Lu Zigang also calmed down, only then noticing this woman’s beautiful appearance—no makeup, fair cheeks with a healthy blush showing through, her hair still styled as an unmarried girl’s. He found her vaguely familiar, but when he looked further down, he was suddenly stunned.

Xia Zelan noticed him staring at her chest and couldn’t help feeling angry, but unexpectedly he stepped forward excitedly: “Miss, could you let me see the jade you’re wearing?”

Only then did Xia Zelan realize that due to her earlier movements, the raw jade stone she’d worn since childhood had come outside her collar. She asked uncertainly: “Are you really a jade carver?”

Lu Zigang took several deep breaths and nodded somewhat stiffly: “Yes, I am… Lu Zigang.”

He absolutely couldn’t be mistaken—this jade material was what that little girl had worn. He never imagined that after all these years, he could meet her again. Lu Zigang stared unblinkingly at her face, slowly overlapping it with that little girl’s features from ten years ago.

During these ten years, he had countless times imagined how that little girl from back then was living now.

Had she fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a cook? Did she still show that brilliant, sunny smile? Had she… already married…

Lu Zigang knew the dream in his heart was somewhat unrealistic. Finding someone in this vast sea of people whose name he didn’t even know would be incredibly difficult. By age, she should be eighteen now—old enough to be married. Yet the miracle was clearly before his eyes.

Lu Zigang gripped the Wu knife in his hand tighter, then looked at the Kun knife in hers, feeling heaven had destined their reunion. Yet he also felt vaguely uneasy…

“Lu Zigang?” Xia Zelan tilted her head and repeated the name, feeling it was very familiar but unable to remember where she’d heard it. Recalling that Eunuch Li had also said this person’s jade carving was renowned throughout the land, she thought perhaps his fame was so great she had heard of him at some point.

Lu Zigang stared at her unblinkingly, hoping to see some joy of reunion after long separation on her face.

Xia Zelan saw his somewhat nervous expression and joked: “I could let you see this jade, but how about carving a jade piece for me while you’re at it?”

Lu Zigang felt disappointed—the little girl apparently didn’t remember him. No wonder, she had only been seven or eight then, and they hadn’t spent much time together before parting. It was understandable she didn’t remember him. But hearing the little girl actually request that he carve jade for her, realizing his long-held wish could be fulfilled so simply, he couldn’t help feeling joyful.

It didn’t matter if she didn’t remember him. They had met again now, she wasn’t promised to anyone, and he had become a somewhat famous jade carver. They had a long, long, long time ahead… Those feelings she’d forgotten could be cultivated anew from now on, bit by bit.

Yes, starting with… carving the finest jade pendant for her.

Actually, Xia Zelan was really just joking. The words slipped out casually, but unexpectedly after a brief pause, he nodded with an extremely serious expression. She hadn’t removed this jade material for over ten years. Though she had sometimes thought of finding a jade carver to polish it into some style, she’d never had the opportunity. Moreover, for some reason, whenever she had this thought, a gentle voice in her heart would stop her.

“I don’t have money to pay you,” Xia Zelan said somewhat guiltily. Actually she did have some silver, but this person warranted a personal welcome banquet from the jade grinding workshop supervisor—how could a small cook like her afford such astronomical processing fees?

“This is the meal money I owe you,” Lu Zigang’s lips curved up. He naturally meant the plate of egg fried rice she had made for him when they first met.

Xia Zelan assumed he meant this welcome banquet, raised her eyebrows, and stopped declining. She generously removed the jade stone from her neck and handed it over. “I have no requirements for the style—do as you please.”

Lu Zigang held the jade stone still carrying her body warmth, feeling warmth rise in his heart. He smiled: “Miss, you can find me at West Market in the future. I’m at an antique shop called Mute House.” With that, he turned and left.

Mute House? Hearing this even more familiar name, Xia Zelan’s sense of familiarity grew stronger. She stood there dazed for a long time without recovering. Where exactly had she heard of this?

While still puzzled, Xia Zelan saw Eunuch Li enter, apologetically saying: “Miss Xia, Master Lu just said he has business tonight and canceled the welcome banquet. You’ve been troubled today—I’ll still pay the agreed fee.”

Such arrogance, not even giving the supervisor face. Was it because he wanted to carve her jade that he left so hurriedly?

Xia Zelan stuck out her tongue and smiled: “You’re too kind, Eunuch. I’ll leave first then.” The various palace courtyards all had small kitchens where Imperial Food Service staff took turns helping. She had switched shifts with someone—returning at this time, she might not even need to trouble others and could follow the original arrangement to serve at Consort Duan’s palace.

As for the Mute House… forget it, she’d go after her shift rotation…

Xia Zelan washed the Kun knife clean and rewrapped it in cloth.

Lu Zigang caressed the delicate, lustrous jade material in his hands, repeatedly examining the jade stone’s shape, sketching various pendant styles in his mind.

What should he carve? A Buddha statue? A jade ruyi? A Buddha’s hand? But Lu Zigang kept getting distracted, his mind filled with that flower-like beautiful face, unable to concentrate.

His wishes really weren’t great. Having lost both parents young, he simply wanted a complete family. After all these years, no matter how delicious the delicacies he’d eaten, none could compare to that undercooked egg fried rice from ten years ago.

She… hadn’t married yet… Remembering her hairstyle was still that of an unmarried girl, Lu Zigang smiled from the bottom of his heart.

Right, he still didn’t know her name. Rarely reuniting, in his excitement he had again forgotten to ask her name.

“Zigang, where did you get that jade material?” The boss’s slightly surprised voice came. Only then did Lu Zigang realize he had been contemplating this jade stone for half the day—outside it had already grown dark.

While rising to light the oil lamp on the table, Lu Zigang excitedly recounted today’s reunion. But when he finished, he found the boss’s expression wasn’t surprised but rather grave. An inexplicable unease rose in Lu Zigang’s heart. Under the flickering lamplight, the boss looked exactly the same as when he had taken him in ten years ago—still so young.

“You’re saying the Wu knife is in that girl’s hands? As a cleaver?” The boss reached for the jade material on the table, thoughtfully examining it.

“Yes,” Lu Zigang suddenly remembered something and paled: “That Wu knife must have been bloodstained frequently. This…” He still remembered the boss’s instructions when giving him the Wu knife—it mustn’t touch blood or be used for killing. No wonder he’d felt persistent unease.

A blood-stained Wu knife becomes a weapon of misfortune, causing backlash against its wielder… The boss narrowed his eyes, looking at Lu Zigang’s worried expression, then swallowed the words that had reached his lips. With the raw jade already separated from its owner, even returning it now would probably be too late.

Finally, the boss only said coolly: “This jade material… why not carve a longevity lock?”

Lu Zigang looked carefully and found the jade’s shape was indeed flat and round, perfect for carving a delicate longevity lock. He nodded repeatedly.

“Remember not to leave your signature this time. It’s a young lady’s item—what’s proper about writing your name on it?” The boss gave a final instruction and swept his sleeves as he entered the house.

Of course he would leave his signature—how could he not? Thinking of her wearing a longevity lock carved with his name close to her body, Lu Zigang gripped the jade material tighter, a smile playing at his lips.

Next time they met, he would definitely ask her name… though a woman’s personal name could only be known by parents and husband.

But this time, he would ask.

But later… why did it turn out this way?

Lu Zigang looked at the high eaves of Four Archway, momentarily dazed. He had worked tirelessly, carving that longevity lock in the shortest time possible, always waiting for her to come to the Mute House. But what came instead was news of her death.

Those people said that night, palace maids in Consort Duan’s palace had attempted rebellion, trying to assassinate the emperor. Those people said the emperor barely escaped death, that all palace maids serving in Qianqing Palace were captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard regardless of responsibility, severely tortured, with none surviving. Those people said this was a long-premeditated coup…

Fate changed too quickly, like a jade-cutting blade striking down—a beautiful jade shattered completely.

He hadn’t yet emerged from the joy of reunion when he immediately faced a second parting. This time, death… He didn’t know the truth, only that among the names posted on the execution list at the palace gates, each name was completely unfamiliar. Yet the boss told him she was among them.

Holding the newly carved longevity lock, he stared at that yellow paper for three days and nights, still unable to connect her with any of those strange names.

Ten years of longing, only to meet such an ending? He truly didn’t believe it. But he waited another ten years at the Mute House, holding that long-finished longevity lock, yet she never appeared again. Not once.

“Ten years of life and death—two worlds apart, unforgotten without deliberate thought…”

Strange to say, he and she had only met briefly a few times. She had even forgotten him completely. Only he bitterly guarded those sparse memories, unable to forget. Perhaps… this too was fate.

He looked again at his palm, at that longevity lock he had carved with a lifetime’s effort and longing, ultimately never given. He thought he had grasped happiness, but in a blink found his palm still empty.

He had countless times wondered: if that day he hadn’t gotten lost, hadn’t carried the Wu knife with him, hadn’t met her, hadn’t left early, would their fates have been different? If twenty years ago they had never met at all—if he hadn’t hidden in that alley to eat, if she hadn’t bumped into him, if she hadn’t treated him to that egg fried rice—wouldn’t today never have happened?

Would they have passed as strangers, not recognizing each other? She continuing as her cook, he as his jade carver. But fate was never multiple choice.

The Wu knife’s whereabouts were unknown—perhaps stored away as a weapon, perhaps discarded as trash.

He had returned the Wu knife to the boss the night before imprisonment—he ultimately wasn’t worthy to be its master.

The night before execution, the Mute House boss appeared ghostlike in the heavily guarded death cell, asking if he wanted to leave the capital together. He shook his head, refusing the boss’s proposal. Ever since that day ten years ago when she reunited with and parted from him, he was no different from dead.

He told the boss: “Sorry, you said you wanted me to carve a jade piece for you. It seems I must break my word.” The boss looked at him deeply and said coolly: “What you promised, you’ve already accomplished for me.”

He watched the boss’s figure gradually merge into darkness until gone.

He couldn’t help thinking that he and she were like the Kunwu knives—scattered, reunited, then permanently separated again.

Looking at the distant visible execution ground, Lu Zigang smiled. Just for a signature on an imperial tea pot, an emperor could order a craftsman’s execution. No wonder ten years ago palace maids couldn’t bear it and wanted to assassinate him.

Lu Zigang was dragged from the prisoner cart by the executioner and forced to kneel. Looking down at his shadow under the sunlight, he suddenly felt panicked. He wasn’t afraid of death, but afraid that in the next life, he would never recognize her again. But the boss had promised to find her in every reincarnation and give her the longevity lock, saying if his next life retained memory, he could use this longevity lock to identify her.

He wasn’t resigned to ending like this.

Gripping the longevity lock, Lu Zigang slowly closed his eyes.

Blade up, blade down. From life to death was often just a simple instant.

Soldiers picked up that lustrous longevity lock from the pool of blood, wiped the bloodstains with their sleeves, and casually pocketed it.

The watching crowd gradually dispersed. A young man with a red dragon embroidered on his clothes walked over and said coolly: “I think you’d better give me that longevity lock…”

Four Hundred Years Later, Qin Mausoleum Underground Palace

After violent shaking, the underground palace returned to darkness.

Hu Hai stood alone quietly in the darkness for a long, long time, watching his imperial brother’s reincarnated young man leave the underground palace together with that man who had opposed him for two thousand years.

He opened the revived coffin and quietly looked at the longevity lock broken into two pieces at the coffin’s bottom, as if contemplating something. Finally he bent down and took the longevity lock in his hands…

Several days later, Xi’an Xianyang Airport.

A man in casual clothes rushed out of the airport and jumped into a taxi. “Driver, to Mount Li and Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum!”

“Right! That’s quite far. I heard there was an earthquake a few days ago—you’re really going there?” the taxi driver asked curiously.

“Yes, precisely because of that earthquake I need to survey it. Sigh, no choice—academic research requires it!” the man complained half-truthfully.

“Research?”

“Yes, I study archaeology.” The man removed his hat, revealing a handsome face. His airline ticket still showed his name.

Three simple Chinese characters—Lu Zigang.