"It's me."
"It's you again...cough! cough cough!" Zu Xian leaned back on the couch, then covered his eyes with the back of his hand, chuckled softly, and murmured intermittently, "Why is it you again...the poison in my body is getting deeper and deeper."
Hua Chongyang's hand holding the medicine bowl froze:
"...What did you say? What's on you? Poison?"
Just as she expected, he wasn't physically weak, but poisoned.
Zu Xian still covered his eyes with the back of his hand, murmuring softly, "Lately... I keep dreaming about you..."
Another series of murmurs, the tone getting lower and lower, until finally nothing could be heard at all.
The medicine in the bowl gradually lost its heat and became cold. Hua Chongyang still held the medicine bowl and watched Zu Xian, wrapped in a fox fur coat, gradually fall into a deep sleep amidst murmurs and intermittent coughs—his hand was still tightly holding her left sleeve.
Hua Chongyang was stunned, still replaying in his ears the words Zu Xian had murmured with a soft laugh before falling asleep:
"...What if I die?"
That one sentence made Hua Chongyang, who was about to get up and leave, momentarily stop in her tracks. She looked down at Zu Xian, who was sleeping silently, wrapped in layers of white fox fur. His breathing was so quiet it was almost imperceptible, and his eyelashes cast long, dark shadows on his profile. Strangely, she suddenly remembered Master Deyun's words:
"Wouldn't it be better to just live a peaceful and stable life like this?"
Even more inexplicably, she reached out and lightly touched Zu Xian's temple, then silently stood up, turned around, walked to the door, and gently pushed it open.
Outside the door, frost covered the ground, merging with the distant snow to create a serene and pleasant scene under the moonlight. Hua Chongyang walked up the corridor, gazing at the lanterns of varying heights, radiating warmth, and sighed almost inaudibly:
"What should I do now...?"
The brazier inside the house was still burning brightly.
Zu Xian lay on the couch, listening to the footsteps outside fading into the distance, and slowly opened his eyes. After a while, familiar footsteps sounded again; it was Anping approaching the door, respectfully replying:
"Young master, it seems Miss Chongyang has gone back."
"Hmm," Zu Xian responded lazily, then asked, "Did they send someone to follow us?"
"Yes, I've already sent people to follow them."
"Okay. Got it." He paused, then suddenly called out softly, "Anping."
"Your servant is here."
Zu Xian slowly rose from the couch, leaning against the wooden platform. His long, dark phoenix eyes held a deep, unwavering gaze, showing no sign of drowsiness. After a long pause, he sighed, dragging his fox fur coat as he rose.
"Bring the wine."
Anping looked up in surprise: "...Young Master?"
"Go, bring the wine." Zu Xian turned his face and said calmly, "I can't sleep."
12. Leafy Green Flower
After leaving Banlianzui, Hua Chongyang did not return to the dilapidated Huajian Garden, but went directly to the brothel.
The night was deep, and the area in front of the brothel was nearly deserted. She strode through the gate, but no one paid her any attention. She continued until she reached Ye Qinghua's door on the third floor, where she stopped and heard a commotion inside.
"Five champions, six six six—drink!"
"Fine, I'll drink! I'm not afraid of you!"
She pushed open the door and went in, just in time to see Ye Qinghua holding a wine jar, about to pour wine. Beside her sat a short girl with her sleeves rolled up and her fists clenched. The girl's big eyes saw her through the gap in the top of the wine jar, and she suddenly pushed Ye Qinghua aside and jumped up:
"Chongyang! What brings you here!"
"Come and see." Hua Chongyang listlessly picked a stool at the round table, took a sip of tea, and smiled at the little girl, "Xiao Qi, you're here too."
Ye Laoqi is Ye Qinghua's god-sister. She is only fifteen years old and is the most beautiful woman in the brothel. She plays the zither exceptionally well. Every time Hua Chongyang goes on stage to deceive people, eight out of ten times it is Ye Laoqi who stands in for her. Over time, Ye Laoqi's relationship with Hua Chongyang is even better than that with Ye Qinghua.
Young Ye Laoqi hurriedly picked up the teapot to refill Hua Chongyang's teacup. Ye Qinghua, however, tossed down her wine jar, glanced at Hua Chongyang, and sneered:
"What happened this time?"
Hua Chongyang, holding the teacup, said calmly, "It's nothing."
"Nothing wrong?" Ye Qinghua pushed aside Ye Laoqi, who was crowding next to Hua Chongyang, leaned over, and rolled her eyes. "It's rare that you'd be willing to come to a brothel if nothing was wrong."
But no matter how she looked at him, Hua Chongyang didn't seem to be alright. Even Ye Laoqi could tell that something was off about Hua Chongyang today.
"What's wrong with you, Chongyang? You look so listless."
"Exactly," Ye Qinghua chimed in, rolling her eyes, her words particularly sharp and sarcastic, "You always act so respectable, why are you acting like a eunuch today?"
Hua Chongyang was too lazy to retort. He took another sip of tea, raised his hand to pat Ye Laoqi's head, and looked at Ye Qinghua:
"What time is it?"
"It's two quarters past the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."
It was already midnight, so she had been half-asleep and drunk for an hour? She wiped her face, raised her arm, and yawned.
"I'm sleepy. Qinghua, I don't want to go back today. I want to get a good night's sleep here."
Ye Qinghua's room was incredibly luxurious. Inside was a large bed covered with a canopy, and next to the window in the inner room was a wooden couch, complete with soft cushions and bedding. Hua Chongyang skillfully made his way to the couch and lay down, adding:
"Don't wake me up tomorrow morning, no matter what time I wake up."
She was genuinely exhausted. From the martial arts tournament until tonight, she hadn't had a proper night's sleep, staying up past midnight every day. Who could endure such exhaustion?
Yawning, she walked towards the bed, absentmindedly listening to what Ye Qinghua was saying beside her:
"...That Bo Jiang is no simple character. I have a feeling she's after you this time."
Bo Jiang? Who is Bo Jiang? She raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned to look at Ye Qinghua.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qinghua immediately raised her eyebrows high:
"Hua Chongyang, are you daydreaming again while I'm talking?"
Hua Chongyang couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Ye Qinghua's posture—one hand on her hip, the other holding a handkerchief and pointing at her—made her look exactly like a disapproving mother looking down on her children—yet she always referred to herself as "Mother." But if her real mother were alive, she wouldn't be much older than Ye Qinghua this year, would she?
Thinking about this made her heart ache. She couldn't think about it anymore, or she'd be unable to sleep. Hua Chongyang half-closed her eyes, deliberately pulling her thoughts away, and then yawned widely.
"Who do you think Bo Jiang is?"
"Bo Jiang is the eldest daughter of Bo Feng, the former leader of the martial arts alliance, and is now said to be the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world."
"……oh."
"She will arrive in Hangzhou tomorrow."
"……Um."
"Are you asleep? Hua Chongyang?"
On the soft couch, Hua Chongyang had turned into a puddle of mud, only heavy breathing remaining. Heavy footsteps approached, and Ye Qinghua, clutching a blue handkerchief, raised her hand to stop Ye Laoqi:
"Shh, keep your voice down."
Old Master Ye tiptoed closer, carrying the basin of water. Seeing that Hua Chongyang was already fast asleep, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"...How could she fall asleep so quickly? I even prepared water for her to wash her face. Shall I wake her up and have her wash her face?"
Ye Qinghua held the handkerchief, looked at Hua Chongyang for a long time, and sighed softly:
"Never mind, let her sleep."
Ye Laoqi put down the water basin but didn't leave. He squatted down in front of the bed, resting his chin on his hand, and looked at Hua Chongyang. He looked at him again and again, finally sighing with envy.
"Big sister, Chongyang is really beautiful."
Ye Qinghua shifted her gaze from Hua Chongyang's face to Ye Laoqi's, raising an eyebrow for a long time before speaking. She only smiled faintly and muttered a curse:
"Idiot. You're lucky you don't have such an unlucky face, don't be ungrateful. Come on, let's go outside and let this pig sleep like a log."
The curtains were drawn, and Ye Qinghua extinguished the candlelight in the inner room. On the wooden couch by the window, Hua Chongyang slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the starlight through the crack in the window, beginning to quietly count the stars in the clear sky:
"One, two, three, four..."
13. Brothel
When I woke up from my nap, it was already past noon.
A brazier was burning in Ye Qinghua's room. Although it wasn't as warm as Zu Xian's room, it was still filled with a cozy warmth. She stretched on the bed, threw off the quilt covering her, and walked barefoot to the table, picked up the teapot, and poured herself a bowl of tea.
Then, Ye Laoqi's exclamation came from outside:
"Big sister, Bo Jiang is so beautiful!"
Hua Chongyang paused, then pricked up his ears.
Bo Jiang?
That name sounds familiar. Is she related to Bo Feng, the former leader of the martial arts alliance?
Before she could even think of it, Ye Qinghua lifted the gauze curtain separating the inner and outer rooms and beckoned to her with her finger:
"Come take a look. This girl is really beautiful."
After saying that, she raised an eyebrow, turned around, and added:
Compared to her, you're just a monkey—a male one at that.
Hua Chongyang followed her curiously to the window facing the street.
The midday sun was at its zenith, its rays dazzling and bright against the azure sky. Below, people lined both sides of the street, watching a grand procession pass by. At the head of the procession were a dozen or so young girls in pink, carrying fragrant flower baskets, followed by a dozen or so attendants dressed in white, each with a sword at their waist. In the center of the imposing procession sat a wicker chair, its surface padded with layers of snow-white fox fur and golden silk.
Ye Qinghua leaned against the windowsill, glancing sideways at the scene below, spitting out two sunflower seed shells with a mocking tone:
"This is Bo Jiang, Bo Feng's daughter. What do you think?"
Leaning casually among the fur and silk was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a light gold robe and a snow-white mink shawl. Over the shawl lay a cascade of long, jet-black hair, flowing down from her simple bun to the bottom of the chair. The distance was too great for her to discern her features, but her long, arched eyebrows and snow-white skin were still clearly visible. Her full face was framed by a pointed chin, and her lips, like shimmering peach blossoms, were a vibrant color. Looking at her, Hua Chongyang could think of no more beautiful words to describe her; only four words filled his mind: utterly stunning.
She suddenly remembered what Ye Qinghua had told her last night—Bo Jiang, the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world. She glanced down again, swallowed absentmindedly, and turned back to look at Ye Qinghua:
"The Bo family certainly seems to be rich and powerful. Qinghua, I'm hungry."
"The money isn't exceptionally much, but it's not a small amount either; you can tell by the entourage his precious daughter has. As for influence—it's said," Ye Qinghua picked up a melon seed, cracked it open with a snap, spat out two shells towards the window, raised an eyebrow, and smiled at Hua Chongyang, "it's said that Bo Feng intends to marry her off to Situ Qingliu, and Prince Ningjing seems to have no objection—" (And then again, "If you're hungry, so be it. It's your own fault for missing lunch; you deserve to be hungry.")
"……oh."
So, are Bo Feng and Bo Jiang aiming for the future queen's position? And what Situ Yebai values is probably Bo Feng's influence in the martial arts world—this world is truly unjust. She is stunningly beautiful and has a wealthy and powerful father who could become queen, while she can only lean against the window of a brothel, her stomach growling with hunger, risking her life for a few more days, and she might not even be able to get married in the future.
Comparisons are truly infuriating. But at that moment, she was too hungry to even feel angry.
"Bo Feng hasn't been the leader of the martial arts alliance for many years, but his influence remains. His power is comparable to Rong Zaisheng's; the only difference is that he's not as wealthy. However, with his influence in both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds, it's not impossible for him to help his daughter ascend to the throne of a princess—by the way," Ye Qinghua suddenly seemed to remember something, straightening up from the windowsill and casually shoving the melon seeds in her hand into Ye Laoqi's hand, her eyes narrowing at Hua Chongyang, "Speaking of which, let me ask you, has Situ Qingliu taken a liking to you?"