The twelfth of March.
Everyone in Jinye City, from the royal family down to the common folk, knew that on this day, Princess Lanling would be holding the Peach Blossom Banquet at Yulin Garden, five li outside the city.
Yulin Garden was a royal garden built on the banks of the Weak Water River. Nestled against the mountains and by the water, the shadows of flowers dappled its white walls and flying eaves, while tender willows softly concealed carved beams and painted rafters. Every step revealed a new vista, each frame as perfect as a painting.
They say spring rain is as precious as oil. The sky, once clear and vast, had unknowingly begun to drizzle. A scent unique to early spring filled the damp air.
Liang Wan stood on the bank, inhaling softly. It was the distinct smell of earth and vegetation mixed together, yet it also carried a sweet hint of peach blossoms. It was nothing like the biting cold of a world locked in ice and snow. The fragrance filled her lungs, easing her heart.
It was the scent of life.
Liang Wan closed her eyes. Only someone who had died could understand.
After a long moment, footsteps echoed on the boardwalk behind her. Without turning, Liang Wan guessed it must be Feng Qingyue. They had arranged to meet here.
'Even if I can't be too explicit,' Liang Wan thought, 'I have to warn Qing Yue to be careful. Cui Hao is not a good man.'
'But how can I say it in a way that she'll believe me?'
She still hadn't figured it out.
As she was lost in thought, a sudden warmth wrapped around her waist, carrying the faint scent of ink. She knew that scent all too well!
Liang Wan's entire body went stiff and numb. A wave of revulsion surged through her.
"Aweng?"
Cui Hao was caught off guard when she tore herself away with brute force, nearly losing his footing. He had barely opened his mouth to speak when a heavy slap landed across his face, stinging fiercely.
Liang Wan turned to face him, her gaze cold.
"Aweng, it's me. What… what's wrong with you?"
Cui Hao cupped his cheek, utterly bewildered.
'He didn't know if it was his imagination, but the woman before him was Aweng, and yet, not Aweng.'
'Before, her beautiful eyes had sparkled with every glance, and her gentle smile held a touch of innocence and sincerity. She possessed an indescribable, bright beauty.'
'But now, she was like a flame from Purgatory. The deep hatred in her reddened eyes was impossible to miss, even through the veil of cold, misty rain.'
A cool breeze slipped under his collar, sending a chill through him. Cui Hao found he didn't dare to meet her gaze.
"Are… are you angry I wasn't on time the other day? You know my mother isn't well, and she happened to have an episode that day. Did you run into danger?"
As she stared at him without a word, Cui Hao's mind began to race.
'With a reaction like this, could Zhang Shu have succeeded? But isn't he dead? Could she have been the one who killed Zhang Shu? But how could a pampered young lady like her have that kind of strength?'
'She couldn't possibly know that we orchestrated the whole thing, right? No, there's no way she could know. Besides, if she really knew, how could Chun'er still be safe and sound?'
Cui Hao swallowed hard, suppressing the unease in his heart. He forced a smile. "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
His voice was clear, yet tinged with a deliberate attempt to please her.
Liang Wan snapped back to reality. She lowered her head, struggling to drag the last remnants of her sanity back from the inferno of her rage. Beneath her sleeves, she slowly clenched her fists.
Once she had suppressed her malice, she looked up again, her tone icy. "Cui Xiaolang, although you come from a Commoner Clan, you are said to be well-read in the classics. How can your private conduct be so base and presumptuous? How dare you disregard propriety and use my given name? Are you trying to ruin my reputation?"
Her gaze was as still as an ancient well. Beneath that calm and certainty, it seemed as if all his shameful thoughts were being laid bare for the world to see.
Cui Hao forced a smile, feigning a casual and somewhat innocent tone. "What's gotten into you? Haven't I always called you that?"
'Chun'er had told him that day that Liang Wan was different, but he hadn't paid it any mind. Only now, seeing her for himself, did he realize it was true.'
'But why would she change so completely overnight? He couldn't figure it out.'
"Besides, it's just us here. There's no one else around."
Liang Wan watched his flickering gaze and spoke unhurriedly. "Us? Cui Xiaolang, please watch your words. You and I have only met a few times. How dare you speak of 'us'? Or could it be that I have done something improper in the past to give you the wrong impression?"
Cui Hao's expression stiffened. "The wrong impression?"
Liang Wan sneered. "If that's the case, then I will change my ways!"
She had no desire to waste any more time with him. With that, she turned to leave, making a point to walk around him as she passed.
But just as she was about to pass him, Cui Hao grabbed her arm. "Did you really fall for that Lu Xiu?"
The force of his grip made Liang Wan stumble. She looked down at the hand touching her, and a wave of nausea rose from the depths of her heart. She shoved him away with all her might.
The stone path was already wet and slippery, and Cui Hao was unprepared. He stumbled backward with a cry and, with a loud SPLASH, fell into the water.
Cui Hao couldn't swim. He thrashed about in the water, crying for help, but every time he opened his mouth, the icy river water rushed in, choking him so he couldn't form a single complete word.
Liang Wan looked down and nonchalantly straightened the sleeve he had wrinkled. Her heart was filled with disgust. 'If I hadn't been so blind and foolish back then, he wouldn't even be qualified to speak to me. How dare he touch my sleeve?'
"A… A… weng… help… hel—"
After she had smoothed out her clothes, Liang Wan finally turned her head. Seeing the man still flailing in the river, her mood inexplicably brightened.
"The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records that north of the Kunlun Mountains, there is a water whose buoyancy cannot even support a mustard seed, for which it was named Weak Water. A Buddhist Scripture also says, 'Of the three thousand leagues of Weak Water, take but a single scoop.' This Ruishui River of ours, of course, isn't the mythical Weak Water from the ancient texts."
"But, let's make do, shall we? Just think, today you get to drink far more than a single scoop—you have an inexhaustible supply! Looked at that way, Cui Xiaolang, you're truly blessed! After all, not everyone gets the chance to drink their fill!"
Water splashed everywhere. Cui Hao's mouth was full, and he was gurgling something unintelligible.
Seeing him so pathetic and exposed, Liang Wan felt a sharp sense of glee. Suddenly, she understood a little why that tyrant had always loved to watch her struggle. 'So this is it... a truly satisfying pleasure…'
Liang Wan looked away from him and began to walk forward with a graceful stride. A cold liquid trickled down her cheeks, and it was impossible to tell if it was rain, or something else.
It wasn't until she reached the end of the stone path that she heard loud shouts from the distant riverbank.
'So he's not fated to die today!'
'Fine. After all, whatever suffering and pain I endured back then, he will have to repay it all, piece by piece!'
'Death would be letting him off easy!'
"Aweng, you're finally back! It's about to start over there. I was so afraid you wouldn't make it in time and miss the main event!"
Before Liang Wan could get close, Mrs. Zhang came hurrying over, dragging Liang Jiao along with her. The gentle smile on her face was different from usual—it was clearly forced.
Looking into the distance, she saw that the path that had been empty moments ago was now crowded with people.
Mrs. Zhang's anxiety was written all over her face, while Liang Jiao's cheeks were flushed, her demeanor reserved but not artificial.
Liang Wan smiled and said lightly, "Someone fell into the water over there just now. I got caught up watching the commotion and lost track of time."
Mrs. Zhang frowned. "Didn't you say you were going to find Feng Xiao Niang?"