Chapter 19: The Lady in Red

Before long, there was a knock at the door. Mingyue didn’t answer, but the person outside pushed the door open and entered of their own accord.

“Qin Shi, what are you up to?”

Mingyue turned her head, and the gentle blue-green glow immediately entered her vision, soothing somewhat the tangled annoyance in her heart. Qin Shi left the lamp by her bedside, said nothing, and withdrew.

The following day, those old men who had always been so quiet for some reason came one after another to Mingyue’s small courtyard as guests. Some came and left quickly, while others stayed for hours, and all they spoke of was their gratitude that Mingyue was willing to prepare Lovesickness Draught for Jun Xiao so promptly. Mingyue kept up a perfunctory smile throughout, but inside she couldn’t help cursing them all from beginning to end. She had intended to rest well for a couple of days, but they had thoroughly ruined her plans. Fortunately, there was one thing that genuinely pleased her: before leaving, each of those old men gave her a generous gift. She accepted these without hesitation as compensation for having been kidnapped to Shu Prefecture.

After two days, her room was already piled high. As she marveled at the Jun family’s wealth, she couldn’t help but also sigh over the number of elders—indeed, just as plentiful as their riches. No wonder Jun Xiao couldn’t withstand the pressure and wanted the Lovesickness Draught.

When Qin Shi entered, Mingyue was still sorting through the pile on her couch. Seeing him, she quickly said, “Come help tidy up. Who would’ve thought that being kidnapped for just one afternoon could earn me all this? Quite the profitable deal, wouldn’t you say?”

“We were actually gone for more than a day,” Qin Shi replied.

Mingyue’s hands paused. She turned to look at Qin Shi. “Seriously?”

“If you doubt it, when the maid brings food later, you can ask her yourself,” he replied.

Mingyue leaned back on the couch, her voice a little dry. “It really was that long? Then what happened in Junzitang during that time? And where does Mr. Gu’s hostility toward you come from? Oh, and how is that little golden snake now?”

“It’s fine.” As if knowing there was no need to answer the earlier questions, Qin Shi reached up to touch his earlobe. The little golden snake there remained motionless, cool to the touch.

The next morning, Mingyue and Qin Shi were invited to Jun Xiao’s study. Though she’d been there before, Mingyue still looked around the room before asking, “Hall Master, are you sure this is the place? Let me be clear: if something goes wrong in the process, you might end up trapped in an illusion. At that point, your body will either fall into a deep sleep or…”

Before she could finish, Jun Xiao raised a hand to stop her. He stood up from his chair, moved one of the bookshelves aside, and then lifted a stone slab from the floor, revealing a flight of stone steps descending below. Taking up a candelabrum, he lit it and led the way down, with Mingyue following, suspicion in her eyes. The three of them walked for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before Jun Xiao suddenly stopped. When he lit the surrounding candles, Mingyue could finally see the room clearly.

It was a stone chamber, yet one arranged with surprising elegance.

Mingyue watched as Jun Xiao twisted the candelabrum in the room, half expecting some change, but instead she heard a rumbling sound from above.

“This way, no one will disturb us,” Jun Xiao said.

A sudden terror seized Mingyue. She asked, “But can we get out again?”

Jun Xiao couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. Seeing the fear in her eyes growing, he reassured her, “There’s no need to worry, miss. This stone chamber has other exits. Once we’re finished, I’ll lead you both out. I still have to stay alive, after all—I have no desire to be trapped underground.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Mingyue patted her chest in relief and, after seating herself before Jun Xiao, reminded him once more, “Hall Master Jun, one last warning. Once Lovesickness Draught is administered, there’s no going back. The person in your memories will become nothing but a stranger to you, and she’ll never move you again. Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“…I won’t.”

Mingyue nodded, took out a fire striker from her sleeve, and handed it to Jun Xiao. “In a moment, you’ll light the soul lamp in Qin Shi’s hands, then recount your story with your wife from the very beginning. Once the story is finished, I’ll give you the Lovesickness Draught. You can choose to accept it or not—it’s entirely up to you.”

Jun Xiao frowned slightly, as if puzzled. At that moment, a lamp appeared in Qin Shi’s hand, its bluish light rippling outwards like water, filling the entire stone room.

“Hall Master Jun, please trust Mingyue.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Jun Xiao struck the fire striker, lighting the soul lamp’s wick. In the moment when he wasn’t looking, the pupil of Mingyue’s left eye abruptly transformed into a blood-red six-pointed star, which then began to spin slowly, like the turning of fate’s gears.

Jun Xiao’s deep, pleasant voice sounded: “It was four years ago, during the war between the ancient Shu Kingdom and Que Kingdom…”

A dreamy white mist rose, shrouding their vision and filling the stone chamber.

When clarity returned, Mingyue and Qin Shi found themselves on a familiar street—the main avenue of Shu Prefecture’s capital. Compared to now, it was noticeably more rundown, rainwater pooling in the uneven flagstones beneath their feet. Mingyue glanced down, lifted her skirt with a hint of disdain, and said, “Was Shu Prefecture really this shabby four years ago?”

“Look, Mistress,” Qin Shi said.

Mingyue followed Qin Shi’s pointing finger. There, at a window seat on the second floor of a teahouse, sat none other than Jun Xiao. Mingyue stared for a long moment before sighing, “Jun Xiao back then really was a sight—those sword-like brows and bright eyes, and so young. This blue and white outfit suits him much better than the black robes he wears later.”

Just as Mingyue finished her musings, Jun Xiao above looked her way. Mingyue hastily grabbed Qin Shi and ducked into a nearby alley, only to pause in surprise—why was she hiding? Wasn’t she here to follow him?

Thinking this, Mingyue stepped out boldly, intending to greet Jun Xiao on the second floor. But his gaze, along with many others, turned to another direction. Mingyue looked over and saw a stunning beauty in red, walking with graceful, lotus-like steps.

“She’s appearing this soon?”

Mingyue clicked her tongue. The beauty walked elegantly past Mingyue, not so much as sparing her a glance. Only after the figure had passed did Mingyue come to her senses. Pointing after her, she asked, “Did she not see me? Or did she just not care to acknowledge me?”

“…It seems she truly didn’t see you,” Qin Shi replied, brow furrowing in confusion.

Mingyue’s mouth fell open. This shouldn’t be possible. Even though this was the Canglan Illusion, just like in Wen Yan’s story before, if you got close enough, the people inside would sense you. But judging by the red-clad beauty’s expression, she truly hadn’t noticed them… Had the rules changed?

To test it, Mingyue hopped out onto the main street, bouncing up and down, even going up to a vendor and blinking her eyes—without eliciting the slightest reaction.

A bubbling joy began to rise in her heart, but she still couldn’t be sure. She pulled Qin Shi along, stretched out her arms, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Disgusting Junzitang!!”

She shouted three times in a row, but the street remained unchanged. Only then was she certain that the rules of the Canglan Illusion had changed. This made things much easier—at least she no longer had to worry about accidentally disturbing the real world.

Just then, Jun Xiao, who had been on the second floor, came out of the teahouse.

Mingyue and Qin Shi followed him all the way to the entrance of the Ancient Painting Studio.

Jun Xiao hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the bamboo doors.