Lanyin also saw Qi Yubai.
He stood not far from her in the covered walkway. From a distance, with black tiles and red pillars, carved beams and painted rafters, the structure’s decorative patterns bore traces of age, yet they did not appear old or dilapidated. Instead, they exuded a sense of time’s deep accumulation.
From Lanyin’s angle, she could see two sparrows nestled together on the lacquered red railing. Behind Qi Yubai was a bright, open moon gate leading to the Qi residence’s rear garden. Layers of lush green leaves spread faintly behind him, with glimpses of red and white—the lingering traces of peach and apricot blossoms yet to fully wither. He was dressed in a plain gray robe, one hand holding Buddhist prayer beads, the other resting behind his back. Perhaps hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned his gaze in her direction.
It was still those pitch-black, deep, and silent eyes, devoid of any ripples.
If it were in the past, Lanyin would have found her heart pounding uncontrollably just upon encountering him, even before getting close. But perhaps because they had interacted a few times now, when she met Qi Yubai again, she was no longer as tense as she once was, nor did she feel the urge to avoid him. The moment he looked over, she nodded slightly at him, intending to go over and greet him.
However, before she could move, Sun An murmured behind her, “Strange… how is it that we keep running into the young master these past few days?”
Lanyin’s steps paused.
She didn’t know what Sun An meant, nor did she ask. Instead, she merely hesitated for a brief moment before resuming her steps toward Qi Yubai.
“Sir.”
She stopped outside the walkway, maintaining a respectful distance as she greeted him.
“Mm.”
Qi Yubai lowered his gaze to look at her. The setting sun still hung in the sky, and the crimson evening glow bathed her figure. Standing within it, she seemed like a celestial consort from an ancient painting, radiating a pure and holy light. His dark eyes lingered briefly on her delicate, fair neck before withdrawing his gaze as if nothing had happened.
Tianqing had already left before Lanyin arrived, so now only Qi Yubai remained in the long corridor. He rotated the prayer beads in his hand, his downcast gaze falling on her lips—full and moist, appearing particularly rich in color despite the absence of rouge.
His gaze deepened, turning so dark it felt bottomless. The prayer beads in his hand stopped moving. Fearing that Lanyin would notice, he lowered his eyes, concealing the sudden intensity within them. Then, as if making casual conversation, he said, “These past few days, you’ve worked hard.”
He was accustomed to speaking concisely.
Those unfamiliar with him might struggle to grasp his meaning immediately.
Yet strangely, although Lanyin was not close to him, she understood his words right away. Her brows curved slightly, forming a crescent shape, and she looked at him as she replied, “I was just about to ask if you’re accustomed to the kitchen maid’s cooking.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “If you find anything unsatisfactory, feel free to mention it. I’ll have her make adjustments.”
The kitchen maids she brought from the Marquis’s residence were gifts from her grandmother when she left Jinling.
Although they could prepare a variety of dishes, they excelled in Jinling cuisine. When Lanyin previously inquired about Qi Yubai’s preferences, he did not express any particular fondness for a specific cuisine. Remembering that he had lived in Jinling for several years, she decided to have the maids prepare Jinling dishes first. If he didn’t like them, she could always make arrangements later.
She had grown accustomed to conversing with Qi Yubai and no longer lowered her head like she used to. Now, she spoke while looking directly into his eyes. However, she was a full head shorter than Qi Yubai, and with him standing in the covered walkway, she had to tilt her head up even more to meet his gaze.
Lanyin was entirely unaware of her own charm. She did not realize how elegant her swan-like neck appeared when she lifted her head. The innate nobility in her bearing, combined with years of training in etiquette, made it difficult to conceal her beauty even without deliberate adornment. She merely looked at Qi Yubai with calm eyes, her brows curved, her lips slightly smiling.
But to Qi Yubai, who had always been composed and reserved, her expression only made the depths of his gaze grow darker.
Qi Yubai’s long fingers pressed against the prayer beads.
His fingertips traced over the carved characters of the Buddha’s name on the beads, yet the person disturbing his thoughts stood before him with an open and unguarded gaze, completely oblivious to the turbulence in his eyes.
For once, Qi Yubai felt a rare sense of helplessness.
It was not easy to wait until she was no longer afraid of him and had even begun trying to approach him, yet the direction she was moving in was not the one he had hoped for.
That should have been painful.
He had waited for two lifetimes, through thousands of days and nights, enduring endless loneliness and solitude. Yet, as long as he could see Gu Lanyin standing safely before him at this moment, Qi Yubai felt no bitterness at all. Instead, he tasted a hint of sweetness.
He did not feel frustrated.
He had waited for so many years; he did not mind waiting a little longer.
Moreover, compared to that lifetime where they had passed each other without a word, things were already much better now. At least she was moving closer to him. He was not in a hurry. Rather than forcing her away under circumstances beyond his control, he preferred to let his little hedgehog come to him on her own, little by little.
Suppressing the deep, dark desire in his eyes, he did his best to act as he usually did.
“Let’s go.”
After speaking, he retracted his gaze first. However, unlike before, he did not immediately walk ahead but instead stood aside and waited for her.
Lanyin had intended to follow him, but seeing this, she found it odd.
She looked up at him, just about to ask, when Qi Yubai said lightly, “Grandmother complained yesterday that I did not wait for you.” He was certain that Lanyin would not question him further, so he casually picked a reason to explain his actions.
“Ah…” Lanyin was momentarily stunned. When she understood, she felt somewhat embarrassed. She apologized to Qi Yubai, her voice full of guilt. “I’ve troubled you, sir.” Then she added, “But truly, there’s no need. I can just walk behind you.”
“Or, when we reach Songzhi Courtyard, I can then—” Her voice gradually weakened under the man’s deep, dark phoenix eyes. By the end, as she looked into his pitch-black gaze, she found herself unable to continue speaking at all.
That rarely happened.
Except for when she had first arrived in Jinling as a child and had been somewhat cautious in her dealings with others, she was usually composed and unhurried. Even when facing Xiao Ye in the past, she had never hesitated like this. Yet, when it came to Qi Yubai…
Locking eyes with him for a moment, Lanyin ultimately did not finish her sentence.
Perhaps she lacked the courage to refuse.
She sighed lightly in her heart but, in the end, still took a step toward him.
It was only when she reached his side that she noticed the faint scent of ebony sandalwood on him. She had never realized it before because they had always kept a certain distance. Now that she was closer, she could tell that Qi Yubai’s sandalwood fragrance was different from the usual kind—it was clearer, like a gust of wind and snow wrapped around it.
Lanyin did not like sandalwood. She found its scent too heavy, and if she smelled it for too long, it made her feel dizzy and uncomfortable. But Qi Yubai’s sandalwood scent—she liked it very much.
It felt as though an expansive world was unfolding before her.
In the distance were snowy mountains, wild geese soaring over their peaks, and lush, frost-covered pines swaying in the wind.
As she took in this scent, an untimely thought surfaced in her mind. She recalled what people had once said about Qi Yubai at banquets…
A lone pine standing atop the Tianshan Mountains, evergreen and unyielding.
Cold and aloof, yet drawing people in, making them want to peel away that layer of frost and see what lay beneath.
Lanyin thought to herself—
There were so many people in Bianjing who adored Qi Yubai, and it was not without reason. Beyond his own excellence, just his distinct temperament alone was enough to captivate. She knew that many people in Bianjing harbored admiration for Qi Yubai—not only young maidens experiencing their first stirrings of love but also many married women.
Lanyin had often heard those ladies discussing Qi Yubai at banquets in the past.
The gatherings of married women were different from those of young maidens.
Even if young girls deeply admired someone, they would only blush and whisper about their affections, never daring to overstep boundaries. But married women were different.
Especially the well-known widows of the city—bold and uninhibited, never caring for others’ judgment. Lanyin remembered that one of these women had once commented on Qi Yubai, saying:
“A man like Lord Qi, he looks scholarly, but that waist, those shoulders, those legs… If he were to shed his robes, I’d wager he wouldn’t be any less powerful than those rugged military men. But where do those crude warriors compare to Lord Qi in terms of grace? If Qi Lang were willing to indulge me just once, I’d gladly trade ten years of my life for it.”
Someone laughed at her.
But she only scoffed, saying, “Life is but a few decades—shouldn’t one live for pleasure? Rather than following the rules all my life, I’d rather indulge in passion. Besides, don’t you all wonder what the esteemed lord would look like if he cast off that mask of cold indifference? A man like him, once moved by passion, would be like a divine Buddha lowering his head to you. Don’t you want to taste what that feels like?”
At the time, Lanyin had only furrowed her brows upon hearing those words.
Back then, she did not know Qi Yubai, but she had thought that a man of his temperament and character would likely detest being spoken about in such a manner.
But now—
The man she had once only been able to observe from afar was now right beside her. They were close, barely half an arm’s length apart. She could even catch the scent of him, and before she realized it, she found herself quietly studying him.
The setting sun cast its golden light.
The man beside her had long phoenix eyes and sharp brows, his bearing distant and reserved, truly resembling a celestial being standing high upon a mountain peak, gazing down upon the world with neither desire nor emotion.
It made one want to pull him down to the mortal world—to see what he would look like if he were touched by passion, if he experienced love, hatred, obsession, and desire.
If a god or Buddha were to bow before you, what would you do?
That long-forgotten phrase suddenly resurfaced in her mind at this moment. As she gazed at the man beside her up close, her heart trembled imperceptibly—
Like a stone dropped into a lake, sending ripples outward.
“What is it?”
Her prolonged gaze naturally drew Qi Yubai’s attention. Thinking she had something to say, he halted his steps, lowered his gaze, and looked down at her, his voice carrying a concern that Lanyin failed to notice.
Qi Yubai stood under the corridor’s eaves, looking down at Gu Lanyin.
But when Lanyin heard his voice, the unfocused daze in her eyes gradually sharpened, and she met Qi Yubai’s dark phoenix eyes. At first, her expression remained composed, but the moment she saw his face up close, it changed abruptly.
And then she recalled her own thoughts just now—
Her ears burned red in an instant.
She did not know if it was from embarrassment or frustration, but she silently berated herself in her heart.
She must be insane.
How could she think of him that way?
Lanyin’s fingers trembled slightly. She didn’t dare look at Qi Yubai at all. Hiding her shaking hands in her sleeves, she lowered her voice and mumbled, “It’s nothing,” before hastily walking ahead—completely unaware that she had left him standing behind.
Qi Yubai remained in place, watching her hurried figure.
His long brows furrowed ever so slightly in rare confusion.