Rong Mu could hear his own heartbeat loud and clear, and surging up alongside it came his ragged, hurried breaths.
The air rushed into his lungs too quickly, making his entire chest feel as if it were about to explode.
He knew that from the moment the abnormalities began, he could no longer run toward the lights. So Rong Mu darted almost exclusively into the darkest places he could find. Yet the deeper the darkness, the more striking and vivid the lotuses blooming beneath his feet became.
The festival robes were unique to the Flower Festival, not overly ostentatious, but rather exquisite and noble, with jade pendants chiming softly, leaving the petals that had been following him far behind.
Tonight, every household in the city had lit their lanterns, and the streets thrummed with revelry. The long, shadowed alleyways were nearly deserted, the only figures were homeless beggars dozing fitfully.
Rong Mu dared not stop for even a moment. Red lanterns flew backward in his vision. Then, just as his lungs felt ready to burst, he collided head-on with someone at a street corner.
Crashing into someone while running at full speed was dangerous. Fortunately, he was no ordinary mortal. Rong Mu twisted sharply to avoid a direct impact, pulling his hood low to conceal his white hair.
He pressed himself tightly against the wall, too terrified to move a single step.
…Because moving meant lotuses blooming beneath his feet.
The other person seemed agile as well, shifting slightly and stepping aside quickly, but steadying himself just as fast. He was tall and broad, leisurely brushing off his sleeve. In one hand hung lanterns, snacks, and even small sweet fruits.
There was no light in the alley. Rong Mu’s face was completely hidden in shadow, and he still wore his mask. Anyone with a weaker constitution would have cursed in fright.
But the other person seemed steady and composed. He paid Rong Mu no mind, nor did he speak. Without so much as a glance, he turned and walked in the direction Rong Mu had just come from.
Rong Mu peered out through his mask. That single glance sent his terror for the night skyrocketing to its peak.
Dark blue robes. Long hair tied high. One hand empty, the other carrying everything Rong Mu recognized, all his snacks, and even the pastry he had bitten into!
…Shang Cizhou.
He had gone to find a lotus for Shang Cizhou. Wasn’t Shang Cizhou supposed to be waiting where he left him? Why had he come through this shortcut, and why was he walking with such unwavering determination in the exact direction Rong Mu had just fled from,
Rong Mu didn’t dare think too deeply, because there was only one possible explanation no matter how hard he racked his brain.
Shang Cizhou had let him go alone not out of magnanimity or trust, but because he was absolutely certain that the entire capital of Great Shang was his inescapable net!
Shang Cizhou didn’t even need to take any other paths. No matter where Rong Mu was, he would be found. How many of the young noblemen on the tavern balconies earlier had been disguised Black Imperial Guards and Red Plumed Guards? The only reason so many of them would gather in one place was to watch him.
Having lost the one who once lived in Tingzhi Palace, and having been unable to consolidate power in time, Shang Cizhou had likely tasted the full bitterness of helplessness and lifelong regret.
Now he was the emperor, the master of all under heaven who controlled everything. Having caught hold of Rong Mu, he clung to him like a lifeline to redeem the past. His temperament was surely more paranoid than it had ever been.
Rong Mu drew a deep breath, watching Shang Cizhou’s indifferent back as he ignored everyone else. For the first time, he felt somewhat grateful for the man’s innate coldness and ruthlessness.
He never wasted words on people or matters he didn’t care about, nor did he spare them more than a glance. When truly angered, he simply killed and be done with it.
But right now, he was anxious to find his “Tingzhi,” and so he couldn’t care less about which clumsy fool he had bumped into. Rong Mu supported himself against the wall, retreating step by step. With every step, the ground beneath his feet flickered faintly, scattering tiny motes of green and white.
Those green-white sparks, tinged with a hint of purple, drifted lazily up into the night sky.
Seeing that the man showed no sign of turning around, Rong Mu finally gritted his teeth, turned, and pulled his hood tight as he fled deeper into the darkness.
But he did not see that the instant he turned, the air shifted. The man walking ahead suddenly stopped.
Shang Cizhou slowly turned back. His deep, sharp eyes took in the retreating figure.
The person was draped in a large, colorful robe, like some exotic performer straight from a variety show. The long trailing garment covered his feet.
Red lanterns swayed on either side of the alley, their wicks flaring up one after another along the path he had run, each lantern blazing as if burning through its very life to light the ground beneath his feet.
Bizarre and magnificent.
Shang Cizhou tilted his head slightly, then glanced toward the far end of the alley where voices rose and lanterns blazed. He shifted his feet, and a rich, elegant fragrance gradually filled his nostrils.
The emperor suddenly laughed.
Before Shang Cizhou could summon the hidden guards at his side, several armored figures approached from down the street.
Xiahou Yan was usually carefree and frivolous, but he was exceptionally perceptive. The last time he had provoked the relationship between Rong Mu and Li Suichuan, it was because he knew there would be no serious consequences, he simply wanted to watch the drama unfold.
But this was different. This time, Li Suichuan had set aside old grievances to seek him out specifically, saying that on the night of the Flower Festival, anyone could have an accident, but there was one person who absolutely could not suffer even the slightest mishap.
Li Suichuan, that unlucky bastard, he had been keeping a perfectly good eye on that little ancestor, so why had he suddenly run off to look at some woodcarving merchant from Nandai?! Leaving Xiahou Yan alone at the critical moment, struggling to muster enough men.
But even more terrifying was that halfway through their search, they had already encountered the emperor, who was also looking for Rong Mu.
A layer of cold sweat formed on Xiahou Yan’s back. He took a deep breath and stepped forward quickly. “Your Majesty.”
Shang Cizhou nodded. “Where is Li Suichuan?”
Xiahou Yan bowed. “General Li’s whereabouts are unknown.”
Li Yingzhi, Li Yingzhi… it’s not that I won’t save you this time. You walked right into this misfortune yourself!
Shang Cizhou made a soft sound. “Why do all of you look as pale as death?”
Xiahou Yan replied quickly, “To answer Your Majesty, we were following Young Master Rong to protect him when we arrived at the entrance to the Wan Guo Market. We saw Young Master Rong purchase a precious young lotus there, and just as he was about to leave,..”
At this point, Xiahou Yan suddenly faltered. Tiny, nearly imperceptible flecks of light sank into his body.
Shang Cizhou listened to his unfinished sentence and asked in a normal tone, “What happened to Rong Mu?”
Xiahou Yan furrowed his brows. The faces of the Red Plumed Guards behind him also gradually took on expressions of confusion and bewilderment, as if something were interfering with their minds.
Shang Cizhou chuckled. “Surely you haven’t forgotten something so trivial?”
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