Yunge grew up in the mountains with her father. Her mother had passed away too early, leaving little impression on her. In her memories, there was only a grave covered with green grass and flowers, where her father often took her to speak to her mother.
Yunge thought life would continue like this forever, until one day her father passed away. Before his death, he had arranged everything for himself. All Yunge had to do was cry her heart out, then bury him beside her mother's grave. It was then she realized that no one in this world could stay with her forever. Even her future had been planned out by her father. So Yunge calmly waited for the person her father said would come to fetch her. She just hadn’t expected to wait for three years.
Though no one came for her in those three years, Yunge wasn’t anxious. She had lived this way for over a decade, and there was nothing wrong with continuing like this. She knew how to hunt, gather herbs, cultivate herbal medicine, and make various medicinal pills to trade for necessities in the villages below the mountain. But sometimes, Yunge began to enjoy climbing high cliffs to gaze at the smoke rising from the distant villages. A strange feeling would stir in her heart—she didn’t yet know it was loneliness.
Then one day, as Yunge went up the mountain to gather herbs as usual, she heard faint, melodious music drifting through the mountains. She recognized it as the sound of a qin. She also owned one—she had often watched her father play it, but after his death, it had gradually fallen silent. Whoever was playing now sounded even better than her father. Excited, Yunge ran toward the source of the music, eager to see who the musician was.
After searching for a long time, she finally realized the music was coming from behind a cliff. Using her Light Body Skill, she climbed up and looked down into the valley below. To her surprise, a rather large house now stood there—she had played in this valley as a child, and there had been no house or inhabitants then. By a small pond, a man in white robes was playing the qin.
The man was dressed in snow-white robes, his long black hair loosely tied back. Though she could only see his profile, Yunge swore he was the most beautiful person she had ever seen—like… a celestial being from the heavens! After a long moment of thought, she settled on her judgment: he was as beautiful as an immortal from the heavens.
But the valley wasn’t home to just that celestial-like man. There were also a few others who were quite ugly.
"Those villains don’t look like family at all!" Yunge thought unhappily as she sat on the cliff, listening to the enchanting music. Why would someone so divine be with those ugly, mean-looking people? She wished he could play with her instead. Those villains were always telling him what not to do—she would never treat him like that.
For two whole days, Yunge crouched on the cliff, watching the ethereal man in white—sometimes playing the qin, sometimes reading by the pond, sometimes simply sitting there lost in thought. Finally, seizing an opportunity when the ugly villains were gone, she leaped down from the cliff and landed right in front of him.
The man in white wasn’t startled by the girl who had descended from the sky. He merely smiled faintly."You're really good-looking." Yunge saw the white-clad man's true appearance for the first time, and indeed... he was even more handsome than she had imagined. The white-clad man smiled faintly and said softly, "You're quite lovely yourself. What brings you here?"
For some reason, Yunge felt her face grow slightly warm. Though she didn't know much about etiquette, complimenting a man's appearance to his face probably wasn't very proper. Fidgeting with her fingers, she blinked her eyes and gazed somewhat helplessly at the white-clad man before her.
Sensing the young girl's nervousness, the white-clad man smiled gently and said, "This place is dangerous. Why has a young lady like you come here alone?"
Dangerous? Yunge looked around blankly. She had grown up in these mountains, and her father had never mentioned any dangers here. Seeing her confused expression, the white-clad man chuckled softly. "Ah, of course. A girl who can leap down from such a high cliff must have remarkable martial skills. But there are many dangers in this world that martial arts alone cannot solve. Young ladies shouldn't wander about recklessly."
"Mmm... I understand. My father says the same thing. You're really kind," Yunge replied cheerfully.
The white-clad man looked at the girl's pure, unblemished smile with slight surprise, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Yunge crouched beside him, pouting slightly. "I heard you playing the qin and wanted to come see. It's been so long since anyone talked to me. Can I stay for just a little while?"
The white-clad man shook his head with a smile. "This place is dangerous."
Yunge blinked. "I know. Those people are bad, right? Can I help you defeat them?"
"No, it's too dangerous," he refused gently.
"But I'm really good at martial arts! I can beat them," Yunge insisted anxiously.
The white-clad man still shook his head. "There are many of them, and even if you defeat them, you can't take me out of here." Yunge's eyes lit up. "What if I can take you out?"
The man raised an eyebrow with amusement, glancing at the steep cliff nearby. Yunge quickly waved her hands. "No, no! I know another way. I used to play here as a child—I can definitely get us out. Will you believe me?"
Seeing the plea in the girl's eyes, the white-clad man suddenly laughed softly, his warmth as enchanting as spring's return. Yunge was momentarily stunned. Coming to her senses, she smacked her forehead in frustration. Why did she feel like this celestial brother looked delicious, as if she wanted to take a bite? She must have gone too long without company.
"Very well, I believe you. Then I'll trouble you, young lady. I am Xu Qingchen. May I know your name?" the white-clad man asked with a smile.
"Xu Qingchen? Your name is so nice. I'm Shen Yunge," she replied brightly, beaming.
Nice name? The white-clad man—the renowned Qingchen Gongzi—arched a refined brow and smiled faintly.Yunge took out a medicinal pill from her bosom and gestured for Xu Qingchen to take it. Although he had no idea how this young girl before him planned to get him out, Qingchen Gongzi found himself entrusting his safety to a seemingly guileless girl he'd just met for the first time in his life. After swallowing the pill, darkness swiftly engulfed his vision. When he felt a strange, icy sensation as his last conscious thought, Qingchen Gongzi realized he didn't regret his decision. Perhaps it was because of the girl's clear, bright eyes. For the first time, Qingchen Gongzi had so... recklessly placed his life in the hands of someone he'd just met.
When he woke again, Qingchen Gongzi couldn't help but smile bitterly. One truly shouldn't be too reckless or take such risks—at the very least, he should have asked how exactly the girl planned to get him out.
Not only was his entire body uncomfortably drenched, but the pain radiating from his chest and shoulder left most of his body nearly immobile. The eldest son of the Xu Family, often hailed as the Immortal Young Master, had never been in such a sorry state in his life.
"Wuwu, Xu Qingchen, are you okay?" A still-unfamiliar voice came from behind. With some difficulty, Xu Qingchen turned his head to see the equally soaked girl gazing at him with remorse, her bright, large eyes brimming with glistening tears. Clearing his throat weakly, Xu Qingchen shook his head and forced a smile. "I'm fine. We made it out. You... you brought me out through that underwater pool?"
"Mhm, I'm sorry... It was all my carelessness that got you hurt," Yunge said pitifully, her eyes fixed on him with guilt.
Xu Qingchen gave a faint smile and shook his head. The girl was petite to begin with—hauling a fully grown man much taller than herself out from underwater must have taken tremendous effort, something he could easily imagine even without experiencing it firsthand. Compared to that, these accidental injuries were hardly worth mentioning. Though... it really did hurt. Qingchen Gongzi wasn't a martial artist and had rarely been injured in his life; this level of pain was entirely new to him, and he couldn't help but pale from the agony.
Seeing him in such pain, Yunge also paled in fright. She hurriedly took out a small medicine bottle, tipped out a pill, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Don't worry... I'll heal you. It'll stop hurting soon, very soon." Without waiting for his reaction, she scooped up the taller Qingchen Gongzi in her arms and dashed toward her home.
Experiencing such treatment for the first time in his life, even the unflappable Qingchen Gongzi—who wouldn't bat an eye if Mount Tai collapsed before him—couldn't help but twitch in expression. But the pain radiating through his body made it clear that unless he planned to lie here forever, he had no choice but to accept this humiliating predicament.Yunge's home was nestled in a secluded valley amidst the mountains. Xu Qingchen had only glanced briefly upon entering the valley but could immediately tell that the entrance was protected by an exceptionally sophisticated formation. Unless one was well-versed in such arts, it would be nearly impossible to find this place. Upon learning that the young girl had been living alone in the valley since her father's passing three years ago, Qingchen Gongzi couldn't help but sigh softly to himself as he watched her bright, joyful eyes gazing at him. Though Qingchen Gongzi had encountered countless people in his life, this was the first time he had met someone so pure and innocent. It was truly difficult to comprehend how Yunge's father could have left such a naive and young daughter alone in these remote mountains. While Yunge herself was quite skilled in martial arts, strength alone couldn't determine everything in this world. Compared to the heights of martial prowess, the treachery of human hearts was far more dangerous.
Yunge was a simple girl, like a newly hatched chick instinctively trusting the first person she saw. After her father's death, Qingchen Gongzi became the first person to interact closely with her, and thus, he naturally became the one she trusted most. So, when he learned of her father's arrangements, Qingchen Gongzi had little trouble persuading the young girl to leave the valley with him. Later, after confirming that the Mu family had no intention of caring for Yunge, he took it upon himself to bring her back to Li Cheng.
"Xu Qingchen..." The bustling streets of Li Cheng made Yunge uneasy, her delicate face filled with anxiety and worry. The sight of the Xu Family estate looming in the distance made her hesitate even more. Though Xu Qingchen had told her that the Xu Family would now be her home, even someone as unworldly as Yunge understood that the Xu Family was his home, not hers. She... no longer had a home of her own.
"Don't be afraid. Everyone in our family is kind and will love you. Just like Li'er—don’t you like her too?" Qingchen Gongzi reassured her gently.
"Sister Li'er?" At the mention of Li'er, Yunge's eyes brightened. Sister Li'er was her first friend besides Xu Qingchen, and she was so beautiful and gentle. Along their journey north, Yunge had heard many people praise Sister Li'er as the most remarkable woman in the world—not only stunningly beautiful and skilled in martial arts but also capable of leading troops into battle. It was a shame Sister Li'er had gone off to war, and Yunge couldn’t follow to avoid causing trouble.
Xu Qingchen smiled and nodded. "Yes, Li'er is my cousin. We’re all one family. Unless... you don’t like the Xu Family estate? You could also stay at Prince Ding's Estate, though it’s empty now. If you were to live there alone—"
"N-no, I’ll... stay at the Xu Family estate," Yunge quickly interjected, shaking her head.
A faint smile curled at Qingchen Gongzi's lips. "Good. Let’s go then—everyone has come to welcome us."
Qingchen Gongzi had returned from his trials, bringing with him a beautiful young girl. The entire Xu Family, having received word in advance, had gathered at the gate to greet them. The moment the two appeared, nearly all eyes were drawn to the lovely, delicate girl in yellow standing beside Qingchen Gongzi. Madam Xu was especially delighted, stepping forward to take Yunge’s hands and examine her closely while asking warmly, "So this is Yunge? You must have had a tiring journey!"Held warmly by the hand by this gentle and noble-looking lady before her, Yunge felt a bit flustered but still nodded and said, "Yes, I am Shen Yunge. I..."
"This is my mother and my second aunt. You can call them Auntie," Xu Qingchen said with a faint smile from the side.
"Auntie... Hello, Auntie," Yunge called softly.
"Good, good child," Madam Xu nodded repeatedly, her gaze filled with utmost satisfaction as she looked at the young girl before her. This was the first time her son had personally brought a girl home, and it was clear at a glance that she was a sweet and obedient young lady. Even her niece had repeatedly praised her in letters, and Madam Xu trusted Ye Li's judgment implicitly.
Seeing Yunge's flushed cheeks and slightly flustered expression, Qin Zheng beside her covered her lips with a chuckle. "Auntie, Mother, let's go inside first. Yunge must be tired from the journey. Yunge, my name is Qin Zheng—you can call me Sister Zheng'er. Did Li'er mention me?"
Yunge quickly nodded. "Sister Li'er said Sister Zheng'er is very kind. Thank you, Sister Zheng'er. I'm not tired—my martial arts are very good." The girl's earnest demeanor made everyone burst into laughter. Xu Er Furen smiled gently and said, "Alright, Zheng'er is right. Let's go inside first. Yunge, from now on, just treat the Xu Family as your own home."
Madam Xu nodded in agreement. "Your second aunt is right. From now on, consider this your home. Let's go inside and rest."
"My own home?" Yunge's heart softened, and she blinked her eyes, which suddenly felt a little moist, as she looked at the smiling faces around her.
"Yunge, let's go inside," Qin Zheng said softly, taking Yunge's hand with a gentle smile.
"Mm, thank you, Sister Zheng'er," Yunge nodded emphatically. Xu Qingchen's family was just as kind as Sister Li'er. The unease she had felt all the way north with Xu Qingchen finally settled gently in her heart, and Yunge couldn't help but give Qin Zheng a radiant smile.
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
A side story about Yunge and Qingchen Gongzi—watch how the IQ-exploding, EQ-negative Qingchen Gongzi wins over the martial arts prodigy with an adorably naive personality, Yunge~ Mwahaha, dear readers who prefer Qingchen Gongzi single can stop at the main story—this CP does not accept complaints, yo~
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