In Tianshangjing, every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. To do anything required money, and those who could afford a residence were generally considered well-off. Naturally, the better the location and the closer it was to the Imperial City, the higher the land prices and the more exquisite the renovations.
For instance, the area around Xiyuan Street was inhabited by imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking court officials. Not a single resident lacked weight; each held a position of supreme dignity. However, not all officials were wealthy. Without imperial rewards, life could be quite tight.
Ye Zhao’s father fell into this category. Fortunately, he was resourceful and knew how to scrape together small sums of money from various sources. Ye Zhao’s mother was the daughter of a merchant family; when she married, her dowry included several shops. These had been managed well over the years, providing a steady monthly income. A few years back, they had even managed to purchase a two-entry courtyard house just two streets away from Xiyuan Street.
At the first light of dawn, Jiang Ziqi came looking for Ye Zhao. He wondered if Ye Zhao was truly angry, given that he hadn't visited in several days. Entering the room with practiced familiarity, he found the man still fast asleep.
Jiang Ziqi’s guilt vanished instantly. He briskly whipped away the quilt, cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "Ye Zhao, do you want a fan?"
He spoke with such righteous confidence that he didn't look like someone returning a lost item, but rather like a young master waiting for someone to beg him for a favor.
The person in bed, hair a tangled mess, felt his eyelashes flutter. His eyes remained closed as he muttered, "...Don't want it. I already have a fan."
Jiang Ziqi stood by the bed, first stunned, then exasperated. "...Wake up. I haven't even given you the fan yet. Where would you get another one? You couldn't have bought one yourself, could you? Didn't your allowance hit rock bottom for the month ages ago?"
Seeing that Ye Zhao still wouldn't turn over, he shook him vigorously. "Wake up, wake up! Stop daydreaming! Hey!"
He was prepared to resort to a slap if Ye Zhao didn't wake, but his loud voice proved effective. Ye Zhao’s sleepiness was successfully driven away.
With a face full of impatience and eyes half-closed, Ye Zhao reached blindly under his pillow, searching for something. After a moment, he pulled an object out. "I have one... stop bothering me."
Having said that, he looked ready to drift back into a morning nap.
Confused, Jiang Ziqi snatched the object from his hand. As he unfolded it, his eyes widened in irrepressible admiration.
It was a folding fan of extraordinary craftsmanship. Though the material was unknown, its immense value was apparent at a glance. It was double-sided in black and white, with ribs made of a solid black material that felt cool and delicate to the touch. The two sides were as distinct as the borders of rivers, without a single stray thread or visible stitch on the satin surface.
The more Jiang Ziqi looked, the more intrigued he became. He noticed a small pendant hanging from the fan—a red jade piece the size of a knuckle, strung on a fine red cord. It was shaped like half of a Bagua diagram, easily overlooked if one didn't look closely.
Jiang Ziqi held it up to the light, but even after careful study, he couldn't identify the type of jade. However, he recognized the cord's knot immediately. Though it looked somewhat old, Jiang Ziqi knew at a glance that it was a "Lovesickness Knot," the kind exchanged between lovers during the Shangyuan Festival in the State of Wei!
Dumbfounded, he shook Ye Zhao repeatedly, his eyes alight with excitement and shock. "Ye Zhao, Ye Zhao, wake up!"
"You have a sweetheart and didn't tell your brother?! You kept this hidden tight! Quick, tell me, which family's young lady is it?"
Ye Zhao, his head throbbing from the noise, reluctantly opened his eyes and sat up. He ran a hand through his hair and yawned. "What are you talking about?"
He hadn't even processed Jiang Ziqi’s rapid-fire questioning.
Jiang Ziqi pressed him fiercely. "Which girl gave you this fan? You went and got engaged in secret? Were you going to wait until your wedding day to tell me?"
What on earth?
Ye Zhao was confused at first, but when he saw the fan in Jiang Ziqi’s hand, he understood. He lunged forward, grabbing Jiang Ziqi’s wrist and making a silencing gesture. He lowered his voice. "Shh! Keep it down! No one gave me this fan. I found it at home!"
"At home?" Jiang Ziqi blurted out. A second later, his face darkened. "Are you kidding me? If your family had such a fine fan, why haven't I seen it before?"
Ye Zhao glanced toward the door. Seeing no one, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I told you to keep it down!! I really did find this fan at home."
Seeing Ye Zhao’s serious expression, Jiang Ziqi said half-doubtingly, "Uncle Ye doesn't usually use fans. Did you buy this before?" He turned the fan over and over, suspicious. It didn't seem right; Ye Zhao couldn't afford something this expensive.
He was right.
Ye Zhao shook his head. "I didn't buy it. I found it in our storage room, inside a box where my mother keeps her valuables."
Jiang Ziqi froze. "Why would Aunt Ye have..."
"!"
Before he could finish, he suddenly looked like a rooster being strangled, cutting his words short. Jiang Ziqi’s eyes bulged as he stared at Ye Zhao. Both saw the same realization in each other's eyes.
Heavens! Aunt Ye was secretly hiding a man’s folding fan!!!
Thinking of the implications behind this, Jiang Ziqi was inevitably shaken and instinctively covered his mouth. No wonder Ye Zhao wanted him to be quiet.
After a long silence, he stammered, "Aunt... Aunt Ye... she... she... she couldn't possibly!!!"
In the end, only those words could express his current shock.
Ye Zhao let out a weary sigh. "I didn't expect it either. But this fan must have been in my mother's possession for a long time. At least, in my memory, I've never seen her close to any other man. My father and mother have a very good relationship."
Last night, he had only intended to dig out some of his old clothes and toys to sell for a bit of cash, only to accidentally stumble upon this fan. He didn't know who it belonged to or why his mother was hiding it, but since it wasn't his father's, there had to be a reason.
Perhaps they were overthinking it. What could a single object prove? He had taken the fan simply because he liked it; he planned to ask his mother about it after some time had passed.
As he thought this, he looked up to see his companion staring at him with an exceptionally complex expression—a mix of shock, doubt, and some sort of wild speculation. It made his skin crawl.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jiang Ziqi swallowed hard and rubbed his chin. His eyes scanned Ye Zhao’s face as he tested the waters in a tiny whisper. "Ye Zhao... do you ever feel like... you and Uncle Ye... uh... don't look very much alike?" He used his fingers to indicate a small gap.
Ye Zhao’s expression shifted. How could he not hear the subtext? His face darkened. "Then do you think I look like my mother?"
Jiang Ziqi thought for a moment and shook his head honestly. "Uh, not really."
"Then why don't you just guess that I'm a foundling? That my parents picked me up and raised me with such painstaking care that they spoil me even more than your parents spoil you, and you actually look like them?"
"..."
The comparison was a low blow. Before Jiang Ziqi could even clutch his chest, Ye Zhao’s voice returned to its usual calm. He pointed a finger toward the door. "Please depart in a 'round' fashion immediately. The time for our social gathering has not yet arrived."
Jiang Ziqi choked. "..." The boat of friendship capsizes just like that!
Ye Zhao had a poisonous tongue, and there was no antidote for it. Jiang Ziqi couldn't be bothered to argue. He tilted his nose to the sky and gave a heavy huff. "Social gathering? What gathering? Go make an appointment with someone else. This young master has friends everywhere; I'm going to meet them now. As for you? Heh~"
That last sound was particularly meaningful. Having said his piece, he fanned himself with his newly bought folding fan and strode out with his head held high, looking like a majestic... swan.
Ye Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. Over the years, the two had traded barbs countless times, yet they remained the best of friends. However, Jiang Ziqi wasn't wrong about one thing: he did have many friends. He seemed able to chat with anyone, and over time, he had become exceptionally well-informed.
Ye Zhao was different. He didn't have many friends; strictly speaking, Jiang Ziqi was his only intimate companion. But he didn't mind.
After Jiang Ziqi left, a dark shadow flashed across Ye Zhao’s roof, moving so quickly it alerted no one. Tucked into the shadow's robe was a small booklet.
The shadow entered Qiongyu Pavilion, and the booklet soon found its way into Wei Feng’s hands. It contained a clear record of everything Ye Zhao had done over the past few days—whom he had met, what he had said, and his travel logs.
As Wei Feng flipped through the contents, his eyebrows shot up toward the end. Then, a grin suddenly broke across his fierce face. "Madam Ye is secretly keeping a man’s folding fan? Hahahaha..."
In the capital, everyone knew how much the Ye couple doted on their son. If there truly were a problem with Ye Zhao’s parentage, it would be the joke of the century. To have cherished a fish eye as a pearl for so many years—the thought made Wei Feng want to laugh until his bones itched. He even maliciously hoped the suspicion was true; it would provide him with great entertainment.
The next moment, he tossed the booklet back to the black-clad Yulin Guard. His expression shifted instantly back to one of cold indifference. "Continue monitoring him."
"Yes." The man retreated efficiently. Every member of the Yulin Guards knew that Wei Feng was mercurial; it was best not to say a word more than necessary.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhao remained unaware that he was being watched at every moment. He continued his quiet life, seemingly having long forgotten his encounter with Wei Feng.
The June weather was fickle. One moment it was clear and cloudless; a few days later, it was a constant drizzle under a blanket of grey. This brought joy to some and worry to others.
The day before the Flower Feast, Ye Zhao sat at home watching the rain. He thought to himself, "Good! Don't stop tomorrow either. Let's see how you hold a Flower Feast then. Are you going to admire flowers in the rain?"
Hahahaha... He was gloating internally.
That night, a fine rain fell. While most households were deep in sleep, several fast horses galloped from outside the city into Tianshangjing, racing through the deserted streets.
"Whoa—"
The riders pulled their reins in front of a grand manor, the horses snorting as they came to a halt. One man went up to knock. "Open up! The Young Master has returned!"
Before long, the main gates swung open. Lights flickered on in room
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Once, I Was a Legend | Chapter 6 | Secrets and Returns | Novela.app | Novela.app
