The courtyard was deep and secluded, with Jacaranda blossoms piled sky-high on every branch. Clusters upon clusters bloomed in dazzling profusion, looking lively and bustling, like a beautiful painting personally drawn by the Imperial Advisor.
The girl in white sat beneath the blue-flowered tree, with a pot of clear tea and an ancient book, passing the leisurely, lovely days of her vacation.
Chronicles of Tiandu was a series of accounts about events that had taken place in Tiandu, the capital of the Xifeng Empire, written by the renowned historian Sima Qian. It covered political changes, economic development, strange people and curious tales, and even introduced some ancient traditions—for example, Wang Ermazi's scissors, Li Xiaodong's blacksmith shop, the fiery liquor of Three Bowls Never Cross the Ridge, and the braised pork at Fragrant Pavilion.
Because it covered such a wide range of subjects and contained such a jumble of material, it spread far and wide. Some read it for the novelty, others for the strange tales. Some treated it as a food map or a gourmet's travelogue, while others carefully studied the hidden implications behind its strategies and the successes and failures of its schemes.
Cui Xiaoxin did not care about any of that. She simply read, purely for the sake of reading. For someone reading a book, there was no need to pursue the past or ponder the future. Simply enjoying the meaning expressed between the lines, or the stories being told, was the most relaxing and pleasant thing in the world.
"Xiao Xin, have some fruit." Her little aunt Cui Xinci, dressed in a lotus-white qipao, came over carrying a basin of fruit.
Though she was originally a woman from the north, she had fallen in love with the southern style of dress. She especially loved qipaos, which gave her an unusual charm and beauty when she wore them.
"Thank you, Little Aunt." Cui Xiaoxin rose to welcome her.
"Sit down. Sit down." Cui Xinci scolded her in a coquettish voice. "Xiao Xin, it's not that I want to lecture you, but there are only the two of us, aunt and niece, in this back courtyard. There's no outsider watching. Besides, so what if someone did see? To put it more plainly, we're both women of the Cui Family, and we have the same blood flowing through our veins. We're truly one family—why are you always so polite with your little aunt? It makes us seem like strangers. I don't like it."
Cui Xiaoxin chuckled softly. "All right. From now on, whenever Little Aunt brings me food or drink, I'll ignore you completely and won't even stand up to welcome you. I'll grab it and eat it, pick it up and drink it, and treat you like an old maidservant."
"If you did that, I'd be happy. Yan Xiangma treats me exactly that way. It's not as if I've ever treated him like a godson." Cui Xinci sat down gracefully opposite Cui Xiaoxin and said, "Xiao Xin, reading again?"
"Chronicles of Tiandu." Cui Xiaoxin placed the book on the table. "I'm learning about Tiandu's local customs and ways. I've been away for several years, and the city feels somewhat unfamiliar now. But thinking about it carefully, even when I lived in Tiandu before, how much did I really understand about that city? I always thought I lived there, always thought I could go sightseeing whenever I wanted. Yet the more something was within reach, the less I ever thought of truly becoming familiar with it and experiencing it. When I really think about it, I know nothing about it."
Cui Xinci's face grew sorrowful. "Xiao Xin, you'll be returning to Tiandu in a few days. Your little aunt truly can't bear to part with you. If it were possible, I would really keep you here in Jiangnan, by your aunt's side. Tiandu may be large, and there may be many members of the Cui Family there, but life is ultimately not as easy and carefree as it is here. It's like a gigantic whirlpool, swallowing far too many people every day. Your little aunt is afraid you'll be swept into it too—"
"Little Aunt—" Cui Xiaoxin gripped Cui Xinci's tender, jade-white hand. "I'm willing to stay in Jiangnan too. I want to stay by your side. These past few years living in Jiangnan have been the happiest and most carefree days of my life. But you understand Tiandu better than I do, and you understand the Cui Family better than I do too—can I really stay?"
"Sigh, when you're born into a wealthy family, there are always all sorts of responsibilities you have to shoulder. Your little aunt can't accompany you to the capital this time, so you must take good care of yourself. Yesterday, your uncle-in-law even said that Xiangma should go to the capital with you, and that he would ask your elder uncle to arrange a job for him. He said that loafing around Jiangnan City all the time wasn't the right path... Your temperament is fine—quiet and steady, never stirring up trouble. But Xiangma is a real headache. If he goes to Tiandu, who knows what kind of huge mess he'll make?"
Cui Xiaoxin patted her little aunt's hand. "Little Aunt, a man must establish his ambitions. Uncle-in-law is doing this because he hopes his son will become a dragon. If he isn't sent out to temper himself, and stays by your side forever, sheltered and cared for by you, how could he shoulder great responsibilities? Wasn't Uncle-in-law himself a general who fought his way through countless battles before finally being entrusted by the empire with governing Jiangnan City?"
"Besides, Cousin isn't a foolish man. I greatly admire his cunning and courage too. With the Cui Family and Yan Family looking after him in Tiandu, and Jiangnan City being a prosperous land and the empire's treasury, the son of Jiangnan City's governor already has quite an impressive background. Surely no one will be able to bully him? Think about it carefully. He's always been the one bullying others—when has he ever been bullied?"
"A son traveling far makes his mother worry. In the end, I still can't set my heart at rest."
"If you truly can't rest easy, then go back and see him during the Spring Festival. You haven't returned to Tiandu in several years, have you?"
"That's true. Then it's settled. I'll return to Tiandu for the festival this year. Whether Uncle Yan agrees or not, I'm going back—" Cui Xinci said with a resolute expression.
"All right. I'll wait for you in Tiandu, Little Aunt." Cui Xiaoxin smiled.
"By the way, where did Xiangma go? Why haven't I seen him at home at all today?"
"I haven't seen him either. He went out first thing in the morning, saying he was going to visit a friend."
"Could he have gone to see that Li Mu Yang again? I really don't understand—what's so good about that Li Mu Yang? A few days ago, you were so captivated by him that you ran over to report to him every day. Now you're back to normal, but your cousin has gone abnormal instead. What does that boy even look like? Didn't I hear he was hideously ugly?"
The corners of Cui Xiaoxin's lips lifted slightly, forming a captivating curve.
"'Hideously ugly' is an exaggeration. He only has somewhat dark skin because he suffered a serious illness when he was young. His looks are actually... quite normal."
"Is that so? Then he isn't good enough for our Xiao Xin." Cui Xinci spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile. "I think Song Family's Jade Tree would be better. I heard of his fame when he was still young. Later, after I followed your uncle-in-law to Jiangnan, I often heard news about him. He's become even more outstanding."
The smile on Cui Xiaoxin's face gradually faded. "Aunt, I'm afraid no one cares about my wishes in a matter like this anymore, do they?"
"You don't want it?"
"I would much rather someone ask me, 'Are you willing?'"
"Xiao Xin—" Cui Xinci firmly clasped Cui Xiaoxin's hand. "You know what families like ours are like. But if you truly don't want it, you must say so. No matter what, your aunt will support you."
"Will my persistence, and my aunt's support... be enough to change fate?"
"..."
Perhaps she felt the subject had grown too heavy. Cui Xinci smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. It's still a long way off, anyway. Besides, you still have to attend university, which means several more years. Our Xiao Xin is so outstanding; you'll surely find a suitable match."
Cui Xiaoxin only chuckled without replying. In truth, her little aunt probably felt guilty even saying such things herself, didn't she? Hadn't she been outstanding back then too? Hadn't the silver-spear youth she loved entrusted his heart to her? Yet in the end, hadn't she still married Uncle Yan, the current governor of Jiangnan City?
The best outcome was to accept one's fate. Just like her little aunt now—wasn't she still living a happy and peaceful life?
Seeing Cui Xiaoxin's smile, Cui Xinci knew she had seen through her thoughts. In front of this girl, Cui Xinci suddenly felt somewhat flustered.
"You read for a while. Your little aunt won't disturb you." As she spoke, Cui Xinci rose and walked toward the front courtyard.
Cui Xiaoxin tilted her face up toward the blue sea of flowers overhead and said regretfully, "There are no Jacarandas in Tiandu. What a pity I can't take you all with me."
"If Miss likes them, I'll have people dig up several plants and bring them back." Ning Xin Hai walked over from the corner, as if he had been waiting there all along.
"I heard southern oranges lose their sweetness when brought north. If these Jacarandas were transplanted to the north, I'm afraid they wouldn't bloom such beautiful flowers either, would they? Since we love flowers, why make things so difficult for them?"
A breeze swept past, scattering fallen blossoms in a riot of color.
Cui Xiaoxin held out her palm, and a tiny petal happened to land in it.
Her hair and clothes were covered with many of those little blue sprites. Their faint, tranquil fragrance seemed to speak of their reluctance to part with this pure-hearted girl.
"Uncle Ning, did something happen outside again for you to come here at this time?"
"Miss hasn't left the residence these past few days, but you had me secretly protect that student surnamed Li. Everything was peaceful a few days ago. Ever since the crow attack, Li Mu Yang has shut himself indoors to study, and I've hardly seen him go out."
Cui Xiaoxin had traveled all the way to Jiangnan to study, with only Ning Xin Hai, an expert bodyguard, by her side. He was also the only person she could trust completely.
She had stayed inside the residence these days precisely so she could send Ning Xin Hai to secretly protect Li Mu Yang. After all, the crow incident was only a prelude. No one knew what might happen next.
If another crow attack occurred, or an assassin even more powerful than the crows appeared, could Li Mu Yang still make it through safely? Could his family remain unharmed?
Cui Xiaoxin had no choice but to consider these questions.
"I didn't expect an incident to occur today. A group of ruffians entered Li Mu Yang's mother Luo Qi's pastry shop, saying they had come to collect this month's protection fee. Such things happened often, so I didn't pay too much attention."
"Later, Li Mu Yang rushed over and went on a rampage in the pastry shop, slaughtering everyone in sight. Only then did I realize something was wrong—it seemed someone had deliberately set a hook for Li Mu Yang."
Cui Xiaoxin's expression darkened. After pondering briefly, she understood the truth of the matter and sneered, "My uncle-in-law really is extraordinarily petty."
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