At that moment, Ren Yaoqi thought, indeed many things in this world are inherently unfair.
Some are born into wealth, some possess extraordinary talents, some are exceptionally gifted, and there are those who, the moment they appear, capture everyone's attention—like the moon in the sky, like a peerless piece of jade, like a flower atop a snowy peak.
Strolling toward them was a young man. His jet-black hair held a hint of dark purple under the sunlight, accentuating the graceful contours of his face with a soft, jade-like glow. Though his pace was not slow, it carried an air of leisurely elegance and nobility.
This effortless grace and casual nobility made everything around him fade into mere background as he walked.
A pair of dark, gentle eyes met Ren Yaoqi’s across the distance.
For some reason, Ren Yaoqi felt as if something deep within her heart had been struck heavily.
She had once heard scholars discuss beauty, saying that what matters most is not one’s appearance but their aura. Many people may appear beautiful when sitting still and silent, but as soon as they move or speak, it’s like a masterpiece painting being ruined, destroying that sense of beauty.
Yet this young man, even the slight sway of his robe’s hem, seemed perfectly measured.
Flawless white jade, peerless and unmatched—that was how one would describe someone like him.
This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had ever given such high praise to a man’s appearance.
Only as the young man drew closer did she notice that his lips were somewhat pale, and though his figure was tall and well-proportioned, he was slightly slender, adding an inexplicable softness to his striking looks.
His white robe was embroidered with black cloud patterns along the edges, exquisite and elegant, yet the right sleeve seemed to have lost a piece of its trim, appearing somewhat abrupt.
Xiangqin leaned in, her expression odd, and whispered into Ren Yaoqi’s ear, “Miss, do you think this young master is the paramour those women were looking for earlier?”
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the young man more carefully.
The young man’s gaze swept lightly over Xiangqin. Though his expression revealed no emotion, it made Xiangqin instinctively lower her head.
To be honest, Ren Yaoqi found it hard to imagine such a young man as the male companion she had heard about earlier. Yet here he was, appearing in this very place, and in a state of “disheveled attire.”
Ren Yaoqi cleared her throat softly, averted her gaze, and said to Xiangqin as if nothing were amiss, “Let’s go sit in the pavilion.” With that, she began walking toward the pavilion.
Unexpectedly, before she had taken more than a few steps, the women who had earlier run to search behind the Dragon King Hall came rushing out again. They must not have found anyone and had turned back.
Ren Yaoqi paused mid-step, wanting to glance back at the young man. She barely moved her head but ultimately restrained herself. It was better to stay as far away from such matters as possible.
To her surprise, the young man walked toward her and stopped on her left side, only half an arm’s length away, effectively walking shoulder to shoulder with her.
Ren Yaoqi was startled again and turned to look at him. The young man’s expression was relaxed, his steps graceful, as if he had always been by her side, strolling with her.
A chilly spring breeze blew over, carrying an extremely faint, soothing scent of medicinal herbs that calmed the mind.
Xiangqin’s eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost, frantically signaling to Ren Yaoqi.Ren Yaoqi turned her head and walked at an unchanged pace to sit on the wooden bench in the pavilion, while the young man gracefully took a seat opposite her.
Xiangqin stood behind Ren Yaoqi with a pained expression, her eyes occasionally darting toward the young man and then stealing glances at the several women approaching closer and closer.
“How strange! Where has that wretch’s lover hidden?”
“Aunt Four, could Uncle Four have been mistaken? We haven’t seen the disheveled man in white that Uncle Four described all along the way.”
Xiangqin’s eye twitched as she glanced at the young man’s white robe, then secretly reached out to tug at Ren Yaoqi’s sleeve.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of the young man’s lips, like moonlight flowing over water or a gentle breeze brushing the face. He lifted his gaze to glance at the mistress and maid opposite him.
After a moment of stunned silence, Xiangqin’s face flushed red. She withdrew her hand and buried her head deeply, making no further movements.
Ren Yaoqi’s expression remained serene. She neither looked outside nor at the young man, but instead tilted her head to gaze at a magnolia tree growing by the pond beside the pavilion. The half-opened white blossoms seemed to capture her full attention.
The women had already reached outside the pavilion. Seeing people inside, they paused and looked over.
At some point, the young man in white held a sandalwood prayer beads bracelet in his right hand. He leisurely flicked the beads one by one, the pearls lightly and rhythmically colliding with each other, producing a sound like that of metal and stone.
Only then did Ren Yaoqi turn her head, curiously glancing at the bracelet. It appeared to be sandalwood, yet it was not.
The young man offered Ren Yaoqi a faint smile and extended the bracelet toward her, speaking softly, “This is ‘metal-stone wood.’ It looks extremely similar to sandalwood and even carries its fragrance, but it is not. The prayer beads are engraved with the entire Diamond Sutra, with characters as tiny as dust. A special mirror is needed to see them.”
His voice was low, soft, and slightly hoarse, as if carrying a unique charm. Ren Yaoqi unconsciously accepted the bracelet he offered. It felt slightly heavy in her hand, cool and piercing to the touch.
Rubbing it with her thumb, she felt slight unevenness on each bead. To the naked eye, it only appeared covered in irregular patterns, with no visible characters.
The women glanced into the pavilion a few times before shifting their gaze away, leaving while conversing in low voices.
The young man slowly stood up. Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to return the bracelet, he had already turned and walked out of the pavilion, disappearing from sight in an instant, though his steps did not seem particularly fast. The faint, clear scent of medicine vanished along with him.
Only then did Xiangqin react, exclaiming softly, “Ah, Fifth Miss, he didn’t take his prayer beads bracelet.”
Ren Yaoqi quietly looked at the bracelet in her hand, her eyes thoughtful.
Xiangqin sighed with deep regret as she watched the path he had taken. “What a pity. Such a person turned out to be someone’s kept man.”
Seeing Ren Yaoqi remain silent, Xiangqin added with some confusion, “Miss, was he using us to escape from those people just now? Is this bracelet his token of gratitude?”
Ren Yaoqi did not answer, only handing the bracelet to Xiangqin. “Keep it for now, as if we found it. If we have the chance to meet him again, we’ll return it.”
Xiangqin hurriedly agreed, taking the bracelet and wrapping it in her handkerchief before carefully tucking it into the pouch at her waist.Ren Yaoqi then asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"
Upon hearing this, Xiangqin quickly replied, "Fifth Miss, earlier Wujing said that when she went to add incense money for the mistress, she seemed to have seen that martial arts performer named Dongsheng who serves by the uncle's side."
"Dongsheng?" Ren Yaoqi was slightly taken aback, then suddenly looked up. "You said Wujing saw Dongsheng? Not Xia Sheng?"
Xiangqin, puzzled and confused, said, "Wujing said it was definitely Dongsheng. She shouldn’t have mistaken him, right? Although Dongsheng and Xia Sheng’s names are only one character apart, their appearances are worlds apart. Fifth Miss, Third Miss said that Dongsheng and Xia Sheng always follow the uncle wherever he goes. If he appeared here, then the uncle must be nearby, so she took Wujing and two maidservants to search for him."
Ren Yaoqi, however, sat there frowning, her thoughts drifting far away.
Over the years, her maternal grandfather’s household could not afford to keep servants, but they had raised a troupe of opera performers.
Sheng, dan, jing, mo, and chou—all roles were complete, enough to hold a full-scale performance. Whenever her maternal grandfather and uncle were in the mood, that small, dilapidated two-courtyard house would echo with the sounds of gongs, drums, and string instruments. The father and son might even take the stage to show off their voices, creating a lively scene behind closed doors.
Everyone said that the deposed Prince Xian and his son were both decadent and incompetent fools. Some even whispered disdainfully that it was fortunate the late emperor had passed away before he could appoint a crown prince, or the future of the Great Zhou dynasty would have been in peril.
It was only later, after Ren Yaoqi entered the capital and her uncle secretly brought people to infiltrate the city, that she learned that the performers in her maternal grandfather’s household—those who played martial roles, clowns, elderly male roles, and young male roles—were all hidden martial arts masters.
Some were former secret guards or protectors bestowed upon Prince Xian by the late emperor, while others were trusted confidants of Prince Xian’s birth mother, Consort Wan. After Prince Xian’s family was exiled to Yanbei, they secretly followed, disguising themselves as performers to stay by the side of Prince Xian and his son. They could be considered the deadliest warriors of the Xianwang Residence.
Chunsheng, Xia Sheng, Qiusheng, and Dongsheng were the four who often accompanied her uncle, Li Tianyou. Ren Yaoqi remembered Chunsheng, Xia Sheng, and Qiusheng because they had followed her uncle to the capital. Especially Xia Sheng—after her uncle was persuaded to leave, he secretly stayed by her side for half a year, ensuring she was truly safe before departing the capital and returning to Yanbei.
However, she had little impression of Dongsheng. According to Xia Sheng, Dongsheng had once gone out with her uncle and suddenly disappeared. No matter how hard they searched afterward, they could not find him. He never returned, leaving no trace of his life or death.
Now, hearing the name Dongsheng suddenly, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel stunned.
At this time, Dongsheng had not yet disappeared.
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