Li Yexuan

I closed my eyes. I had endured torment; perhaps it was not such a bad thing to let death take me away like this. In the crowd, it seemed someone lamented my young life: such a beautiful girl, how heartbroken her parents must be—what a tragedy.

For a moment, my mind thundered. I had survived the fall of my country, I had lived when my father and mother departed, I had not died when I was nearly violated—why should I perish beneath the hoof of this brute?

My eyes, which had just been shut, opened once more. Whether or not there was still time, I had to run first and think later.

I could clearly feel my legs trembling, refusing to obey me. The horse’s hooves drew ever nearer; I could almost sense them about to crash down upon my face, imagine my blood bursting forth amid the crowd’s pity…

No.

As it turned out, miracles could indeed happen more than once.

A large hand wrapped around my waist; in my daze, I saw another fist raised, striking the horse. In an instant, the beast collapsed to the ground.

A commotion swept through the onlookers. I could not tell if they were cheering my rescue or grumbling at being denied a bloody, thrilling scene.

In any case, I was rescued yet again, and once more by a strikingly handsome man. Perhaps I had lived too austere a life in my past existence, and now all my luck in love was blooming at once…

I leaned against him. He wore jet-black robes and his face betrayed no unnecessary emotion. By rights, he ought to have smiled. I smiled at him, yet he did not smile back.

His features left a deep impression—one could not say precisely where his beauty lay, but together, they were perfect.

For a moment, I thought this was our first meeting.

After the frightened horse startled me, he asked who I was. I replied that I was a maidservant in General Yun Heng’s household. He said he would escort me home, and so the two of us strolled leisurely down the street.

“What is your name?” His voice was truly pleasant to hear.

“Mu Fan.”

“Mu—plain and ordinary—a fine name. I am Li Yexuan.”

Li Yexuan—why did that name sound so familiar, and yet I could not recall where I had heard it before? He must be from the Moonlight Kingdom, and I have never left the Kingdom of Lingyun—how could we possibly be old acquaintances?

Such is the way of memory: what ought to be remembered slips the mind, and what should be forgotten lingers.

“Thank you for saving me today, Master Li.”

“It was nothing.”

He opened the folding fan in his hand, his ease and grace attracting many admiring glances from the young women around us—including myself, to be sure.

Yet unlike the other women, who admired the man, I was captivated by the fan.

Its surface was woven of celestial silkworm silk, its ribs forged of heavenly black iron—materials that could scarcely be bought for any price in this world. Clearly, his identity was far from ordinary. I stared at it, lost in thought, and he noticed.

“Miss Mu, do you like this fan?” He knew I was a servant, yet still addressed me as “Miss.”

“This fan must be something you treasure greatly, sir.”

“Oh? And how can you tell?”

“A surface of celestial silk, a frame of heavenly iron, with mountains and rivers as its motif.”

He looked at me in surprise, for few maids these days could claim such knowledge.

“You are quite the connoisseur.”

“I wouldn’t say so. Before my family fell on hard times, I learned a little.”

“I see.”

“Master Li, you must be someone who bears the world in your heart.”

He said nothing, striding forward, and I followed behind. His silence was tacit agreement.

At last, he escorted me to a corner of the wall not far from the general’s manor’s rear courtyard, leaving me with a single phrase: “We will meet again.”

At the time, I found it all quite inexplicable—until later…