I Already Know
Perhaps it was the sheer striking beauty of Bai Jingyan and Xiao Rongyan's party, for they drew every eye as they walked. Xiao Rongyan and Bai Jingyan, walking side by side, were dazzling beyond all the rest.
A young girl with a flower tucked in her hair, a basket of fresh blooms hanging from her arm, approached close to them. Then, ever so carefully, she held the basket out to Bai Jingyan and gazed up at them with eyes as clear and bright as jewels.
The girl's mother, watching two lines of guards standing behind Bai Jingyan and Xiao Rongyan, guessed that this young master and his companion must be children of a wealthy house. Knowing that such people were far beyond the reach of common folk like herself, she hurried to detour around the flower stall and called out in a low voice.
"Anang, come here, quick!"
The young girl waved at her mother with a smiling face, as if she knew no fear at all. Surely the young master and young lady before her were like immortals descended from heaven—such people could only be good.
Hearing the girl called Anang, Xiao Rongyan bent down, smoothed the child's hair, picked out a flower, and slipped a silver ingot into her basket.
The girl's dark eyes went wide as she stared at the silver. Then she waved her hands frantically, pressing the ingot back into Xiao Rongyan's hands, gesturing that it was far too much.
"It's all right. Buy yourself some candy with it."
Xiao Rongyan's voice was gentle.
The girl shook her head with all her might, absolutely refusing to accept the silver.
"Steward You."
Bai Jingyan called for him.
Steward You hurried forward, drew some copper coins from his pouch, and dropped them into the girl's basket with a smile.
"Go on, then."
The girl bowed deeply at the waist and ran back to her mother, holding up her basket to show her the money.
Xiao Rongyan straightened and turned his head, looking at Bai Jingyan as she watched the girl's retreating figure, and smiled.
The girl's mother stroked her daughter's hair, pressed a few coins into the child's palm, and pointed toward a candied fruit stall. But the girl shook her head and firmly placed the coins into her mother's small cash box instead.
Xiao Rongyan handed the flower he was holding to Bai Jingyan.
"Eldest Miss Bai."
"This is for Master Xiao."
Bai Jingyan said.
Xiao Rongyan looked faintly surprised, then nodded and passed the fresh flower along to Yue Shi.
"Thank you for the gift."
The steward standing at the entrance of Tianxiang Lou caught sight of Xiao Rongyan and hurriedly gathered the hem of his robes, descending the steps to offer him a respectful bow.
"My lord, I have reserved a quiet room for you at Tianxiang Lou."
"I must repay Eldest Miss Bai for her gift of flowers, so I would like to invite Eldest Miss Bai and Fourth Miss Bai to Tianxiang Lou."
"Sister! They say you can see the Buddha Spirit Lamp Pagoda of Doryeong Temple from Tianxiang Lou!"
Bai Jinchi said, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, the place I reserved is the very top floor of Tianxiang Lou. It just so happens to offer the finest night view of Doryeong Temple!"
The steward at Xiao Rongyan's side added smoothly, quick to read the moment.
"Sister……"
Bai Jinchi tugged at Bai Jingyan's sleeve. She had already insisted on staying at the same inn on her own whim; if she pestered further, her eldest sister might well lose her temper.
But the look in Bai Jingyan's eyes as she regarded Bai Jinchi was not particularly cold.
"Then we must impose on you once more."
"This way, please."
Xiao Rongyan graciously allowed Bai Jingyan to enter first.
The attendant led the honored guests upstairs with every mark of reverence. As the winding stairs turned from the second floor to the third, Bai Jingyan caught the arrogant voice of Bai Wei coming through the closed door of a room.
"What's there to fear from the Prefect? Doesn't everyone know this is Suyang City, and Suyang City belongs to our Bai clan? However great Bai Weiting may have been, in the end he followed my grandfather's word! My grandfather is the clan head! He obeyed every command without a murmur!
Bai Weiting may be dead, but wasn't Bai Jingyan just recently invested as a Commandery Princess? And who doesn't know she's gone over to the Crown Prince's side? Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, our Bai clan will be more unshakable than ever! Here in Suyang, our Bai clan is still king!"
Bai Jingyan stopped in her tracks, eyebrows lifting. She turned her head and looked back at Steward You, who was following her.
Steward You understood her meaning at once and nodded. Then, with a pleasant smile, he gestured for those behind to go on up ahead.
Bai Jinchi suppressed her surging fury and climbed after Bai Jingyan as though she had heard nothing at all.
Big Sister came here to settle the matter of the clan. If she heard that and let it pass, there must be a reason. She couldn't act on impulse.
It was the attendant leading the way, Diancoyi, who sighed softly at those words.
Bai Jinchi's ears pricked up, and she asked with a smile.
"Why the sigh?"
Diancoyi started, straightened her back, and answered with a smile of her own.
"In a few days, the master of our Tianxiang Lou will change. So we workers may not be able to keep our posts here any longer. Forgive me, honored guest."
Bai Jinchi read the look in Bai Jingyan's eyes and pressed on.
"The master is changing? Is Tianxiang Lou not doing good business?"
Diancoyi opened the door to the room and ushered Bai Jingyan's party inside with respect. Then, as she poured the tea, she poured out her grievances as well.
"You're not from around here, are you? That's why you don't know how powerful the Bai clan is. When the Bai clan shouts 'one' in our Suyang City, no one dares shout 'two.' They've done plenty of wicked things over the years. The Duke of Zhenguo who used to shield them finally died, and now—lo and behold—there's a new Commandery Princess of Zhenguo. And they say this Commandery Princess is very close to the Crown Prince. Once the Crown Prince takes the throne, they say she'll become Empress or Noble Consort! Then the Bai clan will only run wilder than ever!"
Bai Jinchi very nearly cursed aloud. Though her face had gone deathly pale, she clenched her teeth and held it in.
"Is it only the Bai clan saying such things?"
Bai Jingyan settled herself at the octagonal table, lifted her teacup with her jade-like fingers, and blew gently across the surface of the tea to cool it.
"It's not just the Bai clan. Our master is the brother-in-law of the County Magistrate, and even the Magistrate says the same."
Diancoyi continued, her expression pained.
"The Bai clan has seized shop after shop. And now they've suddenly set their sights on our Tianxiang Lou. The Magistrate told our master that no one can win a fight against the Bai clan, so he might as well simply hand it over. The Commandery Princess of Zhenguo is soon returning to Suyang, he said—if we refuse, who knows what might happen? Refusing would only invite a greater calamity.
And whenever the Bai clan takes a shop, they cut the workers' monthly wages in half. Not long ago, the head manager of the Yulu Lotusbranch shop said he had parents to support and children to feed, and that cutting his wages in half would simply not do…… So the Bai clan beat him on the spot, with their reasons stated plainly for all to hear. They beat him so badly that the old manager died that very night! His son said nothing and quietly went to the Prefect to file a complaint against the Bai people. But I doubt even the Prefect will dare touch this matter."
Bai Jinchi's fist clenched tight. The sound of knuckles cracking echoed through her fingers.
So furious was she that she did not so much as glance at the night view of Doryeong Temple, and returned with Bai Jingyan to the inn without finishing her meal.
Seeing that Bai Jinchi could not calm her anger, Bai Jingyan decided to give her something to do: she would meet Qi Zhengyu tomorrow, so she sent word ahead with a messenger. Then, practicing with the Red-Tasseled Spear in the courtyard, she listened to Steward You's report.
"It appears the young men of the Bai clan did this behind the elders' backs. Just now, the clan head's youngest grandson summoned the head manager of Tianxiang Lou and said the owner would come tomorrow at noon. It seems they intend to force the sale of Tianxiang Lou outright."
Steward You reported.
There was no need to trouble Steward You with laying out the board. Tomorrow at noon would be the most opportune moment.
Bai Jingyan's ear twitched slightly, and in an instant her eyes turned frost-cold. The moment she pivoted, she flung the gleaming spear behind her.
Xiao Rongyan, who had been standing motionless in place, tilted his head just enough to evade the deadly point, then caught the shaft with a single hand.
Steward You hastily retreated two steps, astonishment swelling within him. Just how deep did Xiao Rongyan's martial arts run? He had come this close to the Eldest Miss without her sensing him at all.
Bai Jingyan, still breathing hard, saw that it was Xiao Rongyan—and in that instant, the savage air about her melted away.
"Master Xiao. You do seem to enjoy prowling about without a sound, don't you?"
Xiao Rongyan held a large black-lacquered tray in one hand, and with the other tossed the silver spear back to Steward You. Then he stopped at the entrance, speaking without stepping inside.
"You seemed to have little appetite today, Eldest Miss Bai, so I brought you bird's nest soup with dates, specially prepared."
"I've put you to trouble."
"Eldest Miss Bai is my benefactor. It is only right."
Xiao Rongyan smiled as he looked toward Steward You.
Steward You propped the silver spear against the wall, then stepped forward to receive the bird's nest soup, opening his mouth with a genial smile.
"Thank you, Master Xiao. It's very late—please go back and rest."
The memory of the Jade Cicada rising in her mind, Bai Jingyan untied the pouch at her waist and called out in a clear voice.
"Master Xiao."
"Eldest Miss Bai. Were you calling for me?"
The moment he heard Bai Jingyan's voice, Xiao Rongyan strode unhesitatingly toward her.
Steward You hurried after him.
Bai Jingyan drew the Jade Cicada from her pouch and held it out to Xiao Rongyan.
"This is something you treasure, Master Xiao. I thought it best to return it to its owner."
Xiao Rongyan looked at the pouch in Bai Jingyan's hand, recognized it as the very thing she always carried on her person, and the smile at the corner of his eyes deepened.
"Eldest Miss, you've been carrying it with you all this time?"
Bai Jingyan answered while averting her gaze from his, which burned almost too intensely.
"I never knew when I might meet you again. I carried it so I could return it if we did."
Steward You's heart sank. Carrying it on her person—the phrasing felt somehow improper. Rather frivolous, even.
He had suspected since Xiao Rongyan invited the Eldest Miss and Fourth Miss to the honored guests' room that the man was singling out the Bai young miss for special favor—but he hadn't imagined Xiao Rongyan's conduct could be this lacking in restraint.
And yet he spoke so freely to the Eldest Miss, while the Eldest Miss herself seemed entirely oblivious.
Steward You set the bowl down on the table with deliberate force and said with a smile.
"Eldest Miss, eat it while it's warm. Master Xiao went to great pains to bring it, after all."
"The Jade Cicada is a gift for Eldest Miss Bai. It carries the regard of both my brother and myself—please do not refuse."
Xiao Rongyan said, smiling.
Steward You fell silent. This man just keeps pushing forward, doesn't he!
Bai Jingyan met Xiao Rongyan's gaze and spoke.
"Steward You. Go out first."
Steward You answered with visible reluctance.
"As you wish……"
Only after Steward You had gone did Bai Jingyan speak again.
"Master Xiao, why do you give me the Jade Cicada? If it is merely gratitude, then……"
"You know the reason well enough."
In the dark of night, Xiao Rongyan's deep, soft voice was overwhelmingly, dangerously charming.
The stars glimmered faintly. A chill wind stirred, and beneath the pouring moonlight the shadows of the trees swayed gently. Somewhere near her ear, hidden among the flowers, the faint chirring of insects could be heard.