This was a long valley between two opposing mountains, with sparse trees swaying on the cliffs on both sides. An eagle circled with spread wings atop the cliff peaks. On the winding mountain road between the two peaks came the sound of horse hooves from a convoy. Soon, over ten fine steeds protecting a carved black wood carriage came slowly from far to near. On the horse closest to the carriage sat none other than Jin Shaohuang, who had previously been ennobled as First Rank Gold Duke by the Chu Emperor.

His brow was slightly furrowed, eyes gazing ahead thoughtfully. Then he tightened the reins in his hands and instructed in a low voice: “Quicken the pace.”

Hearing his voice, the carriage curtain was lifted by a slender jade hand. Shaojin frowned and poked her head out, looking around suspiciously, then wrinkled her nose to sniff the air outside the carriage. Fresh rain had just passed, making the mountain air clean and pleasant, relaxing one’s spirit. But the air she breathed was overly moist, and she immediately understood what Shaohuang was worried about.

It was midsummer with continuous torrential rains. Besides the severe flooding of the Yangtze River’s main course, several tributaries were also affected. On this return journey from the capital to home, their original main road happened to be near one of the tributaries and was impassable, so they had to take alternative small paths back to Haishi. Avoiding floods by taking mountain roads still required vigilance – if the great river had floods, the mountains must guard against mudslides. The valley they were passing through today had just experienced heavy rain yesterday. Walking between these two mountain passages now was truly walking on thin ice.

Since they knew returning to Haishi at this time meant danger all the way, why were they still risking their lives to depart for home? When Shaojin later asked Shaohuang about this, she received a look reserved for idiots. His answer was: after staying in the capital for only half a month, he’d lost half his family fortune. If they stayed another ten days or half month, who knew if he’d still have robes to cover himself. So escaping early from this place that clashed with his feng shui was absolutely the best strategy.

However, judging from what happened afterward, this wise decision of his was wrong.

Seemingly sensing the uneasy gaze from behind, the commanding man turned back with a reassuring look. Shaojin hadn’t expected this and suddenly met those dark eyes ahead. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly pulled her head back inside. Seeing the hastily lowered curtain, Jin Shaohuang couldn’t help but curve his lips.

Following their master’s command, the entire team understood and spurred their horses forward. The carriage also quickened its speed with the team, wheels creaking and groaning. Shaojin huddled inside the carriage, softly leaning against a gold-embroidered cushion, one hand supporting her white jade cheek as she sighed lightly. She thought her husband was truly unfathomable – she had donated eighty million taels of gold for him, yet after that night he never pursued the matter further. Though she wasn’t entirely clear how deep the Jin family wealth ran, eighty million in gold surely wasn’t a small sum, right? What exactly was he thinking? If he could let go of eighty million gold going and never returning in one night, what in the world would he actually care about?

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a shrill horse’s neigh. Shaojin immediately felt the world spinning as her carriage seemed lifted high into the air by some force, then thrown out. Following a dull thud of heavy objects hitting ground, the carriage began bouncing wildly. Shaojin was shaken around inside the carriage. She finally managed to grab the window and steady herself, already dizzy and disoriented, vaguely hearing Shaohuang calling her from far away. Through the flying curtains, Shaojin was horrified to discover her carriage was racing wildly like a frightened animal, leaving the main group far behind.

“Liu Zi?” she called outside the carriage, but no one answered.

Gripping the pillars on both sides of the carriage door, she lifted the curtain to find the driver’s seat already empty – he must have been thrown off during the earlier turbulence. Watching the green scenery on both sides of the road rapidly retreating, she looked hesitantly toward the horse team. Shaohuang was whipping his horse and charging this way, but the distance had opened too far, and the mad horses showed no sign of slowing. She didn’t know if the carriage would still be intact when he caught up… In her hesitation, the carriage had already rounded several sharp turns. The oncoming wind brought wisps of water mist, and the rumbling sound of rushing water came faintly from ahead. Only then did Shaojin truly panic. Without further thought, she gathered her silk skirt, gritted her teeth, and leaped out, rolling into the grass beside the road.

After an unknown time, urgent horse hooves pulled Shaojin back to consciousness from her dizziness. She sat up abruptly, just in time to see Shaohuang on horseback fly past her, then hastily pull the reins to turn his horse around. Seeing his widened eyes, she momentarily forgot to speak.

According to Shaohuang’s later recollection, when he saw those pitiful almond eyes in the green bushes from horseback, for an instant he thought he saw a frightened rabbit. But he knew it wasn’t a rabbit – it was Shaojin who had worried him half to death. So he quickly dismounted, crouched before Shaojin, frowned as he examined her mud-stained pale face, then embraced her and chuckled softly.

“It’s alright, it’s alright… you scared me to death.”

He said softly in her ear.

Shaojin was bewildered by the embrace. Just as she was about to speak, she heard thunderous rumbling from the mountain path they had come from, with faint wailing and chaotic sounds of soldiers and horses. At the same time, the red steed behind them neighed desperately at its master. Shaohuang’s face immediately darkened. With a cold expression, he lifted Shaojin horizontally. After her startled cry, she was placed on the horse’s back. Then he mounted behind her, glanced back once at the direction of the horse team, and spurred away in a cloud of dust.

Howling wind rushed past their ears. She turned back in terror to see not far behind them, massive rocks mixed with wet mud and sand tumbling down, instantly burying the small path below, burying those who served the Jin family…

After the red steed carried them along mountain paths for a while, they reached a forest. In the melodious songs of thrushes in the woods, the horse slowed its pace slightly.

Shaojin nestled in Shaohuang’s arms, her nostrils filled with the musk scent from the man behind her. She greedily breathed it in, her heart beating rapidly. After Shaohuang observed the surrounding environment, he noticed the person in his arms breathing rapidly and looked down to ask: “Shaojin? Are you uncomfortable?”

Hearing this, Shaojin hastily looked up, first startled by the handsome face so close before her, then her cheeks reddened as she shouted at him: “Put… put me down! I want to walk!”

Shaohuang dismounted and lifted her down. After she stood steady, he asked: “Can you walk?”

Shaojin glared and rolled her eyes at him: “What can’t I walk? I’m not lame.” Saying this, she took large steps forward. Who knew that after just two steps, her silk skirt caught on a nearby low branch with a ripping sound, tearing a large gash.

Shaohuang paused, then coughed quietly twice. Seeing this, Shaojin glared at him angrily, then lifted her skirt hem and continued forward. Seeing her anger, he suppressed his smile and led his horse behind her.

Azaleas grew in clusters along the path’s edges. As they walked, their bodies brushed past the water-dripping azalea blossoms. Water-soaked petals scattered on them, bringing intense fragrance mixed with the moss underfoot and a faintly musty smell.

“Where to?” As the sky gradually darkened, Shaojin finally asked the two words she’d held back for so long.

If Shaohuang could have foreseen the future, he definitely wouldn’t have answered the following two words. But he truly said them at the time, thus spawning a destined eventful night and many sighing nights thereafter.

He said, “Ahead.”

Getting this answer, Shaojin immediately rolled her eyes, angrily pushing aside a cluster of red azaleas blocking her view. Suddenly her eyes brightened – after the willows came bright flowers, revealing a whole new world.

At the road’s end ahead, a pile of rocks guarded a pass-like place. Looking through the pass, there was a waterfall cascading down between mountain rocks, with a deep pool at the rock’s base, green as ink. The pool’s shore was ringed with flat rocks, surrounded by varying shades of green. When wind blew, forest waves rose like deep breathing, giving a mysterious, remote feeling.

Shaojin lifted her skirt and stood by the deep pool’s shore, concentrating and calming her qi. Her thoughts drifted far, far away before this secret realm…

When night finally fell, Shaojin also finally noticed Shaohuang had disappeared somewhere, along with the red steed that had followed him. Her heart jumped, then she suppressed that inappropriate suspicion. He wouldn’t abandon her.

With such certainty, she entered the nearby camphor forest to gather dry branches.

After a long time, the conscientious Shaohuang indeed returned, carrying some wild fruits in his arms, though the red steed was nowhere to be seen. Seeing Shaojin troubled by a pile of branches, he placed the wild fruits on the ground and handed her a fire starter.

After some fumbling, a small fire burned by the moonlit pool. The two sat around the fire. Shaohuang skillfully poked at the branches while Shaojin ate wild fruits and observed nonchalantly: “I thought wealthy young masters were all wilderness survival idiots.”

Shaohuang continued casually tending the fire, glancing up at her before lowering his eyes again. His starry eyes seemed smiling yet not, reflecting in the firelight with some softness, as if seeing some past time through the swaying flames.

Shaojin understood – that was a past without her… Then, feeling uncomfortable, she heard him slowly say: “Many years ago, I was once trapped in the great desert. Rongyue and I also warmed ourselves around such a small fire.”

Hua Rongyue! Shaojin’s head buzzed. She sprang up, drew a short blade from under her silk skirt, and walked into the dark camphor forest. Shortly after, she dragged back several large logs, stacking them above the fire. Soon, as camphor wood sap’s fragrance filled the air, the original small flame blazed skyward, burning into an enormous bonfire…

Hmph, now it was different from Hua Rongyue’s small fire from back then!

Shaohuang looked woodenly at her self-satisfied expression, unable to understand what she was competing with now. Shaking his head and sighing: “Your temperament is truly like this raging fire you’ve made – people can neither get far nor close.”

“Oh? That must be difficult for my husband then.” She snorted coldly and said no more.

Shaohuang knew she was angry but couldn’t understand how he’d provoked this woman. Seeing Shaojin’s silence, he also stopped talking. Here Shaojin felt a mouthful of dry vinegar in her heart, making her truly uncomfortable. Seeing Shaohuang ignore her made her feel even more irritated. After long silence, she announced she was tired and lay down to sleep fully clothed.

Under the night sky, Shaohuang stared directly at the woman beside him, eyes full of ripples, thoughtful. Waves of mountain wind blew past, refreshing and pleasant, with fragrance assaulting the nostrils… Fragrance? He focused and sniffed – indeed the wind carried a faint, elegant scent. He turned to look at the woman sleeping beside him, leaning over to confirm the fragrance came from her body.

Why hadn’t he noticed this fragrance during the day? He wondered but didn’t think deeply.

He didn’t think deeply, so he also didn’t become alert. Thus this carelessness finally earned him a benefit he never regretted. Thus those deep eyes didn’t immediately leave the woman before him. Why leave? Since he’d already decided to protect this woman for life, what harm in looking a bit more? So before the red moon in the sky, he openly and righteously admired his beloved.

He saw her lying in this strange moonlight, deeply asleep. Her tightly closed feathery lashes trembled lightly in the night wind. Her small earlobes were translucently luminous. Following her delicate chin downward, several strands of hair swayed in the wind. On her mutton-fat jade neck, blue veins were faintly visible under this magnificent moonlit night, revealing a heart-bewitching fragility in the wind…

Wind blew in waves, and fragrance followed in waves. This continued for unknown duration until his thoughts suddenly became chaotic, his body’s breath gradually burning hot. In his chest seemed a fire burning his heart, like a hand drawing him toward that fragrant, soft body. His heart itched unbearably. With his Adam’s apple rolling once, he leaned down to kiss those lightly parted cherry lips…

Shaojin, still half-dreaming and half-awake, vaguely felt enveloped by an ardent gaze. Just as she prepared to open her eyes to see clearly, her lips were captured and her body simultaneously drawn into a scalding embrace…

“Mmm… who?” She struggled, suddenly opening her eyes wide.

“Me.” A low voice rasped hoarsely in her ear.

Her earlobe was teased by a wet, hot tongue. She trembled slightly, unbelieving. Shaohuang? Shaohuang!

Opening her mouth to speak, the next second her lips were fiercely captured by Shaohuang again. Wild, fierce breath instantly flooded her body as a dominating tongue explored between her cherry lips… He urgently drew her mouth’s fragrance like a storm, devastating heaven and earth… Consciousness was gradually devoured, clarity long gone. Finally her hands climbed frantically onto his back, tightly embracing this man who made her heart wander…

The two entangled with each other in dizzy confusion. Her clothes had long been disheveled, fragrant shoulders exposed, both breathing increasingly heavily. Shaohuang suddenly paused, then his movements gradually became gentle. Kisses fell dotingly on her collarbone like dragonflies touching water, carrying heart-trembling tenderness. Shaojin was already physically and mentally confused, not knowing where she was. Feeling Shaohuang’s gentled movements, her mouth corners slowly curved in a smile, half-opening her eyes with utterly mesmerizing expression. However, when she saw the blood moon hanging in the sky at some point, her face instantly turned deathly pale. Her previous smile froze at her mouth corners as deep bitterness soaked her eyes – only then did she soberly remember this body wasn’t hers!

Just as she was about to push away the man above her, Shaohuang kissed her lips one last time and released her first. She saw him trembling as he gazed at her with infinitely tender, soul-stealing eyes, then to her astonishment, he walked toward the nearby deep pool and leaped into the water…

“Jin Shaohuang, what are you doing!”

Ignoring her disheveled clothes, she chased after him, throwing herself by the pool’s edge, heart pounding as she searched the water surface. She saw only ripples in the pool, shimmering under moonlight, mesmerizing to the eye.

“Shaohuang…”

Why jump into water? If he wanted to die, at least give her a reason! If he didn’t want to touch her, he could say so directly. Why jump into the lake seeking death before her eyes? He’d been down so long – if still breathing, could he please surface and show his face? She still had many words unsaid, secrets untold. The blood moon had appeared – she had to return. But she toward him… toward him…

“Why are you crying?”

She’d been lying by the shore for a long time when half of Jin Shaohuang’s dripping body suddenly emerged from the water, looking up in surprise and asking.

Shaojin paused, touching her cheek to find tears she didn’t know when she’d shed.

“Why did you jump into the water?”

One question, asked with such sorrow. He wanted to help her wipe away the tears but found himself even more soaked than her, so he only silently watched her, waves in his eyes.

“Shaojin, what fragrance is on your body?”

She paused again, turning to sniff herself, stammering: “Narcissus. Dongmei puts flower dew in my daily baths – it’s very fragrant at night.”

Getting his answer, Shaohuang sighed softly. He’d never thought that with all his wisdom, he too would one day be defeated by such enchantment. Looking at Shaojin still lying by the shore in bewilderment, he said slowly: “Just now, I was poisoned by desire.”

Seeing her tilting her head in continued confusion, he continued: “Walking here today, I encountered several fragrances – azalea flower scent, camphor sap fragrance, the musk my robes are regularly perfumed with, and your body’s narcissus fragrance drifting over at night. Normally these fragrances wouldn’t meet, and people generally avoid combining them. But tonight I was lucky – these several scents were inhaled into my lungs one after another. When combined, they formed a desire poison in my body, bewitching me into improper behavior.”

Shaojin listened quietly, her eyes slowly widening – um, if she understood correctly, he had just kissed her only because he was drugged with aphrodisiac!

“Jin Shaohuang, go die!” She flew into a rage, lifting her foot to kick at the person soaking in water.

Shaohuang hadn’t expected her sudden fury. His wet right hand nimbly rose, deflecting the delicate jade foot flying from shore with ease. Here Shaojin lost balance and fell hard against the pool’s stone wall. Her previously loose garments slipped to her waist, revealing an embroidered belly band with dragons and phoenixes, golden threads gleaming, making the white, tender skin exposed under moonlight quite dazzling. Shaojin’s pretty face immediately went blank. Meeting Shaohuang’s narrowed black eyes, she screamed once before fleeing.

Shaojin huffily hid in the camphor forest for a long time before slowly emerging. Her clothes were properly arranged, though her face still showed embarrassed anger. By then Shaohuang had dried his robes by the bonfire. She returned to the fire to find Shaohuang watching her with those damned black eyes. Her heart flared again with annoyance – this body belonged to Jin Shaojin, so why did he like it so much! Angry inside but embarrassed by the earlier nakedness incident, she didn’t even dare glare at him. How frustrating!

Seeing her daring to be angry but not speak, Shaohuang felt refreshed. Thinking how Jin Shaojin had previously spent her days idly making trouble for her husband as her life’s goal, quite smugly – now seeing her so frustrated was truly once in a millennium. Thinking this, Shaohuang couldn’t help but smile, though considering women’s thin faces, he finally just coughed twice and let it be – quite magnanimous.

“Ahem, Shaojin, I need to leave briefly. Stay here alone and remember to be vigilant. If anything happens, come find me in the southern forest.”

Hearing this, Shaojin paused, vaguely glancing around: “Vigilant? Could strange things appear in this place?”

Shaohuang was about to leave but hearing this question, turned back, a hint of mischief in his eyes: “Hard to say. In these wild mountains, better to be vigilant.”

Eh? Shaojin’s eyes widened as words like Black Mountain Old Demon, Ghost Story, Moon Night Fox Fairy, Vampire, Momotaro flashed through her mind. She nervously exhaled, looking at Shaohuang with a death-defying gaze: “I understand. Go ahead.”

Shaohuang glanced at the sky and turned to leave, but once again turned back, sighing helplessly: “Shaojin, let go of my robe.”

“Uh…” After struggling briefly, Shaojin resignedly released her grip.

Shaohuang looked at her, knowing he’d truly frightened her. He reached out to pat her slightly pale cheek, saying what he considered a very gentle phrase: “I’ll be back soon.”

Very cooperatively, she blushed.

After Shaohuang entered the forest, Shaojin reflected that the Jin family servants who’d died in the mudslide had died quite unjustly. To prevent them from seeking her out for revenge later, she found a wooden stake and erected a nameless grave by the forest edge. Facing the wood, she silently recited the Great Compassion Mantra in her heart, thinking it might provide some salvation for the departed souls.

Namo… Heluo Danuo… Duo Luo Ye Ye… Namo… Ali Ye… Po Lu Jie Di… Shuo Bo Luo Ye… Bodhi Sa Duo Po Ye… Mohe Sa Duo Po Ye… Mohe… Jia Lu Ni Jia Ye… Om Sa Po Luo Fa Yi… Bo Luo Bo Luo Mi… Bo Luo Bo Luo Mi…

Perhaps because she recited this Great Compassion Mantra very devoutly, it moved the red moon in the night sky to shine even more bloodily bright. That red moonlight poured like water among the swaying tree shadows, illuminating the broad pool scattered with broken silver, rippling beautifully, as if the souls of the dead had truly escaped suffering in this moonlight and flown to paradise…

Normally facing such moonlight, even if not a great poet, one would spontaneously exclaim and sing in praise. But Shaojin, alone in these wild mountains, didn’t dare make a sound, afraid that one careless noise might be mistaken by lonely ghosts as their companion’s howling, causing them to excitedly run over to socialize…

After finishing her recitation, Shaojin shivered coldly, her fear only increasing.

After nervously watching the black forest left and right for ages without seeing Shaohuang return, she became anxious. Without much thought, she steeled herself, lifted her silk skirt, and plunged into the southern black forest.

The night forest seemed especially quiet, and the water-like moonlight made this dark mountain forest even more mysteriously moving. Suddenly wind rose, and the silent mountain forest immediately filled with the mournful rustling of leaves, making this dense forest suddenly terrifying and gloomy.

Shaojin hunched her neck, searching through the forest but couldn’t hear any sound from Shaohuang after a long time. Just as she was about to venture deeper, she heard sounds carried on the wind and followed them.

Soon she indeed heard Shaohuang’s voice. Her heart filled with joy, and she was about to call out when she unexpectedly heard a clear, bright woman’s voice. So she crept over stealthily, finding a low bush cluster to hide behind.

Through the sparse bushes, she saw Shaohuang standing elegantly before an old tree ahead, his tall figure blocking the woman before him so she couldn’t see her face from any angle.

“So Dragon Brother doesn’t know you came here tonight?”

Hearing Shaohuang’s low voice, Shaojin immediately pricked up her ears. Dragon Brother? That A’shu from the desert?

She heard the woman laugh: “No need to tell him – I’m only out for a moment. If I hadn’t seen your red steed running alone in the marketplace and worried something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have come searching here in the middle of the night.”

Oh, so this woman was Longge A’shu’s… subordinate? Lover?

“Still improper. You and Dragon Brother are visiting Great Chu as friendly states. Before you’ve even reached the capital, the princess disappears in the middle of the night. Who do you think Dragon will demand the person from?”

Tsk, so they were foreign visitors, choosing to come during Great Chu’s national disaster – what were they planning?

“Enough, I Hua Rongyue act with my own judgment. I estimated that with your abilities, Shaohuang, nothing major would happen to you. I only planned to check on you and leave, so I released your red steed. I didn’t touch anything on it – your message should have reached the Jin family’s nearest outpost by now.”

This woman was actually Hua Rongyue! Shaojin was shocked. No wonder Shaohuang wanted to hide from her to come here – meeting his lover secretly in the middle of the night behind his wife’s back, how accomplished of him! Fury attacked Shaojin’s heart, and she was about to explode when she suddenly remembered they’d mentioned Longge and Hua Rongyue were married…

Her jealous fire immediately deflated.

“Since that’s the case, you should hurry back too.” Shaohuang nodded lightly, speaking indifferently. Then he shifted, and Hua Rongyue, previously hidden, immediately appeared in the night.

Beauty was probably meant to describe such women. With flowers for countenance, moon for spirit, willows for bearing, ice and snow for skin, autumn water for eyes – graceful and poised, generous and natural. Shaojin stared longingly, sighing softly, mocking herself for still feeling jealous at this moment. The blood moon had appeared – it was almost time to return. Since she had to leave, no matter how reluctant these entanglements and bonds were, what could be done…

“What an unlovable personality – running so far to find you only to be driven away.” Hua Rongyue pouted, her eyes flashing slightly before suddenly saying: “You staying here refusing to leave, could there be some other secret here?”

Eh? They wouldn’t start talking about her now, would they? How embarrassing – whether good words or bad, time to flee quickly!

Just as Shaohuang was about to say something, a mountain wind suddenly arose. The wind’s tail faintly carried a familiar dark fragrance. His heart immediately shook, astonishment flashing in his eyes as he suddenly directed his gaze toward a dark spot in the forest.

Meeting Shaohuang’s sharp gaze, Shaojin’s heart behind the low bushes beat rapidly. She refused to believe this man could see through the bushes with x-ray vision, but his expression seemed to have truly discovered someone here… After thinking it over, she decided to slip away quietly. Eavesdropping was ungentlemanly behavior – she couldn’t let Hua Rongyue see her as a joke.

Who knew that as soon as she moved her feet, she heard Shaohuang behind her call out with a smile: “Jin Shaojin, stop right there.”

Then her entire body froze in place as if he had remotely pressed her acupoints – how was this possible! Shaojin curled her lips and made an extremely wise decision – to flee the scene.

When she felt she’d run far enough, Shaojin stopped, leaning against a nearby old tree and gasping for breath. Flashing through her mind were the night’s experiences, making her feel she’d truly lost face completely, her heart full of chagrin. The blood moon would appear for two days – by tomorrow night at the latest it would take her away. She couldn’t leave anything behind, but at least in his future memories he might remember there had once been a different Shaojin…

Lost in thought, she vaguely heard someone softly call “Jin Jin.” She immediately looked around in alarm. Before she could discover anything in the pitch-black forest, she suddenly heard leaves rustling overhead, followed by a whooshing sound. She looked up as if electrocuted—

“Sister Jin Jin!”

Accompanied by a delighted cry, a soft body crashed down on her with tremendous force, pinning her hard to the ground. The pain made her grimace and see stars. She cursed through gritted teeth – which deadly enemy wanted to kill her this way!

Lying on top of her was a delicate youth with a golden crown binding his hair, skin like honey, pupils like amber, and long lashes like dense fans. After Shaojin saw this heavenly visitor clearly, she gritted her teeth again. Her resentment went through countless turns before finally becoming a defeated sigh: “Tiantian, must you kill me in such an embarrassing way!”

Seeing Shaojin recognize him, the youth immediately became extremely excited, his flashing eyes quite beautiful. “Does Sister Jin Jin miss Tiantian?”

“How did you find this place?” she asked in amazement.

“I followed the scent of gold,” the youth said with a smile.

Seeing the person on her still happy, she couldn’t help feeling bitter. “Tiantian, it’s time to leave.”

Time to leave… The youth suddenly stopped smiling, showing a face of light sorrow. He nodded slightly, then reached out to hug the Shaojin beneath him tighter, lowering his lashes to hide his full sadness. Where they came from, they naturally had to return to. They had stayed here only because they’d come with a playful attitude years ago. But after three years, many things in their hearts were no longer as they initially were. How could they bear to leave the bonds of this space-time? – They were truly in pain that night, though from later perspective, their struggles were completely unnecessary.

Unfortunately, they didn’t know what the future would bring, only feeling the current parting was hard to bear. So the two continued their struggles. Just as they were embracing in sorrowful self-absorption, a very clear voice suddenly came from behind.

“What are you doing?”

Shaojin was startled, stiffly turning to look – wasn’t that Shaohuang standing ahead carrying a wine jar yet still graceful as jade, the very one she’d just fled from? She saw him pursing his lips, staring directly at the man and woman embracing on the ground, his eyes full of surging darkness…

Much later one day, Shaohuang mentioned that seeing that pair rolling on the ground, fury immediately burned in his chest making him want to go on a killing spree – targeting that pretty boy lying on Shaojin! He would definitely scratch his face, break his legs, cut off his manhood, then sell him to a brothel as a male entertainer… In short, make him unable to live or die. After saying this, he drank some tea and added that of course he, Master Jin Second, absolutely couldn’t bear to be so vicious, so he would find another butcher to borrow a knife for that… whatever. Shaohuang’s words, after passing through several mouths, eventually reached Jingtian’s ears. For a period, he didn’t dare step out of the Jingchu house, even refusing Jingchu’s invitations for walks. Thus Jingchu and Shaohuang had old grudges unresolved and new ones added – yes, these were all later stories.

Facing the iron-faced Shaohuang, that pair of slow-witted lovebirds on the ground couldn’t react immediately.

What were they doing?

The two frowned at each other questioningly. Staring at the youth’s gorgeous facial close-up, Shaojin was quicker by a second to scream piercing the sky: “Tiantian, now that you’re a man you dare take advantage of me!” The next moment she flipped over to grab the youth’s collar, saying viciously – “Pay tax!”

Before the final sound of “tax” faded, she suddenly felt a sinister demonic aura from behind. Before her hair could fully stand on end, Shaojin’s body was grabbed by a hand and thrown toward nearby low bushes. She cried out, feeling dizzy, vaguely glimpsing ghostly eyes coldly staring at her in mid-air. She silently wondered what demon had come for her life. But before she could lament her unjust death in her prime, suddenly a branch came fiercely, whooshing past the demon’s eyes. Another sharp killing intent pressed close, instantly reversing heaven and earth. Her delicate body fell into another person’s arms, held horizontally and protected in his embrace. She could faintly smell a light musk scent.

She suddenly looked up – it really was Shaohuang! She said in delighted surprise: “You actually know martial arts?”

Shaohuang glanced at her lightly, seeming to smile yet not: “Slightly.”

“Sister Jin Jin, are you alright! Don’t blame Jingchu – he was worried about me… Don’t be angry, Tiantian will let you eat the tofu back, okay?”

A soft voice suddenly spoke. Shaojin tightly hugged Shaohuang’s neck, turning to look. She saw the youth’s pale face saying hesitantly, then his eyes timidly glanced at the nearby demon.

Shaojin caught the youth’s glance and looked toward the demon too.

This, this, this… She immediately widened her eyes – arched sword-like brows, long phoenix eyes, pupils that moved like unsheathed sharp blades, delicate chin with tightly pressed thin lips, black hair cascading like water down from jade-warm skin, emanating seductive charm. What an exquisite demon!

Shaojin stared entranced until Shaohuang above coughed lightly. She glanced at him sideways, then turned back to stare at the demon.

The demon’s attention seemed no longer on them. He didn’t try to snatch anyone again, his demonic eyes staring directly at the youth who had just stood up from the ground, thin lips slightly curving: “Jingtian, remember what I told you?”

The youth called Jingtian immediately blushed, trembling his pink tender lips and murmuring: “So many instructions every day – how would I know which one you mean…”

Young Master Jingtian’s words seemed to provoke the demon. His demonic eyes narrowed as he took a swift step to press the delicate youth into his arms, leaning down to stare at him, using a voice from the underworld to say lowly: “I said, don’t let anyone but me touch a single hair on you!”

The next second, thin lips attacked the youth.

Shaojin, who had been watching with interest, hadn’t expected the demon’s action. After crying out, she raised her hand to cover her eyes – or rather, covered Shaohuang’s eyes.

Seeing her action, Shaohuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Why are you covering my eyes?”

Shaojin answered quite simply: “Afraid you’ll learn badly.”

Hearing this, he was silent for a moment, then carried her away from this place of trouble. Looking back, one hand still carried those two wine jars from before.

“Why leave? I still have things to say to Tiantian.” Shaojin struggled in his arms.

“If you don’t leave, do you want to keep watching? Besides, that youth has already been taken away – you have no one to talk to even if you wanted.” Shaohuang secretly used some strength in his arms to restrain the restless body in his embrace, looking down at her while thinking this woman’s body had never been so soft before.

Taken away? Shaojin looked over his shoulder toward the back. Where people had been standing was now empty space – where was Tiantian’s figure? So ghostly in appearing and disappearing – they’d truly encountered a demon! She quickly recited “Buddha have mercy” in her heart, hoping Tiantian could have a good ending with that demon. Amen.

Shaohuang carried Shaojin all the way back to the pool. Seeing the original bonfire in its death throes, he set Shaojin down and rekindled the fire. Soon, dead ashes were revived.

Shaojin’s white jade face reflected in the firelight, eyes crystal clear as if containing spring water – very moving. He watched quietly, feeling warmth in his heart, involuntarily thinking that sitting quietly with her like this until the end of time wouldn’t be bad.

Mm, until the end of time… truly a perfect ending, but he seemed to forget to ask Shaojin’s own opinion.

In a trance, she saw Shaojin’s eyes flickering, the smile in her eyes gradually fading as she said lightly: “Wild horses are hard to approach, raging fire hard to embrace. But look at this wood – doesn’t it willingly sacrifice itself to burn in the raging fire? People don’t approach only because they lack the wood’s determination.”

Shaohuang found this fresh, smiling silently. “The wood’s determination?”

“The raging fire fell in love with the wood at first sight, dancing the dance of love, so the wood embraced the fire and turned to ash with it – the wood fell in love with the raging fire. Strong conviction made it unafraid of death, ultimately turning to smoke for its beloved.”

Shaojin sighed as she spoke, while Shaohuang frowned as he listened, quietly observing the woman beside him.

“You truly are different from before.”

One light sentence startled her. Looking up, he was gazing deeply into her eyes. That endless darkness in his pupils seemed to want to pull her soul from her eyes to analyze it, to see clearly whether the one occupying this body was still the woman he knew. He… mustn’t!

Shaojin turned her head away, lowering her eyes: “What’s different? I still can’t escape this same appearance.”

“No, the former Shaojin wasn’t sentimental like you.”

“Where does the current Shaojin get melancholy from?”

“Since that’s so, where did your words just now come from? Truly like a young maiden thinking of spring romance?”

“What’s wrong with speaking from the heart? Must I only be suitable as a shrew?”

“Even if you have thoughts, you should bury them in your heart, let them rot there! Don’t forget you’re my wife!”

“So what if I speak them? Must I learn from you to bury that person in my heart to rot there? If you’re determined to go deep into the desert to chase Hua Rongyue, I certainly wouldn’t stop you!”

His eyes suddenly blazed with two flames as he grabbed her hand, hoarsely saying: “You… truly have someone in your heart?”

She looked up to meet his burning gaze, gritting her teeth: “Regrettably, I fell in love later than you did with Hua Rongyue!”

Shaohuang watched her silently, something in his eyes, faint, like still water suddenly flowing. He released her hand. “So you’ve always made trouble for me because you wanted to force me to divorce you…”

Shaojin opened her mouth to speak but suddenly stopped. She stared blankly at the man burying his face in the night, suddenly understanding – he… was actually jealous? Could it be he also had her in his heart, so he would tolerate her mischief, accompany her when she was sad at night, be nervous when she fell from a horse, save and protect her when she fell into demonic claws… Thinking of many things, Shaojin couldn’t help grinning. How foolish – so that’s how it was.

Seeing this woman first dazed, then astonished, now chuckling softly, Shaohuang couldn’t understand why a woman could have such rich expressions in the blink of an eye. Recalling the former Shaojin who would never be like this, his heart felt obscurely troubled. Suddenly remembering she’d repeatedly mentioned Rongyue earlier, he suddenly realized and wanted to clarify, but unexpectedly saw her change expression again – now she was looking at the sky with a sorrowful face.

Following her gaze, he saw a blood moon hanging alone in the dark night sky.

Shaohuang looked at her, not understanding why she was sad. The blood moon – tonight she’d already looked up countless times, each time with such sorrow. Inexplicably, seeing her like this made him feel anxious too, as if something was about to happen that he was kept in the dark about, making him inexplicably irritated.

“Shaojin.”

He called her name.

Shaojin turned back woodenly to look at him, as if understanding something, smiling softly: “I’m fine.” After speaking, she stood and walked toward the pool’s edge.

Someone once said, when a woman smiles and says she’s fine, she definitely has secrets buried in her heart, definitely accompanied by loneliness.

This long night, he watched her stand by the dark deep pool, graceful and upright, watching her alone with unknown thoughts, surrounded by endless loneliness. The night wind was strong, puffing up her sleeves like a butterfly about to take flight.

He suddenly had an impulse to draw his sword and cut those wings, making the butterfly stay here, never able to leave in this life. But damn it, he had no sword and didn’t move. He only sat quietly not far behind her, letting the firelight make his face alternately bright and dim. If everything could return to the beginning, he definitely wouldn’t pretend to be calm like this, definitely wouldn’t be so indifferent – he would definitely hold her in his arms, not letting anyone take her away! Not even gods or demons!

After an unknown time, she finally turned around. The bonfire behind had long been extinguished, smoke curling. The man opposite watched her quietly, pupils like a dark pool, making people unknowingly sink.

She smiled and asked: “Shaohuang, I saw two wine jars earlier – where did you hide them?”

That wine was brought by Hua Rongyue, who said it was desert strong liquor specially brought to share with Shaohuang. But seeing Shaohuang going to chase the woman in the bushes, she just left the wine and departed with a smile. Before leaving, she also said: “Shaohuang, I finally get to see you anxious – this trip wasn’t wasted.”

Anxious? He hadn’t felt anxious then, just discovering Shaojin nearby and suddenly feeling he missed her so much he wanted to keep her close. Thinking this, Shaohuang took out the wine jars from behind him, his eyes inviting.

Shaojin walked over with a light smile, took the wine and tore off the mud seal, saying: “Tonight we drink until drunk!”

“For what?” he asked seemingly casually, light passing through his eyes.

She pondered briefly, looking up at the sky: “For this blood moon, for this good water, for tonight’s you, and equally for tonight’s me.” She laughed: “See, doesn’t this perfectly combine favorable timing, location, and people? So we should drink until drunk!”

After speaking, she tilted her head back and drank deeply.

Sip after sip, each harboring their own thoughts, the two sipped wine facing each other wordlessly. Soon, Shaojin had downed half a jar. As wind blew, wine’s effect spread. The blood in her body burned like fire. She shook her head, loosened her collar somewhat, murmuring: “This desert wine is truly potent – just a few sips made me dizzy. I think I’m seeing cats now…”

Cats? Shaohuang turned to look at her, but she was staring at the dark pool ahead with hazy eyes. He threw down his wine jar and pulled Shaojin over, calling: “Shaojin, you’re drunk.”

She looked at him with misty eyes, murmuring: “Drunk? If drunk, I’ll sleep a while… when I wake up…”

Shaohuang didn’t hear the last few words clearly, thinking they were just drunken nonsense. Seeing her burrowing into his arms, he sighed: “I’ve seen your usual temper, but never thought you’d be sad to this extent. What kind of troubles make you rather get drunk to escape? You’re sad inside, but you won’t tell me – do you still consider me an outsider?”

Shaojin in his arms slept soundly, unable to hear his words. He continued sighing, sleepless under the moon.

When dawn was about to break, Shaojin opened drowsy eyes to find herself safely sleeping in Shaohuang’s arms. Her heart immediately jumped. Looking up, he was still sleeping, so she exhaled in relief.

Waking from this sleep and still seeing him, her heart was full of mixed feelings. Seeing him sleeping deeply, she couldn’t help saying words she dared not speak eye to eye.

“Coming to your side three years ago, troubling you for three years, never having a good conversation with you before, never sharing a bed like ordinary couples at night. Never imagined the closest moment would be last night. Do you know that after today I must return? My usual troublemaking was simply to make you notice me, but your eyes that have seen the world’s magnificence therefore find everything ordinary. Unexpectedly today I felt your concern for me. You treating me this way – does your heart understand itself? Treating me this way, do you know I’m not Shaojin? Treating me this way, how can you make me willing to leave you… Even if you don’t know, I still hope you’ll remember me, remember this troublesome Shaojin… Oh right, I’m not called Shaojin, I’m called… cough cough…”

She suddenly coughed lightly, as if suppressing some pain. After a while she laughed softly: “Heh, I forgot – names can’t be spoken, or my soul would scatter… With you, wrong in life, wrong in death, wholeheartedly for you, in this life I’ll probably never have belonging, but I’ll always remember you… No, rather…”

She suddenly hesitated, silent for long, as if making a decision, closing her eyes.

“…better to forget you!”

She spoke softly and low, originally talking to herself, but unexpectedly as soon as she finished, Shaohuang suddenly opened his eyes, tightening his arm around her, grabbing her chin hoarsely: “You said you want to forget me?”

He had been awake! She stared at him blankly, at his night-dark pupils, speechless.

Her mouth corners held a trace of crimson blood, probably from trying to say her name earlier. Shaohuang’s brows furrowed tightly, fury filling his chest. He found her lips and kissed her fiercely.

It hurt. She shed tears.

Touching the tears on her cheek, he suddenly released her, pressing his lips tightly.

She smiled sadly, asking: “Do you know who I am?”

His deep pool-like pupils stared tightly at her. After long silence, he asked: “I only want to ask – if I wait for you, will you come back?”

Her tears fell again as she said sadly: “If I return, will you still be here?”

“If you don’t come, I’ll abandon Shaojin, marry several beautiful concubines, live happily, never growing old alone!”

She stared with tearful eyes, truly seeing the seriousness in his eyes. After a long time, she smiled through her tears, saying: “That would be good too.”

Shaohuang’s body trembled, staring at her. “You… don’t understand?”

He gripped her shoulders tightly, staring into her eyes, waiting for her answer. In that instant he suddenly discovered waiting for an answer he couldn’t grasp was so frightening.

She trembled and buried herself in his arms, crying. How could she not understand? This was coercion and reverse psychology, advancing by retreating. But she couldn’t promise him – she couldn’t control that power… After crying long, she suddenly looked up biting her lip, voice shaking: “No! Jin Shaohuang, I tell you, if I don’t come back you’re not allowed to find women or men! If you dare fancy anyone besides me, I’ll scratch their face, break their legs, sell women to brothels as prostitutes and men as entertainers… I’ll make them unable to live or die! If you dare betray me… if you dare…”

Suddenly she stopped, seemingly suppressing something, eyes unfocused, softly calling: “Shaohuang…” Then her body softened and sank down.

He seemed to understand something, calling with an iron face: “Shaojin?”

No response. Her body grew heavier.

“Shaojin…”

No, I’m not called Shaojin… I’m called…

Called what? What was she called? He didn’t know how to call her… Shaohuang stared tightly at that sleeping face in his arms, faintly hearing even breathing, light and shallow, yet like a hand gripping his heart, almost suffocating him. His heart felt empty, very sad. An emotion surged from his chest, breaking through his blocked throat, rushing to his dry eye sockets, burning hot, yet ultimately nothing emerged… Slowly, the man closed his eyes, burying his face in the fragrant shoulder hollow of the woman in his arms…

So this was heartache. That day, a man in the mountains looked deeply at that forest with a sense of loss, then carried his unconscious wife to the carriage.

On the seventh day, the Jin family’s young mistress awoke from her slumber, opening cold, indifferent eyes to look at her husband, while in her husband’s eyes, a trace of bitterness was faintly visible.

Seventy-seven days – that woman didn’t return.

One hundred and seven days – that woman still didn’t return…

Day one hundred and eight – a white-robed figure stood by the railing, gazing at the vast sky, eyes so desolate.

Day one hundred and nine – auspicious stars descended in the southeast, the bright moon gradually reddened.

Under the moon in the deep residence, from the depths of scattered pavilions extended a pool of clear blue. Wind passed, water rippling slightly. Along the poolside corridor, glazed lamps swayed unextinguished in the cold wind. In the dim firelight, a faint shadow in soft silk gauze was vaguely reflected, like a ghost passing through the deep, winding corridor, floating directly toward the corridor’s end…

The ghostly shadow floated to a black wood door, hesitating briefly before knocking.

Hearing the sound, a pair of deep eyes in the room slowly opened in darkness, bright as torches. After brief thought, he rose from bed, lightly robed, and walked out from the inner room, seeing a slender silhouette on the door, swaying in the moonlight.

“Who?”

No answer. Inside and outside was silent. Listening carefully, faint breathing came from outside. After long, he suddenly opened the door—

Like a dream.

Under cold moonlight, white gauze stood gracefully. A white jade face, painted brows and eyes, black hair cascading like a waterfall over shoulders to the waist. Under soft silk covering, vaguely a pair of bare feet trembled slightly. Wind passed, lifting the light gauze, tangling with long black hair dancing in the air, seeming ready to fly, like that night’s butterfly-like woman. She looked up at him, eyes holding countless turns, smiling like colored glaze in the early winter’s cold wind.

“Shaohuang, did you miss me to death?”

Just one phrase made heaven and earth feel vast. The richest man in the world, having seen all winds and clouds, the Jin family’s first chair – Jin Shaohuang – for the first time in his life stared at someone until dazed, eyes full of waves, forgetting to speak.

Under the dark night’s blood moon, wind slowly blew open, a lingering softness flowing slowly in the air…