[BL] Eternal Spring

第十四章

A/N  just sending love <33

When Liu Qingyuan stepped into the inn, it was dark and quiet. All the guests had retired to their rooms and even the servants were asleep. He paused, doing a quick sweep of the premises. As expected, there was no one on the lower floor or the upper, private dining rooms. He was a little confused but proceeded upstairs anyway. The creaky boards caved to his desires, emitting not a single squeak.

Upstairs was the same, the only difference being the subtle sound of breathing from the sleeping guests. Liu Qingyuan ignored them, making his way to the room he'd occupied in his previous stay here. The VIP room was vacant, it's high price not appealing to ordinary travelers.

The door let out a small groan as he pushed it open, stepping lightly over the threshold. He expected someone to be waiting for him beyond, but the main room was also empty. Liu Qingyuan searched the side rooms too, his search yielding the same results. He stopped in his tracks, turning his head to see a glint of jade on the side table under the window. It looked like it was left casually behind by a traveler but the window beside it was slightly open, allowing the moonlight in and illuminating the hairpin in a way that would definitely catch one's eye.

Liu Qingyuan approached. The jade hairpin was simple, a single Yulan Magnolia carved at the head, it's petals flowing outwards in graceful lines. A single touch revealed it's fine quality. The hairpin was smooth, slightly transparent and reflected the light like water. The remnants of the alcohol made it seem like the hairpin was glowing.

Liu Qingyuan picked it up, quietly examining it. For a moment, an image of the hairpin in styled black hair appeared in his mind. The contrast was beautiful. Liu Qingyuan quickly shook the thought from his head before it could progress. He tucked the hairpin into his robes, eyes closing as if in pain. Then he turned and left the inn. He'd long figured out the clue.

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Jiang Zhilan was still asleep when Liu Qingyuan got back. He was now sprawled on the floor beside the low table, his hair a mess by his head. Liu Qingyuan gently placed the warm pot of water on the table, sneaking another glance at the sleeping king. He got up, moving away to check the room just like he had the first time. This search yielded nothing; as expected. Liu Qingyuan paid attention to the boxes and drawers that might contain jewelry. He knew what he was looking for: the hairpin with the glorious red spider lily on it. The hairpin that the king was wearing at their first encounter. Now that he thought about it, it was strange why the son of heaven would go around wearing such a solemn flower. Not to mention, the red spider lily was poisonous...

Liu Qingyuan's efforts did not yield what he wanted and he stared over at the king. The light was not very good and he only looked for a few moments before he moved to the wardrobe.

Behind the semi-transparent folding screen, the king's outfit for the next day was already prepared. Liu Qingyuan silently searched the robes, as it was common for people to have hidden pockets in the wide sleeves or skirts.

He went through the other robes in the imperial bedchamber but the secret pockets he did find were empty. At most, he found a couple of small, wrapped candies. Liu Qingyuan smiled for a moment, imagining the mischievous king. Realizing his action, he quickly crushed his smile and set the candies aside.

There was still one set of robes he hadn't searched yet. Liu Qingyuan looked over slowly, his gaze landing on the fabric draped over the king. It was a simple set, containing one light, thin inner robe and one thicker, lightly embroidered outer robe. Despite the simplicity, the outer robe still had the potential for pockets.