“Knife and chopping block?” Ji Yuluo chuckled, a few strands of damp hair clinging to her cheeks. Bright red petals accumulated around her collarbone, blending shades of intensity, creating an exquisite allure. With a half-smile, she said, “A thief who stumbles into a wolf’s den is still a thief. Tonight, we’re in the same boat. Why talk about who is the knife and who is the meat? Besides, Lord Huo, you probably cherish your life more than I do.”
Ji Yuluo paused, then suddenly shouted, “Someone—someone—”
If discovered, Ji Yuluo could at most fight her way out and flee far from the capital. But Huo Xian was different, a fact she keenly exploited. He abruptly reached out to cover her mouth, but as he momentarily released his grip, Ji Yuluo seized the opportunity to strike. Huo Xian was momentarily blocked, and with a splash, water sprayed into the air like mist.
Huo Xian tilted his head, discerning her direction by the sound of the water. He thrust a palm out, and Ji Yuluo swiftly dodged, her hand cutting towards him like a knife. Their hands moved like shadows on the water, stirring waves. Finally, Ji Yuluo suddenly rose and kicked Huo Xian squarely in the chest. He sank into the water but grabbed her skirt, pulling her down with him.
Both choked on water, neither faring well.
However, Huo Xian fared worse.
When Ji Yuluo fell into the water, she braced herself against Huo Xian, hearing him grunt in pain. She tried to push herself up, but the soft sensation under her palm changed…
For a long moment, the water seemed to still, even the ripples paused. Then, with a sudden splash, both emerged, their faces equally grim.
Ji Yuluo hid her hand behind her back, “You—”
Her expression changed several times as she looked at Huo Xian. His face was stern, and he turned away to breathe heavily. When he looked back, his expression was neutral. Meeting her strange gaze, he said indifferently, “What, didn’t touch enough?”
Ji Yuluo’s lips moved but said nothing. Seeing he had no intention of attacking again, she quickly stood up, grabbed a towel, and some clean clothes, and left the bath, going behind a screen to change out of her wet dance dress.
As this was a guest room, there were no women’s clothes, only a white robe meant for sleeping. The robe didn’t fit well, being loose and long, with the pants trailing underfoot.
After changing, she paused and looked at her empty fingers, frowning as she picked up her dance dress from the floor.
Just then, a shadow loomed over her. “Looking for this?”
Huo Xian had also changed into a white robe, which fit him much better.
He leaned against the bedpost, casually playing with Ji Yuluo’s jade and silver ring, looking nonchalant.
Ji Yuluo’s expression hardened as she reached for it. Huo Xian quickly clenched it in his fist, crossing his arms. “Answer my question.”
Ji Yuluo gazed at him coldly, seeming to weigh her options for a long time before extending her hand. “Ji Yuluo.”
Huo Xian raised an eyebrow, drawing out his response, “Oh—the ‘jade falling on a jade plate’ Yuluo?”
Ji Yuluo didn’t reply, her silence an acknowledgment.
Huo Xian shook her hand, then turned and climbed onto the bed. “Take me to the exit of that secret passage some other day, and I’ll return your ring and the hairpin you left here—don’t start a fight, it’s not worth it for a ring.”
“…”
Ji Yuluo stared at him, but Huo Xian had already laid down, closed his eyes, and rested his arm under his head. She stood expressionless by the bed for a while, then kicked the bed’s edge before walking to the central table and sitting down.
The bed creaked twice. With his eyes closed, Huo Xian’s lips curved slightly. He raised his arm, taking out the silver ring, and the smile vanished from his lips.
He rubbed the jade on the ring with his thumb, polishing it until it shone brightly.
The jade on the ring was polished smooth, with its veins abruptly stopping at the inlaid silver.
He stared at it for a long time, as if trying to bore a hole through it.
Back when Lou Panshun was burned to a crisp, he was clutching his beloved sword. The scabbard had been adorned with a tassel, and beneath the tassel was a piece of jade, much larger than Ji Yuluo’s ring. However, the tassel was burned away in the fire, and the jade’s whereabouts remained unknown.
It was possible it had shattered in the fire. He searched the Eastern Palace but found nothing.
Lou Panshun had said that once he grew up, he would give him that sword.
The jade was too heavy, unwieldy on the scabbard. He suggested cutting it in two and polishing each piece slightly, so master and apprentice could each have half.
Huo Xian wasn’t particularly fond of such delicate things; they were too feminine. Only the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace liked to wear such items.
Suddenly, Huo Xian clenched the silver ring tightly, the veins on the back of his hand standing out. His breathing grew heavy, his chest feeling as if filled with turbulent seas.
Why…
He closed his eyes, recalling the late emperor’s words from six years ago.
Six years ago, Emperor Chenghe was only twenty-four or twenty-five.
The young emperor stood alone on a high platform, a look of sorrow on his face, saying, “From now on, no one will believe you. Everyone will abandon you.”
Everyone will abandon you.
The silver ring dug painfully into his palm, the taste of blood rising in his throat. The veins in his wrist pulsed as if something were trying to break free, stimulated into action. It was the end of the month again. Huo Xian pressed his left hand against his right wrist, suppressing the unruly insect with internal force.
The pain subsided, but his body remained tense. Suddenly, a faint sound came from nearby, pulling him back to reality. He turned his head to look.
Ji Yuluo stood by the window, lightly dressed, having opened a corner of the window. The cold wind invaded, chilling the room.
Her hair was still half-wet, clinging to her clothes. The robe hung loosely on her, the pant legs too long, trailing underfoot. She looked out the window, revealing a section of her fair neck and profile, with an expression as if lightly burdened, like snow that wouldn’t melt.
It was as if she was shrouded in loneliness, evoking a sense of empathy and pity.
But this pity was quickly shattered by a falcon flying to the window.
At the sound of a whistle, the falcon with outstretched wings landed on the windowsill. Ji Yuluo tied a note to its leg, a message to Hongshuang to assure her of her safety and to dismantle the day’s arrangements.
She patted the falcon’s head, and it flew away again.
“…”
Huo Xian withdrew his gaze, the earlier discomfort dissipating.
So the bird calls he occasionally heard from the study were her way of communicating with this falcon.
Huo Xian couldn’t help but smile.
Ji Yuluo turned at the sound, her brows furrowed. Their eyes met, and she gave him a cold glance before returning to her seat, sitting upright with a straight back.
The night felt exceedingly long for Ji Yuluo, who sat upright throughout.
The Xiao household was in constant turmoil, with the sound of guards’ footsteps, the clanking of armor and swords, and the restless atmosphere keeping everyone awake. Even some noble guests who had stayed overnight were so disturbed that they gathered in a room to play cards.
Amid the swearing and crude jokes, Ji Yuluo tried to rest with her eyes closed, like Xie Subai had taught her. But perhaps because of what she had touched that night, the bawdy talk next door made it impossible for her to calm her mind, leaving her irritable until dawn.
Ji Yuluo simply didn’t sleep at all, while Huo Xian had a restless night.
He spent half the night having bizarre dreams: at one moment, the late emperor pushed him off a cliff, where he clung to a vine on the rock face, while Lou Panshun didn’t reach out to help because Zhao Yong was hanging from his feet. The dreams kept changing until the latter part of the night when he finally managed to fall asleep.
As the first light of dawn touched half his face, he slowly opened his eyes, meeting the silent gaze of Ji Yuluo, who stood by the bed.
After a long silence, he rubbed his nose and said with a hint of morning hoarseness, “Who are you trying to scare?”
Ji Yuluo had already changed into her dried dance dress and put on a veil. She said, “It’s dawn. We can leave now.”
Huo Xian got up and looked out the window.
The Xiao household hadn’t found anyone, but they couldn’t just lock down the courtyard and prevent people from leaving. It was manageable with their own people, but Xiao Yuanting had invited many noble guests yesterday, and the Xiao family couldn’t afford to detain them.
Even detaining Huo Xian was out of the question.
They had to let people go.
Huo Xian escorted Ji Yuluo out, drawing envious looks from a few young nobles who were also leaving.
Although palace dancers were servants meant for entertainment, women from the palace, even just maids, belonged to the emperor. Anyone else would think twice before touching them. But Huo Xian, with just a word, could have any palace servant he wanted, as the emperor would readily grant him such requests.
He already had two former palace dancers in his residence.
As Huo Xian exchanged pleasantries, Ji Yuluo had no choice but to leave with the palace entourage.
There were three or four open carriages. Ji Yuluo, along with two or three other dancers, rode in the last one. The dancers, terrified after spending the night outside the palace, hadn’t slept well. They fell asleep as soon as they got on the carriage, making it quiet.
As they approached the alleyway, Ji Yuluo noticed a carriage parked to the side, with Nanyue sitting on the driver’s seat. Without hesitation, she jumped off her carriage and climbed into the other one.
Huo Xian sat inside, his eyes showing a trace of satisfaction.
Seeing that she got on willingly without him having to fetch her was a relief. It meant she hadn’t yet decided to run away, saving him a lot of trouble.
On a small table inside the carriage lay a set of women’s clothing, clearly meant for her.
Huo Xian gestured for her to change and asked, “Where is the secret passage exit?”
“The Mingxiang Pavilion on Dongzhi Gate Street, a teahouse,” she said, beginning to change. Her hands paused at her clothing ties, and she glanced at Huo Xian.
Huo Xian met her gaze, his eyes briefly lingering on her chest before he slowly closed them.
Ji Yuluo watched his long eyelashes, then took off her outer dance dress and shawl. She paused, feeling a strange discomfort. Unlike their previous feigned interactions, everything was laid bare now. Sitting there in broad daylight, changing in front of him felt awkward and out of place.
This discomfort was indeed unwarranted, given the urgency of the situation. In the past, traveling to various places often presented more inconvenient circumstances. There was no reason to feel awkward now.
Thinking this, Ji Yuluo nodded to herself and swiftly changed her clothes.
The enclosed carriage was filled with the rustling sound of fabric. She placed her light dance dress to the side, its hem touching Huo Xian’s leg. With the carriage’s swaying, the thin fabric repeatedly brushed against the back of Huo Xian’s hand, causing a slight tickle.
