Yun Qian Yu slowly walks next to Gong Sang Mo along the path lined by osmanthus trees. A tall silhouette can be seen walking next to a slender one; just below his shoulders. As winds billows their clothes, the two beautiful people created a scene that is akin to a celestial painting.
“It was I who recommended you to His Majesty.” Gong Sang Mo admits, his hands tuck behind him.
“It is okay.” Yun Qian Yu’s voice is apathetic as usual. She knows what Gong Sang Mo is implying.
He helplessly laughs, “Are you capable of showing any other reaction? Anger perhaps? Displeasure?”
Yun Qian Yu raises her head and look at him, “If I really do that, will you regret recommending me to His Majesty?”
Gong Sang Mo is startled, and then he flashes an easy-going smile, “You are indeed observant, nothing can escape you.”
Yun Qian Yu trains her beautiful pair of eyes to the horizon, “What you did was not wrong. I could not bear to leave Yu Jian. Rather than helping him when he encounters trouble, I might as well accompany him from the start.”
Gong Sang Mo’s brilliant phoenix eyes gazes at Yun Qian Yu, “Ever since the time of our ancestors, the Xian Wang manor does not interfere with the matter of imperial succession. We will only act if the country’s peace is jeopardize.”
“Xian Wang need not feel guilty.” Yun Qian Yu saw that coming from the very start. If it hadn’t been that way, Murong Cang wouldn’t have been so worried. That is why the imperial family is unperturbed even though Xian Wang Manor controls half of their soldiers.
Gong Sang Mo is relieved now that he had admitted to everything. “Qian Yu, we have known each other for three years.”
“Yes, it has been three years.”
Qian Yu reminisced everything that happened three years ago. She time-travelled to this place during spring, where the scent of osmanthus filled the air. But back then, she was hovering between life and death, she was not leisurely like she is right now.
“Then, are we friends?”
“Of course!” Yun Qian Yu lifts her eyes and looks at Gong Sang Mo, wondering what it is that he is trying to say.
“Then, can Qian Yu not formally address me as Xian Wang?”
“Oh?” Qian Yu pauses. She looks down, pondering for a while. “Then, from now on, I shall call you Sang Mo.”
“Alright!” Gong Sang Mo smiles, his phoenix eyes are overflowing with delight. When he smiles, he looks unparalleled. Everything pales in comparison when put next to him. His eyes usually carries warmth, but they are completely different from the way he looks right now. His smile is so earnest and vivid, it makes him looks a lot more attractive. Yun Qian Yu unnervingly stares at that man; once one looks at him, it is really hard to look away.
Gong Sang Mo looks at her while smiling with both his eyes and his lips. “Do I look that good?”
Yun Qian Yu nods, shamelessly admitting that. “Beautiful things need people to admire them,” she says, as a matter of fact.
Gong Sang Mo knows Yun Qian Yu means what she says; she is purely appreciating. He secretly sighs on the inside; such a handsome face, other maidens all salivates upon seeing him and yet her…. Is it because she is too young? But she will be of age in just a few days. The way her mind works can be trickier than an old demon; but why is she so clueless when it comes to affection between men and women? Seems like the road to chase this wife of his is still long.
The two people already reach the main entrance.
“Sang Mo, we are here.” Yun Qian Yu stops. Gong Sang Mo can see a horse-drawn carriage in front, pulled by four white horses. There is the crest of Yun Valley on top of that carriage. The horses are controlled by a forty-year-old something old man. He is neither imperious nor submissive. Behind the carriage, 4 handsome men wearing white robes and 4 beautiful maidens wearing pink dresses are riding on eight white horses.
“Uncle Chai.” Yun Qian Yu walks in front of the carriage and greets the middle aged man.
“Master of the Valley.” Uncle Chai bows as he greets Yun Qian Yu. After that, he turns to Gong Sang Mo who is standing next to the entrance. “Greeting Xian Wang.”
Gong Sang Mo nods. He had always known Yun Valley isn’t simple, but he never thought that even the housekeeper will be so extraordinary. With just one look, he already knows he is Xian Wang. Gong Sang Mo watches the watery blue silhouette entering the carriage. She puts down the curtain at the door. Gong Sang Mo takes out a box from his sleeves and puts it inside the carriage through the window.
“Your birthday present.”
Yun Qian Yu’s eyes are trained on that square box. She knows what is inside without even opening it. The thirteenth day of the eighth month is her birthdate, similar to her date of birth in the past life. Three years ago, her birthday was three days after she travelled to this world. Gong Sang Mo coincidentally visited her that day to see how her wounds were. After knowing it was her birthday, he asked her what she wanted.
Without thinking, she told him she wanted a Ye Ming pearl. She is quiet in nature and the one thing she couldn’t get used to upon coming here was the dimness of the candles and lanterns. It was not comfortable for her who likes to read books.
On the day after, Gong Sang Mo sent her a fist-sized Ye Ming pearl. Last year, he also gave her another one. This year, too.
“Thank you!” Yun Qian Yu will never reject the things that she likes. She does not like that many things anyway. Besides, she has this firm trust in Gong Sang Mo; perhaps because he was the first person she saw and was also the person who saved her life. She has this preconceived trust in him.
A delightful expression floats out in Gong Sang Mo’s face, “As long as you like it!”
“I like it.” Yun Qian Yu didn’t even bother to hide her liking.
Uncle Chai looks at Gong Sang Mo before jumping into the carriage, he quickly orders the horses to run away.
The carriage has long disappears from sight and yet Gong Sang Mo still stands there, staring at the direction it went to.
A man in black robes appears behind him. That man kneels, “Reporting to wangye, another letter comes from the old wangye, pressing wangye to return to the capital.”
Gong Sang Mo rubs his temples as he murmurs, “It has been three years. It is time for me to return to the capital.”
The man in black is quickly overjoyed, he no longer has to be the recipient of the old wangye’s poisonous mouth.
The carriage heading to Mount Yun travels on a leisurely pace. Even though the road is rocky and uneven, the entire carriage is lined with thick paddings on the inside. Yun Qian Yu leans on the paddings and closes her eyes.
Mount Yun is two hundred li away from the capital. The mountain isn’t that high and the road is not steep. The entire mountain is lush with trees. Mount Yun only have two residences, one is the one bestowed by the imperial family to Yun Clan and the other; the imperial family’s villa. There are a lot of carriages waiting at the foot of Mount Yun, they are all scattered over there, waiting for the time. Most of them are the people who participated in Situ Han Yi’s elevation’s banquet.
Their only aim is, Yun Qian Yu, the Master of Yun Valley.
Yun Valley is not only famous for their medicinal arts, they are also famous for being rich. A lot of the people there are hungry; now that a big piece of meat is dangling right in front of them, how can they not act?
A luxurious carriage is coming from afar. A young man wearing red robes is leaning on the door lazily. His face looks like a painting, his looks are above average people and yet the way he conducts himself isn’t in sync with his looks. A piece of leaf is dangling from the corner of his lips, his two feet moving everytime the carriage moves. The coachman tries his best to keep the journey smooth.
“Feng Yue, what is going on in front? Go and take a look.”
You cannot see the person, you can only hear his voice, “Yes.”
Almost immediately, a black silhouette appears in front of the carriage. “My prince, those people are the martial arts practitioners who participated in Feng Yun Manor’s Situ Han Yi succession ceremony. According to rumors, the first thing Situ Han Yi did upon his appointment was to break his engagement with his fiancée in favor of Miss Bai Fei Xu. His fiancée was the master of Yun Valley who disappeared three years ago. All these people are toads waiting to eat swan’s meat.”
“Oh? I heard Situ Han Yi’s fiancée is an ugly thing.”
“My prince, apparently not. These people said that she is beautiful, like a fairy. She is even more beautiful than her mother who used to be the number one’s beauty. She seems to have strong martial arts power as well.”
The eyes of the man in red twinkles. “Interesting. That Situ Han Yi has name but not abilities. That person lives under his eyes for three years and he didn’t have a single clue. He even pushed out this big chunk of meat with his own hands. Seems like Feng Yun Manor is going to have it’s end because of him.”
He spits out the leaf in his mouth and put down his two legs. He pats the coachman’s shoulder, “Let’s go, let’s appreciate the beauty.”
The coachman looks at the shoulder that has just been touched by the master. A flattered expression floats in his face, he quickly directs the horses in a more earnest manner
The edge of Feng Yue’s lips is raised, forming a smirk. The prince is always interested in beauties, especially the innocent ones.
Feng Yue looks in front. There is a carriage with Yun Clan’s emblem passing through the mountain path. Feng Yue squints his eyes, how lofty.
“My prince, Yun Valley’s carriage is here.”
The man in red quickly looks up, his eyes full of spirits. At the same time, everyone else who waited half a day also stirs, excitedly gathering.
