Chapter 28: The Stranger

The uneventful days always slip away in the blink of an eye.

Yun Xueyan and Ziyu stood in the courtyard, meticulously clearing weeds from a patch of earth. Once bare, they filled it with all manner of flowers, hoping that when the blossoms unfurled, she could open her window to a vista brimming with life.

Brushing the soil from her hands, Yun Xueyan wiped the sweat from her brow. "Ziyu, let's rest a while. We've been busy all morning."

"Yes, Madam, please take a break." Ziyu brought over a chair for Yun Xueyan, washed her hands, and poured tea for her mistress.

Seeing Yun Xueyan gazing wistfully beyond the courtyard, her eyes lingering as if yearning for something, Ziyu could only shake her head. There was nothing she could do.

Today, the Prince had taken the Princess back to the Grand Tutor's residence, saying the Princess missed her mother.

But did the woman before her not feel the same longing?

"Madam, perhaps you should return inside," Ziyu offered gently, but Yun Xueyan only shook her head in silence.

All morning, she had kept herself busy to avoid thinking about today's events. She thought she could put it behind her, but as soon as she stopped working, her mind wandered.

She too wished to return to the Grand Tutor's residence and see her mother. But when she pleaded with Duan Nanyu, he responded with cold ridicule.

He told her that bringing her along would disgrace the Prince of Xiao’s household, and it would upset Yun Xiyin. Once again, Duan Nanyu denied her.

"Madam..." Ziyu could only stand quietly behind Yun Xueyan, unsure what to say.

"Ziyu, please check in the kitchen if there’s anything to eat. I’m feeling a bit hungry." Sending Ziyu away, Yun Xueyan sat in a daze, her gaze fixed on the freshly tilled plot, lost in thought.

"When did people start living in the Xuan Yue Pavilion?" a voice spoke. A man in white stepped inside.

Startled, Yun Xueyan hurriedly rose. The man before her was refined and elegant, like a piece of polished jade—exquisite yet noble. His white robe was edged with purple gold, the sort only someone of high status would wear.

His black hair was bound, his bearing graceful, and he lightly fanned himself, making Yun Xueyan forget to ask his identity.

"Who are you?" Feng Xilou asked calmly, now standing before her.

The woman before him was serene rather than merely understated. Unfortunately, half her face was hidden behind black hair, obscuring her features. Yet even the visible half revealed a beauty.

His heart felt as if bound by something, unable to break free.

Hearing his voice, gentle as a spring breeze, Yun Xueyan came back to herself. She stared at him for a moment, wondering—he was asking who she was? Shouldn’t she be the one to ask him?

She respectfully bowed and stood upright, her eyes clear as water as she looked at him. "And who might you be, sir?"

"Me?" Feng Xilou regarded her with a hint of curiosity. She didn’t know who he was? It made sense; the Xuan Yue Pavilion had been vacant for a long time, and anyone living here must have just arrived at the Prince of Xiao’s residence.

"I am a painter, the official artist of the Prince of Xiao’s household." His tone was mild, his smile warm, reaching Yun Xueyan’s eyes and soothing her heart.

"A painter?" Yun Xueyan was momentarily stunned. "Then you are here to see the Prince? He is not at home at the moment."

"I know." He closed his folding fan and gently lifted her chin. "Why do you hide half your face?"

She backed away in panic, putting distance between them, unease in her eyes. She was afraid he would find her face repulsive. "Please behave yourself, sir!"

She paused before continuing, "The Prince will return soon. I ask that you wait in the main hall; I fear the Xuan Yue Pavilion is not fit for someone of your stature."

Was this an order to leave? She was evicting him? There were few in this world who dared to do so, but she was one of them.