Ye Pingjun remained silent all the way into the inner room. Madam Ye, burning with anxiety, hurried in after her and saw Ye Pingjun open the drawer of the desk, rummaging for something. After searching for a long time without finding what she wanted, she looked up and asked, "Mom, where is the red velvet cord I use to tie my hair?"
Hearing this, Madam Ye grew somewhat irritated. "Child, why can't you tell what's urgent? I'm asking you about Xue Ting, and you're looking for a red velvet cord instead. It's the middle of the night—are you really going to tie your hair now?!" Seeing her mother's anger, Ye Pingjun said nothing more and simply lowered her head to continue searching. Madam Ye noticed the small roll of red velvet cord lying in the corner of the drawer, yet Ye Pingjun seemed unable to spot it, so she said, "It's right by your hand—how can you not see it?"
Only then did Ye Pingjun find the roll of red velvet cord. She stood in front of the desk, let her hair down, and began combing it meticulously. No matter how Madam Ye pressed her about Jiang Xueting's matters, she did not respond. Instead, she picked up the red velvet cord, gathered a small strand of her black hair, and patiently wrapped the cord around it, binding it securely. Madam Ye grew even angrier and exclaimed furiously, "Pingjun, will Xue Ting return safely or not? Just give me an answer!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ye Pingjun pick up a pair of scissors nearby and, with a "snip," cut off the strand of black hair tied with the red velvet cord. The action startled Madam Ye, who gasped in shock, "Pingjun, what are you doing?" She rushed forward, grabbed her hand holding the scissors, and anxiously snatched them away.
But Ye Pingjun did not move again. She simply held the cut strand of hair and smiled faintly—a smile that lingered at the corner of her lips, yet carried a fragile bleakness. She lifted her head to gaze out the window, her eyes filled with a desolate hue, and said softly, "Mom, Xue Ting will return safely."
As she spoke these words, a hot tear suddenly fell from her eye, landing on the strand of black hair she held in her hand and slowly seeping into the gaps between the dark strands. Seeing her like this, Madam Ye asked in a trembling voice, "Pingjun, what exactly has happened?"
She only shook her head.
Outside, the silver moonlight bathed the entire small courtyard, and everything near and far was quiet. Only when the wind blew did the leaves of the white jade hairpin flowers by the wall sway gently, and the lush green leaves of the large locust tree in the yard rustle softly, one wave after another, like the sound of footsteps.She remembered when she was little, around seven or eight years old, and he was staying at her house. During the day, she would sit under the locust tree, threading tiny beads she had collected everywhere, trying to make a beaded necklace to wear. He tiptoed up behind her and covered her eyes with his hands. Without hesitation, she called out, "Xue Ting." He chuckled and let go, pulling something from his pocket—a roughly woven small cricket cage. Holding it up, they both leaned in to listen, hearing the cricket inside chirping incessantly. They exchanged a glance and laughed excitedly. He said, "Pingjun, let's go catch another one at the rough field so we can watch two crickets fight." She clapped her hands in delight, and hand in hand, they ran out of the yard. The summer sun was so bright, making the little beads under the locust tree sparkle. Jiang Xueting led her everywhere, getting into mischief, and she simply followed along, completely forgetting about her bead threading.
Clutching the lock of hair she had cut, she gazed at the moonlit courtyard, feeling as if her heart were about to split open, the pain unbearable.
She thought Jiang Xueting would surely hate her for being so heartless, but over three years, she could endure it. Someday, she would have the chance to tell him everything herself—that she had done it all for him. By then, he would surely forgive her.
He would understand.
She repeated this to herself in her heart.
Before long, autumn arrived. For some reason, the area north of the river occupied by the Xiao Family Army fell into chaos, with inexplicable city-wide lockdowns and sudden controls on transportation routes along the way. Chu Wenfu, then the Administrative Chairman of the central government, declared it a prime opportunity and immediately reinforced the western front, launching several attacks. The war situation abruptly intensified. Yu Zhongquan arranged for Gu Yigang and Zhang Xiaoxian, two veteran figures of the Yu Family Army, to guide and assist Yu Changxuan from both sides. Although Yu Changxuan had not personally gone to the front lines, he had a thorough understanding of the strategic arrangements and other matters.
One evening, Yu Changxuan returned by car from the Army Ministry. Gu Ruitong noticed his extremely grim expression and watched as he repeatedly opened and closed the holster on his belt, the metal buckle clacking noisily in the car. After a long silence, Yu Changxuan said coolly, "With my father guiding from above and Uncles Gu and Zhang assisting from the sides, what am I? I might as well be a gilded puppet placed there for show."
Gu Ruitong was taken aback, recognizing the discontent in Yu Changxuan's words. Since it involved his own father, he couldn't say much and only replied, "The Chairman is Fifth Master's father. Whatever he does, it must be for Fifth Master's benefit."
Yu Changxuan snorted and kicked the opposite seat with his leather military boot, saying, "If my esteemed father wants to make me a paper strategist like Zhao Kuo, what can I say?"
Gu Ruitong fell silent. Then, the adjutant sitting in the front, Wu Zuoxiao, asked, "Fifth Master, we're at the fork ahead. Are we heading back to the official residence or Maple Terrace today? Which way should I turn?"Yu Changxuan's pupils contracted imperceptibly as he gazed at the autumn scenery outside the window. "Back to the official residence," he said. The car turned right and had only driven a short distance when Yu Changxuan, after a long silence while watching the autumn landscape, suddenly added, "No, turn back. Go to Maple Terrace."
The vehicle thus returned to Maple Terrace. As soon as it entered the estate, brilliant red leaves flooded the view in overwhelming abundance. The early autumn air carried a refreshing chill, and the ground was carpeted with crisp fallen leaves, where servants were naturally tending to the cleanup. Yu Changxuan walked straight into the living room, where he heard the maid Qiu Luo greet him with a laugh, "Fifth Master is back."
Qiu Luo had been directing some maids in tidying the hall. Upon seeing Yu Changxuan, she smiled and stepped forward eagerly, reaching out to remove his military cap for him. Unexpectedly, Yu Changxuan slightly turned his head away, evading her hand, and took off the cap himself before handing it to Gu Ruitong behind him. Qiu Luo froze for a moment, then quickly regained her composure and smiled again. "The Old Madam came by this afternoon. If Fifth Master had returned a bit earlier, you might have run into her."
Yu Changxuan glanced upstairs without a word and proceeded to ascend. The corridor upstairs was carpeted with plush, soft rugs. He walked slowly until he reached the room at the very end, where he knocked several times. Receiving no response, he lowered his hand and pushed the door open directly.
The bedroom was quiet, with the blinds open, allowing a cool breeze to drift in. The shimmering glow of the setting sun streamed through, illuminating the brocade curtains that draped all the way down to the carpet. Embroidered with golden thread in auspicious knots, they swayed gently in the wind. On the red sandalwood bed lay soft brocade quilts, and one side of the pillowcase, adorned with a mandarin duck pattern, was fringed with delicate tassels.
He took a few soft steps forward and noticed four or five translucent beads scattered on the carpet. Bending down, he picked them up one by one. Advancing a few more steps, he saw her sitting on the carpet beside the bed, carefully threading beads with a needle and thread. Her head was slightly bowed, with fine, short strands of hair framing her forehead and brushing against her cheeks, moving faintly as if stirred by an unseen breath. That subtle motion was like a tiny feather lightly tracing across his heart, evoking a faint, ticklish sensation.
In the pale golden twilight, she lifted her head slightly. Her gaze was clear and serene as she used her slender, pale fingers to gently pull the thread. A gleaming pearl slid down the string, connecting with the small strand of beads she had just finished, emitting a crisp, clinking sound.
He walked up to her, leaned down, and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear with his fingers. Softly, he said, "The hair here seems much shorter than the rest." Ye Pingjun, wholly absorbed in threading the beads, didn't even shift her gaze and merely responded with a soft "Mm."He walked up to her, leaned down, and gently tucked the strands of hair at her temples behind her ears with his fingers, whispering, "The hair here seems much shorter than the back." Ye Pingjun remained entirely focused on stringing the beads, her eyes not moving at all, and softly hummed in acknowledgment.
He still held a few beads in his hand and said, "I heard your mother came by this afternoon."
Ye Pingjun lowered her head, picking through the scattered beads one by one, and replied, "My mother came to see me and talked with me all afternoon. She also said the new residence you arranged for her is quite nice." Noticing her tone was lighter than usual, he smiled and said, "That's good. You should talk to people more. Don’t you have a classmate named Bai Liyuan? You could invite her over as a guest."
Her bead-stringing movements paused silently, and the corners of her lips twitched, almost as if she were smiling bitterly. "Home?" She glanced at him, her gaze flat and calm, as if looking at a complete stranger. Where did she still have a home? She had been uprooted from her former world, and he had severed all her paths of retreat—so swiftly and abruptly. From the moment she moved into Maple Terrace, she no longer dared to think of the past.
Yu Changxuan felt unsettled by her gaze and turned his head away, only to see the wardrobe across from them still filled with silks and satins, while she remained dressed in her own plain, everyday clothes. He lowered his eyes and said, "I bought you so many clothes—why aren’t you wearing them?"
She kept her head down and said nothing.
Yu Changxuan smiled again and said, "If you don’t like these clothes, then go buy some yourself with your own money. You haven’t spent a single cent of what I gave you—there’s no need to save for me. Have Madam Li accompany you to the department store; buy whatever you like. Then let her take you out to explore. There are so many interesting places in Golden Mausoleum—what’s the point of staying cooped up indoors all day?"
Ye Pingjun said indifferently, "I don’t need her company!"
Yu Changxuan paused briefly before replying, "You don’t have to resent them so much." Ye Pingjun lifted her head to look at him, her eyes clear and bright, and raised the corners of her lips in a faint, mocking smile. "Do you expect me to be grateful to them?" After hearing this, Yu Changxuan tossed the beads in his hand in front of her and said coolly, "In that case, you might as well hate me too!"
He threw down the beads, turned, and walked out of the bedroom. As soon as he descended the stairs, he saw his adjutant Wu Zuoxiao approaching and saying, "Fifth Master, Li Boren is here, waiting in the reception room."
Yu Changxuan nodded, knowing that Li Boren had been trying to get his nephew into the military supplies department lately. He had already taken care of the matter, so Li Boren’s visit was surely to express his gratitude. He headed to the reception room, pushed the door open, and found Li Boren already standing. Taking one look at Yu Changxuan’s expression, Li Boren smiled and said, "Fifth Master, what’s wrong? You’ve finally achieved your wish, keeping a beauty hidden away here—why the long face?"
In a sour mood, Yu Changxuan walked over and sat down on a nearby sofa, replying coolly, "What ‘achieved my wish’? Stop talking nonsense!"Li Boren was taken aback for a moment, then smiled meaningfully after a long pause. "Fifth Master truly remains a chivalrous gentleman who cherishes the fairer sex. After all this time, could it be that Fifth Master has actually been playing the part of a virtuous man?"
Yu Changxuan pulled a cigarette from the case but didn't light it, merely holding it between his fingers. His handsome brows were unexpectedly knotted with irritation as he said, "The moment I see her, my heart starts racing, let alone anything else. These past few months, I haven't even dared to touch a single finger of hers. It's not that she's afraid of me—it's me who's afraid of her."
Hearing this, Li Boren was even more astonished. He studied Yu Changxuan for a moment, noticing how tightly his eyebrows were drawn together, and let out a low chuckle. "Fifth Master, don't mind me saying this, but you're meant for great things. When it comes to matters of romance, it's best not to go overboard. If you truly fall for her, that would really complicate things."
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