Seeing that the two men playing chess inside had no intention of paying her any attention, Yuling paused for a moment and had no choice but to stand respectfully outside the overlapping beaded curtains and wait.
His dark robe silently displayed a luxurious nobility, embroidered with blooming peonies in gold thread. The square-faced man in the gold-embroidered black robe let out a hearty laugh, his rich and cheerful voice revealing a hint of obsequious flattery: "Your Highness, it is your turn!"
The face of the man opposite was indistinct, but the profile of his face revealed a certain handsome and striking demeanor. The man did not say a word, keeping his gaze fixed on the chessboard as if he hadn't noticed anyone entering at all. A moment later, he curved his lips into a slight smile and made his move with unregrettable resolve.
A tangled and vexed expression instantly appeared on the rugged, square-faced man's face: "Ah! One careless move on my part, and I've lost the whole game after all! Your Highness's skill at chess is truly peerless and well-deserved; this humble official admires you to the utmost. This time, I am thoroughly convinced and concede defeat."
The handsome man's voice was clearer than a clear June sky: "Not at all, City Lord Fang, you flatter me."
The man addressed as City Lord Fang waved his hands repeatedly, no longer looking at the already decided chessboard, and instead changed the subject: "The moment I received the invitation to Jinlan Cottage yesterday, I bathed and changed early on. My favorite concubine at the mansion picked out three sets of brocade robes for me, but I still felt they weren't grand enough. To come and see you, I went to the silk workshop under my name that very night to have this new outfit custom-made overnight, and only then did I dare to come here dressed in my finest. What a pity that my own nephew still has to handle some urgent matters of Zijing Pavilion for me." Lowering his voice by three decibels, he continued in a soft murmur: "Your Highness knows as well, it's mainly about meeting important court officials to discuss privately some business regarding the trade of military arms and timber. As for him, he really couldn't tear himself away today, so I could only come alone to congratulate Your Highness on your grand opening. I hope Prince Zhao will not blame him."
Prince Zhao calmly picked up his teacup and took a few sips of tea.
Listening not far away, Yuling felt her scalp tingle. City Lord Fang? Could it be Fang Tianba, the Grand Commander of the Palace Guards of West City? Then wouldn't his own nephew be Bai Molian... Wait, he just said that Bai Molian had to handle urgent military matters for Zijing Pavilion today and couldn't get away. That meant Zijing Pavilion should be one of the organizations under Fang Tianba's control, and Bai Molian was very likely his trusted aide handling the daily affairs of Zijing Pavilion. In that case, could the "Kongming Mirror" mentioned in the ancient text of the *Classic of the Ancient Divine Realms*—which could repair the cracks in the Crystal Stone within her body—truly be inside this Zijing Pavilion?
At this thought, her nerves tightened, and she mustered her utmost concentration, pricking up her ears to listen carefully to the upcoming dialogue between the two men.
The City Lord of West City glanced at the serene garden scenery in the courtyard beyond the railing and added: "The layout inside Jinlan Cottage rivals a royal garden—elegant, tranquil, noble, and understated. There is not yet a single military intelligence pavilion in my West City that can compare to it; it is quite shameful to say. Today, this humble official's eyes have truly been opened."
"In the future, if the nobles of East City have any matters where they require the full support of the City Lord of West City, just send a servant to let us know. The doors of my Jinlan Cottage are always open to you."
Fang Tianba's eyes were filled with smiles, his mouth split wide open from ear to ear: "You flatter me, then it's a settled matter. Another day I must invite you to the gardens in the suburbs of West City for horseback riding and hunting—Your Highness must grant me the honor."
With a warm and gentle smile: "Naturally."
"Then this humble official will take his leave and not disturb you any longer."
"Yunyi, see City Lord Fang out."
The slightly stout man parted the strings of emerald beads one by one, walked out of the corridor with heavy steps, stopped near the door, and glanced at the woman whose face was covered with plain silk.
The ebony wooden door opened, and Yunyi, the trusted guard of Prince Zhao, entered, gesturing respectfully to send City Lord Fang out.
The door was heavily closed once more.
Yuling's anxious heart suddenly pounded with trepidation. She looked at the back of the man standing with his hands behind his back near the window not far away, inexplicably feeling a sense of unreality, trance, and a familiarity that filled her with profound astonishment.
Spanning the long course of a thousand years, what separated her and him was far more than just a short ten-meter corridor!
"Come over here, Yuling."
It was still that same gentle and warm voice. She stepped through the corridor as sunlight streamed in from outside the window—whose heartstrings would that dazzling, hazy sunlight mesmerize now?
The man stood with his back to her, and his final utterance of her name sounded like a sigh, like a murmur, mournful and desolate.
After all, he still didn't know how to face her.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he was afraid she would blame him for the abandonment of two thousand years ago.
He finally turned around, but only then did he realize that, compared to her reproaches and resentment, what he feared even more was that in her reincarnated memories, there was no longer any trace of him.
It was still that same exquisite, charming countenance; even the plain white silk veil could not hide the appearance she had carved deep into his heart—pure, beautiful, and proud.
Looking at the woman's indifferent and distant expression, he knew that in her heart, there was no longer any reflection of him.
So what if there wasn't? Given another lifetime, could it be that she wouldn't fall in love with him all over again?
A trace of resolute determination arose in his heart, and his voice inevitably took on a few drops of aloofness as the man said: "Sit down, let's have a proper talk."
After all, she was on someone else's territory, and the privacy of this high-end pavilion room was exceptionally good. She couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat, and not knowing whether the other party had truly figured out her background, she could only speak out to probe: "I was just drinking tea on the first floor of your establishment. The fruits in Jinlan Cottage are quite fresh and delicious; I wonder where the proprietor sourced them from?"
The man smiled warmly and joked, "Is Lady Yu looking to open up new sourcing channels for Tingyu Pavilion? However, this is the secret of my inn, so I'm afraid it's hard to publicize."
Hearing this, Yuling simply dropped the act: "Your establishment opened right across the street from my Tingyu Pavilion, facing door to door. As the mastermind behind the scenes, I am merely here to learn a thing or two from Jinlan Cottage. Neighbors borrowing from each other, making mutual progress, developing together, and prospering together—wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? Why must Your Highness be so sensitive?"
"Oh? Judging by that, Tingyu Pavilion has just opened its doors, yet it's already prepared to be acquired and annexed?"
The woman supported her head in her hand.
"Kill me or carve me up, I'm at your disposal."
"What would I want your life for?" A slender, white hand reached out in front of her, intending to lift the thin plain silk veil, but it paused, hovering somewhat stiffly in mid-air.
In a trance, he thought it was two thousand years ago, the time when the two of them were flirting in Yuqiong Palace, only to forget for a moment what era this was.
The atmosphere in the air was slightly awkward.
The woman tilted her head away, turned her face, picked up the rosewood teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and sipped it slowly, as if to ease this annoying awkwardness, distance, and estrangement.
Inside, he was both anxious and annoyed, yet no superfluous expression showed on his face; his voice simply grew a bit colder as he changed the subject: "You heard it just now. I am Zhao Lanzhi, the biological younger brother of Your Majesty in Bianjing, and also the proprietor behind Jinlan Cottage."
"Since you have laid your cards on the table, I have no need to hide anything either. Jinlan Cottage is magnificent and grand, entertaining the high-ranking officials and nobles of Bianliang City. My Tingyu Pavilion is merely a small private inn, primarily serving the common people, which means it fundamentally will not interfere with your business. I admit that coming here this time had elements of scouting out your establishment's true strength, but since matters have reached this point, I also sincerely congratulate you on your grand opening. With the broad road stretching straight ahead, we can each mind our own businesses. As a private merchant, any silver I earn goes to pay taxes to the East City government, which can also be considered making one more contribution to the abundance of the national treasury. Since things have been said to this point, Prince Zhao surely won't make things difficult for a mere woman like me, will you? If there has been any offense today, I hope your magnanimity will lead you to forgive and overlook it."
With that, the woman stood up, preparing to leave.
All his heartfelt words were choked in his throat, and he didn't know where to begin; now, it seemed there was no longer any opportunity to speak them aloud, so he could only hurriedly blurt out the question that concerned him most: "Lady, stay your steps. Allow me to ask one last question... Are you happy with your life now?"
This out-of-the-blue remark utterly baffled her for a moment, and she simply replied in a daze: "Quite happy. Running an inn is what my heart desires. As the saying goes, everyone has their own specialty; Prince Zhao, please rest assured, I will stand strong and keep going within East City's inn industry, so you needn't trouble yourself with worrying about me."
With that, she raised her hands in a fist-and-palm salute, dropped two words, and turned around to leave without looking back: "Farewell."
Leaving only one person alone in the room, surrounded by a floor of shattered and desolate feelings. How was he to pick up this broken heart piece by piece?
————Dividing Line————
As evening approached, the dark blue sky hung low. A crisp, chilly wind rose, making the plum branches by the roadside shiver and the leaves of the trees rustle. Her plain white silk dress appeared rather thin in the chilling wind of this moment. Wenxin, who had been guarding the entrance of Tingyu Pavilion all along, stared fixedly at the opposite gates. Seeing Yuling emerge, she immediately draped a pure white fox-fur cloak over her, her considerate words following closely behind: "Proprietor, you're finally out! Once this strong wind starts up, I'm afraid the weather is going to turn by evening, and a sudden storm might strike in a moment. Why don't you stay at Tingyu Pavilion to rest tonight?"
Before she could reply, several servants of the Bai Mansion hurried over anxiously, their words laced with urgency: "Little Mistress, we've finally found you! The Commander of the Capital Guard came back to the pavilion and couldn't find you, throwing a fit of rage. He sent people to search the entire Bai Mansion and Luyin Pavilion without a trace of you, and finally wondered if you might have returned to East City? Little Ancestor, have some pity on us servants, and hurry back with us to Luyin Pavilion! Otherwise, if he can't find you a moment longer, the Commander of the Capital Guard is bound to let us servants see some blood. Let's head back."
The servant leading them was none other than Zhuiyun. He was still dressed in black, his face filled with anxiety and unease, and in his hand, he held a yellowed oiled-paper umbrella.
"Wenxin, keep all affairs of Tingyu Pavilion as usual; we'll reconcile the accounts for the end of the month when the time comes. The daily operations of the inn are temporarily left to you. If any situation arises, come straight to the Bai Mansion to report to me," she instructed hastily.
"Understood."
Yuling had no choice but to hurriedly follow the group's pace back to Luyin Pavilion.
Halfway there, a sudden downpour arrived just as expected. The group held up elegant oiled-paper umbrellas painted with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemums, hurrying back to the pavilion through the rain.
She put away the oiled-paper umbrella painted with secluded orchids and green leaves, placing it at the entrance of her guest room. Raindrops trickled down continuously from the edge of the umbrella, dampening a large area of the yellow pearwood floor.
She entered the room. On the table still sat the empty bowl from early morning, now scraped clean to the bottom, alongside a cup of Luyin Pavilion's special herbal tea.
She sat on the stool before the table and took a sip of the cooling tea—it was a slightly bland, faintly astringent black tea.
It wasn't to her taste. After taking two sips to dispel the fatigue and thirst of the journey, she put down the white jade cup in her hand.
Recalling the conversation between Fang Tianba and Zhao Lanzhi in Jinlan Cottage, and remembering the "Zijing Pavilion" that Fang Tianba had brushed past, she could no longer sit still. She stood up, headed out the door, and went to look for Bai Molian.
At this moment, shouldn't he be in the guest room across the way?