Nobody moved.
Shen Yuzhou's mouth hung open; he had forgotten to close it.
Cheng Yanqiu was still holding the bamboo basket. It had tilted, and the mushrooms nearly spilled out, but she did not notice.
Ji Shiyu's eyes were lowered, but those lashes kept trembling, as though not daring to look, yet unable to resist looking.
Lin Yanru's expression was fairly composed, but she gripped the hem of her trench coat, her knuckles white.
Jiang Wantang stood at the very back. As she looked at the person on the daybed, her eyes shone even brighter than when she had seen the marriage tree.
Xiao Chen, the cameraman carrying the camera on his shoulder, aimed the lens straight at the person on the daybed. His hands were steady, but he could not help stealing glances at that person, too.
Only Pei Yubai's expression barely changed. He stood at the front, closest to the low daybed, and simply watched without speaking.
The person on the daybed waited a few seconds. Finding that nobody spoke, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Hmm?"
Just one sound. The ending rose, carrying a little puzzlement and a little nonchalance.
Shen Yuzhou snapped out of his daze as though shocked by electricity, his ears red enough to bleed.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but something seemed to block his throat. He could not get a single word out.
The others reacted much the same way.
Watching their reactions, the person on the daybed's lips shifted slightly. It was not quite a smile, only the faintest curve, as though he found it somewhat interesting.
He slowly sat upright.
His movements were very slow.
First, he braced himself against the soft cushion and straightened his back. Then he swept the silver hair hanging over his chest behind him. Finally, he drew back the left hand resting across his legs and placed it on his knee.
Every movement was unhurried, as though time was worth nothing to him.
He glanced at the people before him, his gaze passing over each face.
Then he looked away and pointed to one side.
"Sit."
Several round woven-straw cushions lay scattered across the bamboo mat on either side of the pavilion. Those were what he pointed at.
Pei Yubai was the first to move.
Without standing on ceremony, he walked over, chose the cushion farthest away, and sat down.
Almost the entire length of the pavilion lay between him and the low daybed. Once seated, he slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and leaned against a pillar, his posture no different from usual.
Seeing Pei Yubai sit down, Shen Yuzhou followed him over.
He chose a cushion neither too close to nor too far from the daybed, sitting down very gently, as though afraid of making a sound.
Cheng Yanqiu set the bamboo basket by her feet and sat beside Shen Yuzhou, her back ramrod straight.
Ji Shiyu sat beside Cheng Yanqiu, both hands resting neatly on those knees.
Lin Yanru chose a spot at the edge. After sitting down, she gave the person on the daybed a slight nod in thanks for the seat.
Jiang Wantang sat down last. Rather than choosing a corner, she picked a spot directly facing the daybed. Once seated, she lifted her head and looked at the person on it, a faint smile on her lips.
He really was so beautiful.
Carrying the camera on his shoulder, Xiao Chen retreated to the edge of the pavilion, found an angle that could capture the whole scene, and steadied the camera.
The man watched them settle into their seats without speaking. Only when everyone was seated did he speak.
"How did you get in?"
His voice was still clear and languid. As he spoke, he looked down at the Go board and casually tossed the black stone in his hand back into its bowl with a crisp clack.
Shen Yuzhou rushed to answer. "We came up the mountain to pick mushrooms, but the fog was so thick that we got lost. We kept walking and ended up here."
After hearing this, the man lifted his eyes and glanced at him. Under the gaze of those eyes, Shen Yuzhou's ears reddened another shade.
"Picking mushrooms," the man repeated flatly. It was impossible to tell whether he believed it.
His gaze shifted to the camera on Xiao Chen's shoulder. He looked at it for two seconds.
He tilted his head slightly, as though examining an object he had never seen before.
"What are these?"
Shen Yuzhou followed his gaze and explained, "Oh, that's a camera. We're filming a show. These machines film us and livestream it, so lots of people can watch us on their phones at the same time."
The others did not register anything wrong with his question, either.
Only Pei Yubai frowned slightly.
After listening, the man said nothing.
He showed neither curiosity nor aversion. His expression simply said, "Understood."
He lowered his head, raised his left hand, and slowly began unwinding the red thread wrapped around his finger.
His movements were very slow. The red thread was wrapped twice around his finger, yet he still moved very slowly.
His silver hair fell forward, obscuring half his face. Sunlight spilled through the pavilion's open roof onto his hair, giving the silver strands a faint sheen.
Shen Yuzhou watched him unwind the red thread, growing a little dazed.
Cheng Yanqiu coughed, breaking the silence. "Um... may we ask your name?"
The man neither stopped what he was doing nor raised his head.
"Qiguan Yuan."
He spoke the three syllables softly but clearly.
Cheng Yanqiu silently repeated the surname to herself. She thought it unusual but did not ask about it. Instead, she said, "Mr. Qiguan, have you always lived here?"
Qiguan Yuan finally finished unwinding the red thread.
He straightened it, slowly wound it around his wrist several times, and tied a loose knot.
The red thread encircled his fair wrist, making his skin look almost translucent.
He raised his head and glanced at Cheng Yanqiu.
"A long time."
Just those three words, with no intention of elaborating.
Cheng Yanqiu had the sense not to ask further.
Qiguan Yuan lowered his left hand, braced his right against the daybed, and stood up.
Standing, he looked considerably taller than he had while seated.
His red robes fell to his ankles. Barefoot on the bamboo mat, the tops of his feet were so pale that the blue veins showed through.
He glanced down at his feet, as though only just remembering he had no shoes on.
He turned and walked to a corner of the pavilion, where a pair of black cloth shoes sat, their uppers spotless.
He slid his feet into them and pressed his heels down, barely making a sound.
Once his shoes were on, he turned back to the people sitting in a row.
"You're staying in Cloud-Hidden Town?"
Lin Yanru nodded. "Yes, we're staying at a guesthouse in town."
Qiguan Yuan gave a quiet "Mm," then took a few steps to the edge of the pavilion and looked at his reflection in the pool.
The water reflected his face, his silver hair and red robes, like a painting.
He said, "Outsiders who enter these woods have a hard time finding their own way out."
Shen Yuzhou grew anxious. "Then what do we do?"
Qiguan Yuan turned to look at Shen Yuzhou. His mist-veiled eyes were a little clearer now, their color pale as a river in winter.
"Come with me."
Shen Yuzhou froze. "Huh? You'll show us out?"
Without repeating himself, Qiguan Yuan had already started toward the moon gate. After two steps, he noticed nobody was following and tilted his head slightly.
"Not coming?"
Shen Yuzhou scrambled up, saying, "Coming, coming, coming." The others stood up as well.
Pei Yubai was the last to rise.
Just as he rose from his cushion, Qiguan Yuan happened to turn his head. Their eyes met.
Qiguan Yuan looked at him for a second.
Then he turned back and was the first to leave the pavilion.
Pei Yubai watched his retreating figure, paused, then followed.
The group passed through the wooden covered walkway. Qiguan Yuan led the way at an even pace, his feet making little sound on the boards.
His silver hair hung to his waist, swaying slightly as he walked, like a length of silver silk.
Behind him, Shen Yuzhou whispered to Cheng Yanqiu, "Is his hair real?"
Cheng Yanqiu whispered back, "Go ask him."
Shen Yuzhou shrank back. "I don't dare. That'd be a little rude, wouldn't it?"
The barrage of comments had never stopped.
[I could watch this view of his back for a year.]
[Silver hair and red robes... ah, I'm dead. What a beauty!]
[Qiguan Yuan. His name sounds so lovely. How is even his name this beautiful?]
[Did that beauty just give Pei Yubai an extra look?]
[I noticed that too!]
They passed through the moon gate and returned to the outer courtyard. The old elm covered in red threads was still there. When the wind blew, the threads across the tree swayed gently.
Qiguan Yuan did not stop. He continued out through the courtyard gate.
Outside lay the stone-paved path. When they had arrived, the fog had been too thick to see clearly. Now it had dispersed somewhat, revealing the path winding into the depths of the woods.
The bamboo on either side was still just as green, and the wind chimes still hung from the doorframe, making soft, tinkling sounds.
Qiguan Yuan stood at the entrance and glanced east. Then he stepped onto the stone path.
The others followed behind.
Pei Yubai walked a little behind the middle of the group. Ji Shiyu was ahead of him, and Jiang Wantang behind him.
After walking for a while, he looked up at Qiguan Yuan's retreating figure.
Just then, Qiguan Yuan turned his head slightly, as though checking whether those behind him had kept up.
Their eyes met.
This time, Qiguan Yuan did not look away. He held Pei Yubai's gaze for two seconds before turning back and continuing onward.
Pei Yubai frowned, but only for an instant.
The comments caught it again.
[He looked at Pei Yubai again.]
[Does this Qiguan Yuan know Pei Yubai?]
[No way, right? He lives deep in the mountains.]
[Then why does he keep looking at Pei Yubai?]
[Maybe because Pei Yubai was standing closest?]
[No, he only glances at everyone else. With Pei Yubai, he actually looks.]
[Girls, aren't you reading too much into this?]
[I'm not! I took screenshots!]
The stone path ended at a small stream. The water was shallow enough to see the stones on the bottom, and its gentle flow made a soft, burbling sound.
Qiguan Yuan headed downstream. He walked ahead, his cloth shoes stepping steadily over the stones beside the stream.
They walked for about two hours. During that time, nobody spoke because Qiguan Yuan was there.
The woods began to thin. The fog grew lighter too, revealing the distant sky.
Qiguan Yuan stopped on a rock beside the stream. He went no farther.
"We're here."
Shen Yuzhou sighed in relief and thanked him repeatedly. "Mr. Qiguan, thank you so much! Without you, who knows how long we would've kept wandering around."
Qiguan Yuan did not respond. He turned to look at the group, his gaze sweeping over each face before finally settling on Pei Yubai.
It lingered again.
Then he said, "Don't go wandering into these woods again."
His voice was quiet and his tone mild, yet it left no one daring to argue.
Shen Yuzhou nodded vigorously.
Qiguan Yuan said nothing more. He turned and walked back along the stream. His red robes stood out against the green woods. Farther away, he became a dark red silhouette, slowly swallowed by the fog.
Pei Yubai remained where he was, looking in that direction.