Dou Akou's eyes dimmed, like an oil lamp that had burned out, bursting forth with a final glimmer of light before going out abruptly, leaving only ashes.
Fu Jiuxin's eyes narrowed in pain, and he turned his gaze away without showing any emotion.
Uncle Chen said, “Miss Dou, if your father hadn’t rescued the young master, our You Kingdom would be without a ruler today. You are a great benefactor to our You Kingdom, and we will never neglect you. Please come this way, I will take you to the Qiongyuan where you are staying, to rest and freshen up, and we can discuss how to rescue Master Dou later, okay?”
The girl beside Fu Jiuxin exclaimed with delight, "Yes, yes! Miss Akou, the scenery in Qiongyuan is very beautiful. I originally wanted to stay there, but Brother Jiu wouldn't let me."
As she spoke, she pouted. Her voice, which was already soft and sweet, became lively like a little sparrow, and sounded like the thawing stream in early spring, each word ringing into people's hearts.
The woman continued, "Look, I now live in Zhilan Courtyard, which is in the south of the palace, very close to Ninth Brother's Danhua Pavilion."
"Qingdai," Fu Jiuxin said, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more.
Dou Akou thought, "So this girl's name is Qingdai. It's a name as beautiful as the person herself."
Uncle Chen waved to Dou Akou again: "Miss Dou, please come this way."
Dou Akou turned around in a daze, glancing at Fu Jiuxin before leaving. Her husband was as indifferent as he had been during the countless days and nights they had spent together, but something was clearly different.
Dou Akou lived in Qiongyuan.
Every corner of this palace seemed to be filled with peach blossoms. Whenever the wind blew, the petals, like pieces of ice silk, would twirl and flutter down to the temples.
Dou Akou leaned against the windowsill, counting the petals that slanted in. She had stayed at Qiongyuan for two days, but Fu Jiuxin ignored her completely. She could only see him once a day, during meals, and never at other times.
Even when you see him, he's always surrounded by people calling him "Young Master." The hands that used to be used to flip through account books and paint pictures now hold swords, secrets of various martial arts sects, and maps of the former Siyou Kingdom—he is truly a young master now.
The woman named Qingdai stayed by his side, listening with a smile as they discussed things she didn't understand. She served them tea and snacks as needed, and spoke gently to comfort them after a long day.
Dou Akou knew she couldn't do it. She didn't even have a chance to be alone with Fu Jiuxin, let alone say anything to him.
She sighed and decided to go for a walk.
The only difference between living here and living in Xu Liren's Ziwei Palace is that she can move freely here, but not in the Ziwei Palace. But apart from that, everything else seems to be a repetition of her previous life of confinement, equally boring and equally hopeless.
She walked out, went around a rockery, and saw Fu Jiuxin and Uncle Chen talking in the Yuchun Pavilion. Qingdai was sitting beside them, idly breaking off pieces of pastry and throwing them at the birds in the tree.
Liu Qingdai, with her sharp eyes, spotted Dou Akou strolling slowly towards her and excitedly leaned half her body out of the pavilion: "Miss Akou! Over here! Come quickly!"
Dou Akou paused, looked up, and saw Fu Jiuxin looking down from above. His gaze merely swept across her face before turning away.
Dou Akou was extremely unwilling, but she could only slowly inch forward. Liu Qingdai warmly pulled her to sit down: "Akou, come, this is freshly brewed Yuchun tea, please try it."
Over there, Uncle Chen glanced at Dou Akou and smiled, "I've finished telling you my story, young master. Why don't you sit with the two young ladies for a while? Qingdai, you're still the same as when you were little. No wonder the young master recognized you."
Liu Qingdai chuckled, met Dou Akou's puzzled gaze, and explained, "Ninth Brother and I have known each other since we were little."
"From childhood?" Dou Akou felt very uncomfortable. She had always thought that her husband had been with her since childhood, but now there was suddenly someone else trying to steal her husband's affection.
"Yes. Back then, Ninth Brother's mother lived with him in Longfeng Town. My house was across the street from his, and we played together since we were little. Then Ninth Brother moved away when he was ten, and we never saw each other again..."
Dou Akou suddenly realized that she had thought she and A Xin had a ten-year bond from growing up together, but she had forgotten A Xin's life before the age of ten. It seemed that Qing Dai was A Xin's true childhood sweetheart, and what did she, who had jumped in halfway, amount to?
Speaking of which, when Dad found Ah Xin that year, he did say that he found her in the Longfeng Town area. Ten years have passed, and Ah Xin has grown up and returned to his hometown to reunite with his childhood sweetheart. It's practically a classic love story between a talented man and a beautiful woman.
She, however, seemed like a superfluous character with nowhere to belong in this story.
After Uncle Chen left, Liu Qingdai was reminded of her childhood memories and excitedly tugged at Fu Jiuxin's sleeve, chattering, "Brother Jiu, do you remember Fatty Wang, the butcher in Longfeng Town? The one who used to bully us all the time when we were kids? He got married, and his wife is quite pretty! And that tofu pudding stall at the town entrance, the owner passed away last year, and his son took over the stall, but his skills are really not as good as his father's..."
Dou Akou was in great distress, so much so that she felt like she was about to cry. She put a few pieces of hibiscus cake in her pocket and said hesitantly, "I'm leaving now."
She didn't see that Fu Jiuxin was following her closely behind.
Dou Akou tucked a few pieces of cake into her pocket, found a sheltered spot, and sat down to stare blankly at the pond.
Yes, who is Ah Xin now? The boy who once wandered the streets is now a member of the royal family, a descendant of a once-prosperous and powerful dynasty. And who is she? Her only identity to rely on was that of the Dou family, the imperial merchants of the Huang Dynasty, and even that identity has now been lost due to the confiscation of her property and imprisonment.
His world is so vast, while hers is only such a small square.
Dou Akou suddenly remembered Ding Zisu's drunken outburst and the things she said to her in her room: the daughter of this elder, the niece of that important minister... Perhaps one day Axin will also walk down this path.
Dou Akou lowered her head, wanting to cry but unable to.
"Hey, Tangyuanzi, you're here?" Suddenly someone jumped out from behind the artificial rockery, their voice filled with surprise.
Dou Akou was startled and instinctively drew her sword. The newcomer dodged Dou Akou's move with extreme agility. With a clang, he had already caught the blade between his fingers and dodged to the side. The tip of the sword was deflected by him and sliced off a piece of rock from the artificial mountain.
"Wow, what a sharp knife!" the man exclaimed in amazement.
Dou Akou looked closely and saw that it was a very young man, who seemed to be one of the young men she had seen practicing martial arts when she followed Uncle Chen to the palace.
She met his eyes, which were exceptionally bright, clean and handsome, with the unique vigor and vitality of youth. He seemed to radiate sunshine.
The boy scratched his head and grinned: "Tangyuanzi, my name is Su Luoyang, and I work under the young master."
Dou Akou was already unhappy, and now she was even more unhappy. Why did she always get nicknames? Before, it was Dou Sprout; now, it's Tangyuan (sweet rice ball).
She was an honest person, and even when she was angry, she didn't know how to express it, so she could only eat her cake in silence: "Don't call me Tangyuan (sweet rice ball)."
"Hey, why aren't you a glutinous rice ball? Look at you, you're just a glutinous rice ball with osmanthus filling, soft and plump..."
Su Luoyang was beaming for a while, but seeing that Dou Akou was completely ignoring him, he quieted down and sat on the riverbank, lost in thought with Dou Akou.
He was a restless person who couldn't stand being alone, and soon he became fidgety, swaying his body as he asked, "Tangyuanzi, do you like the young master?"
Dou Akou was shocked and exclaimed, "You figured it out?"
Su Luoyang rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, anyone could see it. He had been watching this girl for a long time. He had never seen a girl so bold as to chase her lover all the way here. Such an unreserved behavior would be the talk of the town in his hometown. But Dou Akou's actions only made him feel cute, and also a little sorry for her.
He nudged Dou Akou with his elbow: "Tangyuanzi, don't be discouraged. Do you think the young master likes Qingdai? No, although the young master is more affectionate towards Qingdai than towards other girls, it doesn't seem to me like that kind of romantic feeling... I guess it's just because Qingdai and he played together since they were little."
Dou Akou was skeptical: "Really?"
"Of course it's true. I'm a man, I know what it's like to like a woman!"
Su Luoyang patted his chest and chatted idly with Dou Akou. He glanced at Dou Akou and saw a few pieces of cake tucked into her skirt. He snatched one, stuffed it into his mouth, broke off some crumbs, and threw them into the lake. He laughed as he watched the fish scrambling for the food.
Dou Akou's mood improved slightly; this was the first person she had encountered who was kind to her since moving into this palace. Although Axin didn't know why she was ignoring him, perhaps... Su Luoyang's words made some sense? Perhaps Axin truly had no other feelings for Qingdai?
Under the warm spring sunshine, the two sat together on the riverbank, chatting and laughing about something.
Fu Jiuxin stood on the high Jade Spring Pavilion and looked down, remaining silent for a long time.
Explain clearly
Because of Su Luoyang, Dou Akou's life became a little brighter. However, she still didn't have the opportunity to be alone with Fu Jiuxin.
Fu Jiuxin was being clung to by Liu Qingdai; she, on the other hand, was being closely watched by Uncle Chen.
Dou Akou was terrified of Uncle Chen. She even sensed that Ah Xin was somewhat wary of Uncle Chen. Every time Uncle Chen looked at her with those sharp eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine.
She picked up her bowl and sat down to eat, a little distance from Uncle Chen. Fu Jiuxin was approachable and didn't care much about the distinction between master and servant. Usually, everyone would sit around a round table at mealtimes. Fu Jiuxin sat at the head of the table, followed by Qingdai and Uncle Chen, while Dou Yacai and Su Luoyang sat wherever they could find a spot.
Su Luoyang's team consisted of fourteen people, all descendants of the people of Siyou Kingdom who had miraculously escaped the great storm years ago. It took Chen Bo considerable time to find them, and then they were trained separately according to their individual potential: some specialized in medicine and poison, some in intelligence gathering, and some in disguise. Su Luoyang, nicknamed "Cicada Shedding its Shell," possessed exceptional lightness skills. He was agile and slippery, like an eel; if he didn't want to, no one could catch him, truly living up to his nickname, "Cicada Shedding its Shell."
The fourteen were all young men, some even the same age as Dou Akou, in the prime of their lives, full of energy and vitality. Uncle Chen was extremely strict with them, spending their days either training in the palace or going out on missions, leaving them all wilted and listless. Although there was a beautiful and gentle girl in the palace, Liu Qingdai, she was Fu Jiuxin's confidante, and her personality was delicate and princess-like, often putting on airs of reserve, so they didn't particularly enjoy visiting her.
This time, Dou Akou arrived. She was about the same age and had a good personality. Under Su Luoyang's leadership, the group quickly became friends with Dou Akou, and kept calling her "Tangyuanzi, Tangyuanzi."
Just as Dou Akou found a seat, Su Luoyang rushed in, plopped down next to her, and squeezed past another boy who also wanted to sit next to her, calling out loudly, "Tangyuanzi!"
Everyone at the table turned to look at them upon hearing the commotion, including Fu Jiuxin, whose gaze remained indifferent. Dou Akou immediately felt embarrassed and tugged at Su Luoyang, whispering, "Be more refined."
Once everyone was present, dishes were served one by one, and for a moment the only sound on the table was the clinking of glasses.
Dou Akou ate her food in silence, only picking at the plate of shredded vegetables in front of her. Su Luoyang, who was just getting through a fierce battle with his thirteen brothers over chicken legs, happily picked up a chicken leg and started gnawing on it. When he turned around and saw that Dou Akou only had a bowl of white rice, he frowned and said, "Tangyuanzi, are you only eating bean sprouts? How can you be full like that? What do you want to eat? I'll get you some."
He successfully drew everyone's attention to himself again, especially Fu Jiuxin, whose eyes grew increasingly dark. Unaware of this, he looked around at the dishes on the table and said, "How about braised mutton? It's delicious."
The plate of braised mutton was placed right in front of Fu Jiuxin. The round table was too big, and Dou Akou happened to be sitting opposite Fu Jiuxin. If she wanted to pick up the mutton, she would have to travel over mountains and rivers.
Su Luoyang clearly noticed that such behavior seemed too impolite and was hesitating when Fu Jiuxin across from him spoke up: "Uncle Chen, this mutton is too gamey. Let's put it over with Xia."
Uncle Chen responded and rearranged the dishes.
Dou Akou knew that Fu Jiuxin was secretly taking care of her, but she didn't want this kind of begged concern, so she slapped away the mutton that Su Luoyang was offering her and said in a muffled voice, "I won't eat it."
Fu Jiuxin paused with his chopsticks and said calmly, "Uncle Chen, I've been feeling a bit feverish lately, so I shouldn't eat too much meat. Please rearrange the dishes; I'll have some light vegetarian food."
Now that the young master had spoken, the dishes on the table were naturally all changed. What was served to Dou Akou were all meat dishes, which she loved. Before, when she ate with Fu Jiuxin, she would only pick out the meat. Back then, although her teacher would often scold her, he ultimately spoiled her and let her have her way, even picking out the meat shreds from the shredded vegetables for her. Now, her teacher was still her teacher, and perhaps his indulgence hadn't changed, but Dou Akou found the food utterly tasteless, devoid of any flavor.
Su Luoyang, on the other hand, benefited greatly, picking up meat with great enthusiasm. In this area, fourteen pairs of chopsticks flew back and forth in the air. They even used the legs under the table, creating a silent but turbulent undercurrent.
Su Luoyang snatched a piece of meat and, as if trying to please Dou Akou, offered it to her.
Fu Jiuxin sipped his tea, stared at him for a long time, and then suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Su."
"Huh?" Su Luoyang was taken aback by being called out, and for a moment his attention was diverted, a shrimp under his chopsticks was snatched away. "Young Master, what are your orders?"
"The various martial arts sects agreed to give each other half a month to prepare supplies for the long journey and to assign manpower and responsibilities. Five days have passed now. Go and find out what plans and intentions each sect has."
“Gathering intelligence is Qiu Ke’s specialty, I’m afraid I should go…” Su Luoyang said with a bitter face.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Fu Jiuxin raised an eyebrow and looked at Su Luoyang.
Su Luoyang immediately fell silent and began stuffing rice into his mouth in quiet contemplation.
After a hearty meal and drinks, Chen Bozhong and his companions sat down to enjoy a cup of soothing tea.
Su Luoyang and the others couldn't sit still any longer and had all rushed out to play. Dou Akou sat silently by the small table, blankly sipping a cup of tea.
Fu Jiuxin's gaze swept casually across her face, then turned back as if by accident.
His Ako had lost weight and had been unusually quiet these days. He knew why, but he was at a loss for what to do.
Helpless, he could only watch helplessly as her world crumbled, yet he could only indulge himself in bullying and hurting her in the name of protecting her.
He propped his forehead up with his hand and closed his eyes.
“Sir,” Dou Akou suddenly called out to him.
Fu Jiuxin calmed his agitated mind, slowly opened his eyes, and looked at her questioningly.
"I want to leave. I want to go back to Ziwei Qingdu," Dou Akou said with difficulty.
Liu Qingdai was the first to lose her temper and immediately asked, "Why are you going back?"
"Go save my father and aunt." Dou Akou felt a little guilty, knowing that she couldn't save them on her own.
"How can I save her?" Fu Jiuxin asked her coldly.
Dou Akou's voice trailed off as she spoke: "I...I'll go and beg Xu Li again. He wouldn't be so heartless..."
Fu Jiuxin moved his lips. He wanted to say that Xu Liren was using the Dou family to make a deal with him and that he would never let her go; he wanted to say, "Akou, give me a little more time, just a little more..." but in the end, he couldn't say anything.