Legend of Fu Yao

King De was locked up, and no one could yet convict him. The only person that could determine his plight wasn’t in the palace.

On the 4th of March. Beginning of Spring.

Early in the morning Zong Yue delivered a few letters to Meng Fuyao but was stopped by Ya Lanzhu at the door. Breathing out, she said, “Let her sleep. She only fell asleep at dawn.”

After some hesitation, he kept the items in his hand. “That’s good too.”

Sharp-eyed, Ya Lanzhu questioned, “What’s that?” She snatched the item over and gave it a read, her eyes quickly lighting up.

“Ah!” She then let out, before tears fell.

Startled, Zong Yue asked, “Why are you crying?”

“In this life, I hope to meet someone who loves me…” she sobbed.

Zong Yue responded with silence and walked off a short while later, but not before adding, “It’s a timely stroke of luck, neither one second too early nor late.”

When Meng Fuyao woke up, she kept her eyes shut, waiting as she always did.

She hadn’t been in a deep sleep but woke up feeling slightly faint nevertheless. She heard a vague rustling of branches from outside the window. The soft chirping of birds on the branches amplified the gradual blooming of spring. Meng Fuyao could imagine the leaves brushing against a bridge railing before falling into the lake. It could be the jade bridge that stood in the middle of the city, and the leaves sounded especially crisp.

The sounds mashed together but the breathing she had wanted to hear was missing.

Meng Fuyao sighed, pulling the quilt up to her eye area and shutting them tightly, in hope of blocking out the tears that were on the verge of collapsing.

Meng Fuyao did not reach her hands out to feel the spot beside her. What was the point? A bitter humiliation awaited her every day. She had imagined his return many times, and in her illusion, he would climb onto her bed. Of course, one mustn’t be overly shameless. He was simply not here, and even Yuan Bao had confirmed it.

Meng Fuyao covered her eyes with the quilt and continued sleeping.

Suddenly, Meng Fuyao felt something tickling her forehead. Something was brushing across the space between her brows. She slapped it, mumbling, “Move, Yuan Bao, stop disturbing me…”

Her slap landed on a palm.

It was warm and smooth, its pulse strong and it’s fingers slender.

Meng Fuyao’s eyes shot open. Before she could lift the quilt, she was greeted by a wave of light. Someone had pulled the quilt down and was looking down at her. “Why so skinny?” he let out a low chuckle.

Meng Fuyao stared foolishly at his diagonal brows and deep ocean eyes. His skin was covered in a crystal-like luster, and his light purple robe was draping before her body. She looked as he smiled and lay down beside her, his fingertips lightly grazing her forehead.

‘Yuan Zhaoxu! Zhangsun Wuji!’

Meng Fuyao reached out, slightly dazed, to pinch his hand. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Exchange allowed if fake,” he joked cheekily.

“You actually know your way back… you actually know your way back huh?!” Her first line sounded soft and willow-like but the second sentence was no different from a lion’s roar. She snapped out of her daze, and upon realizing that Yuan Zhaoxu, Zhangsun Wuji, had really returned, she went on to kick him. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!”

Zhangsun Wuji raised his brows, reaching a hand out to clasp her foot, instantly numbing and turning her body limp. He then dragged the quilt and wrapped it around her. Within a split second, he had groped her whole body. Relaxing his hand, he sighed. “Why so skinny?”

Meng Fuyao buried her head in the blanket of shame, murmuring her answer, “On a diet.”

Zhangsun Wuji observed the girl, whose bark was louder than her bite, sighing helplessly. He dug her head from under the quilt and studied her face carefully. Her eyes flickered as she was flustered, but since there was nowhere to hide she looked him right in the eye. “What do you want, what do you want!”

Zhangsun Wuji broke into a smile, his hand extending toward her neck. She shrunk in surprise, and he explained, “Let me have a look at the wound. Don’t move.”

Guilt overcame her at this point. She spoke softly, “I wasn’t really planning to slit… it was for fun.”

Before her voice fell, Meng Fuyao saw him lower his head slightly, his warm and soft lips approaching and eventually touching her bare neck. She remained motionless as his lips brushed across her faint pink scar. It was ticklish as though someone was using a willow plant to sweep the cold, lonely winter away. She felt the deep, shattered ice pieces that was her heart melt, and lush, green grass started to grow.

Meng Fuyao felt her body turning soft as the greenery spread within her heart. Where it grew, flowers bloomed, and amid that wonderful state, she wanted to cry and smile. Yet, a wave of pain radiated from her heart and clogged her veins, and it felt as though a venomous snake had bitten her. She trembled a little, to which Zhangsun Wuji detected and shifted away. She bit her lips and smiled, pushing him while calling out, “You gangster.”

“It was for fun,” he copied her answer while looking at her. “That wasn’t actually what I’ve been wishing to do the most.”

Mouth wide opened, Meng Fuyao appeared rather silly. That did not hinder a certain someone’s determination. Zhangsun Wuji raised a hand and smacked her bottom before letting out a slight smile. “For not listening to me,” he explained. Before she could react, Meng Fuyao was rewarded with yet another spank on her bum. “For attempting suicide.”

Meng Fuyao immediately recalled the scenarios she had rehearsed countless times before, but the sequence seemed off, as though he had brought forward certain details. It did not matter. She jumped up to retaliate while reciting her lines, “You bastard! You scared me!”

Still, it seemed that he had outmatched her scolding. ‘No, I mustn’t lose.’ She threw another punch, yelling, “For faking death! For keeping it from me!”

Zhangsun Wuji extended his hand to grab her punch, conveniently pulling her into his embrace before holding her waist in place with his fingers. Three movements were executed speedily and flawlessly, and since her waist had gotten so tiny, he had easily managed to trap her.

“I didn’t keep it from you…” Zhangsun Wuji inhaled deeply, stroking her long hair and whispering, “How could I bear to have you worry for me? You’ve become so skinny… am I not going to be the one spending effort to fatten you up?”

The first part had warmed her heart but the second wasn’t acceptable. Meng Fuyao turned to glare at him, retorting, “Stop digressing. I know you were trying to lure King De out, and to keep it a secret you couldn’t have told anyone… but, but…” she trailed off, shutting her mouth and not wanting to finish her sentence, “you should’ve told me at least…”

“I could have told you, but warring does not mean that I would sacrifice someone I like.” It seemed that Zhangsun Wuji’s mind-reading technique had gotten stronger. “I sent out three batches of men when leaving the coastal line camp. They wore my clothes and went to three different routes. I went by the sea route.”

“Sea route?”

“Yes. I went by sea. King De guessed that I’d go by land since that was the faster route, but what was the point if I couldn’t pass through? Some things can’t be rushed.”

“Agreed.” Meng Fuyao nodded in satisfaction. “You’ve always been scheming.”

Zhangsun Wuji smiled, adding, “The moment trouble brewed in Wanzhou I knew something was wrong in the army. There must have been a spy. Under those circumstances, I could only cut off all contact, but not before receiving news of your safety. I then went back to camp to gather my backup guards. They’re more cumbersome to transfer, and by the time they reached Yaocheng you weren’t there anymore.”

“Ah,” she let out. She had already become a transportation officer in Wuling at that point and had two capable bodyguards by her side. ‘What good timing… how lucky.’

“I couldn’t do anything when after gaining news. It was simply bad timing, and I couldn’t leave. King De’s decade worth of secret plotting was finally about to be shattered, and I couldn’t let it go down the drain. The good thing is that I share a telepathic connection with Yuan Bao and he would’ve told you sooner or later.”

“My ass!” She was about to explode. “He arranged three words: Ta, Mei, Le ¹ . I almost saw Buddha, and it was his fault.”

“Eh?” Zhangsun Wuji turned to look for Lord Yuan Bao. “I know you’re there, come out or face the consequences.”

Meng Fuyao pursed her lips. What was the point of throwing such an insubstantial threat?

However, immediately after, a grey ball crawled out from under the table. Meng Fuyao opened her mouth wide and stared at him. ‘How aggravating.’

Lord Yuan Bao was in plain clothes that day, and it was his least favorite color at that. He hated that it made him look like a rat. He squatted obediently before Zhangsun Wuji and let out weak and timid squeaks.

‘That’s too much, isn’t it?’ Meng Fuyao thought to herself. ‘Is he taking the chance to express his grievances and love again? What is he saying exactly?’ She felt a little guilty somehow.

Zhangsun Wuji listened with a smile, his eyes glistening and warm, and as his smile widened into a laugh almost, she could feel the joy he felt from the reunion.

“Know what you’ve done wrong?” he asked.

Lord Yuan Bao lowered his noble little head right after.

“Since it was due to your greed, you’re not allowed to have snacks for a week.”

In regard to his punishment, Lord Yuan Bao slapped both claws on his face, evidently in sorrow.

Zhangsun Wuji quickly transferred him to the side. “Go reflect and close the door when you’re leaving.”

Lord Yuan Bao crawled out from the hole in the paper window before diligently using his saliva to mend it.

“Wow wow, the guinea pig is a changed man,” Meng Fuyao commented in shock. “What has he done?”

“He caused your tears.” Zhangsun Wuji pulled her into his arms naturally, adding, “And so he has to be punished.”

Meng Fuyao rested comfortably against Zhangsun Wuji’s shoulder. It was an indescribable feeling, as though her heart was finally at home and in the right place. Her internal organs seemed to have instantly adjusted themselves. A faint scent drifted into her nostrils, and her mind floated blissfully as her eyelids became heavy.