May Fourth—A Smile, Fleeting as a Night-Blooming Flower

Lingran never expected the Young Lord of Scarlet Gauze to be waiting for her here; she was so startled she nearly dropped the eggs she was carrying. The Young Lord turned gracefully, his crimson robe unfurling like waves of red amid a boundless sea of green, an otherworldly beauty in which one could easily lose themselves.

"Is this how you treat your savior?"

His question left Lingran flustered and at a loss for words. She stammered, "What have I done to wrong you, my lord?"

"Did we not agree to meet at the Peony Pavilion yesterday?"

"I'm just a maid! The Prince of Xiang ordered me to report immediately to the Garden of Ten Thousand Wonders—I didn’t even have time to fetch my clothes! Didn’t a page already send word to Madam Dantai?"

The Young Lord listened to her explanation, his expression unchanged. He asked mildly, "So you’re here to fetch your clothes?"

Lingran nodded quickly, only to recall that she had once pledged herself to any hardship for him, yet now was avoiding him as if he were a plague. It was terribly untrustworthy, and her nurse had always taught her to be honest since childhood. How had she turned into such a petty person? Trying to make amends, she forced a sycophantic smile. "There’s no rush. If you have any errands for me, just say the word, I’ll do them for you first."

Surprisingly, the Young Lord said nothing, but simply turned to accompany her up the mountain.

Remembering the two eggs she carried, Lingran quickly offered him one. "Here, have one. I haven’t even had breakfast yet!"

Her unspoken meaning was clear: See, I’m very, very good to you.

She had thought he wouldn’t take it, but he accepted it without hesitation. "Is the Garden of Ten Thousand Wonders better than the Prime Minister’s residence?"

"At least there’s no one like the Prime Minister, who orders people executed at a whim," Lingran replied honestly, her heart aching for that egg. She hurried to rap the remaining one against a roadside stone, intent on peeling and eating it at once.

But in a flash of red, the egg in her hand was snatched away by the Young Lord.

Lingran gazed at him in dismay, nearly on the verge of tears. "My lord!"

A gleaming, pristine egg was held out before her, the hand that offered it smooth and fair as jade. Lingran was baffled by the gesture, staring first at the egg, then at his expression, before uttering in astonishment, "You… peeled this for me?"

The Young Lord’s dark brows drew together ever so slightly, as if impatient, and he pushed the egg toward her. "If you don’t want it, I’ll throw it away."

"Thank you so much, you really are… a good man!" Lingran nearly blurted out a fashionable phrase, but caught herself just in time.

The Young Lord seemed about to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.

Lingran took the egg and, biting into it piece by piece, watched him silently ascend the steps, deftly peeling the second egg with his slender, elegant fingers. Even if he had ulterior motives, she was deeply touched. She had hardly interacted with him, but from the idle gossip of the kitchen maids, everyone knew he was lofty and untouchable—anyone favored by him in the Prime Minister’s household would live in luxury.

And after all, he was her savior. What he’d said that day was true; if he meant her harm, would he go to so much trouble? Even his curiosity about Chu Liuxiang’s background must have its reasons—otherwise, why not simply ask Chu Liuxiang herself? Could it be that there were things even they could not discuss openly?

Should she tell him?

The Young Lord probably hadn’t expected such a small gesture to move a little maid so greatly, to the point that she almost wanted to confide everything to him—so naive and unguarded. He handed her the other peeled egg as well, his voice low and steady: "If you’re hiding in the Prince of Xiang’s residence for fear of my questioning, there’s no need."

Lingran felt a pang of guilt. He was quite right; she’d gone to the Prince’s residence yesterday partly to avoid him, but seeing the fierce rivalry among the women there, she’d begun to regret it. Life at the Garden of Ten Thousand Wonders was certainly not as pleasant as being alone in the Lanze Cottage.

"I’m just a servant; I go where I’m told! Like today—I wanted to go watch the Ghost Festival with the Sixth and Seventh Ladies, but I couldn’t!" She made an excuse for herself.

The Young Lord made no comment, but after a while he said, "I looked into your indenture—it turns out you were sold to Zhang Ning, the daughter of a Censorate official."

Lingran nodded, though she’d never met that supposed father.

"Your ancestral home is Haiyan? Did you grow up there?" His voice floated gently on the breeze.

Lingran had only now learned that this body was from Haiyan. In her previous life, she’d been a Zhejiang native too; though she’d never been to Haiyan, she had heard of it. She only knew it was a coastal place in northern Zhejiang, but nothing more of its culture or geography, and so dared not claim to have grown up there. She thought, yesterday he asked about my hometown, today he’s probing again?

But the Young Lord seemed not to be pressing for details, and murmured almost to himself, "I miss the south dearly. The scenery of Jiangnan is etched into memory…"

"You’re from the south too, my lord?" Lingran caught his meaning and asked.

"I am from Suzhou Prefecture in Southern Zhili."

Lingran hadn’t known what Southern Zhili was, but after arriving here, she’d learned that the capital was called Northern Zhili, and when the Ming dynasty moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing during the Yongle era, the province around Nanjing was called Southern Zhili. Since he’d mentioned Suzhou Prefecture, she would be a fool not to understand.

Learning he was from Suzhou, Lingran felt an instant affinity. It was said that Suzhou produced beauties, and now such a refined young gentleman had emerged—truly a figure that only Jiangnan could nurture. She felt much closer to him.

They chatted about the scenery of the south, and before they knew it, the Lanze Cottage appeared before them.

Lingran smiled at the Young Lord. "Please, wait outside for a moment."

He nodded and, rather than sitting in the pavilion, slowly strolled up onto the half-suspended Flying Fish Stone.

Lingran ran into the room to collect her things, noticing that no new servants had been assigned here yet. She found herself longing to stay, but remembering the Prince of Xiang’s temperament, she knew his words were not easily revoked. She already owed the Young Lord a great debt of gratitude and was embarrassed to trouble him further—besides, Chu Yu would certainly not do him any favors.

She packed a small bundle, reflecting that today the Young Lord had not pressed her further about yesterday’s concerns. In gratitude, should she tell him something? But it was too risky—whether he believed her or not, what if word reached Chu Liuxiang…

Yet when she stepped outside and saw the Young Lord standing there, poised as if borne by the wind, her resolve changed.

If what she told him could be passed to Chu Liuxiang’s ears, he would not be the Young Lord of Scarlet Gauze! She trusted him, inexplicably.

The Young Lord turned and, rare as it was, gave her a faint smile—like the brief bloom of an epiphyllum, radiant and dazzling, a beauty to topple kingdoms.

So what if she was taken in by his charm? Shouldn’t people treat each other with sincerity?

Young Lord of Scarlet Gauze, I shall be your friend!

Lingran made her decision, and strode forward with resolve.

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For Xin Qiang who loves the Young Lord of Scarlet Gauze, for Cha Zou Ren Hui Liang and Qiqiao Yezi and Tiangao Yundan who follow the story—here is an extra update for you.