Hua Chongyang held the teacup and shook his head:
"Chongyang has always been ignorant and uninformed. How could people from Lanying Palace be active in Hangzhou?"
"You know 'The Evil Doctor' Zu Xian, right?" Miao Yunshan lowered his voice. "He's always been on good terms with Lan Ying Palace. Apparently, someone saw him in Hangzhou recently. Even the Evil Doctor can command him, so Lan Wuxie must be quite powerful, at least the second-in-command of Lan Ying Palace—oh dear, I misspoke. Sect Leader Hua probably knows more about these things than I do! Hehe, hehehehe."
Hua Chongyang raised his teacup, slowly tilted his head back and drank the tea in it, then turned his head with a smile:
"Sect Leader Miao has indeed misspoke. I am the leader of the Hangzhou Flower Sect, and a mere junior in the martial world. How could I possibly know about the Orchid Shadow Palace?"
Miao Yunshan nodded awkwardly.
Hua Chongyang turned around, his smile vanishing.
The banquet ended close to midnight.
As night fell and the crowds gradually dispersed, she walked out of Lake Moon Villa, somewhat dejected. The wind had died down, but a faint scent of firecrackers lingered in the air. The azure sky stretched out in all directions, sparsely dotted with drifting starlight, like a beautiful painting. Turning the corner, she stepped onto the long stone bridge along the flowing water not far from West Lake. Looking at the bright red lanterns hanging in front of the shops, their glow reflected on the green water, Hua Chongyang suddenly remembered the drunkard she had seen under the Half-Curtain Drunken Snow Pavilion.
At this moment, she really wanted to have a good drink by herself, but when she checked her pockets, they were still empty.
Furthermore, it was past midnight, and the only tavern open on the street… She suddenly remembered Banlianzui and Ye Qinghua's warning:
"I advise you to stay as far away from him as possible."
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she stopped in her tracks. Anyang Street was still quite far away and not on her way, but this wasn't the first time she'd done something impulsive and foolish.
However, it was clear that she was unlucky; just as she was about to turn back, someone called softly from behind:
"Miss Chongyang."
Bathed in moonlight, the water shimmered beneath the stone bridge, the gentle flow carrying fragments of ice that occasionally clattered against the surface, producing a faint, almost imperceptible tinkling sound that vanished just as quickly. Yet, the voice calling her was even softer than the sound of the flowing water. Hua Chongyang turned around and saw Situ Qingliu standing in the moonlight, draped in a white fur cloak, his hands behind his back at the flat bridgehead, a faint smile playing on his delicate face.
She was momentarily taken aback:
"...Young Master Situ, what are you doing here?"
Throughout the banquet tonight, countless people took the opportunity of toasting to subtly inquire about her relationship with Lan Ying Palace. Only Rong Zaisheng and Situ Qingliu remained silent. During the banquet, Situ Qingliu merely raised his glass to her from a distance across the table and nodded in greeting.
Why is he chasing after me now?
"The weather in Jiangnan is warm, and we've only just arrived today, so we're still getting used to it." Situ Qingliu smiled as he approached, then pointed to the blue-clad guard behind him. "Pinlan seems a bit bored, and he's never been to Jiangnan before. I'm accompanying him for a walk to see the moonlight in Jiangnan."
Standing in the shadows, the guard Pinlan secretly rolled his eyes at the sky. But after twenty years as a guard, he had long since learned when to shut up—if his master wanted him to admire the moon, he would admire the moon; if his master wanted him to take a walk, he would take a walk. It might sound a little silly, but what did it matter?
"Really? Hehe." Hua Chongyang glanced curiously at Pin Lan, who was looking up from the shadows, rubbing his hands together and chuckling softly. "Northerners really aren't afraid of the cold. I actually feel a bit chilly today."
...What a silly excuse.
Not only is he not afraid of the cold, but he's also very free. He even ran out to look at the moonlight in the middle of the night. Do all good-looking men have some strange hobbies? For example, there's that guard Pin Lan, or Prince Jing, Situ Qingliu, and the one who was drunk at Banlian last night. He also likes to drink and enjoy the snow at night... But who would believe that a crown prince would be so free that he would go out for a stroll in the middle of the night?
Hua Chongyang sneered inwardly.
"Winter in the North is much harsher than in the South," Situ Qingliu said, having already taken off his fur cloak and walking slowly forward. "However, Miss Chongyang grew up in the South, so she must be a bit more sensitive to the cold."
He naturally draped the fur cloak over Hua Chongyang's shoulders.
A pure white fur cloak, as clean as the unmelted snow on the rooftops lining the street, lined with blue silk, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood, draped over Hua Chongyang, still bearing the warmth of Situ Qingliu's body. Hua Chongyang didn't even flinch, tilting his head back and smiling slightly:
"Thank you, Your Highness. You are so considerate."
Situ Qingliu smiled indifferently, glanced at her, and murmured a word of praise:
White suits you better.
Hua Chongyang smiled but remained silent.
Over the past ten or twenty years, though few men had tried to approach her, it wasn't impossible; Hua Chongyang wasn't stupid. But this young prince was acting far too ostentatiously. Situ Qingliu, however, seemed completely unfazed, spreading his sleeves in a gesture of invitation.
"Miss Chongyang, it's getting late. If you don't mind, let me take you home."
So the two of them slowly moved forward.
Hua Chongyang was quite tall, but Situ Qingliu was even taller. The fur cloak was a little long on her, and it would easily drag on the ground, so she had to hold it up with her hands, walking lightly behind Situ Qingliu. A guard named Pinlan followed them at a distance, silently, looking nothing like someone admiring the moon. After a few steps, Hua Chongyang saw Situ Qingliu stop ahead, turned to the side with a smile, and waited for her to catch up before continuing on her way.
The moonlight was soft and hazy, the water gurgled silently, the willow tips were tinged with pale yellow, and a faint spring breeze stirred.
The night in early spring is hazy and distant.
The streets were quiet and sparsely populated. Looking into the distance, on the seemingly unreachable river, a few dim fish lights flickered in the night breeze.
7. Zu Xian
As they neared the Flower Garden, Hua Chongyang guessed it was time for Situ Qingliu to ask her something. Sure enough, Situ Qingliu stopped at the entrance of Anyang Street, looked down at her, and smiled.
"It seems that Miss Chongyang's residence is just ahead."
"Yes," Hua Chongyang nodded, "It's in the alley ahead. Your Highness—uh, shall we go in and have a seat?"
Even if it was just for show, Hua Chongyang's invitation sounded too fake and insincere.
"...No need for that." Situ Qingliu smiled faintly, his face lowered. He lowered his hands, which had been behind his back, then clasped them together, and finally let them fall again. "It's getting late, Miss Chongyang, you should go back and rest early."
"Ah, that's true, it's getting late," Hua Chongyang laughed heartily, taking off his cloak and handing it back to Situ Qingliu. "Then, Young Master, you should go back first! Guests are guests, please go ahead."
"Miss Chongyang, you should go back first," Situ Qingliu said with a smile, "It's the middle of the night, after all, you're a young lady."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, hehe."
After speaking, Hua Chongyang turned and walked straight into the alley. One step, two steps, ten steps, eight steps—she could feel Situ Qingliu still watching her from behind, but he never called out to stop her or ask anything as she had expected.
For example, "Does Miss Chongyang have any connection with Lanying Palace?", "Is Miss Chongyang's martial arts related to Yan Zhao?", and "Do you know the whereabouts of the 'Azure Heart Sutra'?"...
She raised her hand to push open the door, turned around and bowed to Situ Qingliu, then turned away.
Moonlight streamed across the gray cobblestone pavement, casting faint tire tracks, while a barely perceptible night breeze flowed like water. Situ Qingliu, a slight smile playing on his lips, watched from afar with his hands behind his back, until a dark figure disappeared behind a tall gate with a creak. Only then did he turn around.
"Pinlan, let's go back too."
Hua Chongyang's ancestral home, Huajianyuan, was located at the end of the alley. Therefore, separated from Huajianyuan by only one wall was another alley on Anyang Street. After climbing over the wall on the east side of the courtyard and exiting that alley, Hua Chongyang returned to Anyang Street.
There was no one in sight at the street corner; presumably Situ Qingliu and his guards had already gone far away. Hua Chongyang clapped his hands listlessly.
"If I'd known they were already gone, why did I bother climbing over the wall?"
Having only met once, Hua Chongyang wasn't bold enough to directly drag Situ Qingliu to drink with her. So, at this moment, she walked back along Anyang Street alone, her hand fumbling in her purse for the few coins she had left—enough to buy a bowl of wine, perhaps…
Then, without realizing it, she stopped in front of the half-curtained door.
A half-rolled-up bamboo curtain hung in the shop, casting a dim, yellowish light on the ground beneath it, through which a glass lantern shone. The shop was deserted. At that moment, only a few scattered pedestrians remained on the street, gradually disappearing into the distance.
"It is said that Emperor Xianzong had close ties with Lanying Palace..."
"Even the 'Evil Doctor Immortal' can be commanded; Lan Wuxie must be someone of considerable importance..."
Rumors circulated in her ears, and although she knew she shouldn't go in, Hua Chongyang couldn't resist the urge to step inside. After a moment's hesitation, she lifted the curtain and stepped into the hotel. Then, using the light from the entrance, she carefully searched the cabinet where the wine was displayed, but it was empty. She reached out and touched the shelf, then withdrew her hand; it was covered in a thick layer of dust.
She turned and walked towards the backyard.
The courtyard was still the same one from that day, still buried in snow. The snow on the street had almost completely melted, but here it was like an ice cave, with only withered yellow and green bamboo leaves showing under the white snow, haphazardly obscuring both sides of the long corridor. Under the eaves of the corridor were rows of large red lanterns, some spaced three or five steps apart, some three or five feet apart, sparse and uneven—as if hung up by a drunkard.
Hua Chongyang looked at the lanterns and couldn't help but smile, recalling the drunkard he had seen in the pavilion at the end of the corridor the night before.
That Zu Xian, who was drunk all day long, could actually "die as a doctor"?
As she was thinking, intermittent coughing sounds drifted over. The courtyard was quiet, the snow peaceful, but the coughing grew louder and louder, as if the person trying to vomit their heart and liver, making everyone who heard it feel uncomfortable. Hua Chongyang looked in the direction of the sound and saw light shining from a house in the northwest corner of the courtyard. The light shone through the sparse windowpanes, casting a slender figure on the paper window. The figure wore a loose robe, was half-hunched over, and had long hair draped over their shoulders, swaying violently with each cough. The winding corridor led to the pavilion in the lake, its sides piled high with snow. She simply stepped out of the corridor and walked through the thick snow towards the house.
Then she saw the figure reflected in the window paper turn around, suppress a cough, and suddenly raise its voice to ask:
"Who's outside?!"
His voice was hoarse, as if from a severe cough. Hua Chongyang didn't respond, taking steps forward, his footsteps crunching on the snow. The person inside the house fell silent, only issuing a cold warning:
"stop."
Hua Chongyang simply took an extra step.
A sharp glint of silver light flashed through the window paper and flew straight towards her. She cried out in surprise and dodged, but the silver needle still grazed her left arm, and a trickle of blood slowly seeped from the scratch on her sleeve. A strong fragrance swept past her nose, and Hua Chongyang gasped softly:
"Poison needle!"
It smells fragrant; could it really be the poison from Lanying Palace?
Before the words were finished, the people in the room spoke up at the same time:
"...Hua Chongyang?!"
Hua Chongyang looked up in surprise.
The door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and a tall, thin man dressed in a white silk undergarment stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. His long, arched eyebrows and wide eyes stared at Hua Chongyang. His long, black hair, disheveled and draped over his shoulders and chest, almost completely obscured half of his pale face, yet he stood ramrod straight. He stared at her intently for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice:
"...Is it really you?"
Without time to think or reply, Hua Chongyang dipped her fingertip into the bloodstain on her arm. By the light from the doorway, she saw the blood had turned black. A chill ran down her spine. She looked up at the tall, thin man in white:
"Was it you who injected the silver needles?"
"Yes." The man suppressed his earlier surprise and gave a cold snort. "I told you to stop."
Hua pressed heavily on the acupoints on her arm to stop the bleeding, took a deep breath, and tried her best to be gentle and kind:
"Even if it was my fault—it was my fault, trespassing on this sacred land was wrong, I admit my mistake, Divine Physician Zu."
"A miracle doctor?" The man in white released his grip on the door, took a step forward, and slightly raised an eyebrow, revealing his annoyance at the newcomer. "Do you know who I am?"
That face was the same face that Hua Chongyang had seen in the pavilion in the middle of the lake that day. He was young and handsome with plain features, except for a pair of narrow black eyes and a chiseled chin that looked outstanding but were too delicate. However, at this moment, his back was straight and upright, and his face and gaze were turned to one side. Compared with the day he lay drunk in the pavilion, he had become more arrogant and indifferent.
The wound on his arm throbbed slightly, and Hua Chongyang, wanting nothing more than to let things rest, took a step forward:
"I know that you are the world-renowned physician Zu Xian."
Zu Xian stood at the doorway, glanced back at her, then turned away, falling silent again. After a long while, he spoke again, asking:
"You were here last night too?"
"I originally came to buy wine—" Actually, she wanted to pick a fight, but she had no choice but to lie without batting an eye, "I just saw that you seemed to be resting in the pavilion, so I didn't want to disturb you."
After a moment of silence, Zu Xian finally turned his face and looked at her with his eyes open:
"Was it really you who came in last night?"
"yes."
"Was it you who draped a coat over me in the pavilion in the middle of the lake?"
"yes."
"So, you were the one who took the half-jar of wine from the stone table?"
"……yes."