Just one glance, I promised myself, just one glance and then I would return.
As I climbed further up the mountain through the forest, a striking octagonal white pavilion suddenly appeared before my eyes. At the same time, I was astonished to see that the pavilion was surrounded by many small animals—deer, rabbits, wildcats, and even a mother white wolf with her cubs. There were also numerous birds, squirrels, and monkeys perched in the trees. It was as if all these creatures had gathered here to listen to the flute music coming from within the pavilion.
I held my breath, afraid to disturb the animals or the person playing the flute. But just then, a bee landed on my shoulder. Startled, I jumped and dodged, causing all the little animals to scatter into the forest and vanish. The person inside, perhaps unaware, continued playing the flute, the melody still flowing.
I held back my curiosity for a moment, but eventually, it surged up inside me. I rubbed my hands together and started climbing the tree closest to the courtyard. After a short climb, I discovered an opening in the roof of the pavilion, where I could catch a glimpse of the interior. The sound of the flute grew clearer and closer with each step.
The person playing the flute was right beneath the skylight.
Inch by inch, I carefully climbed along the increasingly narrow tree trunk, reaching directly above the skylight and peering down below.
Just this one glance, and I was frozen in place.
A youth dressed in luxurious robes was sitting cross-legged in the center of the grass in the courtyard below, playing the flute. His black hair was as dark as ink, and his skin was whiter than snow, resembling a divine being. The flutist was none other than the one who had occupied my thoughts and dreams for the past half month, the subject of countless sketches… the Young Saint Lord of the Tusheng Sect, the noble Ninth Prince.
Perhaps my breathing was too rapid, as the person below seemed to hear the noise and looked up.
I tried to shrink back, but it was in vain. I couldn’t avoid it and met his cold, piercing blue gaze.
He looked at me indifferently, my reflection appearing in the depths of his eyes as his lips moved away from the flute.
“Who are you?” His voice was cold, like jade striking against stone, echoing in the stillness of a frozen lake.
I stared at him foolishly, unsure of how to respond. Suddenly, I heard the fluttering of wings as birds took flight, and a flash of white caught my peripheral vision. In the next moment, I felt my waist belt loosen, and when I turned, I saw a large white bird swoop down and snatch the bag containing my mineral stones. My heart jolted in panic, and without thinking, I lunged to grab it. I forgot I was still perched on the tree, and with nothing beneath me, I plummeted straight down.
The boy’s body, which was almost as thin as mine, was pressed firmly down by me.
The faint scent of sandalwood mixed with another indescribable, pleasant fragrance filled my nose, tugging at my heart. My pulse quickened, and with my elbows propped up, I lifted my body, only to find myself staring directly into those piercing blue eyes, mere inches away.
My heartstrings trembled violently.
In that moment, I suddenly understood what my mother had meant by… the awakening of love.
“I’m… I’m Mi Jia, and you?” I murmured.
“Get up.”
The young prince’s pale face flushed with a faint blush, clearly angered by my impudent intrusion. His brows furrowed slightly, and his blue eyes exuded coldness. It was only then that I came to my senses and quickly leaping to my feet. I reached out to help him, but my hand was blocked by the flute. As he stood up, I realized that although he seemed to be about my age, he was much taller, almost the same height as my father.
“Who are you? How did you come here?”
He looked indifferent, his expression unchanged, not showing any signs of anger. I sighed in relief. “I’m… I’m a painter, I come here to gather minerals. I heard you playing the flute by chance, and out of curiosity, I decided to climb the tree to take a look. By the way, my minerals…” I suddenly remembered the large bird and looked around. Sure enough, in one corner of the courtyard, I spotted a flash of white, the same bird from earlier, pecking at my cloth bag.
“Hey, that’s not for you to eat!” I took a couple of steps forward, but to my surprise, the large bird with white feathers and red wings spread its wings and strutted toward me, stretching its neck and seemingly preparing to peck at me.
“That’s my mineral! I’ve been collecting it for half a month, move aside!” In my panic, I threw off my boots and hurled them at the bird, but it showed no fear, letting out a loud cawing sound.
“Bai Ha’er!”
A soft shout came from behind, and the arrogant bird immediately lowered its red crest, ceased its aggressive display, and obediently crouched to one side, transforming from a fierce fighting rooster into a brooding hen.
“Pfft—” I stuck out my tongue at the bird, quickly picking up the minerals and putting them back into my pouch. As I turned around to thank him, I saw him quietly watching me, and I couldn’t help but feel my ears burn. I almost forgot how to speak.
“…Thank you very much.”
“No need.” He lifted his gaze and glanced behind me. “Can you climb out?”
“Is there no way to leave through the front gate?” I scratched my head, looking at the surrounding courtyard walls. Although I’ve been good at climbing trees and collecting bird eggs since I was little, the courtyard walls are quite tall compared to my height, so it would be a bit difficult to climb out.
“If you’re not afraid of death, feel free to try.” He said coldly.
It was then that I remembered his identity, looks like I’ve barged into the royal grounds, haven’t I?
I looked at him, wanting to speak but hesitating. He hadn’t gotten angry earlier and was now asking me in such a way, he is clearly a kind person. After hesitating several times, I finally asked, “You… can you help me?”
“How can I help?”
I made a gesture of lifting upwards with my hands. “Lift, lift me up.”
He frowned, standing there without moving.
I immediately regretted it; after all, he was a prince. How could I ask him such a thing?
“Forget I said anything.” I scratched my head, biting the cloth pouch with my mouth. I unfastened my belt, using one end to tie the pouch securely. I tried tossing it towards the tree a few times, and to my surprise, it caught.
I gave it a tug, and it seemed secure enough. I put my boots back on, wrapped the belt around my arm, and began to climb, pushing off the wall. I was almost at the top of the courtyard wall when I suddenly heard the snap of a branch above my head.
How terrible!
Just as my body started to fall, I felt a tightness around my knees, and a pair of arms caught me.
Quickly, I grabbed the edge of the courtyard wall and looked down.
A pair of blue eyes reflected my figure, along with the blazing, fiery azalea above.
Climbing to the top of the pavilion, my face still burned with embarrassment. I reached the tree trunk but couldn’t resist looking back. I called out to the figure walking towards the pavilion’s corridor, “My name is Mi Jia! Can we be friends? Your flute music… it sounds so lonely. Can I still come back here to find you?”
The figure paused in its steps.
I held my breath for a moment before I heard the voice of the young man, cold as ice.
“Do you know who I am?”
I bit my lip, knowing I had to pretend that I didn’t.
“I don’t know, but I know that no matter who you are, you’re human, and like me, you need friends.”
There was no response, and the footsteps faded away.
— No refusal, so I’ll take it as an acceptance!
“I’ll come again!” I shouted towards the pavilion, using my hands to make a trumpet shape.
