Adding rocks to the mountain

As Suyin stood by the wooden railing, a chill wind swept across her face, causing her to instinctively shut her eyes against the gust.

Leaning on the railing for support, she sought solace in the cool night air, a respite from the tangled web of intrigue and deceit that seemed to envelop her at every turn.

"The Prince had no room for compassion besides himself!"

The bitter words echoed in Suyin's mind, a stark reminder of the heartless machinations of those in power. Qin Fuhua's face flashed before her eyes, eliciting a frown of frustration. In her darkest moments, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was merely a pawn in his game—a pawn whose fate was intricately entwined with his through a twist of fate or perhaps something more sinister.

As Suyin contemplated her precarious position, her attention was drawn to hushed voices emanating from near Junli's room.

With cautious steps, she edged closer to the corner of the wall, straining to catch fragments of conversation drifting on the night breeze.

"Young Master. But I finally found the item that I have been looking for," Jiayi's voice, though muffled, reached Suyin's ears.

Peering around the corner, she caught sight of Jiayi facing Junli just outside his room, their forms illuminated by the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the window.

"Stop it! I told you! I don't believe in the nonsense!" Junli's voice, tinged with frustration, carried across the courtyard, causing Suyin to tense in anticipation.

"No one knows where this place is, or even if this place even exists!" he protested vehemently, his disbelief palpable in the air.

As Jiayi persisted, pleading with Junli to reconsider, her voice carried a note of urgency.

"Young Master, wait! But the key is in my possession!" she implored, her tone tinged with desperation.

Junli, however, remained resolute, his voice tinged with exasperation. "And that will only bring you danger because other people are looking for the key also. You know that already," he admonished gently, his concern for Jiayi evident in his words.

With a sigh, he turned away, his resolve unwavering. "I'm going to go take a bath," he announced, his footsteps echoing softly as he departed.

Suyin, her heart racing with the weight of their conversation, hurried back to the safety of the pavilion in the courtyard. Her mind raced with questions and suspicions.

Could this key be the very item that Qin Fuhua sought?

----------------------------

As Junli emerged from his bath, draped in a resplendent light blue robe that billowed around him like a cloud, the moon cast a gentle glow upon the courtyard, illuminating Suyin's figure in the darkness.

With a graceful bow, Jiayi excused herself, leaving Junli and Suyin alone in the tranquil pavilion.

Approaching Suyin with measured steps, Junli's gaze lingered on her face, his eyes searching for any trace of emotion in the depths of her expression.

"Miss Suyin?" he called softly, the appropriate moment, allowing him to address her by name without reservation.

Suyin's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions, her troubled thoughts swirling beneath the surface.

Junli's gentle inquiry pierced through her thoughts, drawing her attention back to the present moment.

"Miss Suyin," Junli repeated, his voice tinged with concern as he raised his volume slightly, prompting her to meet his gaze.

Startled, Suyin blinked, her eyes focusing on Junli's face as if emerging from a trance.

"Oh. Yes?" she responded, her voice faint as she turned to face him.

Junli smiled warmly at her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Are you alright?" he inquired, his concern evident in his gentle tone.

He wanted to ensure that Suyin felt at ease, especially after their candid conversation about his past and the troubling incidents involving his uncle.

As the weight of their shared conversation hung heavy in the air, Suyin found herself grappling with a whirlwind of emotions. With hesitant movements, she played with her hands, unable to meet Junli's gaze as she struggled to articulate her thoughts.

"Um... Thank you for telling me about yourself... and your uncle," she began tentatively, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her words were tinged with a sense of relief, a reassurance that despite the darkness of Junli's past, he was not defined by the sins of his relative.

"Don't worry about your uncle! I know that you are not like him at all," she added, her expression etched with concern.

Junli's gaze drifted across the courtyard, his eyes tracing the silhouettes of the trees against the star-studded sky. A serene calm settled over him, a silent acknowledgment of the bond forged between them in the quietude of the night.

"Thank you for listening," Junli replied, his voice gentle as he turned to Suyin, a warm smile gracing his lips.

"For someone who I just met, you are a pure, kind, and genuine person. I've never met someone like you before," he confessed, his words carrying a sincerity that resonated deeply with Suyin.

Unable to find the words to express her gratitude, Suyin could only offer him a soft smile.

"I'm going to go inside and rest up," Junli announced, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush at his candid confession. "Go get some sleep soon, okay?" he added, his tone laced with concern.

Suyin nodded silently, her gaze following Junli's retreating figure until he disappeared into his room.

Suyin turned her head to see Jiayi walking down the corridors. She stealthily trailed Jiayi through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, her heart pounded in her chest with anticipation.

The opportunity to uncover the whereabouts of the key was here!

Keeping a safe distance, Suyin watched from the shadows as Jiayi darted into a room, the door closing softly behind her. With cautious movements, Suyin approached the room, her curiosity piqued by the servant maid's stealthy actions.

Peering through the crack in the door, Suyin's eyes widened as she observed Jiayi in the midst of the bookroom, surrounded by shelves laden with wooden and paper volumes.

Her attention was drawn to a crimson-red book adorned with the delicate print of a butterfly—a seemingly harmless object that held the key to unlocking hidden truths.

Intent on getting a closer look, Suyin leaned in slightly, her focus momentarily diverted. In her haste, however, disaster struck.

With a sudden clatter, a book toppled from its place on the shelf, crashing to the ground with an unmistakable.

*THUD*

Suyin's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in dismay at her own clumsiness. Panic surged through her veins as she scrambled to rectify her mistake, hastily retrieving the fallen book and attempting to restore it to its rightful place on the shelf.

But as she turned to replace the book, she froze in place, her heart sinking as she realized that Jiayi stood before her, her eyes wide with surprise at the unexpected intrusion. Caught red-handed, Suyin could only stare back at the servant maid, her mind racing with the realization that her covert mission had been compromised in the most disastrous of ways.

Suyin's mind raced as she scrambled to come up with a plausible explanation for her presence in the bookroom. With a forced smile, she attempted to divert Jiayi's suspicions, her heart hammering in her chest.

"J-Jiayi! What are you doing here?" Suyin stammered, her voice tinged with feigned innocence as she tried to shift the focus away from her own actions.

But Jiayi was not so easily swayed. Crossing her arms, she regarded Suyin with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"I could ask the same thing. What are you doing here, young sir?" she countered, her tone laced with a hint of skepticism.

Suyin cursed her oversight, realizing too late that she was still disguised as a male medicine man. Thinking quickly, she seized a nearby book, hoping to deflect Jiayi's attention from her true intentions.

"I... was already in here when you barged in and scared me!" Suyin blurted out, her voice wavering slightly as she hastily opened the book in her hand, revealing the faded Chinese characters adorning the cover:

"GENERAL OF THE QIN."

Desperation clawed at her chest as she forged ahead with her hastily concocted story.

"I was researching young Master Junli's history to see if there was any medical information about his father," she added, trying to add rocks to the mountain***.1

As Jiayi scrutinized Suyin with a furrowed brow, clutching the book tightly to her chest, Suyin's heart raced with apprehension. She held her breath, awaiting Jiayi's response with bated anticipation.

"Mister Shu is very dedicated to helping my master," Jiayi remarked calmly, her tone measured as she regarded Suyin with a hint of suspicion. Her gaze flickered to the crimson book in her hand, then back to Suyin, her expression unreadable as she posed her next question.

Suyin's mind raced, her pulse quickening as she struggled to maintain her facade of innocence.

"Did you... see anything?" Jiayi inquired, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Panic surged through Suyin's veins as she shook her head vehemently, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You were the one who scared me instead, coming in so quietly like that," she improvised, forcing a nervous laugh as she wove her web of deception.

"But a beautiful book like that, I have not seen before. Does it have a special meaning to the young maid?" she prodded, hoping to glean some insight into the mysterious tome.

Jiayi's cheeks flushed pink, her gaze dropping to the ground as she fidgeted with the book in her hands.

"No. Um... Young Master taught me how to read... so this is all I know how to read. It's a collection of poetry," she admitted, her voice soft with embarrassment as she placed the book on a nearby table.

Suyin's eyes widened with realization, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

So, the book held sentimental value to Jiayi, a token of her bond with Young Master Junli. With a nod of understanding, she watched as Jiayi hastily excused herself, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Chuckling softly to herself, Suyin turned her attention back to the crimson book lying on the table. But before she could investigate further, Jiayi burst back into the room, her face flushed with flustered panic.

"I forgot something," Jiayi exclaimed, her eyes darting around the room until she landed on the crimson-red book.

With reckless abandon, she reached for it, her movements clumsy. In her haste, she fumbled the book, sending it tumbling to the floor beneath the table.

As Jiayi bent down to retrieve the fallen book, Suyin watched with keen interest, her curiosity piqued by the servant maid's odd behavior.

But before she could make sense of Jiayi's actions, the girl snatched up the book and fled from the room in a flurry of embarrassment.

"Guess I shouldn't have been too nosy about her business," Suyin murmured ruefully, her voice carrying a tinge of regret as she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

The weight of her curiosity lingered in the air, mingling with the faint scent of aged parchment and the musty allure of old books and scrolls.

Just as she tore her gaze away from the table, where piles of scrolls and novels formed endless knowledge, a glint of silver winked at her from the floor.

Suyin's curiosity was piqued.

"Hm?" She tilted her head, her dark eyes narrowing with intrigue as she peered beneath the table's edge.

There, nestled among forgotten dust bunnies, lay a solitary key, its slender form catching the ambient light.

When Jiayi accidentally dropped the book, the key tumbled from its hiding place, coming to rest on the timeworn floorboards.

Without hesitation, Suyin reached beneath the table, her fingers curling around the cool metal.

A gasp escaped her lips as she brought the key into view, its delicate form resembling a blooming rose captured in silver.

It fits snugly in the palm of her hand, its surface glimmering with a subtle sheen. Did Jiayi, in her haste, drop this, hidden in the book? Was she actually in possession of the rose-shaped key?

---------------

[ Qin Fuhua ]

Qin Fuhua's eyes narrowed, keenly observing Jianhong's every move.

Across the table, Jianhong's demeanor was one of casual indulgence, his fingers wrapping around the delicate teacup as he drank greedily, his posture relaxed as he lounged in his chair.

It was a familiar scene to Qin Fuhua, one that echoed countless encounters with this self-serving individual. He knew Jianhong for what he truly was—a selfish, cunning man whose loyalty extended only to his own survival.

Yet, beneath the façade of camaraderie, Qin Fuhua harbored a calculated awareness of their true relationship.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Qin Fuhua's lips as he regarded Jianhong with a mixture of amusement and subtle disdain.

"Brother," he began, his voice laced with a hint of irony, "do you dare to do something like this? After all, we are bound by the brotherly oath we took that day."

Qin Fuhua's words hung in the air, punctuated by the weight of their shared history.

He knew his own limitations, recognizing himself as a scholar ill-versed in the art of combat. However, he was also acutely aware of the utility of his resources, including his wife.

Jianhong's laughter erupted like a thunderclap, reverberating through the room as he pointed an accusatory finger at Qin Fuhua.

"Haha! You never fail to impress, Brother," he declared his expression one of paternal pride.

In Jianhong's eyes, Qin Fuhua, known to him as Tienzheng, was the epitome of wisdom and reliability—a steadfast ally in a world fraught with uncertainty.

With the weight of Jianhong pressing down on him with his statement earlier, Qin Fuhua sensed the need to tread carefully, recognizing the subtle test that had been laid before him. It was a delicate dance of loyalty and trust, a game of wits played out in the shadows.

"Would my brother like another wine?" Jianhong inquired, his voice laced with a hint of expectation.

Qin Fuhua's response was measured, his smile masking the tumultuous thoughts swirling within his mind. "Older brother, if I indulge in another drink, I fear our plans for tonight may be jeopardized," he remarked with a touch of self-deprecation. "I find myself already teetering on the edge of drunkness, already."

Jianhong nodded knowingly, the flicker of approval evident in his gaze. "Indeed," he mused, brushing off the crumbs of a steamed bun from his beard. "The sun has played its part in today's drama. Now, as the moon ascends, it is time for you to fulfill your duty."

With a respectful nod, Qin Fuhua rose from his seat, his movements deliberate as he exited the room.

Outside the confines of the brothel, he was flanked by two guards disguised as commoners, their presence both conspicuous and discreet. The glint of steel at their hips did not escape Qin Fuhua's notice—a subtle reminder of Jianhong's power and wealth in the area.

As he staggered through the crowded streets, Qin Fuhua adopted the guise of a drunken reveler, his steps faltering as he collided with an unsuspecting merchant at a nearby stand.

"What in blazes do you think you're doing?" the merchant bellowed, his ire rising at the disturbance.

Qin Fuhua merely grumbled incoherently, his gaze unfocused as he feigned intoxication. With a muttered apology, he righted himself, his actions a carefully orchestrated performance in the elaborate theater of deception.

--------------------------------------

[Han Suyin]

As Suyin delicately tucked the rose-shaped key into the concealed folds of her robe, a torrent of questions flooded her mind, each one vying for attention like impatient guests clamoring for an audience.

Was this the key Qin Fuhua had been seeking, or merely one of the manor's chambers?

Why had Jiayi chosen to conceal it within the pages of a book?

The mystery swirled around her like a dense fog, obscuring the truth from view and leaving her grasping at elusive strands of understanding.

With a determined resolve, Suyin rose to her feet, the weight of the key resting against her chest a tangible reminder of the task that lay ahead.

"I suppose it's time to confirm whether this is indeed the key," she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dressed in the guise of a medicine man, her hair tightly bound and her attire carefully arranged to conceal her true identity, Suyin approached outside of the courtyard with a mixture of apprehension and determination.

Just as she reached past near a tree, a sudden disturbance shattered the tranquility of the night.

*SWOOP*

An arrow whizzed past Suyin's face with alarming speed, the rush of air sending a shiver down her spine as she stumbled backward, her heart pounding in her chest.

Frantically, she scanned the darkness, her senses heightened as she searched for any sign of the unseen assailant lurking in the shadows.

Suyin's heart raced as she surveyed her surroundings, her senses on high alert in the wake of the sudden ambush.

The origin of the arrow remained shrouded in mystery, a silent assailant lurking beyond the veil of darkness. But one thing was clear—this was no mere coincidence. Someone had deliberately targeted her.

Suyin approached the tree where the arrow had embedded itself, a small, folded paper wedged between the wooden shaft and the rough bark.

Gingerly, she extracted the arrow, her fingers fumbling with the unfamiliar task. Finally, with a sense of anxiety, she unfolded the note, her eyes scanning the hastily scrawled words. "Suyin.

Please meet me at the place where the lights float above the sky.

Tienzheng." The message sent a shiver down Suyin's spine, its cryptic nature leaving her with more questions than answers.

Was this a genuine plea for assistance from Qin Fuhua, or a cunning trap laid by an unknown adversary?

The uncertainty gnawed at her, casting a shadow of doubt over her next move.

As she weighed her options, Suyin couldn't shake the nagging feeling of unease that gripped her. Was it worth the risk to heed Tienzheng's summons, or was she walking headlong into a carefully laid trap?

As the scent of orange wafted from the paper, Suyin's senses snapped to attention, her mind racing with newfound clarity.

"No. It had to be him," she declared with a conviction born of intuition, her instincts guiding her with unwavering certainty.

It was an uncanny thing: this instinctual recognition that Suyin harbored for Qin Fuhua.

In a time when trust was a rare commodity and deception lurked around every corner, their connection transcended the confines of conventional understanding.

The subtle fragrance clinging to the paper served as a silent testament to their shared history, a bond forged interestingly.

In the ancient days, when paper was a precious commodity coveted by nobles and commoners alike, Qin Fuhua had taken great care to ensure the discretion of his correspondence.

His papers bore a special marking—a hidden symbol of a phoenix, revealed only when illuminated by candlelight. It was a sign known only to his most trusted confidants, a testament to the depth of their allegiance.

But what set Suyin apart was her keen sense of distinction to specifically Qin Fuhua. Her ability to discern the faintest traces of a familiar scent amidst the chaos of the world around her.

With a sense of purpose coursing through her veins, Suyin tucked the paper into the folds of her robe, its weight a tangible reminder of the task that lay ahead.

Without hesitation, she set off into the night, her footsteps quickening as she made her way toward the heart of Liaoping—the place where the lights danced in the sky, and where destiny awaited.