When the festival ended and the crowd dispersed, I was still immersed in Nalin’s dancing, unable to snap out of it, when my father harshly slapped me across the face.
“Who told you to rise just now? The saintess and the king are watching from the royal city. If they see what you just did, the entire Mi family will be ruined because of you!”
In an instant, my ears buzzed, the world spun around me, and a surge of heat flowed from my nose. When I touched it, my hand was covered in blood, and the corner of my mouth was torn and swollen.
“Jia’er!” Mother cried out in shock, rushing over to protect me. She kneeled in front of the carriage, facing Father. “Master, Jia’er didn’t do it on purpose. He was just curious and couldn’t hold himself back for a moment. Please, don’t punish him.”
“If the saintess holds it against us, I’ll personally skin you, you little brat, and offer it as an apology!”
“Master, please don’t blame him. If anyone should be punished, it’s me. I, as his mother, failed to teach him properly! Today is Jia’er’s birthday as well. For the sake of her birthday, please spare her!” Mother was so terrified that she lost her senses. She crawled forward, prostrating herself at Father’s feet, but he kicked her in the chest, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Ignoring the pain in my body, I cried as I crawled forward and hugged Mother. My younger sister, frightened, was also crying, kneeling beside Mother, helpless and trembling uncontrollably.
“Aiya, Master, please calm down. It’s not worth harming your health over this illegitimate son…” The first madam gently comforted Father, helping him into the carriage. My legitimate older brother and sister also coldly followed, climbing into the carriage. They didn’t usually bully us; they simply regarded us as insignificant, like ants, ignoring us completely. Although we lived under the same roof for many years, the two branches of the family felt like entirely separate worlds.
Father didn’t even spare us a glance. He simply got into the carriage and left without a word.
“Mi Jia!”
I followed the sound and was surprised to see it was Master Tai, the tutor from the private school. He didn’t look like his usual gentle, refined self. His face was ashen as he helped me up and looked at Mother. “What happened? Why did he beat you all like this?”
“Thank you, Master Tai.” I took the handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, trying to help Mother up. She trembled, clearly injured internally from the kick, unable to rise. Master Tai extended his hand, seemingly wanting to help her, but Mother bent away from him, lowering her head and saying, “Men and women should not have physical contact. Please, avoid any suspicion, Master Tai.”
Master Tai’s hand hung in the air, trembling slightly, before he slowly withdrew it.
“Second Madam, please get into the carriage quickly. If we return late, I fear the Master will direct his anger at you.” A deep, muffled voice came from behind. It was Uncle Balu, the stableman we were familiar with. For some reason, his eyes were also red, and this large, muscular man, like an ox, kneeled before Mother. He lay flat on the ground, allowing her to step on his back to get into the carriage.
I helped Mother and my younger sister into the carriage, and just as I was about to follow, Mother stopped me. Puzzled, I saw her wiping the blood from beneath my nose and the corner of my mouth with tears in her eyes. She then looked toward Master Tai. “Master Tai, please let Mi Jia stay with you for the night. Once the Master calms down, you can send him back. The Master is angry tonight, and if he returns now, I don’t know how badly he’ll be beaten.”
“Alright,” Master Tai said, gently squeezing my shoulder and speaking in a soft voice. “Second Madam, don’t worry. I will take good care of Jia’er.”
Jia’er?
Master Tai had never called me so kindly before, but instead of feeling strange, I felt a warmth in my heart. I followed him back to his residence, where he personally applied ointment to my injuries and even made me a bowl of sweet porridge. The taste was surprisingly similar to what Mother used to make, and I ate it with great satisfaction.
That night, I didn’t sleep a wink.
The next day, before the sky even brightened, I quietly slipped out of Master Tai’s residence.
When I reached the tree, noticing that Bai Ha’er was not on it, I knew it was a signal that I could go in. I was overjoyed and quickly climbed the tree and scaled the wall. As I peeked over, I was surprised to see a figure in red standing by the wall, where the shadows of the tree were thick. He looked up, as though he had been waiting for a long time.
I jumped down and said, “You’ve been up this early?”
“I… couldn’t sleep the whole night.”
“What a coincidence… I couldn’t sleep either,” I said, gazing at him. Amid the dappled tree shadows, he was still wearing the extravagant outfit from the ritual dance the night before, like the dawn’s first light—beautiful, breathtaking.
“Happy Birthday, Mi Jia.”
—So, he had been waiting here all night just to say this to me.
“Thank you,” I murmured. “Your dance… it was beautiful.”
“I… only practiced for two days, so it wasn’t very good.” He said.
My heart skipped a beat—two days, just two days?
Had he practiced it only after learning my birthday? Did he really dance just to show it to me?
Born on the Ghost Festival, a day dedicated to honoring spirits and gods, and as an illegitimate child, my birthday had always been deliberately ignored and overlooked. Mother and my younger sister would only celebrate it privately, never daring to do so openly. Yet, he, he danced a celebratory dance for me at the grand, nationwide Ghost Festival.
I stood there, and all the pent-up frustration and grievances from the past few days seemed to vanish. As I saw him slowly approach, his blue eyes fixed on my face, his gaze lingered on the corner of my lips. His expression darkened, and his brows furrowed.
“What’s wrong with you?” His long, jade-like fingers touched my cheek. “How did you get hurt like this?”
I was startled, shaking my head and using my hair to cover the swollen corner of my lips, not wanting him to see my disheveled appearance. “I disturbed a hornet’s nest and got stung. It’s fine, it’ll go away in a couple of days. By the way, this ring… I don’t need it anymore. Master said I can use a flamestone instead. I came to return it to you.”
As I spoke, I took the carnelian ring from my chest, but my wrist was suddenly grasped, and the distance between us closed in an instant. I almost collided with the boy’s thin frame, no different from mine. His blue eyes, so close, seemed to stir up an ocean of turbulent waves, as if some emotion was about to surge forth and engulf me.
“What I gave you is yours.” His burning fingers touched the corner of my lips. “It hurts…”
I stared at him, feeling as if I were dreaming, dazedly shaking my head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore…”
“I’m hurt. I’m hurts so much.” He stared at the corner of my lips, his voice seeming to burst out from between his teeth. “As the Saint Lord, I should protect all the people, yet I can’t even protect the one I want to keep safe. What’s the point of all my constant cultivation?”
My heart skipped a beat, and unable to hold back any longer, I grasped his hand that was at the corner of my lips. Rising onto my tiptoes, I placed a quick kiss on his cheek. As my lips touched his delicate skin, I was immediately jolted back to reality, startled by my own boldness. I hurriedly stepped back, but to my surprise, he was staring at me, his eyes seemingly filled with a newfound resolve. He took two steps forward, closing the distance, then raised his hand and firmly gripped my shoulders. My back hit the stone wall, and the next moment, his lips pressed against mine, they were softer than flower petals.
“Umm!”
I trembled, gripping his collar tightly, my hands twisting it into a knot as I urgently responded. But we were both inexperienced youths, not knowing how to kiss each other. We only clumsily nipped at each other’s lips, our teeth clashing, and soon, our intertwined tongues were tinged with a faint sweetness and saltiness.
It was only when we were both out of breath that we reluctantly pulled away from each other.
I felt as though I were dreaming, breathlessly touching his face, afraid that the next moment, I would wake up. But then he caught my wrist and pressed it against the wall, kissing me again. I held him tightly, feeling the frantic rhythm of our heartbeats as they seemed to beat in unison. Only then did I realize that this was all real.
My beloved, this solitary and noble prince, this distant and untouchable Young Saint Lord, shared the same feelings as I did. We were both in love, no longer seeing each other just as the best of friends.
By the time we finally parted, our clothes and hair were in disarray. I felt the difference in our bodies, and in disbelief, I looked down, instantly feeling my ears burn with heat. “Why are you also…”
He immediately turned his back, fastening his belt.
I was too embarrassed to bear it, turning to climb the wall, but before I could even get halfway up, my waist was tightly embraced, and I was pulled back down. His hands formed a cage, trapping me between the wall and his chest. “Are you going to leave again? Leave without a word again? That day, in front of everyone, I couldn’t acknowledge you… Are you angry?”
