A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu had imagined many scenarios for their reunion. He thought that his mask would have been struck off during their duel, or they might unexpectedly meet in the middle of a stone bridge on a misty day. Perhaps he might come out of nowhere to rescue Zhang Yuelu in a perilous moment.

What he had not imagined was this...

After leaving Lei Xiaohuan’s courtyard, Qi Xuansu learned that Zhang Yuelu was still out visiting a friend. So he wandered alone along the main street in front of Zhenwu Temple.

At some point, he began humming Madam Qi’s favorite tune to calm his nerves, his voice growing louder unknowingly.

Singing while walking was not uncommon in their society—in fact, it was quite popular. Many renowned figures were said to announce their presence with songs before their arrival. However, few sang with the unique charm that Qi Xuansu displayed.

Coincidentally, Zhang Yuelu had heard this tune before on Yunjin Mountain.

Hearing it again at this moment, she was instantly brought back to the time when the snowflakes fell all around them while they were walking back to Shangqing Town from Shangqing Palace.

At the time, Zhang Yuelu was with Qi Xuansu, who had hummed this tune. The lyrics deeply moved her, leading her to make a decision she would later deeply regret—having said, “Tian Yuan, let’s return to Jade Capital on New Year’s Day.”

She had not expected that to be their farewell.

When Qi Xuansu turned a corner, he inadvertently caught sight of Zhang Yuelu’s confounded expression.

Qi Xuansu froze in place, completely stunned as they locked eyes.

After a long time, Qi Xuansu finally regained his senses and said awkwardly, “I—I’m back...”

Zhang Yuelu lowered her gaze and murmured, “Good.”

Qi Xuansu had imagined many reactions to their reunion. Perhaps they would cry in each other’s arms, or Zhang Yuelu would confront him angrily. What he had not expected was such a calm response, as if he had simply returned home from a short trip.

The emotions they had bottled up for so long should have erupted, but instead, they were both restrained.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu was not as calm as she appeared. She murmured again, “It’s good that you’re back.”

Qi Xuansu strode toward Zhang Yuelu, who remained motionless.

Just as Qi Xuansu was about to embrace her, he hesitated, feeling the familiar anxiety rush over him again. His hands stopped mere centimeters from her shoulders before he slowly lowered them.

Zhang Yuelu looked at him and whispered, “Let’s talk when we get back.”

“Alright.” Qi Xuansu nodded.

She took the initiative to hold Qi Xuansu’s hand and led him toward Zhenwu Temple.

When Zhang Yuelu halted in her footsteps earlier, Su Qingbai, who was trailing behind her, followed suit. From afar, he watched this scene unfold and suddenly understood something. Zhang Yuelu had always been indifferent to other men, but she willingly held this man’s hand and walked away.

Both Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu noticed Su Qingbai’s unmistakably despondent figure in the corner, but they tacitly ignored it.

The rest of the journey was marked by a mutual silence, making the walk back to Zhenwu Temple seem particularly long.

Perhaps due to Pei Xiaolou’s prior arrangements, the couple had not encountered anyone along the way, not even a single Spirit Guard.

Finally, they arrived at Zhang Yuelu’s courtyard, where they ran into Mu Jin.

When Mu Jin saw the man next to Zhang Yuelu, her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. She pointed at the man with trembling hands, unable to speak for a long time.

Zhang Yuelu instructed, “Go about your tasks.”

Before Mu Jin could react, Zhang Yuelu had already led Qi Xuansu deeper inside.

Mu Jin stood there in a daze, staring at their departing figures with a gaping mouth, still unable to process what she had just seen.

When the couple arrived at the study, Zhang Yuelu went ahead to unlock the door while Qi Xuansu waited behind her.

As soon as they entered, Zhang Yuelu’s body stiffened because Qi Xuansu gently embraced her from behind. She did not resist, letting him hold her in silence.

Qi Xuansu buried his face in Zhang Yuelu’s hair, his breath tickling her ear. “Qing Xiao, I missed you.”

Zhang Yuelu trembled slightly, finally letting go of her restrained emotions. Her trembling voice was unusually gentle, as if afraid that she would startle Qi Xuansu and he would disappear again. “Where have you been all this time? I—I thought you were dead...”

Qi Xuansu remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly. “I thought I was dead too, but Sage Donghua saved me and gave me an Auxiliary Heart, bringing me back to life.”

Zhang Yuelu, having clearly heard of the Auxiliary Heart before, remarked, “I’ve heard an Auxiliary Heart costs tens of thousands of Taiping coins. Sage Donghua sure is generous.”

Qi Xuansu nodded and replied, “Nothing in this world comes without a reason. After saving me, Sage Donghua assigned me a special mission. That’s why I couldn’t come back to see you or let you know I was still alive.”

Zhang Yuelu did not blame Qi Xuansu.

For the third time, she murmured, “It’s good that you’re back.”

Qi Xuansu said nothing more, simply holding Zhang Yuelu in silence and taking in her faint fragrance.

His words were mere lies, but his feelings for her were real.

He truly missed Zhang Yuelu. She had always been on his mind since they parted ways.

Even when he saw the scantily dressed Li Qingnu at the Sycamore Villa, his first thought was of Zhang Yuelu.

At some point, Zhang Yuelu had become etched in his mind and heart. It had nothing to do with her identity. It was because of who she was as a person.

They stood embracing in silence for a while, until Zhang Yuelu called out his name in a louder but emotional voice. “Tian Yuan...”

Qi Xuansu hummed lightly in response.

Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat. “Move your hands a bit lower.”

Qi Xuansu froze for a moment before obediently shifting his hands from her shoulders to her waist.

Zhang Yuelu awkwardly turned around. Realizing her intent, Qi Xuansu relaxed his grip on her waist to give her some room to pivot.

They now stood face to face, their noses almost touching, and their breaths mingling.

The two gazed at each other longingly.

This was not the first time Qi Xuansu held Zhang Yuelu. He had cradled her after the battle with Desmond on Night Mountain. But this was their first intimate embrace.

Qi Xuansu could now observe Zhang Yuelu up close.

Her skin was as fair as snow, with a faint blush. Her nose glistened with tiny beads of sweat, and her lowered lashes were trembling slightly.

He thought, She seems...nervous?

Though a highly revered Deputy Hall Master, Zhang Yuelu was still an unmarried young woman inexperienced in romance. She had initially managed to maintain her composure, but she could not bear to hold Qi Xuansu’s unwavering gaze and turned her head slightly to the side.

But in turning her head, she inadvertently revealed the reddish tint of her earlobe and neck.

It was hard to imagine that the usually temperamental and aloof Deputy Hall Master Zhang could have such a tender, girlish side.

Countless thoughts and memories flooded Qi Xuansu’s mind.

He thought about the time he had met her for the first time in Taiqing Square, how they had endured snowstorms in the Western Region, their long journey from Jade Capital to Shangqing Prefecture, their farewell on the flying ship, and their fight in Jiangling Prefecture.

All of these memories culminated in this very moment, from his initial fear and wariness to the longing that followed.

Zhang Yuelu rested her head against Qi Xuansu’s chest.

There was no heartbeat, only a profound silence.

For some reason, Zhang Yuelu felt her nose tingle and her eyes tearing up.

Once again, they held each other in silence until Zhang Yuelu gently pushed Qi Xuansu away, creating a bit of distance between them. She carefully examined him from head to toe.

Puzzled, Qi Xuansu asked, “What are you looking at?”

“I’m checking if you’ve lost an arm or a leg,” Zhang Yuelu replied. “Not bad—you’ve come back mostly intact.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “What about you? How have you been lately?”

“Me? I’m the same as always. Nothing’s wrong with me,” Zhang Yuelu said with a smile. “Did you think I’d be pining away for you? I’d never do that!”

Qi Xuansu commented, “I heard from Sage Pei that you’ve been working tirelessly, sometimes for days without getting any sleep.”

Zhang Yuelu avoided the subject and changed the topic. “By the way, I’m now the Eighth Deputy Tiangang Hall Master. I even saved your spot. Do you want to come back to Tiangang Hall?”

Qi Xuansu mumbled, “Sage Donghua actually transferred me to Ziwei Hall.”

“Oh?” Zhang Yuelu paused. “Well, that’s not bad either, considering Ziwei Hall is the head of the Nine Halls.”

Another moment of silence fell between them.

There were so many things to say, yet neither knew where to begin.

“You—”

“You—”

They both spoke at the same time, only to stop simultaneously when they heard the other’s voice.

“You go first,” Zhang Yuelu offered, averting her gaze.

Qi Xuansu suddenly felt as though his tongue was tied. He stammered awkwardly, “You—I... I missed you...”

Zhang Yuelu lowered her head. “You already said that earlier.”

“Did you miss me?” Qi Xuansu probed.

Zhang Yuelu raised her head, her voice soft as she stated, word for word, “I missed you too.”