Yuwen Yue, a man who was both slow and quick-thinking, calm as still waters, and outwardly cold but romantically inclined, did not exert much effort in their first night as a married couple.
Chu Qiao felt the same way and chose not to press her husband during their honeymoon, leaving their bodies untouched.
Chu Qiao, careful not to reveal her exceptional martial arts skills to Yuwen Yue, could only practice when he is away.
Yuwen Yue's lodge was nestled in a secluded spot, providing Chu Qiao with ample space for practice among the nearby trees and open ground. She tumbled gracefully three times to retrieve the laundry, sending it fluttering into the air. With the agility of a flower in the breeze, she caught each piece one by one, eventually arriving at the lodge's door.
Feeling satisfied with her martial arts performance, Chu Qiao smiled and noticed a charming Cangwu bird flitting among the trees.
They lived a conventional life, with Chu Qiao managing the household chores, cooking, and waiting for Yuwen Yue to return from work. Both were content with their routines, until one day, Yuwen Yue requested that Chu Qiao accompany him to a jewelry shop. This outing was part of Yuwen Yue's plan to test whether Chu Qiao was truly who she claimed to be.
Yuwen Yue took his wife to the renowned Liang jewelry shop, and Chu Qiao, following behind, remarked, "This isn't a place for the poor. What are we doing here?"
Without responding, Yuwen Yue told her, "Wait here for a moment."
The jeweler, noting Yuwen Yue's modest attire and the couple's presence, looked at them with a dismissive attitude. "Everything here is custom-made, and only someone of royal stature could afford such pieces," he said, his tone lacking respect.
As the jeweler's disdain became clear, Chu Qiao, having overheard, turned to Yuwen Yue with a charming, yet firm voice.
"Honey, I want this, this, and that necklace the man is wearing. I want them all."
Her voice then took on a sharp, commanding tone, her smile turning fierce as she added, "Let's buy everything, or this visit will turn unpleasant."
Chu Qiao, playing the part of a spoiled wife, watched for Yuwen Yue's reaction, anticipating his anger over her sudden display of luxury, even though they were not wealthy.
Yuwen Yue, remaining composed, calmly asked the jeweler, "Is there a layaway plan that includes the necklace you're wearing?"
The jeweler, startled by the question, quickly instructed the guard to bring the two of them to the back. Moments later, Zuo Zong appeared, dressed in vibrant orange Hanfu robes, and, assuming a commanding presence, asked, "What is the situation here?"
The Jeweler was stunned since the owner rarely visited the shop, said: "These two people here want to buy our custom made in-shelf display.
And this man insulted me when he asked if we have any lay-away plan. This is not a cheap store!"
Zuo Zong, his palms twitching, smiled with a fierce intensity. He replied, "But they are the customers. Who can tell if they are dressed as peasants while being wealthy lords or even royals on the inside?"
Zuo Zong turned to Yuwen Yue and said, "I apologize for the poor treatment you received here. Please choose what you like, and we will arrange a layaway plan for you."
The jeweler's eyes widened in surprise but could not counter the owner's words. "Certainly, Young Master Zuo. I will arrange it immediately."
With a haughty expression, Chu Qiao added, "Honey, don't forget the necklace around the man's neck."
Zuo Zong laughed and replied, "We'll include that for you as well, madame."
Chu Qiao, displaying her social grace, said, "Thank you, Master Zuo. Your support has been invaluable to us, and you were also our most generous sponsor at the wedding."
The Jeweler heard it and suddenly felt as if he is trapped here he said: "Here take this necklace I never wanted it until today." The Jeweler obeyed his young Master Zuo but his face grumbling and wants to revenge later.
Chu Qiao accepted the necklace with a polite nod and said, "Thank you, Mister. It seems you have learned your lesson well."
Yuwen Yue, maintaining a calm and relaxed mood, looked over the display and remarked, "I forgot to buy an engagement ring for my wife, and I cannot wait any longer. I am taking this ring."
The ring Yuwen Yue pointed to was no ordinary piece. It was equipped with an alarm system that would trigger if touched, supposedly releasing a hundred blades, making it impossible to breach or steal. Zuo Zong had installed this security measure months ago as a central feature of the shop. He quickly instructed the jeweler, "Deactivate the alarm and fulfill their request promptly!"
The jeweler, holding strong opinions about the customers' attire, had always been reluctant to offer layaway plans, believing that such arrangements were beneath them. He examined the policy for the ring and found a clause stating that the ring could only be loaned for a specific period, and to release it required purchasing a—
"What?" Yuwen Yue asked, looks curious.
"A distant kingdom? That sounds strange," replied the jeweler, confused by the odd requirement.
Yuwen Yue looked at Zuo, this is not part of the policy they agreed before.
Master Zuo came forward and explained the policy to Yuwen Yue: "Mister, please understand, if a value was set upon this prized ring then we have already sold to a black hood customer who has been visiting the place to buy it since then. We cannot measure the value of this ring until you buy a far kingdom and that is the only condition set in its policy and the ring can be yours."
Yuwen Yue said: "So are you saying that I buy a far kingdom for me to own this ring?"
"Yes," Zuo confirmed. He then added with a touch of humor, "Or you could always steal it from here." Zuo's eyes were secretly exchanging signal from his Master brother.
Yuwen Yue remained outwardly calm, though a cold tension simmered beneath the surface as he noticed a group of goons entering the jewelry shop. The scene seemed ordinary, but the jeweler, now reverting to his professional demeanor, said, "The alarm has been deactivated. The ring can be yours, provided you understand its policy."
Confident in his knowledge that Yuwen Yue would not be able to meet the conditions, the jeweler spoke with an air of assuredness.
Chu Qiao finally caught her attention on which his husband is interested. She was stuck to her feet and as if a time lapse flashed at her, her memories of the killer ring owner.
Yuwen Yue noticing some changes on Chu Qiao's behavior he sensed something is happening to his wife. But he was momentarily interrupted when the goons started to introduce their ruffian presence.
Yuwen Yue and Zuo Zong looked at each other so fierce as if waiting who would draw the first move, Yuwen Yue is unarmed. While Zuo Zong has hidden his sword inside his majestic Hanfu robe.
Chu Qiao sense the dark presence around them, she looked at Yuwen Yue first but if she makes a move she knows she will be exposed to the man in front of him looking so cold and uninvited.
She cannot possibly ruin this marriage. Chu Qiao is torn between her defense instincts or letting his husband defend her instead. But how can she expect his husband to protect her if what she knows her husband is a simple peddler man delivering parcels to different customers?
Chu Qiao thinks with the uncertainty of relying on Yuwen Yue for their safety, given her belief that he was just a simple peddler. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the imminent attack. In a decisive moment, she triggered the alarm.
Seizing the ring, she quickly grabbed Yuwen Yue's shoulder and pulled him down with her to the ground, just as the attack began.
Holding the ring tightly, she aimed it at Zuo Zong's temple. The force of the impact caused Zuo to become disoriented, leading to a brief blackout.
He spiraled to the ground, suffering a slight injury to his forehead but narrowly avoiding a potentially lethal encounter with the flying knives.
A slight injury on his forehead but better than cut his neck from the flying knives, nobody moved.
Suddenly a non-stop a hundred flying knives were flying all around the jewelry shop.
Yuwen Yue stared at Zuo Zong, bewildered and questioning him, while the jeweler, is crying crawling the expensive tiled floor. "I'm sorry," the jeweler said, "I pushed the wrong button. I couldn't deactivate the alarm but instead activated the goons in the shop."
Instead of worrying about the jeweler, Yuwen Yue's was drawn in his wife's ability, thought: "This is incredibly amazing agility, flexibility, and accuracy of the target."
This is twice the skills he trained Xinger, his low maidservant who became his bedchamber. Yuwen Yue cannot possibly believe, this is Chu Qiao who is the same as Xinger.
Yuwen Yue, now coming to terms with the shocking revelation that Chu Qiao was the Wei state crown princess, struggled to understand the events of the night. The blow to his head and its aftermath had caused him to question everything he thought he knew, much like what had happened to Zuo today.
Again Yuwen Yue gave himself a little bit chance to doubt and undoubt his wife.
Zuo Zong, recovering from the impact of the ring, carefully placed it back into his Hanfu and waited for the flurry of flying knives to settle before taking any further action.
In a silent exchange, Yuwen Yue, now revealed as the true owner of the prestigious jewelry shop, gave Zuo a significant look. His expression clearly conveyed: "Did I authorize you to have goons stationed around this shop?"
Zuo gave him a signal on his eyes, and it meant: "No, I did not do it either, I just added another condition on the policy aside from what you told me."
Yuwen Yue thinks they were compromised by the Jeweler. Calm and composed his body dropped to the floor, looked at Chu Qiao.
The wife seems waiting for the hundred knives flying all over to stop, continuously cutting the necks of the goons except for one, their leader outside watching what is happening inside the jewelry shop.
Yuwen Yue glanced at the door and noticed a figure partially obscured by a black mask, with only a pair of sharp, slanted eyes visible. The masked individual, standing like a cold wind, did not enter the shop and disappeared as swiftly as they had appeared.
After half an hour, when the barrage of knives finally ceased, Zuo Zong was the first to stand and search for the jeweler. However, the jeweler had managed to escape through the back door and was nowhere to be found.
Yuwen Yue calmly stood up and helped his wife but Chu Qiao picked up herself looking at the chopped necks, this needs an explanation to the authorities she said to her husband.
Yuwen Yue responded, "We won't involve the authorities, but you do have some explaining to do." Chu Qiao avoided looking at him, fully aware that her actions earlier went beyond those of a typical wife.
Master Zuo returned and faced Yuwen Yue said. "I apologize for the chaos you've endured. You were an innocent customer caught up in this bloodshed. Here, take this ring; it is yours now. Let's consider this matter closed. We will report the jeweler's conspiracy to the authorities and ensure he is held accountable."
Yuwen Yue accepted the ring, slipping it into his pocket.
Chu Qiao thinking why does the ring interest his husband so much? And the policy earlier before the chopping of necks, needs to buy a far kingdom?
What kingdom?.. she asks herself.
It was already dark when they arrived at the home, and Chu Qiao did the usual cooking. The husband rested and does not move in their dining table looking serious and thinking deeply.
Yuwen Yue thinks its time turn some secret cards to the table, on his expressionless face suddenly threw a cold dagger and in almost blink of an eye, fast as the wind, Chu Qiao ears rushed and felt the pressure countered it with her paring knife in a defensive manner.
Clang! Like a sound of the bell, all force in the air was frustrated.
Two cold daggers fell to the tiled floor issuing an echo sound on air.
So precise he thought, then Yuwen Yue raised his brows and back to expressionless face.
Chu Qiao sensed his handsome husband is cold but for some reason at their distance can predict everything her husband will do at the moment.
She sat down and put the big bowl of ginseng soup in the middle of two small ceramic bowls. Without looking at Yuwen Yue, she took the chopsticks and picked the little cubes of soft tofu floating in the soup and gently put it to her husband's small bowl.
Chu Qiao is not afraid of Yuwen Yue's cold, expressionless stares, suddenly broke the silent war on air and said: Husband...
Yuwen Yue cut her off and with the rush tone, said: "The walls have ears, you don't have to explain if you don't want to pass this through illegal channels."
Back to the Greenhills courtyard, this is who Yuwen Yue of the moment, cold and uninvited.
The surroundings and the bedchamber seemed hauntingly familiar, reminiscent of his time with Xinger.
He found himself with a profound sense of déjà vu. The woman before him, Chu Qiao, was now being seen through the lens of his past experiences with Xinger, whom he had once considered his "star" child.
With a serious expression, Yuwen Yue said, "Before we eat, I want you to have this..."
For some reason, everything his husband spoke to her, Chu Qiao understood but not all of it yet, she took the ring and said to her husband: "If my ears heard it clearly, this ring can be yours on one condition, buy a far kingdom?"
Chu Qiao starting to be aware that Yuwen Yue has lots of secrets other than being a simple peddler man, she is beginning to doubt his husband but she reminded herself: "I have a lifetime to uncover who he really is, but why does it feel like I've known him far longer? And this ring—its origins seem connected to a maidservant from a noble household. Am I revisiting some forgotten memories?"
Yuwen Yue sensed his wife is just staring at the ring, he said: "Go ahead, do not be afraid to take it, it has always been yours in the first place."
Chu Qiao replied: "It WAS mine?"
Yuwen Yue decoding her statements he said: "It WAS all yours until today." With an emphasis on "was," the two of them have exchanged secret information.
Yuwen Yue picked up a piece of soft tofu and gently placed it near Chu Qiao's lips. As he did so, his gaze lingered on her red, moist, and irresistibly kissable lips. The intensity of his stare made him question his resolve, and he found himself on the verge of kissing her.
Chu Qiao, sensing both the coldness and the desire in his gaze, opened her mouth slightly. She accepted the soft tofu and ate it calmly, maintaining her usual composure despite the charged atmosphere between them.
Yuwen Yue, his expression still cold and unreadable, allowed his adrenaline to recede, returning to his usual calm stature, he begins to eat.
After the sumptuous dinner, a card was revealed. The scent of fresh plum blossoms filled the air, evoking a flood of nostalgia. The fragrance transported him back to his childhood and the Greenhills courtyard.
As he retired for the night, with Chu Qiao sleeping sweetly by his side, Yuwen Yue's thoughts drifted to the "star child" from his past. He found himself sinking into a realm of memories and dreams, lulled by the comfort of his wife's presence and the bittersweet echoes of his earlier years.