Night crept in without a sound. The sky above the Qin Palace was painted with stars that shyly hid behind a veil of thin clouds. Dim candlelight flickered in the corners of the chamber, while the autumn wind slipped through the curtains, carrying with it a faint scent from the eastern pine garden.
Li Chengyan stood in silence on the upper balcony. His black cloak fluttered softly in the breeze. His gaze pierced the darkness as if trying to trace every shadow that clung to the night sky. Something had been bothering him—an unshakable curiosity since the trading alliance banquet at Furong Garden.
Soon, light footsteps echoed behind him. He didn’t need to turn; he already knew who it was. A shadow guard—nameless, voiceless, existing only to serve.
The guard bowed in silent respect, then handed him a small scroll containing a newly gathered report.
"The woman you encountered in the alley of the black market has been identified," the guard said calmly, yet with caution. "She is Wei Lianhua, the second daughter of Master Wei Jian."
As I suspected, Li Chengyan thought.
He took the scroll without opening it. He didn’t need to read it—his guard’s words were enough.
"Years ago, she eloped with a low-ranking noble. They were later found at the foot of a cliff, gravely injured. The man died instantly. Miss Lianhua fell into a coma for months. Since then, she was treated in secret in a remote location—rumor has it she lost all her memories. And… only recently did she return to the Wei residence."
The guard added, “She was once known as wise and gentle, highly skilled in trade. Under her management, the Wei family flourished… But since that incident, her name faded from noble circles.”
Li Chengyan listened quietly. "The man was Pei Heng. The last report confirmed she was searching for Pei’s family in the black market when you encountered her."
Another breeze passed, this time laced with the scent of burning wood from the palace kitchens still glowing in the distance. A small smile tugged at his lips. Not one of joy. Nor admiration.
A smile of irony.
Wei Lianhua? The name echoed in his mind. The so-called gentle, learned young lady who prized reputation above all? The one said to have never raised her voice to a servant, let alone stepped into unworthy places?
He remembered clearly—how she strode fearlessly through the alley swarming with thugs. How she met their eyes without flinching. How she offered her silver pouch for information, unfazed by intimidation.
Her voice was calm but deliberate—far too calculated for a supposedly delicate noblewoman.
A noble lady with an immaculate reputation… appearing in a black market alley, alone, dirt clinging to her robe and fury flashing in her eyes? Hilarious.
But it wasn’t just her demeanor. It was his instinct. Li Chengyan had long learned how to read people—and this woman, Wei Lianhua or whoever she truly was—was hiding something. Something deep. Complex. Perhaps... dangerous.
He said nothing further. Clenching the report tightly, he turned and walked back into his private chamber.
To prepare.
The curiosity in his mind could no longer be ignored. Like a silent gust of wind pushing him forward, that night, Li Chengyan slipped out under the veil of darkness toward the Wei estate.
It wasn’t difficult. He knew the guard patterns of noble residences like Wei’s—relaxed at night, too confident in their name to suspect intrusion.
He crept through the silent corridors, hiding behind stone pillars and rows of manicured bonsai trees. The glow of distant lanterns became his only compass. Finally, he reached the rear pavilion.
A pavilion far too quiet. Too quiet for a noblewoman’s chamber.
He straightened, hiding behind a shadowed column, steadying his breath as he peered inside.
There she was—the young woman—sitting and writing. Her expression was focused, but her eyes… sharp. Not the soft gaze of a demure lady. Her hand moved swiftly, pouring either anger or strategy onto the paper.
Moments later, an older woman entered the room, carrying a tray with a porcelain cup.
Li Chengyan narrowed his eyes. That face… Lin Shuyin. Concubine of Wei Jian. The biological mother of Lianhua.
But there was no warmth. No embrace. What he saw was a cold distance. They sat, but did not draw near. Lin Xi’s gaze was guarded, piercing. Lin Shuyin spoke with a troubled look… and Lin Xi replied tersely, her tone biting.
An argument.
Li Chengyan couldn’t hear their words—but body language never lied.
What makes a daughter despise her mother? And why does a mother look so afraid of her own child?
The tension escalated—until Lin Xi stood abruptly, brushed aside Lin Shuyin’s hand, and stormed out of the room.
Li Chengyan moved swiftly. He hid behind a tree as Lin Xi walked past. Quietly, he followed her from a distance.
Soon, he watched her mount a horse and speed off toward the outskirts of the city. Without hesitation, Li Chengyan mounted his own steed from the hidden stable and followed.
They arrived at the edge of the bamboo forest by the coastal cliffs. Li Chengyan concealed himself among the thickets. And then—his eyes widened.
Lin Xi stood within the circle of towering bamboo. Her stance steady, her form silent… then she drew the sword from her back.
With firm movement, the pale-skinned girl began her training—charging, spinning, slashing through the night air with a speed that made Li Chengyan’s skin crawl.
This… was no ordinary training. This was elite martial arts. She had been trained by a master, no doubt.
But hadn’t Wei Lianhua… never ridden a horse? Never wielded a weapon? Never left her pavilion unsupervised?
Li Chengyan froze. His body caught between shock—and awe.
Then, something changed. Lin Xi stopped. Her sword drooped in her grip. Her shoulders began to tremble. Then… tears fell. One by one, carving paths through wounds never healed.
She cried out—softly, like calling for someone who would never return. Then she collapsed into the wet grass, her sword by her side, her body wracked by sobs long suppressed.
Li Chengyan tightened his grip on his blade. Something surged in his chest. A feeling he couldn’t name. Sympathy, perhaps?
He didn’t know who she really was.
But one thing was certain—
She was not Wei Lianhua.
And that night, Li Chengyan realized...
He was no longer just an observer.
He was involved.