Seven Songs(Yin Deng Jue/Secret Of Leading The Light) - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: The Lonely Souls Market—Part 1
The next day, before dawn, Yusang was still dreaming when she suddenly felt something tickling her nose, as if something was brushing against it over and over, making her sneeze.
“What’s going on? It’s not even light yet,” Yusang mumbled groggily, thinking it was Yan Qige playing a trick on her.
But after a moment, she realized that with Yan Qige’s serious personality, he wouldn’t do something so childish.
She squinted her eyes open slightly.
She saw a fluffy white thing hovering in front of her, like a fox’s tail, soft and smooth.
It swayed back and forth near her nose, tickling it.
“Wake up, wake up…” A faint voice came from the fluffy thing.
“Who is it?” Yusang snapped awake, quickly sitting up from her grass bed.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Qige, who had been sitting cross-legged on a grass mat meditating across from her, was startled awake by her sudden outburst and looked over at her.
“There was a…” Yusang pointed at the spot where she had just been lying, about to speak, but when she turned her head, the fluffy white thing had already disappeared without a trace.
“A what?”
“Uh… maybe… a demon? It was white and furry,” Yusang scratched the back of her head, mumbling awkwardly.
As expected, Yan Qige gave her a look of disdain before closing his eyes again to rest.
Yusang felt a bit aggrieved—she had definitely seen something, but it vanished in an instant, and now she couldn’t even explain it clearly.
Yan Qige was probably laughing at her for being scared so easily.
Just before dawn, Yan Qige woke Yusang and told her to wake up Ming Ran, who was sleeping inside, to ask if there were any places nearby where they could stay.
Ming Ran didn’t dare return home, fearing that the villagers might throw her into the river again.
Even though the Hongzhu Village to the east was nearby, they couldn’t go there, so they had no choice but to head to Huliu Town to the south.
They set off before sunrise, walking for two hours along the shimmering Red Pearl River until they reached the ferry crossing.
Then they walked south along the road for another half an hour, arriving at a small market.
The market wasn’t large, but it was bustling with people as it was almost noon.
“There’s only one inn in this small town,” Ming Ran said, leading Yan Qige and Yusang to the door of an inn called Huliu Inn.
It was called an inn, but it was only a two-story building, somewhat worn-out.
Likely due to a lack of guests, the sign above the door was so old that the paint had peeled off, and no one had bothered to maintain it.
If Ming Ran hadn’t pointed it out, it would have been hard to recognize it as an inn.
“This will do,” Yan Qige said, leading the way inside.
Yusang, exhausted, was about to follow him inside when Yan Qige suddenly turned around and stopped her at the threshold.
“Go to the tailor’s shop and buy some clothes for Miss Ming Ran.”
“I’m so tired. Let me rest for a bit and have some water first,” Yusang said, about to step inside.
“Go now, no excuses,” Yan Qige’s tone suddenly grew cold for some reason, his expression hardening.
“Why are you being so bossy? I’m not your…” Yusang, who didn’t like being ordered around, felt annoyed at his attitude.
She was about to retort that she wasn’t his servant, but Yan Qige cut her off.
“If you won’t listen, then don’t follow me,” he said, his gaze sharp, as if daring her to argue further. It was clear that if she said one more word, he really would make her leave.
Yusang hesitated, realizing that confronting Yan Qige would do her no good.
So, she bit back her words, grudgingly saying, “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Go on then,” Yan Qige waved her off indifferently.
Feeling suspicious, Yusang turned to leave but couldn’t help glancing back.
She saw Yan Qige leading Ming Ran into the inn, Ming Ran walking gracefully in her red dress.
Huliu Town wasn’t large, but since she wasn’t familiar with it, Yusang had to search a bit before finding a tailor’s shop.
She picked out a set of clothes and was about to head back to the inn when she noticed something strange.
It felt like someone was following her.
Yusang kept walking, her eyes subtly scanning her surroundings, but she didn’t stop.
When she reached a narrow alley, she quickly ducked into it, planning to confront whoever was tailing her.
But after waiting for a while, no one appeared.
When she peeked out, she saw only a few passersby, nothing unusual.
“Blame Yan Qige for making me so jumpy,” Yusang muttered, patting her forehead.
She sighed and headed back toward the inn.
But not long after she left the alley, a faint white smoke began to rise from the spot where she had hidden.
As the smoke dispersed, a small, pure-white fox appeared.
It hopped twice, then silently followed in the direction Yusang had gone.
When Yusang returned to the inn, she saw a young attendant cleaning the tables.
The attendant, with a towel draped over his shoulder, glanced at her and said, “You must be the young master Yan maid. He left a word for you to go directly to the ‘Tian’ room on the second floor.”
“Oh,” Yusang responded absentmindedly and headed upstairs.
But as she reached the second floor, she realized she hadn’t asked which room the ‘Tian’ room was.
She thought about going back to ask, but when she looked downstairs, the attendant had vanished.
Fortunately, the inn wasn’t large, and the rooms on the second floor weren’t many.
It didn’t take long for her to find the ‘Tian’ room by reading the plaques on the doors.
Assuming this was Yan Qige’s room, she raised her hand to knock, but paused when she heard voices inside.
“Master, try this. It’s Huliu Town’s famous crispy tea pastries.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
“Please, call me Ming Ran. There’s no need to be so formal.”
Ming Ran’s voice was soft, with a hint of playfulness.
Even without seeing her, Yusang could imagine her coy expression.
Yusang smiled to herself, thinking that Ming Ran must have taken a fancy to Yan Qige, seeing him as her savior.
She was probably planning to offer herself in gratitude, but knowing Yan Qige’s distant and sharp-tongued nature, Ming Ran wasn’t likely to get what she wanted.
Amused by the thought, Yusang lowered her hand and leaned in closer to the door to listen.
“Ming Ran,” Yan Qige said, surprisingly without any hint of his usual sarcasm.
He actually followed Ming Ran’s lead.
Hearing Yan Qige’s unusually gentle tone, Yusang was first shocked, then felt a strange sense of irritation.
So, it seemed that Yan Qige wasn’t cold and aloof toward everyone—when faced with a beautiful woman like Ming Ran, he could be gentle.
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Yusang lost her interest in eavesdropping and turned to leave, but Ming Ran’s voice called out from inside the room.
“Who’s outside?” Ming Ran asked, and the door opened.
Ming Ran appeared, her face slightly flushed.
“Oh, it’s Miss Yusang. You were gone so long, I thought something had happened to you.”
