CH 33

Chapter 33: How Can A Shallow Fate Overcome A Deep Love?

When Xu Li finished shouting, she coughed. As her eyes bent, she smiled gently at Qi Ci: “Qi Ci Gege, I have to catch up with my brother. I have to walk across the Naihe Bridge and go to him. Qi Ci Gege, even though A-Li is only 16 years old, A-Li met three wonderful people who treated A-Li very well. My mother, my brother, and you. A-Li is quite satisfied, so if…. there’s really a next life, A-Li and my brother must…. repay you well….”

Xu Li’s voice was getting lighter and lighter, and when she said the last word, she was almost out of breath.

“Yes….” Qi Ci’s voice was shaking slightly, but he tried to restrain himself as he said slowly.

Xu Li tried hard to keep smiling at Qi Ci, but then her eyes began to close, and her hands fell down powerlessly.

At that, Qi Ci fiercely closed his eyes, and the memories of the three of them talking with each other floated in front of him one after the other, lingering and unforgettable. When he opened his eyes again, they were bloodshot, and as he gritted his teeth, Qi Ci withdrew from the wing room.

It was clearly a late Spring day, but Qi Ci felt very cold. He stood frozen in place, at a loss at what to do.

When he first came to the Capital with a strong resolution, not only did he want to get back his mother’s relics, but he also wanted to question Xu Run about why he did something so cruel to him, and to see whether Xu Li’s health had improved.

Now, Spring didn’t feel like Spring, and both of them weren’t around anymore. Where should he go?

After giving instructions about the funeral, Qi Ci walked back to his wing room, lost in thought. In the wing room, he found someone waiting for him.

It was Lin Baihu.

These days, Lin Baihu had been Qi Ci’s personal Secret Servant, who had been dutifully protecting the stability of the Prince’s Residence. But, because Lin Baihu was someone who spoke very little, Qi Ci didn’t know how to talk to him, so the two of them didn’t speak about anything other than business.

After Lin Baihu bowed to Qi Ci, he said: “Your Majesty, Empress Dowager Xianyi will summon you to the Imperial Palace in three days.”

“Oh, alright…. I understand….” Qi Ci replied somewhat panicked.

Lin Baihu didn’t have anything more to say, so he simply saluted and prepared to leave.

“Right!” Qi Ci suddenly remembered something and shouted: “Do you know if Bian Zhonghua’s punishment is over?”

Lin Baihu paused and replied: “He’s already out of the Secret Servant Prison.”

“Then, did he come to the Prince’s Residence?”

“He did not.”

Qi Ci’s shoulders collapsed as he replied vaguely: “Well, alright….” As soon as he said those words, Qi Ci suddenly clenched his fists and asked again: “So, can I go to the Secret Servant Residence?”

Lin Baihu hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he still said: “Since the Prince wants to go to the Secret Servant Residence, naturally, no one would dare to stop him. But, I don’t understand why His Majesty would want to go to the Secret Servant Residence.”

“I want…. want to….” Qi Ci missed Bian Zhonghua, but because he was afraid of his feelings being seen, he stumbled for a while until he made up a reason: “Go walk in the gardens….”

The reason he came up with was way too lame. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Qi Ci wanted to punch himself in the face.

Lin Baihu: “…. Your Majesty, the Secret Servant Residence doesn’t have remarkable scenery, so it isn’t suitable to visit.”

‘Even if it doesn’t have remarkable scenery, there’s someone I want to visit, alright?!’

“You’re right….” Qi Ci whispered as he lowered his eyes, and his expression gradually calmed down. As the breeze flew by gently touching his clothes, the cool Spring covered him completely.

Lin Baihu could guess that Qi Ci had finally given up, so he softly suggested: “If His Majesty wants to go out for a walk, I heard that the countryside-….”

“No, I don’t want to go out for a walk. I just want to go to the Secret Servant Residence to find someone.” Qi Ci suddenly raised his head with straightforwardness and frankness. As he folded up his sleeves, he walked outside the wing room with unquestionable determination.

Lin Baihu looked at his back, and for a little while, he forgot to follow behind him. Then he opened his eyes wide as his thin lips slightly opened as well, showing a trace of surprise in his usual expressionless face.

Lin Baihu had suddenly remembered that many, many years ago, a man had told him….

“Look, everyone thinks that I love the human world because I like the flowers from there, when in fact, it’s obvious that I love someone from that world. He’s so graceful and restrained, genuinely good, but I don’t know how to be like that. I, ah, I love him, so I’ll do my best to accompany him, pester him. If he’s annoyed with me, tired of me, then I’ll try my best to forget him and not annoy him again.”

That man was flawless and acted on his words. But in the end, his soul scattered away.

…

At the same time Qi Ci decided to go to the Secret Servant Residence, Bian Zhonghua was playing chess with Qin Yicang.

When the game came to a dead end, Qin Yicang put one hand against his chin while with the other he held a black chess piece. His eyebrows were twisted to death, but Bian Zhonghua wasn’t in a hurry, he was leisurely tucking his hands, waiting for him to fail.

Suddenly, a cough came from behind them.

Qin Yicang suddenly stood up and lifted the chessboard, scattering all the chess pieces into the ground: “Greetings, State Master Li.”

Bian Zhonghua: “…..”

Bian Zhonghua followed and saluted him. Then he smiled and said to Qin Yicang: “It’s useless even if you lift it, I remember where the chess pieces are. Don’t forget to send me the best ten jars of Spring wine.”

Qin Yicang gritted his teeth with hatred: “Wait, wait, wait, wait!! I haven’t lost yet!”

Bian Zhonghua raised the corners of his mouth as he faintly skimmed his clothes: “Alright then. If you can win within three moves, I’ll be the one sending wine to you.”

“Three moves? You’re underestimating me, Bian Zhonghua! Come on! Set it up! Let’s play again!” Qin Yicang angrily started to fix the board, and with a wave of the fan in his hand, the pieces that were scattered all over the ground suddenly rose up into the air, divided into black and white, and fell back onto the chess board.

Bian Zhonghua calmly followed with a wave of his hand, and the chess pieces were wrapped with a silver light, recovering the previous chess game.

State Master Li, who was ignored on the side: “….”

State Master Li suddenly felt very tired.

Today was also the day when he would like to go back to his roots to cultivate.

Fortunately, the two of them weren’t really careless, so Bian Zhonghua saluted State Master Li again and said with a smile: “State Master, the game will be over very soon.”

State Master Li nodded and said that he wasn’t in a hurry.

Qin Yicang was so angry that he gritted his teeth and pressed the handle of the fan tightly. Then, a black piece fell, embedding itself into the board.

Bian Zhonghua smiled, twisted a white piece out of the board, and dropped it gently.

One more move will determine the winner.

Qin Yicang stared at the chess game with round eyes for a long time. Finally, he put his fan against his forehead and admitted defeat: “Forget it, I’ll bring the wine to you tonight.”

Bian Zhonghua stroked his palm as he casually put the chessboard away. Then he asked State Master Li: “State Master, do you have any instructions for me?”

State Master Li put his hands behind his back, looked at Bian Zhonghua first, and then asked: “How are the injuries on your body?”

“They’re not serious.”

“On the outskirts of the city, 300 miles to the west, there’s a graveyard. I heard that there have been demons in that area recently. Bring two Secret Servants with you and go have a look.”

“No, I’ll go alone.” After finishing putting the chessboard aside, Bian Zhonghua said with confidence.

State Master Li nodded: “Alright. Go immediately, solve the problem as soon as possible, and come back early to rest. Qin Yicang, come with me.”

As State Master Li turned around to walk out of the wing room, Qin Yicang said goodbye to Bian Zhonghua and hurried to follow State Master Li’s footsteps: “What happened? Didn’t you say to let Bian Zhonghua rest and let his injuries heal? I’m a Demon Slayer too, let me go instead.”

State Master Li looked back and made sure no one was behind him. Only then did he say: “The Prince is coming to the Secret Servant Residence.”

“Ah?” Qin Yicang moved the fan in his hand, covering his astonished expression. “No wonder you want to send Bian Zhonghua away. But, why does the Prince suddenly want to come here?”

State Master Li sighed long and hard as his gaze fell in the distance: “He should be coming to find ‘someone’ on purpose.”

Qin Yicang shook his head with emotion and laughed: “You’re sending Bian Zhonghua away now, but what will happen if they run into each other the moment the Prince arrives here?”

State Master Li didn’t panic as he said: “If they meet, then they will meet. Just as fate dictates.”

Unfortunately, Qi Ci and Bian Zhonghua didn’t have such a fate.

“What? He went on a mission right after being released from punishment?”

In the main hall of the Secret Servant Residence, after hearing State Master Li’s words, Qi Ci showed a lost expression on his face.

State Master Li put his hands together, bowed, and advised: “Your majesty, I’ll let Bian Zhonghua know of your visit. So why don’t you go back to rest now?”

Qi Ci’s gaze dropped, and he just happened to look at the cloud dragon pattern on his brocade robe lost in thought. The dragon’s posture resembled the dragon pattern that shone on Bian Zhonghua’s left shoulder that time. 

However, when he looked at it again, it didn’t look alike at all.

It was an illusion created in his mind, because everything reminded him of that person.

When Qi Ci raised his head again, he said: “Don’t bother, State Master. I’ll wait for him here.”

Everyone seemed to say to Qi Ci: ‘Don’t get involved with him, don’t get attached with him, don’t associate with him’, but how can a shallow fate overcome a deep love?