From afar, he lifted the corners of his lips slightly, as if smiling. He nodded gently—whether to me or the crowd in the courtyard, I couldn’t tell.

I collapsed heavily into the chair. Was this a dream? It had to be a dream. I wasn’t supposed to see that person again, never again, yet who was this person standing so clearly before my eyes? My vision had already blurred, but that voice, more familiar than anything else in the world, still penetrated my ears: “Time was short, and the tea is crude. I ask for the understanding of my fellow martial artists…”

He was exchanging pleasantries with the crowd.

I couldn’t think anymore. Only one voice kept calling in my heart: it’s him, he’s back, he’s back…

A hand rested lightly on my shoulder, and Mu Yan’s voice was unusually calm: “You know the Pavilion Master?”

I dared not nod, nor shake my head. Wasn’t this a dream that would shatter at the slightest touch? Wasn’t this an illusion that would vanish with a shake?

For half a year, I hadn’t even dreamed of him. I dared not dream. To see him in dreams, only to wake up to nothing, leaving me alone to face the lonely, cold night—this feeling, I dared not experience even once, not if I wanted to survive in this world without him.

But he had returned, returned completely unharmed, standing before everyone with a smile, speaking gentle words of courtesy in his mild tone—he had returned.

I stood up, stumbling and pushing through the crowd toward him. Curses arose around me, all eyes turned toward me, and several hall masters of Fenglai Pavilion all stood up.

Did I look like a mad troublemaker?

It didn’t matter. I just wanted to confirm, to confirm if that body was warm, to confirm if that living, smiling, speaking person truly existed.

I knew I should wait patiently, wait for him to finish handling the current matters, and then quietly reunite with him in private. But I couldn’t wait. Every moment was so long, every moment filled with countless cycles of doubt and confirmation, confirmation and doubt. I would truly go mad.

“Who are you? Are you…” I had already reached the tables at the front when Su Qian, the hall master of Zhang Yue Hall in white robes, blocked my way.

I reached past her arm to look at the person still seated in the chair. He tilted his head, his long eyelashes casting a slight shadow beneath his eyes. He steadied himself with a hand on the table, remained silent, and finally slowly stood up, nodding slightly: “Let her through.”

I quickly walked over, without hesitation, and tightly embraced him.

This body was warm. He was even thinner than last winter. The scent in his clothes was still so familiar, warm, mixed with a slightly spicy medicinal fragrance. There was no mistake—this person was him.

The tiny flame in my heart suddenly expanded several times, warming my entire being until it felt like burning.

I heard my hoarse voice: “Brother Xiao.”

His arms didn’t return my embrace. He just stood there letting me hold him, neither accepting nor rejecting.

I raised my head to look at his face. His face showed not a ripple of emotion—no joy at reuniting after a long separation, no disgust or disdain. He just looked at me so indifferently, like any composed martial arts leader looking at a stranger.

He pushed me away slightly: “Go rest to the side for now.”

My vision swam. Had he forgotten who I was? Had he forgotten everything?

He spoke again, his voice still without inflection: “Cangcang, go wait for a while.”

He hadn’t forgotten. I wanted to speak, but he had already turned his head, his voice now carrying some warmth: “Mu Yan, you’ve returned.”

Mu Yan, who had followed behind me, nodded: “Yes, I’ve returned.” He shifted his gaze to me. “This is the Pavilion Master’s…”

“An old acquaintance,” came the cold and casual answer. That person turned his deep, dark, bright eyes to my face. “Just an old acquaintance.”

Xiao Huan, this cold Xiao Huan whose eyes held that distinctive sharp and cruel gleam of the jianghu, repeated indifferently: just an old acquaintance.

I removed my hands from him, stepped back, and smiled: “Alright, I’ll rest for a while. You handle your matters first, I’ll wait.”

Xiao Huan no longer looked at me, turning to smile at Mu Yan: “Thank you for your hard work.”

He then walked to the front, facing everyone: “Thank you all for coming. Regarding right and wrong, I hope everyone will listen to the explanation, and justice will prevail.”

What followed went smoothly. Zhong Lin stood up to accuse the current Zhen Shui Hall Master Li Xiyan of being the murderer who led people to kill at her home that night. Li Xiyan was apprehended on the spot, which then led to the exposure of many others who had participated in the incident that night.

Before the gathered martial arts heroes, Xiao Huan dealt with Li Xiyan and the rebellious disciples of the pavilion on the spot.

I stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching the crowd before me, never moving.

My heart had gradually regained its calm. After countless confirmations, I no longer doubted—he was indeed still alive. As long as he was alive, that was enough.

The fierce noon sun had unknowingly fallen behind the western mountains. My shadow gradually lengthened, stretching past the steps beneath my feet, then past the flower beds nearby, and finally past the distant rockery. This day was coming to an end.

I stood there the whole time. As the crowd dispersed, occasionally people would stop to look at me with strange gazes. Young and beautiful female martial artists were especially numerous. Their lips all held ambiguous smiles with contempt within: Who was this mad woman who rushed forward to embrace the Fenglai Pavilion Master in public? How shameless, now being left here waiting all day, truly embarrassing.

I shifted my eyes to their emerald green and bright red embroidered shoes, saying nothing.

When the sunset light fell on the blue flagstones before me, a pair of black boots finally stopped before my eyes.

Seeming to sigh slightly, Xiao Huan spoke: “Come with me.”

I raised my head to follow him. My feet were numb from standing so long, making movement difficult.

He led me to that waterside pavilion, lifted the pearl curtain, and walked into the inner chamber. He sat in the chair behind the desk, then fell silent for a moment: “Have you been well lately?”

I looked up at him without answering. He probably hadn’t expected an answer either—that cold and polite tone was just meant to break the awkward silence.

“I never knew how to face you again,” his voice was very slow, “how to speak without hurting you, and also, to make you understand.”

I looked at his profile, remaining silent.

He continued speaking, his voice detached: “I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you again… but I’ve grown weary, so I don’t want to get involved with those past matters anymore. I’m already a person who has died once. I won’t seek the throne again. Now I only want to do some things I wish to do.”

As he spoke, he raised his head to look at me, and smiled slightly, his eyes completely calm: “The promise to protect you for life, as long as I live, I will still try my best to keep. As for this current alias, consider it a memorial to the past.”

There was another sentence he didn’t say: Don’t burden me anymore.

I opened my mouth—what else could I say? What I wanted to say, what I didn’t want to say, he had said it all. To say more would make even me feel like a shameless beggar reaching out to him.

I nodded, holding the chair back to stand up: “I understand. It’s nothing, I just wanted to see if you were still well. This is enough. Goodbye.”

I tried to lift my leg to leave, but my vision suddenly darkened, and my knee hit the floor heavily. I hurriedly got up, bowing to him: “I’m sorry, I’m leaving.”

I fled from that room like an escape. My vision was somewhat blurry. The night was falling, but no lamps had been lit in the courtyard. In my panic, I don’t know how many times I stumbled. This courtyard seemed too vast to run out of.

In my haste, I bumped into someone. My shoulder was firmly grabbed.

I looked up—it was Xiao Qianqing. He looked at me, and suddenly smiled: “Cangcang.”

In the night, those light-colored eyes were filled with a brilliance I didn’t understand. He raised his arms and embraced me.

Without a word, I became calm. Then tears welled up. I hugged his body, burying my head in his shoulder, and taking a deep breath.

“Cangcang…” After a long while, he finally spoke, “No matter what you do, I’m here.”

I had forgotten him. For an entire afternoon, I stood in the courtyard waiting for Xiao Huan, while he had been waiting for me, until now.

The night was like water. I closed my eyes, holding tight to the man before me.

The sunlight was brilliant, and the open space by Xuanwu Lake was crowded with people.

This was a new piece of prime property bought by Fenglai Pavilion, backed by mountains and facing water, every inch worth its weight in gold.

Now it was packed densely with people, dust flying, shoulders touching shoulders.

I was squeezed in the crowd. The large man to my left kept hawking and spitting phlegm. His thick phlegm landed on the ground with a “splat,” and he used his shoe to rub it back and forth.

The bald wandering monk in front of me was gnawing on a pig’s trotter, “smack smack,” oil dripping down his chin.

The female martial artist behind me, heavily made up with two Emei steel needles at her waist, seemed to have a body odor. As she impatiently swayed her waist, waves of stench wafted over.

“Next.” At the temporary pavilion directly in front of us, someone spoke wearily. He wore all white, with a blue silk sash at his waist—the mark of a Fenglai Pavilion altar master.

“Coming!” The wandering monk in front of me tossed aside his pig’s trotter, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and cheerfully went forward.

“Name, school, experience, what martial arts do you know? What weapons do you use?” The altar master under the pavilion fired questions like a string of firecrackers. He had a thin face and sword-like eyebrows, still quite young, but his temples were already streaked with white.

“This humble one is called Lu Tihua, trained at Mount Wutai, known in the jianghu as Staff Breaks Nine Provinces Rivals Zhishen…” the wandering monk sprayed saliva as he spoke.

“Don’t tell me about your jianghu titles,” the white-templed altar master impatiently interrupted him. “Staff Breaks Nine Provinces? Show me a set of staff techniques.”

Seeing he’d met an expert, the wandering monk sheepishly closed his mouth and pulled out a monk’s staff from behind him. The staff was forged from fine iron, completely black and shiny. When placed on the ground, it immediately made a crater.

To wield such a heavy weapon required some real skill.

The wandering monk looked pleased, glanced at the white-templed altar master, and with a “whoosh,” spun the staff into a full circle.

The force of the wind was about to hit me, and I quickly stepped back.

In an instant, the wandering monk had set the staff in motion. Each strike was fierce and powerful, sand and stones flew with the wind, and in the yellow dust, his shining head looked like a spinning top.

I covered my nose and jumped back several steps, remembering how the large man on the left had rubbed his phlegm—who knew what other filth was in this dirt…

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before the wandering monk finished his staff routine, planted his staff, and stood still, wiping the sweat that had broken out on his head, looking proudly at the white-templed altar master.

The white-templed altar master fanned away the dust that hadn’t yet settled before him while speaking to the female disciple standing behind him without turning his head: “Xue’er, show him your staff technique.”

The female disciple called Xue’er stepped forward in response, and cupped her hands in greeting to the wandering monk: “Master, may I borrow your staff?”

The wandering monk was stunned for a moment, looked at Xue’er’s delicate frame, showed some disdain on his face, and handed over the staff with a chuckle: “Young miss, it’s eighty jin of fine iron, don’t hurt your little hands.”

Xue’er cupped her hands: “Thank you, Master.” She reached out lightly, her slender hands showing no apparent effort, and the heavy staff moved to her hands.

Xue’er first lazily spun the staff in a circle in the air, saying: “Please excuse my poor skills.” Then her form began to move.

That white figure was like an egret suddenly spreading its wings in flight, the black iron forming a continuous sheet as if wings had been inserted under her arms. Such a clumsy and massive iron staff was like a willow branch in her hands, as light as a flying leaf.

As the staff wind began to spiral, the yellow earth rose with the wind, all seeming to have spirit as it surrounded her, not a particle flying outward. This staff wind wasn’t at all fierce, but within this tightly contained staff wind, a chill gradually seeped out. Even on this yellow earth under the blazing sun, it seemed a deep cold wind had begun to blow. The bone-chilling cold spread and the people around seemed to forget to breathe, staring fixedly at that stunning figure.

The monk’s staff suddenly stopped, the yellow earth falling listlessly. Xue’er stood and returned the staff, her white clothes as pristine as before, not a speck of dust on them. She held the iron staff with both hands and returned it to the wandering monk: “I am Fang Chuxue, a disciple of Altar Master Shu Qinghuan of Xingri Hall. Please excuse my poor performance.”

“Fang Chuxue!” someone in the crowd called out. “Are you from the Fang family?”

The wandering monk had been staring dumbfounded, and now gave a dry chuckle: “So you’re from the Fang family, renowned for their staff techniques. This humble one wouldn’t dare wield an axe before Lu Ban’s door. How embarrassing.” Though he spoke of embarrassment, his face still wore a shameless grin, without a trace of actual shame.

I secretly sighed: This meat-and-wine-loving monk certainly had thick skin.

The white-templed Shu Qinghuan gave a cold laugh: “I don’t want braggarts who are all talk. Next.”

I glanced at the wandering monk whose expression had suddenly turned ugly. Even if this monk wasn’t likable, this Altar Master Shu didn’t leave any face for people.

While I was thinking this, I was next in line before Shu Qinghuan. I walked past the monk to the front, and smiled at the person before me: “Greetings, Altar Master Shu.”

Shu Qinghuan seemed to dislike my overly familiar attitude, frowning as he looked at me: “Name, school…”

I cut in: “Name’s Ling Cangcang. As for school, my master never told me. Experience—well, I used to follow others to make a living, then became self-reliant taking bounties from the government. I know a mishmash of martial arts, some finger techniques, and palm techniques, but I’m best at swordplay. Unfortunately, my sword just broke. What weapon do I use? As I just said, a sword, but it’s broken now.” I smiled. “You can save some energy when talking to me, no need to repeat the questions.”

Shu Qinghuan raised an eyebrow, his brow still frosty as ice, his voice still as cold as before: “Very well, then what do you think you can do?”

I smiled: “Fenglai Pavilion surely needs people with great martial arts skills and a high reputation, but they also need quick-witted and capable errand runners, right?” I looked around as I spoke. “I think leaving people standing in an open space, selecting disciples like recruiting laborers—no matter how high Fenglai Pavilion’s prestige is, true masters would still disdain to come.”

Shu Qinghuan snorted coldly: “You have many opinions. Don’t you think you talk too much?”

I smiled shamelessly: “If I were talking too much, I might mention that your white hair is because you practiced an evil internal cultivation technique from Daguangming Palace. Though it gives quick results, practicing it too long leads to deviation. If you don’t want to become a cripple, you’d better switch to Shaolin Temple’s Muscle and Tendon Changing Classic before you turn thirty.”

Shu Qinghuan finally lifted his eyelids to look at me, giving a cold smile: “You do talk too much. I hate self-righteous people.” He waved his hand, speaking to the clerk beside him, “Write down the name, Ling Cangcang.”

At his words, Fang Chuxue, standing behind him, handed me a wooden tablet carved with a Vermilion Bird pattern, smiling at me: “You can go to the main hall now. Someone there will assign you to a hall and position.”

I grinned broadly, proudly taking the tablet and turning to leave, seeing everyone around wearing expressions like they’d seen a ghost: after all, this whole time, apart from the renowned Sword Seeker He Rufei, no one had managed to get a tablet from this extremely picky Shu Qinghuan.

This was about technique—with someone as arrogant as Shu, you had to be even more arrogant than him.

Cheerfully walking out, I strolled toward the edge of the grounds. Just as I reached the edge, someone called out to me: “Cangcang? What are you doing here?”

I looked up to see Mu Yan, who was in charge of this recruitment.

I proudly waved the tablet at him: “Remember to arrange for your subordinate to stay in the main hall for work. From now on, I’ll be following you, Hall Master Mu.”

Mu Yan looked astonished, looking me up and down: “What are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell?” I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m now a disciple of Fenglai Pavilion.”

Though Mu Yan didn’t know my identity, he had gathered some hints from Xiao Qianqing, and was even more surprised: “Aren’t you the King of Chu’s… What are you doing at our Fenglai Pavilion?”

I smiled: “The King of Chu is the King of Chu, and I am me.”

Xiao Qianqing couldn’t leave the capital for too long and hurriedly left that night. And after that day, Zhong Lin also disappeared.

Alone in Jinling, hearing that Fenglai Pavilion was recruiting new disciples on a large scale, I came over.

Mu Yan nodded as he looked at me: “Fine… but what exactly are you here for?”

I glanced at him sideways: “Want to hear the truth?”

He nodded, somewhat surprised.

I cleared my throat: “To seduce your Pavilion Master.”

“Huh?” Mu Yan swallowed hard, looking at the passersby who were turning to stare: “You… what did you say?”

“I want to seduce the Fenglai Pavilion Master!” I shouted with raised fists.

Since the bonds had been broken and the past had been sealed away, let’s start over again.

Mu Yan was shocked by my lion’s roar and quickly waved for me to report to the main hall, hurrying away himself as if standing with me any longer would cost him a piece of flesh.

I excitedly clutched my tablet and ran to Fenglai Pavilion’s main hall on Xuanwu Avenue.

After entering and handing over my tablet, I was led to a small courtyard behind Zhuque Hall. The small courtyard already had quite a few people standing in twos and threes.

After standing under the corridor for a while, I got bored and tapped the shoulder of a black-clad swordsman beside me: “Brother, taking it easy?”

The black-clad swordsman glanced at me and grunted “Hmm.”

Still quite arrogant. I continued chatting: “I see brother has an extraordinary bearing and outstanding presence. I truly admire you. May I ask your name?”

The black-clad swordsman looked at me again, and though there was some disdain in his gaze, his tone had softened somewhat: “You’re too kind. Shi Renfei from Shandong.”

“Are you the Shi Renfei, the Single Sword of Evening Wind, who single-handedly broke up the Black Wind Fortress, recovered the disaster relief funds, and saved tens of thousands of disaster victims in Shandong?” I rattled off in one breath.

Shi Renfei gave a light snort: “That’s my humble self.”

I clicked my tongue. The Single Sword of Evening Wind, Shi Renfei, was a long-renowned lone warrior in the jianghu, and his reputation had soared even higher due to his righteous deed of saving disaster relief grain and rescuing victims.

Although Fenglai Pavilion’s prestige had been rising in the jianghu lately, and their policy of recruiting talented people without discrimination had attracted many capable and righteous individuals, I had thought someone of Shi Renfei’s status would surely not stoop to becoming a disciple of Fenglai Pavilion. I hadn’t expected to meet such a famous hero here.

While clicking my tongue, I chatted with Shi Renfei for a few more sentences before looking for others to talk to.

After asking eight or nine people, they turned out to be either already famous heroes or distinguished disciples of renowned masters. Each one had an impressive reputation. The more I asked, the less confidence I had, and I couldn’t help muttering: “Why aren’t they out helping people and doing good deeds instead of all crowding in here?”

“Huh? Why are we here?” Just as I finished speaking, a crisp voice cut in, “That day I saw the Fenglai Pavilion Master at Zhuque Hall and thought, wow, this person is really good-looking, and then today I saw Fenglai Pavilion recruiting new disciples by Xuanwu Lake, so I came. Thinking carefully, I don’t know why I came. Could it be to see that good-looking Pavilion Master?”

I turned around to see a purple-robed girl of about fifteen or sixteen who had finished speaking cheerfully, blinking her big eyes at me.

Finally finding someone I could talk to, I couldn’t help asking: “Then just now by Xuanwu Lake, when those people asked why you wanted to join Fenglai Pavilion, what did you tell them?”

“I just said I thought the Pavilion Master looked really good, and working under him would surely make me happy every day, and then the person who heard me laughed and gave me a tablet to come report in,” the girl said with an innocent face. “What’s wrong with that?”

I nodded repeatedly: “Nothing wrong with that.” After thinking, I continued asking, “May I ask, which altar master gave you the tablet?”

“It wasn’t an altar master, it was Hall Master Mu from Xingri Hall who gave me the tablet.” As the girl spoke, she put on an enchanted expression. “So it turns out not only is the Pavilion Master good-looking, Hall Master Mu’s smile is also very good-looking. Fenglai Pavilion is a wonderful place!”

I had guessed it was that unreliable Mu Yan who gave this girl the tablet, and sure enough, I was right.

However, this girl was even more direct than me…

“I’m called Zhang Lige, ‘Li’ as in parting, ‘Ge’ as in song. I learned swordplay from my grandmother,” while I was still thinking, the girl had already started speaking cheerfully. “Everyone here has such stiff faces and barely responds to people, but you’re quite friendly. Let’s be friends! What’s your name?”

I nodded in strong agreement: “Yes, it’s nice to finally meet someone congenial. I’m Ling Cangcang, just call me Cangcang.”

Lige smiled brightly, always squinting her eyes when she spoke: “Cangcang, why did you come here? Is it also because you think the Pavilion Master is good-looking?”

“Well, perhaps that’s the reason,” I cleared my throat.

As we were talking, an altar master-looking person walked in with a piece of paper and began reading from it. Though his voice wasn’t very loud and he wasn’t close to me and Lige, I could hear him clearly, as if someone was speaking right next to our ears—probably using some advanced internal cultivation technique for transmitting sound.

The jianghu had long been full of rumors about hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Fenglai Pavilion. Now seeing even an altar master with such skills, I knew these weren’t exaggerations.

The altar master was announcing everyone’s assignments. Lige and I listened intently for a long time but didn’t hear our names. After most people in the courtyard had received their orders and left for their assigned halls, and the courtyard had emptied, we still hadn’t heard our names. Finally, only the two of us were left in the courtyard, and the altar master looked up from his paper, glancing around.

I quickly pulled Lige to run before him: “I’m Ling Cangcang, and this is Zhang Lige. Why weren’t our names called? Where should we go?”

The altar master smiled: “So you’re Ling Cangcang and Zhang Lige. Come with me.” Then he turned and walked out.

We followed him as he led us through many twists and turns, the path becoming increasingly secluded. I couldn’t help asking: “Excuse me, but what exactly are we assigned to do?”

“Hehe.” The altar master was quite friendly, smiling and generously showing us the list in his hand. “You two were specially arranged by Hall Master Mu himself.”

I leaned in to look at the paper. My and Lige’s names were marked together, and next to them were four large characters written by Mu Yan in flowing ink that almost seemed to fly off the page: “Can serve as miscellaneous workers.”

Miscellaneous workers? Was he recruiting disciples or hiring laborers? Even laborers get paid a few strings of cash per month, but Lige and I would work for free!

As the altar master walked, he dutifully introduced us to the general layout of Fenglai Pavilion’s main hall: for convenience of living and working, this large compound was divided into many courtyards. Xiao Huan lived in the Water Courtyard, and right next to it was Su Qian’s Clear Direction Courtyard. Mu Yan’s Light Color Courtyard was several courtyards away. These courtyards were separated according to the garden’s terrain, while the grand and imposing Zhuque Hall in the front courtyard was where disciples gathered for meetings.

As he spoke, the altar master led us to a small courtyard. Unlike the other courtyards with their lush flowers and trees and hidden pavilions, this one was filled with wood, coal, and large wooden tubs for washing clothes. Many servants and kitchen maids were bustling about, busy with their work.

The altar master called to a woman who wore an apron and was as round as a water barrel: “Sister Ma, I’ve brought you two people.”

Sister Ma responded, putting down the clothes she was washing and walking over with a smile: “Altar Master Cheng, haven’t seen you in days. You’re looking well lately.” As she spoke, she looked Lige and me up and down. “Just these two skinny little girls? I’m afraid they can’t handle heavy work.”

Altar Master Cheng replied with a smile: “No worries, these two are newly recruited disciples who have trained in martial arts. Don’t let their delicate appearance fool you—they can handle heavy work.”

This smiling tiger, really making decisions for us. I secretly glared at him, while Lige had already started protesting: “I came to Fenglai Pavilion to see your Pavilion Master, why am I assigned here?”

Hearing Lige’s blatant intention, Altar Master Cheng wasn’t surprised at all, just smiled: “This is where you’re more likely to see the Pavilion Master often. The Pavilion Master rarely appears in public. Even hall masters and altar masters find it difficult to see him, but runners and servants have more chances to see him.”

So Mu Yan arranging for me to be here showed some thoughtfulness? On second thought: the possibility that he just couldn’t be bothered to think about it was also quite high…

Well, since we’re here already, might as well make the best of it. I pulled Lige back and said to Altar Master Cheng: “Thank you, Altar Master Cheng, for personally showing us the way. We’ll stay here.”

Hearing this, Altar Master Cheng chuckled, didn’t give any more instructions, and left.

Since Lige and I were now assigned here, Sister Ma introduced us to the layout of the servants’ quarter.

This courtyard had two main sections: the kitchen was responsible for the daily meals of everyone in the main hall, including the Pavilion Master and various hall masters, while the laundry was responsible for washing bedding and clothes, as well as providing hot water for bathing.

These two sections had about a hundred people in total, all under Sister Ma’s management.

After the introduction, Sister Ma assigned us to watch the fire in the boiler room.

This job was relatively easy, just requiring us to add coal and remove clinkers from time to time.

The day passed easily. After dinner, Sister Ma called us over, pointing to a large wooden tub: “Go with Miss Fen and deliver this tub of hot water.”

I nodded, seeing a young woman dressed as a maid standing beside Sister Ma. She had bright eyes and white teeth, just smiling without speaking.

She nodded to Lige and me, then led the way. We lifted the tub and followed closely behind.

Miss Fen led us quite far, finally bringing us to the door of a room. She made some gestures to us, indicating we should wait outside, then gracefully pushed open the door and went in.

After entering, Miss Fen closed the door. Someone inside said something in a low voice, and then Miss Fen came out, carefully closed the door again, and made gestures to explain to Lige and me.

She hadn’t spoken to us at all, and by now I finally realized this beautiful maid must be mute.

I understood her meaning—the person inside didn’t need the hot water yet, we should wait here until called, then go in—so I nodded to show I understood.

Miss Fen smiled, then surprisingly left us at the door and walked away.

Lige and I looked at each other, realizing the person inside must be a leader of Fenglai Pavilion, so we could only wait outside.

We counted stars for a long time without hearing any movement from inside. I was getting impatient when finally we heard the sound of water splashing inside. I thought since they had started bathing, even if they hadn’t called us, we should add hot water, so I called Lige to lift the tub and push open the door.

Entering and turning past a landscape screen, we saw a large bathtub wreathed in steam. There was already hot water inside—Miss Fen’s earlier gestures must have meant for us to wait until the person inside had bathed for a while and felt the water getting cold before bringing in more water, but I had misunderstood.

But since we were already inside, it wouldn’t be good to leave, so I could only say with Lige: “The hot water is here.”

Before the words were finished, I heard Lige let out a sharp cry mixed with excitement.

I quickly looked up to see the person sitting in the bathtub with a bare upper body, quietly looking at us.

I first covered Lige’s eyes as she was excitedly gasping.

While pushing Lige behind the screen, I bowed: “Sorry, Pavilion Master, we didn’t mean to intrude. Please continue your bath.”

Lige struggled to try to get another look, but I didn’t give her the chance, simply pushing her out the door.

After sending Lige away, I quickly tidied my slightly disheveled hair and cupped my hands in greeting: “Pavilion Master, I am Ling Cangcang, and the other is Zhang Lige. We are newly recruited disciples today who haven’t had the chance to meet you yet. From now on, we are disciples of the pavilion, serving and at your disposal.” I had prepared this speech, just hadn’t expected to deliver it in such circumstances.

He gave a soft “Mm” in response, and I quietly looked up.

Xiao Huan’s eyes were lowered, the misty vapor had dampened several strands of hair at his temples, the wet black hair falling to rest on his shoulders, making the skin above the water’s surface appear translucently pale. This was the first time I noticed how white Xiao Huan’s skin was, so white it seemed as if no blood flowed beneath.

After a long while, his voice finally sounded: “Ling Cangcang, is it… help me add this tub of hot water.”

I quickly replied: “Yes.” I lifted the tub, walked over with a lowered head, and placed it on the wooden rim of the bathtub to slowly pour in the water.

The water was very hot, waves of steam hitting my cheeks. Through the steam, I secretly reached my fingers into the tub to test the temperature—slightly scalding to the touch, just right for a bath.

I sighed and lowered the wooden tub, looked up, and met those unfathomably deep eyes.

“Why did you come?” he asked quietly.

Drops of condensed steam fell from the tip of his nose into the water, creating small ripples.

“Am I not allowed to come?” I smiled.

He moved his eyes from my face, and was quiet for a moment: “Must it be like this? Can it not end?”

“Pavilion Master must be joking,” I took a deep breath, and smiled slightly, “What ending or not ending? This servant doesn’t understand. This servant only joined Fenglai Pavilion today. From today on, this servant is a disciple of Fenglai Pavilion, and Pavilion Master is the one this servant serves, nothing more.” I emphasized the last four words as I smiled.

After another long silence, he finally spoke: “If that’s the case, from now on, I will treat you as an ordinary disciple of my Fenglai Pavilion, without discrimination.”

I nodded, raised my face to smile at him: “Pavilion Master should naturally treat all servants equally, but, no one has said that as a subordinate, one cannot admire their Pavilion Master, right?”

I removed my hand from the wooden rim of the tub: “Has no one told you, Pavilion Master? With your hair wet and half-naked like this, women who see you would all be enchanted. I’m completely captivated by you.”

After saying this, I bowed to him, picked up the wooden tub, and turned to walk out.

Outside the door, after closing it, Lige met me with wide pretty eyes: “Cangcang, your voice was so loud, I heard everything! You’re amazing! I was so nervous I could barely speak when I saw the Pavilion Master.”

I smiled lightly, pushing the wooden tub into her hands: “Right? Aren’t I amazing?”

“After adding the water, you should leave. Why are you making noise in front of the Pavilion Master’s room?” A somewhat cold voice sounded as Su Qian walked slowly from the end of the corridor, looking at me indifferently. “It’s you.”

I respectfully cupped my hands: “This servant Ling Cangcang greets Hall Master Su.”

Su Qian still nodded indifferently, her cold gaze not even falling on me as she walked past.

I stood with a lowered head and hands, waiting for her to walk away.

“Ling Cangcang,” Su Qian suddenly stopped near the end of the long corridor, without turning back, “I don’t care what relationship or feelings you had with the Pavilion Master in the past, but from now on, I don’t want to see you hindering the Pavilion Master with those trivial emotions.”

Trivial emotions? I smiled slightly, cupped my hands, and said: “Yes, this servant will remember.”

Su Qian didn’t linger, her figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Lige nudged my shoulder: “This Hall Master Su is so domineering. Could it be that she also admires the Pavilion Master and wants to compete with you?”

I spread my hands: “You figured it out. These days good men are too rare, everyone’s competing.”

Lige nodded in deep agreement: “In the two months since I left the mountain, I’ve barely met any men who are both good-looking and skilled in martial arts. The rest are all useless.”

I smiled, carefully examining the surroundings in the moonlight. Behind that dense cluster of cotoneaster was a pond wafting with lotus fragrance. So this was another entrance to that waterside pavilion—I had been too confused earlier to notice clearly.

I turned back to look at the dim yellow lamplight shining through the windows of the waterside pavilion behind me, casting square patches of light on the blue stone floor beneath my feet.

Knowing that person was under that lamp—very good. Just this much was very good enough.