Once, I Was a Legend | Chapter 39 | A Calculated Encounter | Novela.app

Jiang Ziqi officially took the first step on his journey to win his lady's heart. First, a perfect initial encounter was indispensable. From the scene layout to the pre-performance preparations, Ye Zhao had arranged everything. All that remained was for the leading man and lady to take the stage. On the first day of the second lunar month, Li Yunrong went to a painting gallery to view a new arrival of calligraphy and paintings. "The handwriting is graceful, the brushwork exquisite. Where the strokes turn, there is a hidden sharpness. It is indeed a fine piece of calligraphy." Li Yunrong turned her head and glanced at the young gentleman beside her, finding his words strangely familiar. "Oh? Does this gentleman feel the same?" she asked, looking at the scroll hanging on the wall. Jiang Ziqi’s hands tightened behind his back, but his face remained as calm as ever. Controlling the cadence of his voice, he replied, "Indeed. However, the closing of the final character leaves something to be desired. Alas... what a pity..." Having said his piece, he walked to the other side with a look of regret to examine other works on the wall. His gaze was earnest, his expression relaxed. Miss Li glanced at him once more before quietly withdrawing her gaze. In truth, Jiang Ziqi hadn't processed a single word of the scrolls before him; he was consumed by an uncontrollable nervousness. He stole a cautious glance toward Ye Zhao, who stood not far away, his eyes filled with silent inquiry. Ye Zhao gave a calm, slight nod, signaling for him to stay his hand and remain still. The two stayed in the gallery for over half an hour until the sky outside began to darken. Ye Zhao, who had been keeping a constant eye on the weather, saw his opening and gave Jiang Ziqi a hand signal. Jiang Ziqi took a deep breath and slowly drifted toward Li Yunrong. He then looked out the window as if by chance, first with surprise, then murmuring, "Eh? Is it going to rain? Better head home..." With that, he turned and walked toward the gallery entrance. Hearing his words, Li Yunrong turned to look at him. Seeing the state of the sky, her maid, Hong Ying, predictably reminded her, "Miss, should we head back as well?" "No rush, let’s look a bit longer." Li Yunrong’s expression was indifferent, but her words left the maid puzzled. If they delayed, wouldn't they get caught in the rain? The first meeting between Jiang Ziqi and Li Yunrong seemed like that of two strangers whose paths would never cross again, devoid of any connection. When Li Yunrong finally stepped out, she noticed exactly two umbrellas remaining at the gallery entrance. A faint, almost imperceptible flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. *Hmm?* "Miss, let’s go." Her maid felt only relief, thinking they were lucky the gallery had umbrellas left. She took them and opened one. "Very well," Li Yunrong replied softly. It wasn't until the two had departed that Jiang Ziqi, watching from the building across the street, finally spoke. "Ye Zhao, they’re gone. Are we done for today?" Ye Zhao gave him a cool look. "Of course not." "Come on, it’s time for your performance." As he spoke, Ye Zhao stood up and led Jiang Ziqi downstairs. However, what followed left not only Jiang Ziqi but also the group of people watching from the shadows utterly bewildered by Ye Zhao’s instructions. "You want me to run back in the rain?!" Jiang Ziqi was shocked and stunned, finding it unbelievable. "I... I... but..." He pointed at himself, then at the distant figures of Li Yunrong and her maid, his thoughts clearly in a muddle. Ye Zhao interrupted him with certainty. "Just do as I say, and I guarantee there will be a surprise!" He pointed to a nearby intersection and instructed, "Remember, take the long way around from that path and run back. If Miss Li calls out to you later, don't look back. Just keep running forward..." *Huh?* Jiang Ziqi was completely dazed, but before he could argue, Ye Zhao pushed him out into the rain without another word. Holding an umbrella, Ye Zhao stood before him and said, "I’ll wait for you here. Go on." The cold rain hitting his face finally brought Jiang Ziqi back to his senses. He looked at Ye Zhao’s expression, then at the direction where the silhouettes had disappeared. After two seconds of internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and charged in the direction Ye Zhao had indicated. On the main road, Li Yunrong’s maid spotted a figure suddenly turning out from an alleyway ahead. She said in surprise, "Eh? Isn't that the gentleman we saw in the gallery? Didn't he leave ages ago? Why doesn't he have an umbrella?" It was thanks to this man’s unintentional reminder that they had noticed the impending rain; she hadn't expected the man himself to end up in such a wretched state. After only a second, Li Yunrong said to her maid, "Hong Ying, call out to him. We have two umbrellas; we can spare one for someone else." "Oh, alright." "Gentleman ahead, wait a moment!" "Hey! The gentleman in the blue robes!" She called out twice in succession, but the man ahead only seemed to run faster. "Miss, look, he’s already run off." "Then let it be..." Li Yunrong murmured, though as she stared at the now-empty path, the doubt in her eyes deepened. Jiang Ziqi, who had gone out for a lap in the rain, had been reluctant when he left, but he was ecstatic when he returned. He began waving from a distance, shouting, "Ye Zhao, you’re a genius!" Ye Zhao quickly used his hand to block the other man’s attempt at a hug. "Easy now. Talk if you want, but keep your hands to yourself." Jiang Ziqi’s hair was soaking wet, and his outer robes were nearly drenched, yet his face was full of excitement as he peppered Ye Zhao with questions. Ye Zhao handed him a bundle he had brought along, which contained the spare clothes he had told Jiang Ziqi to bring. "Come, let’s find a place for you to change." At this time of year, the rain was biting; one could easily fall ill. They found a small inn and borrowed a room for Jiang Ziqi to change. Behind the screen, as Jiang Ziqi stripped off his wet clothes, he asked, "Ye Zhao, how did you know Miss Li would call out to me?" Ye Zhao sat by the table sipping tea. "Because of a misunderstanding." "Huh?" Jiang Ziqi didn't understand. Ye Zhao explained calmly, "Do you remember an incident written in the records you gave me? Miss Li once didn't have an umbrella in the rain and had to wait for it to stop. A young man offered her his umbrella, but she ended up giving it to someone else." "I remember." Jiang Ziqi draped his wet clothes over the screen. "How could I forget? Miss Li is just so kind-hearted! Alas..." He shook his head helplessly, though his expression was one of pure pride. Even without seeing his face, Ye Zhao could hear the tone in his voice. He paused for a moment, then said, "Don't forget who her father is. She is the daughter of a Minister of the Imperial Court; there are plenty of people who want to marry into her family." That wasn't just kindness; it was deep wariness. She didn't want to have the slightest entanglement with that man. "I suspect the two things she trusts least are 'coincidence' and 'sudden kindness,'" Ye Zhao finished slowly. Jiang Ziqi’s movements paused as he began to grasp what Ye Zhao was getting at. He walked out after changing, his face taking on a more serious expression. Then he heard Ye Zhao say, "Therefore, we must be careful when we first approach her. We cannot be too forward." "Oh..." Jiang Ziqi nodded instinctively, then remembered, "Then what did you mean by the 'misunderstanding' just now?" Ye Zhao gave a half-smile, his gaze falling on the white jade at the man's waist and the other subtle details of his attire. "People unconsciously take note of things that suit their own tastes. White jade, the color blue, lotus patterns." "These are all things Miss Li likes," he smiled. "Believe it or not, even if you only met briefly today, she has already remembered you." "The misunderstanding lies here: she originally suspected you were just another person trying to get close to her. But that lap you ran in the rain will make her believe you intentionally left the umbrella for her and chose to retreat silently into the rain yourself." "...?" Jiang Ziqi processed this for a moment. "Uh... so... she’s moved?" Jiang Ziqi was thinking purely of the act of leaving the umbrella; he hadn't yet grasped the psychological play. "No, not quite. At most, she has remembered who you are." Ye Zhao calmly took a sip of tea and continued, "Compared to those who use various obvious means to curry favor with her, this kind of silent, permeating kindness is more likely to win her over." But to put it bluntly, it was still a tactic—it just appeared more sophisticated when contrasted with the former. When Miss Li knew it was about to rain but didn't hurry to get an umbrella, she was certain Jiang Ziqi would appear to offer her one. When she called out to him later, it was half-probing and half-suspicion. But because Jiang Ziqi ran away, she concluded that while he did want to approach her, his approach was different from those in the past and would not cause her resentment. On the contrary, she might even admire it. "Oh..." Jiang Ziqi slowly understood, then suddenly reacted. "Wait! How would she know it was me? It could have been someone else! What if she thinks someone else intentionally left the umbrella for her?" Seeing Jiang Ziqi’s panic, Ye Zhao’s expression remained unchanged. He asked calmly, "Do you think I’m stupid?" It took Jiang Ziqi about two seconds to reply, "No." Ye Zhao: *You actually had to think about that?* He sighed. "That blue oil-paper umbrella Miss Li used—I added a little something to the handle." "The next time you meet, you’ll see the effect of today’s performance." Jiang Ziqi was overjoyed. He threw an arm around Ye Zhao’s shoulder. "Ye Zhao, you really are a genius! How did I never notice before that you have a belly full of schemes?" A drop of cold sweat slid down Ye Zhao’s forehead. He thought to himself, *I truly thank you for the 'compliment.'* In the shadows, a brush was moving rapidly across a small notebook. One person wrote: "Ye Zhao. Sharp-witted, possesses significant insight into calculating human hearts. Suspected of having hidden his brilliance in the past." They also recorded the entire cause and effect of today’s event as a supporting case study. *** Li Yunrong returned home and was about to put the umbrella away. "Hmm?" Her hand brushed against a texture beneath the handle. Looking closer, she saw a carved lotus pattern. Her heart stirred. She turned and asked, "Hong Ying, is this umbrella from the gallery?" The maid looked at the style of the umbrella and answered, "It should be. They all look about the same..." Indeed, the gallery’s umbrellas had no patterns on the canopy; they were very simple, no different from ordinary oil-paper umbrellas. She lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the lotus carving on the handle, and a figure emerged in her mind. *It was him...* Li Yunrong handed the umbrella to Hong Ying. She was about to return to her room when she suddenly added, "Remember to put the umbrella away carefully. Don't lose it." "Yes, Miss." Hong Ying took the two umbrellas away. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 画坊 | Painting Gallery | A studio or shop for paintings and calligraphy. 红英 | Hong Ying | Li Yunrong's maid. 莲纹 | Lotus pattern/carving | A specific decorative motif used as a plot device. 润物无声 | Silent, permeating influence | Literally "nurturing things silently," often used to describe subtle influence. 花花肠子 | Belly full of schemes | Idiom for being full of tricks or being crafty. 藏拙 | Hiding one's brilliance | Literally "hiding one's clumsiness," but used to mean concealing one's true talents.