When Chu Xia woke, she felt something was seriously wrong. If her oversleeping delayed their journey, what would she do? She hurriedly got up to freshen up, only to encounter Bai Xue at the door, who greeted her with, “Good morning, miss.” Bai Xue looked her over with a half-smile, “Chu Xia, did you hear anything last night?” Chu Xia’s heart skipped a beat, “What did you hear, miss?” Bai Xue tidied her eyebrows, “Perhaps the sound of bells… or maybe a wild cat on the roof…” Chu Xia couldn’t understand why she brought this up, just staring blankly at her radiant face. “I mean, if it weren’t for these disturbances, how could you sleep so late?” Bai Xue smiled slightly, turned to leave for her room, but then as if remembering something, “Oh, Chu Xia, my cloak was torn yesterday, could you mend it for me?” Chu Xia responded with an “Ah,” “Miss, please wait a moment, I’ll go into town to buy some needles and thread.” Downstairs, she saw the young master drinking tea. Qing Long, upon seeing Chu Xia, remarked, “I’ve never seen such a lazy maid.” Chu Xia grabbed a steamed bun from the waiter, ate it hastily, and mumbled, “Aren’t we leaving now?” “The young master says this town has a fine scenery, and we’ll stay a few more days,” Qing Long said. “Chu Xia, what’s wrong with your throat? There’s some wax stuck on it.” Chu Xia touched her throat, indeed there was wax. She peeled it off and threw it on the ground, glaring at the young master, then said to Qing Long, “I need to buy some needles and thread; Bai Xue’s clothes are torn.” Without further ado, she borrowed a bamboo hat and raincoat from the waiter and left.
Qing Long was puzzled, “Young Master, what’s wrong with Chu Xia? Did you see her glare at you? It’s like she’s looking at an enemy.” The young master squinted at the continuous spring rain outside but said nothing. “Ha, I know. You must have found her chatter annoying last night and sealed her mute point with wax!” Qing Long, quick to catch on, was delighted, “Next time she argues with me, I’ll do the same.” The young master finally glanced at him, his phoenix eyes cold. Qing Long’s heart skipped a beat, lowering his voice, “Young Master, I was just joking. Chu Xia is so obedient; I wouldn’t bully her…” The young master placed his tea cup on the table, only saying faintly, “Aren’t you going to follow her?” “I’m on my way,” the young man laughed, and before his words had even settled, he was gone.
Da Liuzhuang lies to the east of the divine capital Luoyang, where a branch of the Luo River flows through, creating a misty, picturesque scene reminiscent of the south. Chu Xia asked for directions on the street and found the nearest cloth shop. Sure enough, turning the corner, there it was. She deliberately waited at the corner, and after a moment, Qing Long arrived, awkwardly smiling, “Why aren’t you moving?” The young man in his dark green robe, without a hat, looked like a tall bamboo, somewhat awkward with the rain. Chu Xia smirked, “I was waiting to see how long you could stand in the rain.” Qing Long scratched his head, “Let’s go in and out quickly.” The cloth shop was small, and upon entering, Qing Long scanned the area. A simple front hall with a small room to the side and a door at the back leading to the courtyard. Chu Xia carefully selected some threads, and the shopkeeper laughed, “Miss, your clothes look quite old. Would you like to pick out some new ones? We have many new garments, just sewn yesterday.” Chu Xia looked in the direction the shopkeeper pointed; indeed, there were many new clothes, soft and comfortable, though not the latest fashion, suitable for travel. She glanced at Qing Long, whispering, “Qing Long, can I try on some clothes?” Qing Long nodded, checked the small room first, found nothing unusual, then said, “Go ahead.”
Chu Xia took several sets of clothes into the room. After a while, there was a muffled sound, “Madam, how do I wear this? The ribbons… they’re so complicated.” The shopkeeper laughed, “Don’t rush, miss, let me help you.” Qing Long rolled his eyes, thinking to himself: clumsy. After a while, there was still no sign of her coming out. Qing Long grew worried, calling out, “Chu Xia?” No response. He stepped closer, finally hearing rustling noises, followed by Chu Xia lifting the curtain, complaining, “These clothes are so hard to wear.” Qing Long felt relieved seeing Chu Xia wearing a purple vest over a light blue long skirt, with a silk sash around her waist, which complemented her skin tone. The shopkeeper praised her, but Chu Xia asked, “Do you think it looks good?” Qing Long awkwardly averted his gaze, “The clothes are prettier than the person.” Chu Xia wasn’t upset, “Of course. I’m buying these for Bai Xue; she likes to be clean and gets uncomfortable if she doesn’t change clothes daily. I’m about the same size as her, so I’m trying them on first. But Bai Xue doesn’t seem to like the light yellow sash…” Qing Long frowned, wanting to say something, but eventually asked, “Aren’t you going to buy any for yourself?” Chu Xia smiled, “I’ve brought enough clothes to wear.” She tried on a few more sets, not asking for Qing Long’s opinion anymore, and when she came out, she was back in her original clothes, paid for the clothes, and left. Unknown to her, Qing Long lingered behind, did something, and then caught up with her after a while. “Hey, this is for you,” Qing Long handed a package to the girl beside him. The girl hesitated before taking it.
Qinglong glanced down and sensed something amiss. He quickly lifted the bamboo hat from her head: “Who are you?” A dark green light flashed, and Qinglong dodged to avoid the hidden weapon, not advancing but retreating, swiftly locking the vital point of the person with an inward strike, and casually sealing their acupoints. Carrying the person, he rushed straight to the fabric shop. In just a few leaps, they were back at the shop. Qinglong threw the person to the ground and looked around, but the place was eerily empty. Realizing the situation was dire, Qinglong leapt onto the roof to survey the surroundings, but through the misty rain, there was no sign of Chuxia. He then checked the small changing room, examining the walls closely, and noticed something odd. He pressed his hand against the wall, exerting a slight force, and a section of the seemingly solid wall collapsed. Qinglong’s gaze darkened as he kicked open the wall, revealing a hidden passage that led straight to the backyard. After a careful inspection, he found a twisted silver bracelet on the ground. It was the one Chuxia wore on her wrist, crafted to adjust to the wearer’s size through a small opening. Now, it was bent into a crooked “one” shape and had fallen off. Qinglong picked it up, placed it in his pocket, and carried the person disguised as Chuxia back to the inn with haste. Rain drenched his face, but Qinglong seemed oblivious, entering the inn without regard for others’ stares, and went straight into the Young Master’s room, kneeling on one knee: “Young Master, Chuxia… she’s been abducted.”
The Young Master, who was practicing calligraphy, paused as a drop of ink fell, ruining the entire piece. His long eyelashes fluttered, and after a moment of silence, his breathing quickened slightly. When he spoke again, Gongzi Ye’an had regained his composure, his brows furrowed: “What happened?”
Qinglong looked up, his gaze fixed on Bai Xue, who was grinding ink for the Young Master, and coldly remarked, “Perhaps you should ask Miss Bai Xue.”
Bai Xue, sensing the severity in his eyes, stepped back: “What… are you talking about?”
“Wasn’t it you who sent Chuxia to buy needles and thread this morning?” Qinglong rose, stepping forward. “If you hadn’t colluded with our enemies, how would they know we were going to the fabric shop and set up such an elaborate trap?”
