The young marquis of the Changning household, Xue Shulin, looked at Qi Yunchi with a complicated expression, unable to sum up his thoughts in words.
Back in the day, he too was a dominant figure in the capital. Before Qi Yunchi burst onto the scene, he had been the leader of the city’s circle of idle young masters—until Qi Yunchi gave him a thorough beating. That encounter had turned them from rivals into friends.
“You…” The words lingered on his tongue before he changed course. “What have you turned into? Why are you even out and about like this?”
Injured to such an extent that even speaking a few sentences made him cough up blood, and yet he still insisted on attending some ridiculous flower-viewing banquet. Was he truly unafraid of death?
Xue Shulin didn’t dare voice the rest of his thoughts. While he felt genuine concern for Qi Yunchi, the overwhelming psychological shadow Qi Yunchi had cast on him in the past was impossible to shake.
Even now, with Qi Yunchi seated in that odd-looking wheelchair, appearing as though a gentle breeze might topple him, that shadow remained as oppressive as ever.
And so, Xue Shulin could only mumble quietly to himself, not daring to say anything reckless.
Though it was already late autumn and the weather had turned cold, Xue Shulin, as a martial artist with a strong and healthy physique, was entirely unaffected by the chill.
His attire remained light and carefree, exuding an air of effortless charm. The loose neckline of his outfit seemed as though it could be torn open with just a slight pull.
For Xue Shulin, this style of dress was entirely normal. Even Qi Yunchi, back in the days when they roamed together, had a flair for extravagance that was even more over-the-top.
But now, Qi Yunchi seemed genuinely cold, wrapped up so tightly that not a single draft could get through.
He even wore a cloak trimmed with snowy white fur. As if that weren’t enough, his hands were nestled in fur-lined muffs, and on his lap sat an exquisitely crafted brazier.
Even standing a few steps away, Xue Shulin could feel the intense heat radiating from it.
Seriously? Was it really that cold?
Yet there wasn’t a trace of sweat on Qi Yunchi’s forehead. His face was pale, completely devoid of color, and even his lips, after wiping away the blood from earlier, had faded to a faint pink hue.
He didn’t look like a healthy person at all. If not for his unchanged facial features, Xue Shulin might have suspected that the man before him had been swapped out entirely—that this wasn’t the Qi Yunchi he once knew.
His emotions grew increasingly conflicted.
With a sigh, Xue Shulin stepped forward and gestured at Feng Shu, who was pushing the wheelchair.
Feng Shu remained silent, unmoving.
Xue Shulin: “…”
“Feng Shu, move aside,” Xue Shulin said, familiar with both Feng Shu and Qi Yunchi, having known them for years. “I’ll take the young lord for a stroll.”
Of course, Feng Shu didn’t heed Xue Shulin’s words. But just as he was about to push back, Qi Yunchi raised his hand gently.
Feng Shu silently looked up, shot a glance at Xue Shulin, and then stepped aside.
Xue Shulin clicked his tongue, squeezing past. He nudged Feng Shu’s shoulder, only to find that, contrary to expectations, he didn’t manage to push him aside at all.
“Hiss.” It seemed he only ended up injuring his own shoulder, like crashing into a wall. “Feng Shu, what the hell have you been eating…?”
He had once been able to hold his own against Feng Shu, but after all these years, with Feng Shu following Qi Yunchi to the battlefield in the North, the change was so drastic that it was almost unrecognizable!
Qi Yunchi, however, chuckled. “Xue Shulin, take it easy. Feng Shu is now a Fifth-Rank Zhaolie General, with an official title.”
Upon hearing Qi Yunchi’s words, Xue Shulin’s expression turned blank.
But upon further thought, it made sense. It wasn’t just Feng Shu—those soldiers who had followed Qi Yunchi during the Northern War would all be rewarded.
With the great victory over Beiliang, it wasn’t surprising that Feng Shu’s meritorious service had earned him the rank of Fifth-Rank Zhaolie General.
No, it was still rather strange. Because Feng Shu, who had followed Qi Yunchi all this time, didn’t carry the imposing presence one would expect from a Fifth-Rank General.
Qi Yunchi could tell what Xue Shulin was thinking, “He can’t be driven away, and I can’t do anything about it.”
Though he held the title of Fifth-Rank Zhaolie General, Feng Shu was currently in the capital. His main duty was to stay by Qi Yunchi’s side, taking care of him and handling any tasks Qi Yunchi assigned to him.
As for the title of general, to be honest, Feng Shu didn’t feel much about it. After all, he was still following the young lord into battle, fighting enemies on the front lines—having an official rank didn’t really make much of a difference.
It was still Fu Ling who mocked him for being foolish, asking if he had never considered building a career or achieving something for himself, instead of spending his life serving Qi Yunchi.
Before that, Feng Shu hadn’t really considered it, but upon further thought, he realized that having an official rank would make a significant difference in the kind of help he could provide when the young lord gave certain orders. Thinking it over, the title wasn’t so bad after all—perhaps the higher the rank, the better?
From indifference to eager acceptance, it was all just a shift in his mindset.
Xue Shulin was no stranger to the Princess’s residence. Pushing Qi Yunchi’s wheelchair, he went from feeling awkward and constrained at the start to moving with ease, smoothly navigating the paths and seeking out routes that were less bumpy.
In no time, he was moving through the residence with the familiarity of someone who had been there many times before.
“So, what brings you here today?” Xue Shulin suddenly shifted his focus, a teasing smile appearing on his face.
“Just back in the capital, and already interested in some noble lady?” His expression turned ambiguous.
“Considering we’ve known each other for so many years, you should tell me who it is first—I might be able to offer some advice.”
Then, Xue Shulin quickly changed the subject. “By the way, with your condition now, are you really alright?”
He looked far from alright.
Qi Yunchi lightly sidestepped the question, replying, “Just taking it slow… As for whether I can return to the battlefield…”
Qi Yunchi’s expression grew wistful. Even though nothing had been explicitly said, the implication in his words was enough for Xue Shulin to fill in the gaps.
From Xue Shulin’s perspective, Qi Yunchi’s condition seemed impossible to fix. Though he was from a military family, and even though Xue Shulin had never personally fought on the battlefield, he was well aware that for soldiers severely injured in battle, even if they survived, their bodies were rarely the same.
It was unlikely that a body so damaged could ever fully recover, let alone return to the battlefield.
For a moment, Xue Shulin looked at the back of Qi Yunchi’s head, his eyes filled with pity and sympathy.
Feng Shu: “…” Should he be thankful that the young lord couldn’t see the look on Marquis Xue’s face right now?
The young lord’s body might be weak lately, but he wasn’t disabled. If he knew that Marquis Xue was looking at him with such pity, he’d probably jump up and give the marquis a good beating.
Then again, maybe not. After all, the young lord came to the Princess’s flower-viewing banquet precisely to make that impression of his injuries even more deeply ingrained in everyone’s minds.
As for whether there was a lady he was interested in, Feng Shu, who had been by his side for so many years, had never seen the young lord take a special interest in any woman. Oh wait, recently it seemed…
“Ah, over there is the water pavilion. According to the customs of the Princess’s residence, at this time, the young ladies should all be near the water pavilion. The other male guests are across the winding creek, a distance away to avoid disturbing each other, but they can still see one another.”
The winding creek water pavilion was a unique feature of the Princess’s residence. Along the curved edges of the creek lake, a series of pavilions offered different perspectives of the entire Chrysanthemum Garden.
The young ladies could enjoy the flowers, the scenery, and each other’s company in the pavilions, while the young gentlemen who had been invited to the event gathered in the pavilions on the opposite side of the lake.
They admired the view, engaged in painting or playing the zither, and enjoyed the atmosphere.
There was a certain distance between the two groups, but it didn’t prevent them from observing each other.
On the side of the winding creek, in the most vibrant part of the Chrysanthemum Garden where the flowers bloomed the brightest, delicate pastries and drinks were arranged for everyone to help themselves
Both men and women could approach and converse casually, as everything was happening in full view of the crowd, with little concern for propriety.
The path that Xue Shulin was taking while pushing Qi Yunchi’s wheelchair, however, was on the opposite side, relatively smoother but requiring a detour.
The sound of the wooden wheels rolling over the cobblestones blended perfectly with the distant laughter and song, making Qi Yunchi’s approach go unnoticed by the guests around them.
Just beyond a cluster of fake rocks, a turn led to a row of low walls. Passing through a moon gate, they would enter the Chrysanthemum Garden, the main venue of the flower-viewing banquet. However, Qi Yunchi suddenly raised his hand.
Without thinking, Xue Shulin immediately stopped, only to question himself in an instant, ‘Why was he so quick to obey Qi Yunchi’s orders?’
But now that they had already stopped, pretending not to notice seemed pointless. Xue Shulin kept a straight face, expressionless, staring at the top of Qi Yunchi’s head. ‘What was going on? Why had he suddenly stopped?’
Moreover, why had he immediately understood what Qi Yunchi meant in that moment? Xue Shulin found himself sinking into deep self-doubt.
