[BL] Eternal Spring

第四章

A/N  Super long chapter :pp

It had been a few days since the lake incident and Liu Qingyuan hadn't seen the man again. He was quite the curiosity and Liu Qingyuan found himself thinking about him in his most stagnant moments.

The palace had been busy all day. A missive stating that the eldest prince was returning from his campaign at the border had arrived last night. From what Liu Qingyuan could gather, he was the king's older brother. He'd arrive the next day and the servants were scrambling to prepare a grand banquet with such short notice.

At the moment, Liu Qingyuan was patrolling with a fellow soldier, watching the eunuchs and maids scramble about and run everywhere in a hurry. He tried his best to ignore the presence beside him, one that was staring at him without regard for the path in front of him. He glanced at the boy beside him who quickly looked away, continuing to stare the moment Liu Qingyuan turned his head. The boy had already repeatedly declared Liu Qingyuan as his idol, that was, until Liu Qingyuan made him shut up. The pair stepped into a quieter passage and Liu Qingyuan wondered if he'd see that man again tomorrow night.

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The eldest prince had arrived hours ago and the banquet was starting to be unleashed to its full potential. Liu Qingyuan was a little disappointed he'd been assigned to patrol the palace while the festives went on. He'd at least wanted to see what it was like compared to Gongzhuan. If not, then to look for that man again. His partner was nowhere to be seen, having been reassigned to the kitchens. The captain had wanted the elite guards stationed near the royalty, but apparently, he was an exception. Maybe it was because they didn't know him...

Liu Qingyuan looped around the building again, coming round to face the store houses. It wasn't completely deserted. There were still guards and the occasional eunuch who rushed over to collect what the kitchen needed.

Liu Qingyuan walked past the little elevated rooms, crossing his arms against his chest from the slight wind. He wished the banquet would hurry up and finish so he could go back to his warm room or find another way to approach the king.

Crash!

Stopping abruptly, Liu Qingyuan shriveled around, eyes narrowed. He tightened his grip on his sword, creeping slowly up to an innocent looking store room. He swore the sound came from there.

In a flash, he pulled open the little door, glancing in bewilderment at the empty storeroom. It was filled to the brim with clay jars, sealed with a red square and rope around the neck. The room stunk strongly of alcohol. Liu Qingyuan turned to leave, dismissing the sound but glanced down and saw the shattered remains of a liquor jar at his feet. There was a flash from his peripheral vision. A black clad figure dashed away.

Liu Qingyuan left the store room, chasing after the figure. Out of nowhere, a portly eunuch with a round, young face crashed into him. Swearing vehemently in his mind, Liu Qingyuan helped the squabbling eunuch up, said a hasty apology and continued his chase.

Disguised with the darkness of the night, the figure was barely visible as they twisted through the halls and courtyards. Liu Qingyuan debated his options, turning to scale the side of a building. He ran along the tiles, leaping from roof to roof as he tracked the figure with his eyes.

Abruptly, Liu Qingyuan leapt, half-landing on the figure. They crashed to the wooden boards of a side hall. The figure pushed him off before he could orient himself, and turned to flee. But Liu Qingyuan advanced, forcing the figure to block his move and retaliate.

Liu Qingyuan got a fistful of the front of their tunic, yanking them towards him. But they shoved something in his face, white powder blooming in the air. Coughing, Liu Qingyuan quickly let go to shield his face from the substance. By the time the dust settled, the figure had disappeared. Teeming with frustration, Liu Qingyuan made chase but stopped as his boot scuffed something.