As she pushed the door open to leave, she heard a sharp "crack" behind her—the sound of him smashing a wine glass.
She didn’t dare look back, simply walking away without turning.
The early summer sunlight had turned into a brilliant gold, illuminating the street by the West Gate. On one side stood a towering ginkgo tree, its emerald fan-shaped leaves dancing wildly in the wind. Yu Changxuan stood by the bright window, watching Ye Pingjun support her mother step by step as they moved forward. She kept her head slightly bowed, carefully steadying her mother, her jet-black hair scattering in the breeze—countless strands that seemed to entangle one’s very heart.
Yu Changxuan slowly turned around, leaning against the window as he took a cigarette from his case. A guard nearby stepped forward to light it for him. The white smoke curled upward, veiling his brows and eyes. Gu Ruitong, noticing his grim expression, approached and advised, “Fifth Master, if I may speak out of turn, the Tao sisters and Miss Jun Daiti are first-rate figures. Why trouble yourself over someone like Miss Ye, from such an ordinary family?”
Yu Changxuan’s face darkened. He threw the cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot, then turned and saw a small cabinet nearby. Lifting his leather military boot, he kicked it over. The cabinet fell with a crash, and a teapot placed on top shattered into pieces on the floor.
Encounter in a shower of petals, soul haunted by dreams
Only after her mother had recovered from her illness did Ye Pingjun return to Mingde Girls’ School to resume her studies. She also asked Bai Liyuan to return the gold bracelet sent by Madam Li. The expenses of the Ye family had always been managed by Pingjun, and she calculated that by autumn, when the tenant farmers paid their land rent and she could take on some tutoring work, she would be able to repay part of the nearly four hundred yuan hospital fee owed to Yu Changxuan. This thought finally put her mind at ease.
It was a Sunday morning, and the school was on break. Since her mother had just recovered from a serious illness, she wished to go to the Guanyin Pavilion on the mountain to fulfill a vow. Seeing that her mother was still weak, Pingjun suggested she go in her place that afternoon. After spending the morning doing homework in the outer room, she took a watering can to tend to the clusters of jade hairpins by the wall. It was the flowering season for these plants, and the slender, pristine white blossoms seemed untouched by dust. Pingjun, wearing a moon-white gown with her hair styled in two small buns, looked delicate and elegant. With the gentle breeze rustling, she appeared almost ethereal. Mama Zhao, who lived nearby, had been sitting at her doorstep picking through rice but had been watching Pingjun for a long while. She sighed and said, “Miss, it’s a pity someone as lovely as you, like a flower, wasn’t born into a wealthy family.”
Pingjun turned around and smiled faintly. “There are many kinds of flowers. The delicate ones are like young ladies—naturally cared for by others. As for me, I’m like these jade hairpins, growing wherever they fall. And that’s just fine.”
Mama Zhao chuckled. “You’ve truly been educated, miss—you see things more clearly than folks like us. When you go to Guanyin Pavilion to burn incense and fulfill the vow, could you bring an extra stick for me?”Ye Pingjun smiled and agreed. In the afternoon, she brought some incense and candles herself and went up the mountain to offer prayers. Walking along the long stone steps leading up the hill, she was surrounded by lush green trees and wildflowers blooming everywhere, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air. Pingjun entered the temple gate and, following her mother’s instructions, lit candles and incense before the Buddha. Then, she knelt on the prayer cushion, kowtowed, and stood up to leave. Just as she stepped outside, she noticed an elderly man sitting at a table set up for fortune-telling with divination sticks, yet no customers had approached him. After a moment’s thought, she walked over and said, “Elder, I’d like to draw a fortune stick!”
The old man handed her the bamboo cylinder. Pingjun took it and, feeling its weight in her hands, remarked with a laugh, “It’s so heavy.” The old man chuckled, “These hold the fates of people—matters of a lifetime. How could they not be heavy?”
His words made Pingjun more cautious. She shook the cylinder vigorously, drew out a stick, and saw the inscription: “Wind Sweeps Through the Forest Leaves.” Without handing it to the old man, she read it herself:
Since ancient times, deep affection leaves but regret;
The sweetest dreams are always the first to fade.
A generation’s beauty, a thousand lines of tears,
Fragrance fades, lotus withers, autumn chills the jade mat.
Ye Pingjun stared at the stick in silence for a long while. Seeing her standing there dazed, the old man called out, “Miss, let me take a look. I’ll interpret it for you.” But Pingjun slowly placed the stick back into the cylinder and said with a smile, “I forgot what my mother told me—children shouldn’t dabble in fortune-telling lightly. Never mind, I won’t have it interpreted.”
She left the payment for the fortune-telling on the old man’s table and turned to descend the stone steps. The steps cascaded downward, surrounded by the rustling sound of wind brushing through the treetops. In the twilight, golden sunset hues bathed the entire path. Ye Pingjun walked slowly onward when, without realizing it, she brushed past someone. In that instant, it was as if a spark flashed through her mind—her breath caught, and she turned her head—
There he stood, smiling. His handsome face had gained an even more refined elegance compared to four years ago. Behind him, the mountain was lush with layers of emerald greenery, and he stood on the stone steps like an orchid or a jade tree—so dashing and spirited, beyond mere words to describe.
Four years apart, and their reunion was so unexpectedly sudden. Ye Pingjun glanced at him, her thoughts in turmoil, her face flushing crimson. In her panic, she turned to flee down the steps, but he quickly stepped forward and caught her hand, laughing, “Why are you running? I’m not some big tiger!”
His slender hand clasped hers, radiating warmth that made her entire face burn. Flustered into irritation, she retorted, “Jiang Xueting, I don’t know you.”
Jiang Xueting immediately laughed, “That’s a contradiction. If you didn’t know me, how would you know my name is Jiang Xueting?”
Ye Pingjun’s face was now completely red. Hearing his words, she looked up at him and said, “You lied to me. You clearly wrote in your letter that you wouldn’t be back until August…” Noticing her eyes beginning to redden, Jiang Xueting smiled, “I missed you too much. Is it wrong to come back a month early?”
Ye Pingjun shook off his hand and started walking down the mountain. After a few steps, she added, “You… when did your ship arrive?”Jiang Xueting followed her, saying, "I disembarked this morning and went straight to your house in the afternoon. Your aunt told me you'd gone to worship at the temple, so I rushed here to find you. And here you are, turning away the moment you see me."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Pingjun suddenly stopped. Her lips pressed together slightly as she leaned against a tree beside the stone steps, neither speaking nor continuing downward. She lowered her head and placed a hand over her chest, taking a deep breath after a long pause before looking up at Jiang Xueting with a smile. "No, I can't talk to you anymore. My heart is beating far too wildly!"
Jiang Xueting noticed her hand trembling slightly over her heart, clear evidence of her inner turmoil. He stood quietly by her side, accompanying her as they listened to the mountain breeze. The two remained silent for a long while until she gradually calmed down. Then Jiang Xueting smiled and said, "Pingjun, I have good news to share. Soon, I'll be joining the Southern Bright Military Academy as a committee member."
Ye Pingjun turned to look at him, seeing the proud, self-satisfied expression on his face. His words flowed effortlessly as he recounted, "I joined the Patriotic Society in Japan and even served as the head of the Review Department." Do you know the Mou family? That highly respected Elder Mou from the Mou family was my teacher in Japan—a man I truly admire. It was he who recommended me for the Southern Bright Military Academy."
Seeing how he launched into this topic the moment they met, his spirited and animated demeanor making it clear how much this meant to him, Ye Pingjun smiled faintly and replied, "I don't really understand all that you're saying, but if you say Elder Mou is a good man, then he must be an exceptionally good one."
Jiang Xueting nodded and reached out to gently tidy the hair at Pingjun's temple. Having grown up together since childhood, their bond was deep and affectionate—a pair of childhood sweethearts, innocent and close. Such gestures were entirely natural between them. His fingers lingered in her hair for a moment before he chuckled, "So it turns out you don't keep your promises either."
Pingjun asked, "What have I done?"
Jiang Xueting replied, "Who was it that wrote in her letter promising to carefully wear the jade hairpin I gave her? If you deny it, I still have the letter as proof." Unable to hide the truth, Pingjun admitted honestly, "A while ago, I was careless while walking and ended up losing the jade hairpin."
Jiang Xueting responded with a light laugh, "Lost is lost. I'll buy you another one in a few days." He took her hand and led her down the stone steps. "Let's head back. Your aunt said she'd make Osmanthus Cake for me. In all my years abroad, what I missed most was your mother's Osmanthus Cake."
As they walked down the mountain together, Jiang Xueting suddenly said, "Wait here for a moment."
Pingjun was puzzled as she watched him approach a child selling pears from a basket at the foot of the hill. He handed the child some money and, in no time, returned pushing a bicycle. Smiling at Pingjun, he said, "Let's go. I'll ride you back. Do you want to sit in the front or the back?"
Pingjun smiled faintly and moved toward the rear rack, but he swiftly turned the bicycle sideways. Holding the handlebars with one hand and using his long reach, he seated himself on the back, blocking her way. His eyes sparkled as he declared, "No sitting in the back!"She turned and walked away, while he pushed his bicycle along behind her, laughing all the way. "Little girl, want a ride? Want a ride?" Annoyed by his pestering, she turned back and scolded, "You're so shameless!" He wheeled the bicycle in front of her and conceded with a smile, "How about letting you ride on the back?"
Jiang Xueting took a pinwheel from the bike's basket and handed it to her. As he pedaled swiftly with her on the back, she clutched the corner of his shirt with one hand and held up the pinwheel with the other. The wheel whirred before her eyes, her lips curved into a joyful smile under the sunlight, and her bangs were tousled by the wind. He deliberately swerved the handlebars, causing the bike to lurch violently. She let out a startled "Ah!" and wrapped one arm around his waist, then flustered, tried to pull it back.
With one hand gripping the handlebars, he reached over with the other to stop her retreating hand. The bicycle wobbled unsteadily as he released one side, and she cried out in alarm, "Don't let go of the handlebars!"
A smile playing at his lips, he murmured softly, "Then you don't let go either."
Dusk was falling. Against an old courtyard wall, half-covered with lush green ivy leaves forming a vibrant expanse, a car was parked at the alley's entrance. Tall guards stood outside the vehicle, the surroundings steeped in silence. The girl's laughter and the whirring of the pinwheel had long since faded away.
Yu Changxuan sat inside the car, silently gazing at the red velvet box in his hand. Inside lay a string of gleaming pearls, enhanced by the velvet backdrop, looking even more exquisite.
When he had picked out this pearl necklace at the foreign goods store, he had thought how beautiful she would look wearing it.
Suddenly, a series of clattering sounds came from the back seat. Guard Captain Gu Ruitong turned his head to see the pearls scattering, the crystal-clear beads rolling into the crevices beneath the car seats. Glancing at Yu Changxuan's expression, Gu Ruitong remained silent for a long moment before turning back around.
Yu Changxuan sat by the window, his brow tightly furrowed. The box was lined with sandalwood fragrance, so even as the pearls scattered, a delicate sweetness slowly permeated the air. It clung to his senses like an haunting dream, impossible to dispel, unsettling his heart and mind.
Jiang Xueting led Pingjun back to the tenement courtyard. As soon as they entered, the sweet aroma of osmanthus cake wafted toward them. A plate of red and white osmanthus cakes sat on the table, and Jiang Xueting reached for one. Pingjun quickly stopped him, laughing, "You're so greedy! Go wash your hands first."
Chuckling, Jiang Xueting went to wash up. Just then, Madam Ye emerged from the inner room and said, "Pingjun, Xueting brought back quite a few things for you this time. I've left them all in the room—go take a look."
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