Chapter 62

Shen Wei grasped the curtain, but her steps halted, and she did not take another step forward. She only looked through the dimly lit curtain into the room, where a man sat with his back to her.

Since he was facing away, Shen Wei could not see his face. She could only tell from his posture that the man was likely quite young. He wore a dark robe, but his clothing was different from the narrow styles currently fashionable in Bianliang City, giving off a somewhat Wei-Jin charm. The sleeves and hem of his robe were embroidered with golden threads depicting totems. The sun, at its brightest hour, shone on them, making the golden patterns gleam even more, especially as the wide hem of the robe fluttered in the breeze, giving it an ethereal quality.

Shen Wei continued to watch the man’s back, but still, her steps did not move forward.

She remained outside the curtain, observing his relaxed posture. His elbow rested on a stone table, and his head tilted slightly. She could faintly see that he wore a half mask made of gold. The mask’s intricate patterns were adorned with gemstones, a rarity at the time. The gemstones on his mask were of high quality, and just a glance would tell anyone that they were quite valuable.

At this moment, the man sat in the stone chair with his eyes closed, holding a golden wine goblet. Though it was near his lips, he had not yet drunk from it. He must have noticed her arrival but did not speak until he placed the goblet down after finishing the wine. Then, he finally spoke: “Since you’ve come, why not come in and sit?”

His voice had an unusual magnetism and detachment, as if he was born with an air of superiority. Even in his words, there was a sense of looking down on the world, as though he naturally possessed an aura of being above others.

Anyone else, upon hearing such a voice, would probably feel angered.

But this man, it seemed, was born to be this way. Not only did his voice not irritate, but it also unconsciously invoked a feeling of submission.

A similar thought flashed through Shen Wei’s mind, and she did not like this feeling.

However, she said nothing. She simply lifted the curtain with her hand and walked in. The deeper she walked into the pavilion, the more she realized just how extravagant it truly was. When Manager Shi had met her in the flower hall, it had already been very luxurious, but compared to the pavilion where the man now resided, the flower hall seemed almost ordinary in comparison.

Everything in the pavilion appeared extravagant at a glance…

Whether it was the ancient paintings hanging on the walls, the folding screen embroidered with double-sided silk, the incense burner placed on a high table, or the wine goblet held in the man’s hand, everything exuded an aura of luxury. Yet, this kind of luxury wasn’t immediately obvious in terms of its monetary value; instead, it carried a certain depth that made it feel even more precious.

While Shen Wei quietly observed these items, she didn’t overlook the man leaning against the stone table. His posture remained unchanged, but the wine goblet in his hand was now empty, and the wind rustled through his wide robes, adding to the allure of his demeanor.

Unfortunately—

The golden half-mask on his face, under the sunlight, blurred his features. Even without the sunlight, the mask obscured most of his appearance, making it difficult to discern what lay beneath.

This charm, where his face was hidden and only his figure visible, was enough to leave her restless.

Shen Wei was accustomed to seeing beautiful men, but even now, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of striking face might lie under this mask.

However—

Although curious, she didn’t let her emotions show on her face.

Shen Wei walked towards him as usual, and as she neared, she instinctively furrowed her brows slightly. She observed him carefully, a sense of familiarity creeping into her thoughts—had she seen this man before? But her memory was too vague, and she couldn’t place him immediately.

She decided to push aside her curiosity and sit down in front of him. Then, she spoke up, “It seems the one who called me here today isn’t Manager Shi, but you.”

After saying this, Shen Wei poured herself a cup of wine. After the last time she had drunk too much, she was being extra careful. She first lowered her eyes and inhaled the fragrance of the wine. When she noticed it had a different aroma than usual, she took a small sip. Realizing the flavor wasn’t too strong, she took another sip. She didn’t set the goblet down but kept holding it as she continued to look at the man before her, and then asked, “But I’m curious, why did the Pavilion Master call me here today?”

She didn’t doubt the man’s identity—someone who could move freely in this house and had such a commanding presence could only be the mysterious Pavilion Master of Jinjiang Tower.

But she was curious…

Why would this elusive Pavilion Master want to meet her?

Shen Wei gave him a probing look, her gaze filled with investigation.

Even though the man didn’t open his eyes, he could sense Shen Wei’s scrutiny. He said nothing and kept his eyes closed, allowing her to inspect him without interruption.

Outside, the weather was bright and warm, with occasional summer breezes sweeping through the curtains, causing the incense smoke in the burner to waft throughout the pavilion. The fragrance was unlike any typical incense—it was initially sharp but became more pleasant with time, reminiscent of the after-notes of the perfume Shen Wei used to love.

As Shen Wei thought about this, her gaze remained on the man. After a long pause without hearing his response, she frowned slightly, about to ask again, when she noticed the man finally opened his eyes.

His eyes were as indifferent as his tone had been earlier, as if he were born without any emotional expression.

Shen Wei had never seen eyes like his—his gaze was so still, so devoid of emotion, that it was colder than the snow in midwinter, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of authority and power. It felt as if, under this gaze, all her thoughts would be exposed, with nowhere to hide.

That stare made her uncomfortable.

She instinctively turned her head away, but even avoiding his gaze, her heart seemed to beat faster, as if a drum was pounding inside her chest.

The man naturally noticed Shen Wei’s discomfort. His expression didn’t change, but after pouring himself another cup of wine, he looked at her and simply said, “Because I wanted to see you.”

“Because I wanted to see you…”

His voice, calm as before, made the words sound devoid of any flirtation. Yet, there was something about them, combined with the peculiar fragrance in the pavilion, that caused Shen Wei’s heart to skip a beat, despite her usual composed nature.

Such a tone, with those words, created an oddly unsettling feeling.

Although Shen Wei felt a jolt in her heart, it wasn’t from embarrassment. The Pavilion Master of Jinjiang Tower was wealthy and powerful—what kind of woman wouldn’t he be able to have? She didn’t believe his “want” carried any romantic implications. He likely just wanted to meet her, nothing more.

After this thought, she said nothing more. She sat up straighter and looked at the man, her curiosity piqued—why would he want to meet her?

Shen Wei found herself studying him more intently. The more she observed him, the more she realized his aura was too powerful. Even in modern times, or in the presence of Zhao Zhun, she had never encountered such an overwhelming presence.

This forceful aura, especially when directed at her, made her feel somewhat breathless…

She couldn’t help but turn her head away from his gaze again. After taking another sip of wine, she placed the goblet back on the table and spoke casually, as if nothing had changed, “Now that you’ve seen me, what do you think?”

Her tone remained as it had been at the beginning, unaffected by his earlier words, as though dissipating any unusual atmosphere in the pavilion.

The man, noticing her response, didn’t change his expression. However, the corner of his lips subtly curved upward. He didn’t say more, but poured another cup of wine, though he didn’t drink it.

He simply looked at Shen Wei and slowly said, “Very good.” But that was all he said.

The air outside was warm and slightly dry, but inside the pavilion, despite the absence of ice, it was surprisingly cool.

Shen Wei originally thought that since he sought her out, he must have something to say to her, but she never expected to wait for so long and only hear these two words. She furrowed her brows, and even the fingers holding the wine cup tightened slightly. However, before she could speak, the man said again, “What a fine day, with such beautiful scenery and wine. Why not relax and enjoy it?”

Once these words fell—

Shen Wei couldn’t help but furrow her brows again. But as she watched the man close his eyes and savor the wine, her previously tense heart began to relax. Indeed, what was there to be nervous about? After all, she and he were merely two people transacting with each other, and since he had no questions to ask, there was no need for her to speak further… As he said, the lake and the scenery here were indeed beautiful.

Thinking this, her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the wine cup, loosened slightly.

Shen Wei stopped speaking and stopped looking at the man across from her. She simply sat there, gazing at the scenery outside the curtains. This house must have been carefully constructed, as everything inside and outside appeared picturesque but had been thoughtfully designed.

The pavilion was situated in the middle of a lake, with a distant artificial mountain surrounded by lush trees.

As she looked, her heart began to calm even more…

As Shen Wei gazed at the scenery outside, the man in the dark robe finally opened his eyes and looked at her. If Shen Wei had turned to meet his gaze at that moment, she would have noticed the familiar expression in his eyes.

—-

By the time Shen Wei left, it had already been an hour. She still couldn’t believe that the mysterious master of Jinjiang Tower had invited her to drink and enjoy the view, considering he was known for his elusive nature. Wasn’t he said to come and go like a shadow, unseen and unheard?

How… could he be so free?

Thinking this, Shen Wei paused in her step, turning to look behind her. The man was still holding the golden wine cup, and under the sunlight, his eyes seemed almost indistinguishable. She felt something strange in her heart. Although she had never met this man, he gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

But as she saw the man glance at her—

Shen Wei quickly looked away. She lowered the curtain in her hand and continued walking out… This time, she didn’t stop.

Once Shen Wei had left, the man who had been sitting in the chair stood up only after he could no longer see her figure. He lifted the curtain in front of him and stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the lake and scenery outside. After a while, another figure appeared behind him, followed by the voice, “Master, I couldn’t find any trace of Young Master Liang.”

The man did not respond immediately. He merely held the jade pendant in his hand, tracing its patterns, and then said softly, “His martial skills are not inferior to mine, so it’s normal that you couldn’t find him.”

When these words fell—

He looked at the sky outside and thought of Shui Bi’s report from the previous night. His expression darkened again. After a moment, he spoke again, “What about the whereabouts of Doctor Du?”

The shadow guard was caught off guard by the sudden mention of this name, and was momentarily stunned.

After a brief pause, he replied, “We have found some leads. I believe it won’t be long before we locate him.”

The man nodded and said, “Keep following the leads, and leave now.”

The shadow guard responded quietly and, as he retreated, couldn’t help but glance at the man. He found it hard to understand why the master was so concerned about Doctor Du’s whereabouts. Lord Lu’s health could last for a while, and searching for Doctor Du now wouldn’t have the same immediate effect as bringing him to the Lu family when they were on the brink of despair.

And what about Young Master Liang…

They had always kept a neutral relationship with Qiyun Mountain Manor. He couldn’t understand the master’s intentions. His actions were becoming more and more difficult to comprehend.

—-

After Shen Wei was led by the young man back to the secret passage, she knocked three times, and the wooden board was opened from the outside.

Shui Bi had been waiting outside and sighed in relief when she saw Shen Wei emerge. Shen Wei had spent quite a while inside, and if it hadn’t been for the difficulty of entering, Shui Bi would have gone to look for her. Now that she was safe, Shui Bi reached out to support her arm and asked, “Are you alright?”

Shen Wei, hearing this, softened her gaze as she looked at Shui Bi. She gently patted her hand and said, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

When these words fell—

Shen Wei let Shui Bi assist her into the carriage. As the carriage slowly moved forward, she couldn’t help but ask about the man from the pavilion earlier, “Was your master always so…” She paused, unsure of the right word, before continuing, “…idle?”

Shui Bi, who was making tea, was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at Shen Wei, her face showing clear surprise… Could it be that the person Shen Wei had seen earlier wasn’t Manager Shi, but the master himself?

Seeing her reaction, Shen Wei relaxed her heart. It seemed Shui Bi was indeed unaware. She thought for a moment and then said, “I was just casually asking. You don’t need to worry.”

Shui Bi, hearing this, relaxed, and her surprise diminished. She placed the tea cup back on the table and answered respectfully, “Although I’ve been with the master for a long time, he is very busy, and we rarely see him.”

Shen Wei listened to her response and did not press further.

However, Shui Bi, after speaking, couldn’t help but glance at Shen Wei again. What exactly had the master said to Shen Wei that caused her to have such an impression? Moreover, why did Shui Bi get the sense that Shen Wei seemed to speak with a hint of… distaste when mentioning the master?