Deming's gaze clung to Lee Dachin's retreating form, watching him disappear down the street, a small knot of students chattering happily in his wake. But to Deming, Lee Dachin seemed less a teacher departing with his charges, and more a lonely shadow slipping away, carrying unspoken burdens beneath a forced smile, a profound sadness that resonated with Deming's own past. He turned to Guozhao Zhiqiang, the unspoken question heavy in his eyes, a desire for understanding. "So, this is the great Teacher Lee?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang, his own gaze following Lee Dachin until he was out of sight, nodded slowly. "Yes, Deming. The most forgiving person you will ever meet, and the most selfless."
They began to walk down the street towards the school, the sounds of the festival starting to fade into the background. "You were quite harsh with Weisheng," Deming observed, a touch of concern in his tone, recalling the brutal whipping. "Aren't you afraid your Third Master will be angry with you for hitting his son?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang sighed, a deep, weary sound, a rare admission of vulnerability. "I hope the Third Master won't find out. He cherishes his sons."
"It seems impossible for Master Fang not to find out, Zhiqiang," Deming teased, a playful glint in his eye, knowing the close-knit nature of the family. "You're afraid now, aren't you? Of his wrath?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips. "I'm not concerned about myself, Deming. I'm more concerned for Weisheng if the Third Master learns what happened. He'll be even stricter."
"But Weisheng has a point, Zhiqiang," Deming mused, his brow furrowed in thought. "Since Teacher Lee is part of the Fang family, why doesn't he attend their family gatherings? It seems strange."
"Because he can't," Guozhao Zhiqiang stated simply, his voice flat, beginning to walk away, avoiding the deeper explanation.
Deming quickly followed, grabbing Guozhao Zhiqiang's hand, his grip firm. "What do you mean, 'he can't'? That's not an answer, Zhiqiang."
"Let's go eat," Guozhao Zhiqiang said, his voice a little strained, sitting down at a street-side table, trying to deflect.
Deming sat across from him, pressing the issue, his gaze unwavering. "Why are you avoiding the question, Zhiqiang? It's important."
"I'm not," Guozhao Zhiqiang replied, taking a sip of tea.
"Then answer me?" Deming insisted.
"I did. He can't."
"Why can't he, Zhiqiang?" Deming insisted, leaning forward, his patience wearing thin.
A shadow fell over their table, and a familiar scent, like cold winter and distant flowers, filled the air. Hu Dingxiang stood beside them, his presence unexpected, his voice soft, almost silken. "Zhiqiang... May I join you?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang looked up at Hu Dingxiang, his expression unreadable. He noticed that after so many years, Hu Dingxiang hadn't changed much; he was still as handsome as the first day Guozhao Zhiqiang had met him in that abandoned temple, a ghost of the past. He admitted to himself, with a flicker of internal conflict, that a flicker of feeling for Hu Dingxiang still lingered in his heart – after all, Hu Dingxiang had been his first kiss, a powerful, formative memory. He nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible dip of his head.
Hu Dingxiang then sat down with Guozhao Zhiqiang and Deming, his gaze sweeping over Deming with an unnerving intensity.
"How should I address you?" Hu Dingxiang asked, turning his gaze to Deming, a polite but probing question.
"Dong Enlai," Deming replied, his voice neutral, his eyes narrowed, a silent challenge.
"It's nice to meet you, Childe Dong. I'm..." Hu Dingxiang began, a charming smile on his face.
"Hu Dingxiang, the second son of Leader Hu of Snow Sector, Zhiqiang's old lover," Deming finished, cutting him off abruptly, his voice laced with a sharp, possessive edge.
Guozhao Zhiqiang noticed that Deming was gripping his chopsticks tightly, his knuckles white, a clear sign of his simmering anger.
"Childe Dong, you misunderstand," Hu Dingxiang began, a hint of discomfort in his voice, his smile faltering slightly. "I'm not Zhiqiang's lover."
"Childe Hu," Deming retorted, putting down his chopsticks with a soft clatter, his gaze piercing. "Perhaps you should be honest with yourself. You can lie to the world, but you can never lie to yourself. I'd love to know why you married someone when you were in love with someone else. Why the deception?"
Hu Dingxiang's eyes narrowed, a flicker of cold anger in their depths. The boy knew more about him than he knew about the boy. Guozhao Zhiqiang must have revealed their past, betrayed his secrets. "Zhiqiang, can I have a moment alone with you?" Hu Dingxiang asked, turning his full attention to Guozhao Zhiqiang, his voice low and urgent.
Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at Deming, a silent question in his eyes. "I'll be right back, Deming," he said, a promise.
"I won't wait for you after I finish eating," Deming grumbled, watching Guozhao Zhiqiang and Hu Dingxiang disappear into the back alley, his heart heavy with a familiar dread.
In the narrow back alley, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Guozhao Zhiqiang stood about ten feet from Hu Dingxiang, his posture rigid, his face impassive. "What would you like to talk about, Childe Hu?" he asked, his voice devoid of warmth, a cold formality.
"I just want to take a closer look at you, Zhiqiang," Hu Dingxiang coaxed, his gaze intense, trying to bridge the distance.
"Childe Hu, what exactly do you want to talk about?" Guozhao Zhiqiang pressed, unwilling to play games, his patience wearing thin.
"Zhiqiang, do you have a good relationship with that young man?" Hu Dingxiang asked, his voice dropping to a confiding tone, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "You said you would never love others again. You promised."
"It doesn't matter if I choose to love again, Childe Hu," Guozhao Zhiqiang retorted, his voice cold, cutting. "It's none of your concern. My life is my own."
"We all know what's deep in our hearts, Zhiqiang," Hu Dingxiang persisted, taking a step closer, his voice pleading. "We love each other. We are each other's first love. Why avoid it? I can't avoid it any longer. I want you back."
"If you had come with me that day, Hu Dingxiang, I would always be by your side," Guozhao Zhiqiang stated, his voice flat with finality, a statement of irreversible truth. "But you chose not to follow me. You chose your path. We may have been each other's first love, but that feeling changed three years ago, when Deming returned. I love Deming; this will not change. My heart belongs to him."
"He died," Hu Dingxiang countered, his voice laced with emotion, a desperate argument. "I realized that I truly love you, Zhiqiang. It breaks my heart to see someone else standing by your side, when that person should be me. I was wrong to leave you."
"You had your chance, Hu Dingxiang, and you forfeited it," Guozhao Zhiqiang said, turning to leave, his patience exhausted. "I don't want to talk to you about this anymore. There's nothing left to say." As he was about to exit the alley, he paused, turning back to face Hu Dingxiang, his eyes hard, cold as ice. "I know you took advantage of me. I know what you did to Deming. I have completed this puzzle, I know the truth, but I chose not to expose you. No matter what you did to Deming in the past, I choose not to take revenge, because I don't want to see you again. Ever. If you do anything to hurt Dong Enlai, if you even touch him, I will kill you. That is my promise." He turned and walked away, his steps firm.
"Zhiqiang, let me explain!" Hu Dingxiang called out, desperation in his voice, reaching out a hand.
Guozhao Zhiqiang kept his back to Hu Dingxiang, not even glancing back. "You know what you have done. You can repent while you can. Goodbye, Hu Dingxiang." He strode out of the back alley, leaving Hu Dingxiang alone.
Hu Dingxiang murmured, a furious whisper, his face contorted in rage, "Guozhao Zhiqiang, you will regret this. You will regret turning me away." Suddenly, a burst of hearty laughter echoed around him, seemingly from nowhere. He spun around, startled, his eyes wide. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"Ah, why do you need a hunter, Childe Hu?" a voice giggled, seemingly from nowhere, ethereal and playful. "I can make all your dreams come true if you say yes to me. Anything you desire."
"Who are you?" Hu Dingxiang demanded, his eyes scanning the shadows, his hand going to his sword.
"I can be whoever you want me to be," the voice giggled again, a chilling sound. "Say yes, and I'll be your strongest hunter. Say yes, and I'll take out your enemies for you. All of them."
Hu Dingxiang gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "Show yourself," he commanded.
A dark, amorphous figure materialized, walking out from the very wall itself, swirling like smoke. Hu Dingxiang's eyes widened in alarm, a cold dread seizing him. He instinctively pulled a talisman paper from his inner robe, preparing for battle. "Who are you?" he repeated, his voice strained, a hint of fear.
The dark shadow giggled, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. "I'm Qingyu."
As Guozhao Zhiqiang walked back onto the street, he saw Deming still sitting at the table, patiently waiting for him, a small frown on his face. He paused by a vendor's stall, his gaze falling upon a striking black jade bracelet. It consisted of fifteen black jade beads strung on a red cord, with a delicate cloud pendant, a perfect symbol. He bought the bracelet, paid the vendor, and tucked it carefully into his robe. He returned to the table and sat down, a faint smile on his face.
Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at the slightly upset Deming, then noticed the table – most of the food was gone. "What happened to my portion of food?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, a playful accusation.
"I don't know," Deming replied, feigning innocence, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Guozhao Zhiqiang smiled, shook his head, and began to eat, enjoying the quiet moment with Deming.
Meanwhile, Yang Bao entered the medicine shop, spotting Tam Qiu weighing herbs at the counter, her brow furrowed in concentration. He walked towards her and placed a neatly folded handkerchief on the table. "This is for you, Ah Qiu," he said, his voice a little shy.
Tam Qiu took the handkerchief and unfolded it. Inside lay a beautiful green jade bracelet, shimmering softly. She hesitated, her eyes wide with surprise. "This is..." she whispered, her heart fluttering.
"I saw it, and I thought it looked pretty," Yang Bao said simply, a blush creeping onto his cheeks, his gaze fixed on her.
Tam Qiu thanked Yang Bao, a shy smile on her face, her cheeks flushing a deeper red. Just then, Xiao Mei emerged from the back room, her arms full of dried herbs. Yang Bao walked up to her and also handed Xiao Mei a jade bracelet, a smaller, simpler one. He smiled warmly at her, then walked towards the back of the shop, leaving the two women to their thoughts.
Xiao Mei handed Tam Qiu some dried medicine. "These herbs are well dried, Ah Qiu, you can put them away." She then noticed the jade bracelet on Tam Qiu's palm. "Second Senior Brother gave you one too?" she asked, a knowing smile.
Tam Qiu nodded, her blush deepening.
Xiao Mei chuckled, a knowing look in her eyes. "Second Senior Brother is very shy, Ah Qiu. If Ah Qiu likes him, Ah Qiu should make the first move. He'll never do it."
"He likes me as his junior, Xiao Mei," Tam Qiu dismissed, a little too quickly, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Do you like him because he is your senior, Ah Qiu?" Xiao Mei probed gently, a teasing note in her voice.
"I think he likes you, Xiao Mei," Tam Qiu countered, deflecting the question.
Xiao Mei laughed, a bright, clear sound. "Nonsense, Ah Qiu."
Yang Bao walked back into the store, bringing more dried medicine to Tam Qiu. He then looked at Xiaomei. "Xiaomei, Brother Fu is waiting for you. He's eager to see you."
"Second Senior Brother, I'll be back later tonight," Xiao Mei replied, her face lighting up, a joyful anticipation in her voice. "Pengfei and I are watching fireworks tonight!"
"Be careful, Xiao Mei," Yang Bao said, his voice tinged with a faint concern, a brotherly warning.
Xiao Mei quickly left the store, heading towards the back of the house, her steps light.
"You shouldn't let her go like this, Second Senior Brother," Tam Qiu chastised Yang Bao, shaking her head. "You're too good, too lenient."
"It's okay, Ah Qiu," Yang Bao shrugged, a small smile. "It's only once a year. It's hard for Brother Fu to meet her. They deserve this time."
"If you like someone, you have to fight for her affections, Second Senior Brother," Tam Qiu insisted, her voice firm. "You can't just let her go."
"I'm doing it, Ah Qiu," Yang Bao replied, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips, his eyes fixed on her.
"By letting her go?" Tam Qiu questioned, raising an eyebrow, still confused.
Yang Bao turned to Tam Qiu, an awkward, shy smile on his face, his gaze unwavering. "Do you think I like Xiaomei, Ah Qiu?" he asked, then chuckled softly, a nervous laugh.
"Do you like Xiao Mei?" Tam Qiu repeated, pressing him, her heart beginning to pound with a sudden, wild hope.
"I like her as my sister, that's all," Yang Bao clarified, his voice gentle. "Besides, she likes Fu Pengfei, and I already like someone else."
"May I ask who?" Tam Qiu asked, her voice barely a whisper, her cheeks flushing a deep red.
"I just gave her the jade bracelet," Yang Bao said, his eyes fixed on her, a profound tenderness in their depths.
Tam Qiu, her cheeks flushing a deep red, shyly handed the jade bracelet to Yang Bao, her hand trembling slightly. "Put it on for me, Ah Bao," she whispered, her voice soft with emotion.
Yang Bao gently took the jade bracelet and fastened it onto Tam Qiu's left wrist, his fingers brushing her skin.
"So," Tam Qiu teased, her voice still a little breathless, a giddy smile on her face, "the strongest swordsman of Guozhao Hunters confessed to a lady like this? No grand gestures?"
Yang Bao smiled, a warmth in his eyes, a profound contentment. "Yes, Ah Qiu. Do you still want me to bend my knees, to make a grander display?"
Tam Qiu's blush deepened, her heart soaring. "I won't talk to you anymore!" she declared, playfully swatting his arm, then, grabbing the herbs, she busied herself with weighing the medicine, a giddy, radiant smile on her face, her happiness undeniable.