qi Buyan to get what he desired. They had made a deal, and he wasn’t asking for it without reason.
Zhi Mo saw Qi Buyan’s gentle expression and smile, thinking he would agree. But to her surprise, he said, “No, it has to be the Millennium Red Jade. People who break their promises will die.”
At the word “die,” she took a step back.
“How dare you!”
Qi Buyan smoothed out the barely noticeable creases on his indigo robe, his eyes arching with a smile, “Why wouldn’t I dare?”
Zhi Mo, eager to protect her mistress, said, “Daring to kill a princess of the Great Zhou, you must have a death wish. Even if you are people of the Jianghu, you will face a bounty and be hunted by the authorities.”
“Zhi Mo.”
Princess Luoyan interrupted her.
Zhi Mo retreated to Princess Luoyan’s side, and Princess Luoyan took out the Millennium Red Jade, “I said when I made the deal with them that no matter what reward they wanted, I would give it to them.”
“But…” Zhi Mo still wanted to persuade Princess Luoyan to reconsider. After all, the Millennium Red Jade was a gift from her brother and not something easily discarded.
Princess Luoyan interrupted her again, “Enough, you don’t need to persuade me.”
Zhi Mo fell silent.
They were not in the right.
Princess Luoyan presented the Millennium Red Jade with both hands, “This item is yours now.” Then she shifted the topic, “It’s not very safe for you to stay in Chang’an. Should I arrange for someone to escort you out?”
He Sui’an took the Millennium Red Jade.
She carefully placed it into her pouch, “We still have matters to attend to and will be staying in Chang’an for a while. We’re not ready to leave yet.”
“Very well, then you can stay in the princess’s residence during this time,” Princess Luoyan withdrew her gaze from the Millennium Red Jade, despite her reluctance, she would honor her promise, “If you need anything, you can come to me.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
He Sui’an sincerely thanked her for taking them in.
Princess Luoyan seemed amused, “It’s just a transaction. Because of this deal, you discovered the truth about Liu Yan and suffered as a result. How could I break my promise and turn a blind eye?”
She walked out of the pavilion to continue picking flowers.
Princess Luoyan couldn’t cook, but she had learned to make a certain pastry from her sister-in-law, which happened to be Liu Yan’s favorite. Today, she planned to pick flowers to make a batch and send it to Liu Yan.
Every year during this season, Princess Luoyan would make a flower cake by hand, share it with Liu Yan, and reminisce about their siblings.
Thinking back now, it was ridiculous.
Remembering her siblings in front of the person who murdered them? Liu Yan must have been inwardly laughing at her foolishness and ignorance.
Princess Luoyan picked flowers more forcefully, causing nearby flowers to suffer. The petals trembled and fell, but she stepped on them without a second glance, grinding them into the dirt under her shoes.
Zhi Mo followed behind her.
She knew the pain in her master’s heart and was very afraid that the princess would do something foolish, such as confronting Liu Yan recklessly.
If things escalated, it wouldn’t benefit either side. It was uncertain whom the emperor would support.
Without concrete evidence, it wouldn’t stand.
It would be sheer madness.
Princess Luoyan expressionlessly picked flowers, while Zhi Mo held the basket to collect them. He Sui’an stuffed the pouch containing the Millennium Red Jade onto Qi Buyan and led him out of the pavilion, pulling him out of the residence.
Time was of the essence; they needed to find Su Yang quickly. With this urgency, He Sui’an kept pulling Qi Buyan as they ran out.
A carriage was waiting in front of the princess’s residence.
When she went out to meet Ah Xuan, she had told the servant that they would be going out later and asked for a carriage to be prepared.
The coachman set up the footstool and stood by, bowing and greeting, “Miss, Young Master.”
They lifted the curtain and got in.
He Sui’an sat next to Qi Buyan, her hands resting on her bent knees, palms cradling her head as she thought about what to say when they met with Su Yang and the others.
Qi Buyan raised his hand to fasten a silver ornament to her hair, the one that had fallen during the banquet. He had retrieved it and now tied it back in her hair, the small bells at the ends beautifully decorating her locks.
At the moment Qi Buyan finished securing the ornament, He Sui’an grabbed his wrist.
Underneath his indigo robe was a silver butterfly chain.
Even through the fabric, she could feel the fine outline of the butterfly chain. He Sui’an spoke seriously to Qi Buyan, “For the next while, you must not let me touch your butterfly chain.”
She demonstrated by shaking his hand, “Just like now, you must push my hand away or stop me from touching it.”
Qi Buyan’s hand, limp as if boneless, swayed along with her movement, the butterfly chain jingling softly.
He said nothing.
He Sui’an let go of him.
The next second, she grabbed his hand again. When he didn’t dodge, she was unhappy, “Why didn’t you avoid me?” Last time, when Aunt Cui had grabbed his butterfly chain, his reaction had been quick.
Qi Buyan tilted his head, playing with He Sui’an’s hair, “When you touch me, I don’t want to avoid it. I like it when you touch me.”
She felt both shy and annoyed, bumping her head against him.
He pinched her neck and pulled her away.
Should she wrap Qi Buyan’s hands and feet in something to add extra protection to the butterfly chains? The thought crossed He Sui’an’s mind.
Qi Buyan seemed to read her thoughts.
“I don’t like being restrained.”
People in Miaojiang’s Tianshui Village, who feared death, would sometimes wrap their butterfly chains with cloths many times over, not daring to leave the village.
In short, they tried every possible way to tightly protect their butterfly chains, requiring external removal to touch them.
But it was pointless.
Others could simply cut off a hand or foot, and once the butterfly chain was separated from the body, they would still die.
Besides, he naturally disliked being restrained. He hadn’t done so in the past, wouldn’t do so now, and wouldn’t do so in the future.
He Sui’an let out a disappointed “oh.”
The carriage bumped a bit, making her seat uncomfortable. She expertly laid down on Qi Buyan’s lap, looking up at him, “Can you guess what special Gu technique Liu Yan might use to control me?”
Last night, when she had told Qi Buyan that Liu Yan might use Gu techniques to control her from a distance to kill him, she had forgotten to ask if he could think of any possibilities.
“I can’t.”
There were also Gu techniques he hadn’t encountered.
Qi Buyan twirled a long strand of He Sui’an’s hair, looking down at her.
Lying down, the baby fat on her face, which had been with her for over ten years, was more noticeable, soft and plump. Her skin was a rosy white, with dark, half-lowered eyelashes, and a narrow, high nose.
Somehow, Qi Buyan seemed to be able to remember every one of He Sui’an’s expressions.
