chapter 19

A clang, and the door to the junk room slammed closed.

“It’s too dark,” muttered Wei Yingluo.

The sound of a match being struck rang out from behind her.

Atop the table, the candle on the candle stand was lit, its flame waving upon the wick. A yellow glow upon a handsome face.

Thin, long brows and narrow eyes. Thin, long fingers. He was like a fine calligraphy brush meant for ancient portraits. Noble, pure, and graceful. But the creases on his brow spoke of gloom.

This gloom did not detract from his appearance. In fact, it made him stand out in a crowd.

“In the past, Uncle Wei had said you were in the imperial palace, yet I dared not believe his words.” He cupped the flame with his right hand until the it grew more stable. “Never had I thought I would see you again today.”

Among the six imperial guards Wei Yingluo had come across today, leading the pack was Fucha Fuheng. The one who had stood at the second position was the man before her eyes.

“And then?” Wei Yingluo asked without turning around.

“When Yingning passed away, I had also been sorrowful.” The man lifted his head, his gaze landing on her back. His eyes gentle. “However, this is the Forbidden City. One cannot mess around. You have to listen to your father and leave the palace as soon as you’re able. Then find a good family to marry into…”

“Enough!” Wei Yingluo finally flipped around to face him. Gaze as cold as ice. “Who are you? On what grounds do you have to control me?”

The other party sighed. “On the time Yingning and I had spent as a couple…”

“Don’t mention her name again!” screamed Wei Yingluo. She hated many people. And the one she hated the most was the person before her. “You and my sister had previously been together, yet why did you leave her during the time she needed you the most?”

The melancholic aura of the man thickened. “She was a daughter born under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Eventually, she would have to enter the imperial palace as a palace maid. Did you want me to wait until she could leave at twenty-five years old?”

“No, young master Qingxi.” Wei Yingluo sneered. “You wouldn’t have to wait until she left the palace because we are of humble birth. No matter how beautiful my sister was, no matter how intelligent, you are a noble young master. So you wouldn’t marry such a low-born woman as your principal wife!”

Seeing that the other party kept quiet, Wei Yingluo approached him a couple steps. She forcibly asked, “What? Did my words hurt your feelings? Your last name is Qijia. It’s a noble Manchurian clan. Although my elder sister was of humble birth, she had strength of character. Since you severed the relationship so cleanly, you two no longer have anything to do with each other!”

Qingxi sighed deeply. “However, I’ve never stopped thinking about your elder sister…”

“Thinking about her?” Wei Yingluo chuckled. “When she met disaster in the palace, you just stood there watching… Only you were by her side. Only you could have helped her. Yet you just watched!”

Qingxi closed his eyes amidst his internal and emotional suffering. The past memories spent together. It made him, a warrior that could fight a tiger, shake. “I… I am an imperial guard. I cannot have relations with a palace maid.”

“I am also a palace maid.” Wei Yingluo watched his reaction. But she was not moved at the slightest. Voice cold enough to freeze, she said, “We should also not be meeting alone. Please move aside.”

Why keep meeting?

When her elder sister had needed him the most, he left.

If he had only been playing with her sister, then she hated him.

If he had actually loved her sister, then she hated him even more! Hated this coward!

As they went their separate ways, their shoulders brushed, and Wei Yingluo heard a sigh from the direction opposite of her.

“Every five days.” Qingxi’s voice rang from behind her. “Every five days I patrol this area. If you ever need help, find an imperial guard to pass me a message!”

The sound of Wei Yingluo’s footsteps paused, before continuing shortly after. She placed both hands on the bolt of the door. Before she could open it, a few thumps came from outside, followed by Aunt Fang’s voice. “Open the door! Go and open the door!”

Wei Yingluo’s stomach dropped. She turned around and glanced at Qingxi.

An unmarried couple alone. If they were found by other people, even if they had one hundred mouths they would not be able to clear their names.

Qingxi’s lips parted. He wanted to say something. She reached out to him to stop him from talking. She whispered to him, “Do as I say.”

Aunt Fang kept slamming on the door, each slam loud and reverberating. Suddenly, the door opened. Caught off guard, Aunt Fang ended up striking Wei Yingluo. But a basket slammed on Aunt Fang’s face, falling over her head. Then Wei Yingluo punched and kicked at the person in front of her, and following that, a voice thick with both fear and anger. “Why did you follow me? Why did you follow me?! Shameless hooligan!”

“Stop it! Stop it!” It had always been she that hit others, not the other way around. Aunt Fang ran for her life, her scream as loud as a pig squealing before slaughter. “Wei Yingluo you’ve gone mad! Stop it! Hurry up and stop! Someone hurry up and get here! Save me!”

A group of low-ranked palace maids rushed forward. Some were restraining Wei Yingluo’s arms. Some were holding her legs. Finally, they were able to pull Aunt Fang and We Yingluo apart.

Aunt Fang removed the basket on her head. Then she stared at Wei Yingluo, her expression dark. “Yingluo, you’ve gone mad! You actually dare to put your hands on me!”

Wei Yingluo gasped in surprise. Her expression was even darker than the other woman’s. “Aunt, w-why is it you?”

Not letting Aunt Fang speak, she fell to knees in a kneel. As she sobbed, she said, “Aunt, please settle this for me! Originally I was looking for the handkerchief I lost, yet who knew I would be followed! I also don’t know whether it was a lustful eunuch or a lecherous imperial guard who followed me. In a hurry, I could only lock myself in the junk room. Thank goodness you came…” Her sobs filled the room.

“A lustful eunuch or a lecherous imperial guard?” Aunt Fang was so angry that a smile appeared on her lips. “Listen to you spouting nonsense. You couldn’t recognize my voice? Or are you trying to say I sound like a man?”

“I was too frightened.” Wei Yingluo’s whole body trembled. As if she had experienced a traumatic and fearful event. Lifting a hand to wipe away her tears with a sleeve, she said, “I couldn’t tell the difference back then. May Aunt forgive me…”

“Look at the injuries on my arm.” Aunt Fang rolled up her sleeve. Showed Wei Yingluo the bruises she had received. She coldly said, “Tell me, how can I forgive you?”

Wei Yingluo kowtowed respectfully. “Waiting for Aunt’s punishment.”

In this way, the situation had come to a close. Although Wei Yingluo received punishment, it was because Wei Yingluo had been ignorant of the fact that it was Aunt Fang in the beginning, and hit her superior. Furthermore, Aunt Fang was greedy, so the punishment was just a hefty fine. After paying the fine, Wei Yingluo only received a couple strikes.

It was still better than being discovered with an unmarried man alone.

If that were the case, the punishment wouldn’t stop at just a small beating, and money wouldn’t be able to solve it either.

“Fortunately, Qingxi is a Baturu and is adept at martial arts. While I was making trouble, he left without a sound.” Wei Yingluo climbed on top her bed. Medicinal ointment had just been applied to the injuries on her back. The pain hot like fire, so painful that she could not fall asleep. She could only close eyes, her thoughts running wild. “But who reported us?”

Moonlight streamed through the windows. It hit Wei Yingluo’s bed post. She slowly slipped a hand under her first layer of clothes. Her fingers brushed against a decorative knot that functioned as a pouch¹. Under the moonlight, she gazed upon it.

“However, it wasn’t entirely without benefit,” said Wei Yingluo to the knot, her gaze gentle. “Elder sister, after being in the imperial palace for so long, I finally found a clue.”

The things that had happened in the past appeared as if they were right before her eyes.

Against the stars and winds of yesternight, the moonlight like white silk. She lay on Wei Yingning’s knees, watched her ten fingers fly. A plum blossom decorative knot, easy on the eyes, appeared from her fingertips.

The plum blossom knot followed her elder sister into the palace. But it did not accompany her back home.

In fact, during today’s tussle with Aunt Fang, it had fallen from Aunt Fang’s body.

“Aunt Fang, huh?” Wei Yingluo gripped her sister’s keepsake. “Why did you have my elder sister’s plum blossom knot?”