Surprise
Xu Xianyue finally used Lin Qingyan's incense.
This isn't meant to soothe the mind, but rather to infuse the aroma of aromatic herbs into her new velvet flower creations. She mixes finely ground incense powder with a specially formulated plant glue and meticulously applies it to the end of dark green silk threads shaped like pine needles, attempting to evoke the image of "wind blowing through a pine forest, a subtle fragrance lingering." The process is tedious, requiring immense patience and precise control.
She was so immersed in it that she almost forgot about the turmoil in the outside world.
However, the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.
On the fifth day after Lin Qingyan left, a piece of news, accompanied by the continuous spring rain in the south of the Yangtze River, quietly arrived at Xianyue Pavilion - Imperial Physician Lin was ordered to set off for Beijing that day without delay.
The person who delivered the message was a servant in Li Hanlin's house. He was vague in his words, only saying that an urgent order had arrived from the capital.
Xu Xianyue was making the final adjustments to her "Pine Wind Fragrance" hairpin when she heard this. The jade pestle, clutching the incense powder, paused for a barely perceptible moment. Outside the window, the sound of rain pattered against the green tiles like a chaotic drumbeat.
She lowered her eyes, her thick lashes casting a small shadow beneath them, obscuring the fleeting emotion in them. Then, she returned to normal, gently set the jade pestle down, and said calmly to the servant, "I understand. Thank you for letting me know."
The servant bowed and left.
Wan Cui stood aside, looking at her daughter's still calm profile, and couldn't help but mutter softly: "Doctor Lin... is he leaving now? It's too sudden..."
Xu Xianyue didn't respond. She walked to the window, opened it, and a damp, cool breeze rushed in, ruffling her hair. People hurried along the street, their oil-paper umbrellas floating like moving flowers in the rain.
Lin Qingyan's sudden departure was far more than simply "returning to the capital on imperial orders." The Imperial Hospital's procurement trip was originally scheduled for two weeks, yet now he was urgently summoned back after only ten days. Combined with the situation in the capital he had previously mentioned, and the sudden pressure from Madam Su...
Xu Xianyue's eyes darkened. It seemed that the wind from the capital had finally reached the south of the Yangtze River. It might even have some hidden connection with her small Xianyue Pavilion.
Was it Xie Wuqi? Was he ultimately unwilling to let go, and was using this method to transfer Lin Qingyan, who might have harbored special feelings for her? Or had some new incident occurred in the capital, affecting Lin Qingyan?
Regardless of the reason, Lin Qingyan's departure seemed like a clear signal - the peace she longed for might have been an illusion from the very beginning.
She slowly closed the car window, blocking out the sound of wind and rain outside. The workshop became silent again, with only the gentle crackling of the burning candlelight.
She returned to her workbench, looking at the nearly completed "Pine Wind Fragrance" hairpin. The slender pine needles and the faint fragrance captured her recent state of mind—a proud and unwavering commitment to purity amidst the wind and rain.
But, can we really hold on forever?
Mrs. Su's suppression didn't stop with Lin Qingyan's departure; instead, it intensified. Material procurement became increasingly difficult, and the rumors spread even more unbearable. Even hooligans began to hang around Xianyue Pavilion. While they didn't directly cause trouble, their malicious glances were enough to make people uneasy.
She could ignore the materials, the rumors, or even the lack of business. But she couldn't ignore Wan Cui's safety, and couldn't ignore the fact that this place she had worked so hard to build, her own world, was being eaten away and destroyed bit by bit.
A long-lost, cold anger slowly grew in her heart. It wasn't directed at Madam Su, nor at those behind the scenes, but at the omnipresent rules and forces that tried to shape and constrain her.
She wants freedom and peace, why is it so difficult?
The night deepens.
Xu Xianyue, however, was not sleepy at all. She sat by the window, her fingertips unconsciously twisting a piece of pure white silk, staring at the flickering candlelight with a blank look in her eyes.
Suddenly, a very slight noise, almost blending into the sound of rain, came from the direction of the backyard of the shop.
It's not cats or dogs, nor is it the wind blowing debris around.
That was a kind of...deliberately soft, human footsteps!
Xu Xianyue was instantly alert, her muscles tensing. She stood up silently, blew out the candle in the workshop, and disappeared into the darkness, her eyes cast sharply at the small door leading to the backyard.
Sure enough! A moment later, someone from the outside used a thin blade to carefully move the bolt, bit by bit!
Thief?
No! An ordinary thief wouldn't be so cautious. It's more like... he has some ulterior motive!
Was it someone sent by Madam Su? To steal her work? Or... to destroy her workshop?
Xu Xianyue's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but her mind remained remarkably calm. She retreated quietly, groping in the darkness to the corner of her workbench, where she found several thin, sharp-edged steel blades, which she used to polish jade fragments. She clutched two of them tightly in her hands, the cool touch calming her turbulent mind.
The slight "click" sound of the door bolt being opened was so clear that it was heart-wrenching in the quiet rainy night.
The small door was slowly pushed open a crack, and a black shadow flashed in like a ghost and landed silently.
With the extremely faint night light coming in from the window, Xu Xianyue could see that the black shadow was not tall, but was very agile. After entering the workshop, it did not immediately look around, but stood there vigilantly, as if trying to adapt to the darkness and identify the direction.
His goal was clear—not money, but her as a person, or her skills!
Xu Xianyue held his breath, pressed his body tightly against the shadow of the wall, and calculated the distance and timing.
The black shadow seemed to confirm that there was no one in the workshop. After Xu Xianyue turned off the lights, he hid in a blind spot and began to move towards the workbench.
Now is the time!
A fierce look flashed in Xu Xianyue's eyes. Without hesitation, he shook his wrist violently!
Tsk! Tsk!
Two barely audible sounds of breaking through the air were heard!
The shadow reacted extremely quickly, and upon hearing the sound of the wind, he subconsciously dodged sideways! However, Xu Xianyue's attack was at an extremely tricky angle, and his speed was beyond ordinary!
A thin piece of steel flew past his ear and pierced the wooden pillar behind him! Another piece of steel precisely sliced through the sleeve of his arm as he raised it to block, sending a trail of blood flying!
"Ouch!" The black shadow groaned in pain, but his movements did not stop. Like a frightened civet cat, he suddenly jumped back and tried to rush out of the door!
"Want to leave?!"
Xu Xianyue's cold voice echoed in the darkness, carrying with it a chilling murderous intent! How could she allow this person to come and go as he pleased?!
She moved like an arrow, lunging straight at the shadow! No fancy moves, only the most direct and effective grappling techniques, targeting the opponent's vital joints! These were some practical techniques she had subconsciously memorized while watching Jingzhe train the guards at Prince Jing's mansion. Now, she unleashed them with all her might, bringing a fierceness that should not be underestimated!
The shadowy figure had clearly not anticipated the shop owner's skill, and hastily turned to block. In the dark workshop, the two exchanged several blows in a flash! Fists and kicks collided, making a dull sound.
After all, Xu Xianyue was weak and a woman. After several collisions, her arms were numb from the shock, but she relied on her ruthlessness and familiarity with the terrain to hold on to the opponent tightly and prevent him from escaping!
The black shadow seemed unwilling to fight for long, and made a feint, forcing Xu Xianyue to take a half step back, and took the opportunity to rush to the door again!
"Stop him!" Xu Xianyue shouted anxiously. She knew Wan Cui was sleeping next door and hoped she could hear the noise.
Almost at the same time, Wan Cui's panicked cry came from next door: "Girl?! What happened?!"
When the dark shadow heard the voice, he paused and seemed to be hesitant.
In the blink of an eye!
Without warning, a faster figure, like black lightning, swooped down from the beams of the workshop! Its movements were so fast that only an afterimage remained!
The man who came later was the first to arrive, and kicked the fleeing black shadow in the back with incredible precision!
"Puff--" The black shadow rushed forward like a kite with a broken string, hitting the door frame heavily, letting out a painful howl, and then fell to the ground. After struggling for a few times, he stopped moving.
The whole process happened in an instant.
Xu Xianyue held the thin steel sheet, breathing slightly, looking at the dark figure who was like a divine soldier descending from the sky, with his back to her and his figure as straight as a pine tree. Her pupils suddenly contracted.
Even without seeing his face, even in the darkness, she would never mistake that familiar oppressive feeling mixed with the smell of medicine and cold air.
Thanks Wuqi.
How come he is here?!
Wasn't he supposed to be in the capital?! How did he appear in her workshop without anyone noticing?! And just happened to... save her?
Jingzhe's figure also landed silently. He checked the unconscious black figure on the ground and whispered, "Your Highness, the person has been subdued."
Xie Wuqi turned around slowly.
There were no lights in the workshop, only the faint glow from the window and a hint of reflection from a distant streetlight, outlining his deep, three-dimensional features. He was dressed in nightwear, his dark hair tied up, and his face still had the paleness of a newly healed injury. But his phoenix eyes, in the darkness, shone startlingly, like a dormant hawk, fixed sharply and unblinkingly on Xu Xianyue.
His eyes first quickly swept over her body to confirm that she was fine, and then fell on her hand, which was still tightly gripping the thin steel sheet, with her knuckles white, and his eyes were deep and difficult to read.
The air seemed to freeze.
The sound of rain, Wan Cui's anxious knocking on the door and her inquiries outside seemed to be isolated outside.
Xu Xianyue looked at Xie Wuqi who suddenly appeared, and her heart was filled with shock. Countless questions instantly flooded her mind, but in the end, all the emotions were forcibly suppressed by her, turning into a cold, mocking arc on her lips.
She gently loosened her hands, letting the two blood-stained thin steel pieces fall to the ground with a clang.
"Your Excellency Prince Jing," she began, her voice as clear as shattering ice in the quiet rainy night. "What can I do for you?"
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