Chapter 23: Young Master Tayue
The maid waited in the kitchen until the pastries were steamed, then followed the same path to find Xie Huailing. Upon finding her, she didn't even ask why Xie Huailing had come out again; instead, she fed her, afraid she might faint from hunger.
What good food could a music hall have? It's all pretty but tasteless stuff. They only care about having a good name, cute designs, and high prices. As for the taste... nobody comes to music hall to eat anyway. Xie Huailing chewed a couple of bites and thought it was no different from plain white porridge with sugar. He found a handkerchief and spat it out.
Seeing her like this, the maid's heart, which had just been at ease, tightened again, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned down: "Miss, even if it's not to your liking, please eat a little..."
Xie Huailing knew her good intentions, wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth, and threw them away along with the handkerchief and the leftover pastry. She said, "Don't worry, since you went to urge someone to make it for me, I certainly won't let it go to waste."
The maid, puzzled, followed Xie Huailing as she wandered aimlessly across the second floor, looking around without a clear purpose. It wasn't until they reached the third floor, surrounded by several respectful yet timid martial arts heroes, that Xie Huailing spotted the most striking figure and vaguely realized what her young mistress was up to this time.
Su Mengzhen will not be forgotten.
He was instantly recognizable anywhere, not just for his arrogance or sickly demeanor, but for his unparalleled heroic spirit. This wasn't because he had achieved great things, but because he was capable of achieving great things. His long-held power suppressed all the wealthy patrons surrounding him, making him stand out from the crowd. His deep gaze, as if sensing something, pierced through the distance. Xie Huailing instructed a maid to bring pastries and quickly walked to Su Mengzhen's side.
The chivalrous men who wanted to get close to Su Mengzhen but knew they weren't good enough scattered like birds, making way for her. She first called out "Cousin," then took the tray from the maid's hand, presented it to Su Mengzhen with both hands, and before he could refuse, pinched a piece and put it to his mouth, saying, "What a coincidence. These are freshly baked pastries from Yushanlong's kitchen. My maid watched the chef steam them. Cousin, please try a piece first."
The maid's dark, bright eyes widened in disbelief; she had never imagined there was such a way to "avoid waste," and questions practically welled up in her eyes.
Su Mengzhen knew something was amiss just by looking at Xie Huailing. The off-white pastries on the tray were steaming, but there was no aroma that food should have. However, Su Mengzhen hadn't eaten yet, and Xie Huailing wouldn't have put anything in them for him, so he gave her face and took the pastries himself, avoiding Xie Huailing's hand.
The taste of plain congee melts on the tongue, which is indeed something she wouldn't like. Yang Wuxie's report stated that she rarely even tasted the imperial chef's cooking. However, for Su Mengzhen, it wasn't entirely unpalatable.
He commented, "It's acceptable."
Is it really alright? Xie Huailing didn't think so. She stuffed the whole plate of pastries into Su Mengzhen's guards, afraid that they would spoil if they were too slow: "If you like them, cousin, eat as much as you like. I remember you haven't had dinner yet."
If they weren't outside, Su Mengzhen would have already said what he was thinking: "If you don't like it, don't take it; if you take it, eat it yourself." He saw through Xie Huailing's thoughts, and Xie Huailing knew he saw through them too, but she still continued to pretend in front of him, acting like a jade sculpture.
The maid was terrified and dared not look. Su Mengzhen was magnanimous and had the guard take it away: "We'll talk about this later. It's not too late to use it when we get back to the building. Just don't do it again."
"I really care about my cousin." Xie Huailing even dared to be stubborn. "After all, my cousin is not in good health and has to keep busy. He can't go hungry for too long like me."
What she said made some sense. Considering that whatever she was thinking had truly relieved his burning desire, Su Mengzhen decided not to argue with her. He coughed lightly and asked her, "It's good that you've come. There's not much time left before Chu Liuxiang gave us. Would you like me to take you to see that jade beauty?"
"Are there many people?" Xie Huailing asked, concerned about that first.
Su Mengzhen replied, "Not many. Jin Banhua is still afraid that her newly acquired treasure will really be stolen by Chu Liuxiang. Now, beside the White Jade Beauty, there are only three capable and ambitious people he found, known in the martial arts world as 'Life and Death Judge,' 'Bald Eagle,' and 'Iron Palm Golden Dart.'"
Xie Huailing pressed him further: "This title of 'capable person and patriot' sounds impressive, but how much does it actually amount to?"
Without hesitation, Su Mengzhen quickly replied, "It's all talk and no action."
"So what if he's the 'Master Thief' Chu Liuxiang?"
"A general among thieves, a gentleman among heroes, it's no exaggeration."
This was his arrogance; he would never lie, and Xie Huailing understood it perfectly. Night was falling, just a quarter of an hour from dawn; the bright moon hung alone, and the gentle breeze offered no respite to humankind. She had already seen the end of the night clearly, and casually remarked, "Then there's no chance of even a one percent chance of keeping this white jade beauty. Every glance is one less; let's go take a look."
.
A flawless, radiant white jade beauty.
She was only the size of a young girl's arm, her eyes closed, the only difference between her and a living person being that she couldn't open her eyes, and that her hair was not black. She slept peacefully in the glass cabinet. Her clothes seemed to float in the water with the wind, or like spring clouds drifting in the sky. Who was the craftsman who sculpted her, to create such a miracle?
No wonder it cost so much, a million taels of silver? Or two million taels? Xie Huailing couldn't quite remember the gossip Zhu Qiqi had told her. The girl was so angry that she refused to come, saying that it was a deliberate attempt to embarrass her. She also wouldn't allow Shen Lang to go. It's no wonder she was so angry that she turned into a pufferfish after missing out on such a treasure. For the past few days, her angry expression always preceded her smiling eyes.
It seems the price she paid for the knife wasn't much cheaper than the price of this jade beauty. How much was it again? Xie Huailing couldn't remember either. She had no idea that she hadn't paid for the sky lanterns.
She wasn't the only one who remembered the knife. "The Judge of Life and Death" was a black-clad man with piercing eyes and a sinister, fierce demeanor. He had just been exchanging compliments with the other two. Although he appeared tall and imposing, he didn't dare to speak to Su Mengzhen directly. He only dared to steal glances at her, searching for a way to strike up a conversation: "Miss Xie, I heard that you also bid on a treasure at Jucai Tower, a precious knife."
Xie Huailing pretended not to hear and continued to examine the details of the white jade beauty.
Such a willful young lady is rare in the martial arts world. Even the fiercely independent female warriors are usually quite eloquent. His awkward "life-or-death judgment" went unanswered, and he clenched his fists. What was he to Su Mengzhen? Nothing at all. So he swallowed his anger and kept quiet.
"Not bad." Xie Huailing, having finished admiring it, felt a little regretful. It would have been better if Zhu Qiqi had bought it instead of letting Jin Banhua have it. He turned to Su Mengzhen and said, "I should have persuaded Qiqi to raise the price a bit more. It's a shame to go back and not see it. I'll find someone to carve one like this next time."
"We can call the craftsmen over tomorrow," Su Mengzhen said.
Xie Huailing shrugged and refused, saying, "Then let's go later, I won't be able to get up." As if afraid that Su Mengzhen would change the time again, she added, "I won't be able to get up anytime tomorrow."
Su Mengzhen didn't indulge her much and said, "Then don't take it."
The two talked about other things, and then someone came looking for Su Mengzhen. It just so happened that the time left in Chu Liuxiang's letter was not far off, so Jin Banhua came to thank the guests, and Xie Huailing left with Su Mengzhen.
.
Xie Huailing's existence was already common knowledge throughout Bianjing. As for speculation about her talent, the people of the Six and a Half Hall couldn't be kept in the dark, but the rest would genuinely believe she was a wealthy young lady if he kept it a secret. Su Mengzhen didn't take her with him, leaving her in a room and telling her to wait for him to return. Xie Huailing felt inexplicably like an empty-nest elderly person or a left-behind child, but there was a good thing about being idle, so she decided to continue being idle.
This time, the maid didn't stop her from sleeping. Xie Huailing lazily lay on the table, idly playing with the carvings on the wooden table. The shadows of the guards behind the screen almost blended into the shadows. The maid stood by the door, eyes downcast and mindless. You could hear a pin drop in the room.
She half-closed her eyes, exhausted from not eating all day, and was about to fall asleep when a night breeze brushed her cheek, making it impossible for her to sleep again.
Xie Huailing met a pair of eyes.
This person came from outside the window, brushing against the window frame without warning, like a wisp of smoke blending into the night, silently "gliding" in through the open, carved wooden window. He landed without a sound, as if he were always meant to be there.
The newcomer was a young man, no older than Su Mengzhen, with an extremely handsome face. His sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, his nose was high and straight, and his lips were clearly defined yet soft. Most striking were his eyes—bright, deep, with a gentle smile that seemed to see through everything yet embraced everything, as well as a cynical cunning.
But unlike Shen Lang, his temperament was extremely unique, possessing both the elegance and composure of a noble young master and the unrestrained spirit of a wandering swordsman, a contradictory yet harmonious blend. Most remarkably, he seemed to be surrounded by a faint, extremely elegant tulip scent, subtle yet lasting, deep and serene.
Almost the instant the intruder landed, the shadowy figure behind the screen, like a startled cheetah, sprang into action without warning. A sharp, cold light pierced the intruder's vital chest, moving so fast that only a blur remained. It was Xie Huailing's bodyguard; loyalty and duty compelled him to react immediately—to kill the trespasser.
However, none of the attackers turned around. They merely shifted slightly to the left, like willow catkins drifting in the wind, effortlessly avoiding the fatal stab. At the same time, their slender right hand moved with ghostly speed to their side, the movement as gentle as brushing dust off their clothes, sending up a cloud of dust.
With a muffled thud, the guard who had launched the attack froze abruptly, his sharp killing intent replaced by astonishment and confusion. He then collapsed to the ground, unconscious, like a puppet with its strings cut. The entire process was lightning fast; from the moment the guard made his move to his fall, it was only a blink of an eye. The newcomer didn't even glance at his fallen opponent, his face still bearing that calm smile.
The maid guarding the door reacted swiftly. The instant the guard fell, her soft sword was already drawn, its gleam like autumn water, blocking Xie Huailing from the intruder. Her beautiful face was frosty, her eyes fixed on the newcomer, her whole body tense like a taut bowstring. She shouted sharply, "Who goes there? Do you know who my young lady is!"
The visitor sighed softly, "I came here because I know your talent."
He seemed oblivious to the sword pointed at him, and to the chilling killing intent. His gaze passed over the sword-wielding maid and landed on the unperturbed Xie Huailing. She showed no fear, which deepened the smile in his eyes, even tinged with admiration. He gracefully cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Xie Huailing.
"It is my fault for disturbing your peace so late at night. I am Chu Liuxiang, and I have not come here to commit any evil deeds." Chu Liuxiang met Xie Huailing's gaze frankly, his smile sincere. "I really wish to invite Miss Xie to come and have a chat."
Xie Huailing pointed to himself, then to the bodyguard, and tilted his head: "Oh? You're inviting me?"
Chu Liuxiang had anticipated her reaction, and his smile remained unchanged, even becoming more gentle: "Miss Xie, please forgive me. It was unavoidable; your subordinate's actions were too ruthless, so I had no choice but to let him get a good night's sleep. As for inviting Miss Xie, I have long heard that Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou is the most loyal and righteous building in the world, and Master Su is a hero of our time. Since Miss Xie is Master Su's sister, she must also be a person of strong character and discerning eyes. Tonight, after observing Miss Xie again, I know that Miss Xie is also an unconventional person, so I have come to invite her."
Xie Huailing listened quietly. This was what she disliked about people from the martial arts world—they could appear and disappear so mysteriously that she couldn't detect them: "Were you also with the Jade Beauty just now?"
Chu Liuxiang replied with a smile, "Master Su's martial arts are unparalleled, I dare not presume."
That would be at other times. Xie Huailing thought for a moment, still having the mind to chat casually with him: "Didn't Xiang Shuai come to 'take' that white jade beauty?"
Chu Liuxiang's smile remained unchanged upon hearing the words "White Jade Beauty." He did not deny it, but simply shook his head slightly and said with a sigh, "Yes."
He then clearly added, "No, it isn't."
Xie Huailing raised an eyebrow, a mix of weariness from the trouble and curiosity that had stirred her interest. But in the end, the fire of investigation ignited and prevailed.
The moonlight cast a hazy, dreamlike glow on the floor, the delicate fragrance of tulips mingling with lingering incense and a faint scent of sleeping potion, creating an eerie atmosphere. The maid still gripped her sword tightly, her vigilance undiminished, while the fallen guard breathed steadily, clearly only unconscious.
In this strange and tense moment, Xie Huailing looked at the famous thief in front of him, savoring his repeated "yes and no" responses, and nodded slightly: "I see. The white jade beauty is not important. There is another story behind it."
The maid suddenly realized what her mistress was about to do and turned to call her back, but it was too late; Xie Huailing had already stood up.
She said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com