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Bai Hui also fell silent. After a long while, she said, "I will listen to you and will no longer go to Baima Temple alone."

Di Yinhai's expression did not improve at all. He stared at her for a long time before coldly laughing and saying, "You still don't want to live next to me, do you?"

The girl did not answer. Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the wooden chair, her lips pursed stubbornly, her will very firm.

The first ray of sunlight streamed in through the window lattice, revealing faint traces of blood on the white jade inlaid in the mahogany chair armrest. Di Yinhai strode up to Bai Hui, yanked her hand away, and angrily demanded, "Why didn't you say you were injured sooner?"

"You didn't give me a chance to speak," Bai Hui said calmly, then subtly withdrew her hand, giving him a deep look. "Yin Hai, don't forget... our agreement."

The exhaustion of nearly a day and a night had left the pampered and somewhat arrogant young master of the Di family with a rather unpleasant expression. He snorted heavily and said, "I haven't forgotten, and neither have you."

Bai Hui smiled faintly: "Of course I remember."

"By the way, the person who saved you today..."

“It’s him,” Bai Hui replied, turning her head slightly. “I know.”

When she mentioned this person again, she lowered her eyelids, her expression obscured by the dim light, but the bloodstain on the armrest suddenly became much more vivid.

Di Yinhai looked at her with a complex expression. He stared at her for a few seconds before sighing softly, "Alright, I believe you." He stood up, turned around and went out the door, but just as he was about to step out the door, he turned back and said, "You stay here. The doctor will be here soon."

Not long after, the doctor, who had been hurriedly called, arrived with his medicine kit.

He held a long needle in his hand, and looked hesitantly at the delicate young girl, saying, "Miss, it might hurt a little, you'll have to bear it. If the splinter stays in your palm and festers, it'll be even more difficult to treat..."

Bai Hui smiled slightly and said, "It's alright, you can choose."

The ten fingers are connected to the heart; the silver needles, heated over the candlelight, pierced her flesh again and again. Bai Hui did not close her eyes. With her other hand, she gripped the silver chain around her neck, looking at the bloody scene, feeling that the pain was endless. It wasn't until dawn that the doctor finally applied ointment to her wounds and carefully wrapped them with strips of cloth, saying, "You will need to change the dressing every day for the next few days. Be careful not to get it wet, young lady."

She agreed to all their requests, saw the doctor off, and felt a little sleepy. Just then, she heard a woman's voice outside, softly asking, "Is Miss Bai here?"

Upon opening the door, Chu Xue stood there. She was dressed in a sky-blue pleated silk skirt, truly elegant and beautiful. Her demeanor was not frivolous like that of ordinary courtesans. She said gently, "I heard from the maids in the manor that you had an accident yesterday... Fortunately, Young Master Di brought you back."

Bai Hui quickly invited her to sit down and smiled, "Actually, it's nothing, Miss Chuxue. I'm so sorry to have kept you here for a whole day."

"I am very grateful to the young lady and young master Di for taking care of me in the past."

Bai Hui glanced at her several times with her clear black and white eyes, then suddenly said, "First Snow... what a beautiful name."

"Is that so?" Chu Xue's smile was exceptionally gentle. She did not shy away from the past and said, "This name was given to me by Young Master Xia. He met me when the first snow fell in Luoyang, and that's when he started calling me by this name."

"The first snow in Luoyang... that was last September, wasn't it?" Bai Hui paused, then repeated softly.

"Exactly."

Her hand unconsciously reached down to her neck once more, gently stroking the pendant with her fingertips, and she softly said, "Well then, I haven't congratulated you yet... on finding your soulmate."

Chu Xue blushed slightly and stood up, saying, "Miss Bai, you should rest first. If you like, I will play the zither for you this evening."

Although the Di family was known as the "King of Flowers" in Luoyang, not a single peony could be seen in this secluded courtyard. Instead, it was filled with quiet and elegant bamboo. At dusk, a gentle breeze would blow, and the bamboo grove would sway softly, creating a truly refined scene.

As the first snow fell, she lightly plucked the strings with her little fingers, producing a delicate sound like water droplets, lively and lovely—a piece of music about the misty Xiang River. Bai Hui held a cup of Junshan Silver Needle tea in her hand, and as the music reached its halfway point, the distant and unreachable depths of the clouds and water stirred a sense of melancholy within her without her even realizing it.

She was so engrossed in listening that she didn't notice the two people who had suddenly arrived in the backyard. Chu Xue, however, did see them. Her hands didn't stop, but the music suddenly changed. The vastness of the sky and earth transformed into a gentle and tender feeling, until a soft "pop" sounded, the long strings strained, and the music came to an abrupt end.

"People say, if the melody is wrong, Zhou Lang will notice... First Snow is a sentimental person, as if she has seen her beloved, and just now she made a mistake, and even messed up the melody, right?"

Di Yinhai's voice was very cheerful, and he patted the man next to him on the shoulder, saying, "So eager to pick someone up?"

Chu Xue quickly stood up and bowed, then apologized to Bai Hui, saying, "It was a mistake on my part—"

Bai Hui turned slightly to the side, saw who it was, and stared calmly at the extremely handsome young man, asking, "And who is this?"

"This must be the new lover that Miss Chuxue has recently found," Di Yinhai said with a mischievous smile. "Everyone in the entire city of Luoyang is asking who this man is."

Chu Xue stood beside "Young Master Xia" with her hands clasped, truly captivating. Bai Hui smiled slightly, looked at the young man, and said softly, "Young Master Xia, greetings."

Jun Ye'an gazed intently at her, suddenly finding the scene utterly ridiculous—everyone wore a mask, yet secretly speculated about the thoughts of others. He nodded, then turned to Chu Xue and said, "I've come to take you back." With that, he extended his hand to her, his expression extremely gentle.

Chu Xue obediently placed her hand in his palm. As the two left, Jun Ye'an brushed past Bai Hui, but his steps suddenly faltered.

She still carried a delicate, orchid-like fragrance, which could not be found elsewhere, yet it was uniquely hers.

He couldn't help but look up at her, meeting her pair of clear, autumn-water-like eyes. The girl's exquisitely beautiful lips moved slightly, and she uttered a silent sentence.

Jun Ye'an's deep, pool-like pupils contracted slightly, and he left without pausing.

She said, "Thank you for last night, brother."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Jun Ye'an's newly acquired villa in Luoyang is located in a secluded alley in the east of the city. The courtyard is not large, but the layout is excellent. Inevitably, peonies are planted on both sides of the path, and at this time of year, when they are about to bloom, their fragrance is faint.

Jun Ye'an sat alone on a stone bench, a large bottle of Dukang wine beside him. He had just taken a bath, and his black hair was loose behind him. Perhaps because he hadn't dried himself properly, water droplets slowly fell, landing on the bluestone ground and forming round, dark watermarks.

In the deep blue night, a snow-white carrier pigeon fluttered its wings and landed beside his hand, its orange-red beak pricking at its feathers. Jun Ye'an reached out and took a slip of paper from its leg, and the pigeon flew away in an instant. Before he could unfold it, he heard a series of light footsteps coming from the east wing.

"Is the young master drinking?" Chu Xue, without any makeup, sat down next to Jun Ye'an and said softly, "Would you like Chu Xue to have a drink with me?"

Jun Ye'an reached out and pushed aside the seal on the wine jar, laughing, "This wine is too strong; girls should drink less of it."

“Young master, you may not know this, but the guests I’ve met in the past have always hoped to get as drunk as possible…” A glint of light seemed to flicker in Chu Xue’s eyes, but she quickly concealed this sadness and said softly, “Young master, shall I play a tune for you to liven things up?”

Jun Ye'an nodded, the effects of the alcohol washing over him, yet also burning in his chest and abdomen. He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the bright moon on the horizon, but his heart felt empty, as if it too had drifted away with the effects of the alcohol.

Chu Xue sat down, holding her zither, and asked, "Young master, what would you like to hear?"

"The piece you played at dusk, wasn't it?"

Chu Xue blushed slightly, perhaps recalling the time she misplayed her instrument at the Di residence, and simply replied with a "good".

The sound of the zither was so close, clear as water, as if a lake had appeared out of thin air before my eyes.

After the piece was finished, a large jar of wine beside Jun Ye'an was emptied. He paused, then reached for another jar, but Chu Xue stopped him, saying softly, "That's enough."

She tilted her head slightly, staring at him without moving, somewhat timid, yet unyielding.

“Girl, March is over now, and the misty rain of Jiangnan is no longer possible… Shall we go to the desert?” Jun Ye’an murmured, his expression slightly tipsy. The moonlight was bright, and his phoenix eyes held a smile, so gentle they seemed to drip with water. He looked intently at her—at her small face, yet it seemed not—his dark eyes suddenly rippled, and his hand, which had been resting on the side of the wine jar, abruptly rose and placed on the exquisitely graceful curve of her nape, compelling her to lean closer to him.

Chu Xue's lips were a pale pink, seemingly glistening alluringly in the moonlight. She closed her eyes in a slight panic, waiting for the warm breath to draw closer.

Her breathing quickened, and he pursed his lips, whispering, "Don't be afraid..." He reached out again and put his arm around her waist. Through the thin fabric, he could almost feel the girl's slightly trembling body... A lingering smile suddenly appeared on his lips, but in the end he did nothing, only lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers.

Perhaps due to nervousness, the girl in his arms raised her left hand and gently stroked a string.

A clear, resounding clang.

Jun Ye'an's hand remained motionless on Chu Xue's nape—the most vulnerable spot on the human body, where a slight twist could silently kill a person.

His movements remained gentle, but the smile on his lips froze. After a long while, he slowly said, "An assassin?"

Chu Xue raised her head, her lips pressed into a straight line, and the smile on her pretty face froze. She nodded with difficulty and said, "Yes."

Jun Ye'an slowly released her and looked down at the long silver needle stuck in his chest.

It was a hidden weapon launched by an ingenious mechanism on the strings of the guqin, which landed precisely in Jun Ye'an's left chest, gleaming with an eerie black light, presumably coated with a deadly poison.

He pressed two fingers against the silver needle, releasing a gentle burst of internal energy. In an instant, the needle shot out and disappeared into the dark brown soil. Chu Xue was visibly startled, taking a half-step back and asking in a trembling voice, "You... how can you still use internal energy?"

Jun Ye'an smiled faintly and said, "If you knew that the martial arts technique I practice is immune to any deadly poison, you probably wouldn't be so surprised."

Chu Xue bit her lip, staring intently at his handsome features in the moonlight, and said in a trembling voice, "I lied to you... Why didn't you kill me just now?"

"You lied to me?" Jun Ye'an's smile deepened, but it grew colder. He seemed to sigh as he said softly, "Little girl, someone once hurt me in this world. After that, I felt that I didn't need to care about other people's deception or sincerity."

Chu Xue looked at his slightly upturned phoenix eyes, and even though she was in imminent danger, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart... She wondered who could make such a man so disheartened.

Jun Ye'an suddenly said, "You don't know martial arts. That move just now was only a narrow escape. Now that you've failed, you have no more chances."

“Not bad.” Chu Xue raised her chin and said softly, “Young master… kill me.”

"Is there a reason?" Jun Ye'an chuckled, looking at her fair face with interest, and asked softly.

"Yes, my sister—has been kidnapped."

Jun Ye'an stared at her for a long time, his expression finally turning indifferent again, and said, "You can leave now."

"You...aren't you going to kill me?"

Jun Ye'an shook his head.

Aren't you going to ask me who sent me?

Jun Ye'an twirled the thin piece of paper between his fingers and asked, "How could a suicide squad know so much?"

Chu Xue bit her lip hard, her eyes shifting uncertainly. After a long while, she finally said dejectedly, "Yes... I really don't know."

The moon hangs high in the sky, casting shadows of trees and flowers below, crisscrossing like water plants.

The first snow had already left the small house. Jun Ye'an looked up and said softly, "Come out."

The small door to the backyard was pushed open, and a figure stood behind the vines, slender and thin.

"I just wanted to give Miss Chuxue... a guqin." Bai Hui took a few steps and stopped a few feet away from Jun Ye'an, the smile on her lips leaving people puzzled.

Jun Ye'an turned around and said indifferently, "What are you doing here?"

“Of course I didn’t come to see you and someone else enjoying your time together.” Bai Hui’s lips curled up slightly, her eyes seemingly smiling but not smiling. “This is the Great Sage’s Lost Melody Zither. Yin Hai has kept it for a long time and asked me to give it to Miss Chu Xue as a congratulatory gift for her finding a good man.”

Jun Ye'an remained with his back to her, his tall figure motionless in the night.

Bai Hui waited for a moment, and seeing that he did not answer, she turned to leave. Suddenly, she saw him support himself on the stone table with his hand. Although the movement was very subtle, it seemed as if he was trying his best to endure.

Bai Hui frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly walked over.

On Jun Ye'an's spotless white robe, there was a dark red bloodstain on the chest, and his face was covered with a faint bluish tinge. He raised his eyes and gazed at her quietly—this was the first time in two years that he had looked at her face so openly… The same face, but the immaturity had faded, and when they met eyes, she was still unconsciously beautiful, almost enough to make one's heart flutter.

"You—" She frowned, took half a step forward, probably wanting to examine his chest more closely, "Who could have hurt you?"

His eyes remained as calm as the deep sea, but a faint smile curved his lips: "Chu Xia, wasn't this the moment you were waiting for?"

“My name isn’t Chu Xia.” She stopped walking, her long, delicate eyebrows furrowing even deeper, and subconsciously retorted, “My name is Bai Hui.”

Jun Ye'an looked at her with a strange sense of pity. After a long while, his handsome face turned even more pale, and he finally said, "Girl... what else do you want?"

"What else do I want..." Bai Hui murmured, repeating herself, a bitter taste rising on her tongue.

“Ah Hui, if you’re too shy to speak, then I’ll speak for you.” Another person walked out from behind the wide-open back gate. He was a tall, thin man holding a folding fan. “Young master, it’s been a long time.”

“If Young Master Su speaks up, he can surely explain things more clearly,” Jun Ye’an said with a cold laugh.

Su Fenghua, with her good temper, smiled and said, "Of course, of course. The Jun family is very wealthy and powerful. I heard that when Jun Tianyou was alive, he collected many martial arts manuals of the time. Since Ahui is your sister, I suppose you wouldn't mind if this sister were to be recognized by the family?"

After listening, Jun Ye'an raised an eyebrow, looked at the girl beside him, and said softly, "Is that really what you think?"