Chapter 12

His strength was astonishing, yet his fingers…

Over ten days passed in a blur, summer fading away as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached.

Xiao Rong had previously mentioned being occupied with official duties, and true to his word, he vanished early on the day of the Lantern Festival.

Si Jin’s tense mood, which had lasted for days, eased slightly.

As evening approached, Chun Xing brought a message from Shen Xuzhi: “The Third Young Lady Shen says she’s been delayed and will meet with you later.”

Upon hearing this, Si Jin’s fingers, which had been selecting accessories, paused briefly before she replied, “Mm, it’s fine. We’ll stroll around on our own for now.”

Yet Chun Xing remained standing in place.

“What’s wrong?”

Chun Xing hesitated, lips parting uncertainly. “His Lordship also gave instructions this morning, telling this servant to inform you before your outing: enjoy yourself today, and if it gets late, you may send someone back to the residence to summon him to escort you home.”

Si Jin’s expression shifted subtly, her fingers tightening around a jade hairpin.

“No need for his escort. I’ll return home naturally after the Lantern Festival ends.” After securing the jade hairpin before her bronze mirror, Si Jin stood up. “Let’s go, we’ll head to the lantern festivities first.”

The setting sun dipped below the horizon as festive lights began to glow.

Paper lanterns of various styles lined the streets, casting brilliant illumination. The sea of festive lanterns shimmered with dazzling colors, weaving through the bustling, joyous market.

The streets teemed with crowds, stalls arranged in orderly disorder, with hawkers’ cries rising and falling intermittently.

Si Jin wore water-red robes today, tied at the waist with a plain satin ribbon that accentuated her slender, graceful figure. Her already exquisite and charming face, lightly adorned with makeup, appeared even more enchanting and radiant amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Chun Xing, holding assorted trinkets in her left hand and clutching tightly packed street snacks in her right, couldn’t contain her delight as she asked, “Madam, where shall we go next?”

Si Jin glanced at the sky and contemplated briefly. “Let’s go to the stone bridge by the encircling river. Xuzhi should be arriving soon.”

Chun Xing nodded, adjusted the items in her hands, and closely followed Si Jin toward the direction of the encircling river.

The stone bridge spanned the middle section of the city’s encircling river, connecting both banks and dividing the capital into eastern and western halves.

During sunrise and sunset, the bridge’s shadow would fall on only one side of the river surface while the other remained shrouded in deep darkness—a marvelous sight when viewed from above.

However, with darkness now fallen, this spectacle was no longer visible. The lantern festivities had drawn crowds to the opposite street, leaving this area distant from both people and lights, rendering it somewhat desolate.

Before reaching the stone bridge, Si Jin’s steps suddenly halted. “Chun Xing, I keep feeling like someone is watching us. Do you sense it?”

Chun Xing blinked in confusion. “Madam, there’s hardly anyone passing through here.”

After speaking, she glanced back.

The already quiet street, after a few passersby moments earlier, was now temporarily empty—how could anyone be watching them?

Si Jin’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “I meant earlier, at the lantern festivities.”

Chun Xing thought back, then shook her head. “Not that I noticed either. The crowd was large—perhaps it was just unintentional glances.”

Would unintentional glances evoke such a feeling?

Si Jin had turned back several times when she noticed something amiss during the festivities.

Among the flowing crowds, numerous unfamiliar faces came and went—none she recognized, none directing their gaze at her.

Yet each time she touched the back of her neck and turned forward again, the sensation of being watched returned before long.

When was the last time I felt that strange sensation?

Was it when we turned that street corner?

Si Jin slowly turned her gaze toward the corner they had just passed.

There was nothing there.

A night breeze swept across the moat, brushing against Si Jin’s cheeks with a damp chill.

She snapped out of her thoughts and shifted her eyes from the empty street corner.

Had her constant vigilance against Xiao Rong become so overwhelming that she was now seeing shadows even when outdoors?

“Xiao Jin!”

Hearing her name, Si Jin looked over to see Shen Xuzhi hurrying toward her, followed by her maid.

She quickly went to meet them: “I was just telling Chun Xing you should be arriving soon. It seems my timing is perfect.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Shen Xuzhi said. “I was delayed because… never mind. The Lantern Festival is at its liveliest now—we shouldn’t miss it. Let’s enjoy the festivities first and save other matters for later.”

Though she said this, the moment Si Jin nodded in agreement, Shen Xuzhi immediately asked: “Did you test the waters about what I mentioned last time? What was the outcome?”

Si Jin’s eyes widened slightly: “Didn’t you say we’d discuss other matters later? Besides…”

Her peripheral glance indicated the maids accompanying them—hardly an appropriate time for such conversations.

Shen Xuzhi understood, pressing her lips together as she lowered her voice: “I’m just too curious. Even if it’s merely rumor, what if he truly harbors affection for you?”

In Shen Xuzhi’s view, Xiao Rong was an exceptional scion from an eminent family—handsome, capable, and distinguished.

Since fate had brought them together in constant companionship, mutual dislike would be one thing. But if familiarity bred affection, wouldn’t that make for a beautiful tale of childhood friends becoming lovers?

The two maids trailing behind couldn’t hear their mistresses’ conversation, but they noticed Si Jin’s back visibly stiffen for a moment.

This was exactly why Si Jin detested Xiao Rong’s hypocritical respectability.

How could she possibly tell Shen Xuzhi the truth?

That she was being threatened and controlled by Xiao Rong.

Like a vengeful spirit lurking in darkness, he watched her incessantly. Should she show the slightest intention to escape, he would materialize from the shadows with chilling menace, warning her not to even think of leaving him.

The night concealed Si Jin’s expression, leaving only a faint strain in her voice: “Let’s not discuss this. We should go enjoy the lanterns.”

They walked back into the festival together, the earlier tension dissipating as the lively atmosphere quickly swept away the uncomfortable interlude.

On a performance stage, a burst of flames momentarily brightened the surroundings.

Shen Xuzhi’s cheeks flushed with excitement as she grabbed Si Jin’s hand: “Xiao Jin, look!”

The fire-breather cleanly extinguished the flames, as if the scorching fire could truly come and go effortlessly from his mouth.

Cheers erupted around them, and Si Jin’s eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly: “Amazing!”

After the performance, they reluctantly followed the crowd deeper into the streets.

Ahead lay the festival’s lantern district—an entire street filled with stalls and shops displaying various festive lanterns.

There were lantern riddles to solve, arrow-throwing games, archery contests, vendors selling lanterns directly, and shops offering complimentary lanterns with other purchases.

During the festival, aside from performance stages, this street was the most bustling area.

Si Jin had resisted coming here alone earlier, but now with Shen Xuzhi accompanying her, they naturally had to explore.

They wandered while admiring the sights, eventually pausing before an accessories shop.

Shen Xuzhi smiled, adjusting the pair of earrings dangling from her earlobes that day. “Shall we go in and take a look? These earrings you gave me suit my taste perfectly. Today, I’ll pick out a pair for you in return. How does that sound?”

Si Jin heard Shen Xuzhi’s voice but inexplicably turned her head to glance behind her.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Jin?”

Snapping back to reality, Si Jin shook her head. “It’s nothing. I must have been mistaken. Let’s go in and have a look.”

The accessories shop was bustling with young women, and an array of dazzling goods shimmered under the candlelight.

Though none of the items in the shop were particularly expensive, their exquisite designs held great appeal for young ladies.

The two entered a screened-off section and began browsing separately.

Before long, faint, indistinct noises suddenly arose from outside the shop.

Si Jin looked up, puzzled, but before she could discern the source of the commotion, a piercing scream struck her eardrums.

“Ah—”

The clamor gradually spread from outside to inside the shop, and even without seeing what was happening, the panic in the air was palpable.

Startled, Shen Xuzhi quickly stepped forward and grabbed Si Jin’s hand. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Chun Xing, alert, said, “Madam, Third Young Lady, let me go and check.”

In that brief moment of hesitation, as Chun Xing pushed open the screen door of their section, the main hall of the shop was already filled with panicked young women fleeing in chaos—and before them, a glaring, reddish blaze.

“Run!”

“The lantern rack! The lantern rack is about to collapse!”

“Don’t stay inside!”

Screams erupted everywhere, but the towering wooden frame, laden with hanging Festive Lanterns, was already tilting uncontrollably toward this side of the street.

The accessories shop stood directly in the path of the collapsing frame. With a deafening crash, as if a heavy object had struck the roof, the impact sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

Heat instantly spread as flames rapidly engulfed the area.

“Fire!”

“Quick, save them! Put out the fire!”

Si Jin’s face turned pale. Clutching Shen Xuzhi’s hand, she rushed toward the exit.

Clatter—

A slender, flaming wooden pole came crashing down from above.

Shen Xuzhi swiftly pulled Si Jin back, narrowly avoiding the falling pole.

The Festive Lanterns displayed at the shop entrance, struck by the burning frame, burst into even fiercer flames, sealing the doorway in an impassable inferno.

Several other young women who hadn’t managed to escape huddled together in terror, some already weeping from fear.

Thick smoke filled the room, stifling the air and making it hard to breathe.

Just then, a figure darted out from a corner—a shop assistant.

Covering her nose and mouth, she said urgently, “The front door is blocked. Follow me to the other side.”

Without delay, the group hurried after her deeper into the shop.

At the shop entrance, the flames momentarily subsided, revealing the frightened and panicked crowd outside.

Some were rushing to escape, while others scrambled to fight the fire.

For a time, the entire street descended into chaos.

The shop assistant led them through several rooms until they reached a storeroom at the back.

Pulling aside some crates, she revealed a wooden door leading outside.

As light streamed in, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and hurried out of the shop.

The street remained in disarray. In the distance, a commanding voice shouted, “Clear out, everyone clear out! It’s dangerous here. Stop crowding around!”

Supporting each other, Si Jin and Shen Xuzhi moved farther from the shop, their maids close behind.

Only when they reached a relatively open space at a safe distance did they finally come to a stop.

“Is everyone alright?”

Fortunately, none of the four were injured, though they were badly shaken.

The fire inside hadn’t been too extensive—only the fiercely burning flames at the entrance had blocked their escape.

Now standing outside the shop, they realized that from the exterior, the raging fire at the doorway made it appear as if the entire building was engulfed, a stark contrast to what they had experienced inside.

No wonder the people outside had been so panicked; they too began to feel a creeping sense of dread.

Suddenly, Si Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and by the firelight, she spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

It was the attendant who served Xiao Rong at the Xiao residence.

Si Jin’s brow twitched, and she strode toward him.

The attendant, catching sight of Si Jin, trembled and exclaimed excitedly, “Madam, you’re here! You’re safe!”

“Why are you here?”

At her question, the attendant’s face paled, and he grew frantic again: “The master thought you were trapped in the fire and rushed in to save you!”

Si Jin’s pupils contracted, her disbelieving gaze fixed on the fiercely burning shop entrance, the menacing flames reflected in her eyes.

Rushed in?!

There was no way through—how could he have entered?!

A loud crash followed as the signboard of the accessory shop, engulfed in flames, tilted and fell, scattering terrifying sparks and slamming heavily to the ground.

Si Jin’s heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t know if the fire had spread inside—the accessory shop was already empty. If Xiao Rong couldn’t find the storeroom that led outside, or if he was still searching for her in the deserted shop…

Or worse, if even the storeroom door was blocked by the flames.

Si Jin dared not dwell on it further and instinctively turned her head, her eyes darting toward the direction of the storeroom they had just escaped from.

The wooden door of the storeroom shuddered.

It was pushed open forcefully from within, and a dark figure emerged in the doorway.

Si Jin’s breath caught as she recognized the figure—familiar yet so disheveled she almost didn’t dare believe it was him.

His dark brocade robe was riddled with charred holes, the hem tattered and dragging behind him, a few strands of messy hair falling over his soot-stained face.

The tall man, dragging his wretched state, met her gaze instantly and hurried toward her.

Before Si Jin could react, Xiao Rong, now before her, urgently seized her wrist.

His grip was astonishingly strong, yet his fingers trembled: “Are you hurt?”

Beneath her fluttering lashes, Si Jin noticed his other hand hanging unnaturally at his side, as if weak and limp.

A drop of dark liquid silently dripped from his sleeve.

She shook her head slowly, and heard Xiao Rong exhale deeply, his voice hoarse as he said, “That’s good.”