Early Spring Journey

By the time the sky was fully bright, the doctor finally applied ointment to her wound and carefully bandaged it, saying, “You’ll need to change the dressing daily for the next few days, miss, be careful not to get it wet.” She agreed to each request one by one, sent the doctor away, and felt unexpectedly weary. Then, she heard a gentle female voice outside, softly asking, “Is Miss Bai here?” Upon opening the door, she saw Chuxue standing at the entrance. She was dressed in a sky-blue pleated silk skirt, truly elegant and beautiful, with a demeanor not like that of an ordinary courtesan. Chuxue spoke softly, “I heard from the maids in the residence that you had an accident yesterday… Fortunately, Mr. Di brought you back.” Bai Su quickly invited her to sit down, smiling slightly, “Actually, it was nothing serious. Miss Chuxue, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting here all day.” “In the past, you and Mr. Di have looked after me, and I am very grateful,” Chuxue replied. Bai Su’s clear, black-and-white eyes briefly scanned her several times, seemingly recalling something, and suddenly said, “Chuxue… what a nice name.” “Is it?” Chuxue’s smile at the corner of her lips was especially gentle. She did not shy away from her past, saying, “This name was given by Mr. Xia. We met during the first snow in Luoyang, and that’s when he started calling me by this name.” “The first snow in Luoyang… was that last September?” Bai Su paused, repeating softly. “Exactly,” Chuxue’s hand unconsciously reached to her neck, gently stroking the pendant with her fingertips, and softly said, “Then, I haven’t congratulated you yet… on finding your match.” Chuxue’s cheeks flushed slightly as she stood up, “Miss Bai, please rest for now. If you like, I can play the zither for you at dusk.” Although the Di family was known as the Flower King of Luoyang, this courtyard was devoid of peonies but was instead filled with serene phoenix-tail bamboo. At dusk, a gentle breeze blew, and the bamboo grove swayed gracefully, adding to the elegance of the scene. Chuxue began to play, her little finger lightly plucking, the sound lively like water droplets, playful and delightful, it was the melody of “Xiaoxiang Water Cloud.” Bai Su held a cup of Junshan Yinzhen tea between her fingertips, as the melody passed the halfway mark, she felt a sense of melancholy rising from the depths of the music, distant and unattainable, which unknowingly stirred her emotions. She was so engrossed in listening that she did not notice two new arrivals in the backyard. However, Chuxue noticed them, her hands didn’t stop, but the music suddenly changed, from the vastness of the world to a tender, lingering affection, until with a gentle “snap,” the long string made a discordant sound, and the tune abruptly ended. “It is said that when the music goes wrong, Zhou Lang looks back… Chuxue, being sentimental, must have seen her beloved and thus made such a mistake in her playing, right?” Di Yin Hai’s voice was hearty, and he patted the shoulder of the man beside him, “So eager to come and pick her up?” Chuxue quickly stood up and bowed, then apologized to Bai Su, “It was my mistake—” Bai Su slightly turned her head, recognizing the newcomers, her eyes calm and unrippled as she looked at the strikingly handsome young man, “And this is?” “This is the recent match Miss Chuxue has found,” Di Yin Hai teased with a smile, “The whole city of Luoyang is curious about who he might be.” Chuxue stood beside “Mr. Xia,” indeed looking extremely charming. Bai Su, with a faint smile at the corner of her lips, looked at the young man, softly saying, “Mr. Xia, greetings.” Jun Ye An also looked at her, suddenly finding the scene amusing—everyone wearing a mask, yet secretly guessing each other’s thoughts. He nodded, then turned to Chuxue, “I’m here to take you home.” Saying so, he extended his hand with a tender expression. Chuxue obediently placed her hand in his, and as they were about to leave, Jun Ye An and Bai Su passed by each other; his steps suddenly paused. The faint scent of orchids still lingered on her, elusive yet unmistakably hers. He couldn’t help but look up at her, meeting her autumn-like, clear eyes, and the beautiful lips of the young girl moved silently. Jun Ye An’s deep eyes slightly contracted, but he did not stop, walking straight out. She had said, “Thank you for last night, brother.” Chapter Thirty-Eight: Jun Ye An had recently acquired a new courtyard in Luoyang, nestled in a long, secluded alley in the east of the city. The courtyard wasn’t large, but its layout was exquisite. Peonies lined the paths, at this time of year just about to bloom, their fragrance faint. Jun Ye An sat alone on a stone bench, a large jug of Dukang wine beside him. Fresh from bathing, his black hair was loose behind him, and perhaps because he hadn’t dried it completely, water droplets fell, creating dark stains on the bluestone ground. In the deep blue of the night sky, a snow-white pigeon fluttered down, landing by his hand, its orange beak pecking at its feathers. Jun Ye An took a piece of paper from its leg, and the pigeon flew off immediately. Before he could unfold it, he heard the sound of light footsteps from the eastern wing. “Is the young master drinking?” Chuxue, without any makeup, sat beside Jun Ye An and softly asked, “Would you like Chuxue to drink with you?” Jun Ye An pushed aside the seal of the wine jar, laughing, “This wine is too strong, girls should drink less.” “You might not know, young master, but the guests I used to meet preferred me to get as drunk as possible…” Chuxue’s eyes seemed to flicker with a hint of brightness, but she quickly hid her sadness, whispering, “Young master, may I play a tune for you to lighten the mood?” Jun Ye An nodded, the wine burning down his throat, igniting a fire in his chest. He looked up at the moon, feeling a profound emptiness, as if his heart, too, was drifting away with the intoxication. Chuxue sat down with her zither, asking, “What would you like to hear, young master?” “The tune you played at dusk,” Jun Ye An replied. Chuxue, perhaps recalling her mistake at the Di residence, blushed slightly and simply said, “Okay.” The music was close now, clear and transparent like water, as if conjuring a lake before them. After the piece ended, Jun Ye An had nearly finished a large jar of wine, and as he reached for another, Chuxue stopped him, whispering, “That’s enough.” She tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a mix of timidity and firmness. “Girl, spring has passed, and the misty rains of Jiangnan are no longer to be seen… shall we go to the desert beyond?” Jun Ye An murmured, slightly drunk. Under the bright moonlight, his phoenix eyes were soft with laughter, as if they could drip water. He focused on her, on her palm-sized face, yet it seemed he was seeing something else—his deep, black eyes suddenly rippled, and his hand, which had been resting on the wine jar, abruptly moved to the graceful curve of her neck, pulling her close. The first snow’s lips were a faint shade of pink, shimmering with an enticing gloss under the moonlight. She closed her eyes in a slight panic, quietly anticipating the warm breath drawing closer. Her breathing became hurried; he pursed his lips and whispered softly, “Don’t be afraid…” He then extended his hand, wrapping it around her waist. Through the thin fabric, he could almost feel the slight trembling of the young girl’s body… A fond smile suddenly curled at the corner of his lips, yet he did nothing in the end, only lowering his head to press it against hers. The girl in his arms, perhaps due to nervousness, raised her left hand and lightly brushed a string of the zither. A clear note rang out. Jun Ye’an’s hand remained motionless on Chuxue’s nape—the most vulnerable spot of the human body, where a slight twist could silently kill someone. His actions were still gentle, but the smile on his lips had frozen. After a long while, he slowly said, “An assassin?”