Cui Xun swam desperately toward the drowning, unconscious pipa player and dragged her ashore. Fortunately, the pipa player hadn’t been in the water long. After coughing up several mouthfuls of water, she slowly regained consciousness.

By this time, the pipa player’s companions had rushed over after hearing the news. They were all musicians from the Imperial Academy. Though anxious, upon seeing Cui Xun in his crimson official robes, they realized he was a fourth-rank court official. They exchanged glances with one another, not daring to approach.

Cui Xun’s headpiece had fallen off, and several strands of his ink-black hair were scattered across his neck, which was so pale that one could see the blood vessels beneath. Though he wore a fierce beast-headed mask that concealed his face, his crane-like figure revealed by his soaked clothes and his slightly upturned peach blossom eyes visible through the mask still betrayed the unparalleled elegance of the mask’s owner.

Seeing that the pipa player had regained consciousness, Cui Xun rose to leave, but was grabbed by the wrist by the pipa player.

There seemed to be a hint of hesitation in the pipa player’s eyes, along with a trace of disbelief. She suddenly reached out, trembling as she removed Cui Xun’s mask.

Beneath the mask was indeed that peach blossom-like face.

The pipa player reacted as if struck by lightning. Using all her strength, she pushed Cui Xun, making him stagger. She squeezed a few words from her throat: “Go away! I don’t want your help!”

Her companions anxiously stepped forward: “Ah’man, this gentleman saved you!”

“I don’t want his help!” the pipa player said. “He disgusts me!”

With that, she refused to look at Cui Xun again and stood up with the support of her companions, staggering away. The remaining musicians had no choice but to apologize to Cui Xun: “We’re sorry, sir. Ah’man isn’t usually like this…”

Cui Xun simply said: “It’s alright… take good care of her…”

The musicians reluctantly bowed, then went to catch up with the pipa player. Only then did Cui Xun pick up his black cloak from the ground and stagger away under the puzzled gazes of onlookers.

Having witnessed everything, Li Ying was stunned. She couldn’t understand why the pipa player was so hostile to Cui Xun after he had saved her. If it was because of Cui Xun’s bad reputation, he had still saved her life—didn’t that deserve at least a word of thanks?

Moreover, why did Cui Xun say it was alright after the pipa player’s hostility? And why was he willing to jump into the Qu River to save a musician? This wasn’t like his usual behavior. Could it be that he knew this pipa player?

Full of questions, she couldn’t help but look toward Cui Xun as he staggered away. His crimson robes were soaked through, and the thin garment clung to his body, making him appear even more slender like a bamboo. Li Ying pressed her lips together and chased after him. She wanted to clarify everything, but just as she uttered the words “Deputy Minister Cui,” Cui Xun pointed to a pleasure boat in the center of the Qu River. On the boat stood a middle-aged couple side by side. The man wore purple every day robes and had a square face, thick eyebrows, and a robust build, with bright, piercing eyes. The woman had willow eyebrows and apricot eyes, exuding mature charm. Cui Xun calmly said, “That is the Pei Guanyue couple. They are extremely afraid of ghosts and spirits. Take this opportunity to create some disturbance. When they become frightened, they might reveal what you want to know.”

Li Ying halted her steps and couldn’t help but look at the beautiful woman on the boat. Was that Zheng Yun’s beloved cousin, Wang Ranxi of the Wang clan of Taiyuan?

Was it for her that Zheng Yun hated his fiancée enough to want to kill her?

Li Ying’s mind was in chaos, but she was quickly brought back to reality by Cui Xun’s violent coughing.

Cui Xun was coughing severely. Having jumped into the cold waters of the Qu River to save someone, he now felt a bone-chilling cold penetrating to his marrow. His snow-white face had taken on a rosy hue due to the intense coughing. Seeing him trembling from the cold and walking unsteadily, Li Ying couldn’t help but ask with concern: “Deputy Minister Cui, are you alright?”

But Cui Xun ignored her. He continued to move forward, staggering but determined. Li Ying watched him, then looked back at Wang Ranxi, who was laughing and talking cheerfully on the boat. She stamped her foot in frustration but ultimately decided to follow Cui Xun.

Cui Xun’s vision was growing increasingly dark, and his body felt heavier and heavier. Nevertheless, he managed to make his way step by step to a plum blossom grove. The people of Chang’an had all gone to view the lanterns, so the grove was deserted. Cui Xun leaned against a winter plum tree, feeling as if the sky and earth were spinning. He could no longer support himself and collapsed to the ground.

Li Ying, who had been following Cui Xun closely, rushed forward when she saw him faint. She knelt on the ground, anxiously shaking him gently: “Deputy Minister Cui, Deputy Minister Cui, are you alright?”

But Cui Xun’s eyes remained tightly closed, his long, crow-feather eyelashes resting on his eyelids, several strands of wet, ink-black hair clinging to his pale face. Even his lips were drained of all color. No matter how Li Ying called to him, he did not wake.

Li Ying bit her lip, unable to describe what she felt. This man, infamous though he was, had extraordinary pride. Even when fainting, he chose a deserted place rather than collapsing by the crowded Qu River bank.

She looked again toward the Qu River, festooned with lanterns. Wang Ranxi was there on her pleasure boat. If she missed this opportunity, who knew when Wang Ranxi would leave her residence again.

Li Ying’s gaze returned to Cui Xun beneath the winter plum tree. A red plum blossom fell from the tree and landed on his colorless lips. The red plum petals were layered, as brilliant as clouds at sunset, while the man resembled crystalline winter jade. Li Ying gently reached out and picked up the red plum petals from Cui Xun’s lips. Her fingers also touched his ice-cold lips, causing her to immediately withdraw her hand. After a moment, though, she raised her finger, which now rested on her striped skirt, and looked at it again and again. After a long while, she let out a soft sigh.

In the winter plum grove, a wisp of green ghostly fire suddenly ignited. In an instant, six paper sedan bearers carried an elegant palanquin covered with a treasure-patterned white gauze into the grove. The palanquin, its bearers’ feet not touching the ground, swiftly entered and then left the plum grove. Only a fallen blossom, as brilliant as sunset clouds, remained on the ground.

Though the paper sedan bearers carried it steadily, the palanquin still swayed slightly. The unconscious Cui Xun lay on the soft, warm white tiger skin of the palanquin. Phoenix-patterned incense burners around the palanquin were filled with fragrant charcoal, making the interior as warm as spring. But even in his unconscious state, Cui Xun still felt a bone-deep cold throughout his body. He trembled and involuntarily coughed, his furrowed brow suggesting great discomfort. Li Ying, kneeling before him, bent down and gently arranged the strands of ink-black hair clinging to his face. She glanced at his crimson robes, soaked and clinging to his body. If he didn’t change out of these wet clothes, he would likely develop a high fever.

But apart from herself, none of the paper servants her mother had burned for her could touch people from the mortal realm. Li Ying bit her lip and, with trembling hands, began to undo the stepladder belt at Cui Xun’s waist.

After removing his belt, she went on to undo his crimson outer robe with trembling hands. Once the outer robe was removed, Li Ying took a deep breath before proceeding to remove Cui Xun’s remaining white inner garment.

However, the moment Li Ying opened Cui Xun’s inner garment, she was instantly stunned.

Cui Xun’s bare upper body was covered with crisscrossing scars. These scars were from whips, knives, hot irons, and some instruments of torture that she couldn’t even identify. The scars, like giant centipedes, crawled all over his slender, jade-like body, like flaws marring white jade, making it unbearable to look at.

Li Ying turned her head away in shock, but the horrific, cruel scars remained before her eyes. She even felt a sense of nausea in her throat. After all, she was just a precious little princess from the Daming Palace, having never witnessed much of the world’s bloodshed and cruelty. She suddenly recalled the hollow-like scar she had glimpsed on Cui Xun’s collarbone—that must have been caused by chains made of iron thorns passed through the collarbone to hang someone up, and the hanging must have lasted for quite some time to cause such a deep scar.

The mere thought made her scalp tingle, and she felt sick with fear.

Suddenly, a light cough came from behind her. Li Ying turned around to see that Cui Xun had somehow awakened. He struggled to sit up, leaning against the palanquin pillar, then drew his wet clothes around himself, covering his scarred body.

Li Ying hurriedly explained: “I just… I just wanted to change you into dry clothes.”

But Cui Xun said nothing. He lowered his head to fasten his clothes, but his fingers had little strength, and it took him a long time just to secure his inner garment. Li Ying felt extremely awkward. Haltingly, she finally asked: “Your wounds…”

Cui Xun looked up, his eyes cold. He only said: “What business is it of yours?”

Li Ying was rebuffed. She lowered her head, stammering: “It’s indeed none of my business, I was just asking…”

Cui Xun ignored her again and continued to fasten the clothes she had undone. Li Ying scratched her head, but eventually handed Cui Xun the moonlight-white clothes that had been warmed by the heater in the palanquin: “You should change into dry clothes.”

Cui Xun still didn’t respond. Li Ying persisted: “I didn’t mean anything by it, and I won’t ask anything more. But if you keep wearing these wet clothes, you’ll likely fall seriously ill again. Your health is not good… If no one cares for you, you should at least care for yourself…”

With that, she placed the dry clothes beside Cui Xun, then waved her hand, causing layers of treasure-patterned white gauze to fall between her and Cui Xun. She turned her back, saying softly: “Don’t worry, I won’t look. Call me when you’re dressed.”

She sat silently with her back to Cui Xun. The light gauze behind her lifted slightly, brushing past her ear. She wasn’t sure if Cui Xun would put on the clean clothes she had prepared, given his peculiar temperament and the fact that she had just angered him… She waited quietly, not saying anything more, simply breathing in the clean fragrance of the incense charcoal burning in the censer, closing her eyes and covering her ears, neither looking nor listening.

It seemed a very long time had passed when the palanquin suddenly stopped. Li Ying opened her eyes and lowered her hands that had been covering her ears. She asked the bearers: “Have we arrived at the Cui residence?”

The bearers didn’t answer. Instead, Cui Xun replied with a light cough: “Yes.”

Li Ying turned around. A hand with well-defined joints gently lifted the white gauze hanging between them, and a face appeared behind it—a face with strikingly beautiful features, yet pure rather than bewitching.

Li Ying was stunned. Cui Xun had indeed put on the clothes she had given him. The clothes were in the scholarly style of thirty years ago, wider and looser than the current men’s everyday robes, with broad sleeves. Cui Xun was already slender, and now with a belt around his waist and a jade crown on his head, his black hair falling, he had an ethereal, elegant presence.

Li Ying looked at him and suddenly blurted out: “You look quite good in this…”

After saying this, she immediately felt she had spoken out of turn, but Cui Xun’s expression remained unchanged. He asked: “Why didn’t you go find Wang Ranxi?”

Li Ying was taken aback. She said, “If I went to find her, what about you?”

A hint of something flashed in Cui Xun’s eyes. He said nothing more but stepped out of the palanquin and walked into the Cui residence. Just before entering, however, he suddenly turned back and said two words: “Thank you.”