Chapter 36: Playing the Wind and Rain
The hustle and bustle of Bianjing City was largely blocked by the winding alleys, leaving only the faint sounds of carriages and horses in the distance and a sliver of gray sky overhead. Jin Lingzhi squatted against the wall deep in the alley, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her flamboyant red dress had lost its color, curled up in a ball, like a withered flower beaten down by the rain.
Suddenly, she abruptly raised her head, her tear-streaked face full of vigilance, and shouted sharply towards the alley entrance, "Who's there? Come out!"
Footsteps sounded softly, unhurriedly, and a figure strolled out from the shadows at the alley entrance. Dressed in plain clothes with black hair, two red moles stood out conspicuously in the dim light—it was Xie Huailing. Her face showed no particular expression, neither sympathy nor curiosity, she simply looked at Jin Lingzhi calmly.
Jin Lingzhi recognized the woman quietly observing from the second floor of the teahouse. Unwilling to expose her embarrassing state to others, she immediately stood up, wiped her face, and glared at Xie Huailing: "It's you? Who are you, and what are you doing following me?"
Seeing her subconsciously reach for the whip at her waist, her tone full of wariness, Xie Huailing's gaze calmly swept over her slightly reddened eyes, his voice flat as he said, "Nothing else. I saw you suddenly run out of the teahouse and wanted to say a few words to you."
"Laughing at me?" Jin Lingzhi's voice sharpened again, as if she'd been provoked. She swiftly drew the soft whip wrapped around her waist, its tip trembling uneasily in the air, full of threat. "Get out of my way! Or I'll whip you!"
Xie Huailing didn't move, nor did she show the slightest fear. She even took two steps forward, stopping at a distance that wasn't too close to Jin Lingzhi, and then took out a plain white handkerchief from her sleeve. The fabric was delicate, with barely visible cloud patterns embroidered on the edges. She handed the handkerchief over, her tone calm yet like a fine needle, gently puncturing Jin Lingzhi's feigned composure, just as puncturing a forcibly inflated balloon: "Why bother?"
Jin Lingzhi tightened her grip on the whip, glaring at the handkerchief, then at Xie Huailing's emotionless yet unambitious eyes. A surge of anger and grievance was trapped in her throat by those four lightly uttered words, unable to escape her lips. She could only watch as Xie Huailing confronted her for a moment, until her tense shoulders suddenly slumped, she let out a venting "humph," snatched the handkerchief, and forcefully wiped her eyes, erasing the traces of her disheveled state.
"Then what exactly are you trying to say?" Jin Lingzhi's voice lowered, no longer sharp but filled with a stubborn self-defense. "You also think I went too far just now? But that old man talked about Young Master Yuan like that, what does he know! He..."
“But young lady,” Xie Huailing interrupted her, “aren’t you clearly more upset than angry?”
Jin Lingzhi froze, her deepest secret exposed. She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but no words came out. Yes, anger was merely armor; beneath it lay immense panic, the heartbreak of having a possibility exposed in public, and the inability to face it. She slumped back against the cold wall, her head drooping slightly, her thick eyelashes concealing the surging bitterness in her eyes; only her clenched teeth betrayed her inner struggle.
A brief silence fell over the alley, broken only by Jin Lingzhi's suppressed breathing and intermittent gasps. Xie Huailing turned her head away, refusing to look at her.
After a long while, Jin Lingzhi finally spoke in a low voice, but it was a stubborn, self-deceiving stubbornness: "Anyway, I feel that what they said is wrong... If Young Master Yuan is that kind of person... I, I've known him for so many years, how could he..."
But her self-deception failed. Towards the end, her voice grew softer and softer, and the last few words were swallowed up in her throat. Even she herself was not sure if she had the confidence to say them.
Xie Huailing didn't immediately expose her fragile self-comfort. She looked at Jin Lingzhi, at her disheveled appearance, and said, "I came here to tell Miss Jin that the truth or falsehood of these things is not important."
Jin Lingzhi looked up, puzzled.
"Even if what the storyteller said is true, it's a good thing to see someone you couldn't see clearly a few years ago," Xie Huailing said wisely. "Besides, there's no one in the world worth you losing your composure in public and making yourself look so pathetic. You are a young lady from Wanfu Wanshou Garden, the apple of Old Madam Jin's eye."
Jin Lingzhi was stunned. When she looked down again, she saw her hands full of jade bracelets. The dazzling gold, jade and emeralds should have dazzled her eyes, instead of making her shed tears for a man.
Before she could react, Xie Huailing added a provocative remark, which was also what she truly wanted to say: "Since you don't know, why don't you ask?"
"If you don't know, why don't you ask?"
The young lady, who had just finished crying, opened her eyes wide. The pale blue emotion within them quickly receded, replaced by a sudden, bright light. She made a decision, and then realized this couldn't be more true. Yes, what was the point of speculating here? Rather than listening to outsiders' baseless rumors, to her own fluctuating suspicions, and to defending Yuan Suiyun's claims that even she wouldn't believe, why not just go directly to him and ask him directly?
Once the thought arose, it spread like wildfire, burning away her hesitation and dejection. Jin Lingzhi straightened up, the tears in her eyes not yet completely gone, but a more intense light had ignited within them—a resolute determination to do something, and the pride and arrogance befitting a young lady of her status.
“You’re right!” Jin Lingzhi’s voice became clear again. She clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, as if it were the source of her courage. “I’ll go ask right now, I’ll go find out right now.”
Having made up her mind, she belatedly looked at the mysterious woman who had awakened her. Jin Lingzhi sized Xie Huailing up and down. Coming from the martial arts world, she also possessed the straightforwardness typical of those who lived in the martial arts world. She asked Xie Huailing, "Hey, whose young lady are you? I've never seen you before in the capital."
Before Xie Huailing could speak, a figure silently emerged from the shadows deeper in the alley. Shaman, her face calm, like a shadow attached to the wall, answered for her, coldly saying, "My young lady is a girl from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion."
Jin Lingzhi's eyes widened even more, and she repeated, "Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion?"
However, at this moment, her mind was filled with the thought of "going to find Yuan Suiyun and asking him for an explanation," and this surprise was only fleeting. Without needing Shaman to explain further, Jin Lingzhi nodded vigorously, her gaze towards Xie Huailing carrying a complex mix of emotions—gratitude, curiosity, and a knowing sigh.
She tried hard to remember the name: "Okay, I got it, Miss Xie... right? I'll remember you, you're a really interesting person."
Jin Lingzhi said in her usual tone of promise, "Thank you for today. I, Jin Lingzhi, will remember this. I will come to find you again after I have found out the details. Wait for me at Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou."
Before she finished speaking, the fiery red figure swept out of the alley like a whirlwind, her steps firm and hurried, running in the direction she had chosen, leaving only the echoes of the alley behind.
Silence returned to the alley. Xie Huailing looked in the direction where Jin Lingzhi had disappeared and suddenly felt a pang of regret. She wondered, "Could this be another Zhu Qiqi?"
Seeing that she didn't move, Shaman asked in a low voice, "Miss?"
Xie Huailing shook her head to clear her mind of these random thoughts, looked away, and gave a faint "Mmm." Then, not wanting to remain silent, she said, "Let's go."
She turned and strolled slowly along the path she had come from. Shaman followed half a step behind, and the two walked one after the other on the bluestone slabs, through the ordinary alleys of Bianjing City that were as intricate as a net. The afternoon sun shone through the eaves of the houses of varying heights, casting all sorts of pale shadows on the narrow alleys, the light and shadows intermingling with the sunlight, just like the black and white of Bianjing City itself.
As they walked, a faint, sweet fragrance filled the air, washing away the dusty scent. It was subtle, yet persistently lingered around their noses. Xie Huailing didn't stop walking; she merely tilted her head slightly.
Suddenly, a tiny, golden speck, swirling and drifting, landed lightly on the top of her dark hair—it was an osmanthus blossom.
Xie Huailing raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing away the sweet-smelling intruder, but the fragrance lingered on her fingertips, refusing to dissipate. She looked up at the osmanthus tree beside the alley, its branches peeking over the wall in full bloom. It was still far away; how could it possibly move without wind?
She continued walking. After only a few steps, another golden speck landed precisely on the shoulder of her dress.
This time, Xie Huailing stopped in his tracks.
She didn't brush away the small osmanthus blossom again, but simply stood there, letting its sweet, ambiguous fragrance waft around her, seeping into the cool air. The alley was quiet, with only the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
Her gaze didn't fall on the small flower on her shoulder, but rather on the empty alleyway corner behind her, where she calmly uttered two words:
"Xiang Shuai".
A very soft chuckle echoed through the quiet alley. Immediately afterwards, a tall, elegant figure appeared out of thin air from behind the corner where Xie Huailing's gaze fell. His moon-white robe was spotless, his steps were light and silent, and his face bore his usual warm and welcoming smile. Who else could it be but the renowned thief Chu Liuxiang? In his hand he held a small sprig of osmanthus adorned with golden blossoms, clearly the source of the two "uninvited guests" from before.
"Miss Xie has such a keen nose, no, such sharp eyesight."
Chu Liuxiang approached with a smile. He hadn't deliberately concealed his aura, but he was still quite impressed that Xie Huailing, who was unfamiliar with martial arts, had seen through his disguise so quickly. He twirled the osmanthus blossom between his fingers with an elegant and composed demeanor, and said, "I didn't mean to be presumptuous. I was just passing by on my way back when I saw the osmanthus in full bloom. And since I happened to meet such a refined person as Miss Xie, I was delighted and offered this fragrant flower to you. I hope Miss Xie won't take offense."
The most significant difference between a prodigal son and a country bumpkin lies here. His gaze was open and unhurried, a close observation; Xie Huailing was, in his eyes, a flower in full bloom, and he genuinely wanted to please her.
Xie Huailing then raised her hand to pat away the golden spot on her shoulder. She was neither embarrassed nor surprised after being teased; she was just calm as usual. Chu Liuxiang's sudden appearance was not something she was particularly happy about.
She said in a calm tone, "Xiang Shuai is joking. It's just a few flowers, why should I be angry? Today is a chance encounter, I should be happy, what are you doing, Xiang Shuai?"
But she didn't seem happy at all when she said that. Chu Liuxiang touched his nose, feeling a bit frustrated: "It seems I'll have to put in a lot of effort to win Miss Xie's favor." He admitted it frankly, and then added, "I went to investigate some things today and made some progress. Is Miss Xie busy with the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion?"
Xie Huailing, however, picked up on his flirtatious remark: "I could also be here to see you."
Chu Liuxiang was taken aback. Xie Huailing gazed at him quietly, and he looked back at her. The smile he had wanted to give Xie Huailing instead melted into a small, transparent lake, which then appeared on his face. He had actually been won over by her first.
She did it on purpose, and Chu Liuxiang could see it, but it also made his handsome face suddenly smile. In life, it's okay to be a little oblivious sometimes. He smiled and said, "I know Miss Xie has something else to do, but since you say so, I'll believe you. Whatever it is, please come with me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com