Chapter 102 Eagle Gaze: He Recognized You
Song Mian was startled. Seeing the two staring straight at him, he forced himself to say, "I can't really explain it, it's just... it's just..." Song Mian racked his brains, then frowned and said, "It's just that something is different."
“Ah Jiu, you’re always like this.” Guan Ye pulled Mu Chenbi away. “Song Er, you’re just busy gossiping. Don’t you want to unload the goods? If your boss Wanqi finds out, do you think he’ll dock your wages?”
Song Mian tapped his head and cursed himself a few times before hurriedly unloading the goods. Guan Ye breathed a slight sigh of relief, but when she turned her head and saw Mu Chenbi still standing there, her eyes filled with tension again.
“He used to be a shop assistant at the fried cake shop on West Street,” Guan Ye explained. “A few of us often went there to buy fried cakes, and A-Jiu… went too…”
Mu Chenbi said gently, "You're new to Rongdu, and everything seems new and exciting. West Street is lively, but I haven't been there much. Hearing you keep talking about fried cakes makes my mouth water. I like sweets, so next time... bring me one to try too."
Song Mian, who was carrying the bag, would occasionally look back at the two. He had been on the same ship as Ajiu for several days and only knew that Hu Xian called him Ajiu. This boy was taciturn and indifferent to everything around him. He rarely chatted with others, ate his bread when he had it, and leaned against the mast on the deck when he had nothing to do. He could sit there all day without moving. When he looked at people, his dark eyes were full of aloofness. Just one look could keep people at a distance. Song Mian tried to speak several times, but was stopped by his cold eyes. From then on, he dared not get close to him.
After Song Mian became an official, he learned a lot about judging people from his grandfather, who was a high-ranking official. He could tell that Ajiu was not a bad person, but he was not a good person either. But then again, what good people could be on Hu Xian's ship?
After several years apart, at the fried cake stall a while ago, Ajiu turned around with her sword in hand, leaving Song Mian with only an unpredictable look in her eyes. Her gaze was like that of an eagle looking at a wolf. Although it was just a fleeting glance, it made the hairs on Song Mian's body stand on end in front of the oil pot.
I saw Ajiu again in Xingguofang today. His eyes were bright, his words were kind, and the sword at his waist was not fierce at all. His demeanor was that of a gentleman, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
"It's just a little different now." Song Mian couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it, picked up the large bag, and headed straight for the warehouse.
"It's getting late, aren't you leaving yet?" Guan Ye looked up at the sky, the sun was already setting. It was strange, how come today had passed by so quickly.
Yes, the sun is almost setting. Mu Chenbi was secretly annoyed. Time flew by. He still had so much to say to Guan Ye and so many things he wanted to do with her. It would be good to have a late-night chat about the "Casting Classic". She was full of knowledge about casting techniques and must have read the "Casting Classic". Maybe... he should ask her if she had read it?
—"Guan Ye..."
"It's getting late, you should go." Guan Ye interrupted him, "If you don't leave, Chief Luo might bring his men in. There aren't any swordsmen in the monastery, not a single one who can fight..."
“Luo Yichen wouldn’t dare,” Mu Chenbi said angrily. “If I don’t go out, he won’t dare to step in even half a step.”
Guan Ye pointed to the sword at his waist, "Chief Luo dares not enter the ward, but Ajiu and the others will be back soon."
Mu Chenbi's face darkened. He had spent half a day in the ward under the name Ajiu, but Ajiu... would eventually come back. When he returned to the ward, he too would have to return to where he belonged.
Mu Chenbi walked out of the gate of Xingguo Ward with his head down. Looking back at Guan Ye who was watching him leave, he suddenly took off the sword from his waist, held it horizontally and presented it to her. "I want to give this sword a name."
"Give a name to a sword?" Guan Ye asked with interest. "The shopkeeper said that the island's refugees are like cats and dogs, and it's already rare for a person to have a name. You're going to name a sword too? What do you suggest?"
Mu Chenbi drew the sword from its hilt, gazing intently at the double-blade mark that Guan Ye had personally engraved. He then raised his eyebrows and saw the faint dimples on Guan Ye's lips. "Shuang Ye, from now on, this sword will be called—Shuang Ye."
"The Twin Dimples Sword?" Guan Ye was slightly taken aback. The regret between Mu Chenbi's brows as they were about to part slowly faded. He looked at Guan Ye, his eyes brightening again. The two looked at each other and gradually smiled.
"I really like the Twin Dimples Sword."
Mu Chenbi finally turned around, raised his arm and held the sword high, a clear smile on his lips, and a radiant light between his brows, filled with starlight-like fragments.
As darkness fell and winter approached, the night grew increasingly dark. Song Mian finally finished unloading the goods. On his way back to the foundry, the blacksmiths and swordsmiths had all gone back to their rooms to rest. Only a few embers in the furnace were still burning, struggling to release their last rays of light. Passing over the flying sparks and through the somber night, Song Mian looked around curiously, not daring to linger in other people's places. After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but turn back to look. The vast Xingguo Ward seemed to be shrouded in a thick, dark ink, with only the towering furnace burning brightly. Without the furnace to guide him, he wouldn't be able to tell which way was which.
Driving the empty oxcart down the street, the wheels creaking as if they were about to fall apart, Song Mian carefully drove the cart, thinking that he would have to ask Wan Qixi to replace it with a new horse-drawn carriage later. Tie Ying was really too heavy.
Song Mian's stomach rumbled incessantly. Carrying sacks was no easier than frying dough cakes; he was already covered in grease, now he was covered in soot. But even though it was tiring, there was still something to look forward to. Guan Ye, the blacksmith, and A Jiu, the swordsman, were both so dashing. Song Mian twirled his whip in the air a few times, wishing he hadn't jumped into the sea… Should he become a blacksmith like Guan Ye, or a swordsman like A Jiu? Whatever he did, with his talent, he wouldn't be bad at it.
As Song Mian pondered these thoughts, the night wind brushed against his face, the shadows of the trees flickered, and the falling leaves rustled. Suddenly feeling a chill, Song Mian pulled his coat tighter around himself. Just then, he heard voices coming from across the street—the deep, melancholic voice of a middle-aged man, and the lively laughter of teenagers. The night was too dark, and unlike the brightly lit West Street and East Market, Song Mian squinted and couldn't see anything clearly.
"An oxcart?" Feng Shisan, leaning against the edge of the cart, suddenly realized, "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
"There are oxcarts too?" Ji Fang perked up. "I've only ever seen horse-drawn carriages and donkey carts, never oxcarts. Where are they? Let me see."
"Oh dear." Feng Shisan slapped his thigh. "I remember now, Ajiu, come out quickly, isn't this so-and-so...so-and-so..." Feng Shisan couldn't remember the person's tongue-twisting name for a moment, and pointed to the approaching oxcart across the way and shouted, "It's the one who tricked us last time, what was his name again, that Western Regions guy."
Wan Qixi. Inside the carriage, Ajiu lifted the curtain, turned over and sat down next to Feng Shisan. Following the direction he pointed, she looked—the oxcart coming towards them was indeed the one Wan Qixi was transporting goods to, but the driver was not Wan Qixi. In the twilight, the young driver's face was dark and gloomy, but Ajiu still recognized him at a glance; it was Song Mian.
"How could it be him?" Lou Cangyu also recognized the driver. "Wasn't he... frying oil cakes?"
"Who?" The dozing pony suddenly jumped up, nearly falling off the edge of the carriage. "The one frying oil cakes? Is he the one who jumped into the sea but didn't die?"
"What the hell?!" Feng Shisan and Ji Fang blurted out, "It's him?"
Lou Cangyu nudged Ajiu, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Am I blind? Isn't he the person you and Guan Ye saw at the fried cake shop last time? Guan Ye said... his name is..."
"His name is Song Mian." Ajiu lowered her voice, signaling everyone to be quiet so the shop owner in the car wouldn't hear. "That's him."
“His oxcart…” Ji Fang’s voice trembled, “Did it come from our neighborhood? Could it be… a courier for goods in the neighborhood?”
"Maybe it really is." Feng Shisan unconsciously gripped the sword beside him, then suddenly realized something, slowly loosened his grip on the sword, and suppressed his emotions, no longer exploding.
The wind swirled fallen leaves, dazzling the eyes. Two carriages passed each other, and all was silent. The young man in the carriage froze, holding his breath and sitting still, his eyes constantly glancing at Song Mian in the oxcart. Song Mian envied the spirited young man in the carriage, his eyes fixed on their handsome faces. This must be the scene described in the books as "dazzling clothes and spirited horses."
Ajiu calmly lowered her head, her body slightly bent, her hawk-like eyes closed with composure. Song Mian's pupils contracted slightly, and he suddenly realized something. He turned his head sharply, his gaze frantically searching for something.
—His face, his eyes…Ah Jiu, it’s Ah Jiu.
The sound of the carriage wheels faded into the distance, leaving only yellow leaves fluttering all over the street for Song Mian. Following the direction the carriage had gone, there was another carriage full of young men with swords... Xingguo Ward, it was a carriage from Xingguo Ward, and they were the swordsmen of the ward, including Ajiu.
Ah Jiu is in the car, and who is that person from Xingguo Lane? Is he also Ah Jiu? Guan Ye also calls him Ah Jiu...
Song Mian slumped onto the oxcart, his hand holding the whip trembling uncontrollably. Was he seeing things? Had he encountered a ghost in broad daylight? Could there be two A-Jiu? There was clearly only one A-Jiu on Hu Xian's boat, but in Rongdu, was there another one?
“A-Jiu.” Lou Cangyu turned around and glanced at you. “He’s looking at you too. He seems to… recognize you.”
Ah Jiu slowly opened her eyes, her dark eyes concealing unfathomable emotions. "He recognizes me."
"His eyes." Lou Cangyu recalled with a chill, "His eyes were very strange."
“Guan Ye said…” Ji Fang felt a chill, “This person won’t report us. He has his own demands and obsessions, and he will never harm us. Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma said the same thing.” Ji Fang looked at Xiao Ma for help.
The little horse heard a buzzing in its ears and lowered its head, pretending not to hear it.
“That’s true.” Lou Cangyu stared at Ajiu with a meaningful look in his eyes. “Nothing is absolute. He was able to get into Xingguo Ward. It’s hard to say what will happen in the future. We should make plans early, just in case.”
The silence of the night made Lou Cangyu's words all the more terrifying. Ji Fang's face turned pale, and he trembled as he spoke, whether from the cold or from fear, it was hard to tell. "What plans are you making? What precautions are you taking? Cangyu, what are you talking about?"
"It's none of your business how I talk to A-Jiu." Lou Cangyu turned away from Ji Fang. "A-Jiu?"
Ah Jiu rubbed her dry lips with the back of her hand. "There's plenty of time. Let's talk about it later. Life is hard. Maybe he just wants some peace and quiet. Why should we think too deeply about it? We'll only disturb others and ruin our own peace."
"A-Jiu..." Lou Cangyu called out softly again.
"Stop talking." Ajiu's voice was low and resolute. She closed her eyes, clearly not wanting to hear anything more.
"What do you think?" Lou Cangyu scanned the faces of the others.
"What do you mean, how do you see it?" Feng Shisan picked up the sword beside him. "Could it be that we should kill him?"
Ji Fang hurriedly waved his hand and tugged at Xiao Ma's collar, saying, "Xiao Ma, say something. What did you say to everyone last time? Murder? Have they all gone mad?"
Xiao Ma sighed and pressed Feng Shisan's hand down. "He's just like us. Listen to Ajiu. Life is hard. Let's wait and see."
“That’s how it is.” Feng Shisan leaned against the edge of the carriage again. “My sword, Thirteenth Young Master’s sword, is for protecting people, not for killing people, no… it’s for not killing people easily.”
"Womanly kindness, I can't be bothered to talk to you." Lou Cangyu looked disappointed, so he simply jumped off the carriage and headed away from the other end of the long street.
"Where is the second young master?" Pei Bi heard the noise and lifted the curtain to look.
“He said he wanted to eat some snacks from West Street. Let’s go buy some now, so we can still have some extra dishes for everyone tonight,” Xiao Ma said without hesitation.
Pei Bi shook his head helplessly and shrank back into the car.
As night deepened, lanterns outside Xingguo Ward were lit in the distance. In the dim light, Guan Ye gazed out onto the street. When she saw a carriage coming into view, carrying the same familiar figures, a smile appeared on her lips. A-Jiu seemed to sense something, slightly raising his head. His tightly closed dark eyes suddenly snapped open, meeting Guan Ye's starry gaze. Their eyes held a deep, unspoken emotion, more profound than ever before.
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