The next day, Feng Yao woke up as soon as the sun began to rise into the sky. Carrying a small package covered by a layer of cloth, she walked out of her room.
"Good morning, Young Miss!"
Feng Yao smiled at Bai Qing who had been waiting outside. Returning her greeting, Feng Yao's eyes were drawn to a medium-sized black bag in the young girl's arms.
"Hm? Qing Qing, are you also planning to buy something today?"
Bai Qing noticed Feng Yao's gaze towards the black bag and looked down at it before shaking her head.
"Actually," she smiled shyly before she reached out towards Feng Yao. "This is my farewell gift to you. I don't have much, but I wanted to offer you something useful for your journey. Without you here, I...would've been incredibly lonely."
Placing the bag into Feng Yao's hands, her smile began to waver as tears flooded into her eyes. "Really, thank you so much..."
Feng Yao looked at the young girl who was on the verge of crying and felt a pang go through her own heart. Reaching out, she laid her hand on top of Bai Qing's head as she softly laughed.
"Silly girl, I haven't left yet. There's no need for tears this early in the morning."
She glanced down at the bag Bai Qing had given her in her arms. It had a single strap so that it could easily be strung over one's shoulders and looked also to be quite sturdy. Although it wasn't made from the best quality material, there was no doubt that this had was something that Bai Qing cared for a lot.
Feng Yao smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I will cherish this gift."
Bai Qing nodded as she smiled, although it looked more like a pitiful attempt at holding back tears.
Seeing this, Feng Yao laughed again as she pulled her arm away from Bai Qing's head before handing over the package that she'd been carrying.
"Here, this is for you to change into. It is the uniform of a male servant. We'll be disguising as a young master and his attendant during our outing."
Bai Qing nodded as she wiped away the remains of her tears in her eyes. She had already figured that this was the case when she saw Feng Yao walking out in a male outfit and with her hair done up like a young scholar.
If it wasn't for the fact that she knew what her Young Miss looked like, she would have thought that this person in front of her was a young man.
"Young Miss, are you using makeup to change your features? I almost couldn't recognize you when you came out of your room."
Hearing this, Feng Yao's eyes lit up in delight. "Is that so?" She laughed happily. "It's great that my efforts didn't go to waste."
She patted her chest as she continued. "But it wasn't just makeup. I also used some padding underneath these robes to make it seem like I have a slightly thicker body. Of course, I can't make myself look incredibly different, but at least it will make my figure look more like a male."
Bai Qing nodded in awe as she continued staring at her Young Miss with flushed cheeks.
Feng Yao merely laughed again before poking the girl's head.
"Go ahead and change. We'll be taking a secret way out of the estate."
By the time that they arrived to the main streets in the city, the sun had almost reached its highest point in the blue sky. It was because Feng Yao had insisted on not taking a carriage that their travel from the Jun Estate to the city had taken longer than usual.
Bai Qing's eyes lit up as she looked around them at the countless vendors and shops that were bustling with people. Everywhere she turned, there were either servants running errands, noblemen sightseeing, or normal citizens excitedly chatting with each other.
"Young Miss--er, Young Master! Look!" Bai Qing cheerfully pointed out several little shops that were full of people. "There are so many people here, and it's so lively! It's been so long since I last had the chance to come out and explore the streets, and the last time I did was when it was nearly empty!"
But Feng Yao didn't answer. Curious, Bai Qing looked over and noticed that her Young Miss seemed to be preoccupied with something.
Every so often, her Young Miss would glance over their shoulders or let her gaze wander over the faces of those that walk by. It wasn't anything strange, but Bai Qing felt that her Young Miss' expression seemed a bit different than usual.
"Young Master?"
"Mhm?" Feng Yao finally looked over when she realized that Bai Qing was calling her. "Did you say something?"
Bai Qing studied her face before she shook her head. The look on her Young Miss' face had probably just been her imagination.
With a smile, Bai Qing replied, "No, it's nothing. Is there something specific that you're looking to purchase?"
Feng Yao paused to think before a similar-looking smile appeared on her face. The dark look that had previously been hiding within the depths of her eyes had already disappeared like a vanquished shadow.
Shaking her head, she replied, "I only need the basic necessities. Plus, I didn't have any possessions with me when I came to the Jun Estate with your Young Master either."
Suddenly, a familiar looking shop appeared in the corner of her eye.
That place...
Feng Yao turned back to look at Bai Qing and noticed that the young girl was secretly stealing a glance at one of the jewelry shops nearby.
Lightly chuckling, she said, "Why don't you go check out that little shop over there? Who knows when you'll be able to come sightseeing again?"
Bai Qing heard Feng Yao's voice that was filled with laughter and quickly shook her head.
"Ah, I-I'm completely fine here with you! Plus it'll seem a bit strange for me who's dressed as a young boy to go and look through rows of pretty hairpins and bracelets."
Feng Yao, however, simply waved her hand in disagreement.
"Nonsense! If anyone asks, just say that you're looking for something to give to your lover. No store owner would turn away a potential customer."
Her words seemed to make the young girl blush as she managed to squeak out, "L-l-lover? Mine?"
Bai Qing's cheeks turned even more red making Feng Yao laugh.
Patting the her on the shoulder, Feng Yao nodded. "Mhm. Just tell them that and there will be no problem."
Bai Qing was still blushing, but she seemed to finally give in to her desire to go look at the sparkling jewelry that had also caught the attention of many other young ladies strolling the streets.
"Okay, then I will take your advice! But, Young Master, will you be all right without me?"
Feng Yao grinned. "Of course! It's not like I'll be causing any trouble."
She pretended not to notice the skeptical look that Bai Qing gave her. Glancing around, the sight of a large tea shop at the corner of the road entered her eyes.
"How about I meet you at the entrance of that tea shop in an hour? That should give me enough time to pick up supplies and for you to look at items."
"Okay!" Bai Qing cheerfully agreed before she added, "But please take care not to cause--cough, cough--I mean get into any trouble."
Feng Yao was taken aback.
Where does her distrust for me come from? It's not like I've caused trouble before, right?
Although she didn't agree with Bai Qing's strange assessment of her personality, Feng Yao simply pretended to nod and agree.
After sending off a relieved Bai Qing, Feng Yao turned around and walked towards the store that had caught her eye earlier. It didn't stand out at all, and it seemed as though not many people frequented it.
However, it obviously seemed to be doing all right since it was still in business while being surrounded by all of the other bustling shops next to it.
As Feng Yao walked in, the first thing she noticed was that the entire wall was filled with blades of all different sizes. Some of them were short daggers while others were elegant swords that glittered in the light.
Turning to her side, she could also see many other weapons that were lined up neatly such as long spears and powerful bows and their arrows.
"Welcome! Is there anything that this Young Master is looking for?"
Feng Yao heard a voice and turned around. Instantly, she recognized the person speaking to be the older man that she had run into the last time she had come into the city. It seemed that he really was the owner of this weapons shop.
He seemed to have recognized her too as his graying eyebrows raised up in surprise.
"Ah! It's the Young Master from the other day!"
He grinned cheerfully, making his old weathered face slightly crinkle with smile lines.
"Our conversation was cut short last time! When you left, it seemed that you were looking for someone. I hope that you were able to reunite with that person without any trouble."
His tone was just as friendly as before, but something about his words made Feng Yao instinctively become alert although she didn't let this fact appear on her face.
Just like normal, her lips tilted up into a smile as she replied, "Unfortunately, I was not able to find that person. However, this is a rather private matter of mine, so it's probably better not to discuss it out here in the open air."
"Of course. My apologies to the Young Master for my rudeness."
The old man answered nonchalantly as if he didn't notice her dismissive words. In fact, it seemed that his eyes had become even more cheerful.
...Strange. I can't read this old man at all.
"Young Master, is there a specific type of weapon that you are looking for?"
Feng Yao studied his smiling expression without letting her own smile waver on her face.
Lightly tapping her chin with her pointer finger, she turned around to allow her gaze to scan the wall that held up the many different styles of swords.
Out of the blue, she suddenly remarked, "Are you quite well-versed in the way of the sword? Out of all the weapons, your sword collection seems to be the largest."
The old man, however, wasn't fazed by her question as he easily answered with a laugh.
"This old man is just an ordinary man with an interest in the beauty of weapons. My body has always been too weak to handle fighting, so becoming a weapon shop owner was simply my selfish way of wanting to stay connected to the world of warriors and fighters."
"Hm? Is that so?" Feng Yao nodded as she ran her finger along the sharp blade of a small dagger.
His words didn't sound fake. However, they obviously weren't the truth either.
But in any case, she wasn't too curious about the truth. As long as he wasn't a threat to her, then she wouldn't pursue the matter.
"I'll buy this dagger."
"Hm?"
Behind Feng Yao, the old man narrowed his eyes. He had been watching this young man the entire time that he had stepped foot into his shop, and this had been the only weapon that this young man had let his gaze linger on for longer than a second.
Without taking even a second glance at anything else in the store, this young man had made his way straight towards this small and slightly chipped dagger that was placed alongside of the other countless daggers and swords.
Was this young man well-versed in weaponry or was he just incredibly lucky?
"...Of course, of course! I'll wrap it up for you right now!"
Feng Yao glanced at the old man.
"No need. I'll be taking it just like this."
She reached into her inner pockets and pulled out a small pouch that slightly rattled with the sound of coins.
With an innocent smile, she asked, "How much?"
When Feng Yao finally left the store, the old man's smile finally faded away as he let out a deep sigh.
"What bad luck I have today..."
He turned to look at the empty spot in his shop that had previously been occupied by the dagger that he'd just sold.
"Just a few more days and I would've been able to sell that dagger for twenty times the price of today's."
Although it had looked incredibly plain and slightly worn-out next to all of the other weapons that had glittered beautifully in the light, the material that had been used to construct that old dagger was one of the best that he'd ever seen.
If it wasn't for that strange man who had come to see him a few days ago, he would have already polished up that dagger and bumped up the price a long time ago.
It was only because that mysterious man had struck a deal with him saying that if no one bought that weapon by the end of this month, then he would gladly buy it for twenty times what the final price would be.
If that bet had succeeded, he would have been able to make an incredibly profit. But instead, he had been forced to sell such a fine quality dagger at an embarrassingly low price. It had even been significantly much lower than the cheapest item in his store!
"Ha...What bad luck. What bad luck indeed..."
Walking down the street, Feng Yao hummed a small tune as she patted the dagger she had safely hid within the black bag that Bai Qing had given her earlier.
"What good luck I have today~"
She let out a laugh before glancing down at the money pouch in her other hand. It had barely taken a dent after her purchase.
Well, I guess that works for the best. After all, it's not my money anyways.
Mhm, I wonder if those servants will notice that some of them are missing a few copper coins here and there?
Although...it's slightly strange about why this dagger was priced for so low.
Feng Yao's eyes lost their twinkle as her expression became slightly more serious.
She had been expecting the price to be low considering that it didn't look to have been polished up to the extent that the other weapons around it had been. Plus, the fact that it was old and chipped made her estimate its price to be around a few silver coins at the most.
Who would have known that the old man would have actually only wanted five copper coins for it? That was practically the same price for buying food.
If it hadn't been for the slight flash of annoyance in the old man's eyes, she would have thought that he was hiding a trick up his sleeve. But by the look of things, perhaps someone else was behind this bizarre scenario.
If it wasn't for the fact that she desperately needed a weapon for her journey and was low on money, she would never had agreed to buy it after hearing its strange price.
Something like this will only give me more trouble...
Although she said that, she also couldn't deny that she wasn't feeling too upset.
Something about this weapon seemed so familiar. Where exactly had she seen it before?
But it was useless trying to think about it more. Her mind just wasn't able to remember.
Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me...Just like how I thought I saw that person the last time I came and explored these city streets.
That thought made her subconsciously run her gaze across the faces of the people around her again, just like what she'd been doing earlier. But just as she expected, there was no sign of that mysterious figure.
Sigh...maybe I really just need more sleep...
Feng Yao continued walking down the streets, stopping every so often to buy some supplies that caught her attention before putting them alongside the dagger inside of her black bag.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call out to her from the distance.
"Young Master! You're here!"
Feng Yao glanced up and saw Bai Qing hurrying over to her from in front of the tea shop with a bright smile on her face.
"Qing Qing!"
Immediately, the blank look on Feng Yao's face was replaced by her usual trademark smile.
"Have you been waiting for long?"
Bai Qing shook her head. "Nope! You're right on time!"
The enthusiasm in her voice made Feng Yao let out a laugh before she reached out to pat the girl's head.
With a playful grin, Feng Yao teased, "Ho ho? Are you sure that all of this excitement is for me? Is it not actually because we're finally going to visit the tea house?"
Bai Qing blushed before she quickly slapped her hands over her cheeks.
"O-of course not!"
Feng Yao watched in amusement as Bai Qing ferociously shook her head back and forth.
"All right, all right. I won't keep you waiting anymore. Let's go in and--"
Feng Yao's words abruptly stopped.
Curious, Bai Qing glanced over only to notice that Feng Yao was looking inside the tea shop with a strange look on her face.
"Young Miss," Bai Qing leaned in to whisper. "Is something wrong?"
"...Mhm. I just remembered that I forgot to buy something. Bai Qing, come with me."
"Ah?"
Feng Yao turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction. Her sudden action made Bai Qing blink in confusion before quickly hurrying after her Young Miss.
Although her Young Miss acted as though nothing was wrong, Bai Qing could tell that her footsteps were slightly more hurried than usual as the two of them weaved through the crowds.
"Young Master Zhuang! Please wait!"
Suddenly, a shadow flashed past Bai Qing and appeared in front of Feng Yao, completely blocking her path.
Looking up at the familiar figure, Feng Yao allowed her lips to turn upward into a pleasant smile, not showing any trace of her inner displeasure.
"Commander Gu Ting. It's a pleasure to be able to see you here again. May I ask if there is something you need me for?"
Like when she had first met him, Gu Ting was dressed in normal civilian clothing. He was probably trying to conceal his identity as the commander of the city guards. But if she looked close enough, she could also see the very tip of a dagger's handle poking out from underneath his robes.
Feng Yao suddenly felt like her head would start hurting within a few minutes. She had been trying to avoid running into him, but it seemed like her luck had finally run out today.
Ahhh, so troublesome...
Gu Ting inclined his head politely to her before replying, "My apologies for suddenly stopping you, Young Master Zhuang. I saw you from outside of the tea shop window, and I wanted to extend an invitation to come and join me. If you are free, would you be willing to accompany me for a short while?"
The pleasant smile on Feng Yao's face stayed the same as she watched him with calm eyes. In fact, her unreadable gaze paired with her unchanging smile seemed to make Gu Ting slightly shift uncomfortably.
It was only a short moment, but to Gu Ting, being watched so calmly by that pair of dark eyes strangely felt like an unnerving eternity.
Was it just his imagination?
Feng Yao continued silently watching him before finally breaking the unusual atmosphere by blinking.
With her unchanging expression, she slightly inclined her head towards him.
"I would love to accept your invitation. Unfortunately, I am a bit busy, so I am unable to join you today. Perhaps the next time that we cross paths, we'll be able to share a drink together instead."
Feng Yao smiled. "Well then, please excuse me--"
"Wait!"
Seeing that Feng Yao was about to leave, Gu Ting immediately raised his arm to try and stop her. It was only when she raised an eyebrow at him that he realized that he had slightly overstepped his boundaries.
Quickly, he retracted his arm and bowed. "My apologies. That was rude of me."
Gu Ting raised his head. "But is it really impossible for you to join me for a short while?"
"Gu Ting."
Feng Yao suddenly interrupted him with the smile still in place on her face.
"Is there a reason for your insistence on meeting today?"
Gu Ting was slightly taken aback by the sharp question before suddenly remembering the unique aura that had surrounded this person the first time that they'd met.
Carefully, his eyes studied the expression of the plainly dressed Young Master Zhuang in front of him with the pleasant smile and the calm eyes, but nothing seemed to be amiss.
Choosing his words carefully, Gu Ting slowly began, "I apologize for my rudeness. You had mentioned last time that you didn't stay in one place for too long, so I was afraid of not being able to treat you to a meal before you left the city."
"...Is that so?"
Feng Yao's smile didn't disappear as she answered, but for some reason, Bai Qing, who'd been watching silently from the side, felt a shiver go down her spine.
Perhaps Gu Ting also felt the same because the casual remark that passed through Feng Yao's smiling lips made him noticeably stiffen. Whether it was from intimidation or guilt, only he knew.
Although, Feng Yao seemed to already have her suspicions.
"Perhaps next time then. My apologies, but I really am quite busy today."
Feng Yao politely bowed towards him before turning to continue on her way down the street.
"Ah! Young Master Zhuang--"
"Gu Ting. It's all right."
Suddenly, a new voice unfamiliar to Feng Yao spoke up from a slight distance. The voice was unexpectedly warm and sounded like it belonged to a young man.
Feng Yao couldn't help but slightly shift her body to turn and glance behind to look at the two new people walking towards them.
The first thing that caught her attention was that the person walking on the left was dressed in a completely silver robe with only slight gold threading embroidering its edges. The robes looked like it was hiding the outline of a slender but well-built body underneath.
By walking underneath the sun, it felt like his bright silver clothing glittered with a brilliance that completely filled up her sight.
However, the thing that caught her attention the most was the veiled hat that covered his face. White silk hanging from a bamboo hat swayed slightly in the breeze, but it was never enough to make the cloth reveal his facial features.
Her eyes slightly shifted to the other man standing on his other side. Like Gu Ting, this man was dressed in normal civilian clothing, but Feng Yao was sure that there were probably a few weapons hidden underneath his clothing too.
At that moment, Feng Yao felt a gaze on her face and she turned back to look at the veiled man. Although she couldn't see his eyes, somehow she was certain that he was watching her.
This young man is...
Gu Ting hurriedly bowed towards the mysterious man.
"Young Master."
The man raised his hand to wave away Gu Ting's greeting. "Gu Ting, I've already told you. There's no need for that."
His simply action had been neither pretentious nor arrogant, and just like before, his warm voice sounded like he was smiling.
Feng Yao quietly took in the scene. Gu Ting had called this young man as his Young Master. And although it was very hard to see, the other man standing next to veiled man seemed like was always standing at a distance that was far enough to give the illusion of space while still being close enough to reach the veiled man's side within a quarter of a second.
...Sigh. Seems like it's a bit too late to run away. This really has become troublesome.
Turning towards her, the man clothed in silver robes offered a sincere apology.
"I apologize for our rude interruption to your outing. I had been the one that asked Gu Ting to invite you to come drink with us. Please accept my apologies for the trouble that I've caused you."
Feng Yao smiled at him before bowing. "I don't dare accept an apology. It really was no problem at all. Please don't feel too troubled. In fact, I should be the one apologizing for not being able to accompany you all today."
From behind the white silk, the man let out a cheerful laugh after hearing her words. "Haha, then I will have to thank the Young Master Zhuang for your benevolence."
He hesitated for a slight moment before he continued.
"Actually, my main purpose in wanting to have a drink with you was because of my desire to meet Gu Ting's savior. I heard that you were the one that saved him last year after he was ambushed in that deadly attack. For that, I truly cannot offer enough of my gratitude. Gu Ting is someone irreplaceable to me, so I had selfishly asked him to invite you to join us after he had coincidentally seen your face at the tea shop."
Feng Yao quickly shook her head in response. "There's truly no need for a thank you. I was simply doing what was right in that situation."
Her response seemed to make him quite satisfied since he let out another small chuckle.
"It seems that Gu Ting wasn't lying. You truly do have quite the unique and pleasant personality."
It didn't sound like he was simply saying those words to flatter her.
Feng Yao murmured her thanks, and he continued speaking.
"I won't hold you here any longer since you are busy. But if you are ever in need of assistance, please find Gu Ting and he will let me know. This is the favor that I owe you for saving this city from falling prey to enemy attacks last year."
"Thank you. I will definitely remember your kindness."
Feng Yao bowed and watched as the veiled man nodded at her before their party of three walked down the street and disappeared from view.
After a moment of silence, Bai Qing hesitantly spoke up from behind Feng Yao.
"...Young Miss? Who were those people? They called you as Young Master Zhuang?"
Feng Yao sighed before she turned around and patted the girl's head.
"Keep that alias of mine a secret, okay?"
She finally allowed the fake smile on her face to morph into something more genuine.
"And don't worry about those people. If you see them in the future, just keep your head down and try not to let them notice you."
Bai Qing nodded, her eyes wide like a young child. "Understood!"
Feng Yao laughed before she ruffled her head. "All right, I think it's finally time to return."
As the two of them walked down the streets that led back towards the road into the forest surrounding the Jun Estate, Bai Qing waved her arms excitedly around in the air as she rambled on about all of the beautiful ornaments and pieces of jewelry she'd seen earlier in the day.
"There was also this silver hairpin that was shaped like a beautiful flying swan! I wish I could show you! I thought that it would suit your beautiful hair perfectly!"
"Haha, is that so?"
"Oh! There was also a really pretty jade bracelet that I accidentally found! When I walked towards it, I felt like it was glittering in the sunlight!"
"Mhm. I see."
Bai Qing seemed to have realized that Feng Yao wasn't paying too much attention.
"Young Mi--ah, Young Master?"
Feng Yao had already halted her steps and was standing still at the edge of the road. Here, the people walking around them were significantly less in number than where they had been earlier.
"...I just realized that I'm missing one of the items that I bought. I think I left it at one of the stalls I visited earlier."
Her confession visibly shocked Bai Qing who immediately panicked.
"Ah?! Then we should hurry back to find it! What if someone takes it?"
But before Bai Qing could hurry back in the direction that they'd come from, Feng Yao had already reached out to grasp her wrist.
Shaking her head, she smiled. "It's okay. Go ahead and head back to the estate. I think I remember where I placed it, so it'll be much faster going by myself."
Bai Qing didn't seem too convinced, but after Feng Yao's insistence, she finally relented and agreed to head back first.
As soon as Bai Qing's figure disappeared, Feng Yao straightened her back and called out into the air.
"You're still following me?"
A moment passed before the sound of footsteps finally sounded out behind her.
"My apologies, Young Master Zhuang. It was the order of my Young Master to keep you safe until you return back home."
To keep me safe, hm? Not because they wanted to find out more about me?
What a pleasant-sounding lie...
"Your Young Master, huh?" Feng Yao murmured to herself, but Gu Ting easily picked up on her words.
"Ah, my Young Master--"
But Feng Yao didn't give him a chance to continue.
She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I am not interested in your Young Master."
Or rather than not being interested, it's more like I'm just not stupid enough to reveal my thoughts out loud about him.
Gu Ting returned her smile. "I see. Then I am relieved."
Feng Yao nodded. "Yes. There's also no need to see me safely back. Although I may not be as strong as I was when I saved you, I still am not completely defenseless."
"But--"
"I am fine. Please tell your Young Master that I appreciate his kindness and have made it back safely."
Although Feng Yao was smiling kindly, her words were stern and held no room for argument.
"...I understand." Gu Ting finally gave in and bowed. "Then please take care in returning. I will leave now."
Gu Ting turned around and left, merging into the crowds before completely disappearing from view.
When Feng Yao was absolutely sure that he was gone, she let out a deep breath. The smile was wiped off of her face as she slowly turned around and began walking down the streets again.
Luckily, she hadn't revealed that she'd been staying at the Jun Estate, so Gu Ting and his "Master" wouldn't be able to contact her again.
Her thoughts wandered off as she remembered that veiled man from earlier. His entire face had been covered, so she'd been unable to see his facial expression.
But judging from his voice, he was either just as nice as the rumors say or simply was an incredibly skilled actor.
Sigh...Hopefully, I won't be seeing them again.
* * * * *
Author's Note:
Sorry for the late update! I promise I'll try to stay on track for the next updates!
(⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯)ﾟ
But anyways...It's a double update! Hooray!
Hope you all enjoy reading!
o(〃＾▽＾〃)o