Chapter 6: Love at First Sight

Chapter 6: Love at First Sight

Late at night, nearing the end of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

Zhou Chiye was hurrying back to Changping Ward.

The sky was filled with stars, the pale moon hung low in the night sky, and the eaves stood silently over the lanes. All sounds hushed as the city of Chang'an slept.

The long street was bathed in moonlight, like a pathway of moonlit clouds. A young man in dark riding attire galloped past on horseback, the rhythmic clatter of hooves resounding sharply. The cool moonlight cast a silvery frost over him, his features sharp—almond-shaped eyes, red lips—his expression carrying the same striking arrogance as Qin Chanyue, yet tinged with the unrestrained boldness unique to the young nobles of the Five Tombs district.

He resembled an eagle soaring through the vast sky, radiating martial energy even from afar.

Great Chen enforced a strict Ward System, dividing the city into distinct districts with rigid hierarchies. A curfew was imposed every night at the Hai hour, and unless one held an official position, no one was permitted to roam freely within Chang'an. Those caught by the patrolling Feathered Forest Guards faced light punishments like imprisonment or severe penalties, including execution on the spot.

Zhou Chiye had been training year-round at the Chang'an Dragon Scale Martial Arts School, preparing for the upcoming martial examinations. He only returned home at the end of each month to visit his parents, and this day marked his return.

As a martial artist, he moved swiftly, accustomed to traveling alone without the need for a carriage. Riding straight to the back gate, he dismounted from the horse and entered the estate. From afar, he spotted a servant waiting for him at the entrance.

Zhou Chiye arched his thick brows, landing firmly after a practiced dismount, his lean waist twisting powerfully as he landed. His steel-reinforced boots thudded against the ground as he tossed the riding whip to the servant, his voice crisp as he asked, "Where’s Mother?"

His mother doted on him the most. Every month when he returned from the martial school, she would wait at the gate to welcome him—a tradition unbroken for ten years. Why was she absent today?

"Second Young Master," the servant hastily caught the whip and took the reins, forcing a bitter smile before lowering his voice to recount the recent turmoil in the estate.

"The Heir Apparent brought back Miss Bai, his former fiancée, and declared he would divorce his current wife to marry her. This angered Madam, and now the Heir Apparent has been confined to the ancestral hall."

"Miss Bai fell ill and is being cared for in the estate. Out of regard for past ties, Madam hasn’t expelled her, ensuring she is well attended to until she recovers before sending her away."

"The Marquis has been preoccupied with court affairs and recently caught a chill in the rain, falling gravely ill. He remains bedridden, with doctors summoned from everywhere for treatment. Madam has been tending to him day and night, visibly gaunt from exhaustion, and thus unable to attend to you, Second Young Master."

In just a few words, the servant summarized the events that had transpired during Zhou Chiye’s absence, then sighed. "Lately, nothing in the estate has gone smoothly."

Hearing this, Zhou Chiye felt a surge of disdain for the unfamiliar Miss Bai. Had she not entered the estate, how could so much trouble have arisen?

Frowning, Zhou Chiye said, "In that case, I’ll first pay my respects to Mother."

As the younger brother, it wasn’t his place to interfere in his elder brother and sister-in-law’s affairs. His father was ill, and the hour was too late to disturb him. The only one he could see now was his mother.

The servant nodded in agreement.

At that moment, as they rounded a high wall leading to the inner residence, Zhou Chiye’s sharp ears caught a faint noise—someone was climbing the wall!

Assuming it was some foolhardy thief targeting the Marquis’ estate, Zhou Chiye growled a low "Who’s there?" and abruptly tilted his striking, handsome face upward.

In the next instant, the young man below the wall gripped the sword at his waist and vaulted onto the wall in a single leap, crouching atop it.

In that swift motion, the figure climbing the wall startled and nearly fell, only to be caught by Zhou Chiye’s iron grip on their chin, pinning them against the wall.

The person on the wall, their jaw clamped in a vise-like hold, was forced to tilt their head back, long dark hair cascading to reveal a face as pale and delicate as pear blossoms under the moonlight. Lifting their gaze, eyes shaped like peach blossoms brimmed with fear and pain as their slender frame pressed helplessly against Zhou Chiye.

Her soft, fragrant form collided with his chest.

The moment he saw her, the surrounding noise seemed to fade, leaving only the faint scent of flowers clinging to her. For a fleeting second, Zhou Chiye’s vision blurred.

The quiet night held the promise of spring.

Moonlight through the clouds lit the two figures on the wall—the tall young man’s arm taut with muscle, his aura pulsing with raw energy, while her delicate fingers grasped his arm in pleading. Her upturned face was full of supplication, her pink lips parting slightly as quiet whimpers of pain escaped.

"You're hurting me—" she begged, gazing at him.

Like a pear blossom trembling in his hand.

Fate’s wheel crashed into its destined match at this moment with a resounding crash, like striking a snow-capped mountain. The youth’s heart was in turmoil like windblown snow, settling on him only to swirl up again.

When the girl spoke, the young man seemed scalded for an instant, abruptly withdrawing his hand and staring at her with a sharp, almost aggressive intensity aimed right at her face as he demanded, "You—who are you?"

His deep voice reached her ears, and the next moment, the servant beneath the wall yelped, "Second Young Master! This is Miss Bai!"

Miss Bai. Second Young Master.

Just the mention of these titles made them both aware of each other's identities. Though they had never met, they had heard of each other many times before—like two people who’d only existed in stories suddenly coming face to face, instinctively wondering if the other matched the descriptions they had heard.

Bai Yuning lifted her eyes to look at him.

This was Bai Yuning’s first time seeing Zhou Chiye.

Though the two sons of the Zhou family were born of the same mother, they bore little resemblance. The eldest took after his father—dignified, solemn, gentle, and scholarly, soon to enter court as an official. The younger resembled his mother—sharp, aloof, proud, and fierce, trained in martial arts and said to soon pass the military examinations before heading to the frontier as a general.

The two sons of the Marquis’ household, one civil and one martial, were both exceptionally outstanding, rare talents whose abilities could not be underestimated—and both were exceedingly handsome as well.

As Bai Yuning studied Zhou Chiye’s face, she thought, *He looks like Qin Chanyue—and his temperament is just as sharp and unyielding. Just being near him makes it hard to breathe.*

She observed him, and he observed her in turn. The girl, pale as jade, had just been gripped by the neck, and now red marks had risen on her skin, clearly the imprint of a man’s grip.

Thick, reddened fingers against a slender, snow-white neck, eyes brimming with tears—she was like water made flesh, eyes like shimmering water, brows like far-off peaks. With just one glance, his throat tightened.

"Bai—" His voice came out inexplicably hoarse. "Miss Bai, why are you climbing my family’s walls at night?"

The girl, perched precariously on the wall, lowered her head in embarrassment, first glancing at the servant below, then at Zhou Chiye.

Zhou Chiye cast a cold look at the servant, his tense jaw tilting slightly to the side, and the man scurried away in a panic. Now only the two of them remained on the wall, and Zhou Chiye heard Miss Bai whisper, "I heard your elder brother was injured and wanted to see him. But I worried about gossip, so I thought to sneak over. I climbed the wall to avoid the maids."

The young man on the wall inexplicably felt a surge of irritation. *Scaling walls at night—such devotion.* His gaze pierced her coldly as he said in displeasure, "My elder brother is married. You shouldn’t go."

The girl’s expression turned sorrowful. "I know. I’ve read books and learned propriety. I won’t act improperly with the heir. Please, Second Young Master, don’t tell Lady Qin about this. I’m almost recovered—I’ll be gone soon. Tonight is just… my farewell to him."

Seeing her so meek, Zhou Chiye’s anger dissipated, replaced by an odd pang of pity. Pressing his lips together, he finally said, "Fine. I’ll take you there."

"Really?" Bai Yuning looked up at him in delight—only for the young man to suddenly step closer, swept her up into his arms as he strode toward the ancestral hall.

His sudden nearness made her gasp, but then Zhou Chiye teased in a low voice, "Hush. Don’t get us caught. There are guards patrolling ahead—you wouldn’t make it over the wall alone. Only I can take you."

Bai Yuning tilted her head slightly to look at him, catching sight of his sharp jawline. The moon hung overhead, gilding his dark lashes in silver.

*Moonlight glows on pear blossoms, a lone crescent in the sky like water.*

Bai Yuning was no stranger to matters of the heart. Cradled against Zhou Chiye’s chest, she lowered her head and thought, *The way he treats me is too careless, carrying a hint of encroaching warmth—as if curiosity is mixed with disdain, yet he can’t help but keep looking at me. How strange.*

Did they know each other?

She found no answer. She had no choice but to let him carry her all the way to the ancestral hall.

When she slipped in through the window, Zhou Yuanting was sprawled on the floor, his back striped with whip marks. In the midst of his grief, his beloved appeared before him like a vision.

Under the pale moonlight, the ancestral hall was silent. Her coming was as sweet as honey, filling Zhou Yuanting’s heart.

In that instant, his wounds seemed to heal. Hearing that Bai Yuning had climbed the wall alone to reach him, his heart ached. Clutching her hand, he whispered countless sweet words and promises.

"How could you come—you’ve done so much for me. I won’t forget any of it."

"My mother is completely taken in by that Liu Yandai! Don't worry, in the future, I will definitely divorce Liu Yandai and marry you."

Bai Yuning gently stroked his head, gazing at his face contorted with pain and longing, yet thinking to herself: At present, it seems that Second Young Master might be more useful than him.

At the very least, Second Young Master can roam freely around the manor, while he cannot.

Moreover, how Second Young Master acts toward her...

As Bai Yuning looked at Zhou Yuanting's face and listened to his sweet words, her mind wandered to his younger brother.

How could she take advantage of Second Young Master?