I was strolling through the streets of Jiangnan with Xiao Yuhuang, a rare moment of relaxation.
The local customs here were far more open than in the capital. The markets were bustling, and the calls of vendors rose and fell in waves. What surprised me most were the many stalls set up specifically for men—selling rouge and powders, fashionable silks, delicate jewelry. At a few book stalls, young gentlemen discussed poetry and prices with female customers with ease, their expressions free of the deliberate reserve that men from the capital often carried.
Chunyu and Moyu were still young, and their eyes were immediately drawn to the lively scenes. Seeing their curiosity, I smiled and let them wander a bit: "Meet back at the Wen Yuan Pavilion gate in half an hour."
The two boys' eyes lit up as they looked toward Xiao Yuhuang.
She gave a slight nod, and the ever-low-profile yet shadow-like attendant behind her quietly melted back into the crowd. I knew the guards remained hidden, but this brief "two-person world" was already the greatest concession she could offer.
I stopped at a jewelry stall. The shopkeeper was a delicate-looking boy who, upon seeing me, smiled openly: "Young master, take a look. I carved all of these myself."
I picked up a magnolia hairpin of white jade. The jade wasn't top-grade, but the carving was lively, the half-bloomed flowerbud almost breathing with life. Comparing it in the small bronze mirror the shopkeeper provided, the pure white magnolia against my dark hair looked truly elegant.
"Beautiful." Xiao Yuhuang stood by my side, her gaze falling on my reflection in the mirror, a faint smile at her lips.
I smiled, placing the hairpin back: "Just looking is enough."
It wasn't that I didn't like it; it was just that the palace already had too many ornate accessories. Small pieces imbued with the craftsman's warmth suited this leisurely moment far better.
As we walked on, the spring sunlight gently warmed our shoulders. I lingered a moment longer at a stall selling freshly made crystal cakes, and Xiao Yuhuang signaled the hidden guard to buy a packet. I brushed my fingers over a bolt of moon-white cloud-patterned gauze, which was soon carefully put away. I even glanced twice at a small handwoven grass cricket the vendor had made—it reminded me of the autumn insects I used to catch in the rear gardens of the Prime Minister's mansion as a child. Not far from there, the tiny woven creature had already quietly fallen into the guard's hands.
She said nothing, simply walked half a step to my side, shielding me from the pressing crowd. Occasionally, women's astonished or curious eyes glanced our way, and she merely gave them a faint look, sending them hurriedly averting their gaze.
This meticulous, unobtrusive protection stirred a mix of emotions in me.
On the way back to Wen Yuan Pavilion, we saw from afar the guesthouse entrance surrounded by officials. Crowds of townsfolk gathered, whispering, the air tense.
My chest tightened—I spotted Su Wenyu and Liu Wenyi among the crowd. She was anxiously negotiating with a captain, her usual calm and carefree demeanor gone, replaced only by panic and helplessness.
"What's going on?" I instinctively looked at Xiao Yuhuang.
Her expression remained unchanged, only giving a slight glance to her side. The attendant who had disappeared earlier reappeared like a phantom, whispering swiftly: "Master, it's the Flower Thief. The young master Su Wenjin, who had a delightful conversation with the young master, has been taken."
Su Wenjin?!
My heart sank. I had just heard that this vile thief was wreaking havoc this morning, and now he dared to abduct someone in broad daylight, from a place as refined as Wen Yuan Pavilion? And the one taken was a friend I liked and intended to get close to!
A surge of anger mingled with worry rushed through me. I wanted to step forward, to urge the authorities to rescue him—
"Yuzhi." Xiao Yuhuang gently grasped my wrist. The pressure was light, yet carried a strange, reassuring steadiness. "Don't rush."
Just two words.
And yet, my restless heart genuinely calmed a little. Raising my eyes, her gaze was serene, as if this shocking incident in the city were no more than a trivial matter. But I knew beneath that calm was absolute control.
We stopped at the edge of the crowd.
The captain looked helpless: "Lady Su, it's not that we didn't try! We've examined the scene—doors and windows are intact, no signs of forced entry, and no trace of struggle in young master Su's room. He… simply vanished into thin air!"
Su Wenyu's eyes reddened with panic: "Vanished into thin air? Wenjin would never leave on his own! That thief must have used some foul method!"
The crowd murmured, fear spreading like a contagion. The Flower Thief was indeed unpredictable.
Xiao Yuhuang listened, a faint, nearly imperceptible curve appearing at her lips. She turned her head and whispered to her attendant, her voice so soft only I nearby could barely hear:
"Investigate. Use the 'hidden line.' I want to know within half a day which blind fool dared act under my nose."
The words "dared act" were spoken lightly, yet carried the chill of death.
The attendant acknowledged and silently retreated.
Xiao Yuhuang then looked back at me, gently squeezing my hand: "Let's go, back for now." Her tone softened, as if the murderous intent I had felt a moment ago had been just an illusion.
I watched her composed profile, my anxiety gradually replaced by a complex mix of emotions.
I knew the sky over Jiangnan would be thoroughly stirred by her words.
Night deepened.
Wen Yuan Pavilion was quiet, only the sounds of insects and wind through bamboo leaves remaining. The candles in the small building had been extinguished. Though I faced away from Xiao Yuhuang, I could feel her gaze upon me.
"Still awake?" she asked softly.
"Su Wenyu…"
"She'll be found." She drew me into her arms, her chin resting atop my head. "I said it, and I won't let anything happen to her."
"Sleep now." She kissed my ear lightly. "Everything will be resolved by tomorrow."
Yet outside Wen Yuan Pavilion, in the darkness, several shadows were quietly moving—heading straight for our little building.