Half City Of Love - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Whenever Emperor Baize took in a new disciple in the past, laughter and cheer would echo through the Three Hundred Courtyards for days. The disciples—always refined, gentle, and courteous—would never allow a newcomer to feel lonely or out of place.
This time, however, the Emperor had taken in two disciples at once, and on their very first day, total chaos erupted. One was audacious enough to infuriate Lord Feilian, causing him to chase her all the way from Wangshu Palace to Mingxing Hall. The other was even more oblivious to propriety, slicing off half of Lord Feilian’s hair right in front of the crowd.
Such rebellious and absurd behavior was unheard of among the disciples. Consequently, the Three Hundred Courtyards spent a messy first day in utter silence.
Xuanyi, on the other hand, slept exceptionally well that night. The annoying wind outside the hall seemed to bother her no longer. After a deep, sweet slumber, she awoke before dawn, just in time for her morning duties and the ringing of the bell.
She lay on her ice bed for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before slowly getting up, slipping on her robe, and pushing open the hall doors.
Following the small path lined with blooming hydrangeas, she reached the Bell Tower in less than fifteen minutes. The cool morning breeze felt delightful against Xuanyi’s skin. Raising her sleeve to cover her mouth, she let out a wide yawn—and then spotted a figure standing beneath the Bell Tower once again.
Could it be that Senior Brother Shaoyi of the Qingyang Clan actually intended to ring the bell for her every day?
Xuanyi strolled through the light mist, only to see a delicate cloud carpet laid out on the flower-covered grass beneath the Bell Tower. On the carpet sat an exquisite tea tray. The celadon teapot surely contained Sea-Sand Tea—she could already smell its aroma. Beside it were several small, luxurious food boxes arranged in a petal-like pattern, filled with pastries of various colors that looked extraordinarily refined.
A sudden wave of indignation swept over her. What kind of person eats this lavishly before dawn?
“Little Sister? Why is it you?”
A surprised female voice drifted from the cloud carpet. Xuanyi reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the pastries and looked up to see a round-faced beauty standing gracefully on the carpet. She had clearly dressed up with care; her celestial garments shimmered with stardust, and a fresh peony was tucked into her hair at the temple. It was none other than Princess Yanxia, the young daughter of Emperor Hong.
Seeing that the newcomer was Xuanyi and not Shaoyi, Yanxia’s expression turned somewhat sour. She offered a reluctant greeting, looked around, and asked, “What are you doing here, Little Sister? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me you came looking for Shaoyi too?”
“To roll-call and ring the bell,” Xuanyi explained her purpose concisely.
Yanxia’s expression changed instantly.
“But ringing the bell has always been Shaoyi’s duty! Who told you to come?”
“Master,” Xuanyi remained succinct.
Yanxia stamped her foot.
“Go back! Shaoyi will come! Ringing the bell has always been his job!”
Xuanyi looked up at the sky. “I reckon he won’t be coming today.”
Yanxia stubbornly insisted, “He will definitely come.”
Xuanyi asked curiously, “Did Senior Sister and Senior Brother Shaoyi make an appointment to meet here?”
A blush flushed Yanxia’s face, but it quickly faded into gloom. She lowered her voice and said, “We didn’t make an appointment… Yesterday, Senior Sister Fuluo and he were sent out by Master to run an errand and didn’t return until very late. I went to Danfeng Courtyard to look for him, but I saw Senior Sister Fuluo was still there… So I decided to wait for him here.”
Xuanyi nodded. “Alright, then wait.”
She strolled casually up the Bell Tower. Exactly at the Hour of the Rabbit (5:00 AM–7:00 AM), she struck the bell, then leisurely made her way down. Sure enough, Yanxia was still standing there, dumbfounded.
“Senior Sister, I shall take my leave now.”
Xuanyi stole one last glance at the tea and pastries to taste them with her eyes. Just as she turned to leave, she heard Yanxia sobbing behind her.
She had no choice but to stop, looking somewhat awkwardly at the beauty who was now weeping inconsolably before her. Should she comfort her? If she did, would she offer her tea and pastries?
“I’m making a fool of myself before you…” Yanxia wiped her eyes frantically with her sleeve, but the tears only fell faster.
Xuanyi shook her head. “Cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh. Why would I make fun of you?”
With that, she leisurely stepped onto the cloud carpet and sat down gracefully in front of the tea tray. She poured two cups of tea, picked one up, and respectfully handed it to Yanxia. “Have a cup of tea and some pastries, Senior Sister, to calm your mind.”
Yanxia only cared about wiping her tears. “I don’t want to eat, I have no appetite. You eat.”
Deference is no match for obedience.
Xuanyi carefully picked up a piece of Peach Blossom Multi-Fruit Cake, admiring it closely before placing it into her mouth—fragrant without being harsh, sweet without being cloying. An excellent cake indeed! It was just that the Sea-Sand Tea wasn’t the best pair for it; it was a bit too heavy. It would be much better paired with the Huaguang Feijing Tea from the West Sea.
Yanxia cried bitterly in solitude for a long while. Receiving no comfort, she eventually found herself unable to go on weeping. Wiping her tears, she spoke with a stuffy nose, “Little Sister, what… what do you think of Shaoyi? Does he not care about me at all?”
Xuanyi thought for a moment.
“Senior Brother Shaoyi doesn’t know you’re waiting for him here, and ringing the bell is no longer his duty. Your assumption is somewhat biased, Senior Sister.”
Yanxia’s complexion finally improved a bit. She lowered her head in thought for a long while before asking again, “Then what do you think of Senior Brother Guting?”
Xuanyi found it a bit strange. “Why are you asking me these things?”
Yanxia bit her lip and whispered, “Let me ask you: if a goddess is already engaged, yet she constantly acts flirtatiously with another lord, monopolizing him and preventing others from getting close—what do you think of her?”
Realization dawned upon Xuanyi. “Ah, you mean Senior Sister Fuluo?”
Yanxia was startled.
“You know too? You actually saw through it?”
Xuanyi smiled faintly.
“You said ‘engaged.’ Among the female disciples under Master, the only goddess with an engagement is Senior Sister Fuluo. Unless you meant another goddess? In that case, I wouldn’t know her.”
Yanxia bit her lip again. After a pause, she finally spoke, “N-No, that’s right! I’m talking about her! She clearly has an engagement with Senior Brother Guting, yet she still monopolizes Shaoyi and refuses to let him talk or get close to other goddesses! Don’t you think that’s too much?”
Xuanyi asked curiously, “You have spent far more time with her than I have. You must have known what kind of person she is for a long time. Why come to tell me today?”
Tears shimmered in Yanxia’s eyes as she said softly, “The one Shaoyi likes is her… I just thought that since Senior Sister Fuluo will eventually marry Senior Brother Guting anyway, if I stay by Shaoyi’s side, he will eventually realize how good I am. But just the day before yesterday, after Shaoyi spent a little time being close with me, she got angry. Last night, when I went to Danfeng Courtyard to find Shaoyi, she stayed the whole time and refused to leave, giving me a cold shoulder. Little Sister, don’t you think she’s going too far?”
Xuanyi swallowed the last bite of the pastry, took a satisfying gulp of the Sea-Sand Tea, and let out a sigh of contentment before speaking, “No, I don’t.”
Yanxia grew anxious. “I’ve heard about your background—shouldn’t you be the one who despises this kind of thing the most?!”
Xuanyi said calmly, “I do not know what about my background gave you such a misconception, Senior Sister Yanxia. In matters of affection between men and women, employing one’s own methods is only natural. Senior Sister Fuluo possesses clever tactics; even with an engagement, she can keep Senior Brother Shaoyi captivated. You, simply because your methods are not as formidable as hers, speak ill of her behind her back—what good does that do?”
Yanxia had never expected her to speak such sharp and piercing words. Stunned into silence for a long moment, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears again with a loud sob.
Xuanyi stood up and offered a graceful bow. “Thank you for the fine tea and delicious pastries, Senior Sister. I shall return the favor another day. Farewell.”
Yanxia choked back tears, barely able to speak: “All of you are taking her side!”
Xuanyi let out a small sigh. “Senior Sister, don’t you think what Senior Brother Shaoyi thinks is what matters most?”
“The one Shaoyi likes is Senior Sister Fuluo…” Yanxia said falteringly, “But it’s impossible between him and Senior Sister Fuluo!”
Is that so? She didn’t think that god of the Qingyang Clan was such a devoted lover.
Looking at Yanxia’s tear-stained face, Xuanyi said softly, “Crying here won’t fix anything, Senior Sister. I’ve heard that romance is like a battlefield—it’s about competing using one’s own abilities. You are so beautiful, Senior Sister, and untethered by any engagement. Why pity yourself in solitude?”
Yanxia froze for a moment. Suddenly, a strange light glinted in her eyes as she murmured, “You’re right! You’re so right! How could I lose to her? Of course I have ways to deal with her!”
It seems something troublesome is about to happen…
Xuanyi watched her resolute figure walk away, covering her mouth with her sleeve as she let out an elegant burp.
