From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Nineteen: Night

It was late at night when they returned to Zilan Pavilion. As soon as Han Fei entered, he dragged Wei Zhuang to a side hall to discuss Tianze's matter. Wei Zhuang was pulled away with a dark expression the entire time. Before entering the side hall, Han Fei glanced back at Xu Huang, his eyes devoid of any seriousness, only a gloating expression that seemed to say, "You caused this mess, you'll have to deal with it yourself." Xu Huang ignored him and walked straight to the main hall.

Only a single lamp illuminated the main hall. Nongyu sat before the zither table, the zither already covered with a brocade cloth, and the Purple Lightning Sword case placed to one side of the table. She did not play the zither, but simply sat quietly.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her gaze sweeping from his face to his shoulders, then from his shoulders to his hands. There were no injuries, and even the hem of his clothes was clean. She breathed a sigh of relief, walked up to him, and reached out to brush away the few specks of twilight dew from his shoulder.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Two hours." Nongyu looked up. "I know you might go back to the River Bend Residence first, or you might come directly to Zilan Pavilion. If you're unsure, just wait here for now."

"Come directly here from now on." Xu Huang sat down at the table, picked up the cup of tea she had left, which was still warm.

Nongyu sat down beside him, reached out and took his hand in hers, gently tracing circles on the calluses on his palm with her fingertips.

"Tianze neither agreed nor refused. He's weighing Han Fei's options. Yan Lingji glanced at me a couple more times." Xu Huang paused, "Han Fei said so."

Nongyu's fingertips paused on the back of his hand for a moment, then continued drawing circles without saying a word.

The sound of a door hinge turning came from the side hall. Han Fei peeked out, his gaze lingering for a moment on their clasped hands before a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. He then straightened his robes and strolled over leisurely. Wei Zhuang followed behind him, leaning against the doorframe of the main hall, arms crossed. His cold profile was expressionless, but the glance he gave Han Fei's back clearly carried a hint of "you're here again" impatience.

"I hope I didn't disturb you." Han Fei sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "By the way, Brother Xu, there's something I haven't finished saying at the ferry. You didn't notice Yan Lingji, but I saw it clearly. When she came out from behind Tianze, she looked at Wei Zhuang first, then at me, and when she finally saw you, her eyes were different."

"Something's not right." Zi Nu walked over from the side hall, carrying an empty teapot, and sat down at the table.

"When she looked at Wei Zhuang and me, it was with that 'I've seen plenty of people like that.' But when she looked at Brother Xu," Han Fei said, holding his teacup and glancing towards Nongyu, a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips, "that smile wasn't because she thought you were impressive, it was because she thought you were interesting. That one look she gave you when she turned around wasn't directed at Wei Zhuang and me. Nongyu, don't you think?"

Wei Zhuang leaned against the door frame, let out a very soft hum through his nose, and turned his head away.

Nongyu's fingertips paused lightly on the back of Xu Huang's hand. She looked up at Han Fei, then lowered her head again to continue drawing circles. "What do you think, young master?"

"I didn't notice," Xu Huang said.

Nongyu lowered her head and drew a circle on the back of his hand, without asking any further questions.

Zi Nu, holding her teacup, paused for a moment on Xu Huang's face before shifting to Nong Yu. Nong Yu was looking down, her ears slightly red, but her expression was composed. Zi Nu put down her teacup and suddenly asked, "How does that Yan Ling Ji compare to Nong Yu?"

Han Fei nearly choked on the tea he had just drunk, coughing twice, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. Wei Zhuang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, his face darkening further, and he didn't even bother to hum, simply hugging his arms tighter.

Xu Huang raised his head and met Zi Nu's gaze. "Not as pretty as you."

Zi Nu paused slightly in her teacup, then lowered her head and took a sip. "I was asking about Bi Nongyu."

"None of you are as good-looking as you."

Zi Nu set down her teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the table. "How many people have you said this to?"

"It depends on who's asking."

Zi Nu didn't ask any more questions. Han Fei, holding his teacup, suddenly felt a deep respect in his eyes. He lowered his voice, "Brother Xu, I've known you for so long, but only today have I realized you're a true warrior. If it were me, I wouldn't have been able to answer Zi Nu's question, even if you killed me."

"You're envious," Xu Huang said calmly.

Han Fei coughed lightly, glancing subconsciously at Zi Nu before quickly looking away. "Honestly, you know what Yan Ling Ji meant by those two glances." He stood up, patted Xu Huang's shoulder, and said, "I'll go and finish discussing important matters with Wei Zhuang first."

As Han Fei reached the doorway, Wei Zhuang's cold gaze swept across his face for a moment. Han Fei smiled at him, a smile tinged with guilt. Wei Zhuang ignored him, merely letting out another snort from his nose, this time deeper, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, before walking straight towards the side hall. Han Fei quickly followed, glancing back at Zi Nu after a few steps. Zi Nu was holding a teacup, head bowed, drinking tea without looking up. Han Fei withdrew his gaze, his pace quickening slightly.

Zi Nu set down her teacup, her tone returning to its usual calm and composed manner, as if the conversation had never occurred. "Since Tian Ze neither agreed nor refused, it means he's still observing. At this point, keeping him guessing is more useful than letting him think you're strong." She looked at Xu Huang, "You succeeded in that."

"It wasn't intentional."

"That's why it's more effective."

Very light footsteps echoed in the corridor. Zi Nu placed the empty teapot on the table, poured two more cups of tea, pushing one towards Xu Huang and placing the other beside Nong Yu. "The tea's cold, let's get some hot tea."

Xu Huang glanced at the deep night outside the window, then at Nongyu's slightly weary eyes, and suddenly said, "From now on, I'll live in Zilan Pavilion."

Nongyu was slightly taken aback. Zinu paused in her hand holding the teapot.

"The River Bend Residence is too far, and it's too much trouble to travel back and forth. I don't want you to move to the suburbs with me if you stay here. If I take you away, you'll miss this place. I also don't want you to wait for me under the lamp for two hours every day, and I don't want you to guess whether I'll go back to River Bend first or come directly to Purple Orchid Pavilion. From now on, I'll live here, and you'll know I'm here every night."

Nongyu felt a warmth in her heart, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. She didn't speak, but simply held his hand, her fingertips tightening their grip a little more.

Zi Nu leaned against the doorframe, holding a teapot, and remained silent for a moment before coming in and pouring another cup of tea, which she then pushed towards Xu Huang. "Nong Yu will stay in the east wing, and I'll stay in the west wing. The middle room is empty and very clean, but it lacks some everyday items. I'll have a maid bring bedding and teaware over in a bit, and he can stay there tonight." She looked at Nong Yu, "Remember what he needs, and we'll get it tomorrow."

"I'll take care of it." Nongyu smiled.

Zi Nu said nothing more, turned around and called over the maid waiting in the corridor, whispering a few instructions. The maid responded and left, her footsteps disappearing lightly in the direction of the stairs.

The main hall fell silent again. Nongyu sat beside Xu Huang, holding the Purple Lightning Sword Box, her fingers still holding his hand, her fingertips gently drawing a circle on the back of his hand.

"From now on, I'll know you're here every day."

"Um."

She lowered her head and didn't say anything more, but simply held his hand tighter.

Xu Huang did not wait until dawn on his first night back at Zilan Pavilion.

He sat up in his south-facing room and pushed open the door. The fire in the tea stove under the eaves had long since gone out, and moonlight streamed in through the window at the far end, casting a layer of silver frost on the wooden floor. Nongyu's door was tightly closed, with only a faint sliver of light shining through the crack.

He raised his hand and tapped twice.

A moment later, the door opened gently. Nongyu stood behind the door, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, wearing a plain white undergarment, her bare feet on the wooden floor. The lamplight flickered softly behind her, casting her slender and serene shadow on the doorframe. Upon seeing him, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, then her lips curved into a gentle smile.

"You're still awake."

"I can't sleep," Xu Huang said.

"Moved to a new location?"

"No." He stepped over the threshold and gently closed the door behind him. "I can't sleep if you're next door."

Nongyu's fingertips lightly caressed her sleeve, and a faint blush slowly crept onto her earlobes. She lowered her head, remaining silent, and simply turned slightly to let him in.

The room was furnished as usual. The zither hung behind the door, the Purple Lightning Sword case sat on the bedside table, and the orchid on the windowsill quietly unfurled its leaves in the moonlight. The bedding was neatly folded; she clearly hadn't lain down yet.

"You can't sleep either." He sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Hmm." Nongyu sat down beside him, her hands folded on her knees, her fingertips unconsciously tracing circles. "I know you're here. But I still can't sleep. It feels too much like a dream. I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, the light will be off when I wake up."

Xu Huang raised his hand and gently tucked a strand of her long hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear. His fingertips slid down her earlobe to her chin and paused for a moment.

"I said I'd stay here, and I won't leave." He gently lifted her chin, looked into her eyes, and said, "From now on, I'll be by your side every day."

Nongyu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a thin mist rose in her eyes. She reached out and grasped the front of his shirt, her knuckles turning slightly white, then slowly released her grip and climbed onto his shoulder.

"Then tonight," she whispered, "don't go."

Xu Huang lowered his head and kissed her lips.

The lamplight flickered gently on the table, casting the two shadows onto the wall, merging together and indistinguishable from one another. A breeze stirred outside the window, rustling the branches and leaves of the old locust tree. The gleaming purple lightning sword lay quietly in its scabbard beside the pillow, the forging patterns on its blade subtly shimmering under the lamplight.

The lamplight flickered softly on the table before going out. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling on the robes scattered on the floor. Her long hair lay spread out on the pillow, bathed in the warm, soft moonlight. Her fingers rested loosely on his shoulder, the warmth still lingering in her nails from when she had touched his back.

She found his hand in the darkness, turned his palm over, and gently drew a circle on the callus with her fingertips. The circle was drawn slowly, as if she were encircling something firmly within it.

"From now on, every day," she said softly, her voice still a little hoarse, "you'll be by my side."

Xu Huang didn't answer, but simply tightened his grip on her hand. Outside the window, the branches of the old locust tree swayed gently in the night breeze, and the moonlight slowly shifted from the east window to the west wall. She shifted her position in his arms, pressing her ear against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.

She closed her eyes, and a very slight curve appeared at the corner of her lips.

It wasn't laughter, but rather the realization that in this chaotic world, they had finally found someone to rely on.