Young Master, You're Awake

The moment Yun Jingheng turned around, a fire burned in his chest.

His nerves were stretched to the limit. His left hand was still gripping Xie Xie's wrist, and his right shoulder was Xu Xiaoyan. The thought of "smashing that wall" was churning in his mind.

He wanted to destroy that stone, using brute force, regardless of whether it was some ancient relic or Divine Power, and drag Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan out first.

He turned around very quickly.

He spun halfway around, his feet grinding against the gravel, his upper body twisting in response, his right arm already raised, ready to unleash its power.

Then he saw the stone wall.

The star-like light on the stone wall expanded the instant he turned around, like a light core that had been suppressed for thousands of years finally bursting through its shell. A dazzling white light gushed out from the center of the stone surface, filling the entire grotto with overwhelming force.

Yun Jingheng only had time to raise his arm to shield his eyes.

The light that brushed against his forearm was intensely hot, making his skin feel tight.

But he didn't feel any impact. The light flowed like water from both sides of his forearms, from both sides of his body, and towards Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan behind him.

He heard Xie Xie let out a short, muffled groan and Xu Xiaoyan gasp so faintly it was almost inaudible, and then all the sounds disappeared.

The light dimmed.

With his arm still blocking his view, the light filtering through his fingers changed from a blinding white to a soft, warm yellow, carrying a temperature similar to candlelight or an oil lamp.

The sweet and cloying fragrance in the air disappeared, replaced by a light, smoky scent, like the aroma of some precious wood being burned, warm and serene.

Yun Jingheng slowly lowered his hand.

He stood there, stunned.

Before me was an extravagantly spacious hall.

The floor is covered with dark brown solid wood flooring, which is shiny and should make a dull, pleasant sound when you step on it.

The hall's four walls are fitted with huge floor-to-ceiling windows with dark-colored frames, draped with elegant dark gold velvet curtains. The curtains are bound together on both sides with gold threads, and the sunlight shines through the clean glass, spreading warm, dappled light across the floor.

In the center of the hall stood several sets of dark leather sofas, with thick, plush cushions and exquisitely embroidered pillows draped over the armrests.

On the shelf in the corner were porcelain pieces, the glazes of which were warm and lustrous like cream.

A huge crystal chandelier hung overhead, its thousands of finely cut crystal pieces refracting tiny rainbows in the sunlight.

But none of this stunned him.

What stunned him was the person standing in front of him.

Gu Yue stood next to the sofa.

She wore a dark blue maid outfit, the hem of which was two inches above her knees, with a white lace trim around the neckline and a dark blue ribbon tied in a delicate bow above her collarbone.

Her legs, below the short skirt, were covered in white stockings, and she wore a pair of low-heeled black leather shoes.

Her hair was gathered at the back of her head and tied into a neat low ponytail, with a few stray strands of hair falling loosely by her temples, which made her usually aloof face look a little softer.

She held a tray with a steaming cup of tea on it, standing upright beside the sofa. Seeing Yun Jingheng lower his arm, she bowed slightly and said in a voice so gentle and soft he had never heard before, "Young Master, you're awake."

Yun Jingheng's mind went blank.

What did you call me?

Young Master?

He looked to the side.

Ye Xinglan stood on the other side of the hall, bending over to adjust the angle of a vase on the coffee table.

She was also wearing the same maid outfit, but in dark red, with a skirt slightly longer than Gu Yue's, and a large white bow tied at the back of her waist.

She adjusted the vase slowly and deliberately, twisting the flower stems between her fingers a couple of times, then straightened up, turned to look at him, and raised an eyebrow. "Young Master slept for quite a while; the soup simmering in the kitchen is almost cold."

Look to the side.

Xu Xiaoyan squatted in front of a low cabinet in the corner of the hall, holding a rag in her hand, wiping the brass handle of the cabinet door.

She was wearing a light blue maid outfit with a white apron, and her hair was tied in two small buns on either side of her ears.

She looked up when she heard Ye Xinglan speak, her face flushed slightly, a small smile playing on her lips, her voice sweet as honey. "Young Master, what are you looking at? Are you hungry? I'll go get you some soup."

Then the side door of the hall opened, and several more girls walked in.

Yun Jingheng recognized two of them as girls in his grade, and the rest looked familiar but he couldn't remember their names.

They were dressed in different colors—light purple, pale yellow, and pea green—but their skirts were all similar in style. Each of them wore an apron and a ribbon, and when they saw him, they all bowed slightly and greeted him, "Greetings, young master."

Yun Jingheng stood in the center of the hall, completely motionless as if frozen in place.

Gu Yue took two steps closer with the tea in her hand, leaned slightly forward, and placed the tray on the low table beside him. When she straightened up, she was less than an arm's length away from him.

A faint, delicate fragrance wafted over, carrying a sweet scent that made one unconsciously relax.

When she looked up at him, her eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow in the warm yellow light.

"What are you daydreaming about, young master?"

She asked, a very faint smile playing on her lips—a smile he had never seen on Gu Yue's real face before—"Are you still not fully awake? Why don't you sit a little longer?"

Yun Jingheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"Young Master?"

Another voice came from the side. Ye Xinglan had already adjusted the vase and was walking towards him. The dark red skirt swayed gently with her steps. Her tone was still nonchalant, but it contained a softness he had never heard before.

"If you don't say anything soon, we'll get worried. You've slept all day."

one day.

Yun Jingheng opened his mouth, and found that his voice was surprisingly light and airy. "... How long have I been asleep?"

"One day."

Xu Xiaoyan had already stood up from beside the low cabinet, hopping and skipping over. Her light blue skirt swirled slightly at the knees. "Young Master scared us to death! We couldn't wake him up no matter how we called him. Sister Yuan En said he was probably too tired and should rest."

She leaned closer to him and looked up at him, her eyes clear and bright, without a trace of fear or cowardice.

Yun Jingheng's heart skipped a beat.

He looked down at the upturned face in front of him, a round face with a healthy rosy glow and a smiling expression.

Then he turned his head to look at Ye Xinglan standing next to him, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, his posture relaxed and at ease.

Looking at Gu Yue on the side of the sofa, she had already sat down, picked up the teacup on the tray and held it in her hands, lowered her eyes and blew on the steam rising from the surface. The lines of her profile were incredibly soft.

Their gazes towards him were filled with a gentle, affectionate, and perfectly measured closeness.

He stood there in the center of the hall, bathed in the warm sunlight streaming through the French windows. Beneath his feet was a thick, soft wool carpet, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of incense mingling with Gu Yue's own fragrance.

His muscles were slowly relaxing, and the tension that had been building up in his shoulders was gradually dissipating.

"... Okay then."

He heard himself say this, his voice carrying a languidness he himself was unfamiliar with. "Where's the soup?"

Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed "Ah!" and turned to run, her light blue skirt twirling slightly as she ran, shouting, "I'll go get it! I'll go get it! Young Master, please sit and wait!"

Ye Xinglan chuckled beside him, walked over and reached out to unbutton the top button of his collar, her fingertips brushing against the skin on the side of his Adam's apple with a slightly cool touch.

"Young Master worries too much," she said, her voice low and close to her ear. "What is there to worry about here? You don't need to worry about anything."

"Later, let Yuan En help you take a hot bath; everything will be alright."

Yun Jingheng looked down as Ye Xinglan's fingers withdrew from his collar, and the dark red lace cuffs of her sleeves flipped up and down her wrist.

Then Gu Yue stood up from the sofa, handed him the teacup, and presented it to him with a respectful and natural gesture, as if she had done it a thousand times.

He reached out to take it.

The moment the teacup landed in his palm, his fingers touched Gu Yue's fingertips.

It's cold.

He subconsciously frowned, wanting to say, "Why aren't you wearing more clothes when your hands are so cold?" but he swallowed the words back.

Gu Yue is always like this; she does everything perfectly and thoughtfully, but she neglects to take care of herself.

She looked up at him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Yun Jingheng held the teacup, lowered his head, and took a sip.

The warm tea slid down his throat, soothing him and making him feel completely relaxed.

He thought he should tell Gu Yue later to stop wearing such short clothes all the time, as it's easy for her to catch a cold.